Taiwan votes in local elections amid tensions with China

Polls opened in Taiwan on Saturday in local elections that President Tsai Ing-wen has framed as being about sending a message to the world about the island's determination to defend its democracy in the face of China's rising bellicosity.
The local elections, for city mayors, county chiefs and local councillors, are ostensibly about domestic issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and crime, and those elected do not have a direct say on China policy.
But Tsai has recast the election as being more than a local poll, saying the world is watching how Taiwan defends its democracy amid military tensions with China, which claims the island as its territory.
China carried out war games near Taiwan in August to express its anger at a visit to Taipei by then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi and its military activities have continued, though on a reduced scale.
Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang, or KMT, swept the 2018 local elections, and has accused Tsai and the DPP of being overly confrontational with China. The KMT traditionally favours closer ties with China but strongly denies being pro-Beijing.
The election is happening a month after the end of the 20th congress of China's Communist Party, where President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term in office – a point Tsai has repeatedly made on the campaign trail.
Although the outcome of the election will be an important measure of popular support for both parties, it cannot necessarily be read as an augur for the next presidential and parliamentary races in 2024.
Tsai and the DPP heavily defeated the KMT in 2020 despite their setback at the 2018 local polls. Her second term in office runs out in 2024 and she cannot stand again as president because of term limits.
Both parties have concentrated their efforts on wealthy and populous northern Taiwan, especially the capital, Taipei, whose current mayor, from the small Taiwan People's Party, cannot stand again after two terms in office.
Taiwanese elections are raucous and colourful affairs, with candidates touring their districts on the backs of trucks and SUVs seeking support, with music blaring and campaign flags fluttering.
There is also a vote on lowering the voting age to 18 from 20, which both parties support.
The election results should be clear by early evening on Saturday.


Japan police chief wants to resign over Abe shooting

Japan's National Police Agency chief said on Thursday he wanted to resign to take responsibility for the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in July.
The remarks at a press conference by Itaru Nakamura, whose agency is in charge of Japan's police, represent the highest-profile fallout of Abe's assassination.
Security in the western city of Nara on July 8, the day of the shooting, had been widely seen as insufficient, experts have said.
Bodyguards could have saved Abe by shielding him or pulled him from the line of fire in the 2.5 seconds between a missed first shot and the second, fatal round of gunfire, eight security experts who reviewed the footage have told Reuters.
Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have acknowledged flaws in the security around Abe's appearance at the election campaign event.
The National Police Agency previously told Reuters the killing had been the result of police failing to fulfil their responsibility, adding that it had set up a team to review security and protection measures and evolve preventive steps.


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1,032 new cases, 820 recoveries as death toll increases by 8

Another 1,032 new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 35,425.Of these, Sabah recorded the most at 646, followed by Selangor (231), Negeri Sembilan (44) and Kedah (25).Labuan recorded 28 new cases, followed by Penang (23), Sarawak (nine), Kuala Lumpur (nine), Perak (six), Putrajaya (four), Terengganu (three), Kelantan (two), and Johor (two).Active cases stand at 10,339 with 82 in the ICU and 27 in need of respiratory assistance.Six new clusters were also detected: the Sandakan prison, Dialisis and Sepanggar clusters in Sabah, Aero and Lengkuk clusters in Selangor, and Gading in Putrajaya.Another 820 patients were discharged, pushing total recoveries to 24,815 or 70%.However, eight more deaths were also recorded, bringing the virus toll to 271.


Body parts found at Indonesian plane crash site

Body parts and debris were hauled from waters near Indonesia’s capital on Sunday from a Boeing passenger plane that crashed shortly after take off with 62 people on board.The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged into a steep dive about four minutes after it left Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon.No reasons have yet been given for the crash, with authorities focusing on a frantic search and rescue effort that appeared to offer no hope of finding any survivors.“As of this morning, we’ve received two (body) bags, one with passenger belongings and the other with body parts,” Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus told Metro TV.The discovery came as a flotilla of warships, helicopters and divers were deployed off the coast of the sprawling city Sunday.Sixty-two passengers and crew were on board, including 10 children, all of them Indonesians, according to authorities.Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 was bound for Pontianak city on Indonesia’s section of Borneo island, about 90 minutes flying time over the Java Sea.It crashed in the Java Sea near popular day-trip tourist islands just off the coast.Distraught relatives waited nervously for news at Pontianak airport on Saturday night.“I have four family members on the flight – my wife and three children,” Yaman Zai said as he sobbed.“(My wife) sent me a picture of the baby today… How could my heart not be torn into pieces?”Officials said Sunday they would continue their search by sea and air while also using sonar radar to pick up more signs of the downed jet.Divers marked at least three sites at the suspected crash site with orange balloons, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.“From our observation, it is strongly believed the coordinates match the ones from the plane’s last signal contact,” said Hadi Tjahjanto, head of Indonesia’s military.Hundreds of personnel from search and rescue, the navy, the police, with 10 warships also taking part in the search effort.Sudden diveData from FlightRadar24 said the plane reached an altitude of nearly 11,000 feet (3,350m) before dropping suddenly to 250 feet. It then lost contact with air traffic control.Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said Saturday that the jet appeared to deviate from its intended course just before it disappeared from radar.Sriwijaya Air, which has about 19 Boeing jets that fly to destinations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, has said only that it was investigating the loss of contact.It did not immediately comment when contacted by AFP again on Sunday.In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet slammed into the Java Sea about 12 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on a routine one-hour flight.That crash – and a subsequent fatal flight in Ethiopia – saw Boeing hit with $2.5 billion in fines over claims it defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 MAX model, which was grounded worldwide following the two deadly crashes.The jet that went down Saturday is not a MAX model and was 26 years old, according to authorities.In its initial statements on Saturday’s crash, Boeing offered no immediate insights into the cause.“We are aware of media reports from Jakarta regarding Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182. Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families,” the US-based planemaker said in a statement.“We are in contact with our airline customer and stand ready to support them during this difficult time.”Indonesia’s aviation sector has long suffered from a reputation for poor safety, and its airlines were once banned from entering US and European airspace.In 2014, an AirAsia plane crashed with the loss of 162 lives.Domestic investigators’ final report on the AirAsia crash showed a chronically faulty component in a rudder control system, poor maintenance and the pilots’ inadequate response were major factors in what was supposed to be a routine flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.A year later, in 2015, more than 140 people, including people on the ground, were killed when a military plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Medan on Sumatra island.


Not impossible for PN to take Selangor, says Azmin

Mohamed Azmin Ali today said that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is confident of taking Selangor at the state election to come, based on the coalition's performance at the 15th general election (GE15) last year.
The Selangor PN chairman said the aim was to win 33 of the 56 seats in the state assembly, a goal which he described as doable.
Azmin, who was Selangor menteri besar from 2014 to 2018, said that according to screenshots published by the Election Commission, PN had won 14 state assembly seats, losing nine others by fewer than 5,000 votes.
"Not all, some were only 100 votes," he added. "There were two or three seats with a majority of less than 3,000.
"This means we need 1,000 to 2,000 votes and given the current situation, we are confident that these seats can be taken by PN," he told reporters in Gombak, Selangor.
Azmin said the calculations meant that 23 seats were already within reach for PN, making possible its goal of 30 seats.
In terms of seat allocations, Azmin said PN's discussions at the state level were already complete and had been presented at the central level before Aidilfitri.
"We are almost done. I can say that nearly all of the seats have been presented, with a decision to be made by the central leadership," he added.
The Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman also said that PN's manifesto for the Selangor election would focus on issues such as the economy and cost of living.
He said the manifesto would be presented in the near future.


EC planning for possible election during post Covid-19 period

The Election Commission (EC) is making careful plans for the possibility of a general election in the post Covid-19 period, says law minister Takiyuddin Hassan.He said this was important for ensuring a safe and smooth election process.“The EC in collaboration with the health ministry and the National Security Council has drafted and prepared Covid-19 prevention guidelines for the implementation of elections for a general election or by-election.“These guidelines will be adapted in accordance with the current movement control order under Act 342 which was enforced by the government during previous elections, namely the Chini and Slim by-elections and the 16th Sabah election,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.He said the Covid-19 prevention measures include cleaning and disinfecting surfaces at all premises to be used for election purposes, attendance control and the mandatory use of rubber gloves by all election officials on duty.


Govt to sign vaccine procurement deal with Johnson & Johnson

The government will sign a Covid-19 vaccine procurement contract with Johnson & Johnson from the US soon, says Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said so far, clinical information on the vaccine had been positive, and based on the recommendation of the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV), the Cabinet decided to purchase the vaccine.“We are still in the discussion process and I understand that Health Minister Dr Adham Baba will soon sign a contract for Malaysia to procure the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.“Only after that will we send the vaccine to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for evaluation,” he said at a press conference today, adding that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single-dose vaccine.On two-dose vaccines, Khairy said under the JKJAV policy, the second dose of vaccine would be safely stored for those who have received the first dose.“We are following the suggestion of vaccine supplier, Pfizer, that the second dose be given 21 days after the first.“We do not want to take the UK’s approach of extending the time for the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine from one month to nine or up to 12 weeks,” he added.The two-dose vaccines are produced by companies such as Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac Life Sciences Co Ltd (Sinovac) and CanSinoBIO, while the one-dose type comes from Sputnik V, besides Johnson & Johnson.


Umno leader seeks to nullify GE15 result for Putrajaya seat

A voter in the Putrajaya parliamentary constitutency has filed a petition to nullify the 15th general election (GE15) result for the seat, which was won by Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Radzi Jidin, claiming that the MP bribed registered voters in the area for their votes.
Putrajaya Umno division vice-chief Ahmad Faisal Abdul Karim, 49, filed the petition at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Jan 26 through Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, naming Radzi, 45, as the respondent.
He is seeking a court order that Radzi should not be declared the winner of the election, held on Nov 19 last year, as his alleged bribes of RM150 induced voters to vote for him instead of for other candidates.
The bribes were allegedly discovered through a WhatsApp group on Nov 21 and Dec 21 last year, as well as Jan 4.
During yesterday's proceedings before judge Faizah Jamaludin, Radzi’s counsel Takiyuddin Hassan objected to the petition on the basis that the petitioner had failed to provide the personal details of the WhatsApp users.
"No full names, no identity card numbers and addresses. The petitioner also failed to plead details showing any payments by the respondent’s agents on the respondent’s orders," he said.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff’s lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the initial objection filed by the respondent on Feb 12 did not bear merit and the petition needed to be heard in a full trial.
"We submit that the only way for an election judge to determine whether the person giving out the money on behalf of the respondent or otherwise is a triable issue (is) that it ought to settled by way of examination of witnesses during the trial of the petition," he said.
Faizah set March 10 for a decision on the initial objection after hearing both parties’ arguments.
Radzi won the Putrajaya seat with 16,002 votes, beating four-term incumbent Tengku Adnan of Barisan Nasional, who obtained 13,692 votes.


Wuhan next-of-kin say China silencing them as WHO visits

Relatives of Wuhan’s coronavirus dead on Wednesday said Chinese authorities have deleted their social media group and are pressuring them to keep quiet while a World Health Organization (WHO) team is in the city to investigate the pandemic’s origins.Scores of relatives have banded together online in a shared quest for accountability from Wuhan officials who they blame for mishandling the outbreak that tore through the city one year ago.The effort has thus far been thwarted by official obstruction, monitoring of social media groups and intimidation, say next-of-kin.But pressure has escalated in recent days, apparently to muzzle any criticism and avoid embarrassment during the highly sensitive WHO investigation.A group on social media platform WeChat used by 80 to 100 family members over the past year was suddenly deleted without explanation about 10 days ago, said Zhang Hai, a group member and a vocal critic of the outbreak’s handling.“This shows that (Chinese authorities) are very nervous. They are afraid that these families will get in touch with the WHO experts,” said Zhang, 51, whose father died early in the pandemic of suspected Covid-19.The WHO experts arrived in Wuhan on Jan 14 and are due to emerge from a 14-day quarantine on Thursday.“When WHO arrived in Wuhan, (authorities) forcibly demolished (the group). As a result we have lost contact with many members,” Zhang added.Other next-of-kin confirmed the group’s deletion. WeChat is operated by Chinese digital giant Tencent.Popular platforms routinely censor content deemed objectionable by the government.‘Same old tune’Relatives accuse the Wuhan and Hubei provincial governments of allowing Covid-19 to explode out of control by trying to conceal the outbreak when it first emerged in the city in December 2019, then failing to alert the public and bungling the response.According to official Chinese figures, it killed nearly 3,900 in Wuhan, accounting for the vast majority of the 4,636 dead China has reported.Many next-of-kin distrust those numbers, saying the scarcity of testing in the outbreak’s chaotic early days meant many are likely to have died without being confirmed as having the disease.More than two million people have died so far globally.While China has broadly controlled the pandemic on its soil, it has frustrated independent attempts to trace its origins.Instead, it has sought to deflect blame for the horrific worldwide human and economic toll by suggesting, without proof, that it emerged elsewhere.A team of WHO virus experts were finally allowed into Wuhan a fortnight ago.Their highly watched probe into the virus origins is due to start on Thursday, under tight security.Another family member, a retiree who says her adult daughter died of the virus last January, told AFP she was summoned last week by authorities and warned not to “speak to media or be used by others”.Authorities came to her door on Tuesday “and sang the same old tune and gave me US$775 in a ‘condolence payment'”, she added, requesting anonymity.Official obstructionThe Communist Party government smothers anything that reflects its governance in a poor light, and the early days of the outbreak remain among the most sensitive topics in China today.Several Wuhan relatives have tried to file lawsuits seeking compensation and punishment of officials, but say courts have refused to accept them.The Wuhan government has repeatedly failed to reply to AFP queries regarding the families and their demands.Zhang called on the WHO experts to “bravely” meet with next-of-kin, saying the investigators are likely to be misled or obstructed by Chinese authorities.He said the families’ hard-earned knowledge of how the virus played out could aid the investigation, though he acknowledges such a meeting is highly unlikely.The virus is believed to have emerged from bats and to have initially spread from a wet market in Wuhan where wild animals were sold as food.But little else is known.Another theory, amplified by former US president Donald Trump, is that it leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan where researchers were studying coronaviruses.


Sri Lanka axes health minister who pushed sorcery, magic potions as remedy for Covid

Sri Lanka’s president on Monday demoted the health minister who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to battle Covid-19, as coronavirus infections and deaths hit record highs.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office said Pavithra Wanniarachchi’s health portfolio had been given to Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who is also the government spokesman.Wanniarachchi was in intensive care in January after contracting the virus despite publicly consuming and endorsing a “magic potion” against Covid-19 made by a sorcerer.She also poured a pot of “blessed” water into a river in November after a self-styled god-man told her that it would end the pandemic in the island nation of 21 million people.Sri Lanka’s health ministry under Wanniarachchi came under intense criticism last week for understating coronavirus infections.Despite the demotion, she will remain in the cabinet – the president gave her the less important transport ministry.The number of daily virus deaths crossed 150 in the past week, overwhelming crematoriums.Daily infections crossed 3,000, and with hospitals struggling to cope, even government health workers say the actual number of infections could be three times higher.The government has so far rejected calls for a lockdown to contain the surge, but last week tightened restrictions.Wedding and parties have been banned from Tuesday, while state ceremonies and public gatherings are also prohibited until Sept 1.Shops, restaurants and officers will have to follow a night curfew from Monday.In the cabinet reshuffle, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Education Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris swapped their portfolios.


Russia launches classified military satellite

Russia on Thursday successfully placed into orbit a military satellite believed to be part of the Kremlin’s early warning anti-missile system.A Soyuz rocket carrying a classified payload blasted off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia in the early hours of Thursday morning, the defence ministry said.At 0109 GMT a rocket was launched that put a “space apparatus into orbit in the interests of the defence ministry”, the ministry said in a statement carried by the Interfax news agency.It did not provide further details.According to the Spaceflightnow website, which covers space launches, the launch could be delivering a Tundra satellite.Russia has previously launched Tundra satellites in 2015, 2017 and 2019, according to Interfax.Specialist website Russian Space Web said the ground track of Thursday’s launch “matched previous missions” delivering satellites for Russia’s missile warning system named Kupol or dome.Unveiled in 2019, Kupol is designed to detect launches of ballistic missiles and track them to their landing site, though its exact configuration is unknown.In 2018, the US, which suspects Russia of seeking to develop space weapons, said it was alarmed at the “very abnormal behaviour” of a Russian satellite. Moscow dismissed what it called “unfounded allegations”.Last week, Russia faced an international backlash after its military destroyed a satellite creating a cloud of space debris that forced the crew on the International Space Station to take shelter.


PAS works to redeem itself in Johor after Melaka wipeout

At the last state election in Melaka, PAS fielded eight candidates but failed to win even a single seat.As the countdown continues to polling day in Johor this Saturday, the question for the Islamist party is whether it will be able to reverse its election fortunes.PAS, along with Umno, is a major Malay party with strong influence and a heavyweight machinery. Their alliance through Muafakat Nasional (MN) won them victory after victory in the latest series of by-elections throughout the country.But with their partnership in jeopardy, notwithstanding PAS’ protests to the contrary, the parties appear to have drifted down different paths.Today, Umno remains with Barisan Nasional (BN) whereas PAS has chosen to stay with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact.Although it was offered four seats in Johor by Umno ahead of the polls, PAS snubbed the proposition, sticking with the coalition led by Bersatu’s Muhyiddin Yassin under which it was given 15 seats.As an undisputed veteran among Malay parties, PAS has strong grassroots support and wide sway in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.In Johor, though, it has yet to extend its sphere of influence to the same extent.At the 14th general election, it fielded candidates in 41 state seats in Johor. Of these, it won only one – Bukit Pasir.Its commissioner in Johor, Abdullah Husin, who contested in Tebrau, conceded defeat and lost his deposit.But PAS appears to remain optimistic heading into the Johor election this time around.Zarul Salleh, PN’s candidate in Simpang Jeram, said with PAS now contesting under the coalition’s banner, it would be able to rally more support compared to previous elections.“If the people in Sabah can accept PN, why not in Johor?” he said to MalaysiaNow.He said PAS was having trouble making headway in the BN stronghold due to voter dynamics in the state, where many voters are non-Malays. This makes it difficult for the party to claim seats in the legislative assembly even though it might succeed in winning the Malay vote.Zarul believes that there is still room for improvement in PAS’ work with PN, saying the coalition had made inroads in Melaka despite winning only two seats.But this will not be easy.Analysts have said that many outstation voters will need to return for polling day in order for BN to be toppled.There is also the question of the many young voters whose direction of support is unpredictable.“Our concern is that they will not turn out to vote, or that they don’t care or understand about politics,” Zarul said.“Their parents should encourage them, and their teachers and peers.”PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang recently said that people in Johor do not understand the politics of Islam.His remarks sparked a backlash among the pro-Umno groups, especially given Johor’s comprehensive Islamic education system.Political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain said he was confident that PAS would be able to win at least several seats on Saturday due to a split in votes in the absence of any one dominant party.“Melaka doesn’t have many voters – not even 200,000 – and there are only 28 state seats,” Atory, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said.“In Johor, there are 56 seats and more than two million voters.”At the 14th general election, he said, the government and the opposition had won nearly equal numbers of seats.“They might maintain their status quo, but I think it will be difficult for BN to win two-thirds or three quarters,” he added.In a nutshell, he said, there was no one party that could be expected to win all – or lose all.On PAS’ record in Johor, he said the Malay party was still relatively new.“The people have started to accept PAS, but it cannot rule yet.“There weren’t many PAS branches in Johor before this, and even PAS members were embarrassed to admit their membership.”He said PAS’ reach in the state would also depend on the party leadership at that level, which is less influential than that of Kelantan or Terengganu.For Zarul, acceptance is PAS’ biggest challenge in Johor.“So it’s important that we are attentive to issues such as welfare to gain greater prominence and acceptance,” he said.


Trump's lawyers downplay discovery of classified records at Florida home

Former president Donald Trump's lawyers on Wednesday sought to downplay the federal government's discovery of highly classified records inside his Florida estate, telling a judge that presidential records by their very nature are sensitive.
The filing comes just one day before Trump's legal team will square off against the US Justice Department in a federal court in West Palm Beach, in a bid by Trump to convince US district judge Aileen Cannon to appoint a special master to review the materials seized by the FBI from his home on Aug 8.
"Simply put, the notion that presidential records would contain sensitive information should have never been cause for alarm," his attorneys said.
They also attacked the Justice Department for executing the unprecedented search, saying that Trump was engaging in a "standard give-and-take" with the US National Archives over the return of presidential records and that he allowed FBI agents to "come to his home and provide security advice."
The filing by Trump's team came less than 24 hours after the Justice Department released a scathing 54-page document with exhibits outlining publicly for the first time evidence it obtained that Trump may have tried to obstruct its investigation by deliberately trying to conceal documents.
In it, prosecutors said Trump's representatives falsely certified that they had conducted a thorough search, and that all records responsive to a grand jury subpoena had been returned when FBI agents and a top Justice Department official paid a visit to Mar-a-Lago in June to retrieve the materials.
At that visit, Trump's attorney also prohibited government investigators from opening or looking inside some of the boxes that Trump kept inside one of his storage rooms, they said.
The department ultimately decided to seek court approval for a search warrant, after the FBI developed evidence of possible obstruction.
"The government developed evidence that a search limited to the storage room would not have uncovered all the classified documents at the premises," prosecutors said.
"The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the storage room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation."
The FBI later recovered more than 33 boxes and other items, including more than 100 pages marked as classified.
It also found some classified documents in Trump's desk drawers, co-mingled with his passports. Their location, it said, was "relevant evidence" for its investigation.
The Justice Department on Tuesday said it opposes Trump's request for a special master - an independent third party sometimes appointed by a court in sensitive cases to review materials potentially covered by attorney-client privilege to ensure investigators do not improperly view them.
Trump's legal team has argued that the former president wants to protect materials that could be subject to a legal doctrine known as executive privilege, which can shield some presidential communications.
The Justice Department, as well as many outside legal experts, have argued that the claim is illogical, and that a former president cannot assert the privilege against the executive branch itself in the way Trump is attempting.
Trump "has no property interest in any presidential records (including classified records) seized from the premises," prosecutors told the court on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, however, Trump's lawyers insisted again in their court filing that Trump "continues to have rights related to the assertion of executive privilege."
Wednesday's court filing notably did not try to suggest that Trump had declassified any of the material recovered from his home, despite previous claims by Trump on social media that he had done so.
The filing took a swipe at the Justice Department for "gratuitously" including a photograph in its Tuesday filing of "allegedly classified materials" that had been "pulled from a container and spread across the floor for dramatic effect."
"Left unchecked, the DoJ will impugn, leak, and publicise selective aspects of their investigation," Trump's lawyers wrote, saying a special master is necessary.


Sri Lanka protesters vow to continue anti-govt campaign despite new PM

Sri Lanka’s new prime minister will begin forming a unity government on Friday, but his appointment has failed to appease anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of the president for the country’s disastrous economic crisis.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed veteran opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe as the island nation’s prime minister late on Thursday after a week of violent clashes that left 9 people dead and over 300 injured.The president’s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, quit as prime minister on Monday as the violence spiralled and is in hiding in a military base.“We will stop this struggle when our people get justice,” said Chamalage Shivakumar, one of the hundreds of people who have camped out at a protest site in the main city Colombo.“Whoever they appoint as prime minister, we will not stop this struggle until people get relief.”Wickremesinghe is the only lawmaker from his United National Party in the country’s parliament and will be reliant on rival political parties to form a government. An alliance led by the Rajapaksas holds about 100 of parliament’s 225 seats, while the opposition has 58 seats. The rest are independent.On Friday, Wickremesinghe met India’s high commissioner, or ambassador to Sri Lanka, his first publicly known contact with a foreign government since his appointment.“Discussed continued cooperation for economic recovery and stability in Sri Lanka through democratic processes,” the Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a tweet.New Delhi is battling China for influence in strategically important Sri Lanka, which lies on key shipping lanes between Asia and Europe and is home to major infrastructure projects financed by both countries.Protesters said the appointment of Wickremesinghe will do little to ease the anger against the president, who they say is ultimately responsible for the worst economic crisis to hit the nation since it became independent in 1948.Buffeted hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts by the Gotabaya brothers, Sri Lanka is critically low on foreign exchange, and rampant inflation and fuel shortages have brought thousands onto the street in a month of protests that had remained predominantly peaceful until this week.


New cases still hover over 5,000 as another 73 deaths reported

Another 5,150 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 673,026.Selangor recorded 1,914 cases, Negeri Sembilan 607, Sarawak 570, Kuala Lumpur 480, Johor 392, Kelantan 230, Kedah 228, Sabah 184, Melaka 152 and Labuan 101.Penang recorded 99 cases, Perak 66, Pahang 57, Terengganu 56, Perlis eight and Putrajaya six.Active cases stand at 67,949 with 924 in the ICU and 453 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 7,240 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 600,935.However, 73 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 4,142.


79.6% of teens fully vaccinated

A total of 2,505,157 individuals, or 79.6% of adolescents between 12 and 17 in the country had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on the health ministry’s CovidNow portal, 2,734,057 individuals or 86.9% of adolescents have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, a total of 22,286,520 individuals or 95.2% of the adult population have completed their vaccination, and 22,858,958 individuals (97.6%) have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 55,703 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday – 14,875 as second doses, 3,203 as first doses and 37,625 as booster shots.This brings the total number of vaccine shots administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 51,138,954.In terms of booster jabs, a total of 938,437 doses had been administered as of yesterday.


UN chief criticises wealthy countries for vaccine ‘stockpile’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized developed countries for creating a “stockpile” of Covid-19 vaccines, and called on them to share with the rest of the world to help end the pandemic.“I’m very concerned with this very unfair distribution of vaccines in the world,” Guterres said in an interview broadcast Sunday by the Canadian channel CBC.“It’s in the interest of everybody to make sure that as soon as possible and in a fair way, everybody gets vaccinated everywhere and that vaccines are considered to be a truly global public good,” he said.The UN chief criticised the “self interest” of rich countries for building up vaccine supplies beyond the needs of their populations.“First, don’t stockpile vaccines,” he said, adding that it “doesn’t make sense.”“We have been appealing to developed countries to share some of the vaccines that they have bought and in many situations they have bought more than what they need.”The secretary-general lamented that the Covax international system of vaccine aid to disadvantaged countries is having “difficulties” because “there’s been a lot of hoarding”.He said that ending the pandemic “depends a lot on having the possibility to vaccinate as quickly as possible the population all over the world,” and he pleaded in favour of a mechanism powered by the G20 to put in place a global vaccination plan.Asked about the possible adoption of vaccination passports, Guterres was cautious, saying that before any decision is taken, there must be serious discussion to ensure fairness and to make sure that there is effective global cooperation.“The worst is for some countries to have it and for other countries not have it… it will be devastating if this would mean that people could move within the developed world but not within the developing world,” he warned.


US offers rewards for tipsters on stolen 1MDB assets

US authorities including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will reward anyone providing leads to help recover assets stolen from 1MDB, as part of the newly launched Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Rewards Program where up to US$5 million is being offered to tipsters as part of efforts to fight global corruption involving foreign governments.The 1MDB scandal, which was the subject of an investigation launched by the Department of Justice (DoJ) in 2016 as it sought to recover billions of dollars in assets stolen from the sovereign fund, was named among three other cases, including corruption linked to Brazil and Russia.In a statement, the Treasury said the DoJ, FBI and Internal Revenue Service were seeking information leading to the “seizure, restraint, forfeiture, or repatriation of assets linked to corruption involving the sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia, known as 1MDB”.It said stolen assets kept in a US bank and that come within the possession of any person in the US can be reported.“Persons who provide such information may be eligible for a reward under this programme or others,” it said.Those with information may email [email protected]“The reward amount will be based on various factors, including whether the information was previously known to investigating agencies, the risk assumed by the informant, and the significance of the information in leading to the restraint or seizure, forfeiture, or repatriation of the assets identified.”The programme comes as a major corruption case involving 1MDB continues in New York, where former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng is being tried for charges of conspiring to launder money and violate an anti-bribery law.Prosecutors say Goldman raised US$6.5 billion for 1MDB from 2009 to 2014 through bond sales and earned US$600 million in fees, but that US$4.5 billion was diverted to officials, bankers and their associates through bribes and kickbacks.Goldman in 2020 paid a nearly US$3 billion fine and arranged for its Malaysian unit to plead guilty in US court.In July 2016, the DoJ said it was seeking to seize assets worth more than US$3.5 billion linked to stolen money from 1MDB.It said then that a number of “corrupt officials” had treated public trust as a personal bank account, and named one of them as “Malaysian Official 1”, whom it said received US$681 million of the stolen money.It was widely understood that “Malaysian Official 1” was then prime minister Najib Razak, although this was never officially announced.Najib was convicted in July 2020 of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million in funds from 1MDB-linked unit SRC International.In December last year, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and sentence with the panel judges describing the transactions into his account as a “national embarrassment”.Najib is currently appealing his case at the Federal Court.


PM says it again, polls once virus crisis is over

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today reiterated his assurance that an election will be held once the Covid-19 health crisis is over, saying the state of emergency declared in mid-January is solely to contain the spread of Covid-19.In a speech in conjunction with Perikatan Nasional’s first year in government, he said the focus of his administration at the moment is to safely navigate the country through the “double whammy” of health and economic crises.“Once the pandemic is over, which I hope will be very soon, I will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament.“Until such time, my colleagues in the Cabinet and I will continue to carry out our duties and responsibilities to the best of our ability.”The state of emergency, which is expected to continue until August, was implemented under Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.Muhyiddin said then that the civilian government would continue to function with no interruption to either economic activities or the judicial system.“The judiciary will continue to be the beacon of justice in our country and I will never interfere in the business of the courts,” he said.In his address today, he said he understands the meaning of democracy.Listing out the provisions that have been implemented under the emergency so far, he said none of them is aimed at enabling the prime minister to remain in power forever.He said the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, the Emergency Ordinance (Minimum Standards for Housing, Accommodation and Facilities of Employees) (Amendment 2021) and the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 are to help the government deal more efficiently with the pandemic, including the management of foreign workers’ accomodation which is one of the main causes of Covid-19 infection in the country.“Under the proclamation of emergency, all of these ordinances were proclaimed in a short period of time without having to go through the parliamentary process which usually takes a long time,” he added.“Also, the state of emergency has a date of expiry on Aug 1. This is the first time in the country’s history that a state of emergency has an expiration period.”Adding that the Agong had formed a special independent committee to monitor the emergency, he said if the committee is satisfied that the Covid-19 situation is under control, it could recommend that it be ended ahead of time.“When the election is held, of course, we will leave it to the people to decide whether the Perikatan Nasional government should be re-elected or otherwise,” he said.“You are free to choose and that is what democracy is all about.”


UK urges water companies to take 'precautionary steps' to protect supplies

Britain's environment minister George Eustice on Wednesday urged water companies to take precautions to protect water supplies and tackle the effects of the prolonged dry weather as another heatwave is forecast across the country.
Eustice met with the water company executives to discuss their ongoing response to protect water supplies and called on them to take necessary action such as fixing leaking pipes.
"I have urged them to take any precautionary steps needed to protect essential supplies as we go into a likely very dry autumn," Eustice said in a statement, adding that the country was experiencing it driest summer for 50 years.
"All water companies have reassured me that water supplies remain resilient across the country."
Last month, the British government said it had introduced the early stages of drought plans which involved using water carefully to protect supplies following record-breaking temperatures.
Two companies, Southern Water and South East Water, have already announced a temporary ban on the use of sprinklers and hosepipes in parts of England, as Britain's Met Office said July 2022 was the driest July for England since 1935.


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UK to guarantee access to cash as banks shut branches

The UK government on Wednesday said it would legally guarantee access to cash as banks increasingly shut branches in the digital age.“Millions of people across the UK will benefit from new legislation to protect access to cash,” the Treasury said in a statement.Under the legislation, the Financial Conduct Authority regulator “will be granted new powers” over Britain’s biggest lenders to “ensure that cash withdrawal and deposit facilities are available in communities across the country”.The Treasury did not say how the guarantee to access to cash would be achieved.Noting that vulnerable groups in particular still relied on cash, Economic Secretary John Glen added:“I want to make sure that people are still able to use cash as part of their daily lives, and it’s crucial to ensure that no person nor community across the UK is left behind as we embrace a more digital world.”About 5.4 million adults in Britain rely on cash “to a very great or great extent in their daily lives”, according to the Treasury.But the closure of UK bank branches continues apace.Lloyds on Wednesday announced plans to shut 28 branches, two months after revealing it would permanently close 60 other sites.It comes after customers increasingly switched to online banking amid the Covid pandemic.British consumer group Which? predicts about 5,000 UK bank branches, around half the total, will have disappeared between 2015 and 2022, with Scotland worst affected.


Prosecution says instructed not to object as Zahid's case adjourned for 'further probe'

The prosecution in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption case on Yayasan Akalbudi funds today said it had been instructed by the attorney-general not to object to an application for an adjournment of trial pending a decision on a letter of representation for a reconsideration of the charges against him.
Zahid's lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh earlier told the court that the Umno president had sent a letter of representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for the 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering against him to be dropped.
"We wrote a letter of representation in January, and we sent a continuation and a new representation with some new facts and evidence relating to the charges to the AGC in February," he said.
He also asked High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah to adjourn today's proceedings pending a decision by Attorney-General Idrus Harun on the representation.
Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob then told the judge that he had received instructions from the attorney-general not to object to the application.
"My instructions (from the attorney-general) was not to object to this application for adjournment. The letter was voluminous and had complex issues to be considered," he said, citing also the length of the letter which he said was 200 pages long.
"After going through the representation which is lengthy and contained complex issues, we were instructed not to object to the application (for an adjournment of hearing) because the prosecution needs reasonable time to consider (the representation)," he added.
He said the letter also stated that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was conducting further investigations on the new evidence presented by the defence.
"We have not received any information regarding MACC's investigation, but the prosecution needs the results of the investigation to decide on the representation application.
"We do not know whether MACC has started the investigation or not, therefore to complete the whole process, we need the results of the investigation," he said.
Sequerah then allowed the case to be adjourned until Aug 1.
Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, faces 12 counts of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.
Last month, he succeeded in his bid for the permanent return of his passport, for the purpose of carrying out his official duties abroad.
The passport was previously surrendered to the court as an additional bail condition.
The Court of Appeal allowed his application, overturning the previous High Court decision by Sequerah dismissing his bid.


Putrajaya forms committee to look into ‘reward’ for Najib

Putrajaya will form a special committee to look into a proposal that Najib Razak be gifted a land and a house, following a storm created by revelations that the free property is worth RM100 million.“The committee’s role will be to review the proposed guidelines for the fulfilment of the request, including rates, conditions and maximum limits or quantum, for the provision of land and residential houses, under the Former Prime Minister’s Remuneration Schedule, for future implementation,” law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.In the government’s first official reaction to public outrage over the move to reward the convicted former leader, Wan Junaidi confirmed that Najib had settled for one of three pieces of land.“In principle, the Cabinet had agreed to grant the former prime minister his request on the grounds of his right under the law.“However, I must stress that this decision is not final and is subject to further deliberation and final approval by the government,” he added.The statement comes hours after Najib announced that he was withdrawing the request, following an uproar over the details of the house-gift first reported by MalaysiaNow.Yesterday, Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad questioned the government for agreeing to the deal as reported, reminding it that Najib had been convicted of corruption last year.On Nov 12, MalaysiaNow reported that Najib had made the request by invoking the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act, which allows several housing allowance options as a token of appreciation for former prime ministers.It was also revealed that Najib’s choice was the most expensive from a list of housing allowances offered to him by the government.The offer includes a piece of land measuring some 120,000 sq ft with a market value of close to RM70 million, on which a house would be built by the government at a total cost of RM100 million including the land value.Najib in his defence said he had no knowledge of the land value, and even claimed that the issue was brought up to coincide with the election in Melaka where he has been actively campaigning for Umno candidates.It is understood that Najib first made the request two years ago, and early this year submitted a formal application for the vacant land in Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur to be given to him with compliments from the government.A source said that while the application was endorsed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, it was met with protests from several ministers, including Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Mohamed Azmin Ali, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, all of whom are key leaders in parties that make up the current government.


Shocking footage emerges of men in uniform assaulting workers

Shocking video clips have emerged of several men in uniform employing brutal and inhumane tactics on migrant workers believed to be under quarantine for Covid-19.MalaysiaNow has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the short clips which have been shared on messaging apps as well as on social media.In one video, a man in uniform is seen forcing a worker to roll on the grass while brandishing what looks like a rubber hose.Another video shows two men beating a worker using a rubber hose and a stick.Nepal-based migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall, who has knowledge about the clips, told MalaysiaNow that both incidents happened in Meru, Klang.This comes on the heels of an investigation launched by Negeri Sembilan police yesterday over a video clip showing a man in a blue police uniform repeatedly kicking one of several men sitting on the side of a road.Seremban police chief Mohd Said Ibrahim was quoted as saying that investigations showed the incident took place in Senawang.Hall meanwhile claimed the detained men in the video were among several workers from a local Top Glove factory.He said the workers in the video had been discharged after being treated at the Seremban Hospital and were outside the hospital when the incident took place.He added that a worker who caught the incident on camera was now “scared to talk to anyone, even us”.Hall further claimed that some workers had tried to sneak out, fearing for their safety.Top Glove, the world’s largest glove maker, has been at the centre of a Covid-19 infection spike in recent days, forcing it to shut down its factories nationwide amid criticism from rights groups. The company has not responded to queries from MalaysiaNow.MalaysiaNow is meanwhile awaiting a response from the police as well as the armed forces.Police and armed forces have been mobilised to implement the conditional movement control order which came into force in large parts of the country, following a fierce wave of infections that pushed the total number of Covid-19 patients to more than 67,000 since the pandemic was first detected in Malaysia.


Dr M back in hospital

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is back in hospital, some three weeks after he was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) for a full medical check-up.IJN said in a statement that Mahathir was admitted for an elective medical procedure.“Due to the current SOPs, no visitors are allowed to visit,” it added.Mahathir was last admitted to IJN on Dec 16. He remained there for a week, undergoing a series of medical investigations before he was discharged on Dec 23.He was previously admitted in 2016 and 2013 for the treatment of chest infections.


Govt declares emergency in Gerik, Bugaya

A state of emergency has been declared in the Gerik parliamentary constituency in Perak and Bugaya state constituency in Sabah in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, effectively postponing the by-elections which had been scheduled for January.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he had presented the proposal on the advice of the Cabinet, and that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had agreed to declare an emergency in the two constituencies.“The king consented to declare a state of emergency in both constituencies after being satisfied of the need under Clause (1) Article 150 of the Federal Constitution to proclaim an emergency ordinance which will allow the by-elections in Gerik and Bugaya, scheduled for Jan 16, to be cancelled and held on a later date,” he said in a statement.The government said in November that it would consider proposing a state of emergency in Gerik and Bugaya if these constituencies were at risk of Covid-19 transmissions.Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan cited the situation in Batu Sapi where Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah declared a state of emergency, cancelling the by-election set for Dec 5.Muhyiddin today said that the Cabinet had held detailed discussions on Dec 4 on the effect that a by-election would have in Gerik and Bugaya if polls are held while Covid-19 infections continue to spread.“Based on the spread of infections which followed the state election in Sabah, the Cabinet believes that these two by-elections need to be avoided due to the threat to public health, the economy and public order,” he said.


Muhyiddin tells why he met with Dr Mahathir

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin today said that his meeting with Dr Mahathir Mohamad which the latter confirmed yesterday had been arranged as part of an initiative by several leaders from parties other than Barisan Nasional (BN) to form an alliance and prevent multi-cornered fights at the 15th general election (GE15).Muhyiddin said the leaders had understood that while the majority of the people did not support BN due to its kleptocratic image, the “anti-BN” vote was split due to multi-way fights among the other political parties.“They were of the opinion that, as far as possible, multi-cornered fights should be avoided at GE15 to block the kleptocrats in BN from returning to power.“Therefore, I took the initiative to meet with the main leaders of political parties in the government as well as the opposition to pioneer a cooperation for GE15,” he said in a statement, adding that this had been an early step to obtain the views of party leaders and that no firm decision had been made. “My meeting with Mahathir which was arranged after a senior leader from Pejuang came to meet me was part of that initiative,” he said.Mahathir said yesterday that he had met with Muhyiddin and that the Bersatu leader had asked for his support. He also said he was unsure why his former ally had done this as Pejuang was not a strong party and had recently suffered defeat at both the Melaka and Johor state elections. His comments came after his son and Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir said that Muhyiddin had met with Mahathir to propose an alliance heading into GE15.Mahathir also said that Pejuang had yet to decide whether to form a new coalition ahead of the next general election although his bloc was ready to work with parties that opposed corruption and bribery.


WHO urges countries to come clean on Covid origins intel

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged all countries to reveal what they know about the origins of Covid-19, following US claims of a Chinese lab leak and furious denials from Beijing.
FBI director Christopher Wray told Fox News television on Tuesday that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had now assessed the source of Covid-19 pandemic was "most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan".
The first infections with the new coronavirus were recorded in late 2019 in the Chinese city, which hosts a virus research laboratory.
Chinese officials have angrily denied the FBI claim, calling it a smear campaign against Beijing.
"If any country has information about the origins of the pandemic, it's essential for that information to be shared with WHO and the international scientific community," said WHO's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"Not so as to apportion blame but to advance our understanding of how this pandemic started so we can prevent, prepare for and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.
"WHO has not abandoned any plans to identify the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic," he told reporters.
WHO urges transparency
In 2021, the UN's health agency set up the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens to look into the origins of the pandemic.
"WHO continues to call for China to be transparent in sharing data and to conduct the necessary investigations and share the results," said Tedros, adding that he had written and spoken to top Chinese leaders on multiple occasions.
"Until then, all hypotheses on the origins of the virus remain on the table."
But he added that politicisation of the origins research was making the scientific work harder – and the world less safe as a result.
The comments from FBI chief Wray came after a report earlier this week said the US Department of Energy had determined that a Chinese lab leak was the most likely cause of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The department works with a network of national laboratories, including some involved in advanced biological research. Other agencies within the US intelligence community believe the virus emerged naturally.
Share the data, says WHO
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, said WHO had reached out to the US mission in Geneva for more information.
So far, however, they did not have access to the data on which the US reports were based, said Van Kerkhove, who is an infectious disease epidemiologist.
"It remains vital that that information is shared", to help move the scientific studies forward, she added.
Tedros said there was a moral imperative to find out how the pandemic started, for the sake of the millions who lost their lives to Covid-19 and those living with long Covid.
More than 6.8 million Covid-19 deaths and more than 758 million confirmed cases have been reported to WHO, which acknowledges that the true toll is far higher.


Maintenance of Putrajaya govt quarters not efficient or effective, audit report shows

The management of maintenance, repair and upgrading works for government quarters in Putrajaya under the Property Management Division (BPH) of the Prime Minister’s Department has not been implemented efficiently and effectively, according to the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) Year 2019, Series 2.The audit report revealed weaknesses in the monitoring and management of damage complaints as well as irregularities in the repairing and upgrading of vacant units.“This has caused delays in handing over the repaired quarters to the Quarters Unit to be offered to new occupants,” read the report released today.The audit involved an assessment of the management of maintenance, repair and upgrading of quarters in Putrajaya from 2017 to 2020 covering two main audit areas, namely activity performance and activity management.The audit exercise was conducted on BPH as the activity administrator, two implementing agencies – the Putrajaya Public Works Department (JKR) and Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) – as well as 13 facilities management and maintenance services (FM) contractors appointed by the implementing agencies.The audit report revealed that only 75.7% of complaints were resolved by FM contractors appointed by JKR Putrajaya compared to the key performance indicators (KPIs) set at 90%.It added that the overall performance of FM contractors appointed by PPj in resolving complaints was at 94%, which exceeds the KPI (85%). However, four FM contractors only managed to resolve 45.5 to 84% of the complaints during certain months between 2017 and 2020.Apart from that, preventive maintenance involving the tree pruning of terrace-type quarters units and grass cutting of bungalow-type quarters was not carried out according to schedule based on 314 complaints lodged by the residents, it said, adding that the 141 complaints lodged by residents related to clogged gutters showed that the FM contractors did not carry out regular inspections and maintenance.The report also revealed that five FM contractors appointed by JKR Putrajaya did not comply with the service level agreement for resolving complaints (repair time) involving a total of 2,917 complaints, adding that they took between 15 and 771 days to attend to the complaints.It said five PPj-appointed FM contractors took more than 14 days to resolve 125 damage complaints, adding that the repair time taken was between 15 and 146 days.In addition, JKR Putrajaya and PPj took between 69 and 1,051 days and between 13 and 885 days respectively to carry out repair works for major damage at vacant quarters units.The audit report said BPH should focus on monitoring the performance of implementing agencies, adding that all maintenance work should be handed over to JKR Putrajaya and PPj.It also said that JKR and PPj should manage complaints using a system that can record complaints comprehensively including classifying complaints as major or minor as well as recording contractors’ response and repair time.The government allocated funds amounting to RM401.24 million from 2017 to 2020 for the maintenance of occupied quarters units and the repair of vacant quarters units to ensure that the residential quarters of federal civil service officers are always in good condition and conducive for occupancy.


Govt mulling certificate of exemption for those who cannot receive vaccine

The government is considering issuing a certificate of exemption for individuals who cannot receive the Covid-19 vaccine due to serious allergies or because they are immunocompromised.Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the certificate would replace the digital vaccine certificate to be given to all recipients once they have completed the second dose of the vaccine.“On the principle of fairness, we are thinking about how we can give a certificate of exemption to those who cannot take the vaccine and not because they decide not to be vaccinated. I think we have to be fair,” he said.Khairy, who is in charge of the country’s vaccine procurement, said this at a press conference after visiting the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre vaccination centre in Petaling Jaya today.He also said the government is still refining its plan to issue digital vaccine certificates through the MySejahtera application.He said the system would provide information to the World Health Organization and other countries so that the certificate would be recognised as proof of vaccination.He said the government is also drafting a strategy for the homeless, refugees and undocumented migrants to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.He said he would hold a meeting with United Nations agencies this week to discuss the best method of vaccinating these groups.“Maybe I will also have a coordinating meeting with Kuala Lumpur City Hall about the homeless,” he added.He said Health Minister Dr Adham Baba would announce the protection scheme for the compensation of those who suffer serious side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine at a joint press conference on March 15.On China’s Sinovac vaccine, he said the health ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency is carrying out stability testing on the vaccine which could take a month to complete.“We want to see if there are any flaws to the vaccine when it is bottled here. If approval is given, we can roll out the vaccine by next month,” he said.Malaysia received the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine on Feb 27.On claims about fake vaccines being sold online, Khairy urged all parties to report the matter to the ministry for further action.


Saudi minister defends volume limit on mosque loudspeakers

Saudi Arabia’s Islamic affairs minister on Monday defended a contentious order restricting the volume of mosque loudspeakers, saying it was prompted by complaints in the conservative Muslim nation about excessive noise.In a major policy last week in a country home to the holiest Muslim sites, the Islamic affairs ministry said the speakers should be set at no more than one-third of their maximum volume.The order, which also limited the use of loudspeakers mainly to issue the call to prayer rather than broadcasting full sermons, triggered a conservative backlash on social media.Islamic Affairs Minister Abdullatif al-Sheikh said the order was in response to citizens’ complaints that the loud volume was causing disturbance to children as well as the elderly.“Those who want to pray do not need to wait for… the imam’s” call to prayer, Abdullatif said in a video published by state television.“They should be at the mosque beforehand,” he added.Several television channels also broadcast prayers and Quran recitals, Abdullatif said, suggesting the loudspeakers served a limited purpose.In a country home to tens of thousands of mosques, many welcomed the move to reduce the decibel levels.But the decision also stirred resentment on social media, with a hashtag calling for the banning of loud music in restaurants and cafes gaining traction.Abdullatif said criticism of the policy was being spread by “enemies of the kingdom” who “want to stir public opinion”.The policy follows de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sweeping liberalisation drive, which has pushed a new era of openness in parallel with what observers call a de-emphasis on religion.The young prince has eased social restrictions in the ultra-conservative kingdom, lifting decades-long bans on cinemas and women drivers while allowing gender-mixed music concerts and sporting extravaganzas.The relaxed social norms have been welcomed by many Saudis, two-thirds of whom are under 30, while riling arch-conservatives.Saudi Arabia has clipped the powers of its religious police, who once elicited widespread fear, chasing men and women out of malls to pray and berating anyone seen mingling with the opposite sex.Prince Mohammed has promised a “moderate” Saudi Arabia as he attempts to break with its austere image, while simultaneously cracking down vigorously on dissent.Over the past three years, the kingdom has arrested dozens of women activists, clerics, journalists as well as royal family members.


India tops 2,000 Covid deaths in 24 hours

India recorded more than 2,000 Covid deaths on Wednesday and almost 300,000 new cases, among the world’s biggest daily totals since the pandemic began, official data showed.Health ministry figures showed 295,000 new cases in 24 hours, on a par with numbers seen in the US in January, and 2,023 fatalities, bringing the country’s total death toll to 182,553.In an address to the nation on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country of 1.3 billion people was “once again fighting a big fight”.“The situation was under control till a few weeks back, and then this second corona wave came like a storm,” Modi said.There had been hopes that despite its packed cities and poor healthcare, India had managed to dodge largely unscathed a pandemic that has killed more than three million people around the world.Recent weeks have seen mass gatherings including millions attending the Kumbh Mela religious festival, political rallies as well as lavish weddings and cricket matches against England.Production of key coronavirus drugs slowed or even halted at some factories and there were delays inviting bids for oxygen generation plants, according to press reports.Now distraught relatives are being forced to pay exorbitant rates on the black market for medicine and oxygen and WhatsApp groups are awash with desperate pleas for help.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who on Tuesday went into self-isolation after his wife tested positive, tweeted late Tuesday that some hospitals in the megacity “are left with just a few hours of oxygen”.The US now advises against travelling to India, even for those fully vaccinated, while Britain had added India to its “red list”. Hong Kong and New Zealand have banned flights from the country.


Lifesaving oxygen aid arrives in India as death toll hits new record

More emergency medical aid from foreign donors to alleviate a dire oxygen shortage arrived in India on Sunday, as Covid-19 deaths in the South Asian nation rose to a new record.India is setting almost-daily records for new infections and deaths as the virus crisis engulfs overstretched hospitals in cities and spreads into rural regions.The country of 1.3 billion reported 3,689 deaths on Sunday – the highest single-day rise yet in the pandemic, to take the overall toll to more than 215,000.Just under 400,000 infections were added, bringing the total number of cases past 19.5 million.The latest figures came as medical equipment, including oxygen-generation plants, was flown into the capital New Delhi from France and Germany as part of a huge international effort.“We are here because we are bringing help that… will save lives,” Germany’s ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner, said as 120 ventilators arrived late Saturday.“Out there the hospitals are full. People are sometimes dying in front of the hospitals. They have no more oxygen. Sometimes (they are dying) in their cars.”French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said his country wanted to show solidarity with India.“The epidemic is still going on in one country. The world won’t be safe until we are all safe. So it’s a matter of urgency,” he said early Sunday following the delivery of eight oxygen-generation plants and dozens of ventilators from France.There are growing fears about the surge of the virus in rural regions where health infrastructure is already patchy and limited.Hospitals in Delhi have continued to issue SOS calls for oxygen on social media, with the latest appeal posted by a children’s hospital on Twitter on Sunday.The plea came a day after up to a dozen patients died at a Delhi hospital amid an oxygen shortage, local media reported.India on Saturday opened up its inoculation drive to all adults, but supplies are running low and only online enrolments are allowed for those aged under 45.“It is a necessity now. We are seeing so many people testing positive,” data scientist Megha Srivastava, 35, told AFP outside a Delhi vaccination centre as she waited for her shot.“We are coming from 20km away as this was the only place available.”Experts have called on the government to allow more flexibility in the vaccine rollout, particularly in poorer rural areas where there is lower internet penetration.“We should procure sufficient vaccines, then plan bottom-up through… the primary health centre level,” Bangalore-based public health expert Hemant Shewade told AFP.“Take vaccines to the people the way we have implemented our polio and measles campaigns.”


Outspoken billionaire jailed for 18 years in China for ‘provoking trouble’

A prominent Chinese billionaire has been sentenced to 18 years in prison, the latest in a string of punishments against outspoken corporate bosses.Sun Dawu runs one of the country’s largest private agricultural businesses, Hebei Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group, which operates massive farms and employs about 9,000 people in poultry processing, pet food production and schools and hospitals in the northern province of Hebei.Sun, 67, has in the past spoken out about human rights and politically sensitive topics.The court found him guilty of “assembling a crowd to storm state institutions, obstructing public service, picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – among other charges often used against activists.He was also fined 3.11 million yuan (nearly US$500,000).He was reportedly detained last year, along with 20 relatives and business associates, over a land dispute with a government-run farm.According to Reuters, local media reported that Sun claimed that dozens of company employees were injured in a scuffle with police after attempts to prevent state farm staff from demolishing one of its buildings.Sun is said to be close to some prominent Chinese political dissidents and has in the past criticised the government’s rural policies.He was one of the few people to openly accuse the government of covering up an African swine flu outbreak which affected his farms in 2019, and later devastated much of the country’s pork industry.He was sentenced to prison in 2003, for “illegal fundraising” but the case was overturned after an outpouring of support from activists and the public.In the latest case, Sun reportedly denied many of the accusations against him in a pre-trial hearing, describing himself as an “outstanding Communist party member”.He did however reportedly admit to making mistakes, including posting messages online.“The way they’re investigating me now is making those close to us suffer and those who hate us rejoice. I wish to take the charges upon myself, even if they’re severe, in exchange for the release of others,” he said.Beijing has been cracking down on businesses and entrepreneurs.In a set of guidelines released in September 2020, the Communist Party said the private sector needed “politically sane people” who “would firmly listen to the party”.Chinese billionaire Ren Zhiqiang was jailed for 18 years in September 2020 for corruption-related offences. Dubbed “the gun” for his outspoken views, Ren had sharply criticised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s coronavirus prevention strategy.In an essay published in March 2020, which has been widely attributed to Ren, the author indirectly referred to Xi as a power-hungry “clown”.


ERC moots radical shift in determining Dewan Rakyat representation

The committee appointed by Putrajaya to look into reforming the electoral system says it’s time that the federal government is chosen through a proportional representation system instead of the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) method which Malaysia inherited from its former colonial masters after independence.The Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) made this suggestion alongside 48 others, MalaysiaNow has learnt through a report submitted to the government in August this year.The ERC said it prefers the Closed List Proportional Representation (CLPR) system, saying it ensures a fair distribution of seats as this is based on the total votes that a party receives.It believes this will improve the quality of debates and the law-making process at the national level.“The CLPR system is a proportionate system. The number of seats won in the Dewan Rakyat will be determined by the total votes won by each political party,” the ERC said.It noted that the system is also currently adopted in Britain at the municipal level, although the British parliament still maintains the FPTP.Many former British colonies still use the FPTP, although Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and South Africa have since switched to a proportionate system in their elections.Under the FPTP, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins a seat in the Dewan Rakyat.Under the CLPR however, a party winning half the vote, for example, would win half the seats.There is also no need for election constituencies or their delineation; votes are given to a political party instead of a candidate fielded in a certain constituency.“Under the system, all votes will be counted (except spoilt votes), giving merit for political parties to contest. As such, the concept of ‘wasted votes’ is decreased or abolished altogether,” the ERC said.“Basically, the votes counted will earn points for the parties to be given seats in the Dewan. Due to its comprehensive character, the ERC views the system as very suitable for federal representation and not for state assemblies.”The ERC said the method of distributing the number of seats through “block constituency”, as is the case with the CLPR system, is more fair to smaller political parties, including those representing minority groups and ethnicities, and gives them a better chance at being represented in the Dewan Rakyat.“In the context of greater quality of participation, the ERC feels that the CLPR is the most democratic and suitable system to follow.”It said under the system, political parties may submit their list of candidates to the Election Commission (EC).Giving an example, it said if 40% of the total votes for a party means 80 seats, the first 80 candidates from the list will be chosen to become MPs.The number of constituencies meanwhile will be based on the latest amendment to Article 46 in the Federal Constitution, which gives a breakdown of the number of federal seats from each state.“In the context of greater quality of participation, the ERC feels that the CLPR is the most democratic and suitable system to follow,” the report said.It said for state assemblies, the FPTP system should be retained as debates at the state level are more on local issues.“At the state level, voters need easy access to their representative so that requests and local problems can be made known to them.”The ERC, headed by former EC chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, was tasked by the previous Pakatan Harapan government with addressing weaknesses in the electoral system.Rashid recently expressed confidence that all 49 recommendations by his team would be implemented.They include a suggestion to remove the advantage of the government in power to surprise its rivals with the dissolution of Parliament, an end to nomination day gatherings, the automatic registration of voters, and a law to provide for the presence of international observers in the hope of giving more credibility to the system.


Facing pressure at home, Chinese tech giants expand in Singapore

Chinese tech giants are expanding in Singapore as they face a crackdown at home and growing pressure in other key markets – but they may struggle to find talent in the city-state.Messaging-and-gaming behemoth Tencent is opening a hub and TikTok owner ByteDance is on a hiring spree after establishing a regional HQ, while e-commerce giant Alibaba is investing in property and recruiting.The tech firms are shifting their focus to booming Southeast Asian markets as authorities tighten the screws at home amid concerns about the platforms’ growing power.Regulators have launched a blitz on the sector, hitting several firms with heavy fines, and threatening to slice up massive companies whose reach now extends deep into the daily lives of ordinary Chinese.Meanwhile, festering tensions between Washington and Beijing after an assault on Chinese tech titans during Donald Trump’s presidency make the US an unattractive prospect, and problems abound elsewhere.“Chinese tech companies are facing regulatory pressures and sanctions from governments in other countries, notably the US but also other nations such as India,” Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit, told AFP.India has banned a swathe of Chinese apps since a border clash last year, while the European Union and other Western powers recently imposed sanctions over China’s treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority, prompting retaliatory sanctions.But Singapore, a prosperous financial hub, maintains good ties with Beijing and the West, and tech firms have come to view it as a safe bet to expand their operations without upsetting either side.In the current climate of geopolitical uncertainty “Singapore is considered as a more neutral country”, Chen Guoli, professor of strategy at the Singapore campus of business school Insead, told AFP.Hiring spreeIn addition, long-running turmoil in traditional rival Hong Kong may have dimmed its appeal, although observers stress other factors are likely more important.The influx of Chinese cash will be welcome in Singapore, whose economy has been hammered by the coronavirus and which is seeking to build itself up as a tech centre.It is already home to major offices of US tech titans Facebook, Google and Twitter, while ByteDance recently moved into bigger offices in the financial district, and has launched a hiring drive.Between September and February, a third of ByteDance’s job postings were in Singapore, more than twice the ads it placed in China, with a focus on hiring specialised engineers, said Ajay Thalluri, an analyst with data and analytics firm GlobalData.Meanwhile, Alibaba last year bought a 50% stake in an office tower, where its e-commerce unit Lazada is the main tenant, while its affiliate, fintech giant Ant Group, won a licence to operate a wholesale digital bank in the city-state.Alibaba “is building teams in Singapore with significant key senior and mid-level job postings related to talent acquisition, product management, and legal compliance”, said Thalluri.The e-commerce firm, co-founded by Jack Ma, has come under fierce pressure in China, with authorities pulling the plug on Ant’s record initial public offering in November.Talent crunchByteDance and Tencent, which announced its Singapore expansion plans in September, say they are primarily focused on growing their businesses in Southeast Asia, a booming region of 650 million, rather than avoiding tensions elsewhere.By building up their Singapore presence, the tech giants are hedging their bets in case frictions with the West hit a new nadir, analysts say.Chen of Insead said Chinese companies needed a “plan B” in case they had to separate their global and Chinese operations, in which case Singapore could become their international hub.However, a major challenge in expanding in the city, with a population of just 5.7 million, is recruiting workers with the correct skills.“Technology is developing and accelerating at a speed that far surpasses the supply of talent needed to scale,” said Daljit Sall, senior director for information technology at the Singapore office of global recruitment firm Randstad.Singapore is trying to attract overseas talent, although that may cause unease in a country where there are already concerns about the large foreign population, while schools are offering courses to prepare youngsters for tech jobs.Nevertheless, “there still remains an urgent need to fill these skills gaps now”, Sall said.


The takeaway on Fitch downgrade and sovereign debt

The Fitch downgrade of our sovereign bond issuer default rating (IDR) on Dec 4 from A- to BBB+ has attracted mixed responses, ranging from a stance of downright vindication to a couldn’t-care-less attitude. Fitch is a ratings agency – meaning that it specialises in credit (i.e. financial worthiness and strength) ratings and analysis of a country (sovereign entity) or organisation (public and private).Predictably, on the opposition side of the political arena, the responses to the Fitch downgrade were despondency and pessimism that their calls for institutional and political reforms went unheeded precisely because of the rating drivers that, among others, included the governance metric that mentioned “institutional capacity”.On the other hand, economists and financial research houses are confident that the Fitch downgrade will not have a critical or sustained impact on Malaysia’s public debt market specifically or the financial sector as a whole.For example, Juwai IQI chief economist Shan Saeed gave little credence to the Fitch downgrade, saying that markets have lost confidence in rating agencies since 2010. He was quoted as saying that “[t]heir reports and outlooks are behind the curve. They come up with banal analyses which are not germane to the market”.Bank Islam Malaysia chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid opined that “the sovereign rating could be upgraded at some point in the future” when there are new developments. RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd was reported in The Edge Markets as stating that “[c]urrently, based on our medium forecasts for gross domestic product (GDP) growth, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates, we view Malaysia’s general government debt trajectory as sustainable”.Notwithstanding, even those who warn about the bleak consequences of the Fitch downgrade admitted that we should not be “slavish to the perspective of rating agencies” while calling for the “[v]alid and credible criticisms in the… Report [to] be addressed”, as per veteran politician Lim Kit Siang, the MP for Iskandar Puteri. Of course, renowned economist and academic, Prof Jomo K Sundaram, has warned against overly depending on credit rating agencies to decide whether to increase public spending to counter the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic (Jomo: Govt should not rely on rating agencies, The Malaysian Reserve, Oct 14). He said that “rating agencies have repeatedly been proven wrong in the past, and governments, including Malaysia’s, should adopt countercyclical policies in dealing with extraordinary situations”.There is, therefore, a near-consensus these days against unquestionable or uncritical trust in ratings agencies.Ratings agencies play a vital role in highlighting and warning about systemic, structural and institutional risks and weaknesses, i.e. governance, political and economic, that otherwise may not be apparent or discernible to outsiders which, in our immediate context, refers to foreign investors (short- or long-term, public or private).However, as alluded to, ratings agencies tend to rigidly adopt a certain outlook that does not take into account the complexities of real-world dynamics.For example, rating agencies are themselves overly dependent on a particular macro-economic policy consensus that is best exemplified by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).In turn, the World Bank and IMF have been beholden to mainstream or orthodox school of economic thought – best embodied by Monetarism as the intellectual paragon – that have reigned dominant since the overturn of the Keynesian Revolution brought about by the stagflation phenomenon in the mid-1970s that marked the end of full employment as the ultimate goal of deficit spending first unleashed by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” of the 1930s in the aftermath of the Great Depression (1929), although it’s now openly recognised that the paradigm is shifting.Unfortunately for ratings agencies, the policy ground is shifting precisely because the realities have moved on since the days of Reaganomics/Thatcherism and the New Public Management (NPM) phenomenon that also influenced the first Mahathir administration to modernise the civil service from regulator to enabler and embarked on the privatisation of State-owned entities.The pendulum is now swinging in the opposite direction, that is especially because of the experience of the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-09 that has seen the soft-touch and low regulatory environment resulting in the proliferation of what is now regarded as financial “weapons of mass destruction”, most notably the credit default swaps (CDS) of the collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) comprising principally of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) i.e. tranches of debt repayments pooled mainly from subprime housing loans. The CDOs were, of course, the derivatives based on the MBS, whereas the CDS was the betting on the betting part, so to speak, of the financial game that was disguised as a form of so-called insurance swap.Nonetheless, of immediate and practical concern here is how to deal or cope with the Fitch downgrade and verdict which would have an impact on the status of our sovereign bonds (the majority of which is in the form of Malaysian Government Securities/MGS). There’s a legitimate concern over sell-offs and the concomitant of capital flight in the equity markets.As mentioned in an Emir Research article, “Alternative avenue to fund deficit”, our central bank, Bank Negara, should strongly and seriously consider doing quantitative easing (QE) now, i.e. second-hand purchases of MGS to absorb the offloading and simultaneously ensure that we aren’t “captive” to the vagaries of the markets by lowering the bond yields. What ratings agencies don’t mention is that a sovereign country like Malaysia (i.e. with its own central bank and currency) unlike member-states of the eurozone (think Greece or Italy), as for example, is always in control of its interest rates and that include bond yields.To quote Australian economist William F Mitchell who in turn appealed to the real-world policy experience of the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan (BoJ): “The central bank always calls the shots on yields and the bond markets only set yields if the government allows them to.”The relevant Federal Reserve and BoJ documents are taken from the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (Oct 29-30, 2019) and “Strengthening the Framework for Continuous Powerful Monetary Easing” (Jul’ 31, 2018), respectively.Then too, ratings agencies also neglect to mention that countries that issue sovereign debt denominated in their own currency not only have an almost zero possibility of default but are a risk-free haven as a form of financial asset. This explains why Malaysia remains a top destination for foreign buyers of MGS. It’s only in September that “[f]oreign buying of… MGS and government investment issues (GII) continued for the fifth consecutive month” as reported in The Edge Markets. Moreover, our latest bid-to-cover ratio is at 2.6 times oversubscribed that is set against what is the highest to date issuance at RM136.9 billion (“Year-to-date Malaysian government bond issuance hits record high”, The Sun Daily, Nov 23, 2020).In conclusion, while there’s much to take on board from the Fitch downgrade, when it comes to our national or sovereign debt (in terms of the size of issuance, debt ceiling, yield levels), the reality is that, ultimately, it’s the markets that need the state and not the other way round.Jason Loh Seong Wei is head of social, law and human rights at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


India to repeal agricultural reform laws after huge protests

India will repeal three agricultural reform laws that sparked almost a year of massive protests by farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday in a stunning U-turn.“We have decided to repeal all three farm laws. We will start the constitutional process to repeal all the three laws in the parliament session that starts at the end of this month,” Modi said in an address to the nation.“I appeal to all the farmers who are part of the protest… to now return to your home, to your loved ones, to your farms, and family.”“Let’s make a fresh start and move forward,” he added, appealing to farmers on Guru Purab, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.Thousands of farmers – many of them Sikhs from the northern agrarian Punjab state – have been camped out on the borders of the capital New Delhi since November 2020 in one of the biggest challenges to Modi’s government.About two-thirds of India’s 1.3 billion population draw their livelihood from farming and the sector has long been a political minefield.Modi’s government said the reforms would help fix a sector that it says is massively inefficient.But farmers feared the changes would have left them at the mercy of big corporations.The protests took a violent turn in January when a tractor rally in Delhi transformed into a rampage that left one farmer dead and hundreds of police officers injured.Last month another eight people died in clashes in Uttar Pradesh state.


Painting brings new meaning for mother in post-pandemic disorder

For the first 50-odd years of her life, Nurul Hayati Ahmad never so much as touched a paintbrush or tried her hand at drawing.
It was not until the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when she found herself with more time than she could fill, that she began watching art tutorials.
Impressed by the beautiful works of art produced by even amateur artists, she decided to take up painting as well.
She and her daughter began small, with easy paintings that did not present too much of a challenge.
In less than a year, Hayati was selling her artwork, some for as much as five digits.
Other pieces are donated to associations and foundations that do charitable works.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Hayati said she finds solace in her art from the chaos associated with the pandemic.
"Drawing might be a natural talent," she added. "I'm not sure. It came spontaneously – I didn't realise I was so interested in painting."
It takes Hayati two to three hours to complete a small or medium-sized painting. Bigger pieces can take more than a week, depending on the technique needed.
"Some pieces are easier than others," she said.
"Some are very complex because of the combination of colours which needs a long time to get right.
"If the piece is more difficult, I sell it for a higher price."
Hayati works with organisations and welfare bodies throughout the Klang Valley to collect funds for charity by selling her paintings.
It is a new and meaningful experience for her, and she is moved every time that she sells another piece of art.
"When I complete a painting, I feel a connection with it," she said.
"It's hard for me to let any of them go. I feel very close with the paintings that I create."
Hayati's paintings go for anywhere between RM250 and RM24,000, although her most expensive works have yet to find a buyer.
Although she has only been painting for a short period of time, she cannot imagine doing anything else with her life.
For her, the most important lesson has been in having the confidence to take the first step.
"It's all right to make mistakes, because that's where you gain experience," she said.
"Sooner or later, your efforts and mistakes will pay off. My daughter and I also made many mistakes when we began, and many of our techniques were not right.
"We have to learn slowly, and at our own pace."


UN removes cannabis from list of most dangerous drugs

A United Nations commission has voted to remove cannabis from its list of the most dangerous drugs in a move that recognises the plant as having medicinal value.The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs approved a recommendation from the World Health Organization on Wednesday to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from its list of narcotic drugs which includes heroin and other often deadly opioids, reports CNN.“This is welcome news for the millions of people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes and reflects the reality of the growing market for cannabis-based medicinal products,” a group of drug policy advocacy organisations said.Wednesday’s vote means that cannabis and cannabis resin are no longer classified as among the most harmful substances and are acknowledged as having medical benefits. But they’ll still be subject to restrictions under the Schedule I category.The vote result was a tight one, with 27 of the Vienna based commission’s member states, including the US and European countries, in support of declassifying the drug while China, Egypt, Russia, Pakistan and Nigeria were among the 25 countries who voted against it.The move is largely symbolic and may not have an immediate impact on how governments control the drug. But it could give a boost to medical cannabis legalisation efforts in countries that look to the UN for guidance.Alfredo Pascual, of Marijuana Business Daily, said. “It’s an implicit acknowledgement of marijuana’s therapeutic utility and that it is not as dangerous as believed about 60 years ago.”But if stoners think this has paved the way for legalised weed across the world, it does not. Cannabis still remains a banned drug for non-medical use under UN law. The change is designed to make research into possible medicinal uses of the drug easier.There is a good chance that the UN’s decision will add to a growing drive in many countries to increase access to cannabis-based medicines. It could also spark more scientific research into the drug’s long-known medical properties.It could also act as a catalyst for more countries to legalise the drug for medicinal use, leading to laws on recreational use being reconsidered.


Selangor MB eyes end-month deadline for PH-BN seat distribution ahead of polls

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari today said he expects the seat distribution process between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) to be 80% to 90% complete by the end of the month, in preparation for the upcoming state elections.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor PH chairman, said discussions with BN were ongoing and that his side still needed time to report and present the matter to the central PH for a decision.
"Discussions on seat distribution will continue until nomination day, but we have set a time frame to ensure that 80% to 90% is completed by the end of April.
"We hope it will be achieved, but even if it is not achieved, we will continue the discussions because the important thing is our strategy (to face the state elections)," he told reporters in Shah Alam.
He said BN, which is part of the government in Selangor, had started to move with PH as a team, especially in preparation for the Unity Government National Convention on May 14.
PKR currently holds the most seats in the Selangor state assembly, with 19. It is followed by DAP (15) and Amanah (six).
Meanwhile, BN has five seats, followed by Bersatu (four), Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Pejuang (two each) and PAS, Warisan and the independents with one seat each.