Selangor or Negeri Sembilan for Khairy?

Political analysts are split over where Khairy Jamaluddin would have the most success after his sacking from Umno: Selangor, which he previously earmarked as his new political base, or Negeri Sembilan where he was the MP for Rembau for 14 years.
Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said Khairy should return to Negeri Sembilan to redeem his political career.
"It would be better for him to face off with Mohamad Hasan, to fight for the seat of Rantau and become the menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan," she said, referring to the state seat currently held by the Umno deputy president.
"He should take a lesson from the agenda behind his move to Sungai Buloh."
Khairy, the former health minister, was shifted from Rembau to Sungai Buloh in Selangor ahead of the 15th general election last year to make way for Mohamad to contest his seat instead.
Mohamad went on to win the seat while Khairy lost the race for Sungai Buloh.
He was sacked from Umno last month alongside former Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar on grounds of breaching party discipline during the election campaign period.
The move came as part of a purge of party leaders seen as critical of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
During the campaign period, Khairy said that Umno had lost its way and needed to be "fixed".
He also openly voiced his ambition to become the party president and one day prime minister as well.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute Of International Affairs said Khairy had an edge in both Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, among the urban voters in the former and due to his years of service in the latter.
"I think that he is banking on his supposedly high personal electoral appeal, hoping that PKR will welcome him to lead the fight against the green wave in Selangor," Oh said in a reference to Islamist party PAS and its umbrella coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN).
He added that Khairy had more charisma with which to attract voters in Selangor than either Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari or Tengku Zafrul Aziz who might be fielded by Barisan Nasional (BN).
Khairy, who had hinted at a run in the state elections to be held in six states this year, including Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, would still need the consent of the sultan in order to hold the position of menteri besar.
Kartini however said that voters in Selangor were already familiar with Amirudin, which she added would complicate matters for Khairy in the state.
As for future political affiliations, Khairy had said that he wanted to join a party in line with his ideology and vision for the country.
He said in several interviews before his sacking that he had received but rejected offers from PAS and PN.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Oh voiced reservations about how Khairy's ideology would align with that of PN.
He added that urban voters would likely snub Khairy if he joined PN.
"If he loses them, it will be hard for him to earn more religious and conservative ones unless he becomes very religious and conservative as well," he said.


One Covid case detected as Malaysia-Singapore travel lane opens

One positive Covid-19 case was detected at the Johor Causeway entry point on the first day of the Malaysia-Singapore Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) today, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said the case was detected through RTK-Antigen on-arrival testing conducted at the international entry point.“This matter is being verified through confirmative testing using RT-PCR. We want to use the RT-PCR test to confirm the results of the RTK-Antigen test,” he told a news conference after officiating the National Health Institute Covid-19 Personnel Appreciation Ceremony in Shah Alam today.He said the Johor Bahru district health office (PKD) was conducting a risk assessment on those who travelled on the same bus as the individual to decide whether they need to be quarantined or subjected to other restrictions.“Although there is one (positive) case, I do not consider it as something which can derail the VTL. Instead, it should be an example of how pre-departure and on-arrival testing and the like are necessary preventive measures.“There will be positive cases but the important thing is our diagnostic capability and requirements as well as risk assessment undertaken by PKDs when such cases happen,” he added.Khairy said today was an important day for Malaysia and Singapore as it marked the reopening of their borders which had been closed for about 20 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“When we receive further information this afternoon, we will issue a statement on the VTL status,” he said.


Top Glove told to screen over 2,000 workers living outside EMCO area

Top Glove Corporation Bhd has been instructed to conduct Covid-19 screenings for 2,263 of its employees living outside the designated enhanced movement control order (EMCO) area, as well as to ensure that they undergo quarantine for 14 days.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this is to prevent the spread of the pandemic in community areas.“Prior to this, they had dormitories for male and female workers and houses rented in areas where EMCO has been enforced, but many workers also live elsewhere. So we have instructed the company to screen these employees and quarantine them.“Residents in the surrounding areas do not have to worry because Top Glove workers are screened and placed in quarantine centres,” he said at a press conference today.Ismail said all Top Glove employees who test positive for Covid-19 are sent to hospital while those who test negative are quarantined at the Gold Coast Hotel in Klang Sentral, and the stadium in Pandamaran.He added that a task force has been set up to coordinate the process of screening and quarantining workers as well as closing Top Glove factories. The task force involves the state-level National Security Council, the Selangor health department, the Klang district office, the Klang municipal council, and the Klang district police headquarters.“The government, in particular the health ministry and the special task force, will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation.“The government has also ordered the company’s 28 factories to be closed in stages to allow workers to undergo screening tests and quarantine.“As of yesterday, 20 factories were closed, and seven more were closed today. Another factory will follow,” he said.He said as of Nov 24, 5,795 out of 11,215 employees had been screened, with 2,684 positive cases detected in the EMCO area.“Yesterday, the cumulative number of cases nationwide was 2,188, and of that number, 1,623 cases were recorded in Selangor, with 1,511 Covid-19 positive cases from the cluster involving Top Glove factories,” he said.


Telegram to cooperate with authorities to curb cyber crimes, Fahmi says

Telegram is prepared to build closer cooperation with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police to fight cyber crimes taking place via the application.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the commitment was pledged after Telegram held a meeting with him at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur today.
Also present in the meeting were MCMC chairman Salim Fateh Din, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Bukit Aman CID director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay and several top police officers.
"In the over-an-hour meeting, I stressed that there are too many criminal cases such as fake investments, paedophilia, pornography and other online crimes taking place in Telegram.
"We also firmly stated that Telegram and any messaging applications or social media should adhere and comply with Malaysian laws," said Fahmi in a statement.
Meanwhile, he said since January 2020 to May 2023, the total losses suffered by Malaysians as a result of various scams via Telegram have exceeded RM45 million.
Fahmi said therefore the government would not be silent and allow criminals to hide behind fake identities.
"Hopefully the meeting today is a good start in cross-agency cooperation to ensure Telegram is safer to use," he said.
On June 7, the communications and digital ministry urged Telegram to hold a meeting with MCMC soon to avoid action relating to cyber security issues.


Endless possibilities: Rumours swirl ahead of budget vote

Malaysia’s political rumour mills are going at full steam ahead of a crucial vote on Budget 2021 today, seen as more of a confidence motion on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin than on the multi-billion ringgit allocations involved as the nation battles a fierce resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic.MalaysiaNow’s correspondents have been speaking to MPs and senior politicians in Parliament, as well as political observers and sources close to decision-makers in political parties, to get a glimpse of the ongoing conversations.Here are the top speculations and rumours repeated by our sources as Malaysians wait with bated breath for whether the country will be distracted by yet another political crisis.None of these speculations can be independently verified.1. Interim prime ministerOne speculation is that Muhyiddin will resign after the budget fails. In his place, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong might appoint an interim prime minister. This has happened before, when the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed and the palace re-appointed Dr Mahathir Mohamad as interim prime minister until someone with clear support could be named for the post. Several sources have even come up with the names of candidates likely to be made interim PM, including Hishammuddin Hussein, the current foreign minister.2. Muhyiddin loses, and then snap pollsAs the Agong has ruled out declaring a state of emergency, the prime minister, if he fails to obtain approval for the budget, may advise for the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for the 15th general election. This is because no single leader eyeing the top post is likely to get enough backing to convince the Agong to appoint him as prime minister.3. Emergency declaredThe declaration of emergency in Batu Sapi to block a by-election there could be a precedent in the event that the Perikatan Nasional government collapses due to a failure to get the budget passed. The Agong could invoke his constitutional powers again, this time to declare an emergency that will see him calling the shots on major policies to ensure the continuity of the nation’s administration.4. Najib has 18 MPs with him to block the budgetThis rumour has been popular among opponents of Muhyiddin as well as supporters of PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim for obvious reasons, in the hope that it will encourage a snowballing of support from other MPs for the PKR leader to finally realise his ever-elusive prime ministerial ambitions.5. Najib to fight another dayNajib Razak and his small group of Umno rebels, said to comprise five MPs, may decide to “fight another day” and support the budget bill, following their failure to mobilise more objections to the budget. It was reported that several private meetings were held with Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs to convince them to block the bill. However, the Perikatan Nasional Backbenchers Club as well as some 20 Cabinet members from BN have issued statements pledging support for the government.6. Muhyiddin to win with support from WarisanThis is one possibility, on the back of private negotiations between leaders of the Sabah party and several members of the Cabinet. Their support will be crucial to making up for lost votes from Umno MPs linked to Najib, who have threatened to depart from their colleagues by voting down the budget. From the same rumour mill, it is said that Warisan president Shafie Apdal got “cold feet” and decided not to back Muhyiddin.


No GE campaigning for Najib while serving jail term, says prison DG

Former prime minister Najib Razak will be subject to the Prison Act and its regulations as long as he is serving a jail sentence, prison director-general Nordin Muhammad said today.
He said as long as Najib is still serving his sentence, the former prime minister will not be allowed to go out to campaign for the 15th general election.
"The situation and regulations are still the same... so long as he is still serving the sentence in prison, he is subject to the Prison Act and regulations," he told reporters at the launch of the Offenders Compulsory Attendance (Amendment) Act (Act 1660) at the Malaysian Prisons headquarters in Kajang today.
He was commenting on the stand of the Prison Department in the event of an application by Najib's supporters for the Pekan MP to be given special permission to campaign in GE15.
However, Nordin said apart from the application for Najib to attend the Parliament sitting, which was rejected, the department had not received any other applications from the former prime minister. He also reiterated that Najib was not receiving special treatment as alleged by some quarters.
Nordin said Najib, like other prisoners, was subject to the Prison Act and its regulations, in addition to the department’s SOPs.
"We give the same treatment to all inmates here and there is no such term as favouritism among the prisoners," he said.
On Aug 23, the Federal Court upheld Najib's conviction and 12-year prison sentence as well as his fine of RM210 million for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.


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Mine-clearers killed in Afghanistan, interpreters under Taliban death sentences

Gunmen stormed a camp of a UK-based mine clearance group in Afghanistan, killing 10 local workers. Afghan officials blame the Taliban for the attack, but they deny this.The NGO HALO Trust said that 10 of its workers were killed and 16 wounded on Tuesday evening when gunmen attacked their camp in Afghanistan’s northeastern Baghlan province. Ariana News cited locals as saying that all the victims were from Baghlan province.The Baghlan governor’s spokesman, Jawed Basharat, told reporters that the gunmen wore masks during the attack.Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian claimed militants from the Taliban were behind the attack. He posted what he said were photos of surviving mine-clearers lying on hospital beds.The Taliban denied targeting the mine clearance team. “We condemn attacks on the defenceless and view it as brutality,” the group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a tweet, adding that the militants have “normal relations” with NGOs.Arian said the Taliban was lying and that its fighters have attacked aid workers and civilians in the past.The Taliban did claim to have shot down an Afghan military helicopter on Tuesday. However, the country’s defense ministry said the Russian-made M-17 chopper crashed due to technical problems, killing three of its crew and injuring one.Meanwhile, Afghan translators employed by Australian troops have been placed on a Taliban kill list for working alongside “infidel enemies” over the past 20 years.The development has re-ignited calls for the Australian government to fast-track visas for about 300 interpreters who fear for their lives.In one instance, an Afghan interpreter who worked with Australian Defence Force soldiers had a threatening letter signed by a Taliban commander named Spin Talib taped to his front door by “Mujahedeen”, or jihadist fighters.The letter amounted to a Taliban death sentence on the translator who has already been an assassination target.“We are honest in our words and we will get you, be it day or night, and you will be punished, and we will reach our goal,” the letter reads. “Await your death very soon.”The letter reveals that the Taliban has received reports of the translator’s work “for a long time with infidel enemies of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as an interpreter and a slave”.Retired admiral Chris Barrie said Australia had a “very serious” obligation to take care of vulnerable translators when military forces were withdrawn later this year.The prime minister said the government was working urgently to provide protection to Afghan translators who fear for their safety.


North Korea shoots and burns body of Seoul official

A South Korean official has been killed after crossing a maritime border into North Korea, officials in Seoul are reporting.A Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries functionary went missing off the Yeonpyeong Islands on September 21, according to Lt Gen Ahn Young-ho, of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.The Yeonpyeong islands sit practically astride the maritime border between North and South Korea.The official apparently crossed into North Korean waters, whether accidentally or deliberately is not being reported, whereupon North Korean forces opened fire, killing him. They later burned his body, Ahn said.In a statement, the South Korean military said it “strongly condemns the North’s atrocities” and urged Pyongyang to provide an explanation and punish those responsible.North Korea has not yet responded.Tensions have been rising since communication between the two countries was cut in June, after Pyongyang closed and blew up a joint liaison office in Kaesong, a city on the northern side of the border.


Indian AstraZeneca vaccine not approved for EU, says EMA

India’s version of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine is not authorised in the EU due to the possibility of “differences” with the original, Europe’s drug regulator said Wednesday.The African Union has complained that the EU’s non-recognition of the low-cost Indian-made Covishield jab might be detrimental to people in Africa where it is widely used.“Even though it may use an analogous production technology to Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca’s vaccine), Covishield as such is not currently approved under EU rules,” the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement to AFP.“This is because vaccines are biological products. Even tiny differences in the manufacturing conditions can result in differences in the final product, and EU law therefore requires the manufacturing sites and production process to be assessed and approved as part of the authorisation process.”The Amsterdam-based agency added: “Should we receive a marketing authorisation application for Covishield or should any change to the approved manufacturing sites for Vaxzevria be approved, we would communicate about it.”Four vaccines are currently approved for use in the EU: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Another four are under “rolling review” for possible approval: Russia’s Sputnik, China’s Sinovac, Germany’s CureVac and Novavax of the US.The World Health Organization (WHO) has however approved Covishield and lamented the fact that some countries were rejecting Covishield’s use on vaccination passes.“This is a great pity because AstraZeneca-Covishield is exactly the same vaccine as AstraZeneca-Vaxzevria, which is accepted as proof of vaccination,” said Richard Mihigo of the WHO Regional Office for Africa late Tuesday.“It is only that AstraZeneca-Covishield is manufactured and distributed in other parts of the world other than Europe.”He urged EU countries to recognise Covishield on vaccine passes.The EMA statement said it was “not responsible for any decision regarding travelling into the EU”, which is the responsibility of the European Commission and EU member states.In a joint statement released Monday, the African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the rules “put at risk the equitable treatment” of people vaccinated in Africa.People in some African nations have also complained about the lack of recognition for any of the widely used Chinese vaccines.


No one stopped Arul Kanda from attending PAC proceedings, court told in 1MDB audit report trial

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur was today told that no one had prevented former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy from attending Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings to explain the company’s final audit report.Former National Audit Department (NAD) director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad, 65, said this during examination-in-chief by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram in the trial of former prime minister Najib Razak and Arul Kanda for allegedly tampering with the final 1MDB audit report.Sri Ram: To your knowledge, did you or anyone prevent or obstruct Arul Kanda from attending the PAC meeting to offer his explanation?Saadatul: No.Sri Ram: So you did nothing to prevent him?Saadatul Nafisah: Yes.She said Arul Kanda attended the meeting on Feb 25, 2016, a day after a meeting was held during which top government officials agreed to amend the original 1MDB audit report.“He came with the report to request for amendments,” said the seventh prosecution witness, adding that the events that took place on Feb 24 and 25, 2016 were never discussed at the PAC meeting.To another question, Saadatul who described the 1MDB audit report as a special audit report, said the audit report on the klia2 project was also a special one.She said the special audit reports on the 1MDB and klia2 project were considered investigative in nature.“This is because unlike normal audits initiated by NAD, a special audit report is sought by either the Cabinet or PAC, and the auditors are empowered to seek information not only from the auditee but also from other parties,” she added.Sri Ram: You described this (1MDB) as a special audit. Is this the first time you (NAD) had done this?Saadatul: No. We had done it a few times before this. There was one requested by the Cabinet on the klia2 project.She said the audit on the klia2 project was done when Najib was prime minister, but that he (Najib) had not asked for a copy of the report nor for any changes to be made.Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to PAC to prevent any action taken against him, while Arul Kanda, 45, is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report to protect Najib from being subjected to action.Both of them are charged under Section 23 (1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.The trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues on Nov 29.


Ku Li stable after testing positive for virus

Veteran MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the latest politician to be infected with the virus in recent days.It is believed that two of his aides have also tested positive.Razaleigh is currently warded at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, while his aides have been admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur.A source told MalaysiaNow that the 83-year-old Gua Musang MP had been a close contact of Ab Aziz Yusoff, the assemblyman for Nenggiri in Razaleigh’s constituency, who was confirmed to have Covid-19 last week.It is understood that Razaleigh’s situation is stable.Several Cabinet members recently contracted the virus amid a sharp spike in daily cases which forced the government to announce the twin declarations of the movement control order and emergency.They include Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mustapa Mohamad; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun and Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin.Several other ministers meanwhile have been told to undergo home quarantine.


Taiwan presidential front-runner says he can keep peace with China

Leading Taiwan presidential candidate William Lai wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that he could keep the peace with China if elected, reiterating his willingness for talks without preconditions and a pledge to boost defences.
Lai, Taiwan's vice president and the candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has consistently led the majority of opinion polls ahead of the January election. President Tsai Ing-wen cannot run again after two terms in office.
In a commentary piece, Lai said that despite the military and economic challenges from China, including China's almost daily aerial incursions near the island, his top priorities remained pragmatism and consistency.
"I will support the cross-strait status quo - which is in the best interests of both the Republic of China, as Taiwan is formally known, and the international community. I will never rule out the possibility of dialogue without preconditions, based on the principles of reciprocity and dignity," he added.
Lai said he would continue with Tsai's plan to boost Taiwan's defences, such as spending more on the military, adding that these measures reduce the risk of war by raising the stakes and costs for Beijing.
"I will seek greater cooperation with partners and allies, particularly in training, force restructuring, civil defence and information sharing," he wrote.
Lai is expected to visit the US next month, according to diplomatic sources, as presidential candidates traditionally do, to discuss their policy agenda.
The US is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier.
Tsai has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. Beijing views her as a separatist for refusing to accept the Chinese position that Taiwan and China are part of "one China". She says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
Lai angered China in 2018 while he was premier, telling parliament he was a "Taiwan independence worker" and that his position was that Taiwan was a sovereign, independent country - a red line for Beijing.
Both Tsai and Lai say that the Republic of China, Taiwan's formal name, is already an independent state, despite only 13 countries formally recognising it.
The defeated republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, who established the People's Republic of China.


DAP man renews attack on Mahathir

DAP's RSN Rayer today urged the authorities to take action against Dr Mahathir Mohamad, accusing the former prime minister of belittling the royal households.
Rayer, the Jelutong MP, said Mahathir should not get special treatment just because he had been conferred the "Tun" title.
"No charges were filed. Why?
"Twice bestowed with the honour of 'Tun' by the royal households. We chose him as the prime minister for a second time. But he took advantage of this to attack and criticise the royal households."
Rayer said that in contrast, the late DAP leader Karpal Singh was charged with sedition for criticising the involvement of the rulers in state matters. He was acquitted in 2019, five years after his death.
Rayer meanwhile questioned opposition leaders for expressing support for Mahathir by appearing with him during a recent media conference.
"Why did those at the press conference with him remain silent while the former Langkawi MP (Mahathir) berated and criticised the royal households?" he asked.
Rayer initially called for action against Mahathir on June 6.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he criticised the former leader over reports that he had criticised the royal institution, and warned that both Mahathir and Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin could work together once more.
"The two of them want to destroy the country. They want to stop Tambun (Anwar Ibrahim) from carrying out his duties and taking care of the people's welfare," he said.
Urging the government to consider revoking Mahathir's "Tun" title, he said the police should act against him if he continue to attack the royal households.
Mahathir had previously said that he was ready to work with Muhyiddin if they could reach a consensus on mutual goals. Muhyiddin meanwhile welcomed the offer from Mahathir, saying he was prepared to work with the former prime minister to defend religion, race and country.


83 clusters recorded in schools and colleges, 49 still active

A total of 83 Covid-19 clusters related to the education sector were recorded from Jan 1 until yesterday, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said data from the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) showed that 49 clusters (59.04%) with 2,617 cases were still active, while 34 clusters (40.96%) with 2,251 cases have ended.Of the total clusters, 39 with 1,420 cases were from the education ministry’s schools or institutions sub-category, 19 clusters with 1,870 cases were from the higher education sub-category, and 25 clusters with 1,578 cases were from other education sub-categories.“For education institutions which recorded Covid-19 infections among their members, the management must immediately notify the nearest district health office (PKD) for prevention and control measures,” he said in a statement today.Adham said the need for a temporary closure of classes or premises would be considered based on risk assessments by the PKD comprising contact tracing and further inspection.“The temporary closures aim to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among members of the education sector including students, teachers, staff on duty and further, to the community,” he added.Adham said when PKDs or state health departments receive a report or notification on Covid-19 positive cases or clusters, a team is mobilised to conduct investigations, contact tracing, infection prevention and control measures as well as risk assessments.The PKD would also advise the management to conduct a cleaning and disinfection process at their premises, he said.The minister urged all education premises to continue to adhere to the SOPs such as maintaining physical distancing, wearing face masks and ensuring personal hygiene.“Run fever or symptoms screening at the entrance of schools or premises. Those who are unwell or symptomatic are advised to seek treatment at nearby health facilities,” he said.


Deal inked with Pfizer for 12.8 million doses of vaccine, says PM

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says Malaysia has signed an initial agreement with Pfizer to procure 12.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to immunise 6.4 million people or 20% of Malaysians.He said the agreement, signed on Nov 24, was to ensure that the government has access to data to access the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.“Through this agreement, Pfizer has pledged to deliver one million doses, 1.7 million doses, 5.8 million doses and 4.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2021,” he said at a press conference today.According to Bernama, he said Malaysia had also signed an agreement with the Covax Facility to procure Covid-19 vaccine for 10% of Malaysians.Vaccination will be carried out in stages, with priority given to high-risk groups, he added.He said it would be necessary for 18 million to 19 million people to be immunised against Covid-19. However, he added that there would be no compulsion for people to take the vaccine, which would only be given to those who want it of their own accord.He also said that the vaccine would be administered to the people for free.The Pfizer vaccine was the first to publish an early analysis from its Phase 3 trials involving 43,000 people worldwide.Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech had earlier announced that an analysis of their experimental Covid-19 vaccine protected 95% of people against the disease.They expect to produce 50 million doses this year and 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.Malaysia has also been given priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from China.


Technical problems, communication failure behind LRT collision, says transport minister

Technical issues and communication failure between the operations control centre (OCC) and the hostler (driver) are among the factors that led to the collision between two LRT trains on the Kelana Jaya line on May 24, says Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong.He said the findings were part of the report by the investigative committee set up to probe the collision which occurred between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations. The report was presented to the Cabinet on June 9.Speaking at a virtual press conference today, Wee said the incident involved a collision between train number 40 which was carrying no passengers and had technical problems, and train number 81 which had 213 passengers and had departed without getting accurate information.He said Train 40 had experienced technical problems at 6.26pm on the day of the crash involving one of its two vehicle on-board communication (VOBC) systems.One of the VOBCs malfunctioned, cutting communication with the OCC and forcing the train to empty its passengers at the next station. It was then removed from service and sent for maintenance at the Lembah Subang depot via the automatic train operation (ATO) control.However the second VOBC also malfunctioned at 8.13pm while the train was en route to Lembah Subang.“The OCC could not control Train 40 when both its VOBCs malfunctioned,” Wee said.“As such, the hostler was ordered to manually drive the train to the nearest station – Dang Wangi – in order for it to be reset to ATO mode.”He said the investigation found that during the process of driving the train to be reset to ATO mode, both the hostler and OCC officer or controller had ignored certain critical SOPs, resulting in Train 40 being inadvertently moved northbound to Gombak instead of southbound to the depot.Meanwhile, he said, Train 81 had been held back at the KLCC station and placed under manual route reservation (MRR) status, which was protection for Train 40 before it could be operated via ATO.“However, Train 81 was released to depart from the KLCC station heading towards the Kampung Baru station without getting accurate confirmation that Train 40 had been reset to ATO.“This situation led to the collision between Train 40 and Train 81,” he said.Wee said the hostler had acted unintentionally as the information on the track section number at the time was insufficient, whereas periodic reporting to the OCC should have taken place.He added that the objective of the investigation was to determine the actual situation and cause of the collision with the aim of preventing a recurrence and improving public transport services, not to prove the guilt of liability of any party.Meanwhile, transport ministry secretary-general Isham Ishak, who led the investigative committee, said the findings revealed that the maintenance conducted by Prasarana was in order and according to the manuals.He said there was no discrepancy or anomaly in the maintenance of the trains although SOPs were not completely obeyed as there should have been a checklist to prevent such incidents.“VOBC failure doesn’t happen every day, it seldom happens. But when it happens, there must be an SOP which everyone understands and follows on how to handle manual trains,” he said.


Strikes at Ukraine nuclear plant prompt UN call for demilitarised zone

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, compounding fears of a disaster as the U.N. chief said it should be made a demilitarised zone and Ukraine demanded that Russian forces withdraw from it.
Ukraine's Energoatom agency said the Zaporizhzhia complex in south-central Ukraine was struck five times on Thursday, including near where radioactive materials are stored. Russian-appointed officials said Ukraine shelled the plant twice, disrupting a shift changeover, Russia's Tass news agency said.
The UN Security Council met on Thursday to discuss the situation and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on both sides to stop all fighting near the plant.
"The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, urgent agreement is needed at a technical level on a safe perimeter of demilitarisation to ensure the safety of the area," Guterres said in a statement.
Russia seized Zaporizhzhia in March after invading Ukraine on Feb 24. The plant, near the front line in the fighting, is held by Russian troops and operated by Ukrainian workers.
At the Security Council meeting, the US backed the call for a demilitarised zone and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the site.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the world was being pushed "to the brink of nuclear catastrophe, comparable in scale with Chornobyl". He said IAEA officials could visit the site as soon as this month.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports from either side about circumstances at the plant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Russia return the plant to Ukraine's control.
"Only a full withdrawal of the Russians... and the restoration of full Ukrainian control of the situation around the station can guarantee a resumption of nuclear security for all of Europe," he said in a video address.
France echoed Zelensky's demand and said Russia's occupation of the site endangered the world.
"The presence and actions of the Russian armed forces near the plant significantly increase the risk of an accident with potentially devastating consequences," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for attacks on the site. Ukraine has also accused Russia of firing rockets at Ukrainian towns from around the captured nuclear power plant in the knowledge it would be too risky for Ukrainian forces to return fire.
Ukraine's General Staff on Friday reported widespread shelling and air attacks by Russian forces on scores of towns and military bases, especially in the east.
Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of the Dnipropentovsk region, said three civilians, including a boy, were wounded in the town of Marhanets in overnight shelling.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region, said on Telegram seven civilians had been killed and 14 wounded in the past 24 hours.
Russian base in Crimea
Separately, satellite pictures released on Thursday showed devastation at an air base in Russian-annexed Crimea. It suggested Ukraine may have new long-range strike capability with potential to change the course of the war, Western military experts said.
Images from independent satellite firm Planet Labs showed three nearly identical craters where buildings at Russia's Saki air base had been struck with apparent precision. The base, on the southwest coast of Crimea, suffered extensive fire damage with at least eight destroyed warplanes visible.
Russia has denied aircraft were damaged and said explosions at the base on Tuesday were accidental. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.
Referring to the damage, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters in a message: "Officially, we are not confirming or denying anything... bearing in mind that there were several epicentres of explosions at exactly the same time."
Zelensky told officials to stop talking to reporters about military tactics, saying such remarks were "frankly irresponsible". The New York Times and Washington Post newspapers cited unidentified officials as saying Ukrainian forces were responsible for the Crimea attack.
Russia, which seized and annexed Crimea in 2014, uses the peninsula as the base for its Black Sea fleet and as the main supply route for its invasion forces occupying southern Ukraine, where Kyiv is planning a counter-offensive in coming weeks.
Counter-offensive
The Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian officials were framing the Crimea strike as the start of Ukraine's counter-offensive in the south, suggesting intense fighting in coming weeks.
Exactly how the attack on the base was carried out remains a mystery but the impact craters and simultaneous explosions appear to indicate it was hit by a volley of weapons capable of evading Russian defences.
The base is well beyond the range of advanced rockets that Western countries acknowledge sending Ukraine, though within range of more powerful versions Kyiv has sought. Ukraine also has anti-ship missiles which could be used to hit targets on land.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said that Russian officials trained in Iran in recent weeks as part of an agreement on the transfer of drones between the two countries.
US officials said last month that Iran was preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred drones.
Russia says its "special military operation" is going to plan, to protect Russian speakers and separatists in the south and east. Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow aims to solidify its grip on as much territory as possible.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions have fled from their homes and cities have been destroyed.


Give me liberty, and death too?

“Give me liberty or give me death.”When Patrick Henry, one of America’s founding fathers, spoke these words in his famous speech in 1775, he was talking about going to war with a foreign country in an attempt to gain independence.The phrase now represents a dichotomy for some: either give us liberty or give us death.We could see this narrative from a section of people in the days leading up to Istana Negara’s announcement today that there would be no state of emergency.Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah made no secret of his contempt for those obsessed with politicking, and for those out to disrupt the increasingly difficult fight against Covid-19.He also made reference to the budget next month – the heart of a proposal to the palace to consider invoking his emergency powers. Any move by a group of MPs to vote down the budget would lead to snap polls.What has the episode leading up to the Agong’s decision shown?Instead of being relieved by the pause on politics and power plays in the name of democracy, we heard voices of “freedom” raise the spectre of a takeover by dictatorship.Who were the people protesting a state of emergency, which would essentially stop elections and suspend the political process in Parliament?Barring today’s warning by the Agong, an emergency would appear to be the only way to hit the pause button on our raucous politics.Failing this, millions of people could converge at thousands of voting centres, all because politicians from both sides of the divide believe they have the freedom to switch parties at their whim and fancy.The movement control order (MCO) was effective in minimising direct physical contact, universally blamed for the spread of Covid-19.But while it kept people in their homes, it could not stop the political power play in Parliament and, ultimately, the horror of election clusters – all 222 of them.It is the irony of our times that the greatest threats to life during the pandemic are the things we see as symbols of our freedom.Even after a general election, there would be no guarantee that MPs from either bloc would remain glued to their seats in the Dewan Rakyat once they were voted in. Nothing would stop them from making the jump if they thought it would be to their benefit because it is their constitutional right to do so.As for leaders facing multiple corruption charges, it is a right they would be all too happy to utilise in the hope of escaping their predicament, even if it meant forcing a general election in the midst of the most deadly pandemic to be seen in this internet age.Bringing back the MCO-style lockdown is not an option, either. It might have worked once, but it exposes a double standard: while we deny millions of people the freedom to go about their daily lives and to put food on their tables, we allow a small band of politicians to plot and scheme using the parliamentary process, all in the name of democracy.The lockdown would not affect white collar workers and the IT-savvy urban populace. It is easy for people like that to ask for another MCO, especially when we have our plastic cards linked to shopping apps, enabling us to buy food with just a swipe of the finger, all from the same armchair from which we criticise others.But millions of others – the grass cutters, the office cleaners, the factory workers, the car washers, the construction labourers – may not have that luxury.The only saving grace for them is that they are still allowed to go to work despite the restrictions. But for how long?If several hands are not raised next month to pass the budget in the Dewan Rakyat, it could force snap polls, and our frontline poster boy Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and the thousands under his command know all too well what would happen next. A general election infection cluster does not emerge out of nowhere. It would be of our own making. Those who do not believe that should ask a certain Shafie Apdal.It is the irony of our times that the greatest threats to life during the pandemic are the things we see as symbols of our freedom. A general election, the mobilisation of the entire electorate, is at the top of that list.If, in the name of health, we can close our most hallowed institutions – our places of education and worship – why are we so riled up about stopping 222 adults from gambling with our health?Freedom ends at the tip of one’s nose; it doesn’t matter whether we are liberals or conservatives.It’s time we fought such types of disruptive freedom.For now, the Agong has spoken in no uncertain terms.But whether a few former finance ministers will heed his warning remains to be seen.Yes, give us liberty, but let us stay alive to enjoy it.


Another 586,700 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive in July

AstraZeneca today confirmed a further 586,700 doses of vaccine to be delivered to Malaysia in early July, with additional deliveries to be made in the weeks to come.So far, over 828,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered to the country for use in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme along with jabs from Pfizer and Sinovac.AstraZeneca said in a statement that it was also on track to deliver 6.4 million doses between now and early next year, and would support the delivery of millions more through Covax and donations.AstraZeneca Malaysia president Dr Sanjeev Panchal meanwhile said the latest delivery estimates demonstrate the value of the government, industry and others to support health and economic revival.“We will continue to work closely with the government and others throughout the current surge of cases, to put Malaysia on a path back to normality as quickly as possible,” he added.Covax is a global initiative co-founded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) and the World Health Organization (WHO).Close to 30 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered across Asean so far, with more than 600 million jabs released for supply to 168 countries worldwide.


New infections at 1,040 as another 9 deaths logged

Another 1,040 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,012,483.
There were 1,456 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,958,158.
There are now 17,547 active cases, of which 16,378 or 93.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,100 (6.3%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 69 are in ICU with 52 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another nine deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,778.


New Australian virus cases soar over 1,000 for first time

Australia on Thursday reported more than 1,000 new local coronavirus cases for the first time during the pandemic, as a Delta variant outbreak surged in Sydney.New South Wales state, which includes the country’s most populous city Sydney, announced a record 1,029 cases of Covid-19 for the previous 24 hours.An outbreak that began in the city in mid-June has reached over 15,000 cases and spread to smaller towns and cities, prompting the return of lockdowns and travel restrictions across Australia’s populated southeast.Despite the soaring figures and growing pressure on hospitals, state premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a modest easing of restrictions for vaccinated people from mid-September.Up to five fully vaccinated people will be allowed to gather outdoors in non-hotspot areas after New South Wales hit a target of six million jabs in a population of about eight million.“That was the option that met the mental health and well-being of our community but also provided the lowest risk setting,” Berejiklian said.She said the health system was able to cope with the added strain after capacity was boosted, pledging that “everybody who needs help will get that help”.It came as authorities extended stay-at-home orders for the rest of New South Wales to Sept 10, as concerns grew over rising cases in regional areas that deputy premier John Barilaro described as “a tinderbox ready to explode”.Meanwhile, Victoria state – which is grappling with a smaller outbreak that emerged in Melbourne – announced a further 80 new cases Thursday.More than half of Australia’s 25 million people are stuck in lockdown, including in Sydney where residents have been under stay-at-home orders for more than two months.Australia’s sluggish vaccine rollout has picked up in recent weeks as more supplies reached the country, with almost one-third of adults now fully vaccinated.The nation has recorded almost 48,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths during the pandemic to date.


Xi says China aiming for carbon neutrality in 40 years

Chinese President Xi Jinping says his country wants to become a world leader in stopping climate change.“We aim to have carbon dioxide emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060,” he said, during his speech on Tuesday to the UN General Assembly.His words are being seen by analysts as a significant step in the fight against global warming.China is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases as it relies heavily for its electricity on coal, one of the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels.Xi said the coronavirus pandemic had shown the need to preserve the environment. “Humankind can no longer afford to ignore the repeated warnings of nature,” he said.Greenpeace executive director Jennifer Morgan called it “an important signal” that showed climate change is “top of agenda for China”.If so, the move will put significant pressure on the US to follow suit.President Donald Trump has called global warming “a hoax”.


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1MDB paid Bloomberg to list one of its funds, witness tells court

Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the company had paid international news agency Bloomberg to list one of its funds to improve the poor public perception of the investment portfolio.Hazem, 49, said this during cross-examination by Najib Razak’s counsel Tania Scivetti at the former prime minister’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.The 10th prosecution witness agreed with the suggestion by the lawyer that listing the Bridge Global Absolute Return Fund (BGARF) on Bloomberg would improve issues of legitimacy with the portfolio.It was reported in 2016 that 1MDB had selected Bridge Partners Investment Management (Cayman) Ltd to manage US$2.3 billion (RM7.67 billion) of its cash. The money was invested in BGARF, a Cayman Islands-registered segregated portfolio company (SPC).Hazem was referring to the minutes of a board meeting where the 1MDB chairman had commented on the poor perception of the fund.The witness agreed that he had comforted the chairman in the meeting and said that the perception would improve once BGARF was listed on Bloomberg.Scivetti: Bloomberg is a big name and has a platform to put financial data of a company, that’s why it is important to be listed on Bloomberg.Hazem: Yes.Scivetti: If you are listed on Bloomberg, it would give legitimacy to funds and would resolve issues of legitimacy.Hazem: Yes.Scivetti: I know, it is not difficult to list. All you have to do is pay a small subscription fee, which is not pricey at all. It is as simple as that. Bloomberg doesn’t verify what the company is saying about themselves to get listed. You pay them, they put it on.Hazem: I don’t know. I cannot answer on behalf of Bloomberg.Scivetti then suggested that being listed on Bloomberg did not guarantee any value in the said company, to which Hazem answered: “Yes, to a certain extent.”Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Monday.


Sarawak premier meets Muhyiddin, Hadi as next govt within PN's grasp

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg flew to Kuala Lumpur today to meet with the top leaders of Perikatan Nasional (PN), hours after the coalition emerged as one of the biggest winners looking to attract partners to form the federal bloc in Putrajaya.
The meeting is the clearest indication yet that Sarawak's GPS – the coalition that secured 22 seats in the election, making it a kingmaker in the current jostle for numbers – is leaning towards Muhyiddin Yassin's PN.
"Negotiations are also underway with other like-minded parties and independent MPs. God willing, the federal government can be formed in the near future," said Muhyiddin.
Also present at the meeting was PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
PN won 73 seats in the final tally of the general election results yesterday, after a wave of Malay support swung to the coalition at the cost of Umno's traditional seats.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) meanwhile bagged 81 seats, but a history of friction with GPS makes it unlikely that the Sarawak ruling bloc will accept its offer to join the coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim.
In 2020, following the collapse of the PH government, GPS and PAS agreed to join forces with Bersatu alongside Umno to support Muhyiddin as prime minister.
Muhyiddin's 17-month rule also saw a series of gains for Sarawak, including billions of ringgit in petroleum royaltyies that the state had been demanding from the federal government.


Modi says India aims to become developed nation in 25 years

India will aim to become a developed nation within 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a national day address on Monday, with policies to support domestic production in power, defence and digital technology.
Speaking from the 17th century Red Fort in Delhi as India celebrates its 75th year of independence from British colonial rule, Modi exhorted youth to "aim big" and give their best years for the cause of the country.
"We must turn India into a developed country in the next 25 years, in our lifetime," said the 71-year-old Modi, wearing a turban in the colours of the Indian flag, in his 75-minute-speech in Hindi.
"It's a big resolution, and we should work towards it with all our might."
The World Bank currently categorises India as a lower-middle income economy - meant for countries with a gross national income per capita of between US$1,086 and US$4,255. High income countries, like the United States, have a per capita income of US$13,205 or more.
India is the world's sixth-largest economy and is expected to grow at over 7% in the current fiscal year ending in March 2023 - the fastest among major economies.
Many experts say India's economy could expand to become the world's third-largest by 2050 after the US and China, although per capita income, currently around $2,100, may remain low compared to many countries.
With about 1.4 billion people, India is expected to surpass China as the world's most populous country next year.
Countries like the US already see India as a future challenger to China's dominating influence in Asia and beyond. US President Joe Biden on Sunday congratulated India for its national day and said the US and India were "indispensable partners" that would continue to work together to address global challenges in the years ahead.
India's neighbour Pakistan, which was part of British India and became independent at the same time, celebrated its independence day on Sunday.


US launches airstrikes against Iran-backed militants

The US launched airstrikes against Iran-backed militants in Syria and Iraq on Sunday in response to drone attacks against American troops and facilities in Iraq, the Pentagon said.President Joe Biden ordered attacks on two targets in Syria and one in Iraq near the border with the two countries, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.“As demonstrated by this evening’s strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect US personnel,” Kirby said.“Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in Iraq, the president directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks.”The US was justified in the airstrikes under international law as a matter of self-defence, he stated.There was no information about the number of people killed in the strikes, but Kirby said the president took the action under his authority “to protect US personnel in Iraq” in domestic law.The sites that were attacked were used for “operational and weapons” storage by militia groups including Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Kirby said.“We are in Iraq at the invitation of the government of Iraq for the sole purpose of assisting the Iraqi Security Forces in their efforts to defeat Isis,” Kirby said in the statement.“The US took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation – but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message,” he went on.“The strikes were both necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope.”


Boyband BTS angers Chinese fans over Korean War

Record-breaking South Korean boyband BTS is facing a backlash in China over remarks their leader made about the Korean War.The comments came after the K-pop group received an award celebrating cooperation between the US and South Korea.In his acceptance speech, RM, real name Kim Nam-joon, said “We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifices of countless men and women.”He was alluding to the Korean War, when allies the US and South Korea fought against North Korea and China in the early 1950s, in which hundreds of thousands were killed.His remarks have angered Chinese social media users, reported Reuters news agency.BTS has legions of fans in China with at least five million on China’s popular social media platform Weibo, and they all seem to have noticed that RM did not mention China’s Korean war dead.“BTS should not make any money from China,” one user commented on Weibo. “If you want to make money from Chinese fans you have to consider Chinese feelings.”Samsung hurriedly stripped BTS-related products from its official stores on Chinese e-commerce platforms, to protect its bottom line in China.“That proves Samsung cares about the Chinese market,” wrote one Sina Weibo user.Other companies doing business in China also withdrew any references to BTS, including the sports fashion brand FILA and carmaker Hyundai, from their official Weibo accounts.The Chinese state-run Global Times, commented: “Chinese netizens said the band’s totally one-sided attitude to the Korean War hurts their feelings and negates history, and are just designed to “play up” to US audiences.”


Man’s body lay in Norway flat for 9 years and nobody noticed

Police in Norway have asked how a man’s body could have lain in his flat for nine years or more after he died.The man had been in his 60s and no-one reported him missing, police told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.Police found the body in December last year in an apartment block in the capital, Oslo.According to NRK, the body was found when a caretaker needed to enter the apartment to carry out maintenance work.Police say milk cartons and letters in the home suggested that the man had died in April 2011.Oslo police inspector Grete Lien Metlid told NRK: “It makes us ask questions about how it could happen.”An autopsy showed the man had died from natural causes.The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration stopped sending his pension in 2018 when they could not contact him, the report says.Not much is known about the man, but according to NRK he had been married a number of times and had children.“Based on the picture we have, he was obviously a person who has chosen to have little contact with others,” Lien Metlid told NRK.According to one neighbour, he was not interested in talking to anyone.Many in Norway say the case highlights how technology is changing society.“All his expenses were paid automatically from his bank account, everything was automatic,” said Prof Arne Krokan at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.“That’s something that would not have happened in the past. Nowadays, if something strange happens, it’s possible nobody will notice.”


Selangor to relaunch SELangkah contact tracing app

Selangor plans to relaunch its SELangkah contact tracing app as daily Covid-19 infections remain in the four-figure range some three weeks after the movement control order (MCO) was reimplemented across most parts of the country.Selangkah Ventures Sdn Bhd, the company which developed SELangkah, said the new launch was necessary as several improvements had been made to the app.“The app will be relaunched, so in my opinion it is best for any statements about SELangkah to be made after that,” its chief operating officer Tengku Iesta Tengku Alauddin told MalaysiaNow.However, he gave no further details on the matter.Dr Helmi Zakariah, the app’s developer, confirmed that a relaunch was in the pipeline although he too remained tight-lipped.“I think there will be an official statement from the organisers,” he said.Yesterday saw 4,284 new infections recorded across the country, bringing total confirmed cases to 226,912. Selangor continued to record the highest number of daily cases with 1,572, followed by Johor (964) and Kuala Lumpur (651).MalaysiaNow previously reported that questions had been raised about the SELangkah app, which was said to be facing problems getting accurate data and other details on Covid-19 infections in the state.“They can’t even follow instructions to use one app, so what would happen if there was another similar app as well?”In April 2020, at the peak of the first MCO implemented to check the rising number of infections nationwide, Putrajaya introduced the MySejahtera contact tracing app intended for use across the entire country.The next month, Selangor launched the SELangkah app which performs the same function.Suzilawati Senin, who works with an application developing company, said it would be difficult to encourage the public to use a contact tracing app, what more two different ones.“Malaysians’ awareness about using contact tracing apps is still low as there are still individuals being fined for failing to do so.“They can’t even follow instructions to use one app, so what would happen if there was another similar app as well?” she said when contacted by MalaysiaNow.In the early stages after the MySejahtera app was launched, she said, it received a lacklustre response from the public until the government announced that RM50 would be credited via e-wallet to those who downloaded it.Ismail Sualman from the faculty of communications and media studies at Universiti Teknologi Mara said there were no political motives behind the move to develop a separate app.Instead, he said, it was to help the federal government keep track of how many people stayed in Selangor.“Some of them have a different permanent address from the one in their identity cards,” he said. “So with this app, we can determine who resides in the state.”He said it also proved the state government’s concern and readiness to work with the federal government to curb the spread of Covid-19.“It is not a political game as there are many other platforms which they could use for this,” he said, adding that each state should have its own contact tracing app.


Elon Musk says he is buying Manchester United

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday he was buying football club Manchester United Plc.
Musk, the richest person in the world, has a history of making irreverent tweets, and it was not immediately clear whether he planned to pursue a deal.
"I'm buying Manchester United ur welcome," Musk said in a tweet.
Manchester United is one of the world's best supported football clubs. They have been champions of England a record 20 times and have won the European Cup, the most prestigious club competition in the global game, three times.
The team is controlled by the American Glazer family, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The football club had a market capitalization of US$2.08 billion, as of Tuesday's stock market close.
Manchester United fans have in recent years protested against the Glazers, who bought the club for 790 million pounds (US$955.51 million) in 2005, due to the team's struggles on the pitch.
The anti-Glazer movement gained momentum last year after United were involved in a failed attempt to form a breakaway European Super League.
Some fans have urged Musk to buy Manchester United instead of buying Twitter. Musk is trying to exit a US$44 billion agreement to buy the social media company, which has taken him to court.


Indonesia military says missing submarine sank

An Indonesian submarine that went missing off the coast of Bali has sunk, the country’s navy said Saturday, dashing hopes that its 53 crew would be saved.The navy’s chief said a search party had recovered fragments from the KRI Nanggala 402 including items from inside the vessel, whose oxygen reserves were already believed to have run out.Warships, planes and hundreds of military personnel have been searching for the stricken vessel. Authorities had said the German-built craft was equipped with enough oxygen for only three days after losing power.That deadline passed early Saturday.“We have raised the status from submiss to subsunk,” navy chief Yudo Margono told reporters, adding that the retrieved items could not have come from another vessel.“(The items) would not have come outside the submarine if there was no external pressure or without damage to its torpedo launcher.”Navy officials displayed several items including a piece of a torpedo and a bottle of grease used to lubricate a submarine’s periscope.They also found a prayer mat used by Muslims.The submarine – one of five in Indonesia’s fleet – disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island.An oil spill spotted where the submarine was thought to have submerged pointed to possible fuel-tank damage, fanning fears of a deadly disaster.There were concerns that the submarine could have been crushed by water pressure if it sank to depths reaching 700m – well below what it was built to withstand.Few explanationsThe vessel was scheduled to conduct the training exercises when it asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after.Authorities have not offered possible explanations for the submarine’s sudden disappearance or commented on questions about whether the decades-old vessel was overloaded.The military has said the submarine, delivered to Indonesia in 1981, was seaworthy.Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia, as well as the United States and Australia, were among nations helping in the hunt with nearly two dozen ships deployed to scour a search zone covering about 34 sq km.Australia’s HMAS Ballarat arrived on Saturday with a US P-8 Poseidon aircraft also helping to look for the craft.Singapore’s MV Swift Rescue – a submarine rescue vessel – was expected later Saturday.Indonesia’s military said earlier it had picked up signs of an object with high magnetism at a depth of between 50m and 100m, fanning hopes of finding the submarine.But Saturday’s announcement means the Southeast Asian archipelago joins a list of countries struck by fatal submarine accidents.Among the worst was the 2000 sinking of the Kursk, the pride of Russia’s Northern Fleet.That submarine was on manoeuvres in the Barents Sea when it sank with the loss of all 118 aboard. An inquiry found a torpedo had exploded, detonating all the others.Most of its crew died instantly but some survived for several days before suffocating.In 2003, 70 Chinese naval officers and crew were killed, apparently suffocated, in an accident on a Ming-class submarine during exercises in 2003.Five years later, 20 people were killed by poisonous gas when a fire extinguishing system was accidentally activated on a Russian submarine being tested in the Sea of Japan.And in 2018, authorities found the wreckage of an Argentine submarine that had gone missing a year earlier with 44 sailors aboard.


US and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv’s reach

As the US and its allies provide Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated arms, Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, US and diplomatic officials tell Reuters.The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three US officials and diplomatic sources said.“We have concerns about escalation and yet still do not want to put geographic limits or tie their hands too much with the stuff we’re giving them,” said one of the three US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.President Joe Biden’s administration and US allies have been increasingly willing to give Ukraine longer-range weaponry, including M777 howitzers, as Kyiv battles Russia’s invasion forces with more success than American intelligence officials had predicted. The Pentagon’s announcement last week that Denmark will provide Ukraine with Harpoon anti-ship missiles would further extend Kyiv’s reach.After initially forecasting Ukraine would be overrun by Russia’s much bigger military, American officials have recently voiced hopes that Ukrainian forces can win the war, and want to arm them to do so.US officials say the Biden administration is even considering supplying Kyiv with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which depending on the munitions can have a range of hundreds of kilometers.But US intelligence has also warned about growing risks, particularly given a mismatch between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s apparent ambitions and the performance of his military. The coming months could put the war on a “more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a Senate hearing this month.The US, by design, is not directly combating Russian forces but Pentagon commanders are in constant contact with Ukrainian leaders and have provided critical intelligence that has allowed Ukraine to target Russian troops, on land and at sea, US officials have said.A second US official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington and Kyiv had a shared “understanding” about the use of certain Western-provided weapon systems.“So far, we’ve been on the same page about the thresholds,” the official said.Ukraine’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West that supplying weapons to Ukraine capable of hitting Russian territory would be “a serious step towards unacceptable escalation,” according to remarks published on the Russian foreign ministry website on Thursday.Military targetsRussia has attacked Ukraine’s capital and locations far from the front lines of fighting. But Ukraine has not reciprocated with attacks on a major Russian city or carried out strikes deep inside Russia, including on military targets such as weapons manufacturers or supply hubs far from the border.Russian officials have repeatedly accused the Ukrainian military carrying out cross-border attacks, including on a fuel depot in the city of Belgorod. It justified its invasion of Ukraine partly on the premise that Ukraine was a threat to Russia – an idea that Kyiv and the West reject.In what one diplomatic source said was a clear indication Kyiv understood the sensitivities of any cross-border action, Ukraine has declined to confirm any involvement in those alleged incidents. The US also has not commented.The US sensitivities came into public view in April, when the Pentagon cited US intelligence warnings about the risk of a military escalation between Russia and the Nato alliance if the US transferred fighter jets to Ukraine.Democratic Representative Jason Crow, who visited Ukraine in the past month and spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he was not concerned about escalation risk and that Ukraine would use the weapons being provided in the south.Three months into the conflict, Russia is focusing its campaign in the south after a failed attempt to capture Kyiv.“We should reiterate, as we do in all cases, that these weapons should be used responsibly,” said Crow, a veteran Army Ranger who sits on the Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in Congress.“But I’m less concerned about the issue of escalation than making sure that Ukrainians can win now and push back the Russian forces.”The first US official said Ukraine had plenty of targets to hit inside Ukraine, and that was the goal of obtaining longer-range weaponry from Western allies.Douglas Lute, a former US ambassador to Nato and retired Army lieutenant general, agreed Ukraine has enough Russian targets inside Ukraine to worry about.But he acknowledged the risk for escalation and political division inside Nato should Ukraine strike deep inside Russia.“It would spark a divisive debate inside the alliance. And, of course, the alliance doesn’t want that. And neither does Ukraine,” Lute told Reuters.One remaining question is whether Ukraine could change its strategy if the war takes a turn for the worse, perhaps using US-provided weaponry in ways not originally intended.“There could be scenarios where the Ukrainians are backed into such a corner that they feel they have to escalate further, but we haven’t seen that yet,” the second US official said.


Road safety experts warn of ‘discount culture’ amid traffic summons markdowns

Road safety experts have questioned the recent move by the government to offer huge discounts on traffic summonses in conjunction with the first 100 days of its “Malaysian Family” tagline, warning that this will do nothing to improve road safety in the long run.The offer of up to 80% off for summonses issued by the police and Road Transport Department saw crowds of people gathering at police stations and payment centres as motorists rushed to take advantage of the discounts.The offer, initially meant to last four days, was eventually extended until the end of the year following positive feedback.Law Teik Hua, director of the Road Safety Research Centre at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said traffic regulations alone might not be enough to address problems of road safety.“I suggest that we stop giving special offers or discounts for traffic summonses,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Conversely, stricter action should be taken to punish bad drivers.”Such measures might include increasing the rate of late payment summonses and taking offenders to court or blacklisting them by blocking their licence renewals, he said.While the number of deaths due to accidents has been on the decline, road safety in Malaysia remains an issue of concern.In February, the transport ministry said 6,167 deaths were recorded in 2019, down from 7,152 in 2016. On average, meanwhile, half a million road accident cases were reported to the police each year from 2010 to 2019.Offers of discounts such as those under the 100-Day Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia Programme are nothing new in Malaysia.In March this year, the police offered a 50% discount in conjunction with Police Day for summonses settled online.A month later, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) dangled a 70% discount on traffic summonses for two months including for cases that were still blacklisted.Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said then that the discount, offered in conjunction with JPJ’s 75th anniversary, involved 3.5 million active summonses identified from 2010 to March this year.The “Malaysian Family” discount meanwhile saw 2.3 million traffic summonses settled and RM109 million collected as of Dec 12, the end of the original four-day period.Lee Lam Thye, the former chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, said offers of discounts were one way to get as many people as possible to settle overdue summonses.He also noted the uncertainty of the times where many are struggling to make ends meet.However, he urged the government to consider the matter from the aspect of law enforcement and how efficient this would be if such discounts were repeatedly offered.“I am worried that it will gradually become a culture in this country that every traffic offender doesn’t have to worry,” he said.“They will say ‘Don’t pay the summonses yet, let’s wait for a discount’.”Lee, who is also chairman of the Alliance for Safe Community organisation, said if this becomes a practice, it would lead to a “discount culture”.“It will reach a point where society no longer learns its lessons, or is not afraid of the law,” he said.“RM300 (for a police summons) is a huge amount, especially for those with low incomes. Summonses are to discipline road users but they will take it lightly if they know they can get a discount.”And at the end of the day, offers of discounts on summonses are also unfair to those who pay theirs promptly.“This is unfair to road users who do not delay in paying their fines,” Law said.“The purpose of summonses is to make sure that road users are aware of improper practices while they are driving or walking on the road.”


French expert who studied Dr M explains his Twitter post

A French academic who has studied Malaysian politics, particularly the views of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, says the elderly leader’s recent comments on Twitter should be read in the context of the world views that have shaped him.Sophie Lemiere, a political anthropologist who has studied contemporary Malaysian politics over the years, said the controversy generated by the former prime minister’s tweet, which was removed by Twitter, was what Mahathir had been after.“Mahathir likes controversy. This is the ‘best’ he does,” she said.Mahathir had tweeted that Muslims “have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past”, a comment made in the wake of growing violence blamed on Muslims as well as Islamophobic comments by President Emmanuel Macron.Macron had defended caricatures of Prophet Muhammad after a teacher was beheaded for showing cartoons of the Prophet to his students.The president also called for France to be cleansed from what he called Islamic separatism, triggering protests from the Muslim world as well as a series of violent incidents in France.In a blog post, Mahathir described Macron as “very primitive” for blaming Islam in the killing of the teacher.“But irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill. The French in the course of their history have killed millions of people. Many were Muslims.“Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large the Muslims have not applied the ‘eye for an eye’ law. Muslims don’t. The French shouldn’t. Instead the French should teach their people to respect other people’s feelings,” Mahathir posted on his Twitter as well as on his popular blog chedet.cc.His comments were made hours after yet another attack in France.Responding to the backlash to Mahathir’s comments, Lemiere, who is working on a new political biography on Mahathir, “The Last Game: Malaysian Politics in the Eye of Mahathir”, also dismissed a statement by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim on developments in France as “pseudo-intellectual”.She said Mahathir was someone who “prides himself on ‘speaking the truth’ and bluntly, but with a local interest in mind.“Mahathir created a new party in August (Pejuang) and is trying to attract new members from other conservative Malaysian-Muslim parties,” she said, adding that the former prime minister should be judged in the context of the era in which he was brought up.“Mahathir is not a feminist and reflects within the paradigms of a 95-year-old man. For example, maternity leave is for him an economic heresy.”Lemiere said Malaysian leaders were ignorant of French society, which she said was plagued with structural challenges.Likewise, she said, the French political elite are ignorant of the “complexity of Islamism, Islam or the so-called Muslim world”.Lemiere said Mahathir’s comments help in domestic political needs.“He is an excellent manager of crises, especially those he initiates. The international crises provoked always aim to advance local ambitions.”


Lim Kok Wing dies at 75

Lim Kok Wing, founding president of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, died today at 75.Lim, who founded the university in 1991, was admitted to Pantai Hospital a week ago.Rumours of his death had circulated last month although the university said then that he had suffered a fall at his home.“We are humbled by the loving condolences and support extended by so many, and ask for privacy as we mourn a man we are very proud of,” it said in a statement today.Lim, an artist, designer, author, entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist, had been recognised by the government as the Father of Innovation in Creative Education.His university was the first private college in the country to be recognised as a university college, an acknowledegment which came in 2002.It became a full-fledged university five years later in 2007.“A visionary, his career was synonymous with creativity, and he assisted in developing innovative education globally, empowering especially the developing world,” the university said.


Many dead, thousands of dwellings lost to Rohingya camp blaze

A massive fire swept through a Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh on Monday, destroying thousands of homes and killing an unknown number of people, officials and witnesses said.The blaze tore through the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar, a coastal area bordering Myanmar in southeastern Bangladesh. Black smoke billowed over burning shanties and tents as people scrambled to escape with their few possessions.At least 10,000 refugees have been displaced and an unknown number killed or injured.Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said authorities were trying to control the blaze.Rohingya refugees in the camps said many homes were burned to the ground and several people had died, but neither the authorities nor the UNHCR could confirm the number of deaths. The cause of the blaze has not been established.More than a million Rohingya live in the camps, the majority having fled Myanmar in 2017 from a military-led crackdown that UN investigators said was executed with “genocidal intent.”Zaifur Hussein, a 50-year-old refugee who escaped the fire but lost his home, told Reuters that fencing around the camps made it difficult to escape the flames and he believed dozens may have been killed.“When we were in Myanmar, we faced lots of problems – they destroyed everything,” he said. “Now, it has happened again.”Snigdha Chakraborty, Bangladesh director for Catholic Relief Services, said, “Medical facilities in the camp are basic, and burns require sophisticated treatment. Plus, hospital beds are already mostly taken up with Covid-19 patients.”Another large blaze tore through the camp in January, destroying homes but causing no casualties.The risk of fire in the densely populated camps is high, and Monday’s blaze was the largest yet, said Onno van Manen, country director of Save the Children in Bangladesh.“It is another devastating blow to the Rohingya refugees who live here,” he said.


Sarawak to allow uni students on campus to go home for Aidilfitri

Sarawak will allow students who are currently on campus to return home for the Aidilfitri holidays without having to take Covid-19 RT-PCR tests.The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in its daily statement said the matter was decided following the extension of the closure period for educational institutions.“Previously, students who are currently at institutions of higher learning and boarding schools were not allowed to leave or return to their home towns.“Following the decision to extend the closure period of educational institutions, the committee has decided to allow students living in hostels to return to their homes without having to undergo RT-PCR screen tests,” it said.Earlier, the higher education ministry announced that students will be allowed to go home in stages from May 7 to 12 while the movement of students returning to campus will be from May 15 to 20.“Students are given a choice of whether to return to their homes or to remain on campus during the holidays. This approval is in line with the previous relaxation given by the National Security Council for the education sector,” the ministry had said.


No excuses, Melaka police say after RM10,000 compound on teenager

Police acted within the provisions of the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 when they issued a RM10,000 compound to a teenager in Melaka for violating Covid-19 SOPs, says state deputy police chief Shahrul Lalli Masduki.He said no one should manipulate the issue and insinuate that police had acted harshly against the 17-year-old schoolboy.“The SOP to curb the spread of Covid-19 has been disseminated widely to the public through mass media and other forms of communication, both to the young and old.“So, it would not be fair to blame the police and claim that we are cruel and intolerant because we take action based on the SOP. There is no excuse for individuals to claim ignorance if they are issued compounds,” he told reporters today.He was commenting on a news report about a Form Five student who was compounded for failing to register his details before entering a grocery shop in Batu Berendam to purchase some paracetamol for his mother on Sunday.He said 21 individuals, aged 17 to 53, were slapped with a RM10,000 compound each for various types of SOP violations in Melaka between March 12 and yesterday.“40% of them were issued compounds for not wearing face masks, 30% for not scanning the MySejahtera app or registering their personal details and another 30% for other violations, including not practising physical distancing,” he said.


It was for business, ex-UKSB director tells court on payments to Zahid

Former Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) director Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani told the Shah Alam High Court today that the financial assistance given to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was aimed at strengthening the company’s position as a home ministry contractor.Wan Quoris, 42, said with the assistance, the company had not just secured support from the former deputy prime minister, but also managed to reduce competitive disruption from other companies running the same business.“Zahid asked for assistance, so we gave him assistance. What was important to us was to ensure that our business was not disrupted since there were several other companies lobbying for the job that we were doing,” he said in his witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.The witness said without Zahid’s help and support, the company would not have been able to retain or extend the contracts relating to the foreign visa system (VLN).Wan Quoris Shah also admitted that the company had given cash to Zahid on several occasions.“The cash was given after he (Zahid) asked UKSB to make a political donation for Umno. He did not ask openly, but by the way he spoke, I understood that he was expecting a monetary contribution from UKSB.“The contribution made by UKSB every month was in cash, all in Singapore dollars. This was what Datuk Seri (Zahid) requested from us,” he said.Earlier, the 15th prosecution witness, Harry Lee Vui Khun, who is also a former director of UKSB, told the court as well that from 2014 to 2018, the company had sent cash in Singapore dollars to Zahid in connection with the VLN contracts.Meanwhile, Wan Quoris said it was normal for businesses to lobby government officials for contracts.“For UKSB, our purpose of meeting with Zahid at that time was to strengthen our position as the sole contractor to supply the VLN system for the ministry so that no one could disrupt UKSB’s business,” he said.Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.On another seven counts, Zahid was charged as home minister with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, €15,000 and US$15,000 in cash from the same company in connection with his official work.He is charged with committing all of the offences at Seri Satria, Presint 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang, between October 2014 and March 2018.The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on June 13.


Court dismisses Umno’s appeal to strike out SRC suit for RM16 million

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya today dismissed Umno’s appeal to strike out a lawsuit filed against it by SRC International Sdn Bhd and two of its subsidiaries to reclaim RM16 million said to have been wrongfully transferred by the company to the party.A three-member panel comprising justices Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Abu Bakar Jais and Mariana Yahya found that there was no merit to Umno’s appeal.“This is not a plain and obvious case for striking out,” said Hadhariah who chaired the panel.She said there were many issues raised in the pleadings including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, misappropriation of trust money, and fraudulent use of trust money which could only be determined through a full trial.“All the respondents (SRC International, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd) are asking for is the right to be heard,” she said.Hadhariah also affirmed the High Court’s dismissal of Umno’s application to strike out the suit on Nov 10 last year.Meanwhile, the panel also struck out Umno’s appeal against the High Court’s decision allowing SRC International and its subsidiaries to amend the names of the defendants in their writ of summons and statement of claim after Umno’s lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamaruzaman informed the court of the withdrawal of the appeal on that decision.In their writ of summons, SRC International, Gandingan Mentari and Jendela Pinggiran claimed that Umno knew, or ought to have known, that the money belonged to SRC International and that it had had no basis to receive the funds.The companies initially filed the suit naming Umno, which they sued through its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and secretary-general Ahmad Maslan as defendants.The High Court, however, allowed the companies’ application to amend the defendants’ names in the writ of summons and statement of claim, replacing Zahid and Maslan with Umno working secretary Mohd Sumali Reduan.On May 10, 2021, the finance ministry confirmed that 1MDB and its subsidiary, SRC International, had filed 22 civil suits seeking assets of over RM96.6 billion, including RM300 million from various local parties.It said the suits were filed on May 7 last year, six by 1MDB and 16 by SRC International.Lawyer Nur Syafinaz Vani Abdullah represented SRC International, Gandingan Mentari and Jendela Pinggiran.


Nasa's Orion capsule returns to Earth, capping Artemis I flight around moon

Nasa's Orion capsule barreled through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific ocean on Sunday after making an uncrewed voyage around the moon, winding up the inaugural mission of the US agency's new Artemis lunar program 50 years to the day after Apollo's final moon landing.
The gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, carrying a simulated crew of three mannequins wired with sensors, plunked down in the ocean at 9.40am PST (1740 GMT) off Mexico's Baja California peninsula, demonstrating a high-stakes homecoming before flying its first crew of astronauts around the moon in the next few years.
"From Tranquility Base to Taurus-Littrow to the tranquil waters of the Pacific, the latest chapter of Nasa's journey to the moon comes to a close. Orion, back on Earth," said NASA commentator Rob Navias on a live stream of the return, referring to the lunar sites the capsule soared over during its mission.
A US military helicopter and a group of fast boats approached the capsule after splashdown for inspections that will last roughly two hours. Standing by some 5 miles (8km) away was the USS Portland, a US Naval vessel that will welcome Orion aboard to transport the capsule to San Diego, California.
The splashdown capped a 25-day mission less than a week after passing about 79 miles (127km) above the moon in a lunar fly-by, and came about two weeks after reaching its farthest point in space, nearly 270,000 miles (434,500km) from Earth.
Roughly 30 minutes before splashing down, the capsule committed to its fiery, 20-minute plunge into Earth's atmosphere when it shedded its service module in space, exposing a heatshield that reached peak temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) during its blazing-fast descent.
Atmospheric friction slowed the capsule from 24,500 miles per hour (39,400 kph) to 325mph, followed by two sets of parachutes that helped brake its speed to an expected 20 mph at splashdown. The capsule showed a "perfect" descent rate, Navias said.
The capsule blasted off on Nov 16 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop Nasa's towering next-generation Space Launch System (SLS), now the world's most powerful rocket and the biggest Nasa has built since the Saturn V of the Apollo era.
The debut SLS-Orion voyage kicked off Apollo's successor program, Artemis, aimed at returning astronauts to the lunar surface this decade and establishing a sustainable base there as a stepping stone to future human exploration of Mars.
Mission engineers will spend months examining data from the Artemis I mission. A crewed Artemis II flight around the moon and back could come as early as 2024, followed within a few more years by the program's first lunar landing of astronauts, one of them a woman, with Artemis III.
Though the capsule encountered some unexpected communication blackouts and an electrical issue during its voyage around the moon, Nasa has given high marks to the performance of both SLS and Orion so far, boasting that they exceeded the US space agency's expectations.
By coincidence, the return to Earth of Artemis I unfolded on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 moon landing of Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on Dec 11, 1972. They were the last of 12 Nasa astronauts to walk on the moon during a total of six Apollo missions starting in 1969.
Re-entry marked the single most critical phase of Orion's journey, testing whether its newly designed heat shield can withstand atmospheric friction and safely protect astronauts that would be on board.
"It is our priority-one objective," Nasa's Artemis I mission manager Mike Sarafin said at a briefing last week. "There is no arc-jet or aerothermal facility here on Earth capable of replicating hypersonic re-entry with a heat shield of this size."
Nasa officials have stressed the experimental nature of the Artemis I mission, marking the first launch of the Boeing Co-built SLS and the first combined with Orion, which previously flew a brief two-orbit test launched on a smaller Delta IV rocket in 2014.
Compared with Apollo, born of the Cold War-era US-Soviet space race, Artemis is more science driven and broad-based, enlisting commercial partners such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and the space agencies of Europe, Canada, and Japan.
It also marks a major turning point for Nasa, redirecting its human spaceflight program beyond low-Earth orbit after decades focused on space shuttles and the ISS.


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Motion on election of deputy speaker postponed to next meeting

The motion on the election of a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker scheduled for today to fill a vacant position will now be tabled at the next meeting of the House.A motion seeking the postponement was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and passed by voice vote.“Pursuant to Standing Order 90 (2) and with the consent of the speaker, I submit a motion to suspend enforcement of Standing Order 6, that is to postpone the election of a deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, as stated in Item 1 of the Order Paper for today, to the next meeting,” he told the Dewan Rakyat at its sitting today.The motion on the postponement was seconded by Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan, who is the energy and natural resources minister.The election of a new deputy speaker is necessary to fill the position left vacant after Azalina Othman Said, the MP for Pengerang, resigned on Aug 23.The House currently has only one deputy speaker, Mohd Rashid Hasnon.