Ex-aide tells court of cybertroopers paid to back Rosmah

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur was today told that bloggers such as “Papagomo”, “Parpukari” and “The Unspinners” were among 40 cybertroopers paid by Rosmah Mansor to portray her in a good light on social media.Rizal Mansor, Rosmah’s former special officer, said the three of them received RM5,000 per month from an allocated RM100,000 for nearly six years beginning in 2012.“They were among the three or four team leaders of the cybertroopers team.“There were also 12 to 15 bloggers who were paid around RM3,000, and about 30 Facebookers, all of whom were paid around RM2,000 each during the six years,” he said during cross-examination by Rosmah’s lawyer Jagjit Singh.Rizal, who is the 21st prosecution witness, is testifying in the trial Rosmah, who faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings ex-managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.Rizal earlier testified that in 2012, on Rosmah’s instruction, he set up the cybertroopers whose task was to monitor social media content and to fend off and provide explanations for every slanderous comment and accusation made against her.Rizal, who worked for Rosmah from May 1, 2009 to May 2018 under the FLOM (first lady of Malaysia) division, later renamed the Special Division, said the cybertroopers operated on funds given by Rosmah, who gave him RM100,000 in cash every month for this purpose.Here, Jagjit suggested that the monthly budget came not from Rosmah herself but from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) through the FLOM division. However, Rizal disagreed.“I don’t know the source, but I collected the money from her,” he said.When asked if the money had come from Rosmah’s bank account, he said he could not confirm this.Jagjit also asserted that Rizal had not issued any receipts as proof of payment to the cybertroopers, to which Rizal agreed.However, when Jagjit suggested that the receipts were not issued because Rizal had pocketed most of the money for himself, the witness disagreed.To Jagjit’s next assertion that there would have been no need to set up the cybertroopers team if Rizal had done his job, he said this was subjective.“I put it to you that you failed in your duty because you solicited corrupt money for personal use to support your lavish lifestyle,” Jagjit continued.However, Rizal said he did not agree.Rosmah was alleged to have received the bribes through Rizal as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project, as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets for 369 schools in rural Sarawak, worth RM1.25 billion, from the education ministry through direct negotiation.The offences were allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra; Rosmah’s residence at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.The hearing continues before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.


China to join Indonesia's multilateral naval drills despite rising tension

China will send warships to a multilateral naval exercise hosted this month by Indonesia, which has also invited countries such as North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US, amid rising tension in the Asia-Pacific region.
The drills come as China and the US ramp up military diplomacy in the region, staging more frequent war games with allies and partners around Taiwan, the busy waterway of the South China Sea, and the west Pacific.
China's navy will send its destroyer Zhanjiang and frigate Xuchang, both equipped with guided missiles, to the 2023 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, the defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Last December, Indonesia said it had invited the navies of 47 nations, including China, to participate in the exercise, which will run from June 4 to 8 in Makassar. It will be the fourth such drill since the first in 2014.
The last Komodo exercise took place in 2018 before suspensions over Covid-19. China also sent two warships at the time, the destroyer Changsha and the frigate Liuzhou, both also equipped with guided missiles.
Last week, the Chinese military said it plans a joint drill, Exercise Amana Youyi-2023, with some countries of the Asean regional grouping, including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The US, Japan and the Philippines are holding a three-way maritime exercise in the South China Sea this week.
China and the US have accused each other of military manoeuvres, from China's military drills around Taiwan, which it regards as a province, to new US bases in the Philippines, that fuel tension and threaten peace in the region.


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Prosecution withdraws appeals to forfeit RM21.7 million from Pekan Umno, 10 others

The prosecution today withdrew its appeals to forfeit funds totalling RM21.7 million belonging to 11 entities and individuals, including Pekan Umno and the Johor Umno Liaison Committee, allegedly linked to 1MDB.
The others are Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd, Jakel Trading, the Johor Bahru Barisan Nasional (BN) division, Mediaedge CIA Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Strategic Engagement Media Sdn Bhd (CENSE Media) director Sim Sai Hoon, AGA Touch Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Yayasan Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia (Yayasan PBAKM) and former land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam.
Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Bahrin Omar notified the Court of Appeal bench today that the prosecution had withdrawn its appeals against the eleven respondents.
The notice of discontinuance of the appeals was filed on Jan 27.
Kamal Bahrin also told the court that the money seized would be returned to the respondents.
Justice Kamaludin Md Said, who presided with justices Abu Bakar Jais and Supang Lian, then struck out the appeals.
The prosecution had been unsuccessful in its bid at the High Court to forfeit RM700,000 from Pekan Umno, RM100,000 from Yayasan PBAKM, RM628,314 from Jakel Trading, RM10,747,042.77 from Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd, RM677,872.55 from the Johor Umno Liaison Committee and RM957,395.65 from Johor Bahru BN.
A separate High Court also dismissed the prosecution's appeal to forfeit RM100,000 from Kasitah, RM3 million belonging to IT firm AGA Touch (M) Sdn Bhd, RM41,261.64 from Sim, RM188,138.26 from SUPP and RM4,631,602 from Mediaedge CIA.
The court also fixed March 28 for the hearing of the appeals brought by the Pahang MCA Liaison Committee, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and the family of the late former Paya Besar MP and Umno division head Abdul Manan Ismail.
This is to enable them to file their representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) following the prosecution's stand to withdraw its appeals for the eleven cases.
Kamaludin, who chaired the bench, said there must be consistency since the prosecution had withdrawn its appeals for the eleven cases.
He then suggested that the counsels for the three cases submit their representations to the AGC.
Kamaludin also ordered the three parties to go for case management.
Case management was subsequently conducted before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli, who set March 28 for the hearing of the three appeals. He also gave the parties until Feb 10 to submit their representations to the AGC.
Three separate High Courts had allowed the prosecution's application to forfeit money totalling RM2.1 million from the Pahang MCA Liaison Committee, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and Manan's family.
The 14 cases today are among those of 41 entities from which the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had sought to recover assets said to have been paid for using funds from 1MDB.


Sanofi says its vaccine won’t need supercooling

The coronavirus vaccine being developed by Sanofi won’t need to be super-cooled and a normal refrigerator will suffice, the Paris-based drugmaker’s France chief Olivier Bogillot said Sunday.His comments came days after American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced that their vaccine had proven 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials involving more than 40,000 people.The companies said they expect to supply up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.However, Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) or else it falls apart, well beyond the capability of most hospital freezers let alone domestic appliances.Rachel Silverman, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, has already warned that maintaining the Pfizer vaccine’s “ultra-cold chain” from factory to patients’ arms constitutes “an enormous logistical challenge even in the West”.“Our vaccine will be like the ‘flu vaccine, you can keep it in your refrigerator,” this avoiding the problem, Bogillot told the CNews channel.“This will be an advantage for some countries,” he added.The Sanofi vaccine, one of many in development, will be available for distribution next June, Bogillot added.The results of the Phase 2 tests, involving hundreds of people, will be made public in early December, he added. If those results are positive then Phase 3 trials involving thousands of people will begin, alongside mass production.Eleven of the vaccines under development have already begun Phase 3 trials.The Pfizer vaccine is “a little more advanced” in the development process, said Bogillot, but “one laboratory is not going to be able to supply the doses for the whole planet.“We will need to have several winners at the end of this race.”The Sanofi product will also be made avaiable at an “affordable” price he said, without giving details.


No defamation, only truth, Muhyiddin says on Zahid asking for help

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has denied defaming Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying the statements he made regarding the Umno president asking for his help to intervene in his court cases were true.Muhyiddin, 74, in his statement of defence filed on May 9, claimed that the statements he made during the 15th Johor state election campaign in Mersing at the compound of the Sentuhan Kasih Felda Tenggaroh Learning Centre 3 on Feb 16 were mostly justified as true and fair comment as well as in public interest.Muhyiddin also said he had no control over and was not responsible for any publication made by Astro Awani on its YouTube channel, or KiniTV, Malaysiakini, Utusan Malaysia or any other online news portals.“There was no malicious intent on my part in making the statement. In particular, I deny that the publication was made with the intention of tarnishing the reputation of the plaintiff (Zahid) in public,” Muhyiddin said.In the suit filed on April 4, the Bagan Datuk MP sought an ex-parte injunction for Muhyiddin or his representative to withdraw the allegedly defamatory statements or similar defamatory statements against him.Zahid, 69, also applied for an interim injunction to restrain the defendant, his officers and assistants as well as his agents and representatives from issuing, publishing, distributing or disseminating such statements on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp.He also applied for an interim injunction for the defendant to delete, edit and stop the publication of the part of the video footage which contained the allegedly defamatory statement in online news portals and social media including the Perikatan Nasional Facebook page, Astro Awani YouTube channel and KiniTV.He claimed that Muhyiddin’s statement implied he had used a shortcut to settle and postpone his ongoing court cases, that he had asked for Muhyiddin’s help to intervene in the court cases and the judiciary system to order the dissolution of the Johor state assembly, and that he was not a respectable and exemplary leader.Zahid claimed that the allegations were false and aimed at tarnishing his name and reputation, and that they were made by the defendant after the Election Commission’s announcement on the Johor state election.Zahid’s lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, when contacted, said case management was set for May 25.


Khairy says will settle Rembau seat talk behind closed doors

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin says he will hold closed-door discussions with Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan on who will be contesting his seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
Mohamad had said on Sept 10 that he was indeed was vying for a parliamentary constituency in GE15 but had yet to decide which seat he would contest.
He said that as Umno deputy president, it was up to him which seat he would contest and that people saying he was going for the Rembau constituency was up to them and "not his concern".
Mohamad, popularly known as Tok Mat, added that the party’s priority at the moment was to strengthen and prepare the machinery in all divisions before deciding on seat distribution and candidates.
Khairy, who is also health minister, was earlier reported as saying that he had been asked to vacate the seat by Mohamad who wanted to run in his place.
"I have already said what I have to say. I’m not going to have this conversation in public anymore," Khairy said on the sidelines of an event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He added that he had spoken the truth but that the matter was best settled behind closed doors.


27 killed in fire in Indian capital

At least 27 people died and dozens more were injured in a massive fire in a building in the Indian capital New Delhi on Friday, emergency services said.The large fire broke out at a four-storey commercial building in west Delhi in the late afternoon, but its cause was not immediately clear.“Twenty-seven charred bodies were recovered from the building and almost two dozen injured are undergoing treatment,” Satpal Bharadwaj, who was in charge of operations for the Delhi Fire Service at the scene, told AFP.Bharadwaj said there were about 70 people in the building when the blaze erupted.“There was no fire exit and most of the people died due to asphyxiation,” he said, adding that more would be known after autopsies could be conducted.The official said “almost two dozen” were injured and undergoing treatment, but earlier, deputy chief fire officer Sunil Choudhary told AFP that the number of injured stood at “more than 25 people”.Choudhary added that some had jumped from the burning building.Broadcaster NDTV, meanwhile, reported that more than 40 people had sustained burns and were hospitalised.While Bharadwaj said the cause was still not known, he did say the building was used for “offices and storage for paper packing material.”NDTV quoted police official Sameer Sharma as saying the building housed the office of a security camera and router manufacturing company.Several officials said they believed the death toll could rise.More than 30 fire trucks were at the scene, along with ambulances.Amit Mahajan, whose cousin and nephew were missing after the fire, told AFP they had been at the building to “train workers”.“I have visited all the nearby hospitals but there is no trace of them. We are not sure about their safety or whereabouts,” he said.‘Tragic’Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.A police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity that one of the office owners has been detained for questioning.The officer was unable to explain the reasons for his detention but said that more arrests could follow.The Indian capital of 20 million people is currently suffering through a heatwave, with temperatures of up to 46 Celsius recorded in some places.Last month, the heatwave caused a huge garbage dump to catch fire. It burned for days, adding to the megacity’s deadly air pollution.Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to loved ones of the fire victims via Twitter.“Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Modi said.“Distressed by the tragic fire accident… My condolences to the bereaved families. I wish for speedy recovery of the injured,” President Ram Nath Kovind’s office tweeted.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Shocked and pained to know abt this tragic incident. I am constantly in touch (with) officers. Our brave firemen are trying their best to control the fire and save lives.”Covid woesMore than 40 people died in a fire in a factory making school bags and shoes in Delhi in December 2019.As is often the case, many of the dead were poor migrant workers earning a pittance and sleeping at the factory.One of India’s worst fires was in 1985 at a school in the northern state of Haryana when 442 people died, 258 of them children.Fires also compounded India’s woes during the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year, with a series of blazes at hospitals.Sixteen 16 Covid-19 patients and two nurses were killed in a fire at a hospital in Gujarat state in May 2021. Another fire killed 22 in Mumbai the month before.


Queen Elizabeth cancels engagements over Covid symptoms

Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled her planned virtual engagements for Tuesday due to “mild” coronavirus symptoms, Buckingham Palace said.“As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties,” said a palace spokesman.The 95-year-old head of state tested positive for the virus on Sunday, sparking renewed concerns about her health after she spent a night in hospital in October last year.She was forced to rest on medical grounds and cancelled a series of planned engagements, including hosting world leaders at the UN climate change summit in November.Her appearances since then have been rare, although she returned to public duties before the start of her record-breaking 70th year as monarch on Feb 6.The queen is scheduled to hold more virtual meetings later in the week, including her weekly private audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.But it was reported that she will decide on whether to attend them nearer the time.Elizabeth’s eldest son and heir Prince Charles, 73, had to pull out of a planned engagement on Feb 10 after testing positive for coronavirus for a second time.It was later revealed he had met his mother two days earlier.


Trudeau invokes emergency powers to quell Canada protests

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked rarely used emergency powers to bring an end to trucker-led protests against Covid health rules, after police arrested 11 people with a “cache of firearms” blocking a border crossing with the US.It marked only the second time in Canadian history such powers have been invoked in peacetime, and came as hundreds of big rigs still clogged the streets of the capital Ottawa, as well as two border crossings.“The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations,” Trudeau told a news conference.The prime minister said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks in order to clear blockades, as well as ban funding of the protests.“We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue,” Trudeau said.“This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions,” he added, noting that the scope of the measures would be “time-limited” and “geographically targeted,” but without providing specifics.As the threat of violence lingered, federal police said they arrested 11 protesters with rifles, handguns, body armor and ammunition at the border between Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana, just a day after another key US-Canada border crossing was cleared in Ontario.“The group was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.The protests by Canadian truckers and their supporters – opposed to mandatory coronavirus vaccines and pushing a wider anti-establishment agenda – have triggered copycat movements from France to New Zealand, with US truckers mulling similar rallies.Under pressure to act, Trudeau on Sunday convened a special federal response group on efforts to end the occupation of Ottawa and the remaining, economically damaging, blockades of border crossings in Alberta and Manitoba.The Emergencies Act was previously used by Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, during the October Crisis of 1970.It saw troops sent to Quebec to restore order after the kidnappings by militant separatists of a British trade attache and a Quebec minister, Pierre Laporte, who was found strangled to death in the trunk of a car.Protests spreadingCanada’s so-called “Freedom Convoy” started with truckers protesting against mandatory vaccines to cross the border with the US.But its demands now include an end to all Covid-19 health measures and, for many of the protesters, for the toppling of Trudeau’s Liberal government – only five months after he won re-election.The truckers have found support among conservatives and vaccine mandate opponents across the globe, even as Covid-19 measures are being rolled back in many places.In Paris on the weekend, police fired tear gas and issued hundreds of fines in an effort to break up convoys coming from across France.The Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria have also seen copycat movements, and Belgian authorities said Monday they had intercepted 30 vehicles as police scrambled to stop a convoy of trucks.Truckers dig inCanadian police over the weekend cleared a blockade on the Ambassador Bridge, which handles an estimated 25% of trade with the US, and had disrupted business in the world’s largest economy.But Monday morning in Ottawa, as a deep freeze rolled in, protesters remained defiant despite threats of jail and fines of up to Can$100,000 (US$80,000).Leaving “is not in my plans,” Phil Rioux, behind the wheel of a large truck, told AFP before Trudeau’s announcement.“It’s by maintaining the pressure that we have a better chance of achieving our goal,” the 29-year-old explained.“There are other customs checkpoints that are blocked, more will be blocked elsewhere,” he added.Protest organiser Tamara Lich also told a news conference, “We are not afraid… We will hold the line.”Earlier Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the lifting of vaccine passport requirements by March 1 in the province – following in Alberta and Saskatchewan’s footsteps.Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, had reimposed at the end of December among the most restrictive health measures in the world.Residents of the capital, meanwhile, have grown increasingly frustrated, saying the protest has made them prisoners in their own homes.Most businesses downtown are also closed or have had almost no customers after officials warned residents to stay clear.“It’s a little quieter now, there are less honking but it’s annoying… (because) there’s no other way to get to work than by walking” past the demonstrations, said Haley, a young woman on her way to work who declined to give her last name.Like thousands of counter-protesters who blocked more trucks from entering the downtown this weekend, she’d been looking to the prime minister to end the crisis.


Classifying businesses as essential and non-essential no way to fight Covid, says retail tycoon

The owner of a major hypermarket chain in the country has urged the government to reconsider its criteria for the closure of businesses under Covid-19 mitigation measures, saying businesses will continue to collapse if the lockdown persists in its current form.Ameer Ali Mydeen, managing director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd, said the approach of closing down businesses to reduce Covid-19 infections should be amended.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he suggested a shift away from the strategy of classifying businesses and service providers as essential and non-essential, adding that the current lockdown appeared to be more of a “purchase control order”.“As business owners, we understand that to stop the spread of Covid-19, the government will have to use lockdowns as a mechanism,” he told MalaysiaNow.Ameer Ali Mydeen.“We understand this mechanism and we agree that this must be done. But what we are seeing now is more of a purchase control order where people cannot shop for the items they need just because they are not considered essential according to the government.”Citing the government’s recent announcement that stationery shops would be allowed to reopen, he questioned the decision-making process behind the essential services list, saying many other businesses that were initially closed should now be considered essential as well.“The government must not have an essential and non-essential list because everything is essential to somebody,” he said.“This is not the way to make a decision because it’s a very ‘fire-fighting’ decision,” he added. “It doesn’t make sense.”Ameer suggested that the government instead group businesses and service providers that could increase the spread of Covid-19 on a “negative list”, saying decisions on which businesses can be allowed to operate should be based on their Covid-19 risk.“For example, the negative list could include businesses that attract large crowds in small spaces,” he said.“If you close down a business like a car wash because it is not essential, what does it have to do with Covid-19? You cannot say that car washes are not important because for the person who runs the car wash, it is very essential.”Ameer also said the current lockdown is taking a bigger toll on people and businesses as they can no longer sustain themselves as much as they had during the first lockdown in March last year due to shrinking resources.“People followed the rules during the first lockdown because they were fearful and they still had money,” he said.“While businesses like Mydin are not badly affected, we are still struggling,” he added. “Our sales of food and basic necessities have gone down by more than 20%. This means that people don’t even have money now to buy necessities.“This is very dangerous for the industry and for our people.”


Dr Mahathir's Pejuang shocked at GE15 move despite flood warnings

Pejuang, the party led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has expressed shock at the government's decision to dissolve Parliament despite incessant warnings of massive floods due to the looming monsoon season.
"The announcement was made after briefings on the risks and circumstances surrounding the impending floods.
"It seems that all the warnings of major floods are nothing to Umno for the sake of power," the party said in a statement, following Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's announcement today.
Pejuang also accused Umno, which has campaigned intensely for an early general election, of taking a gamble with the lives of the people, and urged voters to punish Umno at the polls.
"Don't ever choose a party that has clearly lost its integrity and is power-crazy. It is time for the people to send a clear message to them that this country belongs to the people, and to reject Umno completely in the upcoming election," it said.
Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional have both rejected moves by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to hold the general election this year.
Both coalitions have also indicated that the six states under their rule will not hold elections at the state level, saying their focus is on preparations for the floods which last year claimed more than 20 lives and caused losses of more than RM6 billion.


Total vaccine jabs so far top 55 million

A total of 25,515,074 individuals or 97.3% of adults had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 98.6% of adults or 23,102,672 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, 89.8% of the adolescent population or 2,826,872 individuals aged between 12 and 17 have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 89.8% or 2,726,239 individuals have completed their vaccination.A total of 129,387 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday – 4,027 as first doses, 4,970 as second shots and 120,390 as booster jabs.This brings the total number of vaccine jabs given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 55,039,657, including 3,787,928 booster shots.


What the Westminster model really says about who gets first shot at govt

There have been calls by top Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters like former attorney-general Tommy Thomas and former Bar Council president Ambiga for PH to be given the first go to form a government because it is the coalition that garnered the most seats in the 15th general election (GE15).
This is purportedly based on the Westminster model of democracy, on which our democracy is modelled.
And this call is gaining traction among lay supporters of PH, dejected that the coalition failed to cross the 112 threshold to form the government with a simple majority, or more than 100 seats as confidently predicted by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli for it to cross the threshold by combining with other coalitions.
All these look like a desperate attempt to prevent PN from forming the government with other coalitions.
This desperation was seen when Singapore’s Straits Times reported a while ago that political enemies, Anwar Ibrahim, president of PKR, and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, met in an eleventh hour talk as the palace deadline looms.
It’s like two enemies are meeting for the sake their own survival.
PH’s largest component, DAP, agreed Sunday night to Anwar’s move to rope in the Umno-led BN, according to ST citing sources.
But let’s just see how solid the argument is that PH should be given the first go simply because it has the highest number of seats based on the Westminster democracy.
In any democracy, especially the Westminster model, when there is a hung Parliament, the leader of the party with the most number of seats will be given the first go to form a government within a specified period – say three days or one week.
When the time is up and if the party fails to form the government, the next party with the highest number of seats will be given the go to form a government, and so on.
The best example of this was the one highlighted by Thomas in his recent article.
"Perhaps the closest example would be the position in February 1974 when prime minister Ted Heath lost his majority in the UK general election. From a total of 635 seats, Labour won 301, Conservative 297, Liberal 14 and others 23 seats.
"Heath, a Conservative prime minister, resigned although there were talks with the Liberal party to form a coalition. Instead, Harold Wilson, the leader of the largest party, was invited to form the government," Thomas said.
But what these people forget is that the Westminster model is based on political parties, not political coalitions. Harold Wilson was appointed as the prime minister because it was very clear that his party won the largest number of seats.
Unlike Malaysia, elections in the UK have always been party-based. Coalitions come into the picture not during elections but after the election results, which would then see horse-trading among the parties.
Perhaps it was to prevent ugly horse-trading that the UK monarch decided to invite Wilson to form the government.
Going by this argument, the party with the most number of seats in GE15 is PAS, and therefore PAS should be given the first go to form a government.
This is an apple-to-apple comparison (party to party), compared to Thomas' comparison of an apple-to-orange comparison (party to coalition).
Thomas went on to say that "a strong convention has developed in many parliamentary democracies that when no party or coalition is able to reach the magic 50% plus one seat to form the majority in the elected House, the constitutional monarch (like the UK) or head of state (like the president in India) will appoint the leader of the party or coalition that has the highest seats simply because that person enjoys the mandate from the voters in the just concluded general elections to be given the first opportunity to form a cabinet…"
This is wishful thinking because in the case of GE15, the leader of the party or coalition that has the highest number seats is not the same person. The leader of the party with the highest number of seats is Abdul Hadi Awang, the president of PAS and not Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of PKR.
But Anwar is the leader of the coalition PH that won the most seats. So when to use party and coalition as a criterion for giving the first go? Thomas conveniently ignored this. Why? Because he is a hardcore supporter of PH and an avowed enemy of PAS.
It is also wishful thinking because any party or coalition that fails to get a simple majority of 112 is not considered to have enjoyed the mandate of the people, even if the party or coalition concerned got the highest number of seats.
Moreover, the Westminster model is based on convention whereas ours is a written one where the constitution specifies it is the absolute prerogative of the King to decide who is the prime minister, along with the process to be determined by the king.
This Westminster practice was already violated in Malaysia in GE14 when Umno, the party that won the most seats then, was not given the first go to form the government.
Instead, PKR with the second most seats was given the first go, which led to the formation of a PH government in 2018.
Granted, in this case, PH had crossed the 112-seat threshold but with a majority so wafer thin that when Bersatu declared it was leaving PH, the coalition lost its majority. Had it been a simple, firm majority, PH wouldn’t have lasted for 22 months.
So to begin with, the majority that PH gained in GE14 was as good as a hung parliament.
It is best in Malaysia that we follow our own model of democracy where it is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who will have the final say, not only in determining who should be the prime minister, but also on the process to arrive at this decision.
Leave it to the Istana to decide all this as there were two instances of precedence on this in 2020 and 2021, the former when PH lost its majority, the latter when Muhyiddin Yassin was forced to resign due to the chicanery of the Umno court cluster.
Questioning this would be tantamount to subverting the king’s prerogative.
So let’s wait for the deadline today, given by the Istana to all political leaders to submit their PM candidate along with their statutory declarations, and patiently wait for the outcome, which will be announced by the Istana.
Even if the announcement says it is PH that will form the government and that Anwar is the prime minister, I would be happy just like I was happy in 2020 when the king announced Muhyiddin as the prime minister and in 2021 when His Majesty announced Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime minister.
And please, if this is the case, don’t be rude by calling PH a backdoor government or Anwar a backdoor PM.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Keeping up with the lingo to safeguard children online

As more and more aspects of life are transferred online, aided by technological advances and, inadvertently, the appearance of Covid-19 on the global stage, parents will need to work to keep up with digital trends and terminology in order to safeguard their children, an expert says.Geshina Ayu Mat Saat, a criminologist and psychologist from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the language used in the digital world changes swiftly and children might unknowingly fall victim to predators if parents do not keep a watchful eye.In order to do this, they need to have the knowledge and skills required to protect and educate their children about such dangers, she said.“Almost all applications and social media platforms that children subscribe to have inappropriate content and interactions where predators use acronyms and slang to communicate with children,” she said.“These predators purposely seek out such applications to reach out to children or to make themselves available for children to find them.”With preventive virus measures pushing most face-to-face activities out of the picture for the better part of two years now, children have been spending more time online, including for necessary pursuits such as attending school sessions.And the more time they spend online, the wider the window of opportunity for predators to take advantage of them.The limitless nature of the internet also means that these potential situations are not bound to a particular space or time.Children also run a greater risk of being exposed to negative elements or being manipulated or groomed by unscrupulous individuals.“More time online also gives rise to an increased learning of social norms and values which may contradict a family’s ethnic, cultural or religious identities as interactions become borderless,” Geshina said.While it may be tricky to keep track of children’s online activities, especially for parents who feel themselves technically challenged to begin with, she said efforts should be made towards this.She suggested that parents set time-controlled access to digital devices so that children do not miss out on family interactions or develop anti-family tendencies.“However, most importantly parents must be a role model for these efforts and should not claim parental privilege when it comes to online access, as children learn not only from words said but from behaviours observed,” she said.MalaysiaNow reported earlier this year that the shift to online classes had brought with it a greater risk of exposure to pornography and sexually explicit material.Three years ago, Bukit Aman’s D11 division, which deals with sexual crimes related to women and children, revealed that as many as 17,333 IP addresses involved with child pornography came from Malaysia, making it the top consumer of online child pornography in the region.Victims are typically between the age of 13 and 16 who fall prey to the grooming tactics the perpetrators use to normalise sexual contact.In March, meanwhile, the D11 division said 993 cases of physical sexual assault involving children below the age of 18 were reported in 2020, an increase from 732 and 591 reported in 2019 and 2018 respectively.D11 principal assistant director Siti Kamsiah Hassan said most victims of physical sexual assault are cases of statutory rape among underaged children.She said 20% of such cases occur without consent, a number she attributed to the trend of children being unaware of the risks of social media.“These cases happen due to them being overexposed on social media and unlimited internet access,” she said.Racheal Kwacz, a child and family development specialist, said parents should come alongside their children to encourage open and honest communication.“If we search the internet, we can find many articles and easily available resources on how to keep a child safe and the tools that parents can use to help their children, but that is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.“We fail to see the bigger picture in which, if we take the time to communicate with our children, we might see the early signs.”She also spoke of a need for firm boundaries and open literacy that promotes critical thinking skills in safe and age-appropriate ways so that new tools become available, children are equipped to handle them.“All in all, we just want to remove shame and secrecy through communication,” she said.


Najib fails again in bid to cite new evidence in SRC appeal

Najib Razak today failed for the second time to adduce new evidence in his appeal over his 12-year jail sentence and fine of RM210 million for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.This was after a five-member panel chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat unanimously dismissed the former prime minister’s application after hearing submissions by Najib’s lead counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, and ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram.The other judges presiding on the bench were Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf, Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judge Mohd Zawawi Salleh.In her decision, Tengku Maimun said the application to adduce additional evidence did not fulfil the requirements of the law.“We are satisfied with the Court of Appeal’s decision in dismissing the application. We find that this application does not comply with the requirements of the law. There is no appealable error.“Under the circumstances, this appeal is hereby dismissed,” she said.Tengku Maimun said the court did not see how the evidence Najib sought to adduce was relevant as the allegations in relation to the evidence related to another trial pending in the High Court, namely the 1MDB trial, and not the present case.“We do not agree with the appellant (Najib) that the relevancy of the evidence must be assessed in light of the ‘issues’ only, without regard to the charge or charges.“In our view, the issues in a given case are inextricably linked to the charge or charges.“The issues are no different conceptually from the issues to be tried in a civil case which relate back to the ‘cause of action’ pleaded in the pleadings.“The issues in a criminal case would, by analogy, relate back to the charge and the elements of the charge. Here, the issue in question is the knowledge of the appellant in relation to the sum of RM42 million.“We do not see how the proposed additional evidence is relevant to the issue of knowledge,” she said, adding that the fresh application to adduce new evidence failed to specify with certainty the type of evidence to be adduced.In fact, she said, the affidavit in support and the further affidavit in support of the motion did not specify the rationale for calling the witnesses or to what fact exactly the witnesses would testify.Tengku Maimun said the court also found that the witnesses were available during trial and were in fact offered by the respondent (prosecution) for cross-examination and interview.However, Najib declined to exercise those options, she added.She said the Court of Appeal had given a fair hearing before dismissing the additional evidence bid, contrary to submissions from Najib’s lawyer.“On the facts, having perused the notes of proceedings at the Court of Appeal and having taken the liberty to examine the court recording transcription (CRT), we find that Najib’s counsel was given sufficient time to submit and address the court.“To be exact, from the CRT, it is apparent that learned counsel for the appellant was given one hour and 22 minutes to submit, while on the other hand, the learned deputy public prosecutor was given 63 minutes.“We note that the appellant’s one hour 22 minutes were spent on submission in reply. This is because the counsel for the appellant, Shafee, declined the Court of Appeal’s invitation to submit at the outset.“We therefore find that the appellant suffered no prejudice and was not denied the right to be heard,” she added.Regarding the ruling to conduct the proceedings purely virtually or partly in a hybrid setting, she said the Court of Appeal had correctly exercised its discretion to invoke Section 15A of the Court of Judicature Act 1964.Tengku Maimun said the legal team that was under quarantine due to Covid-19 could still access court documents via modern technology.“While we sympathise with the fact that certain members of learned counsel Shafee’s team had tested positive for Covid-19 and that Shafee himself was in close contact, we find that Section 15A of the Court of Judicature Act 1964 was passed precisely to overcome this issue by enabling virtual attendance as opposed to physical attendance.“Any technicalities relating to access to documents were capable of being resolved by using technology, bearing in mind that it was the appellant who filed the application so close to the date of the decision on the substantive appeals.“Under the circumstances, we find that the appellant was not deprived of his right to be heard nor was his right to a fair trial infringed.”Najib, 68, made the application following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s press release last Nov 19 on the recovery of fund assets of 1MDB inter alia from Singapore, whereby the government of Singapore had repatriated a sum of US$15.4 million to Malaysia relating to an account of Cutting-Edge Industries Ltd owned by Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.On Dec 7, 2021, the Court of Appeal dismissed the Pekan MP’s application to adduce new evidence in his appeal, ruling that Najib had failed to cumulatively satisfy Section 61 of the Courts of Judicature Act that fresh evidence was required for justice in the case.The next day, the same court upheld the conviction and 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine on Najib for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds after dismissing Najib’s appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision on July 28, 2020.After the ruling, Najib filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court.


Ex-magistrate gets 58 years’ jail, RM1.05 million fine for graft

The Sessions Court today sentenced a former magistrate to a total of 58 years in prison and a fine of RM1.05 million in default of 72 months’ jail after finding him guilty of six counts of soliciting and accepting bribes from a trader about two years ago.However, Mohamad Amin Shahul Hamid, 41, formerly a magistrate at the Lipis and Raub court, only has to serve 12 years in prison as judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain ordered for the sentences to be served concurrently.Zamzani allowed a stay of execution on the sentence pending Amin’s appeal to the High Court and imposed an additional bail of RM25,000 with one surety, bringing the total bail amount to RM50,000.Amin was also ordered to surrender his passport to the court.In his judgment, the judge said Amin’s defence was a mere afterthought and a bare denial that failed to raise reasonable doubt in the case.Amin was charged with soliciting bribes amounting to RM100,000 and receiving RM110,000 from one Hassan Basri Ahmad Sutan Modo in Lipis and Raub between July 5 and Oct 22, 2019.The bribes were an inducement for the accused not to fine and jail Hassan Basri, who was then facing a charge for the possession of smuggled cigarettes.The charges were framed under Section 16 (a)(B) and Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24 of the same act.If convicted, he faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.In mitigation, lawyer S Meheraj asked for a minimum sentence, saying that Amin was a first-time offender who suffered from asthma.“The accused has also been suspended since 2019 and now receives half his salary. To make a living, he helps his uncle at a padi field in Sungai Petani, Kedah,” he said.MACC deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin however called for a deterrent sentence as the case had gone through a full trial.


Israel to ease Covid-19 restrictions

Israel is set to ease restrictions imposed to combat coronavirus on June 1, but tough rules on travellers to the Jewish state would remain in place, the health ministry said Sunday.The health ministry proposal must still be approved by the government.“For the first time since the outbreak of the epidemic, all restrictions inside Israeli territory will be lifted from June 1,” a ministry statement said.Restrictions on travellers to Israel will remain in place, with the ministry even considering tightening measures to prevent virus variants entering the country.During the worst period of the pandemic, Israel recorded around 10,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day, but in the past 24 hours, only 12 people tested positive.Israel launched a rapid vaccination campaign in December, with more than five million people receiving two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.The fall in cases has allowed the authorities to reopen restaurants, bars and sports halls, but only for people with a “green passport”, given to those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.The new rules will allow the entire population – including unvaccinated people – open access.Since mid-April, wearing a mask is no longer required in public spaces, but is on public transport and in enclosed places.The wearing of a mask will initially remain compulsory in enclosed places.Israel has officially recorded over 839,000 Covid-19 cases, including 6,404 deaths, since the pandemic began.


Opec set to stick or cut more amid plan to cap Russian oil price

Major oil producers are expected to stick to their current output strategy or even slash production further when they meet on Sunday in the face of falling prices, a Russian oil price cap and an embargo on Russian crude shipments.
At their last ministerial session in October the 13-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries headed by Riyadh and its 10 allies led by Moscow, collectively known as Opec+, agreed to reduce output by two million barrels per day (bpd) from November.
The Opec+ reduction amounted to the biggest cut since the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Amid fears of economic slowdown, Sunday's cartel meeting via videoconference convenes ahead of the EU enforcing an embargo on Russian crude shipments from Monday.
G7 countries, the EU and Australia had also appeared close to agreeing a US$60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil Thursday.
The alliance should vote for a "rollover of the previous decision" to cut two million bpd, an Iranian source told AFP Thursday, arguing that the market was "very uncertain" in light of imminent European sanctions.
China worries
"Odds are that the group will reassert its commitment to its latest output cuts," said PVM Energy analyst Stephen Brennock, adding he would not rule out that they "may even potentially announce fresh cuts" to bolster prices.
Since the October meeting, oil prices have been plummeting to their level of early 2022, far from the peaks above US$130 (RM570) a barrel in March after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Two global crude benchmarks were hovering around US$85 a barrel on Thursday.
Covid-related restrictions in China have raised fears about energy demand from the world's largest importer of crude oil.
Beijing defused concerns, however, by signalling a possible easing of its strict zero-Covid policy, after nationwide protests against health restrictions broke out.
Soaring inflation in Europe and across the Atlantic have also fuelled fears of a recession.
Russian 'leverage'
Beyond the economic gloom, the big unknown in the oil equation currently is Russian oil, as Western nations seek to decouple themselves from Moscow's energy supplies as fast as possible.
The EU has decided to ban member states from buying Russian oil exported by sea from Dec 5, "putting at risk over two million barrels per day," according to estimates by ANZ analysts.
The EU will also join the G7 powers in imposing a US$60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil, the Polish ambassador to the bloc said Friday.
Poland had delayed approving the adoption of the plan while it pushed for a lower price ceiling and tough new sanctions to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine.
Last week, President Vladimir Putin had warned that any attempt by the West to cap the price of Russian oil would have "grave consequences" for world markets.
Russia "has several options to circumvent such a cap," said UniCredit economist Edoardo Campanella, adding that "Opec+ might feel compelled to adopt a more aggressive stance" by cutting or threatening to cut production even further.
"Russia might also retaliate by leveraging its influence within Opec+ to push for more production cuts down the road, thus exacerbating the global energy crisis," Campanella said.


Japan may resume inbound tourism despite battling third wave

Japan has started to allow business travel from certain nations in Asia and Oceania but all tourists are still barred from entering the country.However, there are reports in the Japanese media of a reopening plan.The Asahi newspaper reported on Sunday that the government is considering the resumption of inbound tourism on a limited basis from spring as Tokyo prepares to host a delayed summer Olympics,Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s administration is considering allowing small tour groups from Asian countries where coronavirus infections are well under control, such as China and Taiwan, the Asahi reported without citing sources.Suga’s government has already launched a programme to revive domestic tourism, but the scheme has been criticised as being premature because Japan is struggling with a third wave of coronavirus infections.New cases have soared to record highs in Tokyo and Osaka. Numbers nationwide are also at record levels.Under the new plan, international tourist groups would have to test negative for Covid-19 and submit a detailed travel itinerary before entering the country, the Asahi said.They would travel only by hired coach and would be separated from other guests at their hotels. There would be no contact with Japanese tourists at sightseeing destinations. They would also be required to use a tracing app and give daily updates on their health.A limited number of people are now allowed to travel to Japan for business but are required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.Japan recently lowered its visit restrictions for the following countries: Australia, Brunei, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.The Tokyo Summer Olympics was scheduled for this year but was pushed back to 2021 because of the pandemic.


WHO reports 21% decline in monkeypox cases globally

The number of monkeypox cases reported globally declined by 21% last week, after a month-long trend of rising infections, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency in July. So far, more than 41,000 cases of monkeypox and 12 deaths have been reported from 96 countries, with the majority of cases from the US.
The decrease in case numbers may potentially signal that the outbreak is declining in the European region, according to WHO's latest epidemiological report.
"There are signs the outbreak is slowing in Europe, where a combination of effective public health measures, behaviour change and vaccination is helping to prevent transmission," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press briefing.
Still, nearly two dozen countries saw a rise in weekly case numbers with the highest increase reported in the US. Over 34% of the current global case count is in the US
The regions of the Americas is continuing to see intense transmission and the region accounted for 60% of cases in the past month.
"In Latin America in particular, insufficient awareness or public health measures are combining with a lack of access to vaccines to fan the flames of the outbreak," Tedros said.
With vaccines in short supply, many countries including the US are trying to stretch out supplies by administering smaller doses to make the most of existing stocks.
While regulators have justified the approach, Bavarian Nordic, the maker of the only approved monkeypox vaccine, has raised doubts about the safety of this so-called fractional dosing approach.
WHO is looking closely at the performance of available vaccines including use of fractional doses, a senior official said, adding that the "agency's strategic advisory group of experts will be meeting at the beginning of October to evaluate the evidence including fractional dose issues."


Oct 27 decision for bid by Mat Sabu’s son to quash drug conviction

Former defence minister Mohamad Sabu’s son will know on Oct 27 the outcome of his bid to quash his conviction and eight-month jail sentence over a drug abuse case.Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah fixed the date after hearing submissions by Ahmad Saiful Islam’s lawyer Nasar Khan and deputy public prosecutor Izalina Abdullah.Nasar argued that the police took only one urine sample and that the process of taking the it was not in accordance with the rules.“There were discrepancies between the testimonies of prosecution witnesses regarding the urine sample. Besides that, there were errors in the urine sample bottle exhibit and a defect in the control chain of the sample. The sample was also stored too long before being tested in the laboratory,” he said.Meanwhile, Izalina said the procedure of taking the urine sample from Saiful was adequate and in accordance with the law.“The issue of the urine sample having been tampered with was never raised by the defence to any prosecution witnesses and at no time did the appellant lodge a police report saying he was abused following the allegedly irregular urine sample collection process.“Therefore, magistrate (Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim) was not wrong in sentencing the appellant and there is no factor for the High Court to change the magistrate’s findings. We request that the appellant’s appeal be rejected and the sentence upheld,” she said.According to the charge, Saiful was accused of using THC-type drugs at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur at 2.05am on Jan 5, 2019.On June 24 last year, Aizat sentenced him to eight months’ jail after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubts over the prosecution’s case.The court ordered Saiful to serve the jail sentence from June 24 last year and to undergo a two-year surveillance under the National Anti-Drug Agency after completing the jail sentence.On July 2 last year, Saiful filed an appeal against the Magistrate Court’s decision on the sentencing.The court allowed his application to stay the execution of the jail sentence pending his appeal at the High Court.


Covid-19 pill to be given for free to symptomatic or late-stage patients

The antiviral drug Molnupiravir will be given free of charge to Covid-19 patients who are symptomatic for at least five days or in Category Three, Four and Five, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He said although the percentage of fully vaccinated adults was now close to 90%, the health ministry had found that Covid-19 infections were still occurring.“We need these treatment pills in addition to our vaccination programme. We found that with these pills we give doctors the option to give them to those who have not been vaccinated and those who have. It will be given for free.“Merck Sharp & Dohme clinical trials have shown its effectiveness in treating Category Three, Four and Five cases, especially those with symptoms for four to five days,” he said after visiting Hospital Kuala Lumpur today.The government, through the health ministry, has signed a letter of undertaking to procure the antiviral drug to add new innovative treatment options to its arsenal in the fight against Covid-19.Through the agreement with American multinational pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme, the government agreed to procure 150,000 complete treatment packages for use on Covid-19 patients.Molnupiravir has also been proven to be effective against more aggressive Covid-19 variants such as Gamma, Delta and Mu.


Health ministry mulls taking contract workers as permanent staff without pensions

The health ministry is holding discussions with the Public Service Department (PSD) on absorbing contract medical personnel to permanent staff without pensions.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said this was to deal with the workload that exceeds the capacity of available resources, as well as to reduce the burden of the pension scheme borne by the country, which amounted to RM29.1 billion in 2021.
"We are aware of the burden facing the government with the pension scheme, which in 2011 was worth RM3.1 billion and increased to RM29.1 billion in 2021.
"So the way out is to absorb contract workers on a permanent basis, but without a pension.
"They will enjoy the same benefits as other permanent workers, such as being eligible for housing loans," she said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
She was responding to a supplementary question from Jefridin Atan who asked whether the health ministry was considering employing more contract doctors to deal with the workload of health workers.
Zaliha said there had been an increase in cases of non-communicable diseases which in turn led to a rise in the number of in- and out-patients at health facilities, causing overcrowding at hospitals.
"To reduce overcrowding at hospitals, we have implemented a pilot project led by the special task force on public sector reform, which was established under the supervision of the chief secretary to the government.
"The health ministry is also intensifying its digitalisation efforts to reduce the workload of its members, in addition to implementing scheduling practices that can help ensure that members have sufficient rest time between shifts, including giving leave to health workers," she said.


Rafizi's threat to Azam shows PH prepared to abuse power, says Bersatu

Bersatu today slammed PKR's Rafizi Ramli over his recent warning to top anti-graft buster Azam Baki, saying it showed that Pakatan Harapan (PH) had plans to misuse its power by going after civil servants who are carrying out their duties.
"This would have a negative impact on all government servants who have for so long done their jobs with integrity and without picking sides," said Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
"Never in the history of the country has a leader of a main political coalition openly admitted to intending to misuse power in order to take revenge on public servants."
Rafizi had earlier condemned what he called a raid by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at Invoke Solutions, the PKR-linked company he heads.
MACC however clarified that its officers had visited Invoke to get documents related to its investigation of the company.
Last night, Rafizi said a PH government would "look for" Azam if it won the general election this weekend.
"Saturday we vote. After we win the elections, we will look for Azam Baki," he said.
Faizal said Rafizi and other PH leaders appeared to believe that they were above the law and enforcement action, citing the move to drop charges against DAP leader Lim Guan Eng in 2018 after PH took over Putrajaya.
He also said that PH's prime ministerial candidate Anwar Ibrahim should state his stand on the matter.
"Will PH and Anwar take back the threats against the MACC chief commissioner and apologise to all civil servants?"


WHO monitoring cases of pneumonia of unknown origin in Argentina

The World Health Organization is monitoring a cluster of 10 cases of pneumonia from an unknown cause in Argentina in an outbreak that so far has included three deaths.
The cases are linked to a single private clinic in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, located in the northwest part of the country, according to the Pan American Health Organization (Paho), the regional office of WHO.
An initial report on Tuesday included five healthcare workers and a patient who was treated in the intensive care ward of the clinic, with symptoms emerging between Aug 18-22.
On Thursday, local health officials reported another three cases, bringing the total to nine, including three deaths. All three people who died had other health conditions.
On Friday, Argentina reported an additional case.
Symptoms have included fever, muscle and abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Several patients had pneumonia in both lungs.
Tests for known respiratory viruses and other viral, bacterial and fungal agents were all negative, Paho said. Biological samples have been sent to Argentina's National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes for additional testing, which will include an analysis for the presence of toxins.
Dr Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said given that the lungs are heavily involved, the cause is likely something the patients inhaled.
He first suspected Legionnaires' disease, which is caused by inhaling droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria, but tests have ruled that out.
Paho and WHO are monitoring the outbreak and assisting local health officials with the investigation.
Osterholm said "mystery illnesses" do sometimes happen, and most often they can be explained by some local outbreak that does not have pandemic implications.
Osterholm said he expects more definitive information from Argentine health officials in the next five to seven days.


Indonesia families sue govt over cough syrup deaths, injuries

A dozen Indonesian families whose relatives died or were injured after consuming tainted cough syrups have sued the government and companies accused of supplying the products, according to a lawsuit.
The Southeast Asian country has seen a spike in cases of acute kidney injury since August, with the deaths of at least 199 people, mostly children, prompting a probe and ban on some liquid medicine sales.
The class action lawsuit targets the ministry of health, the country's food and drug agency and seven companies implicated in selling syrups containing excessive amounts of two compounds used in industrial products such as antifreeze.
Awan Puryadi, a legal representative of the victims' relatives, told AFP they took action because the authorities failed to prevent the sale of harmful medicines and the subsequent child deaths or injuries.
"No one has claimed responsibility. They are very disappointed with the current situation," Puryadi said Thursday about the lawsuit, which was filed on Nov 18.
"We demand the... drug suppliers, pharmacies, the BPOM (food and drug agency) and the health ministry all take responsibility."
Families are seeking compensation of around Rp2 billion (about RM560,527) for every person killed and around Rp1 billion (US$63,524) for every person injured, the lawyer said.
Two families listed on the lawsuit were pursuing legal action on behalf of a total of 12 families, he said, adding more could join in the future.
Police have launched an investigation into at least three companies that had their licences to produce syrup medicines temporarily frozen.
In West Africa, The Gambia recorded 70 child deaths in October suspected to have been caused by imported syrup medicines.
The World Health Organization has said it found an "unacceptable amount" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in four Indian-made cough syrups and warned they could be linked to the deaths.


CIA chief held secret meeting with Taliban in Kabul, report says

US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.The Monday meeting, which if confirmed will have been the highest-level encounter between the Islamist group and the Biden administration since the militants’ return to power, came as efforts to evacuate thousands of people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan became increasingly urgent.Burns is one of US President Joe Biden’s most experienced diplomats while Baradar, who headed the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, is one of the top leaders in the regime that has taken power in Kabul.A spokesman for the CIA would not confirm the meeting to AFP, saying that the agency “never discusses the director’s travels.”The Washington Post, which cited anonymous US sources for the meeting, did not detail the content of the discussions between the Taliban co-founder and the CIA boss.But it said it was likely they revolved around any delay in the deadline for the US to finish evacuations at the airport of the Afghan capital, where thousands of Afghans, terrified by the return of the Islamists, are still massed with the hope of fleeing the country.Biden has set an Aug 31 deadline to finish the chaotic airlift organised by thousands of temporarily deployed US and UK troops, but has left the door open to an extension if needed.But a spokesman for the Taliban warned Monday the hardline Islamist group would not agree to any extension, calling the issue a “red line”, with any delay viewed as “extending occupation”.“If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there would be consequences,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News.The newspaper said the meeting took place on Monday.A virtual G7 summit is scheduled to review the evacuations on Tuesday.


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Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator arrested over insider trading

The co-creator of classic video game series Sonic the Hedgehog has been arrested for alleged insider trading, according to public prosecutors in Tokyo.
Yuji Naka, a 57-year-old programmer known for making Sonic and other major titles at Japanese game firm Sega, was arrested on Friday, a prosecution document obtained by AFP said.
His alleged misdeed took place nearly three years ago, when Naka was an employee at "Final Fantasy" creator Square Enix, the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office document said.
Naka is accused of buying shares in another game company, Aiming, when he knew they were going to release a new title jointly developed with Square Enix.
He purchased 10,000 shares in Aiming for 2.8 million yen (about RM91,410) in January 2020, according to the document, and the new game was announced the following month.
Prosecutors on Thursday arrested two other former Square Enix employees, also for alleged insider trading linked to Aiming.
Naka was not immediately reachable for comment, but his fans expressed surprise and disappointment on social media.
"Please tell me this isn't true. He brought Sonic to life... I'm so sad," one Twitter user wrote.
"He worked on many great games. So disappointing," said another.
On the website of the game studio that Naka founded called Prope, the programmer said he wanted to create "games that surprise and entertain children around the world".


Bosses' group against all withdrawals before age 60

An employers' group today said it was not only against any move to allow another round of withdrawals from retirement fund Employees Provident Fund (EPF), but that it wanted the current rules to be further tightened to allow withdrawals only upon reaching the retirement age.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) went a step further to suggest that the government do away with the current rule allowing contributors to withdraw one-third of their total savings upon turning 50, and complete withdrawals upon reaching the age 55.
It said such a move was needed to ensure sufficient funds for contributors' old age.
"It is therefore critical that the current policy of allowing one-third withdrawal upon 50 years and the withdrawal of all EPF savings at age 55 be reviewed.
"Since the retirement age was raised from 55 to 60 years in 2013, it is no longer relevant for EPF to allow members to withdraw their EPF savings upon reaching 55 years," said MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly rejected calls to allow further withdrawals from the EPF, a move which many have said would help ease the lingering financial difficulties in the aftermath of the pandemic.
At the peak of the pandemic, four tranches of EPF withdrawals were allowed, triggering warnings from the retirement fund that a large number of Malaysians would have no savings for their old age.
MEF said it hoped the government would consider "other ways" to address the cost of living problem, suggesting targeted subsidies for those in need of funds.
"MEF is confident that with all the experts and advisers in the government, they will come up with the right policies to support the needy," said Syed Hussain.


Most populous US state asked to cut power use as extreme heat approaches

Californians were urged to ratchet down the use of electricity in their homes and businesses on Wednesday as a wave of extreme heat settles over much of the state, stretching tight power supplies to their breaking point.
Temperatures in the most populous state are forecast to climb to well above 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) during the afternoon.
The extreme conditions are the latest sign of the impact of climate change in the US West, where wildfires and severe drought have emerged as a growing threat. As spells of excessive heat become more frequent, the strain on power and water utilities will become more acute, scientists say.
To prevent power outages, residents are asked to turn off lights and appliances and preset their thermostats to 78F (26C). Reducing usage is especially critical from 4pm to 9pm local time (2300 to 0400 GMT), when demand across the state typically peaks and solar power generation begins to ebb.
The heat is also raising the risk of wildfires. The Wishon Fire, a 350-acre blaze in the Sequoia National Forest, was 35% contained.
On Tuesday, the US government warned that more drastic cuts in water usage were needed to protect dwindling supplies held in reservoirs that crucial to the well-being of seven Western states.
Two critical reservoirs - Lake Mead and Lake Powell - have fallen to just above one-quarter of their capacity this summer. If they fall much lower, the lakes will be unable to generate hydroelectric power for millions of customers in the West, authorities say.
In Big Bar, an unincorporated area of Northern California for instance, a high of 110F (43C) could be reached on Wednesday while farther north residents in Electric City, Washington, will see 105F, the National Weather Service said.


PN to provide checks and balance, Muhyiddin says in congratulating Anwar

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today congratulated Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as prime minister, saying his coalition would provide checks and balance to the federal government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH).
"Moving forwards, PN will continue its struggle for the well-being of the people and the prosperity of the country, in line with its principles of being caring, clean and stable," he said in a statement today.
Anwar, the PH chairman, was sworn in as prime minister yesterday following his appointment by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Umno have said they will cooperate with the government led by Anwar, for the well-being of the country.


Navy man explains the big deal about subs

A navy man who has researched underwater and surface warfare has shed light on the importance of submarines in a country’s military assets, as debate continues over the geopolitical effects of a recent security pact between Australia, the UK and the US.Lieutenant Commander Farizha Ibrahim, an officer in the Royal Malaysian Navy, said submarines are a critical deterrent for any naval force.“It must be emphasised that once a submarine has reached the open ocean, hunting it down would be a formidable task and require a great deal of resources,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Both types of submarine, nuclear or diesel, have the standard armament of torpedoes and can attack surface ships and land installations.“Torpedoes themselves have been significantly improved with homing systems using acoustic or wake homing techniques,” he added.The trilateral partnership known as Aukus was inked in mid-September to strengthen military capabilities in the face of growing rivalry with China, including a new Australian nuclear submarine fleet and cruise missiles.“Once a submarine has reached the open ocean, hunting it down would be a formidable task and require a great deal of resources.”The agreement made Australia only the second nation after Britain to obtain nuclear submarine technology from the US.It was also a subject of debate in the Dewan Rakyat, with Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein proposing an immediate working trip to China to discuss Beijing’s views on the pact. He also stressed the importance of a balance of powers.China had said that the plan risks severely damaging regional peace and stability, while Indonesia, like Malaysia, warned that it would lead to an arms race in the region.The Philippines meanwhile had backed the agreement as a means of maintaining the balance of power in the region.Farizha, who lectures on navigation, seamanship and maritime communication at the National Defence University of Malaysia, said while submarine operations are covert in nature, several instances have been recorded of their use as a platform for the launch of missiles towards ground targets.He said Tomahawk missiles had been launched from a submerged submarine during the Gulf War against Iraq. In 2007, meanwhile, a Chinese submarine had surfaced amid a US carrier group, catching it off-guard.“The US Navy was shocked when the Song Class PLAN submarine surfaced amid the carrier battle group guarding the USS Kitty Hawk,” he said.“It was undetectable not only by the escort ship but also by the submarine in the convoy itself. It gave the impression that it could easily destroy the USS Kitty Hawk, which was the main ship, and that even if it was detected, it would be too late.”In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has the oldest submarine fleet, having acquired its first vessel in the 1950s. Vietnam purchased two midget submarines from North Korea in 1997, while Singapore bought a second-hand submarine from Sweden two years earlier.“As a measure of deterrence and as preparation to face any contingency, Malaysia’s procurement of submarines is considered appropriate and provides strategic balance.”Malaysia has two Scorpene submarines, obtained in 2009 and 2010. Its receipt of the warships was one of the reasons given by Thailand in its decision to purchase three Chinese-made submarines in 2020, although the plan was shelved following a public backlash.The Philippines, meanwhile, is planning to follow Malaysia’s footsteps in acquiring its own Scorpene.Farizha said for Malaysia, the issue is the overlapping claims between two or more other countries.“Overlapping claims between Malaysia and Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore as well as Malaysia and China could trigger conflict in those areas,” he said.“Therefore, as a measure of deterrence and as preparation to face any contingency, Malaysia’s procurement of submarines is considered appropriate, and provides strategic balance for Malaysia, especially in the South China Sea.”The Malaysian navy envisions a fleet of four submarines – two more in addition to the existing Scorpenes.Farizha said four would be the ideal number of vessels to conduct effective offensive operations and to cover the broader area in the South China Sea.“In terms of force sustainability, two submarines are vulnerable, especially if one submarine is undergoing maintenance or is non-operational or damaged, and we are limited to just one,” he said.However, he said assets other than submarines, such as maritime patrol craft, must also be taken into consideration.“To conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), Malaysia must first have detection capabilities such as sonar systems, magnetic anomaly detectors, electronic support measures and radars.“Platforms to place such sensors such as surface ships, submarines, ASW helicopters and MPAs, too. These platforms can provide counter-measures against submarines such as torpedoes, rocket launchers and anti-submarine rockets,” he said.


1.12 million fully vaccinated so far

A total of 1,122,420 people in Malaysia have completed two doses of Covid-19 vaccination as of June 3, an increase of 7,736 compared with 1,114,684 reported on Wednesday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said in a Twitter post today that 2,208,016 individuals had received a first dose of vaccine, bringing the number of doses administered in the country to 3,330,436, as of yesterday.He said the five states with the highest number of two-dose vaccinations were Selangor with 145,636 doses followed by Sarawak (116,399), Perak (105,302), Kuala Lumpur (101,249) and Johor (97,983).The first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, from February to April this year, involved 500,000 frontliners including healthcare personnel.The second phase from April to August will involve 9.4 million people comprising senior citizens, those from vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, while Phase Three, from May this year to February 2022, will involve those aged 18 and above, both citizens and non-citizens, totalling some 13.7 million people.


Hong Kong’s zero-Covid quest pushes medical facilities to the brink

Hong Kong’s stubborn pursuit of zero Covid infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit in the global financial hub, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies.Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with the overload on doctors and nurses as it follows mainland authorities’ strategy of curbing outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that aim to “live with Covid”.Despite only a handful of Covid-19 patients being in critical condition, some hospitals are already full, mostly with people suffering little more than a sore throat. Asymptomatic patients and close contacts take up beds in quarantine.Medical experts are also worried about an expected surge of infections that could dramatically increase severe infections, especially among the largely-unvaccinated elderly.“Pragmatic adjustment of discharge criteria is required to ensure that completely asymptomatic individuals don’t take up valuable bed space,” said Siddharth Sridhar, a professor in the microbiology department of the University of Hong Kong.Authorities had been able to control the virus for the past two years with extensive testing, including of pets such as hamsters, as well as mandatory hospital admissions and isolation for thousands of infected residents and close contacts.That changed this year with the arrival of the more transmissible Omicron variant. Daily cases are at record highs, having increased 10-fold in February, when many celebrations ushered in the Lunar New Year.Now several public hospitals are full, and infected patients have to wait days to be admitted. And the worst is yet to come: some experts predict nearly 30,000 cases each day by the end of March from just over 1,000 now.Hospital beds for Covid-19 patients are at 90% occupancy, data from the city’s Hospital Authority showed, while isolation facilities were also nearing their maximum.“Accident and emergency departments have to deal with a large number of patients,” said a spokesman for the Hospital Authority, adding that current occupancy rates had “almost saturated” facilities.Capacity contraintsThis week officials said measures to prevent community transmission would be changed to let close contacts isolate at home while people with no symptoms could stay in government quarantine facilities, designated hotels or at home.Earlier, Hong Kong used to hospitalise even asymptomatic patients and order weeks of isolation for close and secondary contacts in sparse government quarantine facilities in the effort to stop community transaction.Authorities said they were trying to figure out how best to tackle the worsening situation.“I can’t deny that the Hospital Authority faces a number of challenges, whether it’s the number of beds or its manpower,” said its chief manager, Larry Lee.Some epidemiologists have suggested allowing arriving visitors to isolate at home, so as to free up designated quarantine hotels for patients with mild symptoms.If the situation worsens, authorities could allot beds and quarantine space on the basis of severity of symptoms and need. Eventually, some patients with more serious symptoms may have to monitor their condition at home.For now, contact tracing is full on, but testing capacity is also stretched.Hundreds of thousands of people have been mandated for tests, with elderly and children queuing for hours in tight spaces outside testing centres, which fans infection risks.China pledged help this week, with testing kits and assistance to build another quarantine facility high on Hong Kong’s wish list.But the low vaccination rate among Hong Kong’s elderly is the threat most likely to overwhelm its medical system, and frustrate the goal of zero Covid.“The top priority right now is to get vaccinates in older people,” said Ben Cowling, an epidemiology professor at Hong Kong University.“We know we’re going to face more infections. We know it’s already a little bit late. Still, late is better than never.”


Husband-and-wife syndicate smuggling Sri Lankan children to Europe busted

The immigration department took down a syndicate smuggling Sri Lankan children to Europe using Malaysian passports following the arrest of a local couple in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
Immigration department director-general Ruslin Jusoh said the syndicate known as "Bahnu Internationals" operated using Malaysian parents from poor families with children under 12 years old to manipulate their personal information.
He said the syndicate would trick the parents into bringing their children's birth certificates to the immigration office on the pretext that they were making Malaysian passports for their children.
"However, during the application process at the immigration counter, Sri Lankan children close to the age of their children would instead be brought to the counter for the purpose of getting fingerprints and photos.
"The husband and wife would then act as a "transporter" by taking the Sri Lankan children with Malaysian passports to Europe," he said in a statement today.
It is understood that the parents were paid RM500 to attend with their child's documents at the office to be used for the Sri Lankan children involved.
Ruslin said based on preliminary investigations, the syndicate received wages of €30,000 to €50,000 for each Sri Lankan child that had their Malaysian passport done and was escorted to Europe.
"Investigations are still underway to track and identify how long this syndicate has been operating and how many children have been involved.
"The syndicate was successfully busted when the couple went to the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department for the purpose of obtaining a Malaysian passport for a Sri Lankan child," he added.
He said the arrest of the couple was the result of the swift action of the immigration officers at the passport division who had noticed something amiss when interviewing a child as there was a significant difference in appearance with the guardian while the child could not speak Malay.
Ruslin said the couple, aged 37 and 26, were brought to court on charges under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 at the Sessions Court today.
"The immigration department has advised the public not to be easily manipulated by the offers and lies of such syndicates.
"If any doubts relating to immigration matters arise, the public can refer to the department or get the latest information through its website and official social media accounts," he said.


India study estimates 11% of population is diabetic

Some 11% of Indians are diabetic, a government study found, adding that diabetes, hypertension and obesity are much more common in India than previously estimated.
The study of more than 113,000 people also found that around 15% of Indians were pre-diabetic and around 35% have hypertension. It was conducted between October 2008 and December 2020 across 31 Indian states and territories.
"It is quite evident from the study results that India has a substantial population at risk of cardiovascular disease and other long-term organ complications," RS Dhaliwal, head of the non-communicable diseases division at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said in a statement.
ICMR, which funded the study, estimates that India - the world's most populous country - has 101 million people with diabetes.
That is 36% more than a 2021 estimate of 74.2 million people by the International Diabetes Federation.
The Indian government says unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity as well as the harmful use of alcohol and tobacco are factors behind the rise in cases of diabetes.
India's health secretary said last month that the "lifestyle of a large section of the population has become more sedentary than before" and that the burden of metabolic diseases was growing.
The US National Clinical Care Commission has also estimated that about 11% of the US population has diabetes.


Bersatu, PAS to strengthen cooperation amid ‘destabilising games’

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today said that Bersatu and PAS would continue to boost interparty cooperation, voicing regret over political squabbles which he said threatened stability and jeopardised the well-being of the people.He said the two parties reached an agreement at a retreat this weekend to discuss efforts to strengthen cooperation up to the grassroots level.The parties have also drawn up strategies to increase support for PN, he said.Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and other senior leaders, he said PAS and Bersatu had agreed to support common principles based on the values of integrity, honesty, stability and inclusive unity.“We also agreed to move towards a common vision to strengthen PN, reject the culture of extreme politics, and offer solutions for the restoration of the country,” he said.This comes a day after Hadi hit out at the Umno court cluster whom he said were employing a “strategy” of causing state elections in an attempt to escape the criminal charges awaiting some party leaders.Hadi also suggested that Umno had been ungrateful to PAS, which he said had stood by the BN lynchpin in the aftermath of its downfall at the 2018 general election.This was his strongest statement against Umno since the two largest Malay-based parties made peace in 2019 by signing Muafakat Nasional, a charter of cooperation now seen as largely defunct.The court cluster refers to a group of Umno leaders including former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who are facing multiple corruption charges.They were behind the plan last year to topple the government of Muhyiddin, who resigned after several MPs aligned with Najib revoked their support.On the state election to come in Johor, Muhyiddin confirmed that PAS and Bersatu would work together under PN.However, Muhyiddin who is Bersatu president said PN had yet to decide on a candidate list although talks would be held in the near future.“We will discuss the matter and make a decision,” he said. “The important thing is our goal of contesting in order to obtain the mandate of the people to form a PN government.”He said PN would use the same strategy employed in the recent Melaka election of fielding a combination of experienced and younger candidates.When asked about the status of Muafakat Nasional, however, he declined to comment.“Follow what Umno says,” he said.


World's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium bursts in Berlin

An aquarium in Berlin that was home to around 1,500 exotic fish burst early on Friday, prompting around 100 emergency responders to rush to the scene at an inner-city leisure complex, emergency services said.
"In addition to the unbelievable maritime damage... two people were injured by glass splinters," Berlin police said on Twitter.
It was the world's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium at 14m (46 feet) in height, according to the website of the DomAquaree complex, which houses a Radisson hotel, a museum, shops and restaurants.
Emergency services shut a major road next to the complex that leads from Alexanderplatz toward the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin due to the large volume of water that had flooded out of the building.
The road as well as the sidewalks outside the complex were littered with debris.
Buses were sent to the complex to provide shelter for hotel guests leaving the building, police said on Twitter, as outside temperatures in Berlin stood around -7 degrees Celsius.


What the US Olympic boycott of China is about

The diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games may go down in history as the official start of the Cold War between the US, a handful of its allies and China. The American strategy, however, of using boycotts to pressure Beijing in the name of “human rights”, may prove costly in the future.On Dec 6, Washington declared that it would not send any diplomatic representation to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. In subsequent days, the UK, Canada and Australia followed suit.The official American line claims that US diplomats will not participate in the event in protest of the “human rights abuses… in Xinjiang”. That claim can easily be refuted by simply recalling that the US had taken part in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.Then, claims of human rights violations in China were hardly a priority for the Americans, for one single reason: the thriving Chinese economy was the last line of defence that saved the global economy from total collapse, itself a result of the gross mismanagement of the US economy and malpractices of America’s largest banking institutions.“Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, one country more than any other has provided the ‘heavy lifting’ to support global economic growth,” Stephen King wrote in the Financial Times in August 2015.Things have changed significantly since then. China emerged as a global economic power, which is increasingly replacing the US and its allies on the world’s stage. Desperate to recover from their economic woes – worsened by unhindered military spending on seemingly endless wars – the US has been waging a different kind of war against China. This economic war, which began under Barack Obama’s administration in 2012, and accelerated under Donald Trump’s administration, continues under the administration of Joe Biden.However, forcing a country the size of China to compromise on its economic growth merely to allow Washington to sustain its global dominance is easier said than done. Additionally, it is utterly unfair.Using a sports boycott to make a point that Washington still has plenty of options has actually resulted in the opposite. Only three other countries have agreed to join the American diplomatic boycott, a negligible number if compared to the 20 African countries that refrained from participating in the 1976 Montreal Summer Games in protest of the New Zealander participation. The latter was criticized for validating the South African apartheid regime when their rugby team had toured South Africa in that same year.Earlier, in the Mexico City Olympics of 1968, 38 countries had refused to participate in protest of the admission of South Africa into the Olympics. Despite the initial decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow South African participation, international pressure led by African nations succeeded in the expulsion of the apartheid country – which was excluded from the international event until its re-admission in 1992.The US and three of its allies want us to believe that their diplomatic boycott is motivated by principles, namely, though not exclusively, in defense of China’s Uighur Muslims. If that was the case, what is one to make of the US-led wars on Muslim countries over the last two decades? What kind of human rights standards did Washington apply when it waged war on Afghanistan in 2001 and invaded Iraq in 2003? Tellingly, and ironically, the same three countries – the UK, Canada and Australia – actively participated in America’s military misadventures that have claimed countless Muslim lives and destroyed entire countries.The fact that only three other countries have adhered to the American call for a diplomatic boycott also illustrates the weakening grip of Washington over international affairs. It is worth mentioning that the European Union has refused to join the US in its latest foreign policy intrigue.For its part, China criticised Washington’s position, rightly stating, in the words of its foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, that the boycott is motivated by “ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumors.”Historically, international sports events have been politicized in two different ways: First, morally-driven boycotts based on an ethical agenda, like the boycott of South African apartheid and so on; and second, purely political boycotts that are instituted to serve a political agenda or to isolate host countries as a form of economic pressure. An example of the latter was the US-led boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics of 1980, for which the Soviet Union and their allies retaliated by boycotting the Los Angeles Summer Olympics of 1984.The American diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Chinese Olympics is an example of a politically-motivated boycott. The fact that it is a diplomatic boycott only, as opposed to a full boycott, is most likely compelled by Washington’s fears that a full-fledged boycott would only serve to illustrate its own isolation in the international arena.Keeping in mind existing global divisions and the need for international unity to confront collective crises – such as that of the environment, deadly pandemics, among others – delving back into yet a new cold war will serve no purpose, aside from harming millions of people around the world for no fault of their own. What is required is dialogue, one that aims at providing equitable opportunities for all nations to grow and prosper.That said, the age of global hegemony is coming to an end and no amount of self-serving boycotts or trade wars will alter this unavoidable fact.Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


New cases drop again to 5,304

Another 5,304 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 657,508.Selangor recorded 1,973 cases, Sarawak 544, Kuala Lumpur 462, Johor 363, Sabah 335, Negeri Sembilan 331, Kedah 301, Penang 256, Kelantan 179, Labuan 158, Melaka 145 and Perak 121.Pahang recorded 78 cases, Terengganu 46, Putrajaya seven and Perlis five.Active cases stand at 73,324 with 917 in the ICU and 452 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 8,163 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 580,276.However, 64 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 3,908.