Protest looms at AirAsia HQ as passengers refuse refunds in voucher, credit form

A protest is looming at the headquarters of AirAsia as passengers intent on receiving refunds for their cancelled flights continue to reject offers of vouchers or credit, standing firm on their demand for the budget airline to return their money.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said that credit or vouchers were of no use to them as there is no AirAsia X service at their current locations.Malaysian Biasa @ Baisah Jawan who now resides in Gold Coast, Australia, said she needed her money back in order to book a flight to Sabah to visit her sick mother.“She is 95 years old,” she told MalaysiaNow. “Her health began failing last year, and now she is in and out of hospital all the time.“I want to visit her as soon as possible given that the Covid-19 situation is coming under control in both Australia and Malaysia, meaning that I can now travel safely.”Biasa had booked tickets for an AirAsia X flight scheduled to depart for Gold Coast to Hanoi on March 28, 2020, before heading to Sabah on April 1, 2020.She planned to go to Kuala Lumpur on April 10, 2020 and return to Gold Coast three days later.“Our flight was cancelled in early January 2020, seeing as all of the flights in Australia were scrapped following the Covid-19 outbreak,” she said.“But after that, not only did I receive a refund in the form of credit, it was in Vietnamese currency.”Biasa found this strange as she had paid for the tickets in Australian dollars, forking out A$1,800 or RM5,684 for them.Due to AirAsia X’s debt restructuring, she was given a voucher for 9,447,284 Vietnamese dong – equivalent to about RM1,792. The rest was given to her in credit form.“AirAsia has no right to withhold customers’ money when flights are cancelled, just to meet its business objectives,” she said.Siew Bee Chuen, who resides in Taiwan, said she too had no use for credit as AirAsia X does not fly from Taiwan to Malaysia.To make matters worse, she said, even the credit that was given to her expired earlier than it should have.She lodged a complaint with AirAsia about the matter and was told in an email that she would be given vouchers instead.The email which she shared with MalaysiaNow stated that the vouchers would be good for another five years.“But it’s only for AirAsia X flights, which limits my options to trips from certain locations,” she said.“As long as there are no flights from Taiwan to Kuala Lumpur, I cannot use it.”MalaysiaNow understands that AirAsia passengers still waiting for their refunds are planning to hold a protest in front of the AirAsia headquarters at Red Q in Sepang, Selangor, next week.“We invite other passengers to join us in this gesture to urge AirAsia to respect the rights of consumers and to give us back our money,” said Teerathpal Singh, one of the passengers planning to attend the protest.“We have been left with no other choice as the airline company and authorities seem to be ignoring our complaints.”


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Israel launches Covid antibody tests for children as young as 3

Israel on Sunday launched antibody testing for children aged as young as three, seeking information on the number of unvaccinated youths who have developed protection against coronavirus ahead of the new school year.Despite surging daily infections caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant, Israel’s government insists it wants to avoid the hardships and developmental setbacks caused by school closures.Israel has already begun vaccinating children aged 12 and above.The national serological survey is focused on pupils between the ages of three and 12 who are not yet eligible for the jab, nearly 1.5 million children.It is aimed at discovering how many children developed strong antibody protection against coronavirus after having an unrecorded or latent case, according to the education ministry.Those children with sufficient antibodies will not be forced to quarantine when exposed to a Covid patient, a move aimed at limiting school-year disruptions.In a statement Sunday from the Jerusalem municipality announcing Israel’s “largest serological operation”, Mayor Moshe Leon urged parents to bring their children for the free 15-minute test done by finger pin-prick.The survey is being conducted jointly by the health and education ministries and by the army’s Home Front command, which told AFP Sunday that its antibody testing operation had begun.At a serological testing site in the coastal city of Netanya, Zohar was pleasantly surprised to discover that her son had been infected with Covid.“My son got a positive result for Corona antibodies, apparently he was sick and we did not know about it,” she told AFP.“That means now that he will get a ‘green pass’ and be able to go to school safely,” she said.Her younger daughter, also tested on Sunday, did not have the antibodies.‘Emotional damage’A pilot programme conducted last week focused on mainly ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities found that roughly a fifth of children had developed antibodies, army radio reported Sunday.Education ministry director general Yigal Slovik said in a statement last month that last year’s school closures caused “emotional and social damage” to students.“The lockdowns and remote learning caused a 44% increase in referrals for suicidal risk diagnosis,” among other impacts, he said.Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination drive in mid-December via an agreement with Pfizer to obtain millions of paid vaccine doses in exchange for sharing data on their effectiveness.The inoculation campaign was hailed as a success story that helped drastically reduce infections, but Israel is again registering thousands of daily cases.As it launches the serological survey, Israel is also pushing forward with vaccinations, offering a third, or booster, shot to everyone over 40 while urging the unvaccinated to get the jab.More than 5.4 million of Israel’s roughly 9.3 million people have received two doses of the vaccine, while 1.2 million have had a third jab.Israel has recorded nearly 980,000 coronavirus infections since the pandemic started early last year, and over 6,700 deaths.


China committed to investing RM170 billion in Malaysia, says Anwar

China will invest an estimated RM170.07 billion (US$38.64 billion) in Malaysia, including in the petrochemical and automotive industries, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday.
Rongsheng Petrochemical Co Ltd will invest an estimated RM80 billion in a petrochemical refinery in southern Malaysia, Anwar said in parliament.
Automaker Geely will invest RM2 billion initially and later ramp that up to RM32 billion, he said.
Anwar, who was on an official visit to China last week, did not give a time frame for the total investment commitments.
The prime minister also said he discussed with China reducing Asia's dependency on the US dollar.
Bank Negara Malaysia is working on an initiative to allow Kuala Lumpur and China to conduct trade using the ringgit and renminbi, he said.
"There is no reason for a country like Malaysia to continue to depend on the US dollar," Anwar said.
Anwar said he proposed setting up an "Asian Monetary Fund" at the Boao Forum in China last week, and in a bilateral meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the idea to be discussed further.


One year late, virus-delayed Tokyo Olympic torch relay begins

The Tokyo Olympics torch relay kicked off Thursday, a year late and without spectators, heralding a major step towards the start of the coronavirus-delayed Games on July 23.The rose-gold, cherry blossom-shaped Olympic torch was lit at the J-Village sports complex in Fukushima, which served as a base for operations responding to the 2011 nuclear disaster.Speaking at the launch ceremony, Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto said she hoped the Olympic flame would serve as “a ray of light at the end of the darkness”.“This little flame never lost hope and it waited for this day like a cherry blossom bud just about to bloom,” she added.The nationwide relay, like the Olympics themselves, will be vastly different from previous editions, with spectators banned from cheering and kept away from the launch and first leg over coronavirus concerns.Fans will be able to line the route and clap as the flame traverses the country, borne by 10,000 runners and passing through all 47 prefectures before arriving at Tokyo’s National Stadium for the July 23 opening ceremony.But parts of the relay could be suspended if too many spectators gather in one place, and masks are mandatory for onlookers.Organisers were making final preparations for the relay last year when the coronavirus prompted the historic decision to postpone the Games, as sport around the world ground to a halt.A year on, the pandemic is still in full swing despite vaccine rollouts, and organisers are battling public scepticism in Japan about holding the Olympics.With overseas spectators barred from the Games and limits likely on domestic fans, the relay is seen as a vital opportunity to build enthusiasm.“The torch relay is intended to communicate that the Olympic Games will take place,” Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters this week.“It makes people feel that the Games are about to start – that’s the nature of the torch relay.”‘Recovery Olympics’The relay launch will put the spotlight back on the region affected by the 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.The Games were initially billed as the “Recovery Olympics”, showcasing reconstruction in the northeastern region of Tohoku that was devastated by the quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown a decade ago.The pandemic has overshadowed that message, but Fukushima’s torchbearers hope the relay will still shine a positive light on the area.“From afar, Fukushima might look like a place where time has stood still,” Hanae Nojiri, a TV reporter who will be one of the torchbearers, told AFP before the relay.“But when people see the spectators lining the roads and the passion of the runners, I think they’ll update their image of the place.”The relay will pass through some towns that remain only partially open to the public, as decontamination continues in radiation-affected areas.And some residents are ambivalent about the Olympics.“It’s annoying if we’re going to be used for some kind of propaganda” for the Games, Yoshiaki Suda, mayor of Onagawa town in Miyagi region, said recently.Others are more keen, with Fukushima governor Masao Uchibori saying Thursday the torch would “connect people all over Japan”.“The reconstruction Games are very special to people living in Fukushima. We want to show the energy of today’s Fukushima to the world.”The relay will take a circuitous route, first heading south to the islands of Okinawa before reversing course for the northern region of Hokkaido and finally back to Tokyo.The flame will pass landmarks including Mount Fuji and the Hiroshima City Peace Memorial Park.However, there are still challenges ahead for organisers.Several dozen torchbearers have dropped out, citing issues including scheduling conflicts and concerns about the coronavirus.Officials from one region have warned they might cancel the relay there if virus countermeasures aren’t improved.But organisers are hopeful the event will offer respite after a difficult year.“People are feeling cut off from each other at this time,” Hashimoto said Wednesday.“These 10,000 runners can connect with people everywhere.”


GPS, kingmaker or stabiliser in GE15?

While it may not necessarily play the role of kingmaker, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is expected to function as a stabilising factor amid the power struggles and shifting alliances in the peninsula once the 15th general election (GE15) is called, political observers say.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said whichever coalition emerges the victor will have to forge ties with GPS, the ruling pact in Sarawak, to strengthen the next federal government.Hisommudin Bakar of think tank Ilham Centre said the internal factions in Umno made it difficult to determine which party, if any, was likely to win a solid majority in terms of peninsular seats.He also pointed to the tussles between Umno and Bersatu, saying neither side could go without forming ties with Sarawak MPs to bolster their support, given the strong likelihood that GPS will win the lion’s share of seats in the East Malaysian state.“The focus of the power struggle is on the 165 seats in the peninsula,” he said.“This never-ending political squabble should be utilised by GPS. Given its tremendous political power in Sarawak, I believe GPS will be the backbone to the creation of any stable government.”Even before the state election in December 2021, he said, GPS had been critical in providing support for two prime ministers following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.It was GPS’ share of 18 out of Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary seats that had provided Muhyiddin Yassin with the support he needed to take over the top seat in the wake of the Sheraton Move.As a result, GPS became part of the federal government and is currently aligned with the two major Malay coalitions of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).GPS leaders were also appointed to the federal Cabinet, with four given the rank of full ministers and five others designated as deputy ministers.Within the current government, the coalition’s 18 MPs also provide crucial backing for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who has a slim four-seat majority in Parliament.Bargaining powerHisommudin said whichever coalition formed the government would be obliged to disburse more funds for development and acknowledge Sarawak’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.“This gives GPS a lot of bargaining power to demand equitable development and rights that should be fulfilled by the federation for Sarawak,” he said.He also cited issues such as oil royalties, basic infrastructure development for water, electricity and internet, and education.Political observer James Chin agreed, voicing reservations however over whether GPS would indeed be the kingmaker in GE15.“This would depend on the results,” he told MalaysiaNow.“If the results are very close with those in the peninsula – if, for example, Umno and BN win about 100 seats – then GPS will be the kingmaker.“If Umno and BN win more than 115 seats, then they will not need GPS. GPS will ally itself with them and become the government of the day. But it will no longer be the kingmaker.”This, he added, would be the point of interest in GE15.“They want to remain in government but they also cannot allow Umno to become too powerful.”Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, agreed that GPS would not be regarded as a kingmaker as the coalition had always had a good relationship with BN.“With or without the Tajuddin leak, PKR is not doing well in Sarawak and the rest of Malaysia,” he said, referring to the series of plots and back-stabbings in Umno revealed by former Umno Supreme Council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.“GPS with its tremendous incumbent advantage and control over state resources will no doubt do very well in the next election,” he said.“It is not quite a kingmaker as kingmaking implies supporting either side. But GPS always supports BN and PN, never Pakatan Harapan (PH).”Hisommudin however disagreed, saying GPS would likely be kingmaker once more.“In the past, things may have been focused on the two big coalitions, namely BN and PH. But now, a new coalition has emerged – PN is challenging the dominance of these two groups.”He said intense squabbling might lead to a split vote and a lower voter turnout due to political apathy among voters.“The emergence of new parties such as Pejuang, Muda, PBM and others will also provide a different dynamic than in GE14,” he added.“The election results will not be a single party holding a simple majority. This is where Bornean parties in Sabah and Sarawak will be the determining force.”


In Covid U-turn, China's message to the people shifts from war to self-care

On Nov 21, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, in charge of China's war on Covid-19, said infections had to be brought down to zero as they emerged. Nine days later, she said the Omicron strain of the virus had "weakened" even though new cases in the Chinese capital hit a high.
Last week, in one fell swoop, China cut away most of the tenets governing its stifling zero-Covid policies, effectively ending its war on the pandemic. It has since turned to re-educating people on the harmlessness of Omicron and pushing the idea of self-care, a dramatic U-turn from quarantine camps and crushing lockdowns that sparked recent, rare public protests.
Saoirse Zhou, an undergraduate in Guangzhou, said she had been considering fleeing her campus, having lived in constant fear of being locked down in her dormitory. The overnight about-turn came as a shock.
"The complaints of the masses were peaking, and policies needed to change before the lockdowns could cause any more discontent," she said.
Since the curbs were dismantled, China's massive propaganda machine has repeatedly assured people through news reports, public advisories and media briefings that most will have mild or no symptoms if they are infected and can self-isolate at home. "Be the first person responsible for the epidemic", it has said, which is emerging as China's new public health slogan.
Some people have happily supported the view. In Shanghai, which endured a two-month long Covid lockdown earlier this year, many residents could be seen out shopping or gathering with friends at restaurants and soaking up the Christmas spirit at crowded fairs.
But in Beijing, where infections have surged in the past week, the local emergency hotline has been overwhelmed by over 30,000 calls per day, prompting officials to remind those with mild or no symptoms to refrain from using the special line meant for emergency medical assistance.
The challenge to re-educating the masses to the new narrative would be any surge in fatalities and obstacles to public healthcare.
So far, China's official Covid death toll remains unchanged at 5,235 since the domestic epidemic curbs were removed.
"The tone now will be how China is not going to see mass deaths, there will be few severe cases, and how the country managed to deal with a surge of cases without incurring lots of deaths - I think that will be the main narrative in the coming months," said Yanzhong Huang, a global health specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a US think tank.
'What a chameleon'
People amazed at the policy flip-flop were allowed to vent on social media, even though the platforms are heavily policed. One prominent epidemiologist was mocked for saying in October Omicron's fatality rate was up to eight times greater than that of influenza, and then saying this month the pathogenicity of Omicron had "obviously" decreased.
"What a chameleon" and "two-face" were among the comments permitted to float on China's Twitter-like platform, Weibo.
The suddenness of the policy shift has not yet been explained to the public, except that Omicron has weakened. Officials have also not explained why they had not started preparing the population earlier, such as ramping up vaccinations among the elderly. Omicron was first detected in China in late 2021.
As the shock of the policy shift fades, how Beijing deals with a growing wave of infections that Chinese experts say will see its first peak within one month remains uncertain.
But the public health message is - do not worry.
State-run news agency Xinhua published a story last week that said a 101-year-old woman in Xinjiang with hypertension successfully recovered from Covid after 10 days of treatment at a local hospital. It cited her daughter as saying the recovery was "miraculously fast".
But Beijing resident Charlie Zhang, 42, said he was not enthused about the recent dramatic changes in Covid policies, believing it would be hard for the elderly to recover from Omicron.
"And what about the elderly people who already have some underlying diseases?" he said.


North Korean leader Kim calls for intensified drills for 'real war'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military to intensify drills for a "real war," state media said on Friday, after overseeing a fire assault drill that it said proved the country's capability to counter an "actual war."
North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its west coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, adding it was analysing possibilities the North may have launched multiple missiles simultaneously from the same area.
Photos released by the North's KCNA news agency showed at least six missiles being fired at the same time.
KCNA said a unit trained for "strike missions" fired a "powerful volley at the targeted waters" and demonstrated its capability to "counter an actual war."
"(Kim) stressed that the fire assault sub-units should be strictly prepared for the greatest perfection in carrying out the two strategic missions, that is, first to deter war and second to take the initiative in war, by steadily intensifying various simulated drills for real war...," KCNA said.
Kim was accompanied by his young daughter who has appeared recently in a series of major events.
The latest missile launches came as the US and South Korea were set to kick off large-scale military exercises known as the Freedom Shield drills next week. North Korea has long bristled at the allies' drills as a rehearsal for invasion.
North Korean leader Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said earlier this week any move to shoot down one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war and blamed a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea for growing tensions.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said the latest launch posed no threat to the US or its allies but Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs have a destabilising effect on the region.


Singapore reports local monkeypox case in Malaysian man

Singapore has confirmed one local case of monkeypox infection in a 45-year-old Malaysian residing in the republic.
According to the health ministry, the man tested positive for monkeypox on July 6, and is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
"His condition is stable. He is not linked to the imported case announced by the health ministry on June 21," it said in a statement last night.
The ministry said the man began developing lower abdomen skin lesions on June 30, and experienced fatigue and swollen lymph nodes on July 2.
On July 4, he developed a fever and a sore throat and sought medical attention where initial tests for other possible medical conditions were done.
"When these tests returned negative, he was conveyed to NCID on July 6 where he was isolated for further assessment," the ministry said.
As of July 6, it said three close contacts had been identified: two housemates and one social contact.
"All close contacts will be placed in quarantine for 21 days from their last contact with the case. Contact tracing is ongoing," it said.


Govt, AG get leave to proceed with appeals to strike out LFL suits

The government and the attorney-general (AG) have obtained leave to proceed with their appeals to the Federal Court to strike out two suits brought by Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) against the Malaysian and Singapore governments.
A three-member panel of the Federal Court led by the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli held that the government and AG have passed the threshold requirement under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 for leave to be given to them to proceed with their appeals.
The other two members of the panel were Federal Court judges Zabariah Mohd Yusof and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.
Senior federal counsel Liew Horng Bin, who appeared for the government and AG, wants the Federal Court to deliberate and decide on seven questions of law.
Among the questions is whether in the face of the certificate issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong recognising a country as a foreign sovereign, the Malaysian court has the jurisdiction to ventilate on the country's foreign law. Another question is whether the Malaysian Court can exercise jurisdiction when the issue of sovereign immunity over a foreign governmental act is raised and the third question is whether the Malaysian Court has jurisdiction to adjudicate over the conduct of a foreign state for an act of jure imperri (by right of sovereignty).
Following the Federal Court's decision to grant leave to the government and AG, the Federal Court will hear the merits of appeals at another date to be fixed later.
The two suits were filed by LFL in 2020 after Singapore, under its Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, directed the rights group to insert a correction notice relating to its press statement that was published on its website alleging brutal and unlawful methods were used to execute prisoners in Singapore's Changi prison.
LFL filed the first suit against the government of Malaysia, seeking a declaration, among others, that LFL cannot be subjected to any process within Malaysia in furtherance of Singapore law.
The second suit filed by LFL was against the minister for home affairs of Singapore, seeking a declaration that the correct direction cannot be enforced against the rights group in Singapore. On Dec 23, 2020, the High Court granted leave to the AG to intervene in the second suit.
The Malaysian government and AG then applied to strike out both suits on grounds that Malaysia, in a certificate issued by the Yang-di-Pertuan Agong dated April 16, 2020, recognises Singapore as a foreign sovereign and therefore Singapore enjoys immunity in respect of the correct direction and the Singapore minister's decision.
The High Court on June 10, 2021, allowed the Malaysian government and AG's applications to strike out the suits.
However, on July 20, 2022, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's decision after allowing LFL's appeal. It ordered the suits to be remitted back to the High Court for full trial before another High Court judge, prompting the Malaysian government and AG to file for leave to appeal to the Federal Court.
In the proceedings conducted online today, lawyer Gurdial Singh Nijar argued that the Court of Appeal was correct to order the suits to go to full trial.


94.8% of adults, 58.8% of teens fully jabbed

A total of 22,191,734 individuals or 94.8% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile 22,830,806 individuals or 97.5% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 181,160 vaccine jabs were administered yesterday, with 136,290 as second doses and 22,178 doses to first-dose recipients, bringing the cumulative number of vaccine doses given out under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 49,434,613.As of yesterday, 1,851,024 or 58.8% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 had been fully vaccinated while 82% or 2,581,280 individuals had received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 22,692 Covid-19 vaccine booster shots were administered yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of booster jabs to 146,469.


Bangladesh cops nab tiger killer after 20-year hunt

A notorious tiger poacher thought to have killed at least 70 of the endangered big cats has been arrested in Bangladesh after a 20-year hunt.Habib Talukder – known as Tiger Habib – was finally caught on Saturday following a tip-off, after several previous arrest warrants had been issued for him, police said.He operated in the vast Sundarbans mangrove forest, on the border between India and Bangladesh, home to the world’s largest population of Bengal tigers which are unique among big cats in being able to live and hunt in the brackish water of the mangrove forests and are adept swimmers. Only a few thousand remain in the wild.Black market traders sell their pelts, bones and even penises in China and around the globe to communities who think they have magical powers.“He was on the run for a long time,” police chief Saidur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune. “He’s a dangerous man who could fight tigers alone inside the forest.”The 50-year-old Habib Talukder started his career collecting honey from bees in the forest.Honey hunter Abdus Salam told reporters that the locals “equally respect him and are scared of him”. Because of this, villagers would hide and protect him when police tracker teams came looking for him.Officer Abdul Mannan told the Dhaka Tribune that both the police and the forestry department had tried to arrest Habib Talukder for years.“He secretly went into the Sundarbans and hunted wild animals despite being banned from entering the forest long ago,” he told the paper. “He has been carrying out these criminal activities even though there are multiple cases against him. Some powerful gangs are involved in this.”Bangladesh tiger census data released in 2018 showed numbers in the Sundarbans had risen to 114 that year from a record low of 106 in 2015.Wildlife charity WWF released data last year suggesting that after rapid declines over the past decades, endangered tiger populations were making a “remarkable” comeback around the world.


Russia posts record virus deaths for fourth day running

Russia on Friday reported 679 coronavirus deaths, a record number of pandemic-related fatalities over a 24-four period for the fourth day in a row, a government tally showed.Russia, the fifth worst-hit country in the world, is battling a surging outbreak driven by the highly infectious Delta variant and worsened by a lagging vaccination drive.The surge in infections prompted President Vladimir Putin again this week to urge Russians to get inoculated in a televised phone-in session with the nation.But in spite of the worsening caseload and repeated fatality records, officials have pressed ahead with large in-person events, including Euro 2020 football fixtures in Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg.Saint Petersburg on Friday recorded 101 deaths, just shy of its record from earlier in the week of 119.Organisers have said the Spain vs. Switzerland quarter-final later Friday will go ahead despite the surge in infections, in front of thousands of spectators.Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said that the Delta variant, which was first identified in India, now accounts for 90% of new cases in the city.Authorities in the capital have introduced a host of restrictions.Sobyanin recently ordered offices to send home a third of their workforces, except employees who had been vaccinated, and said 60 percent of people working in the service industry must be fully inoculated by mid-August.Moscow’s restaurants have been told to only allow indoors patrons who have been vaccinated or infected in the past six months.The Kremlin had set a goal of fully inoculating 60% of Russia’s population by September, but conceded earlier this week that it would not be able to meet that target, even though free jabs have been available since early December.And even as authorities struggle get the vaccine-sceptical population to clinics, they are now pushing those previously jabbed to do so again.Sobyanin this week urged Muscovites inoculated more than six months ago to get a booster jab with the country’s homegrown Sputnik V vaccine or the one-dose Sputnik Light.Russia, with 136,565 deaths from the virus, has the highest official toll from Covid-19 in Europe – even as authorities have been accused of downplaying the severity of the country’s outbreak.Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat at the end of April said that Russia has seen at least 270,000 fatalities.


Ex-UKSB director denies lying in Zahid’s corruption trial

A former director of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) today denied being dishonest when testifying in the corruption trial of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the High Court in Shah Alam.Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, 42, also disagreed with the suggestion by lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, representing the former deputy prime minister, that he did not give money to Zahid.Yesterday, Wan Quoris in his testimony said Zahid had received donations from the company between 2014 and 2018.According to him, the financial assistance given to Zahid was aimed at strengthening UKSB’s position as a contractor for the home ministry.Earlier, the 16th prosecution witness also disagreed with Hisham’s suggestion that he, along with former UKSB director Harry Lee Vui Khun and former UKSB administrative manager David Tan, had conspired in corruption, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.He also disagreed with lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal’s suggestion that the money allegedly paid to the Umno president had in fact been taken and used by the three of them.Zaidi: And that’s why you can live luxuriously by owning a bungalow in Putrajaya, a semi-D in Cyberjaya and a luxury apartment at Pavilion Residences as well as various luxury vehicles worth just over RM2 million?Wan Quoris: I disagree.During re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Wan Quoris said with an income of RM100,000 a month, he could afford to buy several properties and luxury vehicles worth RM8 million.He said his starting salary with UKSB was RM10,000 a month in 2013, increasing to RM30,000 and finally RM100,000 in 2018.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 the then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the overseas visa or VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system equipment 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 was charged with committing 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 16.


Greece’s Mount Athos elders trust God and science to protect them from Covid-19

In the chapel of a monastery on Greece’s Mount Athos, Father Makarios read the gospel while conducting a liturgy as he waited for his anti-coronavirus vaccination.He knows when to separate religion from science, he says.“I did have some thoughts about whether (the vaccination) is needed. Of course we have faith in God and God protects us,” said the 70-year-old monk, who said he had “approached death” after catching Covid-19.“But science is something in the hands of God, God enlightens the scientists so they can protect humanity,” he said.Mount Athos is one of the Orthodox Church’s most sacred religious sites. The coronavirus has spread like wildfire and a drive is on to vaccinate the some 1,600 monks in the closed community on northern Greece’s Halkidiki peninsula.Nine have died since the start of the pandemic and many in the 20 monasteries have been infected. But vaccination rates remain at about 40% and a relaxation of safety measures has escalated the problem at the popular visitors’ site.Between October and November, at least 100 cases were recorded, said Giorgos Miteloudis, a doctor at the Mount Athos health centre.“It is exceptionally dangerous in a closed community like a monastery, which is basically like a family, where it is difficult for the members of the family to protect themselves from each other,” he said.After seeing others fall ill or catching the virus themselves, at least 30 monks have stepped up to be vaccinated this month. Many who live on Athos are aged over 70 and they play a special role in the community.“On Mount Athos the older people are called the elders, the respected elders, they are the guides of spiritual life on Mount Athos. They pass on their personal spiritual wisdom and experiences, even their holiness, and we owe it to protect them,” Miteloudis said.More than 1,000 years old, the autonomous Orthodox spiritual centre has scores of small living units along with its monasteries, making it hard to keep track of infections.Encompassing an entire peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea, it is forbidden to women and children. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Britain’s Prince Charles and several celebrities have made a pilgrimage there.Athos closed to outside visitors for three months during the last lockdown, reopening this February. Only rapid tests are currently required to enter the site.But cases in Greece reached new highs this month and hospitals are once again under strain, especially in the north.For some on the Holy Mountain, vaccinations have been a struggle between science and religion. But Father Epifanios, who came to the health centre for his third vaccination, did not have that dilemma.“Medicines are medicines, they are not holy water,” he said.


Undi 18: Ready or not, here they come?

With just four months left before a constitutional amendment allowing teens as young as 18 to vote is slated to kick in, questions have arisen about whether they are ready for this particular civic duty, among the country’s lawmakers who themselves passed the bill in Parliament – but also among the youth.The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 or Undi 18 bill was passed by the Dewan Negara in July 2019 after gaining unanimous approval in the Dewan Rakyat. It was gazetted two months later, giving the government two years to lay the groundwork for its implementation.But some lawmakers appear to be having second thoughts about the bill, including Dewan Negara Speaker Rais Yatim who recently said it was impractical to allow 18-year-olds to vote, at least for now.The 78-year-old is not alone in his qualms – many on social media who have voted in elections before are also questioning the move.They say 18-year-olds are not mature enough to make decisions that will have a bearing on the country’s future.And some teenagers agree.Fresh from sitting for his SPM exam, Muhammad Fathullah Zulqarnain from Pekan in Pahang says his circle of friends believe their generation is nowhere near ready to vote in an election.“I don’t think I am ready to vote,” he told MalaysiaNow.“When I look at my friends, I don’t think we are showing signs of being ready. We are still naive, and there’s still a lot that we need to learn about politics.”For him, this is the biggest concern.“Can you imagine if the youth made a terrible choice due to negative political influence? This could put the country’s future in jeopardy.”Others say the notion that their generation is not ready to vote is itself the problem.Nurul Rifayah Muhammad Iqbal, 18, says politics is often portrayed to the youth as something to fear.Political literacy is not an accesible topic for teenagers, she told MalaysiaNow.“I think my generation isn’t ready because we don’t have the freedom to talk about it,” she said. “We can’t even name politicians in our examinations because they portray politics as something that we should avoid.”The issue, in the end, is larger than just the country’s political arena, she added.“We know this isn’t about politics. This is about our rights. If you think that we are not ready, then you are the one who should change the system and make us understand why we should vote for our country.”Muhamad Zikry Muhammad Said from Semenyih, Selangor, sees it as his responsibility to educate himself as well as his friends on the country’s current affairs.“We cannot run away from politics,” Zikry, 19, said.“If I hang out with my friends, I try and discuss politics and current issues with them. In a way, they would be aware of the current issues in the country.”And with the internet, ever-advancing technology and the advent of social media, staying updated on current affairs has never been easier.Nawal Athirah Omar said it was through social media that she discovered her role in the country was far more important than she had been told.“I was 17 when I started to educate myself on politics through social media,” she said to MalaysiaNow.“That’s when I realised that the youth need to be empowered to understand that they are important to the country’s future.”She said those in her generation should be introduced to the voting system as part of efforts to raise political awareness among the youth.“Undi 18 is supposed to be a wake-up call,” she added.Here, though, some pessimism seeps through. “Just because they hear us doesn’t mean they listen to us.”Muhammad Ariff Aiman from Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, is hopeful about the future. But he is also worried that his voice does not represent the majority of his generation.“We just didn’t have a platform to express how we felt,” he said. “But we share the same progressive views. We are aware that things in the country need to change.”He, too, has his doubts and fears.“Maybe we are the loud minorities. That’s what I’m afraid of.”


Nothing to do with construction project near sluice gate, exco says on Sri Muda floods

The Selangor government has denied allegations that the construction project near the sluice gate in Taman Sri Muda in Section 25 in Shah Alam was the cause of the severe floods in the area.“It has nothing to do with it. The planning permission was obtained in 2015 and the building plan was approved in 2017, which means that everything that was requested had complied with the conditions set, including in terms of the buffer area and underground detention pond,” state infrastructure and agriculture exco Izham Hashim told reporters in Taman Sri Muda.He was commenting on a viral video of a woman alleging that the construction project was the cause of the floods in the area.Izham said the floods were due to an unusual amount of rainfall and the high tide phenomenon.“Taman Sri Muda is located in a low-lying area and when the high tide phenomenon occurs and there is backflow, we need to close the gate, otherwise the water from Sungai Rasau and Sungai Klang will flow into this area.“When we close the gate, we use the pumps but during the recent floods, all the power substations were submerged in floodwater and the electricity supply was cut off. The two locations to pump water out were also affected and we had to do it manually,” he said.Izham said the state government had taken immediate measures to build another sluice gate in Taman Sri Muda with a pumping capacity of 5,100 litres per second which is expected to be completed within a year.The state government will also identify areas to build more reservoirs and increase pump capacity to address flood problems in Selangor, he said.


Daily caseload tops 4,800 as death toll up by 12

Another 4,896 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,719,394.
There were 2,979 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,638,716.
There are now 44,622 active cases, of which 42,942 or 96.2% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 35 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,577 (3.5%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 68 are in ICU with 37 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 64.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 18.1%.
Another 12 deaths were reported, including six who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,056.


'Saya merayu belas kasihan': In vain, Singapore man begs for life ahead of execution

With not a single lawyer willing to brave the climate of fear within Singapore's legal fraternity to represent death row inmates like himself, a frail Nazeri Lajim was left begging for compassion, according to witnesses who followed the hearing at the Court of Appeal today.
"Saya ada keluarga dan adik-beradik yang belum jumpa saya, mengapa saya tidak boleh diberi masa? Saya merayu belas kasihan. Saya warga emas. Saya tahu saya akan mati," Nazeri, who followed the online proceeding from Changi prison, said, speaking in Malay through an interpretor.
(I have family and siblings who haven’t seen me, why can’t I be given time? Please exercise sympathy towards me. I am an elderly person. I know I have to die.)
“I’m afraid there is nothing we can do," came the reply from Andrew Phang, one of the judges hearing the application.
“Is there any sympathy for someone like me? I am begging for your compassion,” Nazeri pleaded again in Malay.
"The decision of the court is final. Court is adjourned," the judge replied.
The conversation ended what little hope Nazeri had of avoiding the gallows, despite a last-minute application by lawyer M Ravi stating that Nazeri was a crucial witness in an ongoing investigation.
Nazeri appeared resigned to his fate, and smiled as he was led away by officers after the decision today.
The 64-year-old Singaporean, who was sentenced to death in 2017, five years after he was arrested with two bundles containing heroin, has been scheduled for execution tomorrow.
With a troubled childhood and suffering from drug addiction since the age of 14, Nazeri has maintained that the drugs were for his personal consumption, an argument that his lawyers put forward to reopen his case based on medical evidence.
His appearance in court today was the second in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, the High Court rejected his application to set aside his death sentence in order to pursue a judicial review pertaining to his constitutional rights to equal treatment.
In his final appeal today, Nazeri was forced to represent himself as no lawyer had stepped up to speak for him in court, amid what is seen as a climate of fear within Singapore's legal fraternity.
Several lawyers, including Ravi, either lost their legal licence to practise or were penalised after they were charged with abusing the prosess in representing death row prisoners.
At the court today, the judges hearing a man plead for his life turned their attention to the documents prepared by Nazeri, asking who had assisted him as Nazeri is not highly educated, let alone legally trained.
Nazeri replied that he had received help from a fellow prisoner trained in law.
When the judgment was read in court, Nazeri said he could not understand the legal terms as it was read too quickly.
The judge however said the decision was already made and that the written judgment would be released.
Nazeri was one of 17 death row inmates who had filed a historic suit against the government, accusing it of discrimination and bias in their prosecution due to their Malay ethnicity.
The suit was dismissed late last year with the court calling it an abuse of process. The Singapore attorney-general later took two lawyers who had represented the inmates to court, where he was awarded costs over their filing of the suit "without consent".
News of Nazeri's execution came a little over a week after Malaysian citizen Kalwant Singh and Singaporean Norasharee Gous were hanged despite similar pleas against their killing from activists and rights lawyers.
The PAP-led Singapore government has defended its spree of executions in recent months even as neighbouring Malaysia announced a major step to abolish the mandatory death penalty, including for drug offenders.
It has also rejected the argument that most of those executed are drug mules from poor families, while the kingpins who hire them have largely escaped the law.
Born to a Malay mother and English father who served with the colonial British army, Nazeri came from a background of poverty from which he tried to escape, only to become addicted to drugs.
"We were very, very poor, extremely poor, at that time. We struggled, my family worked very hard," his younger sister Nazira said in recent interview published by anti-death penalty NGO Transformative Justice Collective.


Sorry.


5 questions about newcomer Omicron

Omicron is a variant of Covid-19 first sequenced in South Africa with cases now present in over 20 countries and on all continents.It was named only a week ago and it will take time to understand its impact on the pandemic.Here is a summary of what we know and what questions surround the new version of the virus.Where did it come from?We don’t know. South African epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim says it was detected first in Botswana and then in South Africa where the announcement of the new variant was made on Nov 25.On Tuesday Dutch authorities announced that six days before that on Nov 19 an individual had tested positive for what also turned out to be the Omicron variant.However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said “the first known laboratory-confirmed case was identified from a specimen collected on Nov 9, 2021”, without specifying where.“It has probably been circulating in South Africa for longer than we thought – since early October,” Jean-Francois Delfraissy, president of the French government’s scientific advisory board told AFP.Why is it ‘of concern’?The day after South Africa’s announcement WHO named the new variant after a Greek letter, like previous versions, and classified it a variant “of concern”.The classification is based on Omicron’s genetic characteristics and also how it seems to have behaved in the population so far.Omicron’s unique genetic structure translates to multiple changes to the spike protein that might make it more contagious and harder to control via current vaccines – but these possibilities are so far theoretical.Meanwhile, cases in the Gauteng province of South Africa, which includes Johannesburg, have gone up rapidly with many identified as Omicron.Researchers across the world are looking into how contagious Omicron is, the severity of disease it causes, and whether it is more resistant to vaccines.WHO has said the process will likely take weeks.Will it replace Delta?The Delta variant is currently the form of Covid that is the most sequenced across the globe.Naturally-competing variants that evolved after Delta (like lesser-known Mu and Lambda) have not managed to overtake it in the population – but the spread of Omicron in Gauteng suggests it could.On Thursday the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) said that if the pattern in South Africa is reproduced in Europe, Omicron could make up the majority of Covid cases within a few months.However, Delta was never very present in South Africa, so a comparison with Europe is hard to draw at this stage.Writing in British daily The Guardian, US expert Eric Topol said it is not clear whether Omicron’s spread is because of “high transmission, like Delta, or immune evasion”.Immune evasion is when a virus can infect a person who has already gained immunity either from previous infection or from vaccination.Is it more dangerous?On Sunday, a South African doctor said she had treated about 30 cases of Omicron and had only encountered “mild symptoms” in these patients.The scientific community warned against drawing conclusions based on this testimony since the patients were mostly young and therefor less at risk of serious Covid.So far, all cases detected in Europe are “either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms”, according to the EDCD.This does not mean that Omicron will not cause serious Covid – but it does leave the door open to a rare optimistic hypothesis.“If Omicron is very contagious but doesn’t cause severe Covid (and doesn’t fill hospital beds), it could confer group immunity and contribute to making SARS-CoV-2 into a benign seasonal virus, which would help end the crisis,” French virologist Bruno Canard tweeted.He added, however, that such a scenario would be a “stroke of luck”.What about vaccines?Again, it is too early to say whether vaccines will be less effective against transmission or severe disease from Omicron than against other variants.“We have to see whether the antibodies produced by current vaccines still work and to what extent – whether they still prevent severe illness,” said Enouf.While waiting for real-world data, scientists are trying to answer this question through lab tests.But even if vaccines are less effective against Omicron it doesn’t mean they will be totally ineffective.In addition to the antibody response that could be weakened by mutations in Omicron, the body has secondary T-cell responses that can protect against severe illness.“We think that the cell response will be partly effective against Omicron,” said Delfraissy.


The people vs the PJD Link

I refer to the news article “PKR MP tells Selangor to stop controversial highway”.Firstly, on behalf of the Concerned Residents Section 14 PJ Action Committee, I wish to thank William Leong, MP of Selayang, for his courageous objection to this proposed elevated highway. A cursory drive around Sections 4, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20 and other affected areas in the matured township of PJ indicate an overwhelming objection (in the form of posters outside residents’ houses) to this controversial highway, formerly known as Kidex, which was axed in 2015 by then-menteri besar Mohamed Azmin Ali and has now been ‘resurrected’ as the PJD Link.The question is why the current state government under the leadership of Amirudin Shari is ignoring the residents’ renewed objection and potentially reneging on the promise (manifesto) of Pakatan Harapan (PH) to do away with toll highways, as rightly mentioned by Leong. I would dare say PH’s successful takeover of power from Barisan National hinged upon, inter alia, the manifesto that was promised to the people. If indeed this state government were to approve this monstrous project, it would be making a political blunder in betraying the people’s trust.Secondly, the state authority/elected representatives have a duty to explain to the people why this project is necessary and to show factual justifications and or merits for this proposed project by way of an independent traffic impact assessment, environmental impact assessment and its social implications. Notwithstanding the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there are other ways important information can be disseminated to the residents and feedback collated. Failure to do this has effectively led to the presumption that the state government is deliberately hiding vital information from the residents, perhaps for fear of a backlash that could prejudice the “favourable position” of the private developer.I have been a resident of PJ for the last 50 years and would feel deeply distressed and frustrated if an elevated highway were to be constructed in close proximity to my house. The physical and mental stress would be unbearable. Even if I were to be compensated for having to relocate elsewhere, life as a retiree would be miserable.If the concerns of the people directly affected by this proposed project are not addressed properly, I am afraid the “human costs” would be far too burdensome for any political party to bear. It appears that the state government has to put the people’s interests ahead of the private developer. Period.Abang Hamzah Datuk Abang Zainie is vice-president of the Concerned Residents of Section 14 PJ Action Committee.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Russia won't stop strikes until it runs out of missiles, Ukraine's Zelensky says

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukrainians to expect another brutal week of cold and darkness ahead, predicting more Russian attacks on infrastructure which would not stop until Moscow runs out of missiles.
Russia has been launching massive missile bombardments on Ukraine's energy infrastructure roughly weekly since early October, with each attack having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and winter sets in.
In an overnight address, Zelensky said he expected new attacks this week that could be as bad as last week's, the worst yet, which left millions of people with no heat, water or power.
"We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes. We know this for a fact," Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Sunday. "And as long as they have missiles, they, unfortunately, will not calm down."
Kyiv says the attacks, which Russia acknowledges target Ukrainian infrastructure, are intended to harm civilians, making them a war crime. Moscow denies its intent is to hurt civilians but said last week their suffering will not end unless Ukraine yields to Russia's demands, without spelling them out.
In Kyiv, snow fell and temperatures hovered around freezing on Sunday as millions in and around the Ukrainian capital struggled with disruptions to electricity supply and central heating caused by the waves of Russian air strikes.
City authorities said workers were close to completing restoration of power, water and heat, but high consumption levels meant some blackouts had been imposed.
At the front lines, the looming winter is bringing a new phase of the conflict with intense trench warfare along heavily fortified positions, after several months of Russian retreats.
With Russian forces having pulled back in the northeast and withdrawn across the Dnipro River in the south, the front line on land is only around half the length it was a few months ago, making it harder for Ukrainian forces to find poorly defended stretches to mount a new breakthrough.
Zelensky described heavy fighting along part of the front west of the city of Donetsk, where Russia has focused its assault even as its troops withdrew elsewhere, and both sides claim massive casualties with little change in positions.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its daily update on Monday that Ukrainian forces had repelled Russian attacks in Bakhmut and Avdiivka in that area.
Kremlin denies plans to withdraw from nuclear plant
The Kremlin denied that Russia had any plans to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which it has controlled since early in the war at the front line on a reservoir on the Dnipro.
The head of Ukraine's nuclear power operator, Petro Kotkin, had said on Sunday that there were signs Russia might pull out. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded on Monday: "There's no need to look for signs where there are none and cannot be any."
Russia says it has annexed the area and put the plant under the control of its nuclear power agency. The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has called for the plant and surrounding area to be demilitarised to prevent a nuclear disaster.
In Kherson, a southern city which has been without power or heat since Russian forces abandoned it earlier this month, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said 17% of customers now had electricity. Other districts would be hooked up soon.
Russian forces who withdrew have been bombarding from across the river, killing dozens of civilians. Reuters spoke to Liliia Khrystenko, 38, who recounted how her parents were both killed last Thursday when their building was hit while she was inside with her young son.
"I heard my father screaming, telling me to call an ambulance, because my mother was wounded. But I couldn’t call an ambulance, because the (mobile) connection was gone," she said through tears outside the building.
"I went outside with my child, and my mother was lying in the building entrance, face down, covered in blood. And my father was sitting by her side, saying he was going to die."
Khystenko's mother's body lay on the street for a day before being removed. Her father had been hit in the liver by shrapnel and medics were unable to revive him in hospital.
Ukraine has gained an advantage on the battlefield in part from deploying Western rocket systems that allow it to target Russian positions behind the front lines, partly neutralising Moscow's advantage in artillery firepower.
In the latest example of Western military aid to Kyiv, the Pentagon is considering a proposal by Boeing to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs that can fit onto rockets with a range of 150km (94 miles), putting more Russian targets within range.
Boeing's proposed system, dubbed Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, is one of about a half-dozen plans for getting new munitions into production for Ukraine and America's Eastern European allies, industry sources said.


New Zealand threatens to send Pakistan cricketers home

Six members of the Pakistan cricket team touring New Zealand have tested positive for Covid-19, throwing the five-match series into uncertainty.A New Zealand government spokesman revealed that security video showed “several team members breaching isolation rules”.Through strict quarantine measures and aggressive testing, New Zealand has largely eradicated community transmission of the virus. There are currently no restrictions on the public within the country.The six who tested positive have been moved to a different floor of their isolation hotel in Christchurch and their 14-day quarantine period has begun again.Even before the Pakistan team arrived in New Zealand, one batsman was ruled out at the last minute with a persistent fever. But he tested negative along with the rest of the squad.Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Wasim Khan has been told by the New Zealand government that one more breach of New Zealand’s Covid-19 protocols by the Pakistan squad will result in the entire travelling party being deported, according to an ESPN report.Khan sent a voice message to the team obtained by ESPN. He told them, “Boys, the New Zealand government have a zero-tolerance policy and they’ve given us a final warning. This is a matter of Pakistan’s respect and credibility. Observe these 14 days and then you’ll have the freedom to go to restaurants and roam about freely. They have told me in clear terms that if we commit one more breach, they’ll send us home.“This is a matter of national pride. It would be very embarrassing if they end up sending us back. Do what’s right for your country.”The tour’s opening match is scheduled for Dec 18 in Auckland.


Isa Samad settles bail payment, files notice of appeal

Former Felda chairman Isa Samad, who was convicted of nine corruption charges involving RM3 million yesterday in connection with the agency’s purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites (MPHS) in Kuching, Sarawak, settled the additional bail payment of RM700,000 today as ordered by the High Court.Isa, 71, arrived at the court house at 10.36am with his wife, Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid, who is his guarantor, and left at 1.52pm after making the payment at the Criminal Registration counter of the High Court.Yesterday, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar was ordered to pay an additional bail of RM700,000 after the court allowed the defence’s application for a stay of the sentences against him pending his appeal at the Court of Appeal.He was also ordered to report himself at the nearest police station on the first of every month pending disposal of the appeal.Yesterday, High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali sentenced Isa to a total of 54 years in prison and a fine of RM15.45 million, in default 18 years’ jail, after finding him guilty of nine counts of corruption.He was sentenced to six years’ jail for each count. However, he will only need to serve six years in prison as the judge ordered that the sentences be served concurrently.Meanwhile, Isa has also filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and sentences.His lawyer, Siti Sarah Khalil, confirmed the matter when met at the court lobby. She said the notice of appeal was filed at the High Court at 11am today.


Najib calls US$8 billion 1MDB suit an abuse of court process

Najib Razak has claimed that the US$8 billion civil suit filed against him by 1MDB and its four subsidiaries is an abuse of the court process as the names of the actual wrongdoers behind the massive losses suffered by the sovereign wealth fund were removed from its legal action.The former prime minister said the action by 1MDB and its four subsidiaries had caused suspicion and that they had been disingenuous in filing the suit and retaining his name as one of the defendants.The four subsidiaries are 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited, and British Virgin Islands-based Global Diversified Investment Company Limited (formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited).“It is apparent from the amended writ summons that the wrongdoers that were initially named were removed. This casts suspicion and was disingenuous on the part of the plaintiffs in the filing of this suit, thus amounting to an abuse of process,” he said.However, Najib, 68, did not state the names of the defendants who were dropped from the suit.He said this in his statement of defence filed on March 28 in response to the US$8 billion civil suit filed against him and seven others over 1MDB’s financial losses due to the alleged abuse of power and breach of fiduciary duties.The Pekan MP also said that the statement of defence was filed without prejudice to his right to file further interlocutory applications, such as to amend the defence or to strike out the whole suit.“At this juncture, this statement of defence is also filed without prejudice to the first defendant’s right to remain silent in relation to the ongoing criminal trial (1MDB),” he said.Initially, 15 individuals including Najib were named in the lawsuit. However, seven – former CEOs Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman and Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi; former directors Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Ismee Ismail, Ong Gim Huat and Ashvin Jethanand Valiram; and former chief financial officer Azmi Tahir – were dropped.The remaining defendants in the suit, including Najib, are Loo Ai Swan, Tang Keng Chee, Geh Choh Heng, Vincent Beng Huat Koh, Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, Kelvin Tan Kay Jin and Radhi Mohamad.As of today, Ismee, Shahrol, Hazem and Azmi have also testified as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing criminal trial against the former prime minister in the RM2.3 billion 1MDB corruption case.The US$8 billion suit is one of 22 civil suits filed to claim over US$23 billion on behalf of 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International against several individuals allegedly involved in the financial scandal.


Philippine president tells kids to stay home and watch TV

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has reimposed a ban on children aged 10 to 14 leaving home, telling them to watch TV instead, as the country battles an outbreak of a new coronavirus strain.Stay-at-home orders for all children and the elderly have been kept in place across most of the country since the start of the pandemic – even as the economy reopened after crippling lockdowns and restrictions.“Go back to your homes… and besides they’re good just with the TV. They can glue their attention to the TV the whole day,” said Duterte.While many parents have flouted the rules, allowing their children to play in parks or on the street, the measure has prevented families visiting shopping malls, which are the centres of community life and consumer spending. Classrooms also have remained closed.The prolonged restriction on movement has been blamed for hampering the country’s recovery from its first recession in three decades.Last Friday, the government’s coronavirus task force announced children aged 10 to 14 would be allowed outside again from February.But Duterte overturned the decision late Monday, saying he did not want to risk youngsters catching the more contagious British strain of the virus that has so far infected 17 people in the country, including three children.“I’m just afraid because this new strain strikes young children,” he said.Just hours before Duterte spoke, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday that allowing children outside again would help spur consumer demand and revive businesses battered by anti-virus measures.Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said this month that 50% of the economy was driven by “family activities”, and without them the economy could not recover.The Philippines’ caseload of more than half a million infections is one of the highest in Southeast Asia.Duterte’s administration has been criticised for its slowness to procure Covid-19 vaccines, with the bulk not expected to start arriving until the second half of the year.The government expects data to be released Thursday to show gross domestic product contracted by as much as 9.5% last year.


Flight frequencies up, airfares down, Mavcom says ahead of polls

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has found that most domestic airfares during the travelling period for the upcoming polls have dropped after the high increase following the announcement on election dates.
Mavcom said based on its review, the average one-way domestic airfare across all airlines for routes within Peninsula Malaysia was RM185.
Meanwhile, the average airfare within East Malaysia was RM188 and RM296 for routes between the peninsula and East Malaysia.
Mavcom executive chairman Saripuddin Kasim said the airlines had introduced promotions and launched discounts on airfares to facilitate this cause.
"There are also the existing discount schemes offered by the airlines, specifically for student travellers to facilitate travel for young voters.
"The industry has shown its support to enable voters to fulfil their civic duty without the burden of high airfares. However, more can be done and the airlines must continue to play their part for the nation during this critical period," he added. The Election Commission has set Nov 19 for polling, Nov 15 for early voting and Nov 5 for the nomination of candidates.
According to the statement, the planned additional flights include 45 from KLIA to selected locations within Peninsular Malaysia.
For flights from Subang, 30 additional flights are being planned to selected destinations within the peninsula and 68 extra flights between the peninsula and East Malaysia.
"Malaysia Airlines also plans to increase its capacity to key destinations in the peninsula and East Malaysia by using the Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft.
"In addition, there are flights planned to selected destinations within East Malaysia under the Rural Air Services programme and five planned additional flights between Subang and Seletar in Singapore," Mavcom said.


Putrajaya bracing for the worst as lack of beds, manpower threatens Covid battle

Officials in Putrajaya are bracing for yet another round of spikes in Covid-19 infections, worried that a projected scenario of 5,000 daily cases could stretch hospital facilities beyond their limit if preparations are not immediately made.This was among the issues raised at one of the final meetings for the year by senior officials to discuss Covid-19 measures, MalaysiaNow has learnt.At the meeting, government leaders were warned of a possible shortage of hospital beds for the tens of thousands of patients warded for Covid-19.“The message was clear: The worst has yet to come, so there needs to be a solution within the next two months,” a source familiar with the discussions told MalaysiaNow.New daily figures in recent weeks have been mostly in the four-figure range as the total number of people warded since the virus was first detected in Malaysia approaches 100,000.Yesterday, another 1,348 cases were reported while the death toll increased to 444. Most of the casualties were reported during the third wave of infections which began in September.“The message was clear: The worst has yet to come, so there needs to be a solution within the next two months.”The source told MalaysiaNow that the health ministry knows of the many complaints it has received on the quality of treatment, as other government hospitals are forced to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 spike.“For instance, the Selayang hospital now receives many transfer patients from the Sungai Buloh hospital which has to concentrate on thousands of Covid-19 patients,” the source said.Early this month, the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a research centre at the University of Washington, projected a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases in Malaysia until March next year, with daily infections to hit 5,000 by Feb 25.MalaysiaNow has learnt that apart from a shortage of beds and ventilators, ICUs at hospitals are also reaching full capacity due to an increase in patients with chronic underlying illnesses who have been infected with Covid-19.The problem has been compounded by cases of health workers themselves falling victim to Covid-19.“This will affect the workforce needed to fight the pandemic,” the source said.It added that at least 50,000 beds – 200% more than the current number – will be needed if the projection of 5,000 daily cases becomes a reality early next year.“The health ministry currently has 24,136 beds, which is nowhere near enough to treat 5,000 patients daily.”One solution under consideration by Putrajaya is to make use of the health ministry’s Covid-19 Quarantine and Low Risk Treatment Centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park in Serdang.The centre, which can cater to as many as 10,000 patients, was reactivated early this month to help health workers cope with the sharp rise in number of cases.“Currently, 3,906 patients are being treated there,” the source told MalaysiaNow.This includes thousands of foreign workers who have been making up the bulk of daily new cases since last month.“The centre is in need of more staff, equipment, food and support services, as well as beds and security,” the source added.


Debate with your people, not me, billionaire Branson tells Singapore minister

British billionaire Richard Branson has urged Singapore Home Minister K Shanmugam to engage with local activists instead of him, declining an invitation to debate on the death penalty in the city-state.
Branson, a critic of Singapore's death penalty which saw more than 10 people executed for drug trafficking despite protests over the circumstances of their trials, said such a debate would need to involve local voices.
"In Singapore’s case, we have been inspired by several people and organisations – advocates, lawyers, journalists – with experience, knowledge and data," Branson said in response to Shanmugam's letter to him, inviting him to a live televised debate on the death penalty.
He urged Shanmugam to debate with anti-death penalty activists such as those from the Transformative Justice Collective and Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network.
Branson also named prominent rights lawyer M Ravi, who has been slapped with a series of legal actions by authorities over his defence of those sentenced to death in Singapore, including Malaysian Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, whose cause the British aviation magnate personally took up by writing an appeal to the Singapore president last year.
Branson described Ravi as a "courageous lawyer", and urged Singapore to treat locals campaigning for the abolition of the death penalty as equals "who are just as interested in Singapore’s progress as I’m sure you are".
"They deserve to be listened to, not ignored, or worse yet, harassed," he added.
He said a televised debate would be turned into a spectacle and reduce the discourse to sound bites.
"I can’t imagine that is what you are looking for. What Singapore really needs is a constructive, lasting dialogue involving multiple stakeholders, and a true commitment to transparency and evidence."
Branson had repeatedly urged Singapore to grant Nagaenthran clemency, and had called for a "national conversation" about the use of the death penalty in the island republic following Nagaenthran's execution in April.
He said in his last plea that while he had "enormous respect" for Singapore, its use of capital punishment was the "one horrible blotch on its reputation".
"More than ever, I am convinced that it’s in our hands to end the death penalty in our lifetime. The global movement for abolition is growing. Also because of miscarriages of justice like this," he said in a blog post dedicated to Nagaenthran.


Big mistake to stay in Malaysia, says Sarawak party supporting breakaway

Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan today said it had been a mistake to join Malaysia, calling ties with Putrajaya “not workable” in the state’s interests.“PBK would like to clarify our stand that we are fighting for Sarawak’s independence,” he said at a press conference in Kuching.“For us to stay in Malaysia was a big mistake.”He said the Malaysia Agreement signed in 1963 was also null and void as it was not in accordance with international law.“The rights and powers of Sarawak and Sabah under MA63 still have to be ‘negotiated’ again after many years of breaches,” he said.“Even the MA63 negotiations by the present governments, both state and federal – until now, we don’t know what has been negotiated.”Voon also questioned the transparency of the Cobbold Commission, the commission of enquiry formed in 1962 to determine whether those in Sabah and Sarawak supported the move to join the federation.“The formation of Malaysia from many legal aspects was null and void,” he said.“The Cobbold Commission and MA63 were not done properly.”Independence for Sarawak is one of the main missions of PBK, which is contesting the state polls for the first time.PBK is fielding candidates in 73 of the 82 seats in the Sarawak legislative assembly. Voon is in a five-way contest for Batu Lintang, where he served as a DAP assemblyman for the 2006-2011 term.Other pledges in the party’s manifesto, titled “PBK Passport to Prosperity, Freedom and Independence”, include the provision of free education for students at government tertiary institutions as well as deposit subsidies for first-time home buyers.


Cops deny claims of travel restrictions in Sabah districts

Police have denied claims on social media of travel restrictions imposed in Tawau and Lahad Datu following a surge in Covid-19 cases there.Sabah police commissioner Hazani Ghazali said the claims were untrue, and that police had not received any directives on such restrictions.“The matter will be decided in a meeting with the chief minister (Shafie Apdal) this morning,” he said when contacted today.The messages circulating on social media claimed that workers were not allowed to conduct any business or personal travels in or out of Tawau and Lahad Datu following the latest Covid-19 numbers issued by the health ministry.


It’s boom time for automative sector after pandemic slams brakes on sales

The three-month movement control order (MCO) early this year, under which businesses were closed and a nationwide travel restriction saw roads and highways emptied of vehicles, had a natural victim: the automotive industry.Statistics from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) indicate that passenger vehicles suffered a 41.3% drop in sales in the first half of the year, which saw a near-complete shutdown of businesses at the height of the MCO between March and May.The total industry volume (TIV) of new passenger vehicles registered in the first half of 2020 was 158,876 units against 270,861 in the corresponding period of 2019, a drop of 111,985.But the sector has been among the quickest to bounce back since the MCO was eased in June.As of November 2020, a total of 412,977 passenger vehicles had been sold, a 17.5% drop from 2019 when 500,859 cars were sold.In April, when authorities got cracking with tough laws to impose the MCO, only 143 units of cars were sold.This number recovered to 23,309 in May.In June, 44,695 vehicles were sold on the back of an incentive under Penjana, the government’s Covid-19 rescue package, which gave car buyers sales tax exemption until the end of the year.Interestingly, MAA said more passenger vehicles were sold this year compared to the corresponding period last year.In October, 51,795 units were sold compared to 48,987 in the same period last year.Last month, 51,174 units of passenger vehicles were sold, an increase of about 7% from the same month last year which recorded total sales of 47,753 units.MAA expects the sales volume of cars in December to continue the upward trend.Apart from sales tax exemption, other factors which boosted the industry despite an economy ravaged by the pandemic were a string of new model launches and aggressive promotional campaigns.Those in the industry are not surprised.Wong Weng Wai of Carlist.my, a popular website that brings together a network of car buyers and sellers, said business has been strong throughout the pandemic.He said there had been a higher demand for cars in the RM50,000-100,000 price range. And there is not much difference in the demand for new and second-hand cars.“Both new and used cars have their fair share of demand from Malaysians as they still maintain certain preferences when it comes to choosing a new or used unit,” Wong told MalaysiaNow.With the government announcing an extension of the sales tax exemption period to June 30, analysts are expecting a boom in car sales in the coming year.


Selangor still over 700 as 2,717 more cases reported

Another 2,717 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 390,252.Selangor recorded 768 cases followed by Sarawak (570), Kelantan (518), Kuala Lumpur (240), Penang (134), Sabah (132) and Johor (126).Perak recorded 54 cases, Terengganu 50, Kedah 34, Melaka 30, Negeri Sembilan 27, Pahang 22, Putrajaya 11 and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 22,926 with 272 in the ICU and 124 in need of respiratory assistance.Ten more clusters were detected:1. Jalan Abdul Karim (Klang in Selangor; 27 screened, 11 positive)2. Jalan Melor (Hulu Selangor in Selangor; 20 screened, seven positive)3. Lebuh Ipoh-Lumut (Kinta and Perak Tengah in Perak; 37 screened, 17 positive)4. Jalan Datoh (Kinta in Perak; 30 screened, 12 positive)5. Tingkat Mak Mandin (Seberang Perai Utara in Penang; 54 screened, 13 positive)6. D’Lahar (Besut in Terengganu; 201 screened, 40 positive)7. Desa Mawar (Rompin in Pahang; 166 screened, nine positive)8. Jalan Kolam Dua (Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak; 31 screened, eight positive)9. Dambai Inanam (Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Penyu and Putatan in Sabah; 377 screened, 19 positive)10. Jalan St Thomas (Kepong, Cheras and Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; Gombak, Hulu Langat and Petaling in Selangor; Raub in Pahang; 96 screened, 11 positive)Twelve others ended, leaving 352 active clusters across the country.Another 2,292 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 365,900.However, 11 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,426.


‘By Allah, I did no wrong’: Najib takes Islamic oath yet again over RM42 million

Najib Razak has again taken an Islamic oath to claim innocence of the criminal charges linked to RM42 million in his private accounts, a day after the court dismissed his appeal against his conviction and sentence for seven counts of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power.The former prime minister said he never played any part in the transfer of the huge sum, which he claimed was money donated to him by the late Saudi monarch King Abdullah.“As a Muslim, I say this in Allah’s name.“Wallahi, wabillahi, watallahi that I never asked or instructed for anyone to transfer the RM42 million,” he said in a Facebook post, using Arabic phrases for a formal Islamic oath.This is one of several times that the former prime minister has invoked the religious oath to deny accusations against him.He took it twice during his trial last year. He also previously went to a mosque to declare his innocence in the brutal 2006 murder of Mongolian citizen Altantuya Shaariibuu.Najib in his SRC International defence argued that he had no knowledge of the transactions into his personal accounts between 2014 and 2015, claiming also that he was a victim of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.But High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali who found him guilty and handed down his sentence last year said it was “too preposterous” for Najib as the prime minister and finance minister at the time to claim ignorance of the funds in his accounts.The court also said Low had only carried out the tasks required by Najib.On the four letters tendered by Najib’s defence team purportedly showing that a huge donation would be made to him from a certain “Saudi royalty”, the judge said this was “an elaborate but weak fabrication” and listed “10 problems” with the documents which the prosecution suggested were forged and an afterthought.The court also agreed that SRC International was created as a vehicle to divert public funds into Najib’s pocket.Court of Appeal judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil who led a three-man bench in upholding Najib’s conviction and sentence yesterday said the court agreed with the findings of the trial judge.He also criticised the defence’s argument that loans totalling RM4 billion from the government’s Retirement Fund Inc to SRC International, from which the RM42 million to Najib originated, were approved in the name of national interest.“There was no national interest when RM42 million was transferred into Najib’s accounts, only national embarrassment,” Karim saidNajib in his Facebook post said he would continue to maintain his innocence in the matter.“An appeal will be made at the Federal Court, and I believe justice will be served,” he said.“Perhaps this is a journey I was destined to make. I face it calmly, and I will continue to defend myself and uphold the truth in the courts of the world.”


First-time voters review 5-day wait for new govt

Young voters who cast their ballots for the first time at the Nov 19 election are now expressing concern about the country's political turmoil, even after the formation of the new government after five long days.
First-year law student Sonia Pillai said there were many lessons to be taken from the political impasse, especially on the ego and arrogance of some politicians.
"Why is it so difficult to form a government even after winning the election?" the 19-year-old said.
"Party A doesn't want you, party B doesn't either, and party C will follow whatever A and B want. Why?
"It's not because of race or ethnicity – it's all because of pride," she told MalaysiaNow.
One of her friends, Nik Ahmad Haris, agreed, saying that pride was at the root of the issue.
"In the end, they had to apologise," he said, in an implicit reference to DAP, whose leaders Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Lim Guan Eng issued an apology to Sarawak in the days following the election.
Sonia meanwhile said that as young voters, she and her fellow Undi 18 electorate were often looked down on as children who knew nothing about politics.
"But even children know how to say sorry," she added. "There's no need to wait until we become politicians."
The week after the election had seen a tight race between Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his Perikatan Nasional counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin for the support needed to form the government after inconclusive results which saw no single coalition winning the numbers needed to do so alone.
Talks and negotiations were also held among the leaders of the country's main coalitions until the impasse ended after five days when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to appoint Anwar as the 10th prime minister.
Much of the focus during this time was on BN and its 30 MPs, a number of whom initially refused to toe the party line on cooperation with PH.
BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi himself came under pressure to step down due to the coalition's dismal performance at the general election.
He was also criticised by his own MPs for unilaterally commiting their support to Anwar.
College student Noor Daniel Ikmal said the five-day period had been good for the people.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the voters were able to see for themselves the consistency of politicians in keeping their word.
"When one party doesn't agree with the other, they decide not to join forces," Daniel, 20, added.
Engku Ariff who is studying at a private university meanwhile said that the people should reject politicians who put their interests ahead of the party, as well as those facing charges in court.
When this happens, Engku said, political turmoil can be handled in a rational manner.
"Ignore the politicians who prioritise their self-interest. The prime minister should also be transparent and dedicated to a more healthy politics and democratic system."


62.9% of adults boosted, 26.2% of children given first vaccine jab

A total of 14,810,832 individuals or 62.9% of the adult population had received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 22,951,398 people or 97.5% of adults have completed their vaccination while 23,231,225 or 98.7% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 929,733 or 26.2% of children aged five to 11 had received a first dose of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.As for adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,802,265 or 90.1% have completed their vaccination while 2,898,437 or 93.2% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 97,534 vaccine doses were given, with 26,923 as first doses, 1,389 as second shots and 69,222 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 67,416,313.


10 years' jail, nearly billion-ringgit fine for Rosmah

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today sentenced Rosmah Mansor to 10 years in jail and fined her RM970 million after finding her guilty of three counts of corruption in her solar hybrid project case.
Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, was sentenced to 10 years' jail for each of the charges against her.
However, she will only have to spend 10 years behind bars as High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan ordered for the jail sentences to run concurrently.
She was granted a stay of execution pending her appeal.
Zaini earlier found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption, saying the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution's arguments.
Rosmah, 70, was ordered to enter her defence against the three charges on Feb 18 last year, after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.
She faced one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.
The bribes were allegedly received through her former aide Rizal Mansor as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25 billion from the education ministry through direct negotiation.
The High Court's verdict today comes a little over a week after the Federal Court dismissed Najib's final appeal against his conviction and sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in the SRC International case.


Chinese journalist jailed over Covid reports ‘close to death’

A citizen journalist jailed for her coverage of China’s initial response to Covid in Wuhan is close to death after going on hunger strike, her family said, prompting renewed calls from rights groups for her immediate release.Zhang Zhan, 38, a former lawyer, travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the chaos at the pandemic’s epicentre, questioning authorities’ handling of the outbreak in her smartphone videos.She was detained in May 2020 and sentenced in December to four years in jail for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a charge routinely used to suppress dissent.She is now severely underweight and “may not live for much longer”, her brother Zhang Ju wrote last week on a Twitter account verified by people close to the matter.Zhang has been on a hunger strike and was force-fed through nasal tubes, her legal team, which did not have information on her current condition, told AFP earlier this year.“She may not survive the coming cold winter,” Zhang Ju wrote, adding that he had urged his sister in letters to “take care of herself”.“In her heart, it seems there is only God and her beliefs, with no care for anything else.”Zhang Ju’s posts sparked fresh calls for his sister’s release, with Amnesty International urging the Chinese government Thursday to “release her immediately so that she can end her hunger strike and receive the appropriate medical treatment she desperately needs”.Amnesty campaigner Gwen Lee said in a statement that Zhang’s detention was a “shameful attack on human rights”.Someone close to the citizen journalist, who declined to be named, told AFP the family had asked to meet Zhang more than three weeks ago at the Shanghai women’s prison where she is being held but had not received a response.AFP was unable to reach Zhang Ju while Zhang’s mother declined to comment.The Shanghai prison also offered no response when approached by AFP.‘Apply pressure’China’s foreign ministry on Friday did not comment on Zhang’s condition, but dismissed calls from rights groups for her release as “anti-China political manipulation.”“China is a country with rule of law,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference. “Anyone who breaks the law must be punished in accordance with the law.”Zhang now cannot walk or even raise her head without help, according to Reporters without Borders (RSF).RSF East Asia Bureau head, Cedric Alviani, said the “international community (must) apply pressure to the Chinese regime and secure Zhang Zhan’s immediate release before it is too late.”“She was only performing her duty as a reporter and should never have been detained, not to mention receive a four-year prison sentence.”China has revelled in its success in keeping domestic infections down to a trickle of sporadic outbreaks.The government has put forward a narrative crediting the Communist Party with returning life almost to normal even as death tolls and infections continue to explode in the rest of the world.But those who threaten the official version by raising questions about the government’s early cover-up and handling of the Wuhan outbreak face the party’s wrath.Zhang is among a group of four citizen journalists – including Chen Qiushi, Fang Bin and Li Zehua – detained after reporting from Wuhan.


Beijing urges millions to keep working from home amid Covid outbreak menace

Beijing authorities extended work-from-home guidance for many of its 22 million residents to stem a persistent Covid-19 outbreak, while Shanghai deployed more testing and curbs to hold on to its hard-won “zero Covid” status after two months of lockdown.On Monday, the Chinese capital reported 99 new cases were detected on May 22, up from 61 the previous day – the largest daily tally so far during a month-old outbreak that has consistently seen dozens of new infections every day.In Shanghai fewer than 600 daily cases were reported for May 22, with none outside quarantined areas, as there has been the case for much of the past week.Analysts at Gavekal Dragonomics estimated last week that fewer than 5% of Chinese cities were reporting infections, down from a quarter in late March, in a Covid outbreak that has cast a pall over growth in the world’s no. 2 economy. But vigilance, and concern, remains acute in Shanghai and the capital.While there were no new announcements of areas being closed in Beijing, five of the city’s 16 districts advised residents to work from home and avoid gatherings. Those who have to go to work should have a negative result on a PCR test taken within 48 hours, and must not deviate from their home-to-work commute.“The city’s epidemic prevention and control is at a critical moment,” Beijing’s Tongzhou district posted on its WeChat account late on Sunday, asking residents who work in five other districts to do their jobs from home this week.“One step forward and victory is in sight. One step back, and previous efforts would be wasted.”‘Massively hit’Beijing had already curtailed public transport, asked some shopping malls and other stores and venues to close and sealed buildings where new cases were detected.In one large residential compound not under isolation orders, shelves have been set up for deliveries at the entrance, according to residents, fuelling concern that preparation was in place for tougher controls on movement.The curbs in Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere in China are leaving behind significant economic damage and disruption to global supply chains and international trade.The highly-transmissible Omicron variant of the virus first discovered in the city of Wuhan in late 2019 has proven hard to defeat even with strict measures that starkly contrast the resumption of normal life elsewhere in the world.“We’ve been massively hit,” said a convenience store owner surnamed Sun, whose shop in Beijing has only been allowed to operate during daytime rather than its usual 24/7 hours.“Even during the Wuhan outbreak we could stay open the whole time.”In Shanghai, which reopened more than 250 bus routes and a small part of its sprawling subway system on Sunday, many towns and districts announced more mass testing for the coming days and asked residents not to leave their compounds.The commercial hub of 25 million has allowed more people to leave their homes for brief periods over the past week, but it generally plans to keep most restrictions in place this month, before a lifting its two-month-old lockdown from June 1.New curbsHowever, while more people are being allowed outside, several residents in various areas of Shanghai said they had been told of new infections in their vicinity that required new curbs on movement.One resident in Hongkou district, which has not reported any new community-level cases since May 7, said he was told last week not to leave his flat, having been allowed to move within his compound previously.Hongkou was among six districts which have announced some tightening of curbs in recent days to “consolidate” the results of their efforts so far.But such moves made some people fear the virus was making a comeback.The top comment on a post by state agency Xinhua on China’s Twitter-like Weibo post on Shanghai’s latest numbers read: “This can’t be accurate, zero Covid cases at community level? Our compound had one new case yesterday.”Asked to comment, the Shanghai government said that all cases found in recent days were in “sealed” high-risk areas or quarantine centres, and that any community transmission cases would be announced on official channels.


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