‘Lockdown’ named Collins Dictionary Word of the Year

Collins Dictionary said on Tuesday that “lockdown” is its Word of The Year in 2020 following a dramatic increase in usage during the spread of Covid-19.Lexicographers said they picked the word because it had become synonymous with the experience of populations across the world as governments look to curb the coronavirus pandemic.“It is a unifying experience for billions of people across the world, who have had collectively to play their part in combating the spread of Covid-19,” publishers Harper Collins said.Collins registered more than a quarter of a million usages of “lockdown” during 2020, against only 4,000 the previous year.Because of the way the pandemic has affected the daily use of language, six of Collins’ 10 words of the year in 2020 are related to the global health crisis.“Coronavirus”, “social distancing”, “self-isolate” and “furlough” as well as “lockdown” and “key worker” were included in the longer list of 10 words of the year.“Key worker” alone has seen a 60-fold increase in usage reflecting the importance attributed this year to professions considered to be essential to society.“2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic,” Helen Newstead, a language consultant at Collins, said.“Lockdown has affected the way we work, study, shop, and socialise.“With many countries entering a second lockdown, it is not a word of the year to celebrate but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world.”Collins defines “lockdown” as “the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces”.According to the dictionary, coronavirus is: “Any one of a group of RNA-containing viruses that can cause infectious illnesses of the respiratory tract, including Covid-19.”Significant social and political developments beyond the virus have also been reflected in the list, which has already made its way into online editions of the English dictionary.A wave of Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the death in US police custody of unarmed black man George Floyd, spread around the world and brought a new awareness of the movement.The abbreviation “BLM”, often used as a hashtag on social media, was widely used in conversations and reporting following the protests, registering an increase in usage of 581% by Collins.Social media regularly throws up new words for the dictionary.This year, Collins has included “TikToker”, which describes someone who shares content on the TikTok social media platform.“Mukbang”, which refers to a South Korean trend of video bloggers eating large quantities of food in videos broadcast to their followers, has also made the list.The UK royal family influenced the shortlist in 2020.“Megxit”, which refers to the withdrawal of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan from royal duties, passed into regular usage.The word, modelled on “Brexit”, which was Collins’ word of the year in 2016, illustrates just how firmly established that word now is in the British lexicon.


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World leaders call for international treaty to prepare for future pandemics

Leaders from 23 countries, the EU and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday backed a push for a new global treaty to better prepare the world to tackle future pandemics.The call came in an op-ed published internationally that was signed off by leaders from five continents, including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s Boris Johnson, France’s Emmanuel Macron, South Korea’s Moon Jae-in and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.“We believe that nations should work together towards a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response,” their joint call said. “Such a renewed collective commitment would be a milestone in stepping up pandemic preparedness at the highest political level.”The leaders say that countries must now “be better prepared to predict, prevent, detect, assess and effectively respond to pandemics in a highly co-ordinated fashion”.A new treaty would help to establish better systems for alerting the world about potential pandemics, they say, while also improving the sharing of data and distribution of vaccines and personal protective equipment.“There will be other pandemics and other major health emergencies. No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone. The question is not if, but when,” they wrote. “The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stark and painful reminder that nobody is safe until everyone is safe.”The letter adds: “At a time when Covid-19 has exploited our weaknesses and divisions, we must seize this opportunity and come together as a global community for peaceful co-operation that extends beyond this crisis.”The push to bolster common efforts comes as the world struggles to combine forces to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed almost three million people worldwide.The spread of the virus has seen blame traded between capitals and accusations that rich nations have hoarded vaccines as economies around the globe have been battered.The treaty – first proposed by European Union chief Charles Michel at the United Nations last year – would likely be the focus of major international wrangling.Michel and WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are to hold a press conference on Tuesday on the proposal.Leaders from key world powers including the US, China, Russia and Japan were not among the signatories.But those who did put their names to the plan said they were “committed to ensuring universal and equitable access to safe, efficacious and affordable vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for this and future pandemics.”They wrote: “We must be guided by solidarity, fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and equity.”


Australia’s second-largest city introduces virus curfew

A coronavirus curfew was announced Monday for Australia’s second-biggest city of Melbourne, with residents confined to their homes overnight as authorities work to stamp out a Delta variant outbreak.More than five million Melbourne residents will be unable to leave their homes between 9pm and 5am from Monday evening, with essential workers requiring permits to be on the streets.Victoria state premier Dan Andrews said the decision came after a series of street parties, pub crawls and home gatherings over the weekend, as Melbourne reached a “tipping point” in its latest outbreak.“We’ve seen lots of different people flouting these rules, not doing as they should, making really poor choices,” he said.Andrews also announced that stay-at-home restrictions would be extended to Sept 2, saying it was necessary for the city to avoid the fate of Sydney “where it has fundamentally got away from them”.More than eight million people in New South Wales state are under lockdown – including in Sydney where residents have already been under those restrictions for almost two months.Australia’s most populous state has recorded more than 8,200 cases since the outbreak began in mid-June, with 56 related deaths in a population with low vaccination rates.A snap lockdown was announced for the northern city of Darwin on Monday, with about 150,000 people told to stop non-essential movements for three days after a man tested positive.“We have made the decision to lock down fast because of what we do not know,” Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said.“There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others.”Australia’s capital Canberra will also remain in lockdown until Sept 2 as health officials grapple with a small but growing outbreak in the city.Australia won global praise for its early pandemic response but strict border closures and other measures have struggled to contain the highly transmissible Delta variant.Repeated and lengthy lockdowns in some cities have left many people weary of restrictions, as authorities pursue an increasingly elusive “Covid zero” status until vaccination rates reach 70% or higher.After a glacial rollout, nationwide vaccination efforts have accelerated in recent weeks with a quarter of Australians now fully inoculated and supplies beginning to ramp up.Australia has recorded more than 39,000 cases of Covid-19 and 966 deaths to date in a population of 25 million.


Rosmah's money laundering, tax evasion case heard before new judge

Rosmah Mansor’s money laundering and tax evasion trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court was heard before a new judge today.
Judge K Muniandy replaced Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who was recently promoted to the Court of Appeal.
During today’s proceedings, Rosmah’s lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent informed the court that they were withdrawing their application to disqualify senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, given that the former Federal Court judge died in late January this year following a lung infection.
Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn did not object, and the application was struck out.
The court previously fixed 15 days from May 12 this year for the trial. Apart from May 12, the court also set June 28 and 30; July 6, 7, 27, 28 and 31; Aug 1, 2, 11, 24 and 25; and Sept 7 and 8.
The July 27 trial date was however vacated as Geethan Ram said he would be occupied with a Court of Appeal matter on that day.
Meanwhile, Poh informed the court that the prosecution would call 15 witnesses.
Rosmah, 70, faces 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750, and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak was accused of committing the offences at Affin Bank, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Jalan Ampang between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, and at LHDN Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.


Health ministry waiting for forensic, pathology reports on teen’s death

The health ministry has yet to receive the full forensic and pathology reports on the death of a 13-year-old boy who passed away 18 days after receiving his Covid-19 vaccination.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a Twitter post that the state health department was working closely with clinicians and the forensic team in the investigation.“I have yet to receive the full forensic and pathology reports,” he said.Noor Hisham also said the health ministry extended its deepest condolences to the parents and family of the teenager, who was from Selangor.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in an earlier tweet, had also extended his condolences to the teenager’s parents and asked Noor Hisham to issue a statement as soon as possible.The parents were recently quoted by the media as calling for a probe into the death.


MACC report on judge Nazlan given to chief justice

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) report on Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali relating to a regulatory breach under the Judges’ Code of Ethics 2009 has been handed to Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said MACC had related the matter to her through a letter dated Feb 21, 2023, adding that no further information about the matter was conveyed in the letter.
The matter is subject to the chief justice’s decision as outlined under Clause 3 and 3A of Article 125 of the Federal Constitution. Under Clause 3 of Article 145, the attorney-general or public prosecutor has the authority under their discretion to begin proceedings for any offences.
"The discretionary powers provided to the attorney-general under Clause 3 of Article 145 are quite vast and can be used to charge any individual, including a judge, if the testimony for an offence fulfils all elements of the charge.
"However, the government cannot intervene in the powers of the attorney-general or public prosecutor," she said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address for the ministry at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
On April 23 last year, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki reportedly confirmed that the agency had begun an investigation against Nazlan relating to allegations of unexplained money in his account.
Nazlan, who heard former prime minister Najib Razak’s case and convicted him of charges of embezzling SRC International funds, also lodged a police report over the article.


Lorry boss apologises for Taiwan’s worst train wreck

A construction site manager whose lorry slid on to a railway track and led to Taiwan’s worst train disaster in decades has apologised for causing the death of at least 50 people.Rescue workers say they may yet find more bodies. More than 200 passengers were injured in the derailment.Lee Yi-hsiang, 49, said he was “deeply remorseful”. His flatbed lorry was parked on an embankment but slipped down it, causing the train to derail on Friday near the city of Hualien, the BBC is reporting.Lee was part of a team who regularly inspected Taiwan’s mountainous eastern railway line for landslides and other risks.He was questioned over the weekend by prosecutors and released on bail, but on Sunday he was taken back into custody because he was deemed a flight risk and had a previous conviction, Taiwanese media reported.Reading a statement to news crews outside his house, Lee said he would cooperate with crash investigators, and “take the responsibility I should take”. He was then taken away by police.The eight-carriage train was travelling from the capital Taipei to Taitung when it hit the truck and crashed inside a tunnel north of Hualien.The train was packed with people travelling to celebrate a long-weekend holiday, and many of the nearly 500 passengers on board may have been standing because the train was so full.Some survivors lost their whole families, and Taiwan declared three days of national mourning.Crews are still removing the train wreck from the tunnel. There are fears more bodies could be found.Investigators have been going through the train’s recording devices and CCTV footage from the front carriage, the chairman of the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board told reporters.“It’s believed the train driver might have only had 10 seconds at most to react and there was not enough distance to emergency brake,” he said.There have been mounting questions over how full the train was, and why there were no barricades on that section of the line to prevent vehicles from reaching the track.Taiwan’s transport minister offered his resignation on Sunday. On Facebook, he wrote: “I should have accepted all the criticism over the past few days, but we have not done well enough.”The government has not accepted his resignation, however, and said he should stay in the position until the investigation was complete


Come clean on taking power with kleptocrats, Bersatu MPs challenge PH

Three Bersatu MPs from Sabah and Sarawak have urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to publicly declare that they will not take federal power with the support of kleptocrats, following news that a group of MPs aligned with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have agreed to back Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister should the present government collapse.Saratok MP Ali Biju, Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin and Ranau MP Jonathan Yasin said opposition to kleptocrats had been PH’s rallying cry at the 14th general election which saw the overthrow of the Barisan Nasional government.“If PH plans to take power with kleptocrats’ support, what is the price demanded by the kleptocrats? Surely the public is entitled to know this,” they said in a statement.“After making opposition to kleptocrats their rallying cry in GE14, is this what DAP, PKR, Amanah have come to? Take power at all costs, with whichever unsavoury political bedfellow is available?”MalaysiaNow earlier reported that some 15 MPs aligned with Zahid, including those facing multiple corruption charges, would be backing Anwar to be appointed as prime minister if the Perikatan Nasional administration collapses.This came after negotiations by PH with other opposition blocs and individual parties failed to gain their support for Anwar.A senior PKR office bearer told MalaysiaNow that PH leaders believed such an opportunity would never come again, despite strong reservations from some DAP MPs.The Bersatu MPs said DAP had indicated its support for Anwar as candidate for prime minister.“Despite conceding the fact that Anwar doesn’t have the numbers and will certainly depend on the support of the kleptocrats and court cluster, they continue to express their support for his candidacy,” they said.“Muhyiddin has promised the people on live telecast that he will not let the kleptocrats take power in our beloved Malaysia. Can DAP or PH give the people the same assurance that they will not take power or form government with the support of kleptocrats?”Muhyiddin in his live address yesterday had offered a cross-party consensus ahead of the confidence vote in Parliament to determine his support among MPs.He listed seven items in his proposal to avoid a collapse of the government which he said risked a power vacuum that could be filled by “kleptocrats” while disrupting efforts to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.The Bersatu MPs praised Muhyiddin for his move, saying he had refused to give in to kleptocrats, interfere in court cases or sell the country’s future “to the highest bidder” despite his political career being on the line.“Muhyiddin has sworn not to allow kleptocrats back to power – why is PH still refusing to make the same promise?“We, the three Bersatu MPs from Borneo, challenge PH to publicly declare that they will not take power or form government with the support of kleptocrats. If they fail to do so within the next 24 hours, then all the principles and reforms they like to talk about are just a charade and political fodder for their ambitions.”


Third time’s the charm? Let’s see, says Muhyiddin on making a comeback

Caretaker prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin does not appear to have ruled out the possibility of returning to the top post, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong prepares today to gauge the support for candidates vying for the vacant position.“Well, let’s see,” he said when asked if there was any possibility of a comeback during a question-and-answer session with select media outlets after delivering his resignation speech yesterday.“It shouldn’t have happened like this. I believe, before my resignation, that at that time, I as prime minister had the largest majority. I think you can confirm on that issue.”Any return of Muhyiddin to the top post would be historic as it would be his third comeback since falling from power.In 2015, he was sacked from the Cabinet by then-prime minister Najib Razak for questioning the latter’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal. After a brief stint in the political wilderness, he formed Bersatu, joined hands with opposition parties in the 2018 polls and returned as a senior Cabinet member in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government.After the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020, Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister.Yesterday, he announced his resignation, saying his administration’s focus on fighting the pandemic had been disrupted by a group of kleptocrats, a reference to Najib and MPs aligned with him.Muhyiddin said it was clear that no other individual has the majority support of MPs.“There was a time when an MP claimed to have convincing and formidable numbers, but we never heard of it, not even convincing, not even formidable.“Because I know, we are politicians, we have information that not a single party has a larger majority than me,” said Muhyiddin.Muhyiddin said it was now up to the Agong to arrive at a candidate whom he thinks has the majority support of MPs, in line with the constitutional provisions.“In the constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong must find a new prime minister using any method he thinks fit. Previously, I was elected based on statutory declarations, I was called twice… will Agong do that again? That is beyond my power,” said Muhyiddin.Muhyiddin, who leads the Perikatan Nasional coalition, is among the party leaders called to Istana Negara today to submit the names of candidates by each party.“Will I offer myself as a candidate? I don’t know yet,” he said.But he warned that there would still be instability if the numbers are the same.“Even if there are other options, he might have only two or three majorities.”Any prime minister appointed by the Agong may be subject to a confidence vote in the upcoming Dewan Rakyat sitting, including for the 2022 budget to be presented this year.


5-day quarantine for unvaccinated travellers to Malaysia

Beginning April 1, travellers entering Malaysia who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 must undergo quarantine for five days, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He added that once they have completed their quarantine, they must comply with the stipulated Covid-19 regulations.“For example, they are not allowed to dine in at restaurants until they are fully vaccinated,” he told a media conference at Parliament today.As for travellers who are exempted from vaccination due to health reasons, Khairy said they would be required to upload proof of the exemption given by health officers on their MySejahtera application.Meanwhile, Khairy said children and teenagers aged 17 and below travelling to Malaysia need not undergo quarantine, irrespective of their vaccination status. Instead, they only need to take a Covid-19 RTK (Ag) test within 24 hours of their arrival.He said the quarantine period for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Malaysia before April was still subject to the protocol previously set out.“If a traveller begins undergoing quarantine on March 29, (there is) no need for a week. The quarantine order for that individual will still expire on April 1 (once the date for transition to endemic phase takes effect).”


Mahathir says no longer chairman of GTA

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he is no longer Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) chairman and that the political coalition is no longer functioning.
He said the GTA had not been functioning as intended and its registration had not been approved by the Registrar of Societies.
"The (GTA chairman) post has been there for a long time. There is nothing wrong with it. Since GTA is not functioning, it cannot help us. As a (political) party, we found that it cannot win. We contested in the 15th general election, and GTA and Pejuang (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air) lost 125 seats.
"So it seems that as a party, we cannot win. If we want to win and fight for the Malays, we have to get the support of the Malays," he told reporters at an Aidilfitri celebration organised by the Pertubuhan Prihatin Kubang Pasu in Alor Setar last night.
Also present was Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir. Mahathir was asked to explain his position as the chairman of GTA, which is an alliance of four political parties namely Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia and Parti Perikatan Indian Muslim National, as well as non-governmental organisations that formed Gagasan Bangsa.
On Jan 14 this year, Pejuang announced withdrawing from GTA and this led to Mahathir leaving the party which he founded with 12 others. Mahathir was later reported to have joined Putra.
Meanwhile, Mukhriz, responding to questions from the media, said Pejuang had yet to decide on contesting in the coming state elections to be held in six states.
The matter is still being discussed, he said.
When asked whether the party will consider cooperating with other parties, Mukhriz said Pejuang is open to the idea.


Putting a face to the ‘ghost’ of Covid-19 in Sarawak interior

Those venturing from their homes these days are familiar with the litany of procedures that await upon arrival at their destination.Hands dip into pockets and handbags for phones used to scan the QR codes displayed at the entrance, and foreheads are presented for temperature checks.A squirt of hand sanitiser, a quick tug to make sure that face masks are in place, and most would be ready to go.Such measures, now part of daily life, provide material reminders for many of the gravity of Covid-19, a virus which has claimed over 1,300 lives in the country so far.But in rural areas far from busy office buildings and glitzy malls, there is little to evoke an understanding of the outbreak even more than a year after the fact.“They see the virus as a ghost because it is something that humans cannot see.”The urban-rural divide is especially prominent in Sarawak, where geographical barriers complicate efforts to reach remote communities.Social anthropologist Poline Bala warned that it would be difficult to contain the spread of infections in such areas given the poor healthcare system there if authorities fail to come up with an inclusive response.“Many people in rural areas, they know that Covid-19 is a disease in general. But they have little understanding of the virus itself, and some may have no idea how it is transmitted.“They see the virus as a ghost because it is something that humans cannot see,” she told MalaysiaNow.Sarawak is currently struggling with a surge in new cases which for some time has kept it among the states with the most infections reported each day.Yesterday, it recorded a high of 960 new cases out of 2,551 reported across the country.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said last week that the increase in cases reported in the state was due to the addition of community clusters including at long houses. Contributing factors included large events and social activities including funerals, weddings and other celebrations.Poline acknowledged a lack of compliance with SOPs within the community but said this reflects their struggle to understand the measures.“There is a WhatsApp group on Covid-19 in Sarawak, but that group is basically for people in urban areas to talk about the disease. What about the people in rural areas?”In such places, she said, an explanation of the science behind the disease from a cultural perspective would be critical to curbing the outbreak.She also spoke of an urban bias in the government’s policies and their implementation.“If you look at all of the policies clearly, there has always been an urban bias whether in social or economic policies or in terms of technological development.“These are the gaps that exist between the rural and urban communities, including in terms of health. The lack of basic facilities, the high poverty rate, the huge geographical diversity and environmental conditions, the high illiteracy rate – these are among the big issues that divide them.”“There has always been an urban bias whether in social or economic policies or in terms of technological development.”In Sarawak, she said, almost 60% of the population lives in rural areas.Instead of focusing on technical measures to curb infections in the state, she suggested that the government emphasise clearer communication which would help everyone understand the need to practise the SOPs.Poline, a professor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, said this could be done through the distribution of educational kits in addition to strong engagement with communities including on the safe use of face masks and the importance of frequent hand washing.“Educational kits should be rolled out in different languages and in different forms, on different social media platforms – whatever is available,” she said.“Communicating through banners is effective as it helps remind people to take care of themselves. Information can be in the form of drawings, or in audio form which can be passed around,” she added.She warned that there are limits to approaching the pandemic from a purely epidemiological perspective.“We need to consider religious feelings, location, educational backgrounds,” she said.“If we’re talking about a new norm, a norm is something that you inculcate. You don’t use the police to inculcate a norm. We need to move from policing to community-based surveillance.”She praised the government for its efforts so far but said a more conducive framework is needed.“The degree of success of SOPs depends on the people’s behavioural chances. The only way forward is through proper education.”


Indonesia’s plug on CPO exports could affect local processing sector, says palm oil board

The local processing sector could be affected by Indonesia’s plan to stop the export of crude palm oil (CPO) to foreign markets if the supply of raw material is insufficient for further processing in the country.Indonesian President Joko Widodo had said that the country wanted to stop exporting CPO and to replace it with processed products including cosmetics, margarine and biodiesel.He said Indonesia, the world’s biggest exporter of CPO, should be bold enough to take this step despite the risk of action by the World Trade Organization.Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, director-general of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), said there were concerns that such a situation could take place although Malaysia’s CPO production is still sufficient to meet the palm oil demand of importing countries.“Currently, over 70% of exported palm oil products are in processed form,” he told MalaysiaNow.“If exports in the form of CPO increase to meet demand from countries such as India, China and the European Union (EU), the rate of local capacity use for the refinery sector will likely continue to decline due to the need to meet CPO export demand.“If this happens, the operations of refineries will be affected, as well as the demand for processed palm oil products.”Parveez also warned that this situation could affect the government’s efforts to empower downstream industries and increase revenue through value-added products.MPOB expects palm oil production to increase periodically over the next five to 10 years.Production is expected to reach 22 million tonnes by 2025 and to increase to 25 million tonnes by 2030.Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s largest and second largest exporters of palm oil.According to data from Statistica, global palm oil consumption is expected to increase from 41 million tonnes in 2008 to 77 million tonnes this year.Palm oil is primarily used in food preparation, followed by use in industrial and other sectors.Malaysia and Indonesia are also facing pressure from the EU, which has been carrying out a campaign painting palm oil and its products in a negative light.In 2019, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad threatened to buy jets from China if the EU continued its ban on palm oil in the form of biodiesel.On whether Malaysia should take similar measures, Parveez said the matter would need further study by the ministry in charge.As far as MPOB is concerned, he added, there are no plans to restrict CPO exports to foreign markets.“As an export-oriented industry, about 85% of the country’s CPO production is for exports, the majority of which is in the form of processed palm oil,” he said.“Nevertheless, CPO exports have been and are showing an upward trend due to encouraging demand from importing countries, especially India.”If Malaysia takes similar steps, he added, the needs of the main importing countries will be affected and, as a result, CPO will be replaced with other vegetable oils.“It would cause long-term losses for the palm oil industry,” he said.On Indonesia’s move, he said, a large number of industry players in the country were expected to benefit from the plans, especially plantation companies which also own processing and compaction plants.He said this means that industry players would have full control over the global marketing network.“It’s still too early to evaluate the pros and cons of this measure for Indonesia, but it will likely affect the country’s national income as export tax and levy revenue will be impacted,” he said.“Exports to industrial countries such as India, China and the EU will also be affected because they need CPO as raw material.”Andrew Cheng, a senior industry player from Sarawak, said Indonesia’s move to encourage downstream industries would add value and diversify the final exported products, which he said could also be used by some 300 million Indonesians without needing to be exported.“We purchase the finished CPO products from overseas after we sell the CPO,” he said. “The challenges will be the downstream investment costs and technology needed for Malaysia.”He suggested that industry players join ventures with other countries which could provide both these things.“Malaysia must find ways to go downstream, to create added value to the CPO industry and improve our marketing strategy,” he said, adding that Malaysia’s population is much smaller than Indonesia’s.


Israeli govt and court at odds over Jewish prayer at flashpoint shrine

Israel reaffirmed on Sunday a long-standing arrangement with Muslim authorities that prevents Jewish prayer at a contested Jerusalem holy site, pushing back against a lower Israeli court that questioned the legality of police action against violators.Al Aqsa mosque compound, which Jews revere as a vestige of their two ancient temples, is a flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Under the decades-old “status quo”, Israel allows Jews to visit only if they refrain from religious rites.Three Jewish minors, ordered to stay away for 15 days by police after they prostrated themselves and intoned a biblical prayer during a compound tour, contested the ban at Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. It ruled in their favour on Sunday.Police argued that the appellants had disrupted officers’ duties and threatened public order. But judge Zion Saharai, while noting he did not intend to interfere in law enforcement policy, said they had not “raise(d) worry of harm befalling national security, public safety or individual security”.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement calling the ruling “a grave assault against the historic status quo… and a flagrant challenge to international law”.Jordan, a US-backed Israeli security partner that serves as custodian of Al Aqsa, has also voiced concern about the Jewish visits to the compound.Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said the ruling would be appealed at the higher Jerusalem District Court.“There is no change, nor is any change planned, on the status quo of the Temple Mount,” it said in a statement, using the Jewish term for the site Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary.“The Magistrate’s Court decision is focused exclusively on the matter of the conduct of the minors brought before it, and does not include a broader determination regarding the freedom of worship on the Temple Mount.”With the Jewish visits increasing in number, including over the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan that coincided this year with the Jewish Passover festival, Palestinians have cried foul.The ruling came a week before nationalist Jews are due to hold an annual flag march through Jerusalem’s Old City, marking its capture by Israel in a 1967 Middle East war. The event is resented by Palestinians, who want the Old City and other parts of East Jerusalem as capital of their hoped-for future state.Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group that fought a Gaza war with Israel last year that was partly stoked by Jerusalem tensions, described the flag march’s planned route through a Muslim quarter of the Old City as “adding fuel to the fire”.“I warn the enemy against carrying out such crimes,” Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said in a televised address.


Despite losing a leg, 3D artist’s talent is setting him on a course to success

When the doctor told Mohd Faizal Rahmat his left leg had to be amputated, he was stunned.His heart sank as he contemplated the doctor’s words. The thought that he would no longer be able to walk normally dismayed him.He went home and resolved to ignore the advice and carry on as usual. But as the days went by, the agony in his leg became more excruciating.“I couldn’t sleep at night due to the pain,” he told MalaysiaNow.The artist is well known for his three-dimensional (3D) paintings of medieval Melaka, which went viral on Facebook a few years ago.The startling details of Istana Melaka, the township, and the port won him many admirers among history buffs, with some saying the paintings transported them back to the 14th century.Some of his paintings were bought by the public and also featured on the covers of several local books on Melaka. Others served as the backdrop for a forum on history by a broadcasting company.Mohd Faizal Rahmat’s reimagination of Istana Melaka, which went viral a few years ago.“After my artworks went viral, I received a lot of freelance work,” he said. “The biggest commission came from Rizalman Ibrahim, who asked me to help with the redesign of Istana Negara’s Balairong Seri for the coronation of the current Agong. It was an honour to work on such a project.”But as his artworks became more acclaimed, his health started to deteriorate, and in 2017 he began to suffer from pain in his legs caused by a mystery illness.At that time, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, so he gave up his job as a designer with a firm of architects and went home to his kampung in Pekan, Pahang, to take care of her.The pain got worse, and in 2019, he was diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease, a slow and progressive blood circulation disorder that causes the blood vessels outside the heart and brain to narrow, block, or spasm.When he was offered a full-time job at another architect firm that year, he accepted and went back to Kuala Lumpur.“I stayed in a hostel in Brickfields where a friend of mine work was working. My office was in Setiawangsa, quite a distance from the LRT station. I had to walk from the station to the office and my leg just got worse,” he said.“In late 2019, I was dismissed because of my health condition just as I received my disability card.”He and his friend had to move from hotel to hotel, sometimes being asked to leave since his left leg had deteriorated further and sometimes smelled unpleasant.“Luckily, a good Samaritan, who wished to remain unknown, paid for the deposit on this house I’m renting. I still have to pay the rent and my living costs, and for my medication,” he said. “I share the house with my friend and another tenant.”But he had entered the house as a different person. Prior to moving in, and after his leg had become painful beyond all bearing, he had finally agreed to have his left leg amputated at Hospital Kuala Lumpur in early 2020.The movement control order, imposed shortly after his operation, allowed him to adjust to his new life as a disabled person.Freelance jobs to paint 3D visuals were scarce during that period.“Alhamdulillah, I managed to get by. Occasionally I get big jobs that allow me to save up enough for several months of living costs. And the continuing demand for my artworks helps too. The i-Sinar withdrawal also eased my burdens,” he said.He said he can make RM700 a month from his paintings, not including the freelance jobs he gets.“I have to sell the paintings as cheaply as possible since I need the money to live. I know the works are worth much more than that. But I have to lower my ego,” he said.He has to depend on his friend to take him back and forth to the hospital for check-ups.“I couldn’t do it by myself. My friend even learned how to do the dressing for my leg because we couldn’t get to the hospital every two days to dress my wound.”He told MalaysiaNow that he has another operation scheduled this month, this time for skin grafting.“At the moment, I’ve stopped accepting work. I might be warded and therefore, I would be unable to deliver. I want to focus on this operation before anything else.”As he endures the coming days, some of the dark cloud that has been hovering above him might finally be disappearing as he can now add another achievement to his portfolio.The German history magazine, GEO Epoche, will feature his artworks in their May edition, which he is excited about.He also wants to focus on his next project: a book that will bring together his Melaka artworks.“The book will be published in partnership with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, which I am a graduate of, and the Malaysian Institute of Architects,” he told MalaysiaNow.“It won’t be just a book about visual artworks but will also contain information about Melaka’s history. We are also planning an exhibition to coincide with the publication of this book.”Perhaps after the traumas he has suffered over the last few years, his life is now heading to a place where he can enjoy the fruits of his undeniable talent.


Sri Ram tells why Arul Kanda would be a relevant witness in Najib’s 1MDB audit report trial

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram today told the court that former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy was a relevant witness to be called as he might have spoken with Najib Razak about the amendments to the final audit report, which the one-time prime minister is on trial for ordering.Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge, said that Arul, as Najib’s accomplice, was in a position to testify regarding the conduct of his co-accused, Malay daily Berita Harian reported.According to the report, Sri Ram also pointed to evidence that Arul Kanda had attended meetings on Feb 24 and 25, 2016, adding that he was the CEO at the time while Najib was chairman of the 1MDB advisory board.“He knew about the charges as he attended the meetings, and through communication with Najib,” he was quoted as saying.“He also knew about all of the conversations relevant to the charges.”On May 20, Sri Ram said Arul Kanda might have information relating to transactions with Najib which would affect the outcome of the prosecution of the former leader.Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to prevent any action from being taken against him.Arul Kanda, 45, is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report, to protect the former prime minister from being subjected to action.The application to call Arul Kanda to testify against Najib was made under Section 63 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.Speaking today, Arul Kanda’s lawyer N Sivananthan said his client was ready to take the stand.However, Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the prosecution was acting with malicious intent by submitting the application.He also said that the application should have been made at the start of the trial in 2019 so that Arul Kanda would not hear the testimonies of other witnesses during the trial, Berita Harian said.A decision will be made by judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on June 24.


Volunteer in Covid vaccine test dies in Brazil

A volunteer participating in clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University has died in Brazil, officials announced Wednesday, though media reports said he had received a placebo, not the test vaccine.It is the first death reported in the various coronavirus vaccine trials taking place worldwide.However, organisers of the study said an independent review had concluded there were no safety concerns and that testing of the vaccine, developed with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, would continue.Media reports said the volunteer was a 28-year-old doctor working on the front lines of the pandemic who died of complications from Covid-19.Brazilian newspaper Globo and international news agency Bloomberg said he was in the control group and had received a placebo rather than the test vaccine, citing sources close to the trials.“Following careful assessment of this case in Brazil, there have been no concerns about safety of the clinical trial, and the independent review in addition to the Brazilian regulator have recommended that the trial should continue,” Oxford said in a statement.AstraZeneca said medical confidentiality meant it could not give details on any individual volunteer, but that independent review had “not led to any concerns about continuation of the ongoing study”.Brazil’s national health regulator, Anvisa, confirmed it had been notified of the case on Oct 19.The D’Or Teaching and Research Institute (Idor), which is helping organise the tests in Brazil, said the independent review had “raised no doubts about the safety of the study, and recommended it continue”.Oxford and AstraZeneca previously had to suspend testing of the vaccine in September when a volunteer in Britain developed an unexplained illness.Trials resumed after British regulators and an independent review concluded the illness was not a side effect of the vaccine.Half the volunteers in the final-stage clinical trial – a double-blind, randomised, controlled study – receive a placebo, Idor said.Around 8,000 volunteers have been vaccinated so far in Brazil, and more than 20,000 worldwide, it said.Study participants must be doctors, nurses or other health sector workers who come into regular contact with the virus.The deceased volunteer was a young doctor who had been treating Covid-19 patients since March in the emergency rooms and intensive care units at two hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Globo said.He graduated from medical school last year, and was in good health prior to contracting the disease, family and friends told the newspaper.


Malaysia to channel over RM8.6 million to Turkey, Syria

Malaysia will channel over US$2 million (RM8.6 million) to Turkey and Syria to help the victims of the earthquake that struck the two countries early Monday.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet had agreed to donate US$1 million for the purpose, while the other US$1 million would come from the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
He said the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council had meanwhile allocated RM1 million in humanitarian aid, mostly to be channelled to Turkey and Syria as well.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday morning, bringing down buildings and killing thousands of people in the two countries.
The tremors were reported to have been felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia would deploy a second Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to Turkey tonight to join in the search and rescue operations there.
The team under the National Disaster Management Agency’s purview will comprise 70 members of SMART and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.
"This is because the first team has been so effective, the Turkish government requested for more," he said.


Who’s an astronaut? Not billionaire blast-offs Bezos or Branson, says regulator

The American space regulator changed its definition of “astronaut” on the same day Jeff Bezos blasted in his own rocket just past the edge of space last week.Billionaires Bezos and Richard Branson will now not be officially recognised as astronauts even though they travelled to space.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just altered the qualifying rules for its Commercial Space Astronaut Wings programme.Before, they awarded Wings badges to those who commanded, piloted or worked on privately funded spacecraft, USA Today reported.But from now on, they’ll only award badges to crew members who’ve demonstrated during a flight activities that were essential to public safety or contributed to human space flight safety.The change was issued on July 20, the same day Bezos and his company Blue Origin launched into space.As Bezos and three others arrived in space, the FAA redefined what an astronaut is, and Bezos did not quality.In the past, most people who went to space have been contracted to do so, meaning it’s been easy to identify flight crews as astronauts.However, with hundreds of civilians booking seats on flights into space in the near future, it makes sense that the FAA has made this change.Blue Origin launched last week carrying Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and a last-minute addition named Oliver Daemen.The flight was completely autonomous with every adjustment made by the craft’s computers.Unfortunately for Bezos, that one little detail means everything. The new rule means that a crew has to fly into space and actually do something meaningful to contribute to the flight itself.An autonomous flight earns no-one aboard any Wings.So who gets their Wings in future?Space travellers aboard need to actually be a crew as defined by the FAA, and each person needs to perform useful and essential in-flight activities.Basically, this means you have to have something to do when on the craft aside from just marvelling out of the window at the Earth’s curvature.Making small adjustments to the rocket’s trajectory or speed could possibly have been considered an “activity essential to human space flight safety”.Unfortunately for Bezos and his “crew” the rocket itself did everything needed in that respect this time.


Saudi women’s football league kicks off but cynics call it ‘sportswashing’

Women’s football is now a fixture in most countries but in Saudi Arabia until 2018 women were not allowed to even enter football stadiums as spectators because religious authorities feared such a thing would inevitably provoke immorality.Now, barely two years later, Saudi Arabia’s first women’s football league has kicked off. More than 600 players for 24 teams based in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are competing for a championship cup and cash prize, the BBC reports.The opening matches on Tuesday evening were not televised, but Saudi media hailed them as another step forward for women’s participation in sport.Seven matches took place in the capital Riyadh and the Red Sea city of Jeddah on the opening day of the Saudi Women’s Football League (WFL), which had been due to kick off in March but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.The results included an 11-0 win for Tigers over Jeddah Challenge, and a 10-1 victory for Al Riyadh United over Najd Al Riyady.The government-run Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) said that through the WFL it was striving “to empower women and to encourage them to become active and to participate in sports at the community level”.Abdullah Alyami, a Saudi football coach and sports journalist, told Arab News before Tuesday’s matches that it was a very happy day for all athletes, male or female. “Based on what we’ve seen, and how beloved the sport of football is all over the kingdom, I believe we will see many more of our sisters getting involved in professional sports,” he said.Najla Ahmed, a 16-year-old from Riyadh who plays football for her school, told the newspaper that she would try out for a local team in 2021. “I’ll be 17, and therefore eligible, and I would love to see anyone try and stop me.”The first Saudi Arabian international women’s golf tournament also took place this week, but many human rights organisations launched a campaign to boycott the Saudi Ladies International.In an open letter, they gave examples of the women who still languish in prison after campaigning for the right to drive, reports insidethegames.biz. “We are deeply concerned that Saudi Arabia is using this sports event as a public relations tool to sportswash its appalling human rights record, including discrimination against women and the crackdown on women’s rights defenders,” the letter said.Many athletes are uncomfortable with the emergence of Saudi Arabia in women’s sport, enough so to reject opportunities that have long been unavailable to them. They do not wish to compete in a country where women are treated as second-class citizens.For now, Saudi Arabia’s intentions in women’s sport should be scrutinised with a healthy dose of cynicism, they say.


Zahid's defamation suit against Mahathir to be heard in November

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today fixed four days from Nov 6 to hear Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s suit against Dr Mahathir Mohamad over allegations that Zahid used his position to influence the latter to interfere in his ongoing criminal cases in court.
Lawyer Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, representing the former prime minister, said deputy registrar Nor Afidah Idris set Nov 6 to 9 for the trial and April 14 for case management before the hearing.
"The trial will be heard by judge Rozana Ali Yusoff at 10am," the lawyer said after the matter came up for online case management today.
Zahid filed the defamation suit against Mahathir on April 20 last year.
He said in his statement of claim that Mahathir, who was the Pejuang chairman, had issued defamatory statements with malicious intent against him at a Pejuang event at Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana, Putrajaya, on Feb 23, 2022.
The event was held in conjunction with the 15th Johor state election.
A video recording of the statements was republished live on the same day on Astro Awani's YouTube account, which had 1.4 million subscribers and could be accessed via the internet, he said, adding that on the day that the writ of summons and statement of claim were filed, the video had received a total of 23,443 views.
He claimed the video recording was also widely reported on social media, namely the YouTube account of MalaysiaGazette TV, Facebook profile of Astro Awani and TikTok account of MalaysiaGazette TV, as well as online news portals such as Berita Harian Online, Agenda Daily, The Malaysian Reserve, MalaysiaNow, Malay Mail and New Straits Times.
The Bagan Datuk MP claimed that the statements meant he was a person who used shortcuts to resolve and postpone the trial of his ongoing court cases and had used his position to influence Mahathir to interfere in his criminal trials and investigations by law enforcement agencies.
Zahid said the statements had tarnished and damaged his reputation and name, as well as his credibility as Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman.
He is seeking general damages, aggravated and exemplary damages, interest, as well as an order to compel the defendant to publish an unconditional apology in a newspaper to be determined by Zahid, and costs as well as other forms of relief deemed fit by the court.


New infections at 1,600 as another 4 deaths reported

Another 1,639 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,818,890.
There were 2,056 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,756,967.
There are now 25,611 active cases, of which 24,404 or 95.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, four (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,143 (4.5%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 60 are in ICU with 39 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 16.3%.
Another four deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,312.


Govt to declare emergency if hot weather turns extreme

The government is prepared to declare an emergency if the current hot spell in the country turns extreme, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also the National Disaster Management Agency chairman, said the National Security Council Directive 20 on a declaration of emergency would be activated if temperatures hit excessively high levels.
"We are monitoring on a 24-hour basis. If there is an emergency we will make an announcement. There is none yet," he told a press conference after chairing the first central disaster management committee meeting 2023 at Perdana Putra today.
Zahid said cloud-seeding operations would be conducted at seven locations to replenish dams with dropping water levels, namely Sungai Muda and Sungai Kedah in Kedah; Sungai Melaka in Melaka; Sungai Kelantan in Kelantan; Sungai Klang in Selangor; Sungai Bernam at the Perak-Selangor border; and Sungai Similajau in Sarawak.
He said the operations involving collaboration between the Malaysian Armed Forces and Malaysian Meteorological Department would focus on these locations because the water levels were expected to drop further and affect the water supply.
Zahid said he would conduct checks at Sungai Muda and Sungai Kedah regarding the cloud conditions for the seeding process.
He said today's meeting was informed that open burning was expected to occur at 406 locations identified as peat soil areas.
"A total of 616 round-the-clock monitoring operations are being implemented in areas identified as prone to fire outbreaks, especially for the category of farms and plantations, forests, bushes and garbage sites," he said.
Zahid also said 101 tube wells had been built to facilitate firefighting operations in forests located far away from water sources and which were frequently hit by fires.


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1MDB amends writ of summons, seeks US$3.7 billion from Jho Low and family

1MDB and its four subsidiaries have amended their writ of summons to seek US$3.7837 billion from fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, his family members and an associate.Through the court’s e-filing system, 1MDB and its four subsidiaries – 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited – as the plaintiffs, filed the amended writ in the High Court on July 6.In the original writ filed on May 7, the companies sought a claim of US$1.402 billion against Jho Low, his father Larry Low Hock Peng, his elder sister May Lin and his associate Eric Tan Kim Loong as the defendants.The amended writ named his mother, Goh Gaik Ewe and his brother, Taek Szen as additional defendants.Based on the amended writ, the first plaintiff (1MDB) is claiming US$661 million from Jho Low and US$41 million, US$397 million, US$608 million and US$1.9 billion from Jho Low and Tan respectively as well as US$325 million from Jho Low and his father Hock Peng1MDB Global Investments Limited is also seeking US$630 million from Hock Peng, Jho Low and Tan and US$2 million from Taek Szen, Jho Low and Tan.The plaintiffs are also seeking US$1.695 million from Goh, Jho Low and Tan in connection with the purchase of jewellery and secret profits apart from claiming US$25.5 million from Jho Low, Tan, Hock Peng and Taek Szen.Based on the statement of claim, the plaintiffs claimed that they were manipulated by a group of individuals, including Najib Razak and the first defendant (Jho Low) to facilitate large-scale and long-term fraud.“This resulted in billions of ringgit being fraudulently misappropriated and diverted into privately controlled accounts for the benefit of various fraudsters, including the defendants.“In carrying out the fraud, multiple breaches of trust and/or fiduciary duties were committed by Najib, members of the board of directors and senior management of the plaintiffs.“The funds and assets of the plaintiffs which were transferred to the defendants were misappropriated, with the knowledge of the defendants, in breach of trust and fiduciary duty,” said the plaintiffs.According to the statement of claim, the plaintiffs alleged that Najib had abused his power and position to protect himself and cover up the fraud against the plaintiffs, among others by obstructing efforts to investigate and uncover evidence related to fraud and misconduct against the plaintiffs in Malaysia.The plaintiffs claimed that Najib, among others, used his power to sack any senior public officials, including the attorney-general and the then-deputy prime minister, who questioned his conduct or continued to investigate fraud against the plaintiffs.“Najib was forced to resign after Barisan Nasional lost the 14th general election on May 9, 2018.“A new government was formed on May 10, 2018, which took over control of ownership over all the plaintiffs. It was only after the new government came into power and Najib stepped down as prime minister that a fair and detailed investigation could be carried out,” the plaintiffs claimed in the suit.When contacted, lawyer Siva Kumar Kanagasabai, who is representing the plaintiffs, confirmed the matter and said that case management had been fixed for Aug 12.


‘Post-retirement’ Mahathir to ‘tell all’ in book

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has penned another book on his retirement and re-entry into politics to lead the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to victory in the historic 2018 polls.“Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia” is described by its publisher MPH as “a frank and at times blunt discussion of the difficulties that the PH government faced” ahead of its downfall after 22 months in power.The book charts out Mahathir’s return to active politics and “the betrayals from within the coalition” that led to PH’s fall from government.It was originally planned as a sequel to Mahathir’s 2011 memoir, “A Doctor in the House”.“But because of the change in government and the pandemic in early 2020, the nature of the book had to change as well,” MPH said in a statement ahead of its release on Dec 21.Promising a book in which Mahathir would “tell all”, it said “Capturing Hope” would see the veteran leader attempting to “set the record straight” regarding the PH government and his second tenure as prime minister.“Whether one agrees with Mahathir or not, it is impossible to deny the impact he has had – and continues to have – on the Malaysian political landscape.“This book seeks to discuss those impacts as well as Mahathir’s unfinished struggle to steer Malaysia away from the destructive political dynamics that have fuelled corruption and division in the country for so long,” it said.Together with Muhyiddin Yassin, Mahathir helped found the Bersatu party in 2016 as a challenge to Umno, led by then prime minister Najib Razak during the peak of the revelations surrounding the 1MDB scandal.He later teamed up with PH to end six decades of Barisan Nasional rule, becoming the oldest elected head of government in the world at the age of 93.But following controversies surrounding a promised transition of power that would see his former nemesis Anwar Ibrahim replacing him in the top post, cracks appeared in the PH government, and by early 2020, the coalition fell apart, triggering a split in PKR and Bersatu.Mahathir resigned in February 2020, and was succeeded by the Perikatan Nasional administration led by Bersatu president Muhyiddin.


Heed the rulers or resign, PH trio tell PM

The top leaders of Pakatan Harapan (PH) today urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to heed the call by the Agong and Malay rulers for Parliament to reopen as soon as possible, failing which they said he should step down.In a statement signed by PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, they said it was of critical importance that Parliament be reopened immediately, among others so that the emergency ordinances and National Recovery Plan could be debated.“If the prime minister continues to delay or to give excuses to postpone Parliament sittings, it not only means that he has sidelined the king’s views, it also gives the impression that he has lost the confidence to continue administer the country.“And if the prime minister continues to refuse to advise the king immediately, he should do the honourable thing and step down,” they said.Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said yesterday that a Parliament sitting should be held as quickly as possible, to allow the emergency ordinances and National Recovery Plan to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat.His statement, which came in the wake of a special meeting of the Malay rulers at Istana Negara, was echoed by the rulers themselves who said in a separate statement that they saw no need for the emergency period to extend beyond its scheduled deadline of Aug 1.The PH leaders today thanked the king for his decree.“It is abundantly clear that the prime minister needs to uphold this decree and advise the king to call for a Parliament sitting as soon as possible,” they said.


North Korea says new fever cases under 100,000 as virus fight heats up

North Korea’s daily fever cases dropped to below 100,000 for the first time, state media said on Saturday, less than three weeks after the country’s first acknowledgement of a Covid-19 outbreak.The isolated country has been in a heated battle against an unprecedented Covid wave since declaring a state of emergency and imposing a nationwide lockdown this month, fuelling concerns about lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages.Some 88,520 more people showed fever symptoms as of Friday evening, compared with nearly 400,000 about 10 days ago, the official KCNA news agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.The total number of fever patients since April rose to 3.36 million among the 25 million population. KCNA did not report any additional deaths. As of Friday, the death toll stood at 69.North Korea has not confirmed the total number of people testing positive for the coronavirus, apparently lacking in testing supplies. Experts have said the announced figures could be underreported, and that it is hard to assess the actual scale of the situation.State media said “all sectors and units” in the country are “maintaining the maximum alert and mobilised posture” to fight the virus, with authorities pushing for a “strict, prompt and advanced” medical check-ups and tests.“Multiple protective walls have been established for the lockdown and closure of the capital city, border, front, coasts, seas and airspace to thoroughly check the inroads of new virus variants,” KCNA added.South Korea and the US have offered to help North Korea fight the pandemic, including with vaccines, but Pyongyang has not responded.


New date to be fixed for tabling of MA63 bill

The Cabinet has decided to set another date for the tabling of the bill to amend several provisions in the Federal Constitution relating to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.He said the postponement was triggered as a consensus could not be reached on the proposed amendments to some of the relevant articles in the Federal Constitution during an engagement session yesterday, which was also attended by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.The bill was initially scheduled to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow followed by the second reading on Oct 28 (2021).Wan Junaidi in a statement today said the new date for the first reading of the bill would be determined after a briefing by the attorney-general (AG) on the matter during the Cabinet meeting this Friday.“Although the Cabinet has in principle agreed to the proposed bill, there are several ministers who are seeking further clarification on the amendments. That is why the Cabinet has decided that it would be best to set a new date to table the bill after the briefing by the AG,” he said.Wan Junaidi said the decision was made to ensure that the bill would obtain full support from all the ministers.


Jaguar Land Rover to cut 2,000 jobs globally

Jaguar Land Rover on Wednesday said that it planned to lay off around 2,000 staff in the next financial year.The largest car manufacturer in Britain, owned by India’s Tata Motors, said in a statement: “We anticipate a net reduction of around 2,000 people from our global salaried workforce in the next financial year.”Jaguar Land Rover has almost 40,000 employees worldwide, according to its 2019-20 annual report.It had announced Monday that the Jaguar brand would produce only electric vehicles by 2025 and that Land Rover would have its first fully-electric vehicle in 2024.The car maker said it would invest US$3.5 billion annually under its “Reimagine” plan, which aims for its supply chain and operations to become carbon neutral by 2039.It had said this plan would also involve substantially reducing its non-manufacturing operations.The radical overhaul comes under new chief executive Thierry Bollore, who joined in September.The statement released Wednesday said that a “full review of the Jaguar Land Rover organisation is already underway”.It said the organisation had already started to brief salaried staff on the job cuts, which do not affect manufacturing staff paid by the hour.Jaguar Land Rover has plants in the West Midlands area of England as well as facilities in Slovakia, India, China and Brazil.Its owner Tata Motors is part of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group.


Flash flood warning issued for four states

The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has issued a flash flood preparedness notice for the states of Pahang, Selangor, Johor and Sarawak.
In a statement issued at 5pm today, DID said the notice was based on rainfall forecast information from the numerical weather prediction model by the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Southeastern AsiaOceania Flash Flood Guidance System.
It said there was a risk of flash floods in some locations in the event of a significant heavy rain or thunderstorm within 12 hours of the notice being issued.
DID said the locations at risk in Pahang were Kampung Janglau 1, 2 and 3, Kampung Serinkin, Kampung Setajam, Kampung Pianggu and Kampung Sarang Tiong in the Rompin district.
In Selangor, the locations are Kampung Delek, Jalan Kebun Nenas, Kampung Jawa, Taman Melawis, Teluk Pulai, Taman Petaling, Taman Sentosa, Taman Saujana, Taman Rashna, Kampung Bukit Naga, Batu 8 Jalan Bukit Kemuning and Pandamaran in the Klang district.
The locations in Johor are Kampung Air Tawar, Kampung Semaloi, Kampung Asli Labong, Sungai Padang, Kampung Kuria Batu 4 and Mukim Triang in the Mersing district; and Kampung Bugis, Batu 6, Kampung Parit Jerman, Kampung Penerok, Jalan Makam, Kampung Penghulu Bakar, Kampung Permas and Kampung Parit Sulaiman in Pontian.
In Sarawak, the at-risk locations are Kampung Batu Kitang, Batu Kitang KM10, Kampung Stenggang, Kampung Mambong, Kampung Bratan and Kampung Selampit (Kuching); and Taman Duranda Mas, Kampung Duras Batu 16 and 17, Jalan Kuching-Tapah Lama, Jalan Kampung Batu Gong and Siburan Bazaar (Serian).
The department said the notice was to enable residents, especially those living in high-risk areas, to be on the alert for any possibility of flash floods during that period.
"Please follow the instructions issued by the authorities or flood disaster management agencies," it said.
More information is available at https://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my, Facebook page @PublicInfoBanjir and Twitter account @JPS_InfoBanjir.


Measures needed to encourage young homebuyers, govt told ahead of budget

Property portal iProperty has urged the government to include policies and measures to encourage homeownership among young buyers in the upcoming budget, to be tabled by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Nov 6.In a statement today, it listed factors such as tax relief for first-time homebuyers which it suggested that the government reintroduce.“The earlier homebuyers get onto the property ladder, the more time they have to benefit from the capital appreciation of their property,” it said.It also proposed a reduction in stamp duty for first-time buyers after the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) ends next year and an extension of the reduction to property in the secondary market.The HOC, which kicked off last year, is a government initiative to stimulate the housing sector.On the real property gains tax (RPGT), iProperty said the existing initiative under the Penjana package in which full exemption is given for the disposal of three home units per person should be improved.“We hope the new budget will improve on the existing RPGT initiative by removing or loosening the limitation of disposal units per individual to encourage more confidence in property sellers.“This will help stimulate more transactions and encourage sellers to pass on the savings from the exemption to the buyer,” it said.It also spoke of rental initiatives to support the demand for rented homes given the uncertainty due to Covid-19.“As more people are working from home, the need to have a comfortable and conducive living environment is now more important than ever,” it added.“Renting provides an opportunity for people to save on accommodation costs in the short term.”It suggested that the government also introduce an initiative that provides incentives to first-time and seasoned renters.“On the other hand, homeowners who are finding it difficult to sell during these times could consider renting if the right incentive is in place.“This type of initiative gives them benefits for renting. For example, earlier this year the government introduced tax deductions to landlords who provide discounts on rental rates.”It said the government should also look into the prospect of foreign buyers, and voiced hope that the budget would revive the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme to encourage foreigners to invest in the local property market.“In addition, the application process could be made more streamlined and investor-friendly to encourage more foreign buyers,” it said.“Furthermore, the MM2H programme could help reduce the property overhang and the supply of unsold units in the secondary market.”


Rhetoric war looms in election-facing states

Political analysts predict a range of issues to be raised at this year's state elections, with Pakatan Harapan (PH) widely expected to join hands with Umno in a reflection of their cooperation at the federal level to take on Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the parties in the coalition government would likely focus on political stability and the need for a steady hand at the wheel to address the issues on the ground.
"Matters related to corruption may also be raised, due to the claims that PN misused some RM93 billion in economic stimulus funds during the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.
"And the issue of racial unity, where the opposition parties are said to be more focused on race and religion while the government parties say that they are united, throughout the peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak, in an administration that symbolises Malaysia's multiracialism."
On the opposition front, meanwhile, he said PAS and Bersatu are expected to play up economic issues such as the government's ability to deal with the cost of living and price hikes.
"They, too, will focus on corruption and integrity," he said. "They will say that Anwar Ibrahim, as prime minister, is willing to compromise with Umno and even appoint Umno members to his Cabinet.
"They will say that PH has violated its principles by accepting kleptocrats."
Elections will be held in six states this year: Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang.
Anis Anwar Suhaimi, a chief researcher at O2 Research Malaysia, said the attention would be on the efficiency of ministers in managing their respective portfolios.
"Some of the ministers in the cross hairs in this regard, aside from the prime minister himself, are Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, and Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil," he said.
He also cited proactive measures taken by ministers such as Anwar's announcement that he works even on holidays, and surprise on-site visits by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He, too, said that religion would be a key issue, while in Selangor and Penang, the target would be the management of water and environmental matters.
"Meanwhile, development and flood issues will be used as ammunition against PN, especially in Kelantan," he said.
Malay support
In terms of support, Mazlan said he expected no sudden change in the Malay backing for PN, especially in northern states and those in the east coast which saw the biggest surge of support for the coalition at the 15th general election (GE15).
PN, anchored by Bersatu and PAS, won 74 parliamentary seats, trailing PH which won 81. In terms of individual parties, however, PAS won the most seats, sweeping 49 including six won by Bersatu under the PAS banner, and dominating nearly 43% of Malay-majority constituencies against Umno (23%) and PKR (11%).
With Malay support for PH seen as on the decline, any cooperation with Umno would likely see the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin tasked with winning over the ethnic community.
But with support for the once-dominant Umno on the wane as well, the extent to which it can play this role remains to be seen.
Anis said Umno would have to achieve three key goals in any partnership with PH for the state polls.
Firstly, he said, it would have to ease the decades-long animosity among its supporters towards PH, particularly DAP.
It would also have to convince the Malays to turn out to vote, especially in seats contested by its federal-level colleagues.
And thirdly, it would have to take the helm in Malay-majority states such as Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.
PH, on the other hand, would be evaluated on its performance in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, he said.
"Umno will need to prove that it can win in PN-held states while strengthening the positions of their PH government partners."
Mazlan meanwhile was optimistic about the chances of Umno-PH at rallying Malay votes.
He said such a collaboration could help both parties wrest more seats in the north, although they would still face an uphill task in the east coast.
"What more to take those states," he added. "But Kedah or Perlis, I think those states can be taken."


Daily caseload dips to 4,400 as 8 more deaths logged

Another 4,413 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,697,213.
There were 3,394 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,613,676.
There are now 47,534 active cases, of which 45,928 or 96.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 23 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,531 (3.2%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 52 are in ICU with 32 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.5%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 13.8%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including four who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,003.


BioNTech/Pfizer say vaccine can stand warmer temperatures

Germany’s BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer on Friday said tests have shown that their coronavirus vaccine can stand warmer temperatures than initially thought, potentially simplifying the jab’s complex cold-chain logistics.The companies said they have asked the US Food and Drug Administration to allow for the vaccine to be stored for up to two weeks at -25 to -15 degrees Celsius, temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators.Under the existing guidelines, the BioNTech/Pfizer jab needs to be stored at a frigid -80 to minus -60 degrees Celsius until five days before use, a delicate process that requires special ultra-cold containers for shipping and dry ice for storage.“If approved, this new storage option would offer pharmacies and vaccination centres greater flexibility in how they manage their vaccine supply,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement.The BioNTech/Pfizer jab, based on novel mRNA technology, was the first vaccine against Covid-19 to be approved in the West late last year.It was soon followed by US firm Moderna’s vaccine, which uses similar technology but can remain stable at -20 degrees Celsius for six months and at normal fridge temperature for up to 30 days.Another approved shot, developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford, uses more traditional vaccine methods and can be stored and shipped at standard fridge temperatures.BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said BioNTech and Pfizer were continuing to work on “new formulations that could make our vaccine even easier to transport and use”.The firms have also started testing their Covid-19 vaccine on healthy pregnant women.The trial involves some 4,000 pregnant women in the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mozambique, South Africa, Britain and Spain.Those in the US have already received their first dose, BioNTech and Pfizer said earlier this week.Separately, a study focused on more than 9,000 medical staff at Sheba hospital near Tel Aviv showed that the first dose of the Pfizer vaccination is 85% effective against coronavirus infection between two and four weeks after inoculation.


Daily cases top 5,400

Another 5,446 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,678,465.Another 5,427 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,586,822.Meanwhile 419 are in the ICU, including 324 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 232 are in need of respiratory assistance including 147 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,446 cases reported today, 88 (1.6%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,358 (98.4%) are in Category One and Two.


Nothing new in Zahid’s speech, too early for election talk, says Hishammuddin

Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein says there was nothing new in the speech by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the party’s general assembly today, and that most of what he said was expected.“There were not many new things raised by the president in his policy speech. It’s only stressing what we have stated earlier through the Supreme Council,” he told reporters today, when asked about the call for Umno to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.“It is too early, we will wait to see the views of the speakers on the president’s speech.”Hishammuddin also said it was too early to talk about Barisan Nasional going on its own at the next general election.“It’s not we who decide on the general election. It is the prime minister.”He said it was important that Umno ensures political stability, and questions strong words from party leaders.“Don’t just speak rhetoric. If we truly feel about stability and future direction, I feel we still have time to talk about it,” said Hishammuddin.The Umno general assembly is being held on the back of a campaign by Zahid and several leaders to seek endorsement from delegates to sever the party’s ties with Bersatu.Both Zahid and deputy president Mohamad Hasan in their keynote speeches have called for Umno to be dominant again, saying it has been relegated to playing second fiddle in the PN government.


Gang arrested for ‘selling’ Covid ICU beds in Peru

Nine people, including public hospital staff, have been arrested in Peru accused of “selling” intensive care beds to desperate coronavirus patients for thousands of dollars apiece, police and prosecutors said Thursday.The nine, which also included the directors of a patient care NGO, were arrested Wednesday and appeared in court the following day.Prosecutor Reynaldo Abia told reporters an investigation was opened after a complaint from a woman who had a family member with Covid-19 and paid for a bed for them.The gang allegedly asked her for 82,000 soles (some US$20,500) to bump her loved one up on the waiting list for an intensive care bed at the Guillermo Almenara hospital in Lima.Peru was very hard hit by the coronavirus epidemic which earlier this year saw its hospitals under extreme pressure, and oxygen supplies running low.In April, the country had a record 15,547 coronavirus patients in hospital at one point, down to about 7,000 today.With some two million infections and nearly 200,000 deaths, Peru is the country in the world with the highest coronavirus mortality rate.“It is abominable that someone could trade in ICU beds. I believe the punishment should be drastic,” said Health Minister Oscar Ugarte.


Apex court denies Mais application, decision on kids’ conversion to Islam remains

The conversion of five children to Islam by their Muslim-convert father in 2018 without the consent of their non-Muslim mother remains invalid with the Federal Court dismissing the application by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and its Registrar of Muallaf for leave to appeal to reinstate their conversion.Without the leave, the decision made by the Court of Appeal and the High Court in nullifying the children’s conversion to Islam stands.In a unanimous decision, a three-man bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the issues raised by lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who acted for Mais and the Registrar of Muallaf had been settled by the decision of the Federal Court in the M Indira Gandhi conversion case.“The courts were therefore correct in following the Federal Court’s decision in Indira Gandhi’s case,” said Tengku Maimun who presided with Federal Court judges Vernon Ong Lam Kiat and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.In Indira Gandhi’s case in 2018, the Federal Court ruled that the consent of both the father and mother were required to change the children’s religion to Islam.Tengku Maimun said the provisions of Section 117 of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 clearly state that a person who is not a Muslim may convert to the religion of Islam if he is of sound mind and has attained the age of 18 years, or if he has not attained the age of 18, the mother and father must consent to the conversion.“The application (by Mais and Registrar of Muallaf) does not meet the threshold requirement of Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 for leave to be granted,” she added.She also ordered Mais and Registrar of Muallaf to pay costs of RM30,000.Mais and the Registrar of Muallaf had sought leave to appeal after the 33-year-old mother of the children filed a judicial review application, among others seeking court orders to revoke the registration and declaration of the children’s conversion to Islam.She named her former husband, the chairman of Mais, the Registrar of Muallaf, the director-general of the education ministry and the government of Malaysia as defendants.On Nov 1, 2018, the father himself converted to Islam and on the same day had his five children converted to Islam as well without their mother’s consent.On the day of conversion, the eldest child was 10, while the other children were nine, six, five and three.The mother only found out about her children becoming Muslims after receiving a letter from Mais in 2019 confirming the registration of conversion of the children to Islam.In allowing the mother’s judicial review, High Court judge Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah held that the Federal Court’s decision in the Indira Gandhi case was binding on the lower courts and that the Selangor enactment clearly states that both father and mother must consent to their children’s conversion.The Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court last year.


Watchdog presses Hungary govt to reveal details of half-a-billion dollar contract to Malaysian businessman

The Hungarian chapter of global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI-Hungary) is pressing Budapest to release specific details related to its purchase of more than half a billion dollars worth of medical equipment from a Malaysian tycoon last year.TI-Hungary said there were questions on whether the contracts awarded to GR Technologies had fulfilled transparency regulations in Hungary.GR Technologies is a company represented by Malaysian businessman Vinod Sekhar, a close friend of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.“Hungarian transparency requirements are in line with the EU’s transparency requirements enshrined in the anti-money laundering directive,” Miklos Legati, the head of TI-Hungary’s legal affairs division, told MalaysiaNow.He said a freedom of information request had been submitted to the Hungarian foreign ministry, which signed the contract with GR Technologies.The details sought include who was behind the selection of GR Technologies, details on the company’s credentials, invoices and proof of payments.“We anticipate no due response from the ministry and prepare for a lengthy court process, but we’ll see how things unfold in the end,” Ligeti added.A Hungarian investigative journalist recently made available copies of the contracts to MalaysiaNow. The documents were released to her by the foreign ministry last year.In one of the documents, the Hungarian government agreed to pay a total of US$559,600,000, or about RM2.4 billion, to GR Technologies.Third-party recipientsLegati said among concerns about the contract was the fact that Budapest agreed to pay the fees charged by GR Technologies to third parties, as well as whether the government had gone through a competitive bidding process.“In this specific case it is unclear how the Hungarian government selected or recruited GR Technologies to supply respirators and other related goods,” he added.Legati said of equal concern were third party recipients of payments made to two companies: China-linked Silk Road Development Fund Management Holding Ltd and Singapore-based Havelock International (Pte) Ltd.He said EU transparency laws require that any payments to a third party should specify the reasons for doing so.“Otherwise such transactions are against the requirements enshrined in Hungary’s act on state accounts, which expect the government and other public organs to clearly define the conditions and beneficiaries of payments,” he said.Legati said there were also questions on whether GR Technologies had been duly authenticated to ensure that it meets transparency requirements.“According to current Hungarian regulations, the government may only contract transparent organisations and state money may only be conferred upon or conceded to transparent organisations,” he said, referring to two laws passed by the current government of Hungary.In June, MalaysiaNow reported that Vinod, who operates a chain of companies and organisations under the Petra Group, had secured the lion’s share of billions of dollars worth of contracts to supply ventilators to the Hungarian government.Hungary’s purchase of ventilators from various suppliers kicked up a storm last year, with opposition politicians calling out the deals for being opaque as well as resulting in an oversupply.Vinod recently confirmed the contract but insisted that “everything was above board”, adding that he had received a “normal percentage” in commissions.“People gave their time and energy to secure it, and they should be paid,” he said in an interview with a news site. “Eventually, I’ll get the commission and I’ll make a donation to Hungary.”A vocal Hungarian opposition MP, Vadai Agnes, had told MalaysiaNow that her call for an investigation into the purchases was dismissed by the prosecutor-general.She said the ventilators purchased by the government were overpriced, giving the example of how it bought one ventilator unit for an average price of 19.8 million forints (RM270,000) when the National Healthcare Service Centre had paid an average 10.8 million forints (RM147,000) for a unit.“And there is no explanation for such a price difference from the government,” Agnes said.István Ujhelyi, another prominent Hungarian politician, meanwhile questioned why the purchases were made through the foreign affairs ministry.“It is strange in itself that the procurement of health equipment is not handled by the government ministry responsible for healthcare, but by the foreign affairs department,” Ujhelyi had said in October last year.


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Opposition MPs warned against joining Umno rebels to bring down PM

A constitutional lawyer has challenged the notion that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should step down if the 2021 budget is defeated today, saying it is not only simplistic, but also oblivious to the reality on the ground and the “nebulous ongoing parliamentary numbers game”.Speaking to MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity “because any view risks being politicised in the present fevered political atmosphere”, the senior lawyer said determining the confidence in the prime minister could be either in the floor of the House or outside the House, in line with the 2009 Perak case precedent.“What is important to note is that even if the prime minister loses the majority, it doesn’t mean that any opposition leader has enough MPs backing him to form the government,” he said ahead of a crucial vote on the 2021 budget today, seen as a vote of confidence for the nine-month-old government.Opposition MPs from Pakatan Harapan have disputed Muhyiddin’s support in the Dewan Rakyat despite the Yang di-Pertuan Agong naming him in February as the person who commands the backing of the most MPs to form the government.In October, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim announced that he had the majority support, but failed to show details of his claim during an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.Critics of Muhyiddin have found in today’s budget an opportunity to replace the government for the second time.But in the run-up to the tabling of the budget on Nov 6, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah several times reminded politicians not to indulge in “politicking”, and urged MPs to show unity during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic by supporting the 2021 budget.“But it’s quite obvious that none of them have the numbers.”Opposition MPs have attempted to push a motion of no confidence in the Dewan Rakyat, which never saw the light.The nearest semblance to a confidence vote was held over a government motion to replace the Dewan Rakyat speaker, which the ruling bloc won by a two-vote majority.Former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had expressed support for Anwar in his attempt to topple Muhyiddin, in a letter they wrote to the palace in time for the PKR’s leader’s audience with the Agong last month.Najib later openly admitted that he had urged Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs to support Anwar, while Zahid issued a statement renewing his support for the Perikatan Nasional government despite revelations of his behind-the-scenes demands from Muhyiddin in exchange for his support.“None of the key opposition contenders for the top post has the numbers to back them,” the constitutional lawyer told MalaysiaNow.“So it would be irresponsible for the opposition to bring down the government in an unholy alliance with discontented Umno MPs when they know very well that they themselves cannot form a new government.”Umno leader in frantic bid to find support for AnwarThe math on Anwar’s ‘formidable majority’After ‘court cluster’ split, ‘sakit perut cluster’ emergesThe inside story of Zahid’s letter to the AgongMalaysiaNow reported this week that a series of meetings were held outside the Umno leadership to persuade the party’s MPs to vote against the budget bill.It is understood that Najib is joined by five Umno MPs in his determination to scuttle the budget.Ministers and deputy ministers from BN have pledged their support for Muhyiddin, while a statement from PN’s backbenchers club, representing MPs from the parties which supported Muhyiddin for the top post early this year, pledged loyalty to the current government.Dr Mahathir Mohamad meanwhile made it clear yesterday that he and three others from his Pejuang bloc would vote against the budget, while Sabah’s Warisan MPs led by Shafie Apdal have yet to announce the party’s stand.Mahathir, who is Najib’s fiercest critic, yesterday said he welcomed any move by the Agong to appoint an MP as prime minister.But the lawyer said Mahathir should be reminded that Najib’s corruption trial had proceeded without any impediment under Muhyiddin’s government.“In this context, the attitude taken by Tun Mahathir in resolving to reject the budget is indeed baffling as he advocates bringing down the Muhyiddin government in order to allow an opposition leader to form government.“But it’s quite obvious that none of them have the numbers.”He further questioned the notion that Muhyiddin’s fate rests on the budget vote, referring to Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution.According to the article, if the prime minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of MPs, he should tender his resignation of the Cabinet “unless at his request the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dissolves Parliament”.“Under this article, the prime minister only need tender resignation if he has lost the confidence of the majority of MPs,” the lawyer said.“But if the budget falls because some Umno MPs suddenly don’t turn up for the vote because of ‘illness’ or quarantine or other reasons, it cannot be said that the prime minister has lost the majority.“Those absent MPs have not withdrawn support for the prime minister. Hence, the prime minister need not resign if the budget fails for those reasons,” he said.


1MDB’s civil suit against Najib put on hold until criminal case proceedings end

The court proceedings for the US$8 billion civil suit by 1MDB and its four subsidiaries against Najib Razak and seven others has been put on hold until the former prime minister’s criminal case related to 1MDB is concluded.Najib’s counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters that all the parties involved had reached a mutual agreement to stay the proceedings.“As such, Najib’s application for a stay of proceedings in the civil suit is withdrawn,” he told reporters after attending Najib’s application to stay the proceedings before the High Court judicial xommissioner in chambers today.The matter was confirmed by lawyer DP Naban representing 1MDB and its subsidiaries – 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited, formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited.The companies filed the civil suit on May 7, 2021, naming former 1MDB finance director Terrence Geh Choh Heng, former counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee, former chief investment officer Vincent Beng Huat Koh, former chief operating officer Radhi Mohamad, former investment director Kelvin Tan Kay Jim, and former SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil as defendants.It was one of 22 civil suits filed to claim over US$23 billion on behalf of 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International against several individuals allegedly involved in the financial scandal.In the writ of summons, the plaintiffs claimed among others that the defendants had committed a breach of trust, breach of statutory duty and abuse of power, and had conspired and misappropriated 1MDB funds.Najib, 68, who is Pekan MP, faces four charges of abusing his position to corruptly obtain RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 money laundering charges involving the same funds.Najib is also being tried with former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy for allegedly tampering with the final 1MDB audit report.