Logo switch unlikely to hurt PN support, analysts say

Perikatan Nasional's (PN) move to change its logo even as talk heats up about the 15th general election (GE15) is unlikely to affect its support at the polls, analysts say.
Hisommudin Bakar of electoral think tank Ilham Centre acknowledged the importance of a party's logo in influencing voter decisions.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, though, he said PN could rely on the grassroots support of its ally, Islamist party PAS.
"PAS voters can accept any decision to use whichever logo the party decides on," he said.
"They will fall in line. Look what happened at the Cameron Highlands by-election," he added, referring to the 2019 polls.
"That was the first time PAS asked its voters to choose Barisan Nasional's (BN) 'dacing' symbol, and the results clearly showed that they gave their votes to BN."
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin recently said that the pact would introduce a new logo for the general election to come.
PAS meanwhile said PN wanted to use a new symbol and colours to prevent any confusion with BN.
PN is the latest coalition to face issues regarding its use of a particular logo for elections.
Opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) found itself in a similar situation in March, when its lynchpin party PKR decided to contest the Johor election under its own banner instead of the coalition's.
PKR nevertheless performed poorly, capping a string of election defeats at the state level.
BN meanwhile struggled to rebrand itself after its historic loss at the 2018 general election although it chose to stick with its name and colours.
Such developments have given rise to questions over the relevance of party logos to voters' support at the ballot box.
Hisommudin was of the belief that PN's lacklustre showing at the Melaka and Johor elections had opened its eyes to the need for a more meaningful symbol.
As it stood, he said, PN's banner was "too simple".
Political analyst Kartini Aboo Talib meanwhile said logos were once a crucial part of elections due to low literacy rates.
"They depended on logos and symbols to choose which party to support through their ballots," she said.
Today, she said, logos were still needed to represent individual parties.
"But what the parties stand for – that is what the people pay attention to now."
Kartini, of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said PN's decision to use a new symbol would benefit the coalition at GE15.
"It's a symbol of cooperation between the country's two Malay-Muslim parties," she added, citing the precedent set by PH at GE14 where component parties had united to contest using PKR's logo.
She said voters in PAS strongholds such as Kelantan, Terengganu and parts of Kedah and Perak would not change their support based on a switch in symbols.
"On the other hand, in cities and areas where PAS, Bersatu and PN have no sway, voters will not choose PN no matter how many times it changes its logo," she said.
Hisommudin meanwhile said that how voters react to the new logo will depend on its promotion by PN's election machinery.
"I don't think it will have a problem convincing its supporters even if it does introduce a new logo in GE15," he said.


Sorry.


No such thing as 'my man' in police force, says top cop

There is no such term as "my man" or "orang saya" in the police force, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said today.
He said the practice of using the terms should not become a culture in the police force, and that all officers and personnel should instead be treated equally.
"It is an unhealthy culture. I ask all district police chiefs, department heads, and personnel to do away with calling someone 'my man' or 'orang saya'.
"I ask that they be under the leadership of (Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan).
"There are no IGP or district police chief favourites because all officers and staff are working for the police force under me," he said in his speech at the handing over of duties for the Selangor police chief and Selangor Perkep chairman.
Hussein Omar Khan was appointed as the new Selangor police chief effective today. Acryl Sani said the appointment of Hussein, a senior police officer with extensive experience, was a step towards overcoming future challenges.
"I believe that the Selangor police contingent is now in capable hands," he added.
Hussein meanwhile said he would perform his new role to the best of his ability.
Hussein was previously Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director (intelligence/operations), and National Disaster Management Agency operations director.


Will DAP be given finance portfolio again, Bersatu man asks PH

Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu today asked if DAP would be given the finance ministry portfolio once more if Pakatan Harapan (PH) forms the government after the Nov 19 polls.
Citing reports that Lim Guan Eng, who was made finance minister after PH's victory at the 2018 general election, had blocked RM400 million in funds for Teraju, the unit set up to empower the Bumiputera economy, he said the matter was surprising and worrying.
"Why are PH and Anwar Ibrahim remaining silent on such an important matter that involves the Bumiputera economy?" he said in a statement.
"Until today, not a single leader from PH, Lim, or Anwar has been brave enough to respond to the disclosure made by former minister Mohamed Azmin Ali. The people have a right to know."
Azmin, the economic affairs minister under the PH administration, had said that his claim could be proven as the decision was made in writing.
MalaysiaNow is attempting to reach Lim for a response. Lim's former aide Tony Pua, meanwhile, when contacted about Teraju, said: "We never blocked anything."


NZ parliament protest ends with clashes, arrests

New Zealand police on Wednesday ended an anti-vaccine mandate protest that had disrupted the capital for the past three weeks, dismantling an encampment outside parliament, towing away vehicles and arresting dozens.Several fires broke out among tents just metres from the parliament building, sending up billows of smoke before being doused by police, a Reuters witness said, as officers tried to clear the grounds.“It was an attack on our front-line police, it was an attack on our parliament, it was an attack on our values, and it was wrong,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference after saying earlier it was time for the protest to end.Protesters had been given ample opportunity to leave, she said, adding that the gathering had been fuelled by misinformation and conspiracy theories.Taking inspiration from truckers’ demonstrations in Canada, hundreds of protesters have been blocking streets with trucks, cars and motorcycles, in a protest that has led to clashes.While some protesters packed up their tents and left, others resisted by throwing water bottles, fire extinguishers and chairs, and shouting abuse at police.Police finally used sponge bullets to drive off the remaining protesters. They also used pepper spray on some of them before gaining control of the grounds and the streets around parliament, bringing the protest to an end.Police said they made 65 arrests for a range of offences including trespass, wilful damage, and possession of restricted weapons. At least three officers were injured, police said.Police towed away up to 50 vehicles.The protest began as a stand against Covid-19 vaccine mandates but was later joined by groups calling for an end to all pandemic restrictions.“We are fighting for our standard of life. We want our sovereign right to our bodies,” anti-vaccine activist Kate Siegert said earlier as she watched protesters move forward to block police advances.Siegert, who has made several trips from her home in Auckland 640km (400 miles) away to join the protest, said she lost her job because of mandates requiring vaccination for those working in the health industry.At least 10 children were seen within the protest area and police said they had concerns for their wellbeing.A country of five million people, New Zealand imposed tough anti-virus curbs that restricted its cases to just over 118,000 and 56 deaths, far lower than in many developed countries.But fuelled by the Omicron variant, daily infections are hovering near record levels.About 95% of eligible people are vaccinated with two doses, with shots mandatory for some staff in front-line jobs.Julie Thompson, who said she was a registered nurse and unvaccinated, stood watching the fires as she nursed a swollen finger that she said had been broken when police pushed her off a park bench.“This is the end result of not talking to your people,” she told Reuters. “It has galvanised people.”


In another reset, PM Johnson pitches plan for UK economy, housing

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Britons on Thursday he was “on your side”, vowing to build a high-growth, low-tax economy where everyone could buy their own home, in his latest attempt at a reset after surviving a major revolt against his leadership.In a wide-ranging speech, the Conservative leader vowed to tackle the soaring cost of living and address long-standing problems such as unaffordable childcare.But many economists were doubtful about Johnson’s promises, with official forecasters saying tax revenue is on course to rise to the highest level since the 1940s and growth set to disappear.Johnson warned the British public there was no quick fix to the economic instability stoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but that his government would use “fiscal firepower” to help ease the cost-of-living crisis.He argued that growth and a high-wage economy would alleviate the pain of inflation in Britain, which, according to the British Chambers of Commerce and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is heading for stagnation.In a speech to an audience in the northwestern town of Blackpool, Johnson said the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine would abate over time, but in the meantime his government would act to try to ease the cost-of-living crunch.However, simply increasing spending or wages is no panacea as this might fuel further price rises, he said, a change of tack for a prime minister who has often thrown money at challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic.“We must deal with the here and now, we’ve got to recognise that there are pressures on household budgets that for some will prove simply unaffordable,” he said. “So this government is on the side of the British public in coping with those pressures.”His main new policy announcement was to address declining rates of home ownership, especially among young people given the rocketing cost of housing relative to income.He said he would extend what was once called the “right-to-buy”, the ability for more people living in social housing to buy their homes, and that he would launch a review of the mortgage market to increase access to low deposit mortgages.Lindsay Judge at the Resolution Foundation think tank said a plan to assist people on welfare benefits in buying homes would only help a small number of people.Old policy?Earlier, the minister for removing regional inequalities, Michael Gove, was questioned about whether the government was guilty of simply recycling old policies that had failed to work.Gove said: “On right to buy, you are absolutely correct to say this is an extension of policy that we already have.” This time, he said, the government would replace sold social housing with new homes, without giving details.Britain’s main opposition Labour Party said Johnson was ignoring the increasingly poor economic outlook.“No wonder he is unwilling to face the reality that economic growth in the UK will grind to a halt next year,” Labour lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said of Johnson’s planned speech.Johnson has for months been under increasing pressure over “partygate” – lurid details of alcohol-fuelled parties at his Downing Street office and residence during Covid-19 lockdowns.The growing anger culminated in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to oust him by a no-confidence vote on Monday, which wounded Johnson’s authority as he managed only a slender victory over rebels in his Conservative Party.The cost-of-living crisis now looms large.The OECD sees zero UK growth next year – the weakest of any G20 economy apart from Russia – while the BCC expects Britain’s economy to shrink 0.2% in the final quarter of this year before growing just 0.6% in 2023 and 1.2% in 2024.“The downgrade reflects heightened political and economic uncertainty, and rising cost pressures which are limiting smaller firms’ abilities to invest,” the BCC said.But Johnson wants to prove those assessments wrong and said his government would cut taxes – a demand of many in his unhappy Conservative Party – as soon as it could.“The overall burden of taxation is now very high. And sooner or later – and I would much rather it was sooner than later – that burden must come down,” Johnson said.“Over the next few weeks, this government will be setting out reforms to help people cut costs in every area of household expenditure, from food, to energy, to childcare, to transport and housing.”


Up to Putrajaya, Selangor MB says on calls to boost penalties for water polluters

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari today said any additional form of punishment for those who contaminate water resources is under the purview of the federal government through the Environment Quality Act 1974.He added that the state government had limited powers under the Selangor Water Management Board Enactment 1999 to punish offenders.“The Environment Quality Act 1974 has a much larger jurisdiction to increase penalties (against environmental polluters) such as whipping or imprisonment as well as seizure or forfeiture.“Even the power to charge is not under the state government, but on the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ side,” he told reporters after opening the Selangor state budget dialogue session in Shah Alam.However, he said the state government would amend provisions in the Selangor Water Management Board Enactment in the state legislative sitting in October to increase the maximum fine for polluters in the state from RM500,000 to RM1 million.He was commenting on calls for stiffer punishments for environmental offenders either through amendments to the current act or the enactment of new laws.Four water treatment plants at Sungai Selangor were forced to stop operations last week due to odour pollution in the Sungai Gong industrial area in Rawang. This caused an unscheduled disruption in water supply for 1.2 million account holders in the Klang Valley.Amirudin also apologised on behalf of his wife who had posted photos on her Instagram account of a tanker from Air Selangor sending water to their official residence on Saturday.He said his wife, Masdiana Muhamad, had done so to express appreciation to the utilities company for sending water to their house.“The picture was used by certain parties to attack me,” he said, adding that his wife had since apologised.


Three Omicron cases detected in Negeri Sembilan

Three cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant had been detected in Negeri Sembilan as of yesterday in travellers returning from abroad.State health, environment, cooperatives and consumerism action committee chairman S Veerapan said the first case involved a 28-year-old woman who arrived from Ireland through KLIA on Dec 15.The woman, who was asymptomatic and fully vaccinated, was screened at the KLIA entrance and required to wear a digital detector surveillance bracelet and to self-isolate at her home in Seremban.Veerapan told Bernama that the second case involved a 28-year-old woman who arrived from the UK through KLIA on Dec 1.The second woman, who had also completed her Covid-19 vaccination, had mild symptoms and was screened at KLIA.The third case, a 29-year-old woman, tested positive during screening at KLIA on Dec 16 upon her return from the UK.Veerapan said the woman, who was likewise fully vaccinated, had mild symptoms and was instructed to undergo home quarantine at her house in Port Dickson.He assured that the situation was under control and advised the public to comply with the SOPs.He also urged those who have yet to receive a booster shot to do so as soon as possible.


1,268 new cases as 3-digit figures continue in Selangor, Sarawak and Johor

Another 1,268 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 336,808.Selangor recorded 490 cases followed by Sarawak (141) and Johor (135).Penang recorded 99 cases, Negeri Sembilan 59, Kuala Lumpur 53, Melaka 52, Kelantan and Kedah 49 each, Sabah 45, Pahang 43, Perak 42, Putrajaya six, Terengganu four and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 14,637 with 161 in the ICU and 73 in need of respiratory assistance.Four more clusters were detected:1. Jalan Wawasan Dua (Batu Pahat in Johor; 56 screened, 24 positive)2. Industri Permata Dua (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 334 screened, 51 positive)3. Jalan Alam (Kuala Langat, Klang and Petaling in Selangor; 97 screened, 16 positive)4. Chupak (Serian and Samarahan in Sarawak; 338 screened, 57 positive)Eight others ended, leaving 395 active clusters across the country.Another 1,083 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 320,925.However, two more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,246.


‘Hard to compute sorrow’ of 100,000 deaths, says UK PM Johnson

More than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he took “full responsibility” for the government’s actions, saying: “We truly did everything we could.”“I’m deeply sorry for every life lost,” he said.A total of 100,162 deaths have been recorded in the UK, the first European nation to pass the landmark.Johnson told Tuesday’s Downing Street news conference that it was “hard to compute the sorrow contained in this grim statistic”.The UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.A surge in cases in recent weeks – driven in part by a new, fast-spreading variant of the virus – has left the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.A further 20,089 coronavirus cases were recorded on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days. The number of people in hospital remains high, as do the UK’s daily death figures.Johnson said the coronavirus infection rate remained “pretty forbiddingly high” despite lockdown restrictions which have been in place in England since Jan 5.Under the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons – including for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Most of the deaths have come in two waves – the sharp, sudden surge in the spring followed by a slow and sustained rise throughout autumn and winter.Mistakes have been made – the delay locking down back in March is one that is often cited even by the government’s own advisers.The UK, like much of Europe, was also woefully underprepared with limited testing and contact tracing systems.But the ageing population, high rates of obesity, the fact the UK is a global hub and its inter-connectedness with Europe are also factors that meant it was unlikely to escape lightly once the virus got a foothold.Speaking alongside the prime minister, Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, described it as a “very sad day”.He said the number of people dying “will come down relatively slowly over the next two weeks – and will probably remain flat for a while now”.NHS chief executive Simon Stevens said there had been “continuing improvements in hospital treatment for severely sick coronavirus patients”.He said he expected more treatments within the next six to 18 months, adding: “We can see a world in which coronavirus may be more treatable, but for now, it’s a combination of reducing infections and getting vaccinations done.”


'It's the (Malaysian) economy, stupid'

"It's the economy, stupid" was a popular slogan used by former US president Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election. It was mainly targeted at workers' growing resentment over the state of the economy, despite incumbent George Bush Sr's growing popularity following the first Iraq war.
The slogan resonated with the US voters, and Bush was given the boot as voters gave more weightage to issues championed by Clinton, such as jobs, inflation and the economy, than the country's geopolitical interests.
The Madani government could well learn from this US experience. In fact, historical data shows that every time our economy hit roadbumps, the ruling government suffers electoral setbacks.
For example, the watershed 1969 general election, where the alliance lost its two-thirds Parliamentary majority, was held on the heels of economic turbulence. More recently, the 2008 general election where Barisan Nasional (BN) again lost its two-thirds majority, was held soon after the US subprime crisis, which sent economic shockwaves around the world, including Malaysia.
Fast forward 10 years later, issues like 1MDB and corruption only helped to infuriate voters already trying hard to make ends meet amid a global slowdown and intensified globalisation that threatens to upend global economic orders. 2018 was also the year BN lost power for the first time after 61 years.
What kind of bearing will the economy have on the outcome of the upcoming elections in six states? While many say that the "3Rs" (race, religion and royalty) will colour the polls campaign, to me, these are all just "side shows".
What this election comes down to is bread-and-butter issues like jobs, inflation, the overnight policy rate (OPR) hike and subsidies. The prolonged war in Ukraine, the interest hikes in the US, the frosty US-China trade ties as well as climate change, weigh heavily on the Malaysian economy.
There is much pessimism as investors and businessmen get jittery over the lack of economic direction from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration. Sadly, almost nine months after Anwar took over as prime minister, his administration does not have much to show as far as the economy goes.
One of the most pressing concerns is the ringgit's freefall. As a major importer of food and other essentials, the ringgit's depreciation means dearer food, among others. Parents who have children studying abroad are also feeling the pinch.
The question is, what is the government doing about it? Unlike 1997 when the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad pegged the ringgit to the US dollar, we currently do not see any structured, out-of-the-box solutions to tackle this problem. Is Anwar too busy to manage the finance ministry, which he also helms? Or is he attending too many events, like dialogues with students ahead of the state elections?
The government had said that the hike in the OPR was to curb inflation, partly brought about by our weak currency. But it would appear that the reverse is true. Prices of goods and services are still gravity-defying, and I suspect this could be due to businesses passing on the increase in operating costs due to the OPR hike to the consumers.
Why is it that the government has not come up with any mitigating measures for those adversely affected by the OPR hike? Can the government not allow targeted withdrawal of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings, such as for those who face eviction due to being unable to pay rent?
And what of the economy as a whole? What grand masterplan does this Madani government have to lift Malaysia out of the doldrums to become a dynamic and competitive global trading nation?
The government does not even have a plan on how to wean this country of subsidies beyond grand pronouncements like withdrawing subsidies for the T20 in the future. Does the government not realise that the T20 is a wide band and that they contribute the largest chunk of taxes to the national coffers?
Households earning RM11,000 (which are considered T20 by the government's definition) in the Klang Valley are struggling to survive with the dearer costs of living there. What is the justification for withdrawing subsidies like electricity and petrol for those at the lower end of this band? Did the government think it through before making such grand pronouncements?
Let us not get started on how this government plans to prepare the nation in facing the onslaught of globalisation with megawaves like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and biotechnology sweeping across the globe. Anwar appears to be too busy campaigning for the crucial state elections, going by the number of engagements he is attending.
Does this government have a sustainable and workable solution to bridging the yawning income gap between the haves and have-nots? The gulf will only widen as technological progress gathers pace and globalisation becomes more intense.
Unfortunately, Anwar's solution was to ask Malay tycoons to donate their wealth to help those who are in need. Is this how the one-time "best finance minister" handles the economy?
If Anwar is serious about holding on to Putrajaya, he needs to get down to basics. It is the economy that Malaysians are most worried about, not whether nurses' uniform is appropriate or not.
And if he does not urgently address these concerns, the voters will, as history has shown in the past, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere, give his government the boot.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Pfizer requests US emergency authorisation for Covid booster for adults

Drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech announced Tuesday they have formally submitted a request asking US officials for emergency authorisation of their Covid-19 booster vaccine for people aged 18 and older.The move follows research published by the companies in late October indicating a third shot is 95.6% effective against symptomatic infection, based on clinical trials carried out on 10,000 people.The companies asked the US Food and Drug Administration to add the new population segment, amending emergency use authorisation already granted in September for a third dose for everyone aged 65 and up, as well as people at high risk of developing severe Covid-19.Pfizer’s initial proposal for approval of boosters to everyone aged 16 and over, which was backed by President Joe Biden’s administration, was rejected at that time.Several countries have already approved Covid-19 booster shots to increase immunity in people who have already been vaccinated, but whose protection may have dipped after several months, per some studies.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a booster for over-18s at the beginning of October, allowing national regulators to decide which groups should be eligible first.


Pakistan PM condemns Hebdo blasphemy, calls for UN action on Islamophobia

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday condemned the fresh publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad by a French satirical magazine, urging the United Nations (UN) to take action against what he called rising Islamophobia.The original publication of the cartoons in Charlie Hebdo magazine caused a storm of anger across the Muslim world as many Muslims consider physical depictions of their prophet to be blasphemous and deserving of the most severe punishment.In his virtual address to the UN General Assembly, Khan lamented that at a time when the global community should have come together to combat coronavirus, it had instead stoked racism and religious hatred, Dawn reported.The PM said that Muslims “continue to be targeted with impunity in many countries”.In January 2015, following the publication of the cartoons, 12 people were killed in an attack by Islamist gunmen on Charlie Hebdo’s office in Paris.The murderers were seeking vengeance on the magazine and its artists for publishing the “blasphemous” cartoons.“This assembly should declare an international day to combat Islamophobia,” said Khan.Charlie Hebdo, famous for its irreverent and satirical humour, in a defiant gesture timed to coincide with the trial this month of accomplices to the massacre, reprinted some of the original cartoons.In anticipation of further revenge attacks, the location of the magazine’s new office is being kept secret.Blasphemy is an especially sensitive subject in Pakistan. Asia Bibi, a Christian, spent a decade on death row after being falsely accused of blasphemy before being freed by a Supreme Court ruling. She later fled to Canada before claiming asylum in France.Khan also decried anti-Muslim sentiment in India, which he claimed is “the one country in the world where the state sponsors Islamophobia”.He described how the incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party seek “racial purity” of Hindus to the detriment of Muslims.Khan stated, “The Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated the oneness of humanity. No one is safe unless everyone is safe.”


Riot police clash with NZ anti-vax protesters

Police with riot shields clashed with anti-vaccine demonstrators outside New Zealand’s parliament early Tuesday, with one protester unsuccessfully attempting to drive a car into a group of officers.The escalation in tensions came a day after police reported demonstrators had hurled human waste at them as they installed roadblocks around a protest camp which has clogged the parliamentary precinct and surrounding streets for the past two weeks.Police said a large number of protesters attempted to obstruct officers early Tuesday as they moved the barriers closer to the camp.“At least three officers require medical attention after being sprayed with an unknown substance by protesters,” police said in a statement.“One person has been arrested after attempting to drive a car into a group of police officers.”Authorities had been taking a largely hands-off approach to the demonstration, attempting to persuade protesters to voluntarily move on.But Assistant Commission Richard Chambers said late Monday that recent events showed “genuine protesters are no longer in control of the behaviour in and around parliament”.The Wellington protest began as a movement against vaccine mandates, but has grown to encompass a range of grievances, with some far-right messaging among the anti-government and anti-media slogans on display.Wellington residents have complained about being abused by protesters for wearing masks, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemning “bullying and harassment” of locals.


PKR bid to get Azmin and group to back Anwar for PM flounders

A series of frantic attempts by Anwar Ibrahim to negotiate with a key group of MPs who quit his party last year has failed in its objective of getting them to revert their support to the opposition leader, MalaysiaNow can confirm.It is learnt that former PKR MPs who are now part of the government have flatly rejected appeals from emissaries tasked by Anwar to speak to them privately.One such meeting took place “sometime last week”, an aide to a PKR MP said on condition of strict anonymity.The aide revealed how different “teams of negotiators” were tasked with talking to different former PKR MPs who supported the so-called Sheraton Move which saw Pakatan Harapan (PH) ejected from federal power early last year.When asked if the targeted MPs included Mohamed Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin, who were labelled “traitors” by the party after leading about a dozen MPs out of PKR to further deplete the party’s parliamentary share, the aide replied, “Yes.”“And this was despite other negotiating teams telling another story to other MPs that the party wants to take all of them back except Azmin and Zuraida.”The meetings took place after PKR leaders were instructed to find the necessary numbers ahead of expectations that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will step down to allow the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to gauge the support of prime ministerial nominees.It is learnt that several DAP leaders were unhappy with the inclusion of some 15 Umno MPs aligned with scandal-tainted former leaders Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.Yesterday, MalaysiaNow reported that PKR and Anwar were relying on the backing of the group of Umno MPs who had revoked their support for Muhyiddin to give Anwar the numbers needed for the top post.“In the end, none of the MPs who quit PKR agreed to come back. It was something expected judging by their strong disagreements with the way Anwar ran the party,” said the source.


New record reached in number of Covid-19 jabs per day

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) recorded its highest daily vaccination record since its implementation on Feb 24 with the administration of 151,309 doses yesterday.According to the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee in a post on its Twitter account, yesterday’s recipients included 105,722 individuals who received a first jab.“Meanwhile, another 45,587 received a second dose,” it said.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said in a Twitter post that as of yesterday, a total of 1,180,744 individuals in the country had completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine.He said a total of 2,609,377 individuals had received a first dose, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses given in the country to 3,790,121 as of yesterday.He said Selangor recorded the highest number of recipients who completed both doses of vaccine, at 152,215, followed by Sarawak (124,820), Kuala Lumpur (108,740), Perak (108,361) and Johor (107,192).Yesterday, PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government was aiming to administer Covid-19 jabs to more than 200,000 people a day beginning next month, with the number to increase to over 300,000 a day in August.As of yesterday, 52.7% or 12,774,132 individuals had registered for PICK, with Selangor recording the highest number of registrations at 3,367,090 people.The second phase of PICK which runs from April to August will involve the vaccination of 9.4 million senior citizens as well as individuals from high-risk groups and those with disabilities.The third phase, which began last month and will continue until February next year, involves individuals aged 18 and above, including non-citizens, with a target of at least 13.7 million people.Under the first phase of the programme, held between February and April, about 500,000 frontliners, including health workers, were given the vaccine.


Stand-up comedian fined RM8,000 after pleading guilty to alternative charge

Siti Nuramira Abdullah, who caused a controversy with her comedy act at a comedy club last year, was fined RM8,000 by the Sessions Court today.
Judge N Priscilla Hemamalini pronounced the sentence after Siti Nuramira, 27, pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others during her stand-up comedy act.
She allegedly committed the offence at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail at 6pm, on June 4, 2022, under Section 298 of the Penal Code.
The court also ordered the accused to be sentenced to four months' jail if she failed to pay the fine. The accused has paid the fine.
The defence was to carry out the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, today, but deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob informed the court that the prosecution had offered the accused an alternative charge under Section 298 of the Penal Code.
"The prosecution is offering the alternative charge after the Attorney-General’s Chambers received the accused’s representation on March 16," Malik said, urging that the sentence imposed on the accused reflect the seriousness of the case, as her actions had gained public attention.
"Even though the sentence under Section 298 is lower, it does not mean the offence is not serious.
"Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural country, and to protect its harmony, no one should deliberately hurt the feelings of the followers of any religion. The accused could have performed a stand-up routine without referring to any religion because religion should not be used as material for jokes," he said.
Lawyer R Sivaraj, representing Siti Nuramira, sought a lighter fine on the basis that his client had no previous criminal record.
"The accused’s guilty plea today saves the court time and costs. After my client was charged in court, she never performed any comedy act or anything related to the offence. She does not have a social media account, and has kept to herself and not courted other controversies.
"This case became a hot topic until it went viral last year. This has caused a drastic change in the accused’s lifestyle personally, mentally and socially.
"Her experiences of being arrested, remanded in lock-up and jailed for around 10 days are more than enough as a lesson to her," the lawyer said, adding that his client had repented and apologised for her actions.


Who BN has to thank if it wins in Johor

With just four days to go before the Johor state election, the odds seem to favour Barisan Nasional (BN) emerging victorious.For the first time in Johor, 10 political parties and coalitions along with numerous independent candidates will be contesting for a spot in the 56-seat legislative assembly.In total there are 239 electoral candidates which means the margin for victory will be very slim among the contenders.While the two main contenders are BN and Pakatan Harapan, the numerous other political parties play a crucial role in determining the results.In fact, BN should be grateful to parties like Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), Muda, Warisan and others as indirectly, they are strategically assisting in splitting the opposition votes.This is similar to what happened in Melaka where Perikatan Nasional (PN) caused a split in votes.With this split in votes, BN actually only won 38% of the popular vote, but managed to grab nearly two-thirds of the seats. PH got 37% and PN managed 25%.So, basically though BN may be unpopular among the majority of voters, it again stands a good chance for victory due to the presence of these smaller parties.Political observers can attest to this as many have commented that the more candidates there are in each state constituency, the bigger the advantage to BN in securing its mandate.While BN may have its vote bank of loyalists, the opposition vote will be divided by the new parties that have formed since the 2018 general election.There is not a single straight fight in Johor and the bulk of the 35 four-cornered contests are in Malay-majority and some semi-urban seats, where BN is confident it can win.In GE14, BN lost the state after managing to secure only 18 seats.So, the “End Game” is that BN has not really regained the confidence of voters, but instead should bow and thank the “Avengers” like PBM, Muda, Warisan and the other smaller parties for swinging things in their favour.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Tough to find jobs that match skills, industry players say

Industry players warn that job mismatch problems among local graduates can affect productivity and make it difficult for Malaysia to find high-skilled workers if the matter is not taken in hand.
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan recently said that such problems were a critical issue faced by first-generation graduates.
First-generation graduates comprise those who are the first in their families to complete their higher education.
Speaking in Parliament, Saravanan said the government was working to raise awareness among parents, especially first-generation graduates, to ensure that they choose fields where there are opportunities.
Shahryn Azmi, founder of MakeTimePay, a local gig jobs portal, sees several problems with the matter of the mismatch between jobs and skills.
First, he said, is the mentality that what graduates learn at university will benefit them for life.
"When you consider what course a student applies to study at university, this decision was made three, maybe even four to five years ago," he said.
"When they graduate, they are told that the course they studied and the qualifications they graduated with are not appropriate and cannot get them a job."
If higher education is only for the sake of finding a job, he said, the idea of education should be discarded and replaced with vocational training.
Professional accountant Farid Affandi said at the moment, the job market is unable to accommodate the number of graduates churned out each year.
"The country's economy generates 98,000 new jobs every year, but our universities produce 175,000 graduates annually," he said.
"This means that 30,000 graduates are still unemployed six months after they complete their studies."
This is a problem given that Malaysia requires manpower in its SME sector – the acknowledged backbone of the economy with a 38.2% GDP contribution.
SMEs also account for 48% of the Malaysian workforce.
Farid said SMEs need youth who are knowledgeable and skilled, who can be employed or set up their own businesses.
Malaysia's unemployment rate stood at 4.9% in January last year, a historical high which dropped to 3.9% in May this year.
This was nevertheless still above the pre-pandemic unemployment level of 3.2%.
Farid, a fellow at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, said this group is also the core of the full-time gig workforce which comprises jobs such as food delivery drivers and e-hailing drivers.
"It gives them flexibility in their work as the average salary offered in the market of RM2,000 or less is not appealing to them," he added.
He suggested that the government up its efforts to revive the economy, to create new job opportunities and raise the minimum wage level.
Shahryn meanwhile spoke of problems with the idea of matching graduates with opportunities as well.
He said job opportunities change according to the times, and that high demand for a particular skill set or industry would not always remain so.
"Policymakers are seeing a need in some industries and reacting by throwing all of their weight and resources into those slots," he said.
"As soon as you have varied vacancy numbers from different industries, you will have problems trying to determine how many workers of each type are really required in the pipeline, and how many should be produced immediately through skilling."
Another matter that may require change is the so-called tunnel mentality of some employers in hiring workers.
Shahryn said many employers believe that mathematics graduates, for example, are only fit to be teachers, and prefer to take on business and finance graduates instead.
"Recruiting managers are not given enough leeway by their bosses, and they are told to get rid of the non-business grads when in fact, it's likely that the best people are the ones who come from other disciplines because they complement the staff that are already in place," he said.
He believes that first-generation graduates should continue their studies in whichever field they choose.
He said forcing individuals to do otherwise will only cause losses for themselves, the economy and the country.


National governance, integrity and anti-graft centre under MACC since April

The National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-corruption (GIACC) has been a part of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) effective April 18, the commission clarified in a statement yesterday.
The MACC also said that the centre had been renamed the National Governance Planning Division and has taken over monitoring of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023, which was previously under the purview of the GIACC.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had announced last December that the Cabinet would look into a suggestion to dissolve the GIACC due to overlapping duties. He was reported to have said that the centre’s role could be played by the MACC or the police as overlapping duties needed to be reduced due to high costs.
The MACC also said that the implementation of initiatives outlined in the NACP had shown progress even with the Covid-19 pandemic, with 55%, or 62 initiatives, being completed out of a total of 111.
The remaining 49 initiatives were still being monitored and 39 are expected to be completed on time before the end of December this year, while 10 will likely be only done after the year due to complexities, including suggested legal amendments or the creation of new legal provisions.
The commission also expressed its optimism and commitment to complete the remaining unimplemented NACP initiatives, which represented its efforts of working towards a corruption-free country that values integrity and accountability centered on a good governance ecosystem.


More Iranian schoolgirls targeted in mystery poisonings

Iranian schoolgirls have again been targeted in poisoning attacks, media reports said Sunday, in a wave of such incidents that has sparked fear among parents and calls for authorities to act.
For more than three months, hundreds of female pupils have reported suffering symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea and vertigo after detecting "unpleasant" or "unknown" odours.
"A very bad smell suddenly spread, I got dizzy and I fell to the ground," one schoolgirl recounted on a television programme.
The poisoning cases, which have led to some girls being hospitalised, have been at the centre of national discussion, with Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi saying last week that the suspected attacks were aimed at shutting down education for girls.
The cases come more than five months after the start of protests, labelled riots by authorities, sparked by the death of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, 22, following her arrest for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi reported on Saturday evening the discovery of "suspicious samples" during official "field research" at affected sites, without providing further details.
Most of the poisoning cases since late November have been reported in the shrine city of Qom, south of the capital Tehran, with at least 52 schools targeted nationwide according to a new tally.
Recent poisonings have also affected students in the western city of Abhar and in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Isna news agency said, quoting local health officials.
Primary school girls were also targeted in the western city of Zanjan, Isna added, and more case were reported in the holy city of Mashhad in the northeast, Isfahan in the centre and Shiraz in the south, the Mehr and Ilna news agencies reported.
'Fear and despair'
Another student, named Parastou and hailing from the western city of Borujerd, told the Ham Mihan newspaper that she "felt nausea and intense pain in the chest" while her "legs were numb" after one such suspected attack.
An emergency doctor at a hospital in the city said that "most of the students suffered symptoms such as headaches, respiratory problems, lethargy, nausea and hypotension".
The mystery surrounding the poisonings has sparked concern from UN bodies abroad and triggered a wave of anger across the country, with demands for action from the authorities.
In a report aired by the state broadcaster, the mother of one affected student asked authorities to place a guard at the main school gates and to activate the surveillance cameras installed in the premises.
Education Minister Yousef Nouri apologised on Sunday on state TV for the incidents, declaring that "we fully understand the parents' concerns and are following up the issue seriously".
During a meeting with Nouri in Qom, the Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli called on officials to "solve the problem as quickly as possible... to reassure the nation".
"It is frightening to note that the origin of the poisoning of students has not yet been determined," he said.
President Ebrahim Raisi said Friday he had asked the ministers of intelligence and the interior to follow up on what he labelled "the enemy's conspiracy to create fear and despair" among the people.
Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi said the "plotters of the poisoning of girls" were seeking "to close the schools", speaking in an interview by the Fars news agency.
Mirahmadi argued that most of the affected students had suffered complications due to "anxiety and stress" and charged that those responsible were trying to spark more protests in the Islamic republic.


Daily caseload at 847 as death toll up by 6

Another 847 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,017,863.
There were 1,154 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,965,321.
There are now 15,736 active cases, of which 14,724 or 93.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 963 (6.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 49 are in ICU with 26 in need of respiratory assistance.
Six more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,806.


Umno needs new political alignment, Zahid sets the tone for general assembly outcome

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did not mince words today in calling for the party to turn to new alliances as well as to form a “unity government” after the next general election, as he roused delegates into accepting the Supreme Council’s decision to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government at the next polls.“Today’s political reality requires Umno to make new political alignments to pursue its founding goals.“That is the reason the Umno leadership rejected cooperation with Bersatu, after we realised the dishonesty of their political schemes against Umno,” he told party delegates gathered in Kuala Lumpur today.The Umno Supreme Council is seeking approval from delegates for its decision in February to cut ties with Bersatu, on the back of a fervent campaign by Zahid, former prime minister Najib Razak and a group of Umno leaders.Zahid today said the decision to cut ties with Bersatu reflects the sentiments of the grassroots, and quoted a hadith (tradition) of Prophet Muhammad on avoiding harm to show that the move was sanctioned by Islam.He said Umno’s experience in Sabah, which ended with a chief minister from Bersatu chosen to helm the state following the election last year, was proof of Bersatu’s ill intents towards Umno.“Beware! Their machinations will not stop as long as Umno is not destroyed,” he said.Zahid’s stand is in tandem with recent gestures between his party and PKR in seeking to form an alliance against PN at the next general election.PKR president Anwar Ibrahim recently admitted to having talks with Umno leaders.In October, Zahid and Najib wrote a letter to the palace expressing support for Anwar’s bid to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Both leaders have also urged PAS to rethink its decision to be part of PN, reminding the Islamist party of its Muafakat Nasional charter with Umno signed in 2019.Zahid in his speech today again reminded PAS of this, saying it is not too late for the party to exit the PN coalition.“Let us stand on the same ground. There is nothing to gain from being apart. And certainly not additional seats,” he said.Zahid said Umno was open to forming a coalition with others after the election, but that the party must first dominate the nation’s politics again.“We must be dominant, only then can we be relevant.“As such, the Umno leadership at all levels as well as the grassroots must be open to this political reset.”Yet, Zahid went on to claim that there have been no discussions with Pakatan Harapan.“No PPBM, No Anwar, No DAP! We will contest under the banner of Barisan Nasional,” he added.


Are you ready for a flight simulator for passengers?

Don’t you just miss long-haul flying in this time of closed international borders?If you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms, a flight simulator on your laptop could be the answer.That means being the pilot and flying the plane from your armchair, right?Most of us would love the chance to get at all the knobs, joysticks and flashing lights on the flight deck.But wait – a new game puts you way back in cattle class, in 56A instead of the pilot’s seat.AMC Games are banking on people wanting to spend hours just sitting there.They are about to release a flight simulator where you are a passenger on a commercial airliner. In economy. On a six-hour flight.As they explain, “Other flight simulators give you high-definition cockpits with a billion switches and dials, but Airplane Mode is the only one that offers realistically rendered seat-back trays.”The simulator delivers all the thrills of a real-time, long-haul commercial airline flight in economy with all the pleasures that entails and that we remember so well.At least you’ve got a window seat rather than a middle, this time. But still no legroom.Airplane Mode’s gameplay explores the airline travel experience down to every last detail – from the design of your seat and the seat back in front of you, to the contents of your carry-on bag and smartphone hard drive, to the behaviour of cabin crew and other passengers.The circumstances of your flight will change every time you play.You will experience randomised events on every play-through, such as turbulence, bad WiFi, and delays.A crying baby or a child kicking your seat back is not guaranteed on every flight you take.If you’re up to the arduous task, AMC will release the game – if you can call it that – this autumn.


Aug 12 hearing for bid by Thomas, govt to quash Najib's suit on 1MDB scandal

The application by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas and the Malaysian government to quash the suit filed by Najib Razak over alleged misfeasance in public office for prosecuting him on charges involving 1MDB funds will be heard on Aug 12.
Najib's lawyer Yudistra Darma Dorai, when contacted, said the application would be heard before judge Ahmad Bache.
He said the date was fixed by Bache during online case management today.
On Nov 18 last year, Thomas and the government submitted an application to quash the suit, claiming that the former prime minister's action in suing them was a collateral attack to prevent the criminal proceedings against him.
Najib filed the suit on Oct 22 last year, naming Thomas and the government as the first and second defendants.
He claimed that he had been wrongly accused in court in the case of 1MDB, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), abuse of power under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The Pekan MP also claimed that the charges against him were part of a move planned in advance by Thomas and in line with the Pakatan Harapan government’s plan at the time.
Najib claimed that in 2015, Thomas had met Dr Mahathir Mohamad to discuss wrongdoings and mismanagement, allegedly over the 1MDB funds, and advised Mahathir to take civil and criminal action against him over his involvement in 1MDB.
He is seeking RM1.9 million in damages and a declaration that Thomas had committed misfeasance in public office, including consultation fees for the audit team to review documentation for the preparation of facts to address the prosecution against him.


Lawyer explains unprecedented move to revoke Anwar’s royal pardon

A prominent lawyer warns of a grim legal and political battle ahead for Anwar Ibrahim, following the recent High Court decision to allow a suit seeking to declare his royal pardon two years ago invalid.Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who represents the leader of a little known political party challenging the royal pardon in 2018 which saw Anwar’s release from prison, said the impending trial could give rise to an unprecedented case in Malaysia.“As far as I know, there has never been an instance where a royal pardon was revoked,” Haniff, a criminal lawyer who has been involved in high-profile cases and acted on behalf of former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, told MalaysiaNow.He said at the heart of the challenge by his client Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, vice-president of the year-old Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia, is whether the Pardons Board’s decision to lift the sodomy conviction against Anwar was constitutionally valid.“In Malaysian history, there has never been a case where a pardon is granted for the conviction,” he said.He said in the past, royal pardons did not mean expunging one’s conviction, but were only to free the convict of the sentence.This, said Haniff, was also the case when Mokhtar Hashim, a former youth and sports minister, was granted a pardon and freed from his sentence of life-time imprisonment over his conviction for the murder of the Negeri Sembilan speaker in 1982.“The pardon was for the punishment, not the conviction, because he is still guilty of murder,” he added.When he was released in May 2018, Anwar’s lawyer R Sivarasa reportedly said the Agong had granted the PKR leader a full pardon which expunged him of all past convictions.Anwar was sentenced to five years in prison after the Federal Court upheld a sodomy conviction against him in 2014.He was released about a week after Pakatan Harapan’s election victory in May 2018 when he was granted a pardon by then-Agong Sultan Muhammad V, a move which fulfilled the coalition’s promise to prepare him to take over leadership of the country.Khairul, in his statement of claim, questioned among others the composition of the Pardons Board.He said it was impossible for the Pardons Board to convene in the absence of a valid attorney general, who would be part of the board.“If the court agrees that the composition of the Pardons Board was illegal, the pardon is also invalid,” said Haniff.Had the pardon been directed at Anwar’s jail sentence, he said, there could still be questions over the validity of the PKR chief’s by-election victory in Port Dickson in October 2018, as he would still have to abide by a five-year ban on active politics.Haniff Khatri Abdulla.But Haniff said Anwar could still avoid being booted out as MP as any move to challenge the by-election result should have been filed within three months of the polling date.“In any case, in the event that the court decides that the royal pardon is fully or partially invalid, it will raise questions about Anwar’s qualification as an MP, and ultimately it will be for the Dewan Rakyat speaker to decide,” he said.Days before the by-election, then attorney-general Tommy Thomas said Anwar was qualified to contest as he had been granted a “full pardon” by the Agong.“Accordingly, by virtue of Article 48(1)(e) of the Federal Constitution, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is not disqualified from standing as a candidate for the forthcoming by-election for the Port Dickson constituency,” Thomas wrote to lawyer Siti Kasim in September 2018.Haniff said he did not think that Anwar would return to prison even if the court nullifies his pardon.“But that question will be answered depending on the approach taken by the court, and which part of the suit is the focus,” he said.Khairul’s suit is fixed for trial in March next year. Anwar’s defence team meanwhile has filed an appeal to strike out the suit.Additional reporting by Nur Hasliza Mohd Salleh.


New cases drop to 2,700

Another 2,778 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,741,179.Another 3,539 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,665,034.Meanwhile 306 are in the ICU, including 244 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 170 are in need of respiratory assistance including 101 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 2,778 cases reported today, 60 (2.2%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 2,718 (97.8%) are in Category One and Two.


Go a mile in our wheelchairs: A message from the disabled community

Jeyaraj Santraju was once a mechanical engineer in Singapore, but a workplace accident in 2006 changed his life forever.He was working to assemble a high-stand machine that day when part of it weighing an estimated eight tonnes fell and landed across his back.His colleagues who rushed to help him managed to lift the part that had him pinned down and pulled him some 20m away from the machine as they feared that the rest of it would collapse as well.Unfortunately, their well-intentioned act left permanent damage to his spine – as they were pulling him away, his backbone fractured and became dislocated, damaging the inside of his spinal cord and causing partial paralysis.Jeyaraj recovered but was left without sensation in his lower body. He also suffers from bladder problems which require him to wear a diaper at all times.Former engineer Jeyaraj Santraju speaks in an interview with MalaysiaNow.He came back to Malaysia that year and was reunited with his wife and son in Rawang.It took him a while, but he eventually accepted his new life in a wheelchair. It was then that he began thinking about the rights of disabled people.He also became acquainted with Francis Siva, the president of the Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC).Every now and then, he visits the centre to volunteer. He has also learnt how to be independent despite his disability and earns a living selling pens as well as a book on how to manage life from a wheelchair which he wrote based on his own experience.After 16 long years of living as a disabled person, he has come to realise the systematic disparities with which others like him struggle.“At ILTC, we want to make sure that no disabled person is left behind,” he said in an interview with MalaysiaNow.“If they are entitled to receive funds or aid, we will make sure they get it from the government.”Today, in conjunction with International Day of Disabled Persons, his request is that the authorities fulfil the promises which they have made on paper.“We don’t want it to be beautiful only on paper,” he said. “We want real action.”Some problemsOne issue with which disabled people often struggle is the application for the People with Disabilities Workers’ Allowance or Epoku. This needs to be submitted three months in advance of the deadline, failing which the yearly allowance of RM450 will not be given.Jeyaraj Santraju shows a customer the book he wrote on how to manage life from a wheelchair.Another problem is the minimum pay for people with disabilities, which at RM1,100 is not often not enough for them to cover their expenses.And if a disabled person is paid more than RM1,500 a month, he or she will no longer be eligible for Epoku. This, to Jeyaraj, is unfair.“I want to work and get paid well,” he said. “I also have a family to feed. Don’t treat us like children.”Siva, the president of ILTC, said the problem was a lack of understanding on the part of the government about the issues faced by people with disabilities.“We have asked the women, family and community development minister for a meeting to discuss the issues on the ground, but after eight months, we haven’t received a reply,” he said.“In parliament, the deputy minister said that disabled workers don’t face any problems during the pandemic. All I can say is, something is wrong here. They obviously don’t understand the problems we face.”At 29, K Ilavarasi is well acquainted with these problems.K Ilavarasi is helped down from a van specially designed to accommodate her wheelchair.As a child, Ilavarasi was diagnosed with a condition which sees her suffer from an excessive amount of white blood cells. During this period, it was always her father who took her to her doctor’s appointments and picked up her medication.In 2006, though, her father met with an accident and no one else in her family knew how to take care of her – not even her mother.With her father out of action, she went without medication for a long time. Her condition deteriorated and she eventually wound up in a wheelchair.Her mother left her family later that year, and her aunt came to stay with them.Now, living with the woman she calls “mother” instead, Ilavarasi has also learnt how to be independent and to take care of herself.Something betterSiva, who knows the family, says Ilavarasi is among those who lack enough support from the authorities.K Ilavarasi sits with her father who is also disabled in the living room of their home in Rawang.“When I first met her to give some food donations, I saw that she was using an old wheelchair that was worn and torn. I had to help her so I gave her a new wheelchair with a cushion that is way more comfortable,” he said.He voiced disappointment that no one from the ministry had come to see them and to learn about the issues on the ground.“If they don’t come to see and talk with us, they won’t know the problems that we are having. So how can they give a better life for these people?”He also said that a single system will not work for everyone, and that one-off donations will do little to help disabled people live a better life.This rings true for Jeyaraj as well – all he wants is a proper job with a good pay, and for the government agencies responsible to sort through the data on people with disabilities and help channel aid to those in need.Ilavarasi meanwhile dreams of a sewing machine so that she can work and become more independent.“My wish today is for something better,” Siva said. “We want participation and inclusion in the national decision-making process.“Right now, we have only a few people with disabilities included in discussions. That is not enough if we want to provide the community with a quality life.”Jeyaraj agreed that able-bodied people would find it difficult to understand the problems faced by the disabled community.“That is why we need disabled people to be there,” he said. “Try to fit in our wheelchairs – then you will understand.”


Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin accepted into PBB

Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin, who said earlier this year that he had been “technically parked” under Bersatu, has been accepted as a member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
PBB president Abang Johari Openg said Willie’s application had been accepted without any conditions attached.
“There are no conditions,” he told reporters at a press conference in Kuching today.
“He becomes a member because he supports PBB — it is good.”
In June, Willie said he had submitted his application to join PBB.
He joined Bersatu in 2020, in the wake of the Sheraton Move.
He contested his Puncak Borneo seat on a PKR ticket in the 2018 general election.


Grizzly bear kills hunter in Alaskan wilderness park first

A grizzly bear attacked and killed a hunter this weekend in Alaska’s Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, the US National Park Service (NPS) has announced.The mauling fatality is the first in the 40 years since the nation’s largest wilderness park was established.The hunter, whose name is being withheld until an investigation concludes, was on a 10-day moose hunt with a friend in the vast uninhabited park when the bear attacked and mauled him to death.Usually, according to the NPS, bears will move away from humans if they see or hear them coming.Grizzly attacks are rare, but if you are attacked by any kind of bear, the NPS recommends you play dead by lying flat on your stomach with your legs spread out.Bears are more active and potentially dangerous at this time of year, as they seek food in preparation for their winter-long hibernation.The Wrangell and St Elias Park is much larger than most European countries and contains the largest volcanoes and the most glaciers in North America.


Nigerian Christian student accused of blasphemy stoned to death by mob

Muslim students in northwest Nigerian city of Sokoto on Thursday stoned a Christian student to death and burnt her corpse after accusing her of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad, police said.Dozens of Muslim students of Shehu Shagari College of Education went on rampage after fellow student Deborah Samuel made a statement on social media which they considered offensive against the Prophet Muhammad, Sanusi Abubakar, a Sokoto police spokesman said in a statement.The “students forcefully removed the victim from the security room where she was hidden by the school authorities, killed her and burnt the building”, Abubakar said.He said the students “banded together with miscreants” and blocked the highway outside the school before police teams dispersed them.Abubakar said two suspects had been arrested over the incident.Sokoto is among a dozen northern states where the strict Islamic legal system or shariah is in operation.State information commissioner Isah Bajini Galadanci in a statement confirmed the “unfortunate incident… in which a student at the college lost her life”.A student who gave his name as Babangida, accused the murdered student of posting “the offensive remark on a students, Whatsapp group which everyone saw”.He said “muslim students in the school who were infuriated by her insult mobilised and beat her to death”.His account was supported by three other students.Footage from the rampage shared on social media, showed the dead student in a pink dress lying facedown among piles of stones.The video also showed the mob flogging the corpse while hurling insults at it before piling used vehicle tyres on top and setting it on fire amid shouts of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest).Police said all suspects identified in the video would be arrested.The state government has ordered the immediate closure of the school with a view to determining “the remote and immediate causes of the incident”.Blasphemy in Islam, especially against the Prophet, attracts death penalty under shariah law which operates alongside common law in the region.Two Muslims were separately sentenced to death in 2015 and 2020 by shariah courts for blasphemy against the Prophet.But the cases are still on appeal.In many cases, the accused are killed by mobs without going through the legal process.Last year, a mob in Darazo district in northeastern Bauchi state burnt a man to death accused of insulting the Prophet.In 2016, a 74-year-old Christian trader, Bridget Agbahime was beaten to death by a Muslim mob outside her shop in Kano after she was accused of insulting the Prophet.In 2007, a Christian teacher in a predominantly Muslim secondary school in northeastern Gombe state, was killed by her students and her body burnt after they accused her of desecrating the Quran.In 1996, a Muslim mob scaled the walls of Kano prison and killed a Christian, Gideon Akaluka who was accused of desecrating the Quran before displaying his severed head on a spike in a procession across the city.


Over 50% of adults, 36% of population fully vaccinated

Malaysia is on track to achieving the targets set under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), with 50.2% or 11,743,096 of the country’s adult population fully vaccinated as of yesterday.The Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) said 75.3% or 17,625,760 people have received a first dose, bringing the cumulative total of vaccine shots administered through PICK as of yesterday to 29,368,856 doses.“Today, more than 50% of the country’s adult population has been fully vaccinated. We are on track to achieve the targets set for PICK. Thank you and congratulations to all involved. The hard work must continue,” it said.According to JKJAV, 54% of the country’s total population have received a first dose while 36% have completed two doses.Meanwhile, daily vaccinations recorded an increase to 531,114 doses yesterday compared to 525,111 doses on Tuesday, 188,474 of which were first doses and 342,640 second doses.


Hong Kong scraps mandatory vaccines for foreign domestic workers

Hong Kong on Tuesday scrapped a plan to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for foreign domestic workers after the proposal sparked an outcry and a diplomatic tussle.But authorities ordered all foreign helpers to undergo another round of mandatory testing, triggering renewed criticism from the Philippines.Health officials planned to roll out mandatory inoculations for the 370,000 domestic workers in the city, mostly poorly paid women from the Philippines and Indonesia.Those wanting to apply for work visas – or renew their current ones – would need to show they had received two doses.But on Tuesday city leader Carrie Lam announced a U-turn.“The government has decided not to request mandatory vaccination when helpers renew their contracts,” she said, adding the decision had been made after meetings with officials from the Philippines and Indonesia.Philippine foreign affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin had previously said the initial proposal “smacked of discrimination”.Hong Kong health officials announced the mandatory vaccination plan and the testing of all domestic workers last month after two were found to be infected with one of the more virulent strains of the coronavirus.They said domestic workers were “high risk” because they often work with the elderly and meet in parks on Sundays – usually their one day off a week.Labour groups representing domestic workers said they felt they were being singled out, noting that the families they worked for – as well as locals working in environments such as care homes – were not required to get vaccinated.They also pointed out that wealthier foreign migrants such as the city’s white-collar financial workers were not forced to get vaccines when outbreaks of the coronavirus were traced to their well-heeled districts.New round of testsThe last round of compulsory testing saw long queues form at facilities across the city. Three coronavirus cases were uncovered over nine days.On Tuesday, Lam said all non-vaccinated helpers would be ordered to undergo a second round of testing by the end of the month.“We have to take precautions before any possible outbreaks, as we had found some infectious Covid-19 variants in the community,” Lam said.But that decision sparked fresh anger with a Philippines diplomat warning it would “not go down well with the community”.“I questioned the necessity of another mandatory test, citing the near-perfect compliance of domestic workers to the initial mandatory test,” consul general Raly Tejada told the South China Morning Post, describing recent meetings with Hong Kong officials.Thanks to strict quarantine measures and economically painful social distancing rules, Hong Kong has kept infections to just under 12,000 cases and 210 deaths.It has secured ample vaccine doses but the public take-up has been very low.So far just 16% of the city’s 7.5 million people have received one or more doses, a long way from the 60-70% considered necessary for herd immunity.Regular polling shows Hong Kongers have some of the lowest support ratings for inoculation in the world.Some of Hong Kong’s BioNTech-Pfizer vaccines will pass their shelf life in September and officials fret they may be in the unenviable position of throwing away good doses.The vaccination drive has been hampered by the government’s public trust deficit.After huge democracy protests exploded in 2019, Hong Kong’s unpopular unelected leaders – with the backing of Beijing – have overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent in the city.


US health regulators mull approving second Covid-19 booster shot, report says

US health regulators are looking at authorising a potential fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been reviewing data to authorise a second booster dose of the messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE and vaccines from Moderna Inc, the report added.The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The agency last month cut the interval to get a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech as well as from Moderna, in a bid to provide better protection sooner against the Omicron variant.The planning is still in early stages, and authorisation would depend on determinations as to whether the second booster should be authorised for all adults or particular age groups, and whether it should target the Omicron variant or be formulated differently, the report said.It added that no decision was final and that it could be necessary to make booster shots available earlier if a new variant appears.The US reported 2,323 Covid-19 deaths on Friday, bringing the total count to 936,523.


40.8% of population, 56.9% of adults double-jabbed

Some 40.8% of the country’s population or 13,315,774 people had completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday, according to the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee.Meanwhile 18,476,589 individuals had received a first dose, bringing the total number of doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of yesterday to 31,792,363.Some 56.9% of adults in the country have completed both doses of vaccine.In terms of daily vaccination rate, 396,576 doses were administered yesterday, of which 246,109 were second doses.


Taiwan boy thrown 27 times in judo class dies

A seven-year-old Taiwanese boy who was in a coma for over two months after he was repeatedly thrown to the floor during a judo class has died, a hospital said Tuesday.The boy, who was only identified by his family name Huang, was rushed to Feng Yuan Hospital in central Taichung city on April 21 after he was reportedly thrown 27 times by his judo coach.He had been in a coma for 70 days with brain haemorrhages and developed respiratory problems as well as multiple organ failure before his parents decided to take him off life support on Tuesday, a hospital official told AFP.His coach, identified by his surname Ho, was indicted earlier this month on charges of inflicting severe injuries on children and using children to commit a crime, prosecutors said in a statement.The coach instructed other children to practise with Huang even when the boy was not familiar with basic judo movements, and he started to use several throwing techniques on the child after he said “the coach is a big idiot”, according to the statement.The boy complained of a bad headache but Ho proceeded to throw him a dozen more times that caused him to vomit, it added.The coach did not stop until Huang collapsed unconscious on the floor, prosecutors said.Local media cited his family as saying he was thrown about 27 times. Prosecutors said his head repeatedly hit the floor but did not specify how many times.Huang begged the coach to stop multiple times, saying he could not bear it anymore, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.The boy’s uncle reportedly attended the class but failed to stop the coach.“Wish you can rest in peace in another world and the justice system can finally bring comfort to your family,” Taichung city mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who visited the boy in hospital, said in a post on her Facebook page.


Azam accuser says articles written after ‘detailed discussion’ with Gomez

The woman at the centre of a defamation suit by Azam Baki says her articles accusing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief were written after discussion with Edmund Terrence Gomez, the former panel adviser to the anti-graft body who resigned in December citing allegations contained in her articles.In her statement of defence sighted by MalaysiaNow, Lalitha Kunaratnam also made clear that the articles were written in her capacity as a researcher with C4 Consultancies Sdn Bhd, the company that operates C4 Center, an outfit led by activist Cynthia Gabriel which describes itself as a corruption watchdog.Lalitha said allegations over Azam’s share ownership were first carried anonymously on a Twitter handle before they were discussed “in greater detail” with Gomez.She said details of the anonymous allegations were also emailed to both Gomez and Cynthia in October last year.“The defendant, in accordance with the terms of her employment contract with C4, offered to write an in-depth investigative report on the allegations,” said the defence statement filed on her behalf this week by legal firm Ibrahim & Fuaadah.Lalitha subsequently published two articles in a website called “Independent News Service”.Cynthia had said last month that “C4 Center is not linked in any way to her current professional writings with the Independent News Service (INS),” adding that Lalitha had not been an employee since December 2020.Lalitha’s statement of defence however said she had been contracted to work as a “research consultant” for C4 Center, adding that her duties included “strengthening investigations on select fields”, and that she reported to Gomez.Weeks after the publication of her articles, Gomez resigned from MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, citing unhappiness that the allegations by Lalitha were ignored.This triggered calls from Pakatan Harapan politicians for the MACC boss to be investigated.The Securities Commission later conducted a probe and concluded that Azam had not breached Section 25(4) of the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991.In a separate email to Azam, SC chairman Syed Zaid Albar said it had closed its inquiry file on him.On Jan 12, Azam filed a RM10 million suit against Lalitha after she failed to comply with a letter of demand over the articles, “Business ties among MACC leadership: How deep does it go? (Part 1)” and “Business ties among MACC leadership: How deep does it go? (Part 2)”.In her defence statement, Lalitha denied having malicious intentions in writing the articles, adding that they were based on fair comment and were for public interest.“The articles do not relate exclusively to the plaintiff but address the broader national and political issues of possible corruption and their links to business entities that are highlighted in the Malaysian media,” the statement added.


China signals zero-Covid relaxation after protests

China's top Covid official has signalled a possible relaxing of the country's strict zero-tolerance approach to the virus, after nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedom.
Anger over China's zero-Covid policy – which involves mass lockdowns, constant testing and quarantines even for people who are not infected – has sparked protests in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
But while authorities have called for a "crackdown" in the wake of the demonstrations, they have also begun hinting that a relaxation of the hardline virus strategy could be in the works.
Speaking at the National Health Commission Wednesday, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the Omicron variant was weakening and vaccination rates were improving, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Sun – a central figure behind Beijing's pandemic response – said this "new situation" required "new tasks".
She made no mention of the zero-Covid policy in her latest remarks, suggesting an approach that has disrupted the economy and daily life might soon be relaxed.
The comments came as the southern manufacturing-hub Guangzhou – the site of dramatic Tuesday night clashes between police and protesters – said it had partially lifted a weeks-long lockdown, despite seeing record virus cases.
Officials on Wednesday eased restrictions to varying degrees in all of the city's 11 districts, including Haizhu, where recent protests took place.
With the exception of a number of designated "high-risk" neighbourhoods, the Guangzhou health commission said, "the rest will be managed as low-risk areas."
The central city of Chongqing also said Wednesday close contacts of Covid cases who met certain conditions would be allowed to quarantine at home – a departure from rules that required them to be sent to central isolation facilities.
Sun's remarks – as well as relaxations of rules by local authorities – "could signal that China is beginning to consider the end of its stringent zero-Covid policy," analysts said.
"We believe that Chinese authorities are shifting to a 'living with Covid' stance, as reflected in new rules that allow people to do 'home isolation' instead of being ferried away to quarantine facilities," ANZ Research analysts said in a note.
'Sign of weakness'
As China reaches the third anniversary of the pandemic first being detected in the central city of Wuhan, its hardline approach to the virus has stoked unrest not seen since the 1989 pro-democracy protests.
A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of the northwestern region of Xinjiang, was the catalyst for the outrage, with people blaming Covid curbs for trapping victims inside the burning building.
But demonstrators have also demanded wider political reforms, with some even calling for President Xi Jinping to stand down.
China's strict control of information and continued travel curbs have made verifying protester numbers across the vast country very challenging.
However, the widespread rallies seen over the weekend are exceptionally rare in China.
The 1989 pro-democracy protests ended in bloodshed when the military moved in, most famously in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and surrounding areas.
The death on Wednesday of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin – who came to power just after Tiananmen – saw the ruling Communist Party emphasise his role in that crackdown.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asked about the protests in an interview with NBC News, said that people in every country should be able to "make known their frustration" through peaceful protests.
"In any country where we see that happening and then we see the government take massive repressive action to stop it, that's not a sign of strength, that's a sign of weakness," he said.


Daily caseload below 1,500 as another 2 deaths logged

Another 1,453 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,854,976.
There were 1,800 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,795,804.
There are now 22,772 active cases, of which 21,768 or 95.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 967 (4.2%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 37 are in ICU with 22 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another two deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,400.


EU hopes summer shot surge will make up for woeful winter record

Under fire for fumbling its vaccine roll-out and fighting a fresh wave of infections, the EU is scrambling to speed up the pace of injections and avoid being left further behind by the UK and US, reports Reuters.In Paris, the national football stadium is being transformed into a mass vaccination hub, while Italy – with 20,000 infections daily – has put the army and civil defence agency in charge, after new Prime Minister Mario Draghi fired the country’s vaccine chief.Over Easter, Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state is relaxing rules on who can get 450,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine.Blood clotting concerns have prompted the country to limit the vaccine to people over 60, but North Rhine-Westphalia hopes its relaxed measures will now allow more people in that age group to get a first dose.Originally, it had wanted to give the AstraZeneca vaccine to pregnant women and their partners, among other priority groups. “We can’t do that anymore, because I assume that those people are under 60,” the health minister told reporters.Europe’s urgency to reverse what the World Health Organization branded on Thursday an “unacceptably slow” start to vaccinations is growing as a new spike gathers pace.The chaos of Europe’s roll-out has been exacerbated by squabbling over vaccine exports and some temporary delivery delays affecting Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.The EU has been much slower than Britain and the US, not only to order vaccines but also to approve them. Even once the jabs were approved, vaccination rates have been disappointing.WHO estimates just 4% of 750 million people in 53 countries across the EU, from wealthier Scandinavia to poorer Balkan countries, have been fully vaccinated.The EU hopes a major increase in deliveries as summer approaches will be sufficient to inoculate at least 255 million people, or 70% of its adult population, by July.About 200 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine are due to arrive, enough for 100 million people, while deliveries of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot will start this month.


At Ramadan bazaar in Kuching, traders hope to bounce back from pandemic losses

At the Stutong Ramadan bazaar in Kuching, customers on the brink of breaking their fast make a beeline for the murtabak stall, where the delicious aroma of bread and grilled meat wafts overhead.There, Yusri Ramli is hard at work cooking pancake after pancake stuffed with ground meat while his wife helps him manage the orders.Yusri has been making murtabak for 14 years now and never missed a single Ramadan bazaar except for the two years when Covid-19 restrictions saw the markets shut down.Those two years affected him badly as Ramadan is traditionally a lucrative time for food vendors who make a roaring trade serving customers looking to break their fast.Still, he did his best to navigate the virus restrictions, even turning to online marketing in order to continue selling his food.Yusri Ramli hard at work at his murtabak stall at the Stutong Ramadan bazaar in Kuching.He began taking orders on WhatsApp and Facebook, starting weeks ahead of the fasting month to make sure he would have enough time to meet the orders.“We wanted to start early so that our customers could find us,” the 42-year-old told MalaysiaNow.On normal days, Yusri sells mee kolok and roti canai. His chicken and beef murtabak only make an appearance at Ramadan bazaars.“When Ramadan bazaars were banned to curb the spread of the virus, it automatically cut my income so we had less to put on the table,” he recalled.“So I sold my food from a stall outside my house in Kampung Tabuan Melayu.”Customers queue at a stall selling fried fish at the Stutong Ramadan bazaar.As the country starts its transition towards the endemic phase of Covid-19, Yusri hopes that things will begin looking up for him once more.In Sarawak, 69 stalls have been permitted at two bazaars in Satok and at the Mydin Samariang supermarket. At the Stutong Ramadan bazaar where Yusri sells his murtabak, 68 stalls are allowed to operate.Yusri is relieved to be able to participate in the bazaar again and is working hard to make up for the income he lost over the last two years.“I hope with the reopening of the bazaars, we will be able to bounce back and earn more income to help cover our daily expenses,” he said.Not far off, Sadekin Elli who runs a stall selling ais kacang and other shaved ice desserts is full of energy and excitement.Like Yusri, she had operated a Ramadan bazaar stall for years until the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.Sadekin Elli shows some of the sweet desserts which she sells at her Ramadan bazaar stall.Trader Mohamad Putra Usop meanwhile said he was relieved to be able to work at the bazaar again after two years of being shut down.He is also glad to be back among his friends, most of whom he had not seen since the pandemic measures began.“Things got off to a slow start today because of bad weather but now the crowds are encouraging,” he said.“It’s great to see all my friends again and to catch up with them,” he added. “We are all one gang here.”


Our stories that got the nation talking

The end of 2020 also marks roughly 100 days since MalaysiaNow went online on Sept 20.Within that short period, we managed to break some of the biggest stories which sparked controversy and debate at the national level, fulfilling our pledge to readers to go beyond headlines and breaking stories in Malaysian current affairs.Here are some of our exclusives which made national headlines and got the country talking.Zahid-Najib’s little secretIn October, we revealed that a letter was sent by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his predecessor Najib Razak to the palace, voicing their support for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim in his bid to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.After a string of denials by their supporters, Najib openly urged Barisan Nasional MPs to back Anwar.Read more:Revealed: Najib, Zahid jointly wrote to palace in support of AnwarSo what if we support Anwar, says Najib in tell-all postMaszlee’s PM preferenceWe also revealed that an MP publicly aligned with Dr Mahathir Mohamad had issued a statutory declaration backing Anwar’s coup plan.A few days after we revealed Maszlee Malik’s support for Anwar, the former minister announced that he was no longer with Mahathir’s Pejuang bloc.Read more:Revealed: The lone ‘individual’ MP who signed SD backing Anwar’s coup planMaszlee no longer part of Dr M’s Pejuang bloc?Tension at Muhyiddin’s houseFollowing the shock generated by Zahid and Najib’s letter to the palace, we dug further to reveal the inside story of a meeting among top leaders held at Muhyiddin’s house, with details of a tense private conversation after the prime minister got a copy of the letter.Read more:Revealed: The inside story of Zahid’s letter to the AgongAnger at Umno HQAfter the revelation of the letter, top Umno leaders met at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. We went undercover to report what went on at the tense meeting, where many expressed anger at their president’s move to back Anwar without consulting other senior leaders.Read more:Anger, mutiny talk at 4-hour Umno meeting in KL forced Zahid’s U-turnA ‘guide’ to killing the budget?With the budget turning into a weapon to bring down the government, we leaked a “mini-dossier” prepared by an MP to guide his colleagues on how to reject the budget bill so that a new government could be formed, a move that went against a royal call for unity to ensure the budget’s allocations were passed.Read more:Let’s reject the budget and topple govt, PH MP says in leaked documentThe chat that mocked AnwarIn December, we revealed transcripts of a private chat group for PKR leaders, where they took turns criticising their president Anwar over his claim of having the numbers needed to form a government.Read more:In leaked conversation, senior PKR leaders heap scorn on AnwarJakim’s cakeA day before Christmas, we unearthed a strange condition imposed by the Department of Islamic Development, or Jakim, when we reported about a customer who was told that his Christmas cake could not have “Merry Christmas” written on it. Jakim later admitted that Christmas and other “religious festivals” are not allowed to be promoted at premises bearing its halal logo, sparking outrage among Malaysians.Read more:Halal poser over ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting on cake‘Merry Christmas’ can invalidate halal certificate, says Jakim‘Merry Christmas’, just the icing on Jakim’s cakeEx-DG of govt’s Islamic think tank says ‘unreformed’ Jakim has strayed from halal objective


Taiwan approves local Covid jab for emergency use

Taiwan’s government on Monday said it had granted emergency-use approval to a coronavirus vaccine made locally by Medigen, with experts saying early data suggested it was similarly effective to AstraZeneca’s jabs.The decision is a boost for the island, which has struggled to secure enough vaccines for its 23 million people.Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp’s vaccine – known officially as MVC-COV1901 – has yet to finish clinical trials although it published promising Phase Two data last month.Taiwan’s health ministry said a panel of experts approved its use on Sunday and that the first inoculations for the public could begin as early as August.No details were given of its efficacy rate but the health ministry said Medigen’s antibody effect was “no worse than the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine jabs that the public have received”.“There are no major safety concerns,” the ministry added.Health minister Chen Shih-chung said “it will take some time to expand production capacity” but said the first small supplies for the public could be expected in August.Medigen’s offering is a “subunit vaccine” which teaches the body’s immune system to recognise the spike protein that the coronavirus uses to invade cells.It will be given to people over 20 years old in two shots.Medigen has been told to submit monthly safety monitoring reports and an effectiveness report within a year, the health ministry added.Taiwan’s government has signed contracts to purchase five million doses of the Medigen vaccine and the same amount from another local maker, United Biomedical, which has yet to receive emergency authorisation.Taiwan was lauded last year for having one of the best coronavirus responses in the world, stifling its initial outbreak and keeping the virus at bay for nearly a year with strict quarantine controls and world-class contract tracing.But an outbreak that began in May among airline pilots has since led to widespread community transmission with the island now recording nearly 800 deaths and some 15,000 infections.It had only received 726,000 vaccine doses before the US and Japan recently donated 2.5 million and 3.37 million doses, respectively.Taipei has accused Beijing of hampering its plans to acquire Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines from Germany’s BioNTech, until two Taiwanese tech giants reached an agreement with its Shanghai-based distributor.Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract microchip maker, announced last week that they would each donate five million vaccines doses to the government, after signing a deal with Fosun Pharma.But it will still need more jabs to fully inoculate its 23 million people.