UNHCR cardholders told to register with information tracking system

Holders of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) cards are encouraged to immediately register with the tracking refugees information system (TRIS) for the purpose of monitoring, assistance and employment opportunities.
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said only those who are registered in the TRIS system and have a special MyRC identity card can be considered for access to facilities provided by the government.
He said the facilities include public health services, education at registered alternative guidance centres, job opportunities and training, especially in the plantation, construction and manufacturing sectors.
He said it would also make it easier for the government to efficiently monitor the whereabouts of special cardholders through the implementation of new initiatives that would be introduced later.
"Although Malaysia has a firm stance of not recognising the refugee group, on humanitarian principles, the government still manages the group on a case-by-case basis," he told reporters after conducting a survey at the TRIS Registration Centre in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, yesterday.
Hamzah said the re-registration of UNHCR cardholders through the system would go through a more thorough profiling process, using advanced technology equipped with high-security features, and would need to be verified by the home ministry.
On July 22, the government approved the general use of TRIS for all UNHCR cardholders in the country.
Hamzah said on July 23 that the system was approved to ensure that the data of individuals holding UNHCR cards is re-registered with TRIS, to identify the whereabouts of refugees.
TRIS is a Malaysian database system which relates to the status of UNHCR cardholders and asylum seekers. It aims to update the management and profiling processes as well as with the data collection, registration, profile storage, analysis and reporting processes for the Malaysian government.


Updates: Nation awaits new PM

With the clock ticking towards a deadline set by the palace, Malaysians wait to learn who will form the next government: Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan, or Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional, both of whom won the largest share of seats in the election.
Rival parties are now in intense negotiations to gather enough numbers.


China introduces security review rules for foreign investors

Foreign investors in Chinese industries from defence to tech will from next year face an extra layer of scrutiny to ensure their activities do not undermine national security, the country’s top economic planner said Saturday.Under the new rules, overseas investment in Chinese industries related to the military will automatically be reviewed.But forays into agriculture, energy, transport, internet and financial services will only face a review if they involve the acquisition of 50% of a Chinese company, or will significantly affect the business.Investors in those cases must submit to a government review determining whether their moves “affect national security”, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which did not specify what activities would be seen as having such an effect.The announcement comes nearly a year after China’s new foreign investment law came into force, promising to give local and foreign companies equal treatment in the Chinese market.The NDRC said the rules, which will take effect on Jan 18, were intended to “effectively prevent and dissolve national security risks while actively promoting foreign investment”.China said Friday it was in the last stretch of talks on a landmark investment agreement with the European Union that would allow the bloc’s member states greater access to the lucrative Chinese market.


Big drop in dengue cases and deaths, says health minister

The number of cases and deaths from dengue showed a reduction of 75% and 91% respectively from January until June 12, compared to figures in the same period last year.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 12,188 dengue cases and eight fatalities were recorded compared to 45,584 cases and 84 fatalities in the same period last year.“Although the country is still grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, efforts in combating the dengue fever threat must continue as dengue is an endemic disease that has long been a burden to Malaysia’s public health system,” he said in a statement in conjunction with Asean Dengue Day today.Adham said Asean Dengue Day, celebrated on June 15 each year since its declaration in 2011, aimed to establish an advocacy platform, including among the community, to continue efforts to eradicate dengue in a continuous and integrated manner.He urged the people to spend at least 10 minutes cleaning their surroundings and destroying Aedes breeding grounds at their respective premises each week.“During the movement control order period, as people spend more time at home, they must take this opportunity to ensure that their premises are free from Aedes breeding spots,” he said.Adham said dengue prevention efforts had also been boosted through the involvement of Communication For Behavioural Impact (Combi) volunteers nationwide.The Combi volunteers carry out promotional activities to eradicate dengue using new approaches such as through social media.As of May 31, there was a total of 3,084 Combi teams involving 28,381 volunteers.


Kinder withdraws 3,000 tonnes of products after Salmonella cases

More than 3,000 tonnes of Kinder products have been withdrawn from the market over salmonella fears leaving a dent of tens of millions of euros, a company official told France’s Le Parisien daily Thursday.Nicolas Neykov, the head of Ferrero France, said the contamination came “from a filter located in a vat for dairy butter”, at a factory in Arlon in Belgium. He said the contamination could have been caused by humans or raw materials.Chocolate products made at the factory in Arlon, southeastern Belgium, were found to contain salmonella, resulting in 150 cases in nine European countries.Eighty-one of these were in France, mainly affecting children under 10 years old.The factory’s closure and the health concerns were blows to its owner, Italian confectionery giant Ferrero, coming at the height of the Easter holiday season when its Kinder chocolates are sought-after supermarket buys.“This crisis is heartbreaking. It’s the biggest removal of products in the last 20 years,” Neykov said.But the company hoped to be able to start up the factory again, with 50% of health and safety inspections to be carried out by an approved “external laboratory” in the future, instead of the previous system of only internal reviews.“We have asked for a reopening from June 13 to relaunch production as soon as possible,” he added.


Palm oil prices hit highest in over 10 years

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives has rallied to its highest in more than 10 years on strong market sentiment, tracking the uptrend in the soybean market.Palm oil trader David Ng said strong sentiment in the crude oil market coupled with the surge in the Chicago soybean oil market led to gains in the palm oil market.“We locate support at RM3,800 a tonne and resistance at RM3,950 a tonne,” he told Bernama.At the close yesterday, the CPO futures contract for March 2021 and April 2021 gained RM123.0 each to RM4,070 per tonne and RM4,012 per tonne respectively, while May 2021 and June 2021 added RM137.0 to RM3,878 per tonne and RM3,731 per tonne respectively.Total volume increased to 79,298 lots from 63,827 last Friday while open interest rose to 269,357 contracts from 251,949 contracts previously.The physical CPO price for March South jumped RM100 to RM4,060 per tonne.


Apex court rules political parties cannot sue individuals for defamation

The Federal Court today ruled that political parties cannot sue individuals for defamation.Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf, who chaired a seven-man bench, said the court had answered in the negative a legal question posed by Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng to strike out a defamation lawsuit filed against him by MCA.The question was whether a political party can maintain a suit for defamation in light of the decision in Goldsmith v Bhoyrul (1998), an English case law which provided that political parties cannot be claimants in defamation suits.In allowing the appeal by Lim, Rohana set aside the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal which had dismissed Lim’s application to strike out the suit.In handing down the decision, Rohana said the court agreed with the submissions by Lim’s counsel Gopal Sri Ram.She also said the court would give its grounds of judgment in the case.In the proceedings, conducted via video conferencing, Sri Ram submitted that following the decisions in Goldsmith v Bhoyrul and Rajagopal v Jayalalitha, political parties could not sue for defamation.He said both the government and political parties, being registered societies, cannot maintain a cause of action in defamation as societies and governments have no reputation.He said the law of defamation protects the reputation of persons.Sri Ram also said the court had wrongly decided in the case involving the Sarawak government against Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, where the Federal Court ruled that the government could sue individuals for defamation.In July 2017, then MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan, on behalf of MCA, filed a defamation suit in his capacity as a public officer against Lim over remarks made at a press conference at the Parliament building in 2016 over allegations that the party had used government funds allocated for Chinese vernacular schools.Ong claimed that Lim’s remarks seriously injured MCA’s reputation, adding that the party was seeking RM100 million in general and exemplary damages.In Feb 27,2018, the High Court rejected Lim’s application to strike out the suit, and he lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal.In the proceedings, Ong’s lawyer Ng Chew Hor argued that the suit should not be struck out but should go for trial at the High Court.He also said political parties have a reputation to protect.When contacted, lawyer Guok Ngek Seong, who also represented Lim, said since the Federal Court had answered the question of law in the negative, political parties cannot sue for defamation.


Total cases cross 100,000 mark as 2 more deaths reported including 15-year-old

Another 1,581 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 100,318.Of these, 491 or 31.1% were recorded in Selangor with 375 or 76.4% from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Kuala Lumpur (379) and Sabah (249).Negeri Sembilan recorded 144, Johor 115, Melaka 76, Penang 37, Perak and Labuan 26 each, Pahang 12, Kelantan nine, Terengganu seven, Putrajaya and Kedah four each, and Sarawak two.Four more clusters were also detected: Kebun Baru (Kuala Langat, Selangor), Sungai Burong (Kuala Selangor, Selangor), Tapak Bina Jalan Tun (Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur) and Jalan Pandan (Lembah Pantai, Cheras, Kepong and Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur and Gombak, Petaling, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Langat in Selangor).Six other clusters ended today.Another 1,085 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 81,099.However, two more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 446. The first was a 15-year-old girl in Sabah whose body was brought to the Lahad Datu hospital while the other was a 61-year-old man, also in Sabah, who had a history of high blood pressure and stroke.


5-0 as plantations ministry budget passed

The budget for the plantation industries and commodities ministry was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today, the third ministerial allocation to be approved by bloc vote following the committee-stage debate.A total of 108 MPs voted in favour of the allocation, 95 voted against while 17 were absent.The ministry had been allocated RM729.4 million in the 2021 budget.The allocations for the foreign ministry and national unity ministry were earlier passed by voice vote.


Malaysia hails US-led IPEF as good platform to end export bans

Malaysia has welcomed the 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) as a platform to open up engagement with the US in seeking a solution to trade hindrances, including the withold release orders (WROs) that have been slapped by US authorities on Malaysian exports.
International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said the IPEF had offered Malaysia a meaningful platform to engage with the US on the issue.
He said he had raised the matter with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo during his visit to Washington in May.
"This exchange of information where we need Washington to appreciate what we have done back home to ensure the compliance of these labour compliances. We didn't have this channel of communication in the past. Now IPEF can facilitate that," Azmin, who is currently attending the first high-level ministerial engagements on IPEF in Los Angeles, told US trade journal Inside US Trade.
US authorities currently have six active WROs on Malaysian government-linked companies due to allegations of forced labour.
The WROs prohibit the import of products originating from forced labour.
Azmin said the IPEF, of which Malaysia is one of 14 founding members, could play a role in helping to forge close ties between developed and developing countries.
He said these include the more advanced economies helping developing countries in fulfilling some of the IPEF commitments.
"We need the big economies like the US... to work closely with emerging economies.
"We are committed to complying with international practices, but at the same time they need to give us some space for us to transition," said Azmin.
Washington has described the IPEF, launched by President Joe Biden in May, as the most significant economic engagement the US has ever had with the Asia-Pacific region.
IPEF in its current form is based on the four pillars of fair and resilient trade; supply chain resilience; infrastructure, clean energy, and decarbonisation; and tax and anti-corruption.
Observers have said that the initiative is to balance China's power in the wake of the formation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) spearheaded by Beijing, but the inclusion of India in IPEF has far outweighed the RCEP in terms of market size and GDP.
Azmin also touched on US expectations of seeing results from the IPEF initiative in the coming year.
He said such expectations might be too ambitious, and suggested that countries could start negotiations on the digital economy.
"The pandemic has accelerated digitilisation and e-commerce, and we want to see more investment in the digital economy to create jobs and growth in the region.
"We would like to see if we can achieve these goals much earlier than the targeted date, but it needs a lot of work and focus by our officials and leaders," Azmin said.


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Repeated arrests, filthy cells: Inside Pakistan's crackdown

Hammad Azhar, who has served as Pakistan's finance and energy minister, says police and plain-clothed officials have burst into his home six times in recent weeks, smashed his belongings and threatened his 82-year-old father, warning that his daughter would be abducted.
Last weekend, he said police and "unknown people" took his father to a police station and released him after they went through his phone for an hour.
Azhar, who is in hiding, says he is under pressure from a "fascist regime" to leave the political party of former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
"All this is being done because I continue to stand with my party and Imran Khan," he told Reuters by telephone.
Like other senior members of the PTI who have been arrested in recent weeks, in some cases several times, Azhar avoided directly naming the powerful army as being responsible.
Khan however has done so, throwing down the gauntlet to an institution that has ruled the country directly for three decades or exerted considerable influence on the civilian government.
"It is completely the establishment," the former cricket hero said in an interview. "Establishment obviously means the military establishment, because they are really now openly - I mean, it's not even hidden now - they're just out in the open."
The government and police deny any coercion of Khan's supporters. An army spokesman did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Azhar is wanted on terrorism charges for violent nationwide protests in May and no warrants were needed to raid his home, said Punjab police chief Usman Anwar. Azhar denies the charges.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan has been unsettled since Khan was ousted from office as prime minister in 2022 and launched street protests for fresh elections. A full-blown economic crisis, with runaway inflation, a plunge in the currency and the possibility of a debt default, has added to the turmoil.
Khan's arrest on corruption charges in May, which he says was at the behest of the generals, led to violent nationwide protests, attacks on an air base, military buildings, including its army's headquarters, and the burning of a top general's home, allegedly by the former prime minister's supporters.
There has never been that kind of challenge to Pakistan's military, which has held sway over the country since independence in 1947 with a mixture of fear and respect.
Full-blown campaign
Nearly 5,000 of Khan's aides and supporters have been arrested since May 9, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. Rights groups have raised concerns over what they call arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances.
Of the many pro-Khan parliamentarians arrested in the weeks-long crackdown, several have been re-arrested after securing bail from the courts.
All the leaders who have been set free have publicly distanced themselves from Khan, denounced the protests and praised the military.
"The entire senior leadership is in jail," Khan said in the interview. "And the only ones who can now get out of jail are the ones who then say that we renounce being part of PTI."
His spokesman Iftikhar Durrani added: "It is a full-blown campaign to dismantle the party."
"(Party members') families are being threatened with consequences - physical, mental and financial... to force a leader to quit," Durrani said.
When Reuters reached out to four of the released politicians for comment on their departures from the party, a former government minister replied in a WhatsApp message: "Situation doesn't allow."
One said he didn't want to talk about it, and the other two did not respond.
The first of the key aides to quit Khan's party was former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, who was a close confidant of Khan.
She was arrested on May 11 in a police raid on her home, and a court ordered her release five days later. However, she was re-arrested just as she stepped out of jail and taken to another premises. This happened three more times.
Finally, on May 23, shortly after being released for a fifth time, she held a press conference announcing she was quitting politics. She was not re-arrested after that.
'Parting ways'
Fawad Chaudhry, a former information minister and a close Khan aide, was arrested on May 10 outside the Supreme Court despite having protective bail. He was surrounded by police again after a court ordered his release a few days later.
"I have decided to take a break from politics, therefore, I have resigned from party position and parting ways from Imran Khan," Chaudhry said in a post on Twitter after he was finally released.
Other top aides who have been re-arrested despite release orders from courts include former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and former ministers Ali Muhammad Khan, Shehryar Afridi and Yasmin Rashid, who walked out of jail only to be redirected to a waiting police vehicle, which took them to another detention site.
"Yes, there is a lot of pressure, but I'm not ditching the party," another senior leader, Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, 69, told reporters in handcuffs as he appeared for a court appearance. He remains in custody.
He told a court last week that he had been tortured in custody, his lawyer Masood Gujjar said. Police deny torturing Rasheed.
Malaika Bukhari, a staunch Khan loyalist who exited the party in late May, cited the ordeal of being incarcerated in a "c-class" cell, where she spent about two weeks, in the summer heat.
C-class cells are small rooms usually crammed with multiple inmates without proper ventilation and a hole in the corner without a door to use as a toilet.
"I announce that I'm resigning from PTI and ending all association with the party," she said in a press conference, condemning the attacks on military property. She said she was doing so of her own volition.
People from Khan's party have said, like her, many of the others arrested in the crackdown were held in similar, if not worse, conditions.
Lawyers say political prisoners are usually entitled to B-class cells, which come with a clean toilet and other facilities such as newspapers and availability of books.
Ali Zaidi, a former minister for maritime affairs, left the PTI late last month after spending over a week in a prison in the city of Jacobabad - often the hottest place on earth - where he was transferred after being re-arrested.
"I've decided, and it was a tough decision, that I will quit politics," he said, adding: "The armed forces are our pride."
Past campaigns
There has been no mention of Khan on local television since the government issued a directive last week not to give air time to "hate mongers, rioters, their facilitators and perpetrators". It did not name Khan.
Most newspapers have also stopped covering him.
"Media has completely been muzzled," Khan said. "My name cannot be mentioned on media now. My PTI representatives cannot appear on media anymore."
Critics and analysts say the crackdown replicates past military-led campaigns used to break other political parties in a country where no elected prime minister has ever completed a full term since independence.
Ahead of 2018 elections which brought Khan to power, the outgoing party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also alleged that the army was forcing its parliamentarians to switch sides to tip the scale in favour of the former cricket hero.
But the threats were veiled then, analysts said. Now the magnitude is higher and more open, largely because the military is outraged by the attacks on its assets, the analysts say.
Spokespersons for the military did not respond to requests for comment on this.
"The military is striking back with a vengeance," said Aqil Shah, an academic and author of the book "The Army and Democracy in Pakistan".
Outgoing army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said during his last days in office last year that the army had meddled in the country's politics for decades but had decided that it will no longer do so.
Khan has accused current army chief General Asim Munir of continuing Bajwa's campaign against him. The army has said the attacks on military installations on May 9 were "pre-planned" by Khan's party leaders and had resolved to bring to book everyone involved.
Khan is facing abetment charges, according to a police report seen by Reuters.
"The military is in command of operation 'get PTI'," said Shah, the author.
"I think we're seeing the PTI's controlled demolition," he said.


PKR retains Anwar loyalists, drops prominent incumbents as it fields MB to take on Azmin

PKR's general election candidates will see prominent incumbents dropped from the line-up and those loyal to party president Anwar Ibrahim retained, as it heads to the polls for the first time since its biggest split two years ago.
The party also confirmed speculation over who will take on former deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, naming his one-time protege, Selangor Menteri Besar Aminudin Shari, as its candidate in Gombak.
Prominent incumbents who were dropped include Maria Chin Abdullah of Petaling Jaya and R Sivarasa of Sungai Buluh, neither of whom is considered "the president's man".
Also missing from the list is Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, one of the founding members of PKR who was instrumental in the reformasi movement.
Instead, the party is retaining the 20-something P Prabakaran, who was thrust into PKR after Tian Chua was disqualified from contesting the Batu seat.
Several candidates described by Anwar as "prominent academics and individuals" were also allocated seats which the party has little chance of winning. They include academic Noraishah Mydin, who is being fielded in Putrajaya – long seen as a bastion of Barisan Nasional and which the coalition retained even when it lost federal power in 2018.
Meanwhile, Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be taking on former PKR man Kamaruddin Jaafar in Bandar Tun Razak, while his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar will defend Permatang Pauh.
The following are PKR's 72 candidates for parliamentary seats at GE15:
1. R Yuneswaran - Segamat2. Dr Zaliha Musttafa - Sekijang3. Iskandar Shah - Pagoh 4. Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh - Ledang5. Onn Abu Bakar - Batu Pahat6. Mazlee Malik - Simpang Renggam7. Zuraidah Zainab - Tenggara 8. Jimmu Puah Wee Tse - Tebrau9. Hassan Karim - Pasir Gudang10. Akmal Nasir - Johor Bahru11. Mohd Sayfaul Ariffi Abdul Karim - Pontian12. Rusnah Aluai - Tangga Batu13. Adam Adli - Hang Tuah Jaya14. Nor Azman Mohamad - Kuala Pilah15. Jufitri Joha - Rembau 16. Aminuddin Harun - Port Dickson17. Saipolyazan Mat Yusop - Sungai Besar18. Sathia Prakash Nadarajan - Hulu Selangor19. William Leong - Selayang20. Amirudin Shari - Gombak21. Rodziah Ismail - Ampang22. Abas Awang - Bera 23. Wong Chen - Subang24. Lee Chean Chung - Petaling Jaya25. Ramanan Ramakrishnan - Sungai Buloh26. Abdullah Sani - Kapar27. Manivanan Gowin - Kuala Langat28. Prabakaran Paramesawaran - Batu 29. Zahir Hassan - Wangsa Maju30. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad - Setiawangsa31. Fahmi Fadzil - Lembah Pantai32. Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail - Bandar Tun Razak 33. Noraishah Mydin - Putrajaya34. Jurey Latiff Mohd Rosli - Lenggong35. Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail - Bagan Serai36. Kamil Munim - Padang Rengas37. Erman Shah - Rompin38. Tan Kar Hing - Gopeng39. Nik Omar - Pasir Salak40. Shamsul Iskandar - Bagan Datuk41. Chang Lih Kang - Tanjong Malim42. Nurul Izzah Anwar - Permatang Pauh43. Fadhlina Sidek - Nibong Tebal44. Sim Tze Tzin - Bayan Baru45. Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik - Balik Pulau46. Mohamed Fadzil Mohd Ali - Jerlun47. Aizuddin Ariffin - Kubang Pasu48. Simon Ooi Tze Min - Alor Setar49. Azman Ismail - Kuala Kedah50. Zulkifly Mohamad - Pendang51. Nurin Aina - Merbok52. Muhammad Taufiq Johari - Sungai Petani53. Karupaiya Mutusami - Padang Serai54. Saifuddin Nasution Ismail - Kulim Bandar Baharu55. Fathin Amelina - Arau56. Amin Ahmad - Kangar57. Husam Musa - Pasir Mas58. Nor Azmiza Mamat - Bachok59. Rahimi L Muhamud - Ketereh60. Mohamad Suparadi Md Noor - Tanah Merah61. Rosli Allani Abdull Kadir - Machang 62. Asharun Uji - Gua Musang63. Mohamad Nga - Setiu64. Alias Ismail - Hulu Terengganu65. Mohd Johari Mohamad - Dungun66. Hasuni Sudin - Kemaman67. Hassan Basri Awang Mat Dahan - Jerantut68. Zuraidi Ismail - Indera Mahkota69. Fuziah Salleh - Kuantan70. Mohd Naim Zainal Abidin - Pekan71. Rafizi Ramli - Pandan72. Anwar Ibrahim - Tambun


20 sen fee mooted for online purchases

The communications and multimedia ministry is planning to impose an additional charge of 20 sen for purchases of between RM200 and RM1,000 on online platforms, says deputy minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin.He said this was to raise a special fund to assist the B40 group, including to improve communications infrastructure in rural areas.“We are discussing the plan to be tabled to the government to find alternative resources which will not burden the people. We also want to give the best services to them.“The additional charge will be like the service charge, and if the purchase exceeds RM1,000, the additional charge will be 40 sen,” he told reporters after attending a programme in Pengkalan Petah today.He said no additional charge would be imposed on purchases of below RM200 while an additional 20 sen would be charged for the next RM1,000 worth of purchases.Earlier in his speech, Zahidi said the government plans to impose an additional charge for purchases made via e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee.


Concerns of illiteracy surface as Covid-19 sees off the year for kindy kids, too

Concerns are rising that kindergarten children across most of the country whose classes were interrupted by the closure of centres under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) may struggle to adjust to primary school if they have not learnt how to read, write, and count beforehand.Malaysian Association of Kindergartens chairman Eveleen Ling said the process of illiteracy would take place slowly as some of the children would have learnt the basics before schools were closed.But she said primary school teachers would need to work harder and show sympathy when these students begin Standard One next year.“They must take several steps backwards to ensure that these children are able to follow their lessons,” she told MalaysiaNow.In early childhood education, she said, the first three months – when the MCO was implemented in March – were when children adjusted to attending school and following a daily timetable.Because the country’s education sector had been shut down until the end of the year as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, kindergarten children had learnt nothing, she said.Poverty, illiterate parentsLing acknowledged that schools had continued with classes in an online setting but said the success of this hinged on the ability of parents and guardians to monitor the children’s progress throughout the period.“They must take several steps backwards to ensure that these children are able to follow their lessons.”Adding that some parents themselves were illiterate to begin with, she said they would not be able to help their children with their lessons, thereby compounding the problem.She also noted the lack of access for some students to internet facilities and the gadgets needed to follow online classes.Ling suggested that the media play a role in helping to alleviate the problem by broadcasting story-telling sessions on the radio and television.In August, the World Bank said several countries were facing trouble in their education sector even before Covid-19 hit, due to poverty and economic inequality.Factors also included differences in access to lessons, the distance between teachers and students, and access to learning tools.The World Bank said the closure of schools had an impact on already marginalised groups including students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, the disabled, and minorities.Meanwhile, Pisa or the Programme for International Student Assessment reported that the development of students from backgrounds of poverty lagged a year behind that of their peers.Those from the poorest groups trailed their peers by a good two and a half years.Norhashimah Muhd Muneer, 29, told MalaysiaNow she was concerned that her child would not possess the basics in reading and counting before beginning school next year.She said she and her husband do not have the time to help their six-year-old son with his lessons as they are both busy with work.Most days, he stays with a babysitter until office hours are over.“I cannot depend on the babysitter to teach him and monitor his progress as she has three children of her own who also need her attention,” she said.As a result, her son still struggles to understand basic concepts like vowels.Not the job of kindergartensUniversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia academic Teo Kok Seong however assured that basic skills in reading and counting are not the main focus at the kindergarten level.“Kindergartens are not the place to develop learning skills.”He said kindergartens should instead allow the early nurturing of social and emotional skills such as working together and interacting with other children.“Kindergartens are not the place to develop learning skills,” he told MalaysiaNow.“That is the job of schools. In the old days when we had no kindergartens, children still succeeded in their lessons when they started Standard One and also had good values.“Parents don’t need to worry too much about warnings from educators and kindergarten operators.”In fact, he said, parents unconsciously nurture social and emotional skills in their children at home.Sending children to kindergarten and preschool only helps streamline education and makes it more systematic, he added.“When they start Standard One, that’s when learning skills are instilled by trained teachers.”


Court to decide on Sept 23 whether to free Zahid in VLN graft case

The Shah Alam High Court will decide on Sept 23 on whether to free former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or order him to enter his defence against 40 charges of receiving bribes in connection with the foreign visa system (VLN).
High Court judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa set the date today after hearing the submissions by both parties at the end of the prosecution's case.
He also thanked the prosecution and the defence for their oral submissions.
The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Raja Rozela Raja Toran, Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Abdul Malik Ayob, Zander Lim Wai Keong and B Thavani. Zahid was represented by lawyers Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal and Hamidi Mohd Noh.
The prosecution closed its case on Aug 11 after calling 18 witnesses, including former home ministry secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim and three former Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) directors: Harry Lee Vui Khiun, Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani and David Tan Siong Sun.
Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSC service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.
On the other seven counts, he is charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company which had official links with his official duty.
He was charged with committing the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.


Selangor may loan vaccine supplies to another state, says MB

The Selangor government is considering loaning its Covid-19 vaccine stocks from the Selangor Vaccine programme (SelVAX) to another state, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said today.Without revealing which state he was referring to, Amirudin said the state government was waiting for a decision from the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) regarding permission to loan the vaccine.“If CITF approves and guarantees the return (of the vaccines), God willing we will provide the loan because the stocks we have are for booster shots,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Selangor state legislative assembly sitting in Shah Alam.On Aug 19, the media reported that Selangor would loan a total of 500,000 doses of vaccine purchased for the SelVAX programme to CITF for states experiencing a spike in cases.On Aug 26, the Penang government announced that Selangor had agreed to lend it 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine for the vaccination of Penangites who had yet to be inoculated.


Hike in toll rate for 3 highways postponed

The government has agreed to postpone the increase in toll rates for three major highways, which was supposed to take effect on Jan 1 this year, says Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.In a statement today, he said the Cabinet made the decision on Wednesday in view of the rising cost of living due to the Covid-19 pandemic.He said the hike in toll prices was supposed to affect the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) and East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2).Fadillah said another 21 highways for all vehicle classes and one toll plaza would also see a freeze in toll rates, including the North-South Highway (PLUS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) and KL-Putrajaya Highway (MEX).He said the postponement would cost the government RM2.25 billion, adding that negotiations to restructure toll rates with concessionaires are ongoing. He said this would be finalised before 2023.“The estimated compensation will be determined after a traffic verification process is carried out by the Malaysian Highway Authority,” he added.


I never supported headscarf ban, Guan Eng says in suit against PAS man

Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng told the High Court in George Town yesterday that the Facebook post uploaded and shared by Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria implied that he did not respect Islam.Lim, who was testifying in his suit against Razman over a link to a fake image on the latter’s Facebook page, said the post was defamatory, offensive, misleading and untrue.“The slanderous statement that I supported a policy prohibiting Muslim hotel workers from wearing headscarves while working affected my position and reputation as an individual and also as Penang chief minister at the time,” he said, reading from his witness statement before judicial commissioner Amarjeet Singh.Lim also denied making any statement during his tenure as chief minister supporting any policy prohibiting Muslim women hotel employees at reception counters from wearing headscarves.The former finance minister said the defendant as an experienced politician holding a high position in his party should be aware of the adverse consequences that might arise from the defamatory statement.On Jan 22, 2018, Lim filed a suit against Razman for uploading a fake image on his social media account and posting a statement on Nov 18, 2017 that Lim said was defamatory, false and malicious.Razman said in his post that Lim appeared to support a ban on headscarves although it was the right of hotel workers to wear them, and that Penang too was in full support of it.In his statement of claim, Lim said the words used in Razman’s post were from an unauthentic source and aimed at tarnishing his name and reputation, and portraying him as a leader who had no respect for Islam and Malay culture.Lim is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, and other relief deemed fit by the court.He is also applying for an order to prevent Razman from issuing or publishing the post again on any platform.The court set Nov 5 for oral submissions by both parties.


Russia billionaires move superyachts to Maldives as sanctions tighten, data shows

At least five superyachts owned by Russian billionaires were anchored or cruising on Wednesday in Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation that does not have an extradition treaty with the US, ship tracking data showed.The vessels’ arrival in the archipelago off the coast of Sri Lanka follows the imposition of severe Western sanctions on Russia in reprisal for its Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine.Late on Wednesday Forbes reported that Germany had seized Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s mega yacht in a Hamburg shipyard.Usmanov was on a list of billionaires to face sanctions from the European Union on Monday. A Forbes report based on three sources in the yacht industry said his 512-foot yacht Dilbar, valued at US$600 million, was seized by German authorities.German authorities did not immediately respond to Reuters inquiries. Forbes said representatives for Usmanov did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Earlier, the Clio superyacht, owned by Oleg Deripaska, the founder of aluminium giant Rusal, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018, was anchored off the capital Male on Wednesday, according to shipping database MarineTraffic.The Titan, owned by Alexander Abramov, a co-founder of steel producer Evraz, arrived on Feb 28.Three further yachts owned by Russian billionaires were seen cruising in Maldives waters on Wednesday, the data showed. They include the 88-metre (288 ft) Nirvana owned by Russia’s richest man, Vladimir Potanin. Most vessels were last seen anchored in Middle Eastern ports earlier in the year.A spokesman for Maldives’ government did not respond to a request for comment.The US has said it will take strict action to seize property of sanctioned Russians.“This coming week, we will launch a multilateral Transatlantic task force to identify, hunt down, and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs – their yachts, their mansions, and any other ill-gotten gains that we can find and freeze under the law,” the White House said in a tweet on Sunday.Washington imposed sanctions on Deripaska and other influential Russians in 2018 because of their ties to President Vladimir Putin after alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election, which Moscow denies.


More than 33 dead and dozens missing in record German floods

At least 33 people have died in western Germany and many more are missing following severe floods, police say.Record rainfall in many parts of western Europe has caused major rivers to burst their banks.The worst of the flooding has been in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, where buildings and cars have been washed away.At least 19 people died in the Ahrweiler district of Rhineland-Palatinate, after the Ahr river, which flows into the Rhine, burst its banks.Two firefighters died on Wednesday in the state. One drowned, while the other reportedly collapsed following a rescue operation.Malu Dreyer, chief of the state, described the flooding as a “catastrophe”.“There are dead, missing and many people still in danger,” she said. “All of our emergency services are in action round the clock and risking their own lives.”German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in the US ahead of a meeting with President Joe Biden, said she was “shocked” by the disaster.Police helicopters and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to many areas to help stranded residents. Earlier, police said dozens of people were waiting on rooftops to be rescued.About 25 houses are in danger of collapsing in the district of Schuld bei Adenau in the mountainous Eifel region, where a state of emergency has been declared, according to German broadcaster SWR, which said some houses had been completely cut-off and could no longer be reached by boat.Belgium has also been hit by flash floods, and dramatic video showed cars being swept away along a street in the city of Verviers. In the town of Pepinster, 10 houses collapsed after the River Vesdre burst its banks.The city of Liège has urged all residents to leave. Almost 2,000 people were forced to evacuate in the town of Chaudfontaine, Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper reported. Rail services in the southern half of Belgium have been suspended because of the extreme weather.The Netherlands has also been badly hit, with flooding rivers damaging many houses in the southern province of Limburg. A number of care homes have had to be evacuated.Forecasts suggest more heavy rain is due in much of western Europe on Thursday and Friday.


PN questions auditor-general vacancy

MPs from Perikatan Nasional (PN) today asked why the position of auditor-general had been left vacant for four months, following the retirement of Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid in February.
Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the matter deserved to be given priority as many national affairs cannot be handled without an auditor-general.
She said Articles 105, 106 and 107 of the Federal Constitution lay out the duties and roles of the auditor-general.
"These are not to be lightly given to ministerial or audit officers," she added in a press conference at the Parliament lobby.
"They have no authority under the Federal Constitution. The individual with the authority is the auditor-general.
"How are we supposed to discuss these issues if we don't even have an auditor-general?"
Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan meanwhile asked if the government had left the position vacant because it was afraid of being audited.
"We could say this," he added.
Nik Azman served as auditor-general for four years before retiring on Feb 23.
He said two main issues remained pending at the time of his retirement: Terminal 2 at KLIA and the matter of land compensation for the second Penang Bridge.
The PN MPs also questioned the government's proposal that the bill for the 2021 auditor-general's report be debated in the Dewan Rakyat.
Usually, copies of the report are provided to MPs without a presentation of the report itself.
The suggestion earlier sparked an uproar in the Dewan Rakyat, with MPs from the opposition calling for the motion to be accepted without debate, with any investigation handed over to the Public Accounts Committee.


Impossible to work with BN, PH or PN after polls, says Mahathir

It is not possible for Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) to establish cooperation and form a government with Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the 15th general election (GE15), GTA chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
He said this was because GTA only wished to cooperate with like-minded political party leaders, adding that it was thus impossible for it to work with leaders or parties mired in corruption.
The Pejuang chairman said with regard to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), GTA would study the possibility further if the coalition that formed the state government was interested in collaborating after GE15.
"We have to choose the parties and leaders that we can cooperate with, and it’s impossible to cooperate with BN, PH and PN," he said after a ceramah by Sabah Pejuang in Papar. GTA comprises four parties, namely Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman), as well as a number of NGOs that form Gagasan Bangsa (GB).
At GE15, the GTA candidates will be contesting under the Pejuang logo except in Kelantan, where they will use the Putra logo.
GRS meanwhile comprises Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), which established cooperation with BN to administer the state government.
Mahathir said leaders should not be limit their movements to the "Land Below the Wind" if they wished to have a prime minister from the coalition, but should also garner support in Sarawak and the peninsula.
"The constitution does not restrict any individual from any constituency in the country from becoming prime minister, but that individual requires support to hold the post.
"A Sabahan also qualifies to be prime minister but the problem is getting the support, so we hope that they (Sabah political leaders) venture out to the peninsula and Sarawak to make themselves familiar," he added.
Asked about Warisan president Shafie Apdal bringing his party to the peninsula, Mahathir said Shafie had the right to become prime minister but that based on the constitution, he would need the support for this.


Software creator McAfee remanded in jail in Spain

A top court in Spain on Thursday remanded in custody anti-virus software creator John McAfee pending a decision on his extradition to the US where he is wanted for tax evasion.The 75-year-old has been held at a prison near Barcelona since he was arrested in the Spanish city in October just as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul.His arrest followed his indictment in June in the US for tax evasion and wilful failure to file tax returns between 2014 and 2018, despite earning millions from consulting work, crypto-currencies and selling the rights to his life story.If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.Spain’s National Court rejected McAfee’s appeal against his remand in custody, arguing that given the lengthy prison sentences he is facing there was a “serious risk” he would seek to escape justice as he has in the past.His wife Janice has said on Twitter that he is “not doing well” and had faced delays in getting “proper medical care” in prison but the court said he had “ailments which are typical for his age” and was getting treated.Since making a fortune with his eponymous antivirus software in the 1980s that still bears his name, McAfee has become a self-styled crypto-currency guru.He has one million followers on Twitter, where he describes himself as a “lover of women, adventure and mystery”.McAfee made headlines after he moved to Belize and his neighbour in the Central American country was mysteriously murdered in 2012, a crime that remains unsolved.When the police found him living with a 17-year-old girl and discovered a large arsenal of weapons in his home, McAfee disappeared on a month-long flight.The dead neighbour’s family later filed a wrongful death suit against McAfee and last year a court in Florida found against him, ordering him to pay the family more than US$25 million.In 2015, McAfee was arrested in the US for driving under the influence. He again disappeared from view until January 2019, when he fled the country.


Ukraine says 8 villages retaken from Russian forces in 2 weeks

Ukraine said on Monday it had driven Russian forces from an eighth village in its two-week-old counteroffensive, a settlement on a heavily fortified part of the front line near the most direct route to the country's Azov Sea coast.
A Russian-installed official said on Sunday that Ukraine had taken control of the village, Piatykhatky, in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. He later said Moscow had pushed them out and on Monday morning he said Ukraine was attacking again.
Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Ukrainian forces had not only retaken Piatykhatky but had advanced by up to 7km into Russian lines in two weeks, capturing 113 square km  of land.
"In the course of two weeks of offensive operations in the Berdiansk and Melitopol directions, eight settlements were liberated," Maliar said on Telegram, referring to two cities on the Russian-occupied coastline.
The reported capture of the villages reflects incremental gains for Ukraine that highlight the challenge of breaking through lines Moscow has spent months strengthening. Piatykhatky is significant, however, as lies around 90km from the coast.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the efforts of the troops and said he would continue talks with Western allies to get weapons and ammunition supplies to them as soon as possible.
"Our troops are advancing, position by position, step by step, we are moving forward," he said on Sunday evening. "The main thing is the speed of supply."
On Monday, the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to take the village of Novodonetske in the eastern Donetsk region, another area where Kyiv's counteroffensive has been focused.
It released a video showing what a soldier heard talking in it said was a captured French-made tank. Kyiv did not comment and Reuters could not verify the latest battlefield accounts.
Ukraine has acknowledged attacks along several parts of the 1,000 km front line in its long-anticipated counteroffensive to retake the 18% of its territory occupied by Russia.
But Kyiv has imposed an information blackout on current and future battles for security reasons. Analysts say the main phase of the counteroffensive is yet to begin.
Both sides appear to have taken heavy losses in recent fighting and both say they have lost fewer troops than their foes.
"The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," Russian-installed official Vladimir Rogov said on Telegram in reporting the Piatykhatky fighting.
The conflict has killed thousands of civilians, destroyed towns and cities and driven millions of people from their homes as well as exacerbating global inflation and reshaping security.
Russia says it invaded Ukraine to "denazify" it, an argument Ukraine and its Western allies call a pretext for a land grab.
Legislators in Sweden, which applied to join Nato last year following the invasion, said on Monday Russia was now seen as a posing a long-term threat to both European and global security.
Redeployment?
While Ukraine conducts what Western governments and analysts say are probing attacks to test Russian forces, officials from two Nato member states said Moscow is redeploying some of its forces as it seeks to predict where Ukraine will strike.
British and Estonian intelligence officials said that Russia had been moving some forces east along the front line from areas south of the Dnipro river flooded by the destruction of the huge Kakhovka hydroelectric dam on June 6.
Estonia said the Ukrainians were approaching the counter-offensive methodically.
"We won't see an offensive over the next seven days," Estonia's ERR news quoted the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces intelligence centre, Colonel Margo Grosberg as saying on Friday.
Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the unleashing of a reservoir the size of the US Great Salt Lake. Flooding has destroyed homes and farmland along both sides of the front line in Kherson region. The death toll has risen to 52, with more than 11,000 people evacuated.
Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the attack, while a team of legal experts helping Ukraine investigate said on Friday it was "highly likely" that the dam's collapse was caused by explosives planted by Russians.
The flooding has made any cross-river attack in the area exceedingly difficult, Michael Kofman, a military analyst, wrote on Twitter, although it would always have been a risky operation.
Ukrainian officials say more than half of the areas affected by the flooding lie on the Russian-occupied side of the river and Russia's Defence Ministry warned that mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Fever could break out in the area.
The United Nations said on Sunday that Moscow had declined its help to assist residents affected by the breach.
"Aid cannot be denied to people who need it," said Denise Brown, UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Russia's decision was motivated by security concerns and "other nuances".


Daily caseload drops to 1,500 as 3 more deaths reported

Another 1,502 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,000,332.
There were 2,093 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,941,114.
There are now 22,505 active cases, of which 20,889 or 92.8% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,512 (6.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 104 are in ICU with 70 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another three deaths were reported, including two who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,713.


Mahathir warns Najib will walk free if Umno wins GE15

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today predicted that disgraced former leader Najib Razak would be released from jail if his graft-tainted ruling party wins the upcoming general election.
Najib began a 12-year jail term in August after being convicted in the first of several cases related to the looting of billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB.
Malaysia is set to hold a general election in the coming weeks after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved Parliament on Monday, buckling to pressure from factions in Umno that remain loyal to Najib and others charged with corruption.
Speaking a day later, Mahathir warned that Umno would rush to get Najib released from prison through a royal pardon as well as drop dozens of other corruption charges if it wins the election.
"Should they be able to win and form the government, that is the first objective, not about the welfare of the people," Mahathir, who had two stints as prime minister, told a news conference.
Criminal prosecution of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 47 graft charges in a case unrelated to 1MDB, will also be dropped, Mahathir said.
Najib and Zahid have both pleaded not guilty, saying they are victims of a political vendetta.
They were both prosecuted, along with other party leaders, after Umno lost the 2018 election for the first time in Malaysia's history as voters punished the party for 1MDB and other corruption scandals.
Having led the country for 22 years until 2003, Mahathir came out of retirement to forge a coalition to defeat Najib, his former protege, but that alliance fell apart in 2020, ending Mahathir's second stint as prime minister and allowing Umno to make its way back into power.
Now aged 97, Mahathir said he would defend his parliamentary seat in the election, and that he was willing to work with anyone to defeat Umno.
Umno is hoping to win a big enough mandate in the upcoming polls to form the government on its own, without the coalition partners it had under Ismail's administration.
Despite Najib's claim of political vengeance, the far ranging 1MDB scandal has implicated financial institutions and high-ranking officials globally. At least six countries opened investigations.
Investigators have said some US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB – co-founded by Najib during his first year as prime minister in 2009 – and that over US$1 billion went to accounts linked to Najib.
The US Department of Justice has called it their biggest kleptocracy investigation.
Najib has said he was misled by 1MDB officials.
Other opposition leaders have also slammed Umno for pushing for early elections at a time when the economy is slowing down.
"One of the explicit or implicit objectives of Umno in the general election is to free Najib and the other protagonists of the 1MDB scandal from criminal liability," DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said in a statement.


MIC sees lifeline in PN as it seeks to leave BN’s master-slave narrative

Delegates at the MIC general assembly yesterday were by and large happy with their party president’s stance in backing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, despite moves by their coalition partner Umno not to align with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.They told MalaysiaNow that it was time for MIC, which has stayed loyal to Barisan Nasional (BN) together with its “big brother” Umno despite its fall from federal power in 2018, to embrace a new era of coalition politics, which means there can be no single party forming the government on its own.Rawang MIC chief Mathuraiveran Marimuthu, who is also a member of the party’s Central Working Committee, said Malaysians were now in a better position to make comparisons as they had gone through two governments in a short period of time.“People have seen a stable government for 60 years and they have also seen 22 months of an unstable government,” he said, referring to the BN rule, and the Pakatan Harapan government after that which collapsed last year.Mathuraiveran said parties such as MIC should exercise more wisdom in choosing their partners, in order to benefit politically.“So I think the president made the right move today that we are in support of the prime minister and PN,” he said.MIC leaders have been criticising Umno leaders, a rare development for a party that is largely seen as subservient to the Malay party.Umno has long played a “big brother” role in BN, with party positions usually reflecting those in BN.For example, the Umno president is by default not only the BN chairman but also the prime minister, while other component parties usually occupy lesser positions.And even as Umno faces questions about its own survival, party leaders have been insisting that it continue to be in the dominant position.Apart from Umno, BN is now left with only MIC and MCA following a steady exodus of parties in Sarawak as well as Gerakan, in the wake of the coalition’s defeat in 2018.Still, both MCA and MIC have publicly distanced themselves from many statements by Umno leaders, including their attacks on Muhyiddin.Many MIC members were particularly impressed with Muhyiddin’s remarks in his special message to party delegates.The Bersatu president in his message to MIC delegates yesterday had said there could no longer be a dominant party within coalition politics, in stark contrast with Umno whose recent general assembly saw speeches calling for a return to its previous role as a dominant partner in the government.Mathuraiveran said there is no telling whether Umno is really as strong as their leaders say it is.“I think they shouldn’t be overconfident. They must go back to the ground and assess their strength to see if they can go solo or not,” he told MalaysiaNow.Like MCA, MIC has seen its support thin among its traditional vote bank as Indians turned to opposition parties.Much of this has to do with the fact that MIC leaders were seen subservient to Umno.But party leaders might see a ray of hope in Muhyiddin, especially in getting a more equal footing in a coalition despite representing a minority community.And with only a single seat in Parliament, it has very little to lose as it experiments with a different coalition, hoping to survive and become relevant again.Siva Selan contributed to this report.


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Bosses cannot penalise employees for being absent from work to vote

Private employers are not allowed to impose penalties or make deductions from employees’ salaries if they are absent from work to go to the polls, says Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.
He said in a statement today that employers are bound by Subsection 25(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954.
The subsection states that every employer shall, on polling day, allow to every elector in his employ a reasonable period for voting, and that no employer shall make any deductions from the pay or other remunerations of any such elector or impose upon or exact from him any penalty by reason of his absence during such period.
Saravanan said employers should discuss with employees regarding the option of giving time off or leave to allow them to exercise their right to vote.
He said employers could give reasonable time off for workers whose polling stations are located near to their workplace.
They can also give a day off for workers who have to vote in areas located far away from their workplace. For employees who need more than one day to travel to their polling station, they can take annual leave, he said.
He added that employers can be fined up to RM5,000 or sentenced to jail for up to one year if they refuse to allow their employees to exercise their right to vote.


Why schools can re-open but Parliament cannot convene

Of late, the online media has been inundated with queries on why schools can reopen in phases starting March 1 while Parliament cannot convene. This follows the education ministry’s recent announcement that students can return for face-to-face lessons after months of having online classes owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.Many argue that millions of students returning to schools nationwide poses a higher health risk than several hundred lawmakers and officials congregating for several weeks. Besides, it’s harder to enforce Covid-19 SOPs for students than for lawmakers, who set health policies and ought to lead by example.During such discourse, snide remarks were passed about how PM Muhyiddin Yassin was afraid to convene the Dewan Rakyat as he had supposedly lost the support of MPs. Critics also accused the PM of using the emergency proclamation to cling to power.Such arguments miss the point. As we know, one reason the emergency was declared was to prevent snap polls that could be triggered by the uncertainty over who commands majority support.Based on the previous voting pattern in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, Perikatan Nasional (PN) had a majority of around two seats. But several deaths among MPs and the withdrawal of support from Umno MPs could have left PN with less than 112 votes, which is a simple majority.Even if Muhyiddin has lost the support of the minimum 112 MPs, it doesn’t mean that there would automatically be a new PM if there was no emergency. As we know, the opposition is fractious and could not come to an agreement on who to back as PM.Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition’s main contenders, are both staking a claim on the prime ministership. Neither has a clear majority. Making things more fluid is that several Umno MPs could swing either way.If the emergency were lifted and Muhyiddin were to lose a no-confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat, a failure to agree on a PM candidate would only result in one thing: a snap election.Based on the experience in the Sabah polls last year, this is the last thing we need. That state election triggered the third wave of Covid-19 in the country, killing hundreds in the process and infecting tens or hundreds of thousands.We cannot have a repeat of that. The national Covid-19 vaccination programme has barely gotten underway and we cannot afford to undo all the good mitigation work that succeeded in bringing the infection numbers down.I am all in favour of having polls. Muhyiddin has said that he will call for an election once the Covid-19 situation eases. For now, let’s focus on containing the spread of Covid-19. One way to do that is to avoid a snap election that could be triggered if the Dewan Rakyat is allowed to convene.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Acryl Sani to take over as top cop

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani will take over as top cop effective May 4, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin announced today.Acryl will replace Abdul Hamid Bador who was assigned to the post from May 9, 2019 to May 3, 2021.Hamzah said the appointment had received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong following advice from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on the recommendation of the Police Force Commission.“Everyone has agreed that Acryl will be made the new insepctor-general of police, including Hamid,” he said at a press conference after handing over the letter of appointment to Acryl Sani in Putrajaya today.Acryl will hold the position until Oct 3 this year when his tenure with the police force ends.He previously held the positions of Sarawak police commissioner, Perak police chief, director of the crime prevention and community safety department, director of the commercial crime investigation department and director of the strategic resources and technology department.


Firemen, school students get free movie treats for Anwar propaganda film as claims of box office flop grow

The government has reached out to school students and firefighters with free screenings of a propaganda film depicting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as a graft fighter, days after producers accuse cinema operators of sabotaging the movie following a poor response from the public.
This came on the back of claims by producers that the movie has been attracting full houses in cinemas nationwide, alongside a campaign by supporters of the prime minister to get crowds to fill up cinema halls by offering free tickets.
The latest instalment in the campaign takes the form of a letter to Form Six students of a secondary school in Putrajaya, inviting them to join Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to watch the movie "Anwar: The Untold Story", an Indonesian-made movie set in the 1990s when Anwar was the deputy prime minister under Dr Mahathir Mohamad's government.
MalaysiaNow's attempts to reach Fadhlina and her ministry officials for comments on the letter have been futile.

A memo from the director of the Fire and Rescue Department urging staff and officers to attend a free screening of 'Anwar: The Untold Story', and (right) a letter to students of a school in Putrajaya inviting them to join Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to watch the film.

Meanwhile, a short clip making the rounds shows PKR's Selayang MP William Leong addressing the audience before the movie screening at a cinema in Rawang, Selangor, while repeatedly urging them to join in shouts of "reformasi", Anwar's battlecry after he was sacked by Mahathir in 1998 over allegations of immorality.
On May 20, staff and officials of the Fire and Rescue Department also attended a free screening, joined by the secretary-general of the local government development ministry Noor Azman Taib and other top officials.
The staff of the department was invited through a memo from the office of the director, urging them to attend a screening at a cinema in IOI City Mall in Putrajaya.
The aggressive promotion of the movie prompted many social media users to post remarks laced with sarcasm, one of which questioned why there were still empty seats in a cinema hall despite tickets being "sold out".
Last week, producers claimed the film brought in RM1 million on its first day of screening, only to later say that it was not given screening slots as requested by cinema operators.
The claim drew strong criticism, with many saying it showed the film was not well received despite much fanfare by supporters of Anwar.
The movie's release comes as the political temperature is expected to heat up in the run-up to polls in six states, where the ruling coalitions of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional hope to gain back the critical Malay support they lost in the general election last year.
Government leaders and PH supporters have been promoting the movie, with Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil urging the public to watch the film that he said left him "all teary-eyed".
The film's executive producer, Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, had cited surveys saying that people have been flocking to watch it at major cinemas in the Klang Valley, adding that some cinemas were "fully booked and reserved in advance" for screenings.
While government supporters gave rave reviews of the movie, critics have dismissed it as Anwar's propaganda, with vocal former Umno man Khairuddin Abu Hassan describing it as "useless" and "nauseating".
One independent artist said the film was filled with bad script and acting.
"Cringey, bad dialogues. Actors were in dire need of a dialect coach," said Neddo Khan on Twitter, referring to the Indonesian cast who dominate the film, adding that there was a need for a film that "truly reflects the Anwar-Mahathir relationship".


Dr M makes passionate plea for public to stay home during Raya

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged Malaysians to do their part in breaking the chain of Covid-19 infection, echoing warnings by health authorities that the country could go down the path of nations like India which is battling a massive surge in cases that experts have said may not peak for weeks to come.“I appeal to Malaysians of all races and across political loyalties, let’s bring down the possibility of getting infected and follow the SOPs,” he said in a video shared on Facebook.“If possible, let’s just stay home.”He added that Malaysians must take the situation in the country seriously.“If we are not careful, we could become like India or Brazil where hundreds of thousands are infected on a daily basis. Many were just abandoned, and most of them have died.”Last week, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah at his first press conference in some two months, said Malaysia should learn from the experience of India, which despite announcing an initial victory over the pandemic has seen a huge increase in infections and deaths.Attributing the explosion of daily cases to massive gatherings including for election campaigns and religious celebrations, he said pre-emptive action must be taken in the country to curb any further increase in infections.“Before the tsunami of Covid-19 strikes us, we must adhere to SOPs again, get the vaccines as soon as possible. Insha Allah, we will step up our ability to increase our supply, and we must avoid travelling interstate, and the health ministry’s advice is, stay home unless there are important matters to attend to.”He also said the state of emergency declared in January had allowed the country to avoid elections such as the Sarawak state polls which would otherwise be held in June, adding that any move to hold elections would mean gatherings being held.Mahathir said it was important for people to obey the directive barring gatherings during Hari Raya.“We don’t need to visit the homes of our friends or relatives. They could be infected, or we could be infected, because of these visits.“We need to be patient during Hari Raya this year because we want to see the infections reduced,” he added.He said when the country was first hit by the virus, everyone had stayed home without going out.“We controlled ourselves for a month, and within a month the infections were reduced.“On the other hand, when we had the Sabah election, many from the peninsula went there to campaign and to attend all kinds of events where there were many people.“As we know, once the election was over and they returned to the peninsula, the number of those with the virus increased drastically.”


US intelligence 'to conduct risk assessment' of papers taken from Trump's home

The US intelligence community will assess the potential risk to national security of disclosure of materials recovered during the Aug 8 search of former president Donald Trump's Florida residence, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The letter dated Friday from National Intelligence director (DNI) Avril Haines to House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff and Oversight Committee chair Carolyn Maloney also said the Justice Department and DNI "are working together to facilitate a classification review" of materials including those recovered during the search.
Schiff and Maloney said in a joint statement they were pleased the government was "assessing the damage caused by the improper storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago." Politico reported the letter earlier.
The Justice Department on Friday disclosed that it was investigating Trump for removing White House records because it believed he illegally held documents including some involving intelligence-gathering and clandestine human sources – among America's most closely held secrets.
Haines said DNI "will also lead an Intelligence Community (IC) assessment of the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents" including those seized.
A spokesman for Trump, Taylor Budowich, accused Schiff of being reckless with US intelligence and asserted Democrats had "weaponised the intel community against president Trump with selective and dishonest leaks."
The Justice Department on Friday released a heavily redacted affidavit that underpinned the FBI's extraordinary search of Mar-a-Lago in which agents seized 11 sets of classified records including some labelled "top secret" as documents that could gravely threaten national security if exposed.
In the affidavit, an unidentified FBI agent said the agency reviewed and identified 184 documents "bearing classification markings" containing "national defence information" after Trump in January returned 15 boxes of government records sought by the US National Archives. Other records in those boxes, according to the affidavit, bore handwritten notes by Trump.
Schiff and Maloney said the Justice Department release Friday "affirms our grave concern that among the documents stored at Mar-a-Lago were those that could endanger human sources. It is critical that the IC move swiftly to assess and, if necessary, to mitigate the damage done."
Haines wrote DNI will closely coordinate with the Justice Department to "ensure this IC assessment is conducted in a manner that does not unduly interfere with DoJ's ongoing criminal investigation."
The search was part of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed and kept documents when he left office in January 2021 after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden and whether Trump tried to obstruct the probe.
Trump, a Republican who is considering another presidential run in 2024, has described the court-approved search at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach as politically motivated, and on Friday again described it as a "break-in."


Putrajaya takes seriously reports of Israeli threat to ‘launch attacks in Malaysia’

Malaysia today said it would take seriously any threat against officials of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas residing in Malaysia, amid concerns over reports on Israel’s warning of attacks on its enemies abroad such as the drive-by killing by Mossad agents of a Palestinian engineer in Kuala Lumpur three years ago.Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin however called for calm, saying the security situation in the country is under control.“The police, along with other security agencies, have stepped up security control in all aspects to defend public order and the safety of Malaysians, including Palestinians in this country,” he said in a statement, following queries by MalaysiaNow over online clips of reports purportedly quoting Israeli military intelligence.In one clip posted on YouTube, it was claimed that Israel would carry out attacks against “terror operatives around the world”.“The Israeli leadership has ordered the country’s secret services Shin Bet and Mossad to eliminate top Hamas officials inside and outside of the country,” the report said quoting Israeli television, adding that Malaysia had been named alongside Iran, Turkey and Qatar as countries that “host, finance and train Hamas officials”.In 2018, electrical engineer and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh was gunned down in Kuala Lumpur in a drive-by shooting by two men believed to be assassins hired by the Israeli secret service.Malaysia has a cordial relationship with Hamas, the governing authority in the Gaza Strip, and a popular group seen as a major player behind the Palestinian resistance.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently spoke with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who updated him on the latest situation in Palestine.“On behalf of the people of Malaysia, I expressed my condolences and sadness on the loss of lives and injuries inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli regime’s vicious attacks,” Muhyiddin said in a Facebook post.


Steep entertainment tax not the main hitch for Malaysia's film industry

Three weeks after its release, "Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan" is still going strong on the silver screen, raking in more than RM71.27 million and claiming first place on the local cinema chart as well as the highest collection ever recorded in Malaysia's film history.
This, according to one film director in the country, is a positive development regardless of whether the film has won critical acclaim as the encouraging ticket sales are proof that public interest in local productions is on the rise.
Al Jafree Md Yusop, who is also a script-writer, said it showed that people "with money" were beginning to display interest in the production process.
But more than that, it is also a comment on Malaysia's entertainment tax which is often criticised as too high.
Within a week of its release, "Mat Kilau" had already made more than RM12.2 million, but had yet to receive a return on its capital of RM8 million.
This was because 25% of the collection had to go towards the entertainment tax.
Movie producers must also fulfil an agreement with the cinema, where the proceeds of the film collection for the first week are split 50-50.
Some had complained about the amount of tax levied, saying it was too high for entertainment purposes.
But Al Jafree said the tax collection had been mandatory for a long time, and that no issues had ever been raised among film producers.
"People might not have known about this because there had never been a film able to rake in such collections," he added.
He also said that the tax rate imposed by the government was not far off from those implemented in other countries.
In the US, for example – the world's biggest movie producer after India and its popular film industry Bollywood – cinemas are charged 40% during the first week of release.
Hollywood studios meanwhile take 60% of what is collected.
For Al Jafree, the problems in the local film industry revolve around other issues which he says show no signs of reform so far.
"True, 'Mat Kilau' has hit the box office," he said.
"But the potential in films that people have overlooked all this time has been lost. There are no real efforts to develop the Malaysian cinema."
Bigger issues
Malaysia's film industry began to gain pace in the late 1930s, with "Laila Majnun" the first movie screened in Malaya in 1933.
To date, Malaysia produces about 20 films a year and between 300 and 400 television dramas.
There are more than 200 cinemas throughout the country which screen both local and international movies.
Film producer Kamal Akram Ibrahim acknowledged that the 25% entertainment tax appeared steep given the difference between cinemas and other entertainment centres such as night clubs and karaoke centres.
But he, too, said that the tax was not the only major problem in Malaysia's film industry.
For example, he said, international movies are given more perks than domestic productions.
"It's like there's a cartel monopolising the film business," he said.
"They are the ones who determine the time slots and screening halls, which greatly influence ticket sales."
Kamal, who produced comedy "Bikers Ketal 2" in 2019, said local films placed under the compulsory screening scheme are only given two weeks in cinemas.
It is then up to the cinemas whether to continue screening them, depending on ticket sales.
"If they think that outside films will bring in more sales, these will be screened as frequently as possible," he said.
"Local films will be pushed to smaller halls or completely removed from cinemas."
According to Kamal, the body meant to regulate the film industry has also been sleeping on the job.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia or Finas had been greatly influenced by "dream" people and now had political interests.
"Finas should be led by those who understand the film industry and who truly wish to raise it to the global stage," he said.
"But funding and grants are often given to those who have yet to prove themselves able to produce good shows."
Al Jafree meanwhile said Malaysia's film industry would have difficulty moving ahead as the efforts made by previous administrators had not been continued.
He cited the introduction of the standard contract system by former Finas director-general Kamil Othman for film crews and workers.
The system had laid out guidelines for a number of issues including the ceiling price for salaries and services.
Al Jafree said the effort had been well received by art activists and the system utilised by the Malaysian Advertising Film Producers Association.
"But when Kamil's contract ended, the system was scrapped by the new director-general," he said.
"The problem is, changes can be made as and when people please when they are not protected by laws."


US, Chinese defence ministers meet face-to-face in bid to avoid misunderstandings

US and Chinese defence ministers met on Friday for their first in-person talks since the start of President Joe Biden’s administration, trying to ensure that broader tensions between the two countries do not spill over into military misunderstandings or miscommunication, officials said.Relations between China and the US have been tense, with the world’s two largest economies clashing over everything from Taiwan and China’s human rights record to its military activity in the South China Sea.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defence General Wei Fenghe met in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security meeting. Previously, the two had spoken by phone in April.Before the meeting, a senior US official said the focus would be about trying to set guard rails in the tense relationship between the two countries.“We are taking every effort to ensure that it is a professional, substantive meeting and we are going to be talking about some very serious issues, but no desire on the part of the US to make a public spectacle,” the official said.Chinese media have also said Beijing will use the meeting to discuss cooperation with the US.But the meeting will likely touch on a range of issues where the two disagree on everything from Taiwan’s sovereignty to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military activity near the island over the past two years, responding to what it calls “collusion” between Taipei and Washington.Last month Biden said the US would get involved militarily should China attack Taiwan, although the administration has since clarified that US policy on the issue has not changed and Washington does not support Taiwan’s independence.Washington has had a longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity on whether it would defend Taiwan militarily.This year, Washington warned that Beijing appeared poised to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.But since then, US officials have said while they remain wary about China’s longstanding support for Russia in general, the military and economic support that they worried about has not come to pass, at least for now.China has not condemned Russia’s attack and does not call it an invasion, but has urged a negotiated solution. Beijing and Moscow have grown closer in recent years, and in February, the two sides signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership aimed at countering US influence and said they would have “no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation”.


Schools ordered shut in India as hijab ban protests intensify

Authorities in southern India ordered schools to shut on Tuesday as protests intensified over a ban on Islamic headscarves that has outraged Muslim students.The stand-off in Karnataka state has galvanised fears among the minority community about what they say is increasing persecution under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Fresh demonstrations on Tuesday saw officers fire tear gas to disperse a crowd at one government-run campus, while a heavy police presence was seen at schools in nearby towns.Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for calm after announcing all high schools in the state would be closed for three days.“I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges… to maintain peace and harmony,” he said.Students at a government-run high school were told not to wear hijabs last month, an edict that soon spread to other educational institutions in the state.Campuses have seen escalating confrontations between Muslim students condemning the ban and Hindu pupils that say their classmates have disrupted their education.“All of a sudden they are saying you are not supposed to wear hijab… why did they start now?” said Ayesha, a teenage student at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in the coastal city of Udupi.Ayesha said a teacher had turned her away from her chemistry exam for wearing the garment.“We are not against any religion. We are not protesting against anyone. It is just for our own rights,” she told AFP.Fellow student Amrut, standing nearby among a crowd of Hindu boys wearing saffron shawls, said the dispute had unfairly prevented him from attending class.“We had… requested them not to wear hijab,” he said. “But today they are wearing hijab. They are not allowing us to go inside.”Karnataka’s top court began hearing a petition challenging the legality of the ban on Tuesday but adjourned before issuing a ruling.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party governs Karnataka state and several prominent members have thrown their support behind the ban.Critics say Modi’s election in 2014 emboldened hardline groups who see India as a Hindu nation and are seeking to undermine its secular foundations at the expense of its 200 million-strong minority Muslim community.


Strikes not the best way to handle problems in health sector, says Noor Hisham

Unplanned strikes are not the best way to address problems related to the medical profession, or any other profession, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
Instead, he said, problems that arise need to be dealt with through joint involvement and in a more prudent way.
"A strike can generally cause a service to be affected for as long as it is organised. It is usually organised to convey a certain message to the relevant parties.
"However, this matter needs to be considered carefully. This is because health services are a critical service, especially because they involve human lives and the well-being of the people," he said in a statement today.
He was responding to rumours of a strike by contract doctors from April 3 to 5 and the DoctorsMalaysia Instagram page which had urged contract doctors nationwide to join the strike or resign en masse on April 1. Noor Hisham said the health ministry had no further information about the strike, and only received announcements through social media channels.
He said the government had, from time to time, responded to the problems and demands raised by health workers, including by creating permanent staffing, sponsoring specialist training or advanced training, giving time-based promotions and opportunities to be promoted to special grades, and creating the UD56 grade for medical experts.
He said the government would ensure that all problems and requests are evaluated in accordance with the current issues and given appropriate solutions based on the country's economic capabilities.
"Health services continue to be given due priority by the government as we can see through Budget 2023: Developing Malaysia Madani. Hopefully, health services can be further strengthened in the coming year," he said.
Noor Hisham also said that health services in the country must continue to be considered as a critical sector due to the complexity, challenges, risks and hard work that health workers have to face in carrying out their duties and responsibilities.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that without a resilient health system, the country might not have been be able to control it well and people would not have been carry on with their normal life activities.
"Therefore, health workers who are the main assets of the health service need to continue to be given due attention, including appropriate remuneration for their services," he said.


New cases dip to 1,199

Another 1,199 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 340,642.Selangor recorded 283 cases followed by Sarawak (267), Kelantan (138) and Penang (125).Kuala Lumpur recorded 84 cases, Johor 81, Sabah 64, Negeri Sembilan 43, Melaka 36, Kedah 33, Pahang 30, Perak nine, Terengganu three, Labuan two and Putrajaya one.Nine new clusters were detected:1. Tapak Bina Bulatan Pandan (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 108 screened, 14 positive)2. Jalan Kong Kong (Johor Bahru in Johor; 154 screened, eight positive)3. Inanam Taipan (Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran and Penumpang in Sabah; 25 screened, nine positive)4. Jalan Putra Square (Kuantan in Pahang; 121 screened, 29 positive)5. Jalan Gridbid (Miri and Beluru in Sarawak; 233 screened, 46 positive)6. Jalan Tanjung Kidurong (Bintulu in Sarawak; 152 screened, 42 positive)7. Kampung Baru Hilir (Samarahan, Tebedu and Kuching in Sarawak; 802 screened, 73 positive)8. Gong Kulim (Pasir Puteh in Kelantan; 123 screened, 25 positive)9. Jalan Kastam Baru (Lahad Datu in Sabah; 51 screened, six positive)Ten others ended, leaving 392 active clusters across the country.Another 1,257 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 325,182.However, two more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,251.


Mutiny lays bare prospect for Putin of 'forever war' in Ukraine

An abortive mutiny in Russia has shown the risks the Kremlin faces from a long, grinding conflict in Ukraine even though it has not handed Kyiv an immediate breakthrough on the battlefield.
Many questions still swirl after Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner forces returned to base after Friday's mutiny, which was called off the following day under a deal brokered by the president of Belarus.
But current and former officials in Kyiv say the mutiny offered a startling glimpse into the strain the Russian political system is under. It revealed that Russian reserve forces were so thin they struggled to respond to the threat.
"I think clearly they're not in a safe space regarding the endless continuation of the war," Andriy Zagorodniuk, Ukraine's defence minister from 2019 to 2020, told Reuters.
"Remember the concept of the 'forever war' that was in the press? I think they will have to rethink that."
A war stretching many more months and possibly years would inevitably mean more deaths and wounded on each side.
Since Putin sent his forces into Ukraine in February 2022 in what he called a "special military operation" Western officials put the death toll in the tens of thousands.
The apparent ease with which Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary forces barrelled hundreds of kilometres towards Moscow from Russia's south facing little resistance was striking, Zagorodniuk said.
"They started to pool resources in order to stop them. We saw those resources and they weren't substantial... Essentially, they don't have much force left apart from what they have at the front right now," he said.
US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said much remained unclear, including why Russian forces did not do more to halt Wagner's advance.
The Kremlin, a day after accusing Prigozhin of leading the mutiny, said he would be allowed to move to Belarus without facing charges in return for calling off his forces from hurtling towards Moscow.
No further details of the deal are known.
Prigozhin, once personally close to Putin and whose fighters played a prominent role in Russia's offensives in the east, had made many blistering verbal attacks on Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu and top military brass over the weeks. He had even challenged the rationale for the war.
"Any chaos behind the enemy lines works in our interests," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
But Kyiv officials caution that even without its crack Wagner fighters, Russia still maintains a vast army inside Ukraine and is able to recruit more soldiers.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential official, told Reuters the turmoil would deal a blow to the morale of Russian troops.
"The additional demoralisation of Russian soldiers and additional doubts among the Russian generals, who have been demonstrably humiliated, will worsen the quality of the defence somewhat."
No concessions
The turmoil in Russia comes with no end in sight to Moscow's 16-month-old invasion and neither side willing to make concessions.
Western-backed Ukraine is in the early phases of a long-touted counteroffensive to retake occupied land in its south and east. It says its main offensive thrust is yet to come with the bulk of its troops not committed.
Several weeks into operations, Kyiv has recaptured a string of villages, although President Voldomyr Zelensky has acknowledged the advance has been "slower than desired".
A senior Central European diplomat said they saw "no immediate effect on the war" from Prigozhin's aborted mutiny.
But the diplomat cautioned that many questions remained unanswered from the weekend's events so it was too early to say anything about longer-term impact.
The Ukrainian military's National Resistance Centre said Russia had flown up to two companies of its 76th Airborne Assault Division to Moscow from the front on Saturday and that it planned to keep them there for at least a week.
"It should be noted that there are no facts of a mass transfer of enemy forces, we're talking about individual units," it said.
Ukraine has reported no other changes to the Russian army's posture on the battlefield where Moscow's forces had months to prepare for a Ukrainian counterattack by digging thousands of trenches and laying minefields.
Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday that Kyiv's forces had reset in recent days and been undertaking major offensive operations on three main axes in the south and east.
Ukraine keeps a tight lid on information from the front.
A senior Ukrainian defence official said on Saturday that Kyiv's forces attacked in several areas of the east, making some ground, though she gave no further details. She said heavy fighting was under way in the south.
'Russians not going anywhere'
Zelensky, who projects his disdain of Putin at wartime news conferences, derided the "chaos" in Russia, saying it should prompt Russian troops to return home to look after their own country.
As the turmoil unfolded, Zelensky said Putin looked "very afraid" and suggested he was probably in hiding.
"Today the world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing. And that means nothing. Simply complete chaos. An absence of any predictability," he said.
The fate of Wagner is not yet clear. The mercenary group was has proven one of Russia's most effective fighting forces and was instrumental in the capture in April of the eastern city of Bakhmut after the longest and bloodiest battles of the war.
The Kremlin has said Wagner's fighters would not be prosecuted for the mutiny in recognition of their previous service to Russia, and if they had not taken part they could sign contracts with the Defence Ministry.
Zagorodniuk said he believed Russia would likely to merge the group into existing units inside its army and that it would cease to exist.
"That's relatively good news. But there are still going to be lots of hostilities, there is still going to be a war: the Russians are not going anywhere," he said.