Hong Kong, Macau suspend Pfizer-BioNTech jabs over packaging flaw

Hong Kong and Macau suspended the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday after being informed of a packaging problem affecting one batch of vials, while stressing they did not believe there was a safety risk.The stoppage is the latest blow in efforts to role out mass vaccination programmes against a deadly virus that has killed more than 2.7 million people around the world and hammered the global economy.“For the sake of precaution, the current vaccination must be suspended during the period of investigation,” Hong Kong’s government said in a statement.Both Chinese cities said their decision came after they were contacted about the issue by Fosun, the Chinese pharmaceutical company that is distributing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in China.Vials with the lot number 210102 were found to have defective packaging, authorities said.The statements from Hong Kong and Macau did not give any details on how the packaging was defective but both said they did not believe there were any safety issues.Authorities said they decided to act out of an abundance of caution until their investigation is concluded.Some Hong Kongers took to social media to say their appointments that day had been cancelled and that some vaccination centres were closed.Turbulent politics“I haven’t lost confidence in the vaccine but I’m quite disappointed as I took the day off,” one man, who gave his surname as Wong, told AFP as he arrived at a taped-off centre.Vaccines with the lot number 210102 have already been given to members of the public in Hong Kong.Authorities said another batch of vaccines with lot number 210104 would be put to one side until the investigation is concluded.Despite being a notoriously packed city, Hong Kong has kept infections low thanks to some of the most stringent quarantine measures in the world, recording just 11,000 infections and 200 deaths since the pandemic began.Hong Kong began its vaccination drive last month but the public take-up has been slow and ensnared by roiling political unrest.The city was upended by huge and often violent democracy protests in 2019 that Beijing has responded to with a sweeping crackdown on dissent.As a result, public trust in Hong Kong’s government is low.A recent poll said only 37% of Hong Kong adults planned to get vaccinated.As of Tuesday, 403,000 people – about 5% of the city’s population – have had their first shot.Authorities currently offer China’s Sinovac and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.Sinovac received fast-track approval despite not publishing peer-reviewed clinical data.The data available points to an efficacy rate of between 50-80%, depending on the studies.Pfizer says its efficacy rate is 94-95%.The vaccination scheme was opened to anyone above the age of 30 last week after officials struggled to attract enough elderly people and those in priority groups.Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has previously lamented the tepid enthusiasm for vaccination and accused critics of “smearing” the Chinese vaccine.On Tuesday, health authorities banned a local clinic from supplying vaccines after one of its doctors publicly said he would choose Pfizer’s vaccine over Sinovac.


Myanmar cops flee to India after disobeying orders to violently suppress protesters

At least 19 Myanmar police officers have fled into India to escape taking orders from the military junta which is using deadly force to suppress protests against last month’s coup.An Indian police official said on Thursday that more escaping officers are expected, reports Reuters.The men crossed into the northeastern state of Mizoram which shares a porous border with Myanmar, the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.All of the men, who are lower-ranking policemen, were unarmed, and would be temporarily housed by local authorities, the official said.There have been several instances recounted on social media of police joining the Myanmar civil disobedience movement and protests, with some arrested, but this is the first reported case of police fleeing the country.The official said that the policemen crossed into India fearing persecution for disobeying orders.“They didn’t want to take orders and act against the civil disobedience movement,” he said, referring to the agitation in Myanmar calling for the reversal of the coup and the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.“What they told us is they got instructions from the military which they cannot obey, so they have run away,” another senior police officer told Reuters.India shares a 1,600km land border with Myanmar and is already home to thousands of refugees from its neighbour, including ethnic Chin people and Rohingya who fled during previous bouts of violence.Myanmar’s ruling military council has stressed the importance of police and soldiers doing their duty.A Chin community leader in New Delhi told Reuters police officers have rarely fled to India.“This is something unusual,” said James Fanai, president of the India-based Chin Refugee Committee. “Because in the past, police and soldiers just follow orders.”


PKR told off for demanding more seats, reflecting new problems for PH in pact with Umno

Umno has questioned its ally PKR's quest to contest more seats in Terengganu, in what could be a reflection of seat negotiations between the former enemies in other states as well.
Terengganu Umno chief Ahmad Said said PKR should "know its place" in asking to be given more seats at the coming state polls.
"How many branches does PKR have? Who are its leaders?" the former menteri besar told reporters yesterday.
He gave the example of Jabi, one of the seats that he said PKR wished to contest, where Umno lost narrowly to PAS by 55 votes at the 2018 election.
He said PKR could not assume that just because it had 300 members there, it stood a chance of winning.
"How can it be like that? Do those from Umno agree?
"The formula is not correct. If you want it, you have to want all of it. Don't just take what is glamorous.
"Show your strength, how many branches you have, and how many members," he said.
A source in Umno told MalaysiaNow that Ahmad's remarks were only the tip of a wider problem faced by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in finalising seats.
The two coalitions have agreed not to clash with each other in the six states where polls will be held in the coming months.
"PH is saying the same to Umno in Selangor. Umno has been demanding some seats that have long been the fort of PH, but so far PH has told them to take a hike."
The source, who is familiar with Umno's seat talks with PH, said Umno was not happy at being relegated to Malay-majority seats, where it might be trashed again by Perikatan Nasional.
"It is seeking at least some semi-urban and urban seats, hoping that PH can sacrifice their winnable seats so that BN can have a say in the state administration in the event that PH is retained," the source added.
While top PH and BN leaders say seat negotiations have been going well, there has been no concrete outcome of their talks.
As recently as last week, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who is leading the talks with Umno, had been mum on the numbers.
"No comment on the details but talks are going well," he was quoted as saying on Thursday after emerging from three hours of discussion with Umno leaders, including Ahmad.
The 2018 election, which took place against the backdrop of the 1MDB scandal and saw BN ejected from federal power, saw PH parties at their best performance, with PKR winning half of the 56 seats, followed by DAP (14) and Amanah (5).
Umno candidates meanwhile won in four Malay-majority seats.
It is understood that seat negotiations between Umno and PH parties have also hit a snag in Kedah, an important and strategic state in the quest for Malay support.
Some 36 seats in the state are the focus of talks between PH and BN.
A source said PKR and Amanah's demands for more seats had upset negotiations, with Umno leaders insisting they should be given the lion's share.
"Every party demands for more seats. That is how negotiations go. I told my friends, don't listen if people want to ask for more seats, because our technique is the same," said Kedah PH chief Mahfuz Omar.


Leave no child behind: Sime Darby, Unicef unveil new inclusive playground for kids

Sime Darby Property today unveiled its first universally designed, inclusive children’s playground, to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.The playground has been constructed in the middle of the city of Elmina, a new township in Subang, Selangor.The opening is a significant step forward in Unicef and Sime Darby’s quest to build communities that fully include children with disabilities.The playground was designed in collaboration with children both with and without disabilities, their families, and a number of leading organisations for people with disabilities.In 2017, Unicef released a report on “Childhood Disability in Malaysia”, which reported that public knowledge was low, attitudes were predominantly negative, and practices excluded children with disabilities.When Unicef shared these findings with Sime Darby Property (SDP), they pledged to be “Inclusion Champions” for children with disabilities.They were in the midst of developing the City of Elmina township with the concept of sustainability and inclusion and were glad to include children with disabilities in their plans.The Elmina playground is one result. It is the first in Malaysia that ensures access to as many children as possible regardless of disability.Play is one of the best gifts we can give our children: the freedom to explore, discover, and to be silly. It’s when they express themselves most spontaneously.For these reasons, Unicef and SDP believe it’s vital that the country does not leave children with disabilities behind in play.The year 2020, and the Covid-19 crisis has given us the opportunity to dream of how we can better treat children with disabilities.As the year comes to an end, and a post-Covid-19 future seems like a real possibility, Malaysia is sticking to its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.A key principle of those goals is to ensure that no child is left behind.Inclusion is a right to be enjoyed by all children regardless of ability, it is not a privilege reserved for just a few.


Flood numbers back on the rise in Johor

The number of flood evacuees in Johor has increased, while a drop was recorded in Melaka and the situation remained unchanged in Pahang as of 8am today.
In Johor, the number of evacuees rose to 45,218 compared to 43,856 recorded at 8pm yesterday, with 174 relief centres still operating in six districts.
The state disaster management committee, in a statement, said Batu Pahat was the worst-hit district, with 38,134 at relief centres, followed by Muar (4,057) and Tangkak (2,424).
The water level at nine rivers still exceeds the danger level, including Sungai Batu Pahat at the Bekok Dam (Batu Pahat) at 19.79m, Sembrong Dam in Sungai Sembrong (Batu Pahat) at 12.01m, and Sungai Muar in Bukit Kepong (Muar) at 4.63m.
Eight districts in the state are forecast to have sunny skies this morning, while rain is expected in Mersing and Kluang.
In Pahang, the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana application reported that the flood situation remained unchanged with 1,804 people still housed at 12 centres.
Sungai Keratong is still above the danger level but on a declining trend, according to the website publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my.
In Melaka, the number of people evacuated in Jasin dropped to 448 from 117 families compared to 484 from 126 families recorded last night, all of whom are being housed at five relief centres.


Analysts warn of cracks in PH-BN ties after Najib's court failure

Cracks may begin showing in the ties between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH), analysts say in the aftermath of a court verdict effectively ending Najib Razak's judicial efforts to challenge his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case.
Najib's ally, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said following the verdict on March 31 that the Federal Court's decision should be respected.
However, this did not stop Umno leaders such as vice-president Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and veteran Shahrir Samad from expressing sympathy for the former prime minister, who began serving a 12-year jail term last August.
Political analyst Kartini Aboo Talib said the court's decision was unlikely to affect Najib's support in Umno, which he led until his resignation in 2018.
"Many Umno members are sympathetic and have begun to speak out," she said.
"The grassroots in general have their own views and decide for themselves which politicians they prefer."
Najib, whose administration was toppled at the 14th general election, was slapped with a string of criminal charges after stepping down from the top office.
The SRC International case saw him charged with criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power related to the misappropriation of RM42 million.
On July 28, 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted him of all seven charges, fining him RM210 million and sentencing him to 12 years in jail.
The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021, and the Federal Court on March 31 dismissed his application for a review of the appeals court's judgment.
While Najib has applied for a royal pardon, he can no longer challenge his conviction in court.
Kartini, of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said it was possible that BN would withdraw its support for the coalition government led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim due to the fractures caused by the pro-Najib group in Umno.
"Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Gabungan Parti Sarawak stand with Umno in many situations," she added, referring to the other major coalitions in the government.
"If Umno pulls out, the unity government could be left with only its name."
Former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who was sacked from Umno early this year, had also warned of Najib's continued influence, even from behind bars.
Speaking in a podcast after the apex court's decision, he said the former prime minister was still a force to be reckoned with.
Analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said Zahid, who was instrumental in ensuring the support of BN MPs for Anwar, had been seen as trying to buy Najib's trust by ensuring that "his people" were in positions of leadership.
Now, he said, it remained to be seen if the pro-Najib faction would attempt to challenge the government and Zahid's position.
"They might gain strength if Umno-BN perform badly at the six upcoming state elections," Mujibu of Universiti Teknologi Mara said.  He said the pressure on Zahid would then increase, adding that only "Najib's gang" was strong enough to do so as the rest had all been purged from the party.
"Or, Najib's camp might be bought by Zahid," he said.
Kartini meanwhile said that Umno was used to facing scandals involving party leaders.
"Najib's case is not the first," she said, citing Anwar's sodomy accusation and the murder conviction of former youth minister Mokhtar Hashim.
"More interestingly, Najib still has support within Umno as well as in Pekan, Pahang, just like the support for Anwar as Umno's former deputy president remained even though he was imprisoned."


Sorry.


Revisiting our top revelations that set the nation talking in 2021

MalaysiaNow revealed some of the nation’s most explosive political news this year, with former prime minister Najib Razak and his one-time deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi continuing to dominate these stories.At the top of the revelations was of course a plan we exposed on Nov 12 to “reward” Najib with a piece of property worth RM100 million in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.The issue went viral, with social media users expressing shock that a man convicted of misappropriating millions of dollars was being gifted a house on a plot the size of two football fields.It was not until former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat a week later that politicians decided to join the online outrage.Investigations coupled with help from well-placed sources later saw a series of other revelations related to the RM100 million gift expose, including the fact that the decision was opposed by some ministers.It was further revealed that Najib had actually been given several options of properties courtesy of the government based on a law that allowed him privileges as a former prime minister, but that he chose the most expensive option which would mean the government building a new house for him using public funds.Zahid, the Umno president, was not too far off when it came to being caught in the middle of political revelations.This time, MalaysiaNow depended on an insider to spill the details of a meeting Zahid had in October 2020 with then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.It was reported that Zahid had come to see Muhyiddin with his corruption trial files, hoping to get his support to have the criminal charges against him dropped.Muhyiddin refused to intervene, saying he had no say in court matters. A few days after the meeting, Zahid and Najib wrote a letter to the palace backing PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, a letter which MalaysiaNow first revealed in October 2020.The support showed how some Umno leaders in the so-called court cluster had been plotting against the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Muhyiddin, a government which the Malay party had backed in February 2020 following the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.Such political scheming was to surface again, when on April 7, MalaysiaNow revealed an explosive telephone conversation between Zahid and Anwar, through which the two leaders were shown to have planned the outcome of the Umno general assembly days earlier. At that gathering, Zahid and Najib had called for Umno to cut ties with Bersatu, in what was seen as setting the tone for their eventual coup against Muhyiddin four months later.Click here to listen to the conversation.Zahid was to ride on the momentum of getting Umno delegates’ support to break ties with Bersatu, by going ahead with his campaign among Umno’s top leaders to completely cut ties with the PN government.But a revelation by MalaysiaNow of what was said by Umno leaders in a four-hour Supreme Council meeting chaired by Zahid showed the Umno president taking pains to convince senior members of his plan to bring down Muhyiddin’s government.Many questioned the proposal by Zahid and Najib to quit the Cabinet in order to trigger the collapse of the government during the pandemic. Such opposition would be reflected later when most ministers and deputy ministers from Umno, MCA and MIC refused to heed Zahid and Najib’s call for them to quit their posts.The year 2021 also saw MalaysiaNow exposing how politicians of lesser stature behaved during their time in power.In one such revelation, we showed how Amanah leader Khalid Samad, when he was the federal territories minister, had personally thrown his weight behind a private developer’s application to overturn a decision by the land office to revoke the transfer of a plot of land in Kuala Lumpur.Following his response questioning our report, MalaysiaNow published images of the letters with Khalid’s handwritten note and initials.This showed how top officials had violated their own rules, in this case, PH’s policy to ban any act that could be seen as flexing ministerial muscle, including the issuance of support letters or instructions that could be seen as influencing decisions.Land matters were also the subject of another revelation, in which MalaysiaNow reported how Selangor had to part with hundreds of acres of state land and transfer them to property giant Berjaya Land, over the failure of a state-owned company to finance a mega project.We also revealed audit findings that state-owned company Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd had not practised prudent spending despite its financial losses; on the contrary, its directors approved a four-month bonus, a 6% salary increase, and a jump in the managing director’s salary from RM29,000 to RM37,000.Politicians were not the only stars in our investigative series – those linked to them also had prominent mentions in various reports.They include Vinod Sekhar, a close friend of PKR’s Anwar, whose multi-billion contract from Hungary which we first reported ruffled feathers among those concerned with financial transparency.Interviews with Hungarian politicians showed how the deal was considered part of a major scandal in Hungary.Five months after we first reported his RM2.5 billion deal to supply medical equipment to the Hungarian government, multiple agencies raided the Bangsar offices linked to Vinod as part of an investigation into money laundering and tax evasion believed to be connected with the lucrative contract.


Covid-19 pandemic severe, but ‘not necessarily the big one’, WHO warns

The novel coronavirus has had a devastating impact around the globe, but the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get “serious” about preparedness.“This is a wakeup call,” WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters at a briefing marking a year since the UN agency first learned of the new virus spreading in China.Since then, Covid-19 has killed nearly 1.8 million people around the world, out of over 80 million infected.“This pandemic has been very severe,” Ryan acknowledged.“It has spread around the world extremely quickly and it has affected every corner of this planet, but this is not necessarily the big one.”He stressed that while the virus is “very transmissible, and it kills people… its current case fatality (rate) is reasonably low in comparison to other emerging diseases”.“We need to get ready for something that may even be more severe in the future.”WHO senior adviser Bruce Aylward also cautioned that while the world had made huge scientific progress to address the coronavirus crisis, including developing vaccines at record speed, it remained far from prepared to ward off future pandemics.“We are into second and third waves of this virus and we are still not prepared to deal with and manage those,” he told the briefing.“So while we are better prepared… we are not fully prepared for this one, let alone the next one.”‘More ambition’WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile voiced hope that the Covid-19 pandemic had helped the world become more prepared to tackle future threats.“In terms of awareness, I think we are now getting it,” he said.But he stressed that it was “time now to be really serious”.“More ambition will be necessary.”But Tedros also hailed how scientists around the world were working closely together to help bring the pandemic to an end.He specifically mentioned the two new strains of the virus that have emerged in Britain and South Africa, which appear to be more infectious that previous strains.“We are working with scientists in the UK and South Africa who are carrying out epidemiologic and laboratory studies, which will guide next steps,” he said.He hailed the two countries for testing and tracking the new variants.And with more than 50 countries now imposing travel restrictions on Britain, he also warned against taking punishing measures against countries that transparently share such results.“Only if countries are looking and testing effectively will you be able to pick up variants and adjust strategies to cope,” he said.“We must ensure that countries are not punished for transparently sharing new scientific findings.”


Malaysian businessman gets lion’s share of multibillion-dollar Hungary deal

A Malaysian businessman with close ties to local politicians has secured a giant portion of multibillion-dollar contracts from the government of Hungary for the supply of medical equipment, MalaysiaNow has learnt.Vinod Sekhar, who operates a chain of companies and organisations under the Petra Group, has secured some RM2.5 billion worth of contracts to supply ventilators to the Hungarian government, among dozens of purchases amounting to billions of dollars by the east European country at the early stage of the Covid-19 crisis.In one of many documents sighted by MalaysiaNow, Vinod was named as the representative for GR Technologies Sdn Bhd, a company with an address in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.The Hungarian government agreed to pay a total of US$559,600,000, which at the time of the contract in May 2020, converted to about RM2.43 billion.The agreement, dated May 21, 2020, was signed by state minister Csaba Balogh on behalf of Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.When contacted, a spokesman at GR Technologies confirmed such an agreement but was unable to provide further details.Vinod, meanwhile, has not answered MalaysiaNow’s text messages and calls.The 52-year-old Vinod, the son of the late BC Sekhar who was credited with modernising Malaysia’s rubber industry, was declared a bankrupt by the High Court in 2005 but cleared of his bankruptcy status last year.Controversial buying spreeVinod’s deal to supply ventilators to Hungary was one of scores of purchases by Budapest, which last year went on a buying spree for medical equipment to prepare the country in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.It also inked scores of deals with local and foreign suppliers, in what has been touted as the single biggest purchase of medical equipment by an EU member-state.The move kicked up a storm, with opposition politicians alleging that the deals were opaque and overpriced and contributed to an oversupply.Among them was vocal opposition MP Vadai Agnes, who called for an investigation into the purchases.She told MalaysiaNow that her complaint was dismissed by the prosecutor-general.“It didn’t come to me by surprise as this has been the procedure in Hungary for several years.“The prosecutor-general who used to be the parliamentary candidate of the current ruling party sends my questions to the police, and the police reject the investigation in every case where government or ruling party representatives are involved,” said Agnes, an MP from the Democratic Coalition Party.“For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade bought one ventilator unit for an average price of 19.8 million forints (RM270,000), while the National Healthcare Service Centre bought one unit for an average price of 10.8 million forints (RM147,000). And there is no explanation for such a price difference from the government,” she said.Fellow opposition activist Katalin Boldis agreed that the procurement of the ventilators took place under “clearly suspicious circumstances”.“The purchase was concluded in an unjustifiably large number of units, with inadequate quality, overpriced and vague details,” Boldis told MalaysiaNow.Deaths on ventilatorsAround the same time that the government was taken to task for its procurements, there were reports of high morbidity rates for Covid-19 patients on ventilators.This prompted the Hungarian Medical Chamber to warn the government in April that the “deaths among those requiring ventilator treatment and intubation are disproportionately high”.It added that in some parts of the country, 95% of patients on ventilator support had died.The chamber urged the government to investigate whether the ventilators were being properly operated or if there were quality issues involved.Agnes said it was difficult to establish whether the deaths were linked to the quality of ventilators bought by the government.“We don’t have any information on this issue as our experts never had the chance to see either the contracts or the ventilators themselves,” she said.Award-winning Hungarian journalist Babett Oroszi, who received some of the copies of the agreements, wrote that several crucial details were missing in the RM2.43 billion contract awarded to GR Technologies.“The main text of the final contract did not even include unit prices. It just means that several machines would have to be imported for this money,” Oroszi wrote in November last year.“We thought the annexes would become something, but the environment ministry ‘forgot’ to attach the document. If we calculate the average price, the result is one of the highest amounts: 28.1 million forints (RMM382,000) per machine.”It was some months later that the government admitted it had purchased more ventilators than were needed, adding that it was trying to dispense of the excess by selling the units to other countries.According to Agnes, the government bought 16,000 ventilators for a whopping 300 billion forints (RM4 billion) in the first round, eight times more than the number of people trained to operate them.“As of June 1, 2020, 13,404 ventilators were still in two warehouses. Some were given to foreign countries, the rest are in Hungarian hospitals,” Agnes told MalaysiaNow.‘Worst deal’A Hungarian investigative journalist group described the purchase of ventilators by the government as the worst deal in the European Union.Direkt36’s analysis showed that since March 2020, Hungary had been paying the highest price per kg for ventilators from China.“During the peak of the coronavirus, in April this year (2020), for example, Hungary paid over 10 times more than Italy, and over 50 times more than Germany per kg of ventilators and associated equipment,” the group said in its report published in August.Agnes is convinced that the oversupply was not accidental.“I believe that the whole ventilator procurement is suspicious as the authorities knew the number of medical teams that could operate ventilators. Nevertheless, the Hungarian government bought much more of them.“What is very annoying in this contract is the fact that as the number of ventilators purchased increased, the price of one ventilator didn’t decrease, but increased.”And as Hungary goes to the polls next year, the ventilator issue is likely to take centre stage.“If the united opposition wins, we will carry out a very thorough investigation into all these contracts, the quality and quantity of medical equipment purchased,” Agnes added.


Chinese warned not to gloat over Trump catching Covid-19

US President Donald Trump has always blamed China for the worldwide pandemic.From the beginning, he dubbed the virus the “China plague”, and lambasted Beijing for its early inability or unwillingness to control the disease, even while he was claiming to the American public that it would soon be conquered in the US.Eight months in and China is well on the road to recovery while the US has become the worst hit country in the world with a death toll of 200,000 and still rising.Now Trump has contracted the disease himself and is currently hospitalised near Washington DC.His plight may cause him to blame China even more loudly and take an even tougher line with President Xi Jinping.For months, Beijing has taunted America over its “inept” response to the pandemic. Now there are signs they are worrying how the president and his administration will react to his illness.Trump’s allies are already weighing in against China. Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler tweeted on Friday that, “China gave this virus to our President; we must hold them accountable.”Congressman Mark Walker, member of the House Subcommittee for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, asked rhetorically, “Is it fair to make the assessment that China has now officially interfered with our election?”In China, official state media has displayed little sympathy for Trump, saying that he had only himself to blame for catching the virus because he had always played down its seriousness.The Global Times, generally hawkish in its attitude to the US, after an aggressive few days, finally tweeted an image of Trump and the first lady posing with President Xi and his wife, with the message: “Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy to Donald and Melania Trump on Saturday, in which he and his wife Peng Liyuan hope the presidential couple an early recovery from Covid-19.”The article also warned people against gloating about the president’s condition, saying, “it is only natural that Chinese people feel upset with the US’ increasingly extreme China policy, especially as some US politicians slander China over the pandemic.“However, I hope that Chinese people restrain themselves when they comment on Trump’s infection.”


Protests erupt in Xinjiang and Beijing after deadly fire

Public anger in China towards widening Covid-19 lockdowns across the country erupted into rare protests in China’s far western Xinjiang region and the country's capital of Beijing, as nationwide infections set another record.
Crowds took to the streets on Friday night in Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi, chanting "End the lockdown!" and pumping their fists in the air, after a deadly fire on Thursday triggered anger over their prolonged Covid-19 lockdown according to videos circulated on Chinese social media on Friday night.
Videos showed people in a plaza singing China's national anthem with its lyric, "Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves!" while others shouted that they wanted to be released from lockdowns.
Reuters verified that the footage was published from Urumqi, where many of its four million residents have been under some of the country's longest lockdowns, barred from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days.
In the capital of Beijing 2,700km away, some residents under lockdown staged small-scale protests or confronted their local officials over movement restrictions placed on them, with some successfully pressuring them into lifting them ahead of a schedule.
A crucial spark for the public anger was a fire in a high-rise building in Urumqi that killed 10 on Thursday night, whose case went viral on social media as many internet users surmised that residents could not escape in time because the building was partially locked down.
Urumqi officials abruptly held a news conference in the early hours of Saturday to deny Covid measures had hampered escape and rescue, but internet users continued to question the official narrative.
"The Urumqi fire got everyone in the country upset," said Sean Li, a resident in Beijing.
A planned lockdown for his compound "Berlin Aiyue" was called off on Friday after residents protested to their local leader and convinced him to cancel it, negotiations that were captured by a video posted on social media.
The residents had caught wind of the plan after seeing workers putting barriers on their gates. "That tragedy could have happened to any of us," he said.
By Saturday evening, at least ten other compounds lifted lockdown before the announced end-date after residents complained, according to a Reuters tally of social media posts by residents.
A separate video shared with Reuters showed Beijing residents in an unidentifiable part of the city marching around an open-air carpark on Saturday, shouting "End the lockdown".
The Beijing government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
Asking tough questions
Dali Yang, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, said the comments from authorities that the residents of the Urumqi building had been able to go downstairs and thus escape was likely to have been perceived as victim-blaming and further fuelled public anger.
"During the first two years of Covid, people trusted the government to make the best decisions to keep them safe from the virus. Now people are increasingly asking tough questions and are wary about following orders," Yang said.
Xinjiang is home to 10 million Uighurs. Rights groups and Western governments have long accused Beijing of abuses against the mainly Muslim ethnic minority, including forced labour in internment camps. China strongly rejects such claims.
China defends President Xi Jinping's signature zero-Covid policy as life-saving and necessary to prevent overwhelming the healthcare system. Officials have vowed to continue with it despite the growing public pushback and its mounting toll on the world's second-biggest economy.
China said on Friday it would cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves for the second time this year, releasing liquidity to prop up a faltering economy.
The next few weeks could be the worst in China since the early weeks of the pandemic both for the economy and the healthcare system, Mark Williams of Capital Economics said in note this week, as efforts to contain the current outbreak will require additional localised lockdowns in many cities, which will further depress economic activity.
For Friday, the country recorded 34,909 daily local cases, low by global standards but the third record in a row, with infections spreading numerous cities, prompting widespread lockdowns and other curbs on movement and business.
Shanghai, China's most populous city and financial hub which endured a two month lockdown earlier this year, tightened testing requirements on Saturday for entering cultural venues such as museums and libraries, requiring people to present a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours, down from 72 hours earlier.


Hadi warns govt against delaying funds for opposition-held areas

Abdul Hadi Awang (PN-Marang) told the government today that delaying allocations for areas and states under the opposition would not be in line with the aspirations of the Malaysia Madani administration.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, the PAS president said such an act would also be out of sync with the principles of Islam and democracy.
He said all parties were the people of whichever government takes over after an election.
"This is true democracy," he added.
"Don't tax all and take the produce of all states, including those held by the opposition, but then give different allocations in the course of your administration."
Several MPs from PN had voiced disappointment over the lack of allocations for opposition representatives after the retabling of Budget 2023 last week.
NGOs such as Bersih also criticised the budget, saying it was not in line with the previous reform efforts of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim or his concept of Malaysia Madani.
Hadi also said that giving subsidies to farmers and fishermen would not change their situation as the money meant for their use never reached them.
He added that the latest developments showed that the majority of Malays and Bumiputeras in rural areas were supportive of Perikatan Nasional and other parties from Sabah and Sarawak.
He said while Pakatan Harapan had obtained the support of those in urban areas, this excluded the support of the Malays.
"So the move by the PH government to turn its back on areas under PN and in Sabah and Sarawak will not change PN's situation," he said.
"Even though PN only ruled for a short time during the pandemic, it was still able to bring about some change."


Indonesia looking at Covid-19 vaccine by mid-2021

Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo is promising a Covid-19 vaccine for mid-2021, according to the Jakarta Post.Jokowi claimed that clinical trials could begin early in the year.Named after the colours of Indonesia’s flag, the Merah Putih (red and white) vaccine is being specifically designed to take on the particular strain of the virus that has spread in Indonesia.According to the Jakarta Post, Indonesia has also secured 290 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate, to be supplied next year by suppliers including China’s pharmaceutical Sinovac Biotech.That company has been closely cooperating with Indonesia to develop a vaccine candidate. Together, they continued clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in August, with tests carried out on 1,620 volunteers in Bandung, West Java.Indonesia is still being hit particularly hard by Covid-19.The huge country recorded its highest daily number of Covid-19 cases on Aug 27 with 2,719 cases, bringing the country’s total count to 162,884.The same day, 120 patients died, raising total fatalities to 7,064.Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Myanmar is seeing a return of infections after a month with no new cases detected. The government has closed all schools, in a decision welcomed by parents.Most of the latest patients are from the Yangon area. The country now has had 586 cases and six related deaths.Meanwhile, Cambodia will allow public schools in four cities to re-open on Sept 7.That country had not detected any new cases of Covid-19 for over two weeks. Phnom Penh has so far confirmed 273 cases, with 264 recoveries.Elsewhere, in the past 24 hours, the Philippines has had 3,249 new cases and 97 related deaths.Manila reports that the country’s total number of Covid-19 patients now stands at 205,518, the highest in Southeast Asia.


Why are Facebook and Instagram ending news access in Canada?

Meta Platforms plans to cut off access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada once a new law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers takes effect, arguing news has no economic value to the company and that its users do not use the platform for news.
Canada drafted new rules after legacy media companies complained about internet companies elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market.
Why are technology companies against the law?
The Canadian parliament passed "Bill C-18" into law, requiring internet giants to pay news publishers.
The Online News Act forces platforms like Facebook and Alphabet's Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.
Both Meta and Google had warned they would withdraw access to news articles on their platforms in Canada if the legislation is passed into law without amendments. Facebook says links to news articles make up less than 3% of the content on its users' feed, and that journalists benefit from posting their work on the social media platform.
Google has argued Canada's law is broader than those enacted in Australia and Europe, and puts a price on news story links displayed in search results and can apply to outlets that do not produce news.
Google proposed that the bill be revised to make the displaying of news content, rather than links, as the basis for payment and to specify that only businesses that produce news and adhere to journalistic standards are eligible to receive payments.
What happened when similar rules were passed in Australia?
Google and Facebook had also threatened to curtail their services after Australia became the first nation to enact similar laws in 2021. Eventually both struck deals with Australian media companies after amendments were made to the legislation.
During the fight, Facebook blacked out Australian news pages and only restored them once the government granted concessions.
Yet in the year following the law taking effect, Meta and Google have paid some US$134 million (about RM625 million) annually to Australian news outlets, according to a report from the former chair of Australia's competition regulator.
What could the global impact be?
Lawmakers are pushing for similar rules in Meta's home state of California and in the US Congress. Meta says it makes 40% of its revenue, which was US$117 billion last year, in the US and lists Australia and Canada among its most significant markets. If Meta fails to secure exemptions or get the rules changed in Canada, the tech giant may face a similar fate in the US.
In 2022, US lawmakers released a revised version of a bill aimed at making it easier for news organisations to negotiate collectively with platforms like Google and Facebook.
The New Zealand government said in 2022 it would introduce a law requiring big online digital companies to pay New Zealand media companies for the local news content that appears on their feeds.


Malaysia to suspend travel bubble with Singapore

Malaysia says it will temporarily suspend on its side the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) travel bubble with Singapore beginning May 13.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the measure follows Singapore being listed as a country that has reported transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in the community.“It is based on reports released by the Singapore health ministry pertaining to the South African B.1.351 variant, UK B.1.1.7 variant, Brazilian B.1.1.28 variant and the variant from India, namely the B.1.617.1,” he said in a statement issued on the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.Noor Hisham said travellers from Singapore who wish to enter Malaysia for business have to use the one-stop centre (OSC) set up by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.He also said that all travellers entering Malaysia from Singapore and those using the Periodic Communicating Arrangement (PCA) facility have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at government-gazetted stations beginning May 13.Travellers from Singapore are also required to adhere to the SOPs for all travellers from countries with SARS-CoV-2 VOC in the community, he said.Noor Hisham said the health ministry will constantly update the list of countries with SARS-CoV-2 VOC transmissions in the community and make it public.


There’s hope but be patient, Khairy says on interstate travel

There is still hope for Malaysians, including single individuals, to be allowed to travel interstate in the near future, but everyone must be patient for the time being, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He said discussions had been held with health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, and that the SOPs for the relaxation would be presented to the National Security Council (NSC) soon.“We will present it to the NSC in the near future. There is hope (for interstate travel). I ask everyone to be patient for a bit. It is all there (SOPs), just give us a bit more time. We all know that allowing (interstate travel) is like asking for trouble.“There are states with vaccination threshold rates that are still a little low. By the end of September, all states will reach the threshold rate of 60% of the adult population who have completed their vaccination. Just a little bit more, be patient,” he said in a special interview at his ministry today.Khairy said several SOP relaxations would also be announced in the near future, including allowing cinemas to operate, and to open to individuals who have completed their vaccination.On Wednesday, the Malaysian Association of Film Exhibitors had appealed to the government to consider the matter, as cinemas have been closed for more than a year since March 2020, with losses of more than RM600 million.Meanwhile, Khairy said that new SOPs would be announced, including on ventilation in public buildings.“Ventilation SOPs will be part of the new (SOPs). It will be crucial. We are working out what are the minimum requirements for public buildings. That is the key performance indicator for another ministry but we will insist on it,” he said.


New Zealand to pull last 6 soldiers out of Afghanistan as violence escalates

New Zealand announced on Wednesday it will pull its last six troops out of Afghanistan by May, so becoming the first government to confirm a withdrawal since peace talks began amid rising violence.Wellington has contributed more than 3,500 defence and other personnel to Afghanistan since 2001, with 10 New Zealanders killed.Three of the remaining soldiers are deployed to the Afghanistan National Army Officer Academy and three to the Nato Resolute Support Mission Headquarters.“After 20 years of a presence in Afghanistan, it is now time to conclude our deployment,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.Despite New Zealand’s small presence, analysts say the announcement is an important symbolic milestone.The US signed a troop-withdrawal deal in Doha last year with the Taliban that called for a reduction in violence by all sides. Peace talks have largely stalled in recent weeks.“It’s significant that the first Nato partner since the Doha deal was done has now said it’s leaving,” said an official in Washington, adding it was a “small propaganda victory” for the insurgent Taliban.New Zealand is considered a close partner of the Nato alliance and an official told Reuters they welcomed the “the long-standing valuable contributions” made by New Zealand.Nato defence ministers this week are taking part in a virtual conference that will discuss what their plans are for Afghanistan as violence escalates.Sources told Reuters last month that foreign troops plan to stay in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline envisaged by the Doha troop-withdrawal agreement. A final decision is not expected until Washington completes a review of its plans.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that he welcomed New Zealand’s imminent departure, saying, “We urge all countries that have exhausted their troops in a long and unwinnable war in Afghanistan to take similar steps.”


China’s New York consulate major spy centre, says Pompeo

China’s New York City consulate is being used as a major hub for Beijing’s spying activities, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told The New York Post after a New York Police Department (NYPD) police officer was arrested and charged with spying for the Chinese government.It’s likely more diplomats and agents will be arrested, Pompeo told the newspaper on Wednesday.The State Department has asserted that Chinese consulates in more than 20 US cities are aiding undercover Communist Party operatives posing as students to engage in spying.The US shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston in July, after two staffers there were charged with trying to steal Covid-19 vaccine research.The Chinese consulate in San Francisco has long been accused of trying to steal trade and technology secrets from nearby Silicon Valley.The New York consulate stands accused of collecting information on the city’s Uighur and Chinese dissident groups.The US government has recently been ramping up its rhetoric on China as Beijing faces intense international scrutiny for covering up the origins of Covid-19, stealing American intellectual property, and detaining minority groups such as the indigenous Uighurs.New York Post reporters are trying to reach the New York City Chinese consulate for comment, without immediate success.


Pacific islands Wallis and Futuna declared Covid-free

The Pacific archipelago of Wallis and Futuna has declared itself Covid-free, with no cases among the French remote island’s 11,500 inhabitants since April 1, authorities said.Many remote Pacific island nations have remained free of the virus after shutting the borders soon after the pandemic began but the risk of an outbreak remains high.The French overseas collectivity’s administrator superior said Thursday it is “unanimously… free of circulation of the Covid-19 virus”.But mask-wearing in public spaces remains mandatory and authorities reminded residents that vaccination was “the only way to get out of the epidemic for good”.So far 41% of the population are fully vaccinated and over 55% have received one shot.Experts have warned that Pacific islands are vulnerable to fresh outbreaks.Fiji, which managed 12 months without community transmission, has suffered a virus surge since April.With daily cases exceeding 1,200 on Thursday, experts have said Fiji represents a grim case study in how quickly the Delta variant can spread among island populations.Wallis and Futuna recorded 445 coronavirus cases between March and April with seven deaths.


Senior govt officer, retiree arrested over RM700,000 bribe

A senior officer of a state government department and a retiree have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly receiving a bribe of about RM700,000 from a palm oil factory.According to a source, the two suspects were arrested at about 11am yesterday when they went to the Sabah MACC office.They were believed to have solicited the bribe in return for not reporting to the Sabah finance ministry the factory’s falsification of crude palm oil sales declarations.Sabah MACC director S Karunanith, when contacted, confirmed their arrest.He did not rule out the possibility of more arrests to be made in connection with the case.


Najib loses bid to disqualify Sri Ram from prosecuting 1MDB cases

The Federal Court today threw out Najib Razak’s application for leave to appeal against the dismissal of his judicial review challenge to disqualify former judge Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in his 1MDB-linked cases.A three-man bench led by by Mohd Zawawi Salleh ruled that no novel question of law had arisen requiring the court to hear the merits of Najib’s appeal to remove Sri Ram from prosecuting his cases, news portal Malaysiakini reported.Zawawi, who sat with P Nallini and Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, said the legal questions in Najib’s application had been decided in the appeal brought by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim in 2014 to challenge the appointment of Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as ad hoc prosecutor in his sodomy appeals.The Federal Court subsequently upheld the findings of the Court of Appeal in that case.Zawawi also dismissed Najib’s application for leave, with no order to costs.Najib filed the judicial review application to disqualify Sri Ram as the senior deputy public prosecutor in his 1MDB-linked cases in December 2018.This was dismissed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in August 2020.In November last year, the former prime minister lost his appeal in the Court of Appeal.Shafee, who is Najib’s lawyer, also filed for a judicial review as he too was seeking to recuse Sri Ram from his RM9.5 million money laundering trial.The duo had sought a court order to revoke Sri Ram’s appointment or recuse him, saying that his letter of appointment was invalid.They also wanted a declaration that there was a conflict of interest in Sri Ram’s appointment, and an order to prohibit him from leading the prosecution team in all of their cases, including on corruption, abuse of power and money laundering.Shafee’s appeal was dismissed alongside Najib’s.


Revellers on cloud nine at cannabis festival as Thailand relaxes law

The pungent smell of smoke was unmistakable as revellers celebrated under the stars at a major Thai cannabis festival following the kingdom’s decision to begin relaxing the laws around the drug.Thailand has long been known for its tough drug laws, but the government has steadily liberalised them in recent years and on Thursday the plant came off the banned narcotics list, decriminalising cultivation and possession.While the changes stop short of Canada and Uruguay’s decisions to fully legalise recreational use, Thailand hopes to cash in on the growing global market – already worth billions of dollars – for legal cannabis products, particularly in food and medicine.At a festival organised by marijuana advocacy group Highland Network, several thousand happy attendees made the most of the newly relaxed rules.“As soon as we got through to the other side, we sparked up,” said Steve Cannon, 62, who came with a group of friends.“Since then people have been handing me joints all afternoon and I couldn’t tell you what a fair number was now, but I have been smoking all afternoon,” said the American jazz musician, who has lived in Bangkok for the past 15 years.Multibillion-dollar marketRoughly 3,000 attendees made the journey to White Sands Beach in Nakhon Pathom province, east of Bangkok, where stalls hawking everything from T-shirts and bongs to marijuana buds and hash brownies jostled with stages and bamboo palisades around an idyllic lake.“We have been waiting for this time for so long,” said Victor Zheng, owner of weed dispensary Nature Masters.He gave advice to customers on his products including enriched soil for cultivation and buds and flowers for consumption.“You see the people, they are coming and they are so happy,” he said. “Not just us, the customers have been waiting for this time.”In 2018 Thailand legalised medicinal cannabis – a landmark move by a country in Southeast Asia, where anti-drugs laws are notoriously harsh – and the government has invested in the extraction, distillation and marketing of oils from the plant.Analyst reports suggest that over the coming decade the legal cannabis market could be worth anything from US$50 billion to US$200 billion as countries relax laws around personal and medical use.Thai businesses are moving to cash in on the liberalisation, including Charoen Pokphand Foods – the food and farming subsidiary of giant conglomerate CP Group.Last month the company announced plans to develop food and beverage products infused with CBD, a cannabis derivative, stressing Thailand’s favourable climate for growing the plants and reputation for high-quality agricultural produce.‘People are free’The new rules leave recreational use in a grey area – smoking it outside your home could still get you arrested, though under “public nuisance” laws rather than drugs legislation.Offenders potentially face a 25,000 baht (US$780) fine, as well as up to three months in jail.And cannabis products with more than 0.2% concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive compound that produces the drug’s “high” – remain illegal.But while there was a police presence at the festival, officers appeared more curious than censorious.Festival co-owner Arun “Max” Avery, 35, said he had no worries following the law’s implementation and the publicity surrounding it.Thais had cooked, created and medicated with cannabis long before prohibition, he said, so “to have their native plant back into their hands is just amazing”.“People are free to do whatever they want with it,” he added.And people at the festival were certainly enjoying themselves.Joey, who only gave his first name, giggled as he puffed and chatted with friends, gently swaying.“It is so relaxing. My stress is released,” he said. “Smoking puts a smile on my face.”


8 million people can now withdraw from EPF under i-Sinar programme

The government has announced an extension of its i-Sinar programme to allow all Malaysians to withdraw funds from Account 1 of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).The move will benefit some eight million EPF contributors, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said in the Dewan Rakyat today.The move will involve some RM70 billion from the retirement fund.Zafrul said the yearly dividend distributed to contributors would not be affected by the move, adding that a careful feasibility study had been done.The i-Sinar programme is an extension of the i-Lestari programme which allows a monthly withdrawal of up to RM500 from Account 2.People will have access to up to 10% of their savings in Account 1 as long as they have a minimum balance of RM100.Zafrul made the announcement during his winding-up speech on the 2021 budget, which he tabled on Nov 6, just hours before a crucial vote to pass the bill.“These are not my suggestions, these come from the MPs and the people. We might not be perfect, but we listen,” he said in concluding his speech.He added that the budget might not be “100% perfect”, but said it should be viewed as a survival plan during the time of the pandemic.


‘Jabbed or not?’ Rental questions in the age of the pandemic

When Hafizatun’s housemate tested positive for Covid-19, she and the three others who shared the house panicked as they were still unvaccinated.She hoped for the best but luck was not on her side: just a few days later, she tested positive for the virus as well and was sent to a Covid-19 treatment and quarantine centre in Selangor.Seven months later, one of her housemates contracted the virus yet again.At that point, Hafizatun decided not to return to her rented house in Puchong. Instead, she went to stay with her parents at their home in Sepang.“I wasn’t just afraid of Covid-19,” the 26-year-old told MalaysiaNow. “I understand that the virus is very contagious and can infect anyone. That is why I thought of my colleagues at work and the people around me.“It is better for me to avoid going back to a house that I share with four or five others. What if I brought the virus with me from there and infected people at work who have young children? That would cause so much more trouble.”Screening prospective housemates is a familiar process for many, especially those who move from their homes to the city in order to find work.Pre-pandemic, the usual concerns would include whether applicants smoke, have pets, mind cleaning and cooking, throw wild parties and play noisy music late into the night.With Covid-19 on the loose, though, the questions are now very different.Where would-be housemates might once be asked about their citizenship or jobs, the first question on the lips of housing agents and household heads is now: “Are you vaccinated?”Cynthia Lim, who has been a housing agent for eight years now, said she had received a wide range of reactions to the question, whether asked face-to-face, through the phone or by text message.Most of the time, she said, applicants are happy to send screenshots of their vaccination status.“But some have also gotten angry and accused me of being nosy,” she said.“Others say I’m invading their privacy, even though in the end, this is all for the safety of the other housemates.”Most of the people who contact her looking for a place to stay are university students and singles who do not know each other prior to being placed in the same house.She has run into difficulty with people who travel for work and who do not bother undergoing self-quarantine or even sanitising their hands upon their return.With students, she said, there are far fewer problems. Most of them spend the majority of their time at home, attending classes and lectures online.“They usually try to rent a house with their classmates,” she said. “When they don’t have class, they just stay at home and order food online. They don’t move around a lot.”As of March 20, 97.5% of adults had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 while 98.7% had received at least one dose of vaccine. Just under 66% have received a booster dose.Management increasingly strictAn employee at an apartment management office in Cyberjaya said the staff had been told to comply with the request from unit owners for tenants to continuously update their vaccination status.“If we don’t keep a record and go through things with a fine-toothed comb, the owners come to the office and scold us,” he told MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity.“They say we’re being irresponsible towards the other occupants and are running the risk of starting a Covid-19 cluster here.“Like it or not, anyone who rents using an agent must submit proof of vaccination, and we have to keep it in our records.”Those who disagree are free to take their business elsewhere, he added.“But I think most of the managements are doing this now.”While some are reacting to the pandemic by tightening the rules, though, others say the most important thing is still whether the rental payments are made on time each month.An agent in Kuala Lumpur told MalaysiaNow that punctual payments take precedence for him, given the economic slowdown in the wake of the various movement control orders which saw many sectors forced to shut for months on end.“Vaccinated or not, I have to find people to rent these rooms,” he said.“If they have good jobs and they can pay, I take them in. I need to eat and they need a roof over their heads. It doesn’t need to be complicated.”Amelia Tan, a second-year student at LimKokWing University, is afraid of running any risks when it comes to renting.For now, she has chosen to stay alone in an apartment unit near the university campus. This is a huge financial commitment but she believes she has made the best decision for the time being.MalaysiaNow understands that the cheapest rate for studio units in the area is RM900 a month, not including parking.“After the Covid numbers go down a bit, I will look for flatmates from among my friends and classmates,” Tan, from Kuantan, told MalaysiaNow.“But for now, I think living alone is easier and safer.”


Education, health ministries in talks on attendance for Form 5 students

The education ministry is in talks with the health ministry on the vaccination rate of Form Five students to enable them to attend school without rotation.Education Minister Radzi Jidin said this followed the increase in the vaccination rate of Form Five students which saw 371,696 or 97% having received a first dose while 57.9% are now fully vaccinated.“Students have started returning to school and the SOPs have been implemented well. We may consider allowing some groups of students (to attend physical classes) on a non-rotational basis.“Maybe we can start with Form Five students, as has been implemented for students (who will be sitting for) the STPM examination,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Kebangsaan Tengku Zainun, Tampin, today.Meanwhile, Radzi said a total of 339,951 students were allowed to attend physical classes in states that have moved to Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), namely Negeri Sembilan, Labuan and Langkawi, beginning yesterday and today.The education ministry previously announced that schools in states under Phase Four of the NRP will be reopened involving Level One (Standard One, Two and Three) primary school students, as well as Form Three and Form Four students in secondary schools on Nov 1.Attendance for Level Two (Standard Four, Five and Six) primary school students, as well as those in remove classes, Form One and Form Two for secondary school students will begin on Nov 8.In the meantime, Radzi said the implementation of rotational face-to-face classes and home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) sessions was running smoothly so far.He said through PdPR, teachers would inform students about the preparations that need to be done before attending their face-to-face classes the following week.“When students come to school the following week, teachers will look at which topic their students failed to understand during the PdPR session and help them with that,” he said.


Sri Lanka seeks UN help on food shortages

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is seeking urgent United Nations help to build a stockpile of essential foods, the prime minister’s office said Friday, after authorities warned of looming starvation.Acute shortages of food, fuel and other essential goods, along with record inflation and rolling blackouts, have inflicted widespread misery in the island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis.Scarce supplies of petrol, diesel and fertiliser have made it difficult for farmers to grow crops, while the agricultural sector is still reeling from a disastrous organic policy that kneecapped yields last year.The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is now planning a “food crisis response plan” to shore up reserves and will also offer more funds for urban agriculture, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said in a statement.Parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana warned in April that Sri Lanka was facing “very acute food shortages and starvation”.Around half of Sri Lanka’s rice production was lost last year, and the latest cultivation season which started last month has been disrupted because of fertiliser shortages.Sri Lanka’s painful economic crunch was sparked by a shortage of foreign currency, leaving traders unable to pay for critical imports, including fertiliser.The government has since defaulted on its US$51 billion foreign debt and is seeking an International Monetary Fund bailout.Most of Sri Lanka’s fertiliser is imported, but last year President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced a ban on foreign agrochemicals as the country’s foreign reserves began running out.The policy was billed as an effort to fashion Sri Lanka into the world’s first 100% organic farming nation, but was abruptly halted after farmers left their fields fallow.The head of the agricultural ministry was promptly sacked last December after warning that the scheme could lead to a famine by the end of this year.


Kelantan state assembly officially dissolved today

The 45-seat Kelantan state assembly is officially dissolved today to pave the way for the state election.
This follows the announcement by Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob last Wednesday that the state assembly would be dissolved on this date after obtaining the consent of the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V.
The dissolution of the 14th state assembly was made six days before its term expires on June 28.
Kelantan is also the first state under PAS to dissolve its state assembly.
In the 14th general election, PAS dominated the state assembly after winning 37 seats, while Barisan Nasional (BN) secured eight. However, Ayer Lanas assemblyman Mustapa Mohamed then quit Umno and join Bersatu.
This upcoming state election will see BN collaborating with Pakatan Harapan (PH), while PAS forging cooperation with Bersatu through Perikatan Nasional (PN).
At a media conference yesterday, Kelantan PAS secretary Wan Roslan Wan Hamat confirmed that the party would contest 39 seats, while Bersatu would face BN in six state constituencies.
For BN and PH, both coalitions were reported to have completed their seat allocation.
Kelantan Umno information chief Zawawi Othman was reported as saying that BN candidates would be fielded in 31 seats, while 14 seats would be given to PH.
Kelantan is one of the six states holding a state election. The other five are Kedah, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang.


Sarawak leads as 1,139 new cases reported

Another 1,139 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 354,468.Sarawak recorded 332 cases followed by Selangor (294) and Johor (102).Penang recorded 93 cases, Kuala Lumpur 84, Sabah 60, Kelantan 38, Kedah 35, Negeri Sembilan 30, Perak 24, Pahang 23, Melaka 13, Terengganu 10 and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 14,097 with 194 in the ICU and 86 in need of respiratory assistance.Ten more clusters were detected:1. Jalan Simpang Balak (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 90 screened, 20 positive)2. Jalan Keretapi (Klang and Kuala Selangor in Selangor; 192 screened, 81 positive)3. Sungai Kluang Empat (Barat Daya, Timur Laut, Seberang Perai Utara, Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang; 444 screened, 33 positive)4. Jalan Padang Benggali (Seberang Perai Utara in Penang; 127 screened, 42 positive)5. Jalan Bangunan Kerajaan (Beluru and Miri in Sarawak; 171 screened, 37 positive)6. Persiaran Indahpura Utama (Kulai, Johor Bahru and Batu Pahat in Johor; 36 screened, 11 positive)7. Sungai Kawi (Meradong and Sibu in Sarawak; 224 screened, 127 positive)8. Jalan Persiaran Putri (Kulai, Kota Tinggi, Muar and Kluang in Johor; 50 screened, 15 positive)9. Tembok Choh Dua (Johor Bahru in Johor; 155 screened, 10 positive)10. Highline (Kota Tinggi in Johor; 14 screened, five positive)Ten others ended, leaving 354 active clusters across the country.Another 1,199 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 339,067.However, four more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,304.


Blog shows photos of Mat Sabu with businessman Deepak on 'chicken egg trip'

A blog has published photographs claiming to show controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan on a flight to India alongside Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu, amid questions about a government contract to a sole company for the supply of eggs from the country.
Pictures posted on the blog "Checkmatebro" also show MIC deputy president M Saravanan seated together with the Amanah leader, known as Mat Sabu.
The shots were claimed to have been taken during their flight to Chennai, India, in January to meet suppliers to address the shortage of chicken eggs in Malaysia.
"Is it true that Mat Sabu took Deepak and Saravanan along to visit the chicken farm in India? If so, why? What was their role?" the blog asked.
MalaysiaNow has been attempting to obtain a response from Mohamad and Deepak, to no avail.
MalaysiaNow has also reached out to Saravanan for comment.
Earlier this month, Mohamad told the Dewan Rakyat that only one company was awarded a special permit to import eggs from India up to June this year.
The move had drawn criticism from MCA president Wee Ka Siong, who questioned the quality of the imported eggs.
Wee's remark, made in the Dewan Rakyat in his capacity as the MP for Ayer Hitam, was followed by a letter of demand from a law firm representing egg importer J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd.
Checks with the Companies Commission show two shareholders in the company, Jeena Giri and Shahrizal Ahmad, both holding shares worth a total of RM850,000.
Deepak's name entered the spotlight after his claim that former prime minister Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor were involved in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
He also sued Najib and Rosmah over an alleged conspiracy which he claimed led to him suffering losses.


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95.2% of adults, 79.3% of teens fully jabbed

A total of 79.3% or 2,495,444 adolescents aged 12 to 17 had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.According to health ministry data on the CovidNow website, 97.7% of adults or 22,854,725 people have received at least one dose of vaccine while 95.2% or 22,278,477 are fully vaccinated.Meanwhile, 75.9% of the total population – 24,773,921 – have completed two doses of vaccine.A total of 114,704 doses were administered yesterday involving 33,258 second doses, 7,388 first doses and 74,058 booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine jabs administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 51,077,813.Cumulative booster shots administered stand at 900,201.


Civil servants union unhappy with budget's failure to address low salaries

The country's main civil service union Cuepacs says the 2023 budget presented by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim fails to tackle the high living costs faced by government servants.
The union's president Adnan Mat also questioned the government's commitment to reevaluating the new public service remuneration system in order to increase salaries.
"The salary and wage factor is a critical matter at this point as the current rate is seen as no longer relevant to the increase in living costs which have risen so sharply, especially involving basic necessities such as food, health and housing," he said in a statement.
Adnan said there had been many reviews of the civil service remuneration system by previous governments "but without any good news".
Tabling the 2023 budget with a total allocation of RM386.14 billion today, Anwar announced among others a special payment of RM700 for civil servants in Grade 56 and below, as well as RM350 for retirees, to be paid in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration in April.
Cuepacs, which brings together more than 100 civil service unions with some 1.2 million members, said the initiatives involving civil servants were already put in place by the previous governments.
But it said a move to cut individual tax rates would not have any meaningful effect on disposable income, especially for civil servants, and that a new remuneration system was needed to replace the two-decade-old system currently in place.
"The excess of up to RM1,300 in disposable income through tax reductions does not reflect the real situation of the people," said Adnan.
He said the budget today also failed to address the home ownership woes of civil servants, adding that the government should bring back the affordable home purchase schemes previously implemented.
"Civil servants are not asking for free housing because we are willing to buy homes, but with our current salary rates, the prices offered by developers are ridiculous," he said.


Travel for tourism allowed between RMCO states

The government has given the green light for tourist travel between states under the recovery movement control order (RMCO) through the targeted travel bubble programme starting tomorrow.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob however said the activities would be subject to strict SOPs including the requirement to go through registered travel agencies under the tourism, arts and culture ministry.“It must use tour vehicles registered with the ministry such as tour buses. Tourism activities using privately owned vehicles are still prohibited,” he said in a press conference on MCO developments today.He said tour vehicles are also required to seek approval from the police, and will not be allowed to stop in states under CMCO.Ismail said the tourism locations and premises must also obtain approval from the ministry.There are currently seven states under RMCO until March 15: Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Putrajaya, Labuan and Perlis.Ismail said the government had also agreed to change Langkawi’s status to RMCO starting tomorrow as there were no new Covid-19 cases reported at the island although Kedah is still under CMCO.“The last Covid-19 cases reported were on Feb 20 with two cases. Hence, the targeted travel bubble is also applicable to Langkawi island,” he said.


Bersatu man dares Ismail to blame Zahid for forcing snap polls

A Bersatu leader has challenged Ismail Sabri Yaakob to hold his own party boss responsible for the dissolution of Parliament, after the prime minister said he had to call for snap polls because 12 ministers from Perikatan Nasional (PN) "behaved inappropriately" by writing to the Agong to voice their disagreement on holding the general election this year.
Kamaruddin Jaafar said it was public knowledge that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had been pressuring Ismail to dissolve Parliament despite the latter's reluctance to do so, due to widespread concerns over the flood season as well as the disruption to economic recovery.
"The prime minister should instead reprimand his party president if he has the courage to do so.
"In fact, he needs to be honest and admit that he was pressured and forced to announce the dissolution at the insistence of the Umno leadership," Kamaruddin, who served as the deputy foreign minister in Ismail's administration, said in a statement.
Yesterday, a day after announcing the dissolution of Parliament which could see the 15th general election coinciding with the monsoon season, Ismail attacked his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin for criticising Barisan Nasional (BN), saying this was why the government could not function properly.
He also hit out at 12 of his Cabinet members from Bersatu and PAS, accusing them of turning their backs on his administration.
This came after the group penned a letter to the palace to voice their disagreement with calls by Umno leaders for the dissolution of Parliament, citing forecasts of heavy rain and floods in the coming weeks by the Malaysian Meteorological Department.
Since taking office in August last year, Ismail had been under intense pressure from a faction of Umno leaders aligned with Zahid and jailed leader Najib Razak to call for polls in the belief that Umno would have a chance of retaking federal power.
But observers and critics have linked such calls to the court cases stacked against the duo, with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying that an Umno-led government after the election would see to it that Najib is released from prison, while other leaders facing multiple corruption charges escape prosecution.
Zahid admitted as much when he told MIC delegates on Monday that the coming polls would determine not only his fate, but also that of other BN leaders as well as MIC and MCA.
"It is not only me who will be charged, Tok Mat, you are on the waiting list," he said, referring to Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
Last month, Zahid was acquitted of 40 charges linked to bribes allegedly received as the home minister, related to the contract for the foreign visa system.
He still faces 35 charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and bribes for various projects. If convicted of these, he could join Najib in jail.
Kamaruddin in his statement said that Ismail's shifting of blame to his own ministers for the holding of GE15 this year smacked of "dishonesty and distortion".
"The pressure by the selfish Umno leadership was evident in the recent MIC inauguration speech by Zahid, when he openly stated that BN must win big in the upcoming election to save him and the BN leaders whom he named one by one from charges in court," he added.


PN MPs to be ministry watchdogs, says Takiyuddin

Perikatan Nasional (PN) says it will appoint its MPs as watchdogs of ministries in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration to ensure the coalition becomes a constructive and effective opposition.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the 73 MPs in PN would play the role of providing checks and balance for the government.
"We have 73 MPs... so, we can have three MPs in charge of a ministry. We monitor and will also give suggestions for improvement, as we have been in the government before," he told reporters in Kota Bharu today.
Takiyuddin, who is Kota Bharu MP, said PN would also continue to urge the government under Anwar’s administration to take into account the concept of federalism, by not leaving out development at the state level.
Meanwhile, on the tabling of the motion of confidence for Anwar in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 19, Takiyuddin said he had not received any information regarding the matter.
Anwar was reported to have said that the agenda for the first sitting of the 15th Parliament would include, among others, a motion of confidence in the prime minister to prove that he has the majority of support in the Dewan Rakyat.


Messi goal helps keep Argentina World Cup hopes alive

Lionel Messi helped keep Argentina's World Cup bid alive with the first goal in a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Saturday.
Defeat to outsiders Saudi Arabia in their opening Group C match in Qatar had left Argentina on the brink, knowing another loss would spell the end of their tournament chances.
But the Albiceleste just edged a disjointed and tetchy affair against their fellow Latin Americans at the Lusail stadium in Doha.
And who else but the mercurial Messi should be the hero, firing home a low shot from 20 yards on 64 minutes, before Enzo Fernandez added a thunderbolt second goal for Argentina three minutes from time.
"The first game cost us," said Messi. "We knew that we had to win today, that another World Cup was starting for us and we knew how to do it.
"It was a tough game to pick ourselves up for because Mexico play well.
"The played the first half with intensity but the second half we relaxed and became ourselves again."
Messi's goal meant he tied the late Diego Maradona on eight goals and 21 appearances at the World Cup for Argentina.
It came a day after Argentines marked the second anniversary of Maradona's death.
The goals were two rare moments of quality in an often poor and tense encounter where the occasion seemed to get to everyone, except seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.
But Argentina still need to win their final group match against Poland to guarantee a place in the knock-out stages.
"We cannot let up now. Every game is a final now, we cannot make any mistakes," said Messi.
Fractious, forgettable
The first half was an entirely forgettable affair.
Mexico's back five and aggressive approach left Argentina with little space or time to construct anything.
And the Mexicans never had enough players forward to cause their opponents problems when trying to counter.
The two sets of fans deserved so much more as they created a feverish atmosphere in the Lusail Stadium that was close to capacity with more than 88,000 supporters.
But even Messi could make no inroads, struggling to get on the ball and even less so in areas where he could cause damage.
The best early chance saw big Mexico centre-back Cesar Montes stab wide a devilish dead ball delivery from Luis Chavez.
Argentina came closest when Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made a hash of trying to punch away a Messi free-kick that was curling dangerously towards goal.
The referee's whistle saved Ochoa as he collapsed to the ground claiming he was fouled.
That was another feature of the first period – players rolling around on the turf clutching their faces after imagined contact.
Key substitutions
Alexis Vega produced Mexico's best effort with a fierce free-kick that Emiliano Martinez held well in the Argentina goal.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni wasted little time in the second half to change things up, bringing on three substitutes by the 63rd minute, including Manchester City youngster Julian Alvarez for the ineffectual Lautaro Martinez.
Within a minute, Messi was criminally left unmarked just over 20 yards from goal to take a drilled pass from Angel Di Maria, which he cushioned with a sublime first touch to then pick out the bottom corner with a fierce low drive.
Scaloni immediately switched to a back three, bringing on centre-back Cristian Romero for winger Di Maria.
Mexico coach Gerardo Martino responded by throwing on forward Raul Jimenez for a defender and changed to a 4-3-3 formation.
But substitute Fernandez had the final say, curling a delectable strike into the top far corner.
"I always dreamed as a kid of wearing this jersey and today I achieved the dream of scoring in a World Cup," said the 21-year-old Benfica player.


Myanmar junta ‘sad’ at protest deaths but vows to stop ‘anarchy’

Myanmar’s military on Tuesday said it was sad about people killed in its brutal crackdown on anti-coup protests, but vowed to press ahead with stamping out what it called “anarchy”.The junta has unleashed deadly violence as it struggles to quell nationwide protests against the Feb 1 ousting of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, drawing international condemnation and sanctions.More than 260 people have been killed since nationwide protests erupted against the coup, according to a local monitoring group.In a news conference in the capital Naypyidaw, junta spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun put the death toll at 164.“I am sad because these violent terrorist people who died are our nationals,” he said.The streets of towns and cities across the country have seen chaotic scenes for weeks as security forces clash with protesters demanding the restoration of democracy and the release of Suu Kyi.The authorities have used tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to disperse protests, prompting a senior UN rights expert to warn they may be committing “crimes against humanity”.Zaw defended the response, saying the security forces were dealing with “insurgents holding weapons” and five police and four soldiers had been killed.“We have to crack down on the anarchy. Which countries in the world accept anarchy?” he said.Despite the bloodshed, protesters took to the streets again on Tuesday, staging dawn demonstrations in parts of the commercial capital Yangon.As well as breaking up protests, the military has sought to stem the flow of news about the crackdown, banning several local media outlets and arresting dozens of journalists.The country’s internet connection has also been throttled and mobile data services suspended.Zaw said there were currently no plans to restore mobile data networks.EU, US sanctionsInternational pressure is building on the regime, with the European Union on Monday imposing sanctions on junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing and 10 other senior officials.The bloc said that as commander-in-chief, Min was “directly responsible” for “serious human rights violations” carried out during the crackdown.And Washington – which has already blacklisted the top junta leaders – sanctioned Myanmar’s police chief and an army special operations commander, saying they were responsible for using lethal force against demonstrators.The US Treasury said that since Than Hlaing was made police chief and deputy home affairs minister on Feb 2, the police had engaged in “brutal acts of violence” against protesters.Army commander Aung Soe was responsible for sending in troops to confront protesters using battlefield weapons and tactics, “demonstrating that lethal force is being used in a planned, premeditated and coordinated manner against the anti-coup protests”, the Treasury said.But sanctions and the chorus of global condemnation have so far had little impact on the generals, who have shunned calls for restraint.There are fears that Saturday – Myanmar’s Armed Forces Day, usually marked with a parade in Naypyidaw – could be a flashpoint.The junta last week imposed martial law in six townships in Yangon, effectively putting nearly two million people under direct control of military commanders.There has been an exodus from the city – the former capital – with residents seeking safety elsewhere in the country, and warnings from embassies to foreign nationals.The Australian embassy on Tuesday warned its citizens to prepare to “shelter in place” with essential supplies, while Myanmar’s former colonial ruler Britain has already advised its nationals to get out.Neighbouring Thailand is bracing for a possible influx of tens of thousands of refugees if the situation worsens.


IMF optimistic Malaysia’s economy will expand 5.75% in 2022

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is optimistic that Malaysia’s economy will expand by 5.75% in 2022, driven by pent-up domestic demand and continued strong external demand.This is in line with the government’s growth projection of between 5.3% and 6.3% for 2022. The economy expanded by 3.1% last year.In providing an assessment of Malaysia’s growth prospects, the IMF noted that the country’s high vaccination rates and limited movement restrictions would also support economic expansion.On the flipside, the Washington-based agency acknowledged that there were substantial downside risks, including from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, a similar predicament faced by both developed and developing economies globally.“Malaysia’s growth is projected to be solid in the medium term, although risks of long-term economic scarring are real,” IMF’s executive board said in its conclusions following consultations with Malaysian officials in an assessment report released in April.The IMF also welcomed Malaysia’s accommodative monetary policy stance, as inflation expectations are well anchored.To this end, the IMF noted Malaysia’s commitment to exchange rate flexibility, saying it would continue to serve the country well.This was reinforced just last week when Bank Negara Malaysia reaffirmed its position that it would not peg the ringgit despite the apparent weakness of the currency.This was because the banking sector was still well capitalised and highly liquid, buttressed against a strong asset quality.The IMF also said that Malaysia’s financial sector “remains resilient”, and that it was encouraged by its reforms which focused on inclusion, economic transformation, and a sustainable economy.The IMF, which has 190 member countries, also praised the implementation of the 12th Malaysia Plan which focuses on boosting labour productivity, enhancing the digital and green economies, and strengthening fiscal governance.“This will help minimise pandemic-related economic scarring while promoting inclusive growth and job creation,” the IMF said.It also took note of the assessment by IMF staff that Malaysia’s external position was moderately stronger than warranted by economic fundamentals and desirable policies.The IMF also called for policies to strengthen social safety nets to support an inclusive recovery and facilitate external rebalancing, which Malaysia is already doing through its multi-billion ringgit Covid-related budgeting.In reviewing 2021, the IMF said the swift, substantial, and multi-pronged pandemic policy response supported the economy.Total Covid-related budget spending amounted to RM39 billion (about 2.5% of GDP) in 2021, more than double the RM17 billion initially budgeted, and above the RM38 billion spent in 2020.As a result, the federal government’s deficit reached about 6.5% of GDP in 2021, higher than the about 5.5% deficit foreseen in Budget 2021.The federal government’s debt is estimated at 63% of GDP, below the domestic debt ceiling of 65%, it said.


China customs drops some Covid reporting for international arrivals, quarantine remains

China still requires international passengers to take pre-departure Covid-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival, the customs office said on Friday, a day after dropping some reporting requirements for travellers clearing customs.
China, which has shortened the quarantine period and removed some testing and self-isolation requirements for inbound international travellers, still has some of the world's most stringent Covid-19 policies.
Chinese customs on Thursday said it had removed the requirements for travellers to report Covid tests, previous infections and vaccination dates when they clear customs, to make entry more convenient.
"This is not an easing of Covid control," the customs office said in a clarifying statement on Friday, referring to the change in the reporting rules.
"There is no substantial change to Covid requirements for inbound travellers."
Travellers intending to enter China from other countries still have to report tests and other Covid-related information to Chinese embassies to get digital health credentials to board their flights, according to embassy websites.
The number of international flights in and out of China has remained low compared with the pre-pandemic era, complicating the travel plans of many.


Activist under MCMC probe after criticising PM's Saudi trip

An activist and social media influencer was called for questioning today by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over social media posts seen as referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow after two hours at the MCMC headquarters in Cyberjaya, Halimah Nasoha said the posts in question were made in March.
However, she said she had never referred to any leader by name in the Facebook posts.
"I never made a direct statement about the prime minister," she added.
"And my posts were made to criticise, not insult, in the spirit of fair comment and public interest."
Halimah, who was accompanied by her lawyer Zaid Malek, said she was not told about the subject of the investigation until she was questioned this morning.
Zaid meanwhile said that Halimah was being investigated under Section 233 (1)(A) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
He said if the prime minister was unhappy with his client's statements, there were other legal procedures which he described as more fair.
"Why the special treatment?" he added.
"The prime minister should not be using the MCMC machinery for this. He could just sue for defamation in court."
He also questioned the stand of the coalition government, particularly Pakatan Harapan which had opposed the use of the act during its time in the opposition.
"If the Madani government is indeed fair and wants to uphold human rights, the investigation should stop here until charges are brought in court.
"Stop the probe against Halimah and any others as well."
An MCMC source told MalaysiaNow that the investigation was centred on posts Halimah had made by the name of Yi Ma Nas, criticising Anwar's trip to Saudi Arabia in March.
Halimah meanwhile said in a post on May 8 that she had been contacted by an individual who introduced himself as the deputy director of MCMC.
In her post, which was accompanied by a screenshot of the conversation, she said she had been threatened by the person who told her to present herself at the agency if she did not want her workplace or residence raided by the authorities.
Speaking today, Halimah said that police officers in full uniform and members of the Special Branch had also attended the session.
"I was treated like a terrorist, as if I had committed a very serious crime," she said.
"The MCMC officer was also there, and he asked me to delete the screenshot."
Zaid said there had been no indication that Halimah would be called in for further questioning.
"But we're not sure what the next move will be," he said.


Muslims need more voice in Anwar's govt and a sorry from DAP, says Perlis mufti

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today suggested that parties with Muslim dominance join the new government if they are concerned about the influence of other parties in the administration.
"I think that parties with Muslim dominance should join this new government if they are concerned about the dominance of parties in the government that may bring things which clash with the country's identity or damage the integrity of the administration," he said, in an apparent reference to Perikatan Nasional which won 73 seats after thrashing their opponents in predominantly Malay seats.
"With strong support, the new government need not worry about threats by certain groups to leave the government if their demands are not met."
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his first media conference after being sworn into the top office yesterday had extended an invitation to PN to join what he described as a "unity government".
Several initial analyses have confirmed pre-election surveys indicating that PH was struggling to win over Malay support.
Political analyst Bridget Welsh reportedly said that PH only had 11% of the Malay votes in the election, and BN 33% while PN got 54%.
Islamist party PAS meanwhile dominated the gains, winning 49 federal seats, more than triple the number of seats it won in 2018.
'Sorry to Muslims, too'
In a Facebook post, Asri also proposed that DAP apologise to the Malay Muslims as it had done to Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
He said this would help ease the feelings of the majority and begin a better resolution on protecting the sensitivities of the Muslims and Malays.
"If DAP refuses, it will be seen as maintaining the identity that caused concern and rejection by the Muslims before this," he said.
DAP top leaders Anthony Loke and Lim Guan Eng had earlier publicly apologised to GPS over statements mocking the Sarawak coalition.


Singapore PM’s wife hails Malaysia’s vaccination rate

The wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today hailed Malaysia’s vaccination rate against Covid-19, noting its increase to about half a million shots per day.“This is the current run rate in the US too, except the US has 10 times the population of M’sia,” Ho Ching said in a Facebook post also praising vaccination efforts in the city-state.“Go, go, go!” she added.As of yesterday, over 21 million vaccine jabs had been administered nationwide under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) launched on Feb 24.Some 14 million were administered as first doses while just under seven million were given as second doses.About 21% of the country’s population have been fully vaccinated while 29% of the adult population have received both shots.PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said last week that the government is aiming to fully vaccinate 50% of the adult population by Merdeka Day on Aug 31.The government is also finalising a draft of relaxed SOPs for those who have been fully vaccinated, with an announcement to be made by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.