‘Deputy PM’ rumour resurfaces as Umno hawks continue threat to quit govt

The group demanding that Umno be given a more prominent role in the government has renewed a call for a Cabinet member from the Malay party to be appointed as deputy prime minister, days after a threat to quit the administration floundered, MalaysiaNow has learnt.The new campaign is being played out through a series of social media posts as well as WhatsApp messages which made the rounds over the weekend.A senior source in Putrajaya believes that the rumour has been circulated in the hope of ramping up support for the months-old demand by hawks in Umno ahead of the party’s general assembly late this month.The source however rubbished the reports, saying the same narrative has repeatedly resurfaced since the failure of party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s attempt to get the number two post for himself.“As in the past, the prime minister and the Cabinet are clear on one thing: any form of reshuffle is not a priority as the government tries to win this war,” the source told MalaysiaNow, referring to the 11-month battle against Covid-19 which has so far claimed more than 550 lives.Talk of filling the DPM’s post becomes a topic of speculation each time there is a change of prime minister.A similar rumour surfaced in the run-up to the tabling of the 2021 budget, where it was claimed that Muhyiddin would appoint a DPM from Umno as a form of concession.Since last week, several social media and WhatsApp messages seen by MalaysiaNow have claimed that Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein or Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be appointed as DPM.A Chinese daily also made similar claims, which were repeated by a Malay tabloid.Muhyiddin confronts Zahid in private meetingNo deputy PM, no reshuffle as all eyes on budgetUmno remains in govt after allAmong others, the new rumour claims that Muhyiddin has been pressured to give the post to Umno, and is seeking to ease that pressure as he goes to seek treatment in Singapore.But a source said both claims are “as far from the truth as Zahid is from becoming DPM”.He said the prime minister had been been fully occupied in recent days with travelling to some of the worst-affected flood zones, including in Pahang where the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah also spent time getting a first-hand look at the situation in his home state.It is also learnt that Muhyiddin will address the nation today, in what is believed to be connected to the continued spike in number of Covid-19 infections and casualties.The prime minister will also meet his Cabinet members today about the latest measures to fight the Covid-19 battle, although several ministers are still under home quarantine.Zahid alongside former leader Najib Razak are part of a group of Umno hawks who have been threatening to take their party out of the Perikatan Nasional government in the hope of forcing snap polls, despite warnings by health experts against holding a pandemic season general election.Last year, MalaysiaNow revealed that both leaders wrote to the palace to express support for Anwar Ibrahim in the PKR leader’s failed bid to topple Muhyiddin.Their letter was confirmed by Annuar Musa, who was removed as the Barisan Nasional secretary-general last week for opposing Zahid’s plan to switch loyalties to Anwar.In late October last year, MalaysiaNow revealed details of a tense private exchange between Zahid and Muhyiddin at the latter’s residence in Bukit Damansara, where Zahid made clear his demand for the DPM’s post.In the meeting on Oct 17, also attended by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Muhyiddin confronted Zahid with the letter he wrote in support of Anwar, and questioned him about his real intentions.“Zahid accused the prime minister of breaking his promise,” an insider with knowledge of the meeting had told MalaysiaNow.“Muhyiddin then said he had never promised anything. Zahid said that initially, when Umno supported Bersatu to form the government, it was for Dr Mahathir Mohamad to become the PM, not Muhyiddin.“Muhyiddin pressed Zahid again about his unhappiness. Zahid replied that as president of Umno, he should have been appointed the deputy prime minister.”Zahid, who is facing 47 corruption charges linked to a charity foundation, also said that he was “embarrassed to tell but there are many things that are not right”.Muhyiddin then told Zahid that he had no say in court matters, but added that “as a friend”, he would for pray Zahid’s acquittal.


Australia extends international flight ban for 3 more months

Australia has officially extended its international travel ban for three more months. Canberra announced on Tuesday that it is extending the travel ban until June 17, 2021.The initial ban was set to expire on March 17. However, the government said the rest of the world “continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk” to its borders, Australia’s 7 News reported.“The Covid-19 situation overseas continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk to Australia, including the emergence of more highly transmissible variants,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement.“The extension of the emergency period for a further three months is about mitigating that risk for everyone’s health and safety.”The ban means most Australians will have to remain in the nation unless they are granted an exemption.It also means those hoping to enter Australia will have longer to wait as numbers are limited to the capacity of mandatory quarantine hotels. Inbound flights are also extremely expensive and get cancelled often.Around 39,000 Australian citizens are currently registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to return home but remain stuck abroad due to the regulations.“We do need to bring Australians back home, we’re seeing Australians that are coming home and they’re pretty scared about what’s happening over there,” Australian Medical Association vice president Chris Moy told ABC, noting that enforced hotel quarantine is Australia’s first line of defence and remains vitally necessary.The health minister added a note of optimism, saying that the new measure can be updated or amended at any time, meaning if the situation improves in other countries, Australia still has the option of bringing forward its reopening date.


Umno to consult RoS, NSC on party polls during pandemic

The Umno Supreme Council today said the party would write to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and National Security Council to enquire about guidelines for holding its elections in line with Covid-19 SOPs, although it stopped short of announcing a date for the polls.“This is to ensure that the election process which could involve Umno branches including from the women’s, youth and Puteri wing, totalling 66,287 meetings across 191 sections from across the country and nearly 3.3 million members can be held smoothly and effectively in light of the rising number of Covid-19 cases,” it said in a statement signed by Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently said it would be up to the Supreme Council to decide whether to hold elections this year or to postpone it for up to 18 months.According to Umno’s constitution, he said, party polls must be held every three years once the term for the party leadership ends.The term for the current Umno leadership will end on June 30.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in February assured that party elections would be held this year although no date was fixed.Zahid and former leader Najib Razak have been at the forefront of attacks against the government despite Umno leaders occupying key ministerial posts.The last time Umno postponed party polls was in 2018 before the general election that year which saw its fall from federal power.Polls were then held on June 30, 2018, at which Zahid defeated Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the president’s post.Zahid later took “garden leave” after being slapped with multiple corruption charges, although he returned to the top post after six months.The Supreme Council previously proposed that the party delay elections in order to focus on the impending general election.However leaders including Annuar Musa, Khairy and Reezal Merican Naina Merican questioned the move, amid criticism from within the party of Zahid’s leadership.Khairy had said that Umno could only contest the next general election under a leadership that has a clear mandate and which enjoys the people’s support.


Bureau of Prisons staff faulted for serious failures in lead-up to Jeffrey Epstein suicide

The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees who were charged with guarding accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not search his jail cell as required and failed to check on him for hours before he killed himself in 2019, the US Justice Department's internal watchdog said on Tuesday.
In a scathing new report, Inspector General Michael Horowitz singled out 13 BOP employees for "misconduct and dereliction of their duties," saying their actions allowed Epstein to be alone and unmonitored in his solitary cell inside Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center from 10.40pm on Aug 9, 2019 until he was discovered at 6.30am hanging from what appeared to be a linen or piece of clothing.
He also criticised the bureau for other serious operational flaws, such as failing to properly upgrade the Metropolitan Correction Centre's camera surveillance system and under-staffing its facilities.
"The combination of negligence, misconduct, and outright job performance failures documented in this report all contributed to an environment in which arguably one of the most notorious inmates in BOP's custody was provided with the opportunity to take his own life," the report says.
Epstein, 66, killed himself while he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The federal jail where he was being housed has since been shuttered.
Two jail guards were later charged for falsifying prison records to make it appear as though they had conducted routine checks on Epstein prior to his suicide. Those charges however, were later dropped after both guards entered into deferred prosecution agreements and successfully completed mandatory community service.
Horowitz's report identified at least two other unnamed employees who may have committed criminal conduct by falsely certifying inmate counts and rounds, but prosecutors declined to file charges.
In response to the report, BOP director Colette Peters said the findings "reflect a failure to follow BOP's longstanding policies." She added that the BOP concurs with a list of recommended reforms, which "will be applied to the broader BOP correctional landscape."
Epstein, a registered sex offender who once counted former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton as friends, avoided federal charges in 2008 after he agreed instead to plead guilty to lesser Florida state charges of unlawfully paying a teenage girl for sex.
As part of that deal, he only served 13 months in jail and was allowed to leave the facility during the day.
Years later, that arrangement became the subject of an investigative report by the Miami Herald, which raised new questions about the Justice Department's handling of the case and ultimately prompted the former top prosecutor who approved the deal to resign as the Trump administration's Secretary of the Labor Department.
In July 2019, federal prosecutors in Manhattan's Southern District of New York filed fresh criminal charges, accusing Epstein of luring dozens of girls, some as young as 14, to his homes in New York and Florida and coercing them into sex acts.
He pleaded not guilty, but died before he could go to trial.
His former girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was later charged for helping Epstein abuse young girls.
She was convicted in December 2021 on five charges, including sex trafficking a minor, for recruiting and grooming four girls to have sexual encounters with Epstein. In January 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.


Airlines considering ‘pay when you fly’ option to boost consumer confidence

Worldwide, people have been grounded for months and many are ready to take to the air once more now that restrictions are being lifted.As more potential passengers get their double-jabbed certificates, they begin to once again take an interest in what flights are available for them, maybe for a holiday, maybe to visit friends and relatives.But airline performance as they attempt to restart their schedules, flying to countries with ever-changing border restrictions, is still uncertain.Many passengers have had flights cancelled at the last minute and then experienced difficulty in obtaining refunds from airlines.Having to pay for time-limited Covid-19 tests before the flight can also prove expensive – sometimes more than the ticket itself – which is galling if the flight is then suddenly cancelled.Now, airlines around the world have come up with a solution which allows passengers to secure a ticket with just a 15% deposit when booking. The rest of the fare is then payable much closer to the flight date.Passengers who cancel just lose their deposit.The option is being explored after consumers made clear their dissatisfaction with airlines delaying refunds when flights are cancelled due to the pandemic.According to a recent survey, 62% of travellers are likely to opt for the new “pay when you fly” (PWYF) option in summer 2021 to reduce exposure to the dreaded refund process.“We’re entering a critical phase for travel’s recovery, and our industry needs to build confidence at every opportunity,” said Bart Tompkins, managing director of Amadeus, one of the world’s leading travel technology companies.“We believe PWYF will drive traveller confidence, encouraging travel planning and booking even in an uncertain environment with changing Government restrictions,” he said.“The new approach may also result in higher value bookings because travellers only need to make the balance of the payment when it’s clear the flight will depart as planned.”According to reports, at least one major European carrier has taken the lead with providing the PWYF option and may implement it by the end of the summer.Surveys indicate that if airlines offered a PWYF option, the benefits that would most appeal  to passengers were: ‘No need to go through the refund process if my flight is cancelled,’ and, ‘The money stays in my bank until I travel’.


Putrajaya’s election reforms chief against snap polls during pandemic

The head of Putrajaya’s committee tasked with reforming the electoral system has come out strongly against any move to call for snap polls as the country reports its highest daily number of Covid-19 cases yet.Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, a former chairman of the Election Commission (EC) who now heads the Electoral Reforms Committee, also warned that a general election in the midst of efforts by health authorities to battle the pandemic would spark a national health disaster.“I do not support any move to call for elections during Covid-19,” Rashid, the EC chairman who oversaw two general elections between 2000 and 2008, told MalaysiaNow.His comments come against a backdrop of talk that a general election could be called amid political manoeuvring to topple the seven-month-old government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Similar manoeuvring in Sabah recently forced the Warisan-led government to dissolve the state assembly in the hope of obtaining a fresh mandate.The 15th general election should be called by 2023.Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, more than 60 countries have postponed their elections, fearing the spread of the virus which has so far infected some 35 million people, claimed the lives of more than a million and ravaged economies across the world.Neighbouring Singapore however went ahead with its general election, complete with “online rallies” and socially distanced house visits.But Rashid said the Singapore example could not be applied to Malaysia, as the electorate of the city-state is much smaller than that of its larger neighbours.He added that the Singapore election was “equivalent to just a local government election”.Online campaign bad for fair playRashid said at the heart of the argument against holding elections during the pandemic was the question of fair play, as more established parties would have no problem carrying out unconventional methods of campaigning.Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.“Campaigning in democratic elections is the most important process. Small parties will not survive under no-campaign regulations,” he told MalaysiaNow.He also said door-to-door campaigns would be “more damaging to health”.“The Sabah election proved this as the authorities did not have the capacity to check and control, given the volume of campaign activities all over the country.“My plea is, please, don’t call for elections now,” Rashid added.Earlier, MalaysiaNow quoted EC deputy chairman Azmi Sharom as saying that the commission had no say on whether elections should be held back due to the virus scare.“If a seat becomes vacant, or a legislative assembly is dissolved, we are duty-bound to conduct elections,” he said.The Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations in a recent analysis meanwhile warned of the ease with which fake news on Covid-19 infections could impact voter turnout when elections are held during the pandemic.


PM Ismail to give 'special' address amid talk of early election

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will deliver a "special message" in a television address at 3pm after raising the prospect of dissolving Parliament soon to hold the 15th general election.
An election is not due until September 2023, but Ismail has been under increasing pressure from some factions of his ruling coalition to hold the vote earlier for a stronger mandate and due to infighting within the alliance.
The prime minister will address the nation to give a "special message", he said in a Twitter post. He did not say what the speech would be about.
The usual practice is for the prime minister to announce the dissolution of Parliament, with the Election Commission then setting a date for polls.
An election must be held within 60 days of dissolution of parliament.
If Ismail dissolves Parliament soon, the election would come just as the economy starts to feel the pinch of rising costs and a global slowdown.
It would also coincide with the year-end monsoon season and floods, which could reduce voter turnout.
Many lawmakers from his ruling alliance and the opposition have warned against holding elections this year due to the anticipated floods.
Ismail is under pressure from some colleagues in Umno to call an early poll to take advantage of what they see as favourable sentiment towards them, and to form a more stable ruling coalition.
Umno has won elections held at the state level as recently as March, when it wrested control of Johor back from the opposition which had been in power since 2018.
Malaysia has been mired in political uncertainty since the last election in 2018 – a historic vote in which the opposition ousted Umno, which had governed for more than 60 years since independence, due to widespread corruption allegations.
But the Pakatan Harapan coalition collapsed in two years due to infighting, returning Umno to power in a new alliance.
Malaysia has had three prime ministers since the 2018 election.


Families claim Jelebu prison inmates beaten, sprayed with chilli powder in police custody

Families of detainees at the Jelebu prison in Negeri Sembilan claim that over 20 inmates have been abused under police custody, calling for action to be taken against the officers involved.They claim that on April 8, a group of 23 detainees in police custody were beaten up for hours with PVC pipes, sticks, chairs and other hard objects.They also allege that some of the detainees had chilli powder sprayed on their private parts by officers who were not wearing their official uniforms.They claim that the inmates were still handcuffed throughout these events.According to a police report lodged by the wife of one of the inmates, they are calling for action against the officers responsible for the alleged acts, saying the detainees have been traumatised and are now contemplating suicide.“My husband and the other inmates do not have any facilities or communication tools to inform police and family members about this,” the woman said.“My husband was badly injured but the prison officers did not take him to hospital for treatment. Because of his condition, my husband told me he has thought about committing suicide in the prison.“As a wife, I am very concerned for his safety and I urge the authorities to take appropriate action,” she said.


Appointment of party reps to GLCs scrutinised by govt secretariat, says Zahid

The appointment of members or professionals representing political parties to government-linked companies (GLCs) is within the knowledge of and scrutinised by the government secretariat, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
He said each party that forms the government will consult the secretariat before any proposal for appointments is finalised.
"To avoid conflict, we consult the secretariat and before the appointment is made, the secretariat will check and scrutinise the background of the individuals.
"This is done to ensure the representatives of the political parties have experience and backgrounds that can help strengthen the state and federal governments," he said at an Umno event in Bentong.


Long, winding road to solving Selangor’s water crisis

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised discussions on Malaysia’s long-term problem with water cuts and river pollution, with politicians offering little to no solutions to the lingering issue.Pictures of Selangor residents gathering around tankers owned by Air Selangor, the sole water provider in the region, recently went viral on social media as the disruption in water supply forced the residents to collect water directly from the tanker despite the many phases of the movement control order.Such a problem, however, is not exclusive to people in Selangor. Thanks to the rapid development across the country, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) recorded that water consumption per capita in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan had reached 230 litres per capita per day (LCD) in 2019, turning Malaysia into the country with highest water usage in Southeast Asia. Around 60% of the volume was used in domestic households.The figure was also above the recommended threshold by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 150 LCD.The commission also recorded that the reserve margin – the difference between the water treatment plants’ production capacity and clean water usage – was at 12.7% in 2018, the lowest since 2008.While residents despise private water suppliers for the disruptions, they don’t have many choices as political negotiations for potential solutions to the water supply and sanitation problem are often jeopardised.A Dewan Rakyat session on Nov 3 was dominated by talk of Selangor’s water crisis. One of the key points from the session was the environment and water ministry’s statement on attempts to increase reserve water capacity in case of emergencies.The ministry also said that it had increased inspections of factories to ensure the safe disposal of industrial waste. It added that the ministry would support amendments in prevailing regulations for harsher penalties for chemical waste dumping.While the negotiations stalled, residents kept facing problems as Air Selangor recently announced another round of unscheduled water cuts, affecting the majority of the Klang Valley area.Some have also highlighted the problem of chemical waste dumping to Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang. Roughly 6,000 people, most of whom were school students, became sick from the toxic fumes and were hospitalised for breathing difficulties.With authorities still looking for a solution, cleaning the river would cost much as there is little effort to prevent new pollution sources from discharging waste into the river.Charles Santiago, a Klang MP and former SPAN chairman, has suggested some quick reforms to prevent the never-ending chemical waste dumping by “set[ing]-up a National River Protection Authority with immediate effect”.“The outfit must then create a buffer of 300 to 400 metres (inland) where business activities should not be allowed. Police and other enforcement authorities could supervise the place with the help of CCTV and other technologies,” Santiago said.He added that authorities should look at long-term reforms on water conservation and demand management to increase clean water supply, rather than merely focusing on infrastructure approach.Malaysia often seeks to remedy the situation through infrastructure-driven solutions – for example, the Sungai Selangor Dam project increasing the supply of water. This approach, however, couldn’t keep up with the ever-growing demand for clean water.The country has actually already worked on several measures to fix the problem – for example, small-scale water conservation and regulations that encourage industries to label themselves under the Water-Efficient Products Labelling Scheme.Many saw that stricter programmes would be necessary to monitor and control pollution discharges as part of the country’s efforts to promote a just and green transition.However, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) CEO Tricia Yeoh said it wouldn’t be easy to carry out quick reforms to fix the problem, especially in Selangor, due to the unclear relationship between the state administration and federal government.“Regulating water services falls under the Federal Constitution’s Concurrent List, where both federal and state governments have joint responsibilities,” she said.“In the case of chemical pollution, multiple agencies and authorities – SPAN, Air Selangor, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) and the Selangor state government – require streamlined regulation and coordination.”She added that the idea of setting up new agencies to address the water problem would seem unfeasible without the collaboration of federal and state bodies which are heavily influenced by political affiliations.Yvonne Tan is part of Climate Tracker, an independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


New cases dip to 7,700 as 19 more deaths reported

Another 7,739 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,333,557.Of the total number of cases recorded, 67 were in Category Three and above.There were 19,049 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,163,777.A total of 427 cases were admitted to hospital, with 187 (43.8%) in Category Three and above and 240 (56.2%) in Category One and Two.Of the 67 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 24 (35.82%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 16 (23.88%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 27 (40.30%) had received a booster jab;* 36 (53.73%) were aged 60 and above;* 42 (62.69%) had comorbidities; and* 1 (1.49%) was a pregnant woman.There are now 134,469 active cases, of which 131,235 or 97.6% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 266 (0.2%) are at quarantine centres while 2,794 (2.1%) have been hospitalised.A total of 174 are in ICU with 102 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 54.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 20.2%.Another 19 deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,311.The country’s infectivity rate as of April 11 was 0.84.


Analysts see return of Malay-based coalition govt post-GE15

Barisan Nasional (BN) may not succeed in securing a two-thirds victory at the 15th general election (GE15) even though its lynchpin party Umno is considered capable of winning the most parliamentary seats come election day, analysts say.
Those who spoke to MalaysiaNow said although Umno had succeeded in its push for the dissolution of Parliament, any goal of winning with such a margin of victory might be a distant dream.
They added that Malaysia might again witness the formation of a coalition government, similar to that established between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the collapse of Pakatan Harapan (PH) in 2020.
Analyst Oh Ei Sun said if this should occur, the coalition government would likely be Malay-Muslim.
Oh of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said this projection was based on the expectation of continued cooperation between BN and PN if the coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin wins "enough" seats at GE15.
Nevertheless, he said it was also possible that Umno or BN would form a new pact with other groups, even parties from PH.
"If the situation is desperate, I think Umno would be willing to work with anyone who has enough parliamentary seats to form a new coalition," he said.
BN, established in 1973 to replace Parti Perikatan, was first denied a two-thirds victory at GE12 in 2008.
At that election, it won only 140 parliamentary seats while the opposition coalition at the time, Pakatan Rakyat, won 82.
At GE13 in 2013, BN's seats declined again to 133 before its eventual defeat at GE14 in 2018.
Political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain said there was nothing to show that Umno or BN might see a return of their glory days.
Atory, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said multiple cracks had appeared, especially after BN's election defeat in 2018.
He said these splits had in fact given rise to the birth of new parties such as Bersatu, Warisan and Pejuang, and reduced public support for Umno.
"I do not see BN winning by two-thirds," he said. "Who knows if Umno has any magic up its sleeve."
On the formation of a coalition government, Atory said this was in fact a trend in European countries which could also take hold in Malaysia after GE15.
If the people wanted a government with one dominant party, he said, one of the coalitions whether BN, PH or PN would have to win by two-thirds.
Nevertheless, he questioned the extent to which any of these pacts would be able to do so.
"Can any of these three coalitions win a two-thirds majority in today's political chaos and confusion?" he said.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania meanwhile said that a coalition government would benefit the country, allowing more voices from different parties.
He said the concept of coalition governments had existed in Malaysia since the BN era, just that Umno had been seen as too strong compared to the other component parties.
"We want as many voices as possible from different parties," he said.
"In Malaysia, the issue is not due to coalition governments but how power is distributed."


MACC nabs aide to HR minister in RM97 million graft probe

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today said it had detained the senior officer to Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar in relation to an investigation into claims of graft involving a migrant worker recruitment agency.
MalaysiaNow understands that the anti-graft agency is looking into a total of RM97 million in bribes.
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, who confirmed the arrest, said several others had also been detained to assist in the investigation.
The investigation is centred on claims that those involved had set up the recruitment agency to obtain approval from the ministry despite conflict of interest.
MACC officers are said to have raided the ministry this morning, with a focus on other individuals within the ministry and its related agencies as well.
A source meanwhile said that two individuals had been arrested, including a recruitment agent.
Both have been remanded for six days.


No issue with validity of Umno Supreme Council, says Ahmad Maslan

The issue of the validity of the Umno Supreme Council for the 2018/2021 term which ended on June 30, 2021 as stated by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) does not arise, the party’s secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said today.He said the interpretation given by the Umno solicitor of Article 10.16 of the party’s constitution clearly states that the postponement of party elections is the prerogative of the Supreme Council, and that the party needs only inform the RoS of the matter.Based on the chronology of correspondence between the RoS and Umno, he said there was a legitimate expectation by Umno for the RoS to endorse the postponement of the party’s election.“Umno hopes with the explanation, that the polemic between Umno and the RoS is resolved.“Besides, the high number of Covid-19 cases surpassing 20,000 a day has made it more difficult to hold a delegates’ conference and election which would involve 3.3 million Umno members and 66,287 Umno delegates throughout the country,” he said at a media conference today.Yesterday, RoS director-general Jasri Kasim was reported as saying that Umno’s decision to postpone its party elections at all levels – branch, division and Supreme Council – this year was invalid.Jasri said the decision to postpone the election by 18 months was based on the minutes of a Supreme Council meeting on July 7 when the term of office for the council for the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30, 2021.Ahmad, who is also Pontian MP, said the RoS had verified receiving Umno’s letter dated June 24, 2021 through an RoS letter dated July 19, 2021 which among others stated that the RoS had no objection to postponing Umno’s party elections and that the decision was in compliance with Article 10.16 of the party’s Constitution.Meanwhile, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in a statement on Facebook said Umno made the resolution to postpone the general assembly as it could not be conducted virtually.“Umno has never carry out an assembly virtually, what’s more with Umno having more than three million members nationwide including in rural areas which have internet coverage problems,” he said.


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Israeli air strikes hit Gaza after Palestinian rocket attacks

Israel has launched air strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip, after rockets were fired from the territory towards Jerusalem.Hamas militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Monday, including a barrage that set off air raid sirens as far away as Jerusalem, after hundreds of Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli police at a flashpoint religious site in the contested holy city.In Jerusalem, the rocket fire caused Israel’s parliament to be evacuated as sirens sounded.The rocket fire drew heavy Israeli retaliation in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said at least 20 people, including nine children, were killed in the strikes, making it one of the bloodiest days of battle between the bitter enemies in several years.Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been spiralling.The past few days have seen the worst violence in Jerusalem for years, with more than 300 Palestinians wounded in confrontations with Israeli police outside the Al-Aqsa mosque on Monday.Israel said the air strikes had killed at least three Hamas militants. “We have started, and I repeat started, to attack military targets in Gaza,” Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus told reporters.Hamas sources told the BBC a commander of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Abdullah Fayyad, had been killed.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas needed to end the rocket attacks “immediately”, adding: “All sides need to de-escalate.”Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of crossing a “red line” with the rocket attack on Jerusalem, some 100km north of Gaza.He promised that Israel would respond “with great force”.“Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price,” he said, warning that the fighting could ”continue for some time”.


'Relentless' heatwaves scorch southern China, test power grids

Having sweltered through May, southern and eastern China face more weeks of unrelenting heatwaves, putting power grids under strain as demand for air-conditioning soars in mega-cities like Shanghai.
In the next three days, most of southern China is expected to be hit by temperatures of more than 35 Celsius, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40C, according to national forecasters on Friday.
Like many parts of Asia, China has been besieged by extreme hot weather in recent weeks ahead of summer proper in the northern hemisphere. On Monday, Shanghai endured its hottest day in May in more than 100 years. Provinces in the south sweltered in blistering heat, testing power grids as demand for air-conditioning spiked among home, commercial and industrial users.
"I'm not surprised that they are occurring, and not surprised that they are worse. But how they are occurring - it's just been week on week on week of these records being shattered," said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist with the University of New South Wales. "It's just relentless."
Demand for electricity in southern manufacturing hubs, including Guangdong, has surged in recent days, with China Southern Power Grid, one of the country's two grid operators, seeing peak power load exceeding 200 million kilowatts - weeks earlier than normal and close to historical highs.
In recent days, the power load in Hainan rose above 7 million kW for the first time, and also hit record highs in Guangxi, but twice, according to state media reports, with further rises expected in other southern provinces including Yunnan and Guizhou in coming days.
Nationwide temperatures this month will about the same as a year earlier, but in parts of the Yangtze River delta, including Shanghai, as well as parts of southwest China, such as Sichuan and Yunnan, temperatures will be 1-2 degrees higher, Gao Rong, deputy director of the National Climate Centre, told a press conference on Friday.
In the summer of 2022, extreme heat in China pushed authorities to ration power use. Hydropower output, key in giant provinces such as Sichuan, was also hit due to prolonged drought-like conditions.
Powerful convection weather has also wreaked havoc in central China in recent weeks, with protracted downpours and even hail devastating the country's ongoing wheat harvest. In Henan province, known as the granary of China, moderate to heavy rains are expected to continue till at least June 4.


SMS blasts to public in defence of 'unity govt' slammed

Several SMS messages in defence of the coalition government led by Anwar Ibrahim have stirred criticism that the communications and digital ministry led by PKR's Fahmi Fadzil is resorting to mobile networks under its control to push its political narrative to the public.
The messages have been received by mobile users across various networks since last week, defending the "unity government", the phrase that government leaders have used to describe the newfound alliance between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
"The Unity Government is a solution based on the Federal Constitution and the law," said one message received on a mobile device last week.
Another message on the same topic broadcast this afternoon described the government as represented by MPs from various races and religions, as well as those with "expertise and experience".
A Bersatu leader slammed the move as "desperate", calling it an abuse of the network facility by the government.
Dr Muhammaf Faiz Na'aman also compared it to "communist" propaganda tactics to "brainwash the public into accepting the narrative of the government".
"Is this unnatural government afraid and not convinced about the acceptance by the public and Malaysians towards them, to the extent that they have to resort to sending such SMSes?"
A Twitter user also reacted angrily after receiving such messages on his device, urging Fahmi to explain their purpose.
He recalled that PH politicians had in the past criticised text messages by the government on behalf of the National Security Council (MKN) during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis.
"In the past, PH criticised by saying that MKN's messages about Covid-19 were a waste of public funds.
"Don't be a hypocrite and cease immediately!" said user Ayep.
MalaysiaNow has contacted Fahmi, whose communications and digital ministry reach includes telecommunication networks.
The Lembah Pantai MP has already been a target of criticism since taking over the ministry which was rebranded from the previous communications and multimedia ministry, with critics saying he has been more interested in silencing political critics than improving the country's digital infrastructure.
Several PH politicians had in the past criticised the text messages sent to the public from government agencies, accusing the previous government of using the network for propaganda.
They include DAP's Segambut MP and current Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who said that messages sent to the public should assist them.
"Stop abusing MKN SMS platform to nag or to spread subtle propoganda. Use it to help people fight Covid – give them relevant information to be informed of symptoms of new variant, what to do if positive and etc," she said in July 2021, not long before Umno leaders aligned with current Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi engineered a series of defections that led to the downfall of Muhyiddin Yassin's administration in the middle of the pandemic.
The term "unity government" has been used by government leaders, especially those in PH, to explain the move to join hands with long-time foe BN in the wake of the 15th general election last year.
Following a hung parliament, Zahid successfully led 30 MPs to back Anwar for the top office, with both leaders saying that the arrangement was to fulfil the wishes of the palace to form a unity government.
The phrase was however absent from the official statement by Istana Negara proclaiming Anwar as the 10th prime minister following days of political drama.
Critics have said that the present government cannot be described as a unity government, as it does not include a large number of MPs represented by PN, which rejected Anwar's invitation to join his government.
During the first Parliament sitting on Dec 19, the use of the phrase "unity government" by DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng sparked strong objection from opposition MPs.
"Don't use the Agong's name. This was never mentioned in the Tambun MP's (Anwar) appointment letter," said Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee.


Subaru recalls 271,000 US vehicles for fire risks, urges drivers to park outside

Subaru on Tuesday said it was recalling 271,000 Ascent sport utility vehicles with model years between 2019 to 2022 due to increased fire risks and urged owners to park their vehicles outside until repairs are completed.
The Japanese automaker said owners should park away from structures and avoid leaving vehicles unattended while the engine is running. Subaru said a wiring connection may have a production-related defect that can cause a fire while the heater is in operation because excessive heat could result in melting the ground terminal and surrounding components.
There have been two fires but no injuries or crashes have been reported. Subaru dealers will replace heater ground bolts and if needed replace the ground wire and the connector holder.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said until the recall is completed, owners should park vehicles outdoors. If an owner notices or smells smoke coming from the dash or driver’s footwell area, they should immediately stop the vehicle and turn the ignition off.
Subaru said in early 2020 it introduced air tools to the production line replacing a battery tool. Also in 2020 it received the first technical report of an Ascent exhibiting smoke from the cabin and received the first fire damage report in September 2021 and then received a report in 2022 of a vehicle damaged by fire that was produced after the tool change.
Subaru said "out of an abundance of caution, Subaru decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall."
The recall issue was corrected in production on April 29, 2022 with an updated tightening tool to prevent incomplete tightening, Subaru said.


Court throws out Khairuddin’s suit against Muhyiddin, govt over emergency declaration

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the government’s application to strike out former Jasin parliamentary constituency coordinator Khairuddin Abu Hassan’s legal action against former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin over the emergency proclamation.The action was taken to challenge Muhyiddin’s decision to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the proclamation of emergency to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Khairuddin as the plaintiff, when contacted by reporters, said judge Noorin Badaruddin made the decision after hearing submissions from the parties in a virtual proceeding.“The court allowed the government’s application to strike out the whole originating summons filed by my client,” he said, adding that he would take further instruction from Khairuddin on whether to appeal against today’s outcome.Senior federal counsel S Narkunavathy acted for Muhyiddin and the government as the first and second defendants.On Feb 17, Muhyiddin and the government filed an application to strike out Khairuddin’s suit on the grounds that it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious and an abuse of the court process.Khairuddin filed the suit on Jan 18, asking the court to decide on four legal and constitutional issues regarding the emergency proclamation.On June 23, the High Court dismissed Khairuddin’s application to refer the four constitutional questions to the Federal Court.The state of emergency was declared by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Jan 12, to be enforced until Aug 1 as a proactive measure to contain the pandemic in Malaysia.Muhyiddin on the same day explained that the Cabinet had advised the king to proclaim the emergency under Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution effective Jan 11, 2021 to Aug 1, 2021.Clause (1) of Article 150 states that if the king is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security, or the economic life, or public order in the federation or any part thereof is threatened, he may issue a proclamation of emergency, making therein a declaration to that effect.


Malaysia eases chicken export ban after squawks of protest

Malaysia today partially lifted a ban on chicken exports that was aimed at fighting domestic shortages but sent prices soaring in neighbouring Singapore, sparking squawks of protest.However, the curbs are only being eased on a small number of chicken types – and not the one most commonly exported to Singapore – meaning the impact could be limited.The halt on exports of 3.6 million chickens a month, which began on June 1, was the latest protectionist step in Asia as prices of everyday goods surge.But it caused consternation in Singapore, a tiny city-state that relies on its larger neighbour for a good chunk of its food imports, including around a third of its chicken.There were particular concerns over the impact on chicken rice, a hugely popular dish of poached chicken, rice and chilli dip, with some vendors hiking their prices or temporarily closing stalls.Malaysian authorities have now decided to allow exports of free-range and black chickens, according to a notice from the country’s Department of Veterinary Services seen by AFP.Singapore media reported that exports resumed from Tuesday.However, the ban remains for so-called broiler chickens, larger birds reared in commercial operations, which are the type most commonly exported to Singapore.The Singapore poultry merchants’ association expressed relief but downplayed the impact of the move, as free-range chickens are more expensive than broiler birds, according to news outlet CNA.“I don’t think customers will want to fully switch to selling kampung (free-range) chicken for the time being,” said secretary association Ma Chin Chew.Like many other countries, Malaysia is battling rising inflation, particularly when it comes to food, which prompted it to impose the curbs.But Singapore is also facing rising prices, with inflation at a 10-year high.Other countries that have taken protectionist measures include India, which banned wheat exports, and Indonesia, which temporarily halted palm oil shipments.


Over 600,000 registered for Covid-19 jabs through MySejahtera

A total of 637,000 individuals had registered for the Covid-19 vaccine through the MySejahtera application as of 9pm yesterday.Senior assistant director-general of the Disease Control Division at the health ministry, Dr Mahesh Appannan, said the application is so far considered the most effective medium for disseminating information on Covid-19, including on the vaccination programme.“The MySejahtera application now has almost 21 million unique users and they are all active. Every day we get almost 18 to 20 million check-ins. This shows there is much interaction and use of the MySejahtera by the people.“Currently, we do not make it mandatory to use MySejahtera, but we encourage Malaysians to use it. Mandating something is not always our strategy, it should be voluntary,” he said on Bernama TV.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin launched the Covid-19 vaccination registration programme yesterday through the MySejahtera application to facilitate implementation of the immunisation programme.The launch ceremony was held after Muhyiddin received the first of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Putrajaya Health Office, becoming one of the first individuals in the country to receive the vaccine.Registration for Covid-19 vaccination through the MySejahtera application is one of five methods provided by the government for the purpose.The public can also register at www.vaksincovid.gov.my, while for offline registration, they can contact a hotline which will be announced soon. They can also head to the nearest public or private healthcare facility, or register through assistance programmes for residents in rural and inland areas.Mahesh assured Malaysians that the user data stored in the MySejahtera application is safe as it is protected under legislation such as the Medical Act 1971 and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, alongside the existence of a strategic collaboration with the National Cyber Security Agency.


Science will tell you, not the right time for GE, Khairy says

Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today panned calls for a vote of no confidence against the prime minister, saying the focus should be on managing the Covid-19 pandemic, not holding a general election.“As the minister of science, I want to say clearly that having a general election right now, in the midst of a third wave of Covid-19 infections, is absolutely irresponsible, and if you ask me as a politician, my answer is listen to the science,” he said in an interview on BFM today.Khairy, who has been spearheading Malaysia’s quest for a vaccine for the virus which has so far claimed 170 lives, also said the country was currently locked in a “life and death situation”.“I am consumed almost 24/7 trying to secure (a) Covid-19 vaccine for Malaysians.“Stop all this nonsense. If you have the numbers – and once the palace accepts audiences – then by all means, show your numbers and get on with it. But if you don’t have the numbers, then bugger off.”His remarks followed the royal audience granted to Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, at which the PKR president said he had presented proof to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the support needed to topple Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional government.However, the palace later said that Anwar had not given the names of the MPs allegedly supporting him, only the total number.In a statement issued by Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, Comptroller of the Royal Family and Household, it also said the king had advised Anwar to abide by the legal process in line with the constitution.


Ukraine court jails Russian soldier for life in war crimes trial

A Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison on Monday for killing an unarmed civilian in the first war crimes trial arising from Russia’s Feb 24 invasion.Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, had pleaded guilty to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the northeastern Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka on Feb 28 after being ordered to shoot him.Judge Serhiy Agafonov said Shishimarin, carrying out a “criminal order” by a soldier of higher rank, had fired several shots at the victim’s head from an automatic weapon.“The court has decided: Shishimarin Vadim Evgenyevich… is found guilty… and sentenced to life imprisonment,” he said.“Given that the crime committed is a crime against peace, security, humanity and the international legal order… the court does not see the possibility of imposing a (shorter) sentence of imprisonment on Shishimarin for a certain period.”Shishimarin, wearing a blue and grey hooded sweatshirt, watched proceedings silently from a reinforced glass box in the courtroom and showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.For much of the time, he stood with head bowed as he listened to a translator who stood with two guards outside the reinforced glass box.The trial has huge symbolic significance for Ukraine, which has accused Russia of atrocities and brutality against civilians during the invasion and said it has identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes.Russia has denied targeting civilians or involvement in war crimes.The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the verdict. It has previously said that it has no information about the trial and that the absence of a diplomatic mission in Ukraine limits its ability to provide assistance.Ukrainian state prosecutors said Shishimarin and four other Russian servicemen stole a privately owned car to escape after their column was targeted by Ukrainian forces. The soldiers then drove into the village of Chupakhivka where they saw Shelipov riding a bicycle and talking on his phone, they said.The prosecutors said Shishimarin was ordered by another serviceman to kill the civilian to prevent him reporting on the Russians’ presence and he fired several shots through the open window of the car with an assault rifle at Shelipov’s head. Shelipov died on the spot.In court last week, Shishimarin acknowledged he was to blame and asked the victim’s widow, Kateryna Shelipova, to forgive him.


Nearly 29 million vaccine doses given, almost 35% of population double-jabbed

A total of 28,837,742 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of yesterday.The Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee said 17,437,286 individuals had received a first dose while 11,400,456 individuals had been given a second.In terms of percentage, 53.4% of the country’s population have received a first dose while 34.9% have completed both doses.On the daily vaccination rate, a total of 525,111 doses were administered yesterday compared to 501,776 doses on Monday, with 184,972 as first doses and 340,139 as second doses.


Daily caseload tops 7,100 as 16 more deaths logged

Another 7,140 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,396,165.There were 14,423 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,264,127.There are now 96,601 active cases, of which 93,901 or 97.2% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 282 (0.3%) are at quarantine centres while 2,308 (2.4%) have been hospitalised.A total of 110 are in ICU with 68 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 52.5%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 14.5%.Another 16 deaths were reported, including four who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,437.


Bangladesh tea workers struggle as heat and drought scorch fields

Phul Kumari has picked tea in northeastern Bangladesh for three decades, but the 45-year-old says she has never experienced heat and drought like that during this harvest season.
"It's too hot and I can't continue working," she said, as she took a break for water at the tea estate where she labours in Sreemangal, south of the city of Sylhet.
"I feel like I'm standing... beside the cooker in the kitchen," she said. "I've never seen this situation in my entire life."
Sreemangal, Bangladesh's tea capital, traditionally has the highest rainfall in the country and temperatures that, while close to 30 degrees Celsius in the summer, feel milder because of the cooling rain.
But in recent years, as the planet heats up, temperatures have been rising, hitting a sweltering 39C in Sreemangal in May. Worse still, rainfall that month was half of the usual levels.
That is slashing the region's tea harvest - which is expected to be halved compared to last year - and driving away the tourists who normally throng to the hilly region to see its rainforests, lakes and picturesque tea gardens.
Around the world, worsening heatwaves fuelled by climate change are proving increasingly costly for businesses and their workers, raising questions about how economies and the people who depend on them will cope, especially as continued fossil fuel use further heats the planet.
Kazi Shamsul Haque, general secretary of the Sreemangal Tourism Service Organisation, said this season even 60% discounts were failing to pull in tourists scared away by the heat and drought, something he called "a great loss for us".
"Rainy season is the peak time for Sreemangal tourism," including the 60 resorts in the area, he said. "But this time tourists are not coming."
"We have heard about climate change many times and now we can see the impact in our area," he said.
High temperatures wreak havoc on workers and harvest
Perhaps hardest hit by the worsening drought and heat, however, are the legions of tea workers in the normally mild region, which was first planted to tea gardens during British colonial rule.
Mini Hazra, a tea picker at Barawura, one of the area's tea plantations, said she could normally pick 50-60kg of leaves a day but this year could manage only 15kg a day before having to stop work, which has affected her income.
"After working in the heat I feel like my skin is getting burned and I can't stop it even using water," she said.
The heat left her so tired, she added, that she struggled to get her own household chores done at home after arriving exhausted from work.
She cannot remember tea picking conditions ever being so difficult. "It was not the same before. Due to enough rain we could work easily in the summer," she said.
Hotter temperatures, meanwhile, threaten not just Bangladesh's tea workers but the tea plants themselves, researchers say.
Md. Abdul Aziz, principal scientific officer at the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute, said tea grows best at temperatures between 15C and 25C, but that plants can typically continue producing sufficient leaves up to about 29C.
However, as temperature peaks continue to creep up each year - from 36C and 37C in the last two years to 39C this year - "all the dimensions... are exceeded," he said, with production now falling.
Romij Uddin, an agronomy professor at Bangladesh Agricultural University, said higher temperatures are also leading to worsening pest problems, particularly with red spider mites, which damage leaves and require pesticide applications to control.
With tea bushes facing high temperatures, a lack of rain, and pests, "new leaves of tea are not coming," he said.
Rony Bhowmick, manager of the Sreemangal Clonal tea garden, said the harvest there this time of year is normally 4,500kg of tea leaves a day - but this year it has fallen to about 2,500kg, a decline of nearly 45% .
The Bangladesh Tea Board, which oversees production in the country, believes this year's national harvest will also suffer.
"We are predicting the production will decline due to hot temperatures. For the last few years the temperature has been rising but this year it is worse," said Muhammad Madhul Kabir Chowdhury, the board's deputy director for trade.
Because most of Bangladesh's tea is consumed at home, the fall in production is not expected to affect world markets.
Tea pickers trying to stay hydrated
Faced with rising heat - a problem likely to worsen in future years as climate-changing emissions continue to rise - tea growers say there is little they can do to adapt beyond ensuring workers are offered more drinking water, rest and rehydration salts.
Tea pickers who once paused only for a drink provided by plantation authorities at noon say they now often carry pots of water with them to try to stay hydrated more frequently as they work in hot conditions.
Kazi Kamrul Hayder, a secondary school student and climate change activist at Sreemangal Government College, said reducing carbon emissions globally - and planting more trees - was the way to "save our area".
But Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Dhaka, said that Bangladesh must also do much more now to prepare for and adapt to fast-rising temperatures.
"High temperatures are one of the climate change impacts that Bangladesh is not used to and must learn to cope with urgently," he said.
"The exact impacts will be unpredictable - but it is certain that unusually high temperatures will become the norm going forward."


Parts from crashed Indonesian jet sent to US, UK for extra scrutiny

Indonesia’s air accident investigation agency has sent five components of the crashed Sriwijaya Air jet to the US and Britain for additional examination.The 26-year-old Boeing 737-500 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on Jan 9, killing all 62 people on board.The parts sent include the autothrottle that automatically controls engine power, the agency’s head said on Tuesday. He did not identify the other parts.National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) chief Soerjanto Tjahjono told Reuters the components had been sent for examination to help find out why an autothrottle parameter had changed.The plane’s flight data recorder (FDR) has been found and read by investigators but a maritime search is going on for the cockpit voice recorder’s (CVR) memory unit that Tjahjono said would help explain any human factors behind the crash.“If we only have the FDR, we do not know why the parameter changed,” he said of the autothrottle. “We need confirmation from the components that we sent to the US and UK and the CVR.”KNKT said last month it was investigating whether a problem with the autothrottle system contributed to the crash given an issue with it had been reported on a flight a few days earlier.It is acceptable for a plane to fly with an autothrottle system that is not working because pilots can control it manually instead.KNKT plans to issue a preliminary report into the crash soon, possibly on Feb 9, Tjahjono said.Citing sources close to the investigation, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last month reported the FDR data showed the autothrottle system was not operating properly on one of the plane’s engines as it climbed on departure from Jakarta.Instead of shutting off the system, the FDR indicated the pilots tried to get the stuck throttle to function, the WSJ said. That could create significant differences in power between engines, making the jet harder to control.Tjahjono said the WSJ report was incorrect and more information would be provided in the KNKT’s preliminary report.


The fight to bring back Malaysia’s dwindling fish population

Once something’s gone it’s not always possible to bring it back, but this is exactly what the fisheries department is attempting to do with the country’s marine life, long a victim of overfishing and unsustainable trawling.MalaysiaNow previously reported that 96% of Malaysia’s demersal fish stock – fish that live and feed on or near the bottom of the ocean – had been lost in less than 60 years due to these issues.Now, the department is going all out to bring this population back to life.Operating under the agriculture and food industries ministry, the fisheries department or DoF has an arsenal of initiatives in place for its efforts to revive the once plentiful population.First and foremost is the matter of controlling how many of these fish are caught.To do this, the DoF has put in place what is known as a vessel licensing system.The fisheries department has an arsenal of initiatives in place for its efforts to revive the once plentiful fish population.Because Malaysia has reached the optimum number of fishing vessels operating in its waters, there have been no licences issued to new vessels since 1982, with the exception of ships used for deep sea fishing.Vessels are also whitelisted, a process which ensures that they are fit to operate within the licensed period.“This is one of the commitments of the department to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the country,” a DoF spokesman told MalaysiaNow.And the department has been busy: it has revoked the licences of 2,027 vessels so far.Realising as well the value of a good defence, it has also committed itself to protecting the country’s remaining marine biodiversity. This means the establishment of marine parks and conservation zones and the creation of restricted fishing areas, among others.In states like Kedah, Perak and Selangor, fishing areas have been rezoned, creating a space for the recovery of the fish population. Here, zero to one nautical miles from the shore have been dedicated to aquaculture, becoming the main breeding ground for juvenile fish to mature.Fishing zones known as trawler operating zones meanwhile have been revised from five nautical miles to eight and above, to help the demersal fish stock recover, the spokesman added.The department has also committed itself to protecting the country’s remaining marine biodiversity.Given the magnitude of such initiatives, the DoF cannot go it alone.“We work with agencies like the marine police, navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) to monitor and prevent misconduct that may affect fisheries resources,” the spokesman said.In order to meet Malaysians’ demand for seafood without putting too much pressure on the country’s waning fish stock, the DoF sees the development of aquafarming as the way forward.Key strategies will include promoting the development and use of existing and new technologies and innovation for aquaculture.This includes the concept of “aquaculture smart farming” through use of the internet of things in aquaculture systems. This is expected to increase productivity, cut back on labour and facilitate operations in livestock farming or cages.It is also crucial to ensure that such enterprises are licensed.“This enables action to be taken against unlicensed aquaculture premises or those that violate the terms of the licence,” the spokesman said.In the future, the installation of detectors such as the Automatic Identification System and Mobile Transceiver Unit will be made mandatory on all fishing vessels in selected zones.This is to improve the efficiency of captured fisheries management and ensure sustainable fisheries resources in the country.The Vessel Modernisation and Capture Mechanisation Programme, which received a budget allocation of RM150 million, will be implemented as well to increase control over fishing and the competitiveness of local fishermen.Other efforts such as resource rehabilitation and stock enhancement programmes through habitat enhancement, the creation of protected breeding grounds, the installation of artificial reefs and release of baby fish into open waters and pilot programmes such as the no-catch period in Kedah and the establishment of fisheries refugia in Sarawak and Johor are among the other tricks the DoF has up its sleeve to overcome the marine life crisis.Perhaps then, through the collective effort of all, Malaysians will be able to enjoy their seafood knowing that there is more where that came from.


Release medical records of bat cave patients, Fauci urges China

Top US scientist Anthony Fauci has urged China to release the medical records of nine people who fell sick with a coronavirus-like illness prior to the outbreak, saying they could provide insights into whether the pandemic came from a lab.The “lab leak” theory has gained increasing traction, fuelled by reports that six miners fell ill in 2012 and three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick in 2019 after visiting a bat cave in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan.In an interview with The Financial Times on Thursday, US President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said the records could answer critical questions over the contested origins of Covid-19 in Wuhan, where a pandemic that has killed over 3.6 million people worldwide began.“I would like to see the medical records of the three people who are reported to have got sick in 2019,” Fauci said. “Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with?“The same with the miners who got ill years ago… What do the medical records of those people say?” he asked.“It is entirely conceivable that the origins of Sars-Cov-2 was in that cave and either started spreading naturally or went through the lab.”Fauci has previously said he believes Covid-19 was a natural occurrence, though he has admitted to not being “100%” certain.China wholly rejects the lab leak theory, and has instead accused the US of peddling conspiracies and politicising the pandemic to divert attention from the high death rates there. Evidence to support the hypothesis is also scant.The natural origin theory – backed as the most likely by a World Health Organization expert team who visited China last year – holds that the virus emerged in bats then passed to humans, likely via an intermediary species.Beijing’s foreign ministry Friday cited the findings of that visit in dismissing Fauci’s comments – and cited unsubstantiated claims that the virus first appeared at a US biological research centre at Fort Detrick.It pointed to a Wuhan Institute of Virology statement from March when asked if Beijing would share the medical records.“We hope that people who do not hold conspiracy theories, who do respect the facts and who do respect the truth can get factual answers from this statement,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, told a briefing.A widely accepted theory at the start of the pandemic, scientists have yet to find a virus in either bats or another animal that matches the genetic signature of SARS-CoV-2.Biden last week ordered US intelligence agencies to report to him in the next three months on whether the Covid-19 virus first emerged in China from an animal source or from a laboratory accident.


PH chiefs hope for change as Mat Sabu tells defectors to return

Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) top leaders today welcomed the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, calling for change by the next administration in the days to come.PKR president Anwar Ibrahim who is also PH chairman thanked Muhyiddin for his service, adding that his decision to step down would open up space for change in the country.“I urge all parties to stay calm and to pray that Malaysia rises again in strength to face the current health and economic challenges,” he said in a statement.DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng meanwhile said Muhyiddin had taken “the correct constitutional step” in submitting his resignation after losing his parliamentary majority.“During his 17 months in power, Muhyiddin tried hard but fell short in handling the triple crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recession and political instability,” he said.“The new prime minister faces huge challenges and will have to do a far better job of dealing with the triple crises, particularly to save lives and livelihoods badly affected by the surge of Covid-19 infections and deaths.”Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister today after a brief audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah later decreed that he be made caretaker prime minister pending the appointment of a new leader.Muhyiddin’s resignation came days after opposition parties dismissed his offer of a cross-party consensus in exchange for their support in an upcoming confidence vote.He said in a speech after his resignation that it was clear he no longer commanded majority support following the rejection of his offer, as well as the withdrawal of support from 15 Umno MPs aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.Zahid, alongside Anwar and former leader Najib Razak, had been at the forefront of efforts to topple Muhyiddin.Meanwhile, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu urged all MPs who had won the previous election on a PH ticket to reunite under the coalition’s banner.“Let what happened in the past remain in the past, and let us create history to rebuild our beloved country,” he said.“When the mandate of the people in the previous election is restored and the parliamentary institution is revived, no one will be left behind because the role and views of the opposition will also be taken into account in administering Malaysia to bring it out of the Covid-19 health crisis and rebuild the country’s economy.”


Ex-health minister says ready to cooperate with MACC probe on Covid-related procurements

Former health minister Dr Adham Baba is willing to cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) probe into allegations of corruption and irregularities in Covid-19-related procurements.Adham, who held the portfolio when the pandemic first hit the country, admitted that he had received complaints about the matter which occurred at the administrative level.He said that during the pandemic, many procurements were made without going through normal procedures, adding that there also was confusion in implementation.“We used emergency procurements because there was an urgent need for many things to be done quickly. There were some orders that required us to make deposit payments which did not go through the usual processes. There were things that I was aware of and as the (health) minister at that time, I advised them.“As a minister, I take care of the policy and the administration executes it. I laid down all of the requirements to be executed by them and I am ready to cooperate with MACC. There is no doubt because this is the first time ever the emergency procurement was used,” he said to reporters after an event in Serdang today.This comes after MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said yesterday that the agency was conducting an investigation into alleged corruption, malpractice and abuse of power in Covid-19-related procurements.


Massive fire engulfs Indonesian oil refinery

A massive blaze broke out Monday at one of Indonesia’s biggest oil refineries after a huge explosion turned the sprawling complex into a raging inferno.Firefighters battled to contain the fire at the Balongan refinery in West Java, operated by state oil company Pertamina, as towering plumes of black smoke rose into the sky.At least five people were seriously injured and about 1,000 local residents were evacuated from the scene after the fire broke out early Monday morning.The local disaster agency said one person had died from a heart attack after the explosion.About 15 people were slightly injured and authorities said they were checking on the whereabouts of three others.“To prevent the fire from spreading we’ve shut down operations… and are putting our efforts into handling the blaze,” Pertamina’s president director Nicke Widyawati said in a statement.The cause of the fire was not clear, but the company said the blaze broke out during a lightning storm.Pertamina said it did not expect the fire to cause fuel supply disruptions due to the high volume of stock it has on hand.The sprawling refinery is about 200km east of the capital Jakarta.


48 reported Covid deaths take toll to 30,195

Another 48 Covid-related deaths were reported on Nov 25, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 30,195.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, 10 or 20.8% of these were brought-in-dead (BID) cases.Kelantan and Terengganu had the highest number of reported deaths at eight or 16.7% each.This was followed by Sarawak and Perak which reported six deaths or 12.5% each.Selangor reported five deaths, Sabah four deaths and Pahang three deaths, while Penang and Kedah reported two deaths each.Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur reported one death each while no deaths were reported in Putrajaya, Labuan and Perlis.According to the CovidNow website, the highest incidence of deaths over the past two weeks occurred in Terengganu, Kelantan and Sarawak.As of yesterday, Melaka had the highest usage of hospital beds meant for Covid-19 patients with 104.6% bed utilisation.A total of 6,144 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,608,979.As of yesterday, there were 68,755 active Covid-19 cases reported and 6,602 recoveries.


How well do we know paedophiles?

For decades, the face of Jimmy Savile or James Wilson Vincent Savile was a familiar sight nearly everywhere.The Briton was known throughout the world as a television and radio personality. He was also a celebrity and hosted pop music shows, often appearing on stage to introduce big names such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.No less prominent were his acts of philanthropy and his work in fundraising and supporting charities and hospitals including through television show “Jim’ll Fix It”, where Savile would make the wishes of children come true.Savile was also known among politicians and even members of the royalty including Prince Charles, and former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher had written to the queen of England to lobby for a knighthood on his behalf.As of 2011, though, the police revealed that Savile had preyed on hundreds girls and women from as young as five to as old as 75.He died in October of that year, but the uncovering of his sex scandal shook the world.The children who had grown up admiring him could not accept that their hero was a paedophile.On social media, meanwhile, a heated debate took place on his credibility and ability to engage in paedophiliac activities when he was in the limelight almost all of the time.Some reports portrayed him as being mentally ill.In a 2015 interview with BBC, however, a number of psychologists challenged this depiction of him, insisting that he was merely a cunning man.A Netflix documentary aired early this year, titled “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story”, meanwhile, provided another take on how he had groomed so many, and how he had propagated the image of himself as a good-hearted and honest person, willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of the children.In short, “trust Uncle Jimmy”.Today, more than a decade after his death, the question remains of how well we know individuals who are found to be paedophiles.Criminal analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim stresses that paedophiles and those who sexually prey on children are not crazy.To group them as unbalanced would be to give them a licence to continue committing such offences, he said.“Are they capable of planning out their deeds?” he said. “Crazy people can’t plan what they’ll do next.”Social activist Mohd Fairuz Abu meanwhile said that those who commit sexual crimes against children are aware of the fact of what they are doing.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said this was why they hid from society and chose not to seek help or an official diagnosis of whether they are mentally disturbed.“I have friends who are psychiatrists, but they have never had paedophiles as their patients before,” he said.“They don’t come because they know that what they do is legally wrong.“They don’t go to hospitals because they are afraid they’ll get caught, as if they’re looking for a disease.”In hindsight, Savile’s activities were never detected during his lifetime.The activities of fellow Briton Richard Huckle, who was arrested in 2014 for 71 sexual offences against children, also went undetected for a long time.And up until his arrest, Sarawakian Alladin Lanim hid thousands of pornographic images and videos, as did Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin, a so-called genious student who furthered his studies in the UK.In the end, it seems, anyone could be anything. So the question remains: how well do we know paedophiles?


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Japan on ‘maximum alert’ after record virus cases

Japan is on “maximum alert” after logging a record number of daily coronavirus infections, the prime minister said Thursday, though no immediate restrictions are planned.More than 2,000 cases were recorded nationwide on Wednesday, with nearly 500 in the capital Tokyo alone.While small compared to figures seen in some other countries, the numbers represent a sharp rise in cases for Japan, where testing is often less wide-scale than in other parts of the world.“We are now in a situation of maximum alert,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.“I ask you, the Japanese people, to fully implement principles such as wearing masks,” Suga added, urging people to wear them even while talking during meals in restaurants.National broadcaster NHK said Suga had asked expert advisers to meet on Thursday and Friday to examine the growing number of infections before the government takes any further measures.Suga said he would support local regions if they asked businesses to close early, and that restrictions including limiting groups at restaurants to four people should be considered.Tokyo is expected to raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tier scale on Thursday, but the move does not come with automatic restrictions.Local media said the capital was not likely to request early business closures for now.Japan has so far taken a comparatively relaxed approach to coronavirus restrictions, with even a nationwide state of emergency in the spring carrying no obligation for businesses to close or people to stay at home.And while testing has ramped up, it has remained comparatively low, with around 5,000-6,000 people tested a day in metropolitan Tokyo, home to nearly 14 million people.Still, Japan has seen a relatively small outbreak so far, with close to 121,000 recorded infections and just over 1,900 deaths since the virus was first detected in the country in January.


Covid-19 passport in the pipeline for the fully vaccinated

Those who have completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine might be allowed to cross state borders under a Covid-19 passport currently under discussion by the government.Works Minister Fadillah Yusuf said this is part of an incentive under consideration.“Once you have been vaccinated, you will get the passposrt and it will allow you to travel anywhere in Malaysia.“In fact, if you don’t have an international passport, you can still travel abroad under the travel bubble, like what the World Health Organization has been doing with a few other countries that have agreed,” he said in a press conference at the Sarawak Construction Industry Development Board in Kuching today.He said once the move receives the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, it will encourage the public to get vaccinated.He added that the initiative would be deliberated once more by the National Security Council’s technical committee.“The matter was discussed this week, and hopefully it will be approved by the committee after being presented again.”


Black hole heroes win 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded jointly to three scientists who made discoveries about black holes.Nobel committee scientists said this year’s prize celebrates one of the most exotic objects in the universe: black holes, which have become a staple of science fiction and science fact where time even seems to stand still.Briton Roger Penrose was awarded half of the prize “for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity,” the committee said.He proved with mathematics that the formation of black holes was possible, based heavily on Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativityThe other half of the prize is to be split between German Reinhard Genzel and American Andrea Ghez “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy”, the committee said. That object is a black hole four million times the mass of our sun.


RM1.7 billion allocated for sewerage projects nationwide

The federal government has allocated RM1.7 billion in the third rolling plan under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to develop sustainable infrastructure through the implementation of sewerage projects throughout the country.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said it was part of the ongoing efforts to modernise the sewerage infrastructure and provide efficient and quality sewerage services to all Malaysians.
He said, as of now, Malaysia has achieved 85.4% of sewerage services in the major cities and aims to reach 90% for sewerage coverage by the end of the 12MP in 2025.
"Modernisation of the country's sewerage sector involves the process of upgrading ineffective and not cost-effective as well as closing down small-sized sewage treatment plants as population and economic activities grow.
"Such initiative is also important to ensure effluent discharged is complied with the stricter environmental regulations, especially on water resources pollution," he said in his opening speech at Trenchless Asia 2023 in Kuala Lumpur today.
The text of the speech was read out by the director-general of the sewerage services department Wan Abd Rahim Wan Abdullah.
Nik Nazmi said the ministry has taken the concept of regionalisation when it comes to the development of sewerage infrastructure in high-density urban areas which promotes the building of sewage treatment plants with an appropriate scale to meet the needs of a larger community.
Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi said the potential of the sewerage sector in Malaysia has not been fully tapped.
"The three by-products of the sewage treatment plant such as bio-solid, bio-effluent and bio-gas, all have the economic potential for commercialisation.
"Take bio-effluent for example, the government has laid a specific agenda to utilise treated effluent for a specific purpose.
“Through this initiative, the government is targeting to produce 1,500 MLD (million litres per day) reclaimed water by 2030, mostly to be used for non-potable applications and as an alternative water source for specific industries," he added.


Shafee seeks to remove half of former tax officer’s witness statement

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s legal team has raised an objection against more than half of the written witness statement of a former Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) officer, contending that it is a form of opinion and conclusion on the lawyer’s RM9.5 million money laundering case.Shafee’s lawyer Harvinderjit Singh informed the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the defence had found that 33 out of 51 paragraphs of the witness statement of Syed Nasrul Fahmi Syed Mohamad should be expunged due to allegedly prejudicial elements.“This witness statement is 13 pages long and contains 51 paragraphs. I am seeking to strike out 33 paragraphs of the witness statement because he is not a legal expert to give such testimony,” Harvinderjit said before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin.He made the objection before Syed Nasrul Fahmi, who is the seventh prosecution witness, took the witness stand.During the proceedings, Harvinderjit read out certain paragraphs and insisted that Syed Nasrul Fahmi’s witness statement seemed to show that the witness had arrived at a finding of guilt against his client, something only a proper judge is in a position to do.“It is strange when one reads the witness statement. The witness’ qualification is in accountancy and not law, yet he gives an opinion about the interpretation of the provisions of the Income Tax Act. That is a legal opinion and the only person who can give a legal opinion is Yang Arif,” said the lawyer.Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz said the issues raised by the defence were very serious.“If the court rules not in our favour, then it means we cannot use the witness statement altogether. If expunged, it would mess up the evidence to be tendered by the prosecution. We are opposing the objection and would like to deal with it first on a later date,” Afzainizam said.After hearing arguments from both parties, judge Jamil suggested that the witness read out his statement first in the next session so that the defence can point out in court the paragraphs they wish to expunge.The trial continues on Dec 8.On Sept 13, 2018, Shafee pleaded not guilty to two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through two cheques issued by former prime minister Najib Razak, deposited into his CIMB Bank account.He was also charged with two counts of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns, which is in violation of Paragraph 113 (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013 and Dec 31, 2014.


Twitter now requires users to sign in to view tweets

Twitter will now require users to have an account on the social media platform to view tweets, a move that owner Elon Musk on Friday called a "temporary emergency measure".
Users who try to view content on the platform will be asked to sign up for an account or log into an exiting account to see their favourite tweets.
"We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users!" Musk said in a tweet.
He added that hundreds of organisations or more were scraping Twitter data "extremely aggressively", affecting user experience.
Musk has previously expressed displeasure at artificial intelligence firms like OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, using Twitter's data to train their large language models.
"We absolutely will take legal action against those who stole our data & look forward seeing them in court, which is (optimistically) 2 to 3 years from now," he said.
In a letter addressed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro in May asked the tech giant to conduct an audit of its use of Twitter's content, alleging the Windows developer violated an agreement over using the social media company's data.
The company has initiated a range of measures to bring back advertisers who left the platform under Musk's ownership and to increase subscription revenue by making verification check marks a part of the Twitter Blue programme.
Earlier in the month, Twitter had announced plans to focus on video, creator and commerce partnerships to revitalise the social media company's business beyond digital advertising.
Twitter has also begun charging users to access its application programming interface, used by third-party apps and researchers.


In Peru, people line up day and night for life-saving oxygen

While loved ones are fighting for breath at home, hundreds of Peruvians have taken to sleeping on the street, sometimes for days on end, in queues of people desperate for oxygen amid a deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.In the night chill, they take cover in small tents, under blankets or sheets of cardboard outside Criogas, a small oxygen factory in the port city of El Callao near the capital Lima.Hundreds of man-sized oxygen cylinders line the street outside the factory, each bearing the name of the person who brought it.“Yesterday I stood in a long queue. I’ve been here since 5am yesterday. I arrived late because when I came, there were people who had already spent two or three days here,” said Yamil Antonio Suca.The 25-year-old student told AFP he hoped not to have to spend a second night sleeping rough, but did not expect to reach the front of the line by day’s end.Going home empty handed is not an option.“My father has Covid-19, he is 50 years old, he needs the oxygen,” Suca said.‘We do what we can’Every morning, factory staff aided by police officers do the rounds, revise the waiting list, and announce how many cylinders can be filled that day.The factory has not increased its price, despite others having hiked theirs by as much as 300% – a practice Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti has denounced as “truly criminal”.The second wave of Covid-19 has seen oxygen supplies run low in several South American countries, and many Peruvian families say their loved ones died because they could not access any.At El Callao, people are willing to sleep rough for days on end, without bathroom access and some without food, to get their hands on the precious substance.Many of their loved ones are being cared for at home, with hospitals running short on beds.As dawn breaks, hawkers come around offering a humble breakfast of bread with avocado, or simply a coffee.Miguel Angel, 22, says he is number 124 in line.“We have a member of the family, 89 years old, in a bad way, we do what we can for her,” he said. He came with his cousin to take turns waiting in line.‘She will die’Police were brought in to keep an eye on the hopeful buyers, prevent queue jumpers and thwart any merchants seeking to take advantage of the special price reserved for individual customers.The mood among those waiting is somber with many worried about their ill family members, yet there is little evidence of jostling as many a supportive hug is shared.Smiles brighten faces when a name is finally called and a bottle filled, bringing hope – one patient at a time.The factory can fill 10 bottles about every 45 minutes, until closing time at 5pm.“My mom is fragile, she’s 69,” said Yulitza Torres, 46. “If we don’t bring oxygen she will die.”Residents of Lima and seven departments of Peru are under a new lockdown from Monday until at least Feb 14 as authorities try and brake the spread of the killer virus.The country of 33 million inhabitants has registered more than 1.1 million cases and over 40,000 deaths since March last year.


8-year-old girl dies after car hits London primary school, police say

An 8-year-old girl died and several other children and adults were injured after a car collided with a building at a south London primary school on Thursday, police said.
Local media reported the children had been holding an end-of-term tea party with parents and teachers in the garden of Study Prep School in Wimbledon, less than a mile from the site of the ongoing tennis tournament.
"The driver of a car, a woman aged in her 40s, stopped at the scene and has since been arrested for causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody," senior police officer Clair Kelland told reporters outside the school, at times fighting back tears.
Asked how the car, a Land Rover, could have crashed into the school, Kelland said she would not speculate.
The capital's Metropolitan Police said the incident was not being treated as "terror related".
A total of 16 people, several of them children, were treated at the scene and 10 were taken to hospital, emergency services said.
"The school community is profoundly affected by this tragedy and, at the moment, we're really not in a position to make any further comment about it," John Tucker, chair of the school's board of governors told reporters.
A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said the prime minister thanked the emergency services for their response.
"The prime minister's deepest condolences are with the family of the girl who has tragically lost her life and his thoughts are with all those injured and involved in the horrific collision in Wimbledon this morning," the spokesman said.
"This will have been a terrifying experience for all the children, staff and parents."
Several ambulances, including the air ambulance service and fire officers were involved in the response to the incident.


PH 'no choice' but to support Budget 2023

Political analysts say that opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) may have no choice but to support the budget for 2023, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat last week, even though this would place Barisan Nasional (BN) in a positive light.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said PH could not afford to risk the dissolution of Parliament if the budget fails for a lack of support.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said PH support for the budget would also stem from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked with the government last year.
"PH will not do anything that goes against that agreement," he said, citing the advantages gained from the consensus including the anti-party hopping law which recently came into effect.
"I believe PH will support this budget in order to ensure that several other bills are also passed."
The 2023 budget, presented by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz on Oct 7, had allocated RM372 billion for the year ahead.
Amanah's Pulai MP, Salahuddin Ayub, said it could be considered as "goodies" for the general election widely expected to take place in the near future.
"I hope that if the budget is people-oriented, it will be allowed to be debated," he told reporters in Parliament.
"We in the opposition agreed to the MoU to give the prime minister enough time to rebuild the country, not for there to be struggles or pressure for Parliament to be dissolved."
The opposition front, alongside several parties in the government including Bersatu and PAS from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, have been vocal in their objection to any move to dissolve Parliament before the expiry of its term.
They cite, among others, the arrival of the northeast monsoon season expected in mid-November.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that BN would benefit the most from the budget despite the mixed nature of the government which comprises BN, PN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
Hang Tuah Jaya MP Shamsul Akin Iskandar meanwhile said PH would consider whether or not to support the 2023 budget.
"We will debate until the end, and we will see what is concluded by the finance minister," he said.
"It is still too early to jump to any conclusions."
For Mazlan, however, the key to PH's support would be the prospect of Parliament's dissolution to pave the way for an early election, amid strong pressure from Umno leaders aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for Ismail to call for polls this year.
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, also expects PH to support the budget.
"As they continue their pledge to prop up Ismail's government, they will have no choice but to eventually vote yes on the budget, albeit grudgingly," he said.
The MoU between Ismail and PH was signed in September last year. The agreement covered a post-Covid national recovery plan, administrative transformations and reforms at the Parliament level, as well as the Malaysia Agreement and the independence of judicial institutions.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim previously said that PH might reject the budget, depending on the government's integrity in several issues of importance.
The previous budget for 2022 was passed after obtaining the support of the majority of MPs.