Najib to join Rosmah in couple’s first trip abroad since downfall

Former prime minister Najib Razak was today granted the temporary release of his passport for travel to Singapore, to be with his daughter who is expected to give birth to her second child within weeks, joining his wife Rosmah Mansor who was similarly granted permission last week.According to Malaysiakini, a three-man Court of Appeal bench led by Kamaludin Md Said unanimously agreed to Najib’s application.“The court finds the reason given for the application as reasonable. The court allows this application and the passport will be returned (to Najib),” Kamaludin said.The other two judges on the bench were Ravinthran Paramaguru and Abu Bakar Jais.The former prime minister will be allowed use of his passport from Oct 20 to Nov 22.Najib was convicted in July last year of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.The case is currently under appeal at the Court of Appeal.In his affidavit of support for his application, Najib had said that he was responsible for ensuring the well-being of his daughter, Nooryana Najwa, whom he said had experienced serious complications during the birth of her first child.He also said that he was not a flight risk as his family, source of income and property are all in Malaysia.“In addition, I am under bail of RM7 million and it is not a small amount. I have also attended all the trial dates set by the court prior to this,” he said.


Hollywood actor jailed for US$650 million movie Ponzi scheme

An American actor who swindled US$650 million in a huge Hollywood Ponzi scheme, using it to finance a lavish lifestyle of yachts, jets and fast cars, was jailed Monday for 20 years.Zachary Horwitz created fake contracts that he told investors were with HBO and Netflix to trick them into handing over vast sums of money, which he splurged on private flights, top-of-the-range autos and a luxury Los Angeles mansion, complete with a wine cellar.“Horwitz portrayed himself as a Hollywood success story,” prosecutors said, according to the Department of Justice.“He branded himself as an industry player, who… leveraged his relationships with online streaming platforms like HBO and Netflix to sell them foreign film distribution rights at a steady premium.“But, as his victims came to learn, (Horwitz) was not a successful businessman or Hollywood insider. He just played one.”Horwitz, who acted in small-time horror films under the name Zach Avery, told investors he was buying foreign distribution rights for US movies, and then selling them to streaming platforms.The 35-year-old gave each victim a note promising a handsome profit six or 12 months later.Over seven years he kept the scheme going by using new investors’ money to repay the old ones.By the time it all fell apart, more than US$230 million had vanished.He admitted security fraud in October, and acknowledged that he had never bought any film rights, or secured any distribution contracts.It would be “difficult to conceive a white-collar crime more egregious,” prosecutors said in a memo to the judge, noting he started his life of crime by swindling university friends, according to the Los Angeles Times.“He began by betraying the trust of his own friends, people who lowered their guard because they could not possibly imagine that someone they had known for years would unflinchingly swindle them and their families out of their life savings,” they wrote.Horwitz was jailed for 20 years, and ordered by judge Mark Scarsito to repay US$230 million to his victims.


New infections fall to 3,880 as another 14 deaths reported

Another 3,880 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,644,115.
There were 2,607 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,559,545.
There are now 48,668 active cases, of which 47,139 or 96.9% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 32 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,447 (3.0%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 50 are in ICU with 28 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.6%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 12.4%.
Another 14 deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,902.


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It’s so hot in UAE, sweltering sheikhs are shocking the clouds

Temperatures in the UAE recently topped 51 degrees, which is a bit over the top even for the desert emirates.Facing dwindling water resources, an exploding population, and meteorologists saying the heatwave is likely to continue, local rulers are desperate to find ways of making it rain and are willing to pay for answers.United Arab Emirates meteorological officials released a video this week of cars driving through monsoon-like downpours in Ras al Khaimah in the northern part of the country as it briefly cools off from its scorching conditions.The storm was the result of one of the UAE’s latest efforts to increase rainfall in a desert nation that gets about 10 cm a year on average.Scientists are successfully creating rainstorms by launching drones which zap clouds with electricity.“What we are trying to do is to make the droplets inside the clouds big enough so that when they fall out of the cloud, they survive down to the surface,” meteorologist Keri Nicoll said.Nicoll is part of a team of scientists with the University of Reading in England whose research led to this week’s man-made rainstorms.In 2017, Reading’s scientists received grants in the millions for use over three years from the UAE, which has invested in at least nine different research projects over the past five years.The team’s drones, which are launched by catapult, can fly for about 40 minutes, and during flight the drone’s sensors measure temperature, humidity and electrical charge within a cloud, which lets the researchers know when and where they need to zap.Alya Al-Mazroui, director of the UAE’s rain-enhancement science-research programme, told Arab News in March: “Equipped with a payload of electric-charge emission instruments and customised sensors, these drones will deliver electric charges to air molecules, which should encourage precipitation.”Aside from the current heatwave, water is a big issue in the UAE with its skyrocketing population of Emiratis and expats.“The water table is sinking drastically in the UAE,” University of Reading meteorologist Maarten Ambaum told BBC News, “and the purpose of our project is to try to help with rainfall.”Many scientists doubt whether cloud seeding will have a noticeable impact on annual rainfall levels.It only rains a few days in a year in the UAE, and during the summer, there is no rain most years.In recent years, the UAE’s massive push into desalination technology – which transforms seawater into freshwater by removing the salt – has helped close the gap between the demand for water and supply. Most of the UAE’s drinkable water, and 42% of all water used in the country, comes from its roughly 70 desalination plants.Still, part of the ruling sheiks’ “water security strategy” is to lower demand by 21% in the next 15 years.Ideas to get more water for the UAE have not lacked imagination.In 2016, The Washington Post reported government officials were considering building a life-size mountain to create rainfall. As moist air reaches a mountain, it is forced upward, cooling as it rises. The air can then condense and turn into liquid, which falls as rain.Estimates for another mountain-building project in the Netherlands came in as high as $US230 billion.Other ideas for getting more water to the UAE have included building a pipeline from Pakistan and floating icebergs down from the Arctic or up from the Antarctic.


China buzzes Taiwan Strait again, minister decries 'disinformation' about safety

Chinese fighter jets again crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, as a senior Taiwanese official decried "annoying disinformation" about how safe the island is given the mounting tensions with Beijing.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the island's strong objections, has over the past three years reported almost daily missions by Chinese military aircraft nearby, and since last August, regular crossings of the median line that used to serve as an unofficial boundary.
Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday morning that eight Chinese fightershad crossed the median line and four Chinese warships also joined a "joint combat readiness patrol".
It is the responsibility of all parties to maintain security and stability, and any "provocative behaviour" is not in the interests of the region, the ministry added.
China practised precision strikes and blockading the island in war games around it in April after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
Despite China's frequent military activities, there has been no sign of public alarm in Taiwan and life has carried on as normal.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan deputy foreign minister Roy Lee said one of the reasons the government wanted foreign lawmakers, officials and academics to visit was to see the situation on the ground.
"A lot of colleagues and friends outside of Taiwan are subject to this annoying disinformation campaign. They have a mismatched conception and understanding about the situation in Taiwan," he said. "We are confident that when they are here they will see Taiwan is very calm; we are not provoking or making any dangerous movements. On the other hand we are demonstrating a very high level of resilience against China's intimidation and threats."
As Lee spoke, Tsai met a delegation led by US Representative Kevin Hern, who leads the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the latest in a string of such visits to Taipei.
"Support for Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation has been one of the founding principles of the RSC," Hern told Tsai.
Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and has vowed to defend itself if China attacks the island.


Over 10,000 no-shows for vaccination appointments in Terengganu

Over 10,000 people in Terengganu have failed to show up for their vaccination appointments so far, according to state local government, housing, health and environment committee chairman Dr Alias Razak.He said the reasons given for their no-show included forgetting the appointment date and not having transport to the vaccination centres (PPVs).“We will immediately contact other individuals on the standby list to replace them with those unable to attend, as we don’t want to waste the vaccine doses.“Our target of the vaccine recipients now are senior citizens with comorbidities,” he said at a press conference today.Based on statistics from the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee website, as of noon yesterday, a total of 345,492 individuals in the state had registered as vaccine recipients, of whom 79,185 had received their vaccinations.Alias said to overcome the problem, the state government had suggested opening vaccination counters at mosques.In a related development, he said the vaccination exercise is currently being carried out at 14 PPVs, adding that the state government has asked over 100 private clinics statewide to be agents for administering the Covid-19 vaccine.“The state government will pay RM14 for each dose at private clinics. But, it is not well-received yet,” he said, adding that only four clinics have agreed to be agents so far.


Indonesia police station blast kills two in suspected suicide attack

Indonesian authorities said on Wednesday that two people were killed and several others wounded when a suspected Islamic militant carrying a knife blew himself up shortly after entering a police station in the city of Bandung.
Ahmad Ramadhan, head of the public information bureau for the national police, said Bandung police were coordinating with the counter-terrorism unit to investigate the incident.
The Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group may have been behind the attack, Ibnu Suhendra of Indonesia's counterterrorism agency told Metro TV. He said JAD had carried out similar attacks in Indonesia.
The attack killed the suspected perpetrator and one officer, and wounded eight others, including officers and one civilian, Ibrahim Tompo, a spokesman for the West Java police, told reporters on Metro TV.
Footage from Metro TV showed damage to the police station, with some debris from the building on the ground and smoke rising from the scene.
Islamic militants have in recent years carried out attacks in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, including at churches, police stations and venues frequented by foreigners.
In an efforts to crack down on militants, Indonesia created a tough new anti-terrorism law after suicide bombings linked to JAD.


Call for GE15 cooperation with opposition for the country, not PN, says Muhyiddin

Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) call for the opposition to consider renegotiating a political cooperation was made in the interests of Malaysia’s future and its people, not the coalition, its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday.
The former prime minister, who is currently the National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman, said it was to save the country from falling further into kleptocracy, corruption and abuse of power.
"This call stems from the concerns currently voiced by the people. It is not made in PN’s political interests or to win the 15th general election (GE15)," Muhyiddin said after chairing an MPN meeting in Putrajaya yesterday. In his speech at the PN convention on Saturday, Muhyiddin had called on opposition party leaders to reconsider cooperation with PN during GE15.
PN comprises Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Sabah and the Sabah Progressive Party. Asked about Rafizi Ramli’s statement that Pakatan Harapan would not cooperate with PN, Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, said it was the PKR deputy president’s personal opinion.
"From what I have read so far, the one rejecting cooperation is Rafizi alone. It is all right, we will accept his views. However, political cooperation can bring together parties to offer what is best for the people," he said.
Muhyiddin also said that Bersatu was ready to face any eventuality in GE15, including the possibility of multi-cornered contests.


Philadelphia mass shooting suspect posted 'disturbing messages'

A Philadelphia gunman charged with killing five people over the Fourth of July weekend left "disturbing messages" on social media before carrying out one of several US mass shootings that marred the holiday break, authorities said on Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, appeared on Wednesday in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for arraignment on five counts of murder and other charges related to the Monday evening rampage, which appeared to be random.
In addition to the five deaths, two children were wounded in the attack, one of a rash of mass shootings over the holiday weekend in a country where gun violence has become nearly commonplace.
Some 16 mass shootings took place across the US from Friday evening until Wednesday morning, leaving 15 dead and 94 injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.
In Philadelphia, investigators said they have yet to determine a motive for the shooting. Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said at a briefing on Wednesday that authorities were focusing on "disturbing" posts found on the suspect's social media accounts.
She did not reveal the substance of those posts, nor what was written in a will for the suspect dated June 23 that investigators also discovered. Later when asked by a reporter, officials declined to comment.
Bilal urged the public to alert authorities if they see extreme posts on social media.
"That is on all of us, not sit in silence when we see these type of posters that are threatening to harm us, harm our communities, harm our children," she said.
Carriker wore a bullet-proof vest and a ski mask during the shooting, officials said. They added he had no apparent connection with any of the victims he gunned down, apparently at random, before being taken into custody.
The suspect may have obtained at least one of his weapons illegally, District Attorney Larry Krasner said. He also carried a handgun during the attack.
"We're talking about completely innocent bystanders who did absolutely nothing to put themselves at risk and they have suffered this horrifying consequence," Krasner told CNN during an interview.
The five males killed were Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, and Ralph Moralis, Daujan Brown, 15, and Joseph Wamah, Jr, 31, according to police. The wounded children were aged two and 13.
"It's hard to wake up from this. I don't understand how someone could do that to my brother," Wamah's twin sister Josephine said during a news conference on Wednesday. "He was like a second father to me. He was gorgeous inside and out."
Weekend of mass shootings
In another weekend shooting, four people died and seven others were wounded in Shreveport, Louisiana, at an Independence Day celebration just before midnight on Tuesday, local police said.
At least one gunman opened fire at a gathering of close to 100 people in the northwest section of the city, Shreveport police said, adding all four deceased individuals were adults.
Two people died at the scene, a third died at a hospital and police later discovered another body in a nearby field on Wednesday morning, Sergeant Angie Willhite, an official with the Shreveport police, said.
The motive for the shooting was not known and no arrests were made as of early Wednesday, according to police.
The attacks in Louisiana and Philadelphia came after gunfire rang out on Sunday in Baltimore during a block party. Two people were killed, including an 18-year-old woman, and 28 injured in that shooting. Authorities were still hunting for suspects, pleading with the public to come forward with information on their whereabouts.
Another mass shooting occurred in Salisbury, Maryland during a block party. It left a 14-year-old boy dead and six injured.
Gun violence tends to spike over the Fourth of July holiday in the US due to a number of factors, according to James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University.
"You have people not working and not in school. You have large gatherings, alcohol, hot weather and concealed weapons held by participants," Fox said. "You have a dangerous situation."
The rash of gun violence over the last several days is part of a surge in mass shootings in the US since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
As of Wednesday, 351 mass shootings have taken place across the country so far this year. At that pace, the US will experience 689 mass shootings in 2023, just shy of the 690 recorded in 2021, which was the most of any year since 2014, according to the Gun Violence Archive.


UK to announce £4 billion boost for childcare in England, reports say

Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt is set to provide a £4 billion (about RM22 billion) expansion to free childcare for one and two year-olds in England in his budget plan on Wednesday, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.
The Guardian report did not cite named sources for the information. The finance ministry said it would not comment ahead of the budget.
On Sunday, Hunt said he would use this week's budget plan to remove barriers, including high childcare costs, that are stopping people from working and causing a major problem for employers after the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.
Broadly, Hunt is expected to keep his grip on public finances in the budget, holding off on any big tax cuts or spending increases until the next election comes closer into view.
According to children's charity Coram, the average annual price for full-time nursery childcare in England for a child under two was more than £14,000 in 2022.
That makes Britain's childcare among the most expensive in the world, according to the OECD, and the government is being urged to do more to help with the costs in order to boost workforce participation among parents of young children.


Bersatu candidates in Sabah to use GRS logo

Bersatu candidates in Sabah will use the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) logo when contesting the 15th general election (GE15), says Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin said although they would be using the GRS logo, any victory by the candidates would be counted as a win for Bersatu as it was a part of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"That is the understanding that was agreed on, no issues or problems… the situation in Sabah is extraordinary in the formation of the government due to the mutual understanding among the parties.
"Although it is not the same at the federal level, we accept the differences in Sabah," he said.
Muhyiddin said PN would leave it to the wisdom of the leaders of Sabah Bersatu, Hajiji Noor who is also the Sabah chief minister, the state leadership of Bersatu and GRS to form a collective understanding that will benefit the people and party.
Asked about the "cold" situation with PAS and Umno, Muhyiddin said PAS was a founding member of PN and remains an important partner, especially in facing GE15.
"PAS had repeatedly said it will remain an important partner of PN. In that sense, it is much clearer now and there are no uncertainties... this will pave the way for PN to be stronger and work more effectively to win this election," he said.


GE15 won't do opposition any favours, says Melaka DAP

Melaka DAP acknowledges that holding the 15th general election (GE15) now will not give an advantage to the opposition, vice-chairman Khoo Poay Tiong said today.
The Kota Melaka MP said the opposition was facing a big challenge as GE15 would be held during the flood season, thus making it difficult for the party to campaign.
"Indeed, to hold an election during the floods is going to be a challenge and a disadvantage to the opposition parties.
"The Melaka state election was held just last year, and in less than a year, we have to face GE15, so of course it is not favourable for us in terms of resources, especially our machinery," he told a press conference today.
Meanwhile, he voiced hope that the distribution of seats among Pakatan Harapan component parties could be resolved before the Deepavali celebration on Oct 24.
He said Melaka DAP chairman Damian Yeo Shen Li had formed a committee to gather the names of candidates to be fielded in GE15 for consideration by the party leadership.


World Bank slashes China growth forecast over Covid damage

The World Bank has sharply slashed its annual growth forecast for China, warning in a report Wednesday that Covid disruptions could further slow recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, using rapid lockdowns, mass testing and strict movement restrictions to eliminate outbreaks – but it has tangled supply chains and dragged economic indicators to their lowest levels in around two years.Growth in China is projected to slow to 4.3% in 2022, the World Bank said in a report on Wednesday, marking a steep 0.8% drop from the December forecast.This “largely reflects the economic damage caused by Omicron outbreaks and the prolonged lockdowns in parts of China from March to May,” the report said, referring to the highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus.In those months, restrictions on dozens of cities including the manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen and Shanghai as well as the breadbasket province of Jilin battered business operations and kept consumers at home.“In the short term, China faces the dual challenge of balancing Covid-19 mitigation with supporting economic growth,” said Martin Raiser, the World Bank country director for China, Mongolia and Korea.“The dilemma… is how to make the policy stimulus effective, as long as mobility restrictions persist.”Activity is expected to rebound in the latter half of 2022, helped by fiscal stimulus and more easing of housing rules, the World Bank said.But domestic demand will likely recover gradually and only partly offset the earlier pandemic-related damage, it added.‘Old playbook’The World Bank’s forecast adjustment came as concerns grow that China may not meet its official growth target of around 5.5% this year.Premier Li Keqiang has warned that the challenges today are in some ways “greater than when the pandemic hit” in 2020, and the government has rolled out a series of measures to try and jump-start the economy.The Chinese government has also launched a major infrastructure push this year, but the World Bank warned this was a precarious path.“There is a danger that China remains tied to the old playbook of boosting growth through debt-financed infrastructure and real estate investment,” it said Wednesday.“Such a growth model is ultimately unsustainable and the indebtedness of many corporates and local governments is already too high.”The latest forecast also assumed that China’s zero-Covid policy will be “maintained in the short term to avoid stressing its health care system”, meaning the possibility of recurrent disruptions.The World Bank has also cut its global growth forecast to 2.9%, warning that the world economy risks falling into a harmful period of 1970s-style “stagflation” in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


Zahid’s family link in massive KL project with RM1.2 billion value

While top Umno leaders face hundreds of corruption charges among them, the prospect of years behind bars has not stopped lucrative business deals from being inked by individuals closely related to them, MalaysiaNow can reveal.In one such deal, a project in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with a gross development value (GDV) of RM1.2 billion is set to take off involving several firms linked to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been ordered to enter his defence for 47 corruption charges related to RM31 million in funds belonging to a charity foundation.The massive project to redevelop the site of Flat PKNS Jalan Tun Razak in Kampung Baru will be undertaken by Jiankun International Bhd, which has entered into a joint venture agreement with Menara Rezeki Sdn Bhd (MRSB) and Menara Rezeki Properties Sdn Bhd (MRPSB).The project will see the construction of several skyscrapers, including a 52-storey apartment tower in Jalan Tun Razak, among the capital city’s most prized real estate plots.All three companies have links to Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff, the son-in-law of Zahid.Checks by MalaysiaNow show that Saiful has been an independent non-executive director of Jiankun since April 1 last year.A Bursa Malaysia announcement also shows that Saiful, who is the managing director of MRSB, holds 99.999% stakes in the company as well as in MRPSB, through the ownership of 6,999,999 and 999,999 stock units respectively.Meanwhile, Zahid’s daughter Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid has been the executive director of MRSB since May 2017, according to her LinkedIn profile.Beyond the family connections, questions have also been raised over the GDV totalling RM1.2 billion, about 27 times more than Jiankun’s stocks valued at RM43.8 million as at Jan 31, 2022.The redevelopment of the Flat PKNS site is said to be Jiankun’s biggest real estate project so far.According to a Bursa filing by Jiankun, the company will take 70% of the profits from the project, with the balance going to MRSB.It said the project’s funding will be through “a combination of internally generated funds, equity fund raising, sales of development and bank borrowings”.“The exact combination of internally generated funds, equity fund raising, sales of development and bank borrowings will be determined by the management at a later stage, after taking into consideration the group’s gearing level, interest cost and internal cash requirements for its business operation,” it said.The 3.7-acre site is occupied by 11 leasehold lots, seven of which are currently occupied by 252 flats with individual strata titles.Three lots belong to Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and the remainder is owned by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council.


Zelensky thanks air defence after 'most powerful' attack on Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday praised his country's air defence forces, after the capital Kyiv saw the largest drone attack since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
The overnight attack killed two people and wounded three others.
The latest drone attack came as Russia has intensified aerial strikes on the capital this month, and warned the West against escalating the conflict after the US agreed to greenlight F-16 deliveries.
Ukraine said the latest attack in Kyiv was the largest of the invasion, with around forty out of more than fifty drones targeting the capital.
"Most of the destruction was averted, and most of the lives that could have been taken by these Shaheds (drones) were saved," Zelensky said in his daily evening address.
" I am grateful to each and every person who made it possible!... Thank you warriors!" he said.
This was the 14th drone attack on the Ukrainian capital by Russia this month.
"People are in shock. There's a lot of damage, the windows were broken, the roof was damaged," said Sergei Movchan, a 50-year-old resident whose house was damaged by debris.
Kyiv had been relatively spared since the beginning of the year, but in May its residents have had to live with almost nightly air raid sirens and thundering explosions.
The air raid alert lasted more than five hours overnight Saturday as the attack was carried out in several waves.
"Russians are intimidating us. But I think it's the agony of their regime," Movchan said.
'How Russia celebrates'
Authorities reported that two were killed and three others wounded as debris of the downed drones fell in several districts.
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko described the assault as "massive" with drones "arriving from several directions at once".
The Kyiv military administration first said that "more than 40 Russian drones were destroyed by air defence" systems in the "most important drone attack against the capital since the start of the invasion" in February 2022.
Zelensky later revised the number to 36 drones downed over the capital and its region.
"During this terrorist attack, the most powerful strike was directed against the Kyiv region," Zelensky said during his evening address.
"This is how Russia celebrates the day of our ancient Kyiv."
Sunday was to be celebrated as Kyiv's city day, usually marked by street concerts and performances.
"Kyiv, a city of free and brave people, has become a symbol of Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit and the Kremlin’s failed imperial ambitions," Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.
Ukraine said its air defence forces had shot down 58 out of 59 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to updated information.
Ukraine's air force had earlier said that a "record" of 54 drones had been launched.
Zelensky, who also used the earlier number of 54 drones launched, reported some damage in the western Zhytomyr region.
'Key ally'
Russia used Shahed drones from Iran, Ukrainian officials said, and presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak vowed new sanctions against Iran.
"Tehran has become a key ally of Moscow in this war, deliberately supplying it with weapons for attacks on civilian cities," Podolyak said.
This week Zelensky had blasted Tehran's "support for evil" and appealed to the Iranian people.
Iran had answered by saying Zelensky's accusation was an attempt to gain the West's military and financial support.
After Kyiv has long asked for advanced warplanes, the US on Friday said it would allow Kyiv to acquire F-16 fighter jets, the most sophisticated material yet supplied by the West.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday said Western nations were "playing with fire" by agreeing to supply Ukraine with F-16s.
Lavrov called the move "an unacceptable escalation" of the conflict, in a TV interview posted on social media.
As the drone war rages, Russia has blamed Ukraine – and its Western backers – for increasing artillery and drone attacks on its territory, accusations Kyiv has mostly denied.
Most drones target Russian regions bordering Ukraine but they have sometimes reached hundreds of kilometres inside Russia, including a thwarted attack on the Kremlin itself.
The past week also saw an unprecedented two-day incursion from Ukraine claimed by two anti-Kremlin groups, with Russia using its air force and artillery to push back the fighters.
The reports of attacks come at a time when Kyiv says it is finalising plans for a counter-offensive to recover lost territory, including the Crimea peninsula which was annexed in 2014.


Taliban ‘intensifying’ search for Afghans who helped US, UN document shows

The Taliban are intensifying a search for people who worked with US and Nato forces, a confidential United Nations document says, despite the militants vowing no revenge against opponents.The report – provided by the UN’s threat-assessment consultants and seen by AFP – says the group has “priority lists” of individuals it wants to arrest.Most at risk are people who had central roles in the Afghan military, police and intelligence units, according to the document.The Taliban have been conducting “targeted door-to-door visits” of individuals they want to apprehend and their family members, the report says.It adds that militants are also screening individuals on the way to Kabul airport and have set up checkpoints in major cities, including the capital and Jalalabad.The document, dated Wednesday, was written by the Norwegian Center for Global Analyses, an organisation that provides intelligence to UN agencies.“They are targeting the families of those who refuse to give themselves up, and prosecuting and punishing their families ‘according to shariah law,'” Christian Nellemann, the group’s executive director, told AFP.“We expect both individuals previously working with Nato/US forces and their allies, alongside with their family members to be exposed to torture and executions.“This will further jeopardise Western intelligence services, their networks, methods and ability to counter both the Taliban, IS and other terrorist threats ahead,” he added.The report says the militants are “rapidly recruiting” new informers to collaborate with the Taliban regime and are expanding their lists of targets by contacting mosques and money brokers.The Taliban have launched a public relations blitz since sweeping back into power on Sunday, including promising a full amnesty for all who worked with the elected Afghan government.But Afghans and observers have not forgotten the Taliban’s ultra-conservative Islamic regime of 1996-2001 when brutal punishments, such as stoning to death for adultery, were imposed.


New cases dip to 835, two more deaths

Another 835 Covid-19 cases were reported today, pushing total confirmed infections in the country to 28,640.Of these, 410 were recorded in Sabah, followed by Negeri Sembilan (155), Selangor (126), Labuan (76) and Sarawak (16).Penang recorded 13 new cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (11), Perak (11), Johor (eight), Kedah (four), Terengganu (four) and Putrajaya (one).No new cases were reported in Perlis, Kelantan, Pahang and Melaka.Active cases stand at 9,903 with 89 in the ICU and 32 in need of respiratory assistance.A total of 674 patients were discharged from hospital, taking recoveries to 18,499 or 64.6%.However, two more deaths were reported, both in Sabah, bringing the virus toll to 238 or 0.83%.


Agong repeats call for Parliament sitting in audience with speakers, deputies

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong today repeated his view that a Parliament sitting should be held as quickly as possible, following an audience with the leaders of the two Houses as well as their deputies at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur.Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said the audience with Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun and their deputies Mohamad Ali Mohamad, Mohd Rashid Hasnon and Azalina Othman Said, followed the special meeting of the Malay rulers held on June 16.“His Majesty is of the view that a Parliament sitting needs to be held as quickly as possible, following the Covid-19 guidelines and SOPs set by the government and Parliament,” read a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.It said this was to allow the declaration of emergency and emergency ordinance to be tabled as provided for in Article 150 (3) of the Federal Constitution.Sultan Abdullah also said that all Committees of Selection should continue their meetings for the implementation of checks and balances to ensure transparency, integrity and responsibility in administration, especially in issues of public policy and society as well as financial matters and state expenditure.The statement added that the views expressed were the stand of the Agong as well as the Malay rulers in their capacity as constitutional monarchs based on the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.The Agong’s initial statement was issued in the wake of a special meeting of the Malay rulers. It was followed by a separate statement by the rulers themselves, voicing support for the king’s stand.They also said they saw no need for the emergency period to extend beyond its scheduled deadline of Aug 1.The state of emergency was declared in January amid a spike in Covid-19 infections which also saw the enforcement of the second movement control order across large parts of the country.Under the emergency declaration, Parliament and state assembly sittings have been suspended.Putrajaya said on June 4 that it was considering a hybrid system for Parliament proceedings involving a combination of physical and virtual attendance by lawmakers.


Japan set to extend coronavirus limits, ease border rules

Japan is set to loosen border controls to allow more people to enter the country, especially students, while extending infection control measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus in several areas, including Tokyo.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will raise the number of people who can enter Japan to 7,000 a day from 5,000 at present, while students will be exempted from the daily intake and considered in a separate category, media reports said.The move will extend an easing of the country’s strict border measures earlier this week that opened the doors to more students and foreign workers amid criticism from business leaders and educators.Kishida is set to announce the new measures, along with an extended coronavirus quasi-emergency, at a news conference at 7pm local time (1000 GMT).Some 150,000 foreign students have been kept out of Japan since 2020, along with workers desperately needed by an ageing nation with a shrinking population, prompting warnings of labour shortages and damage to Japan’s international reputation.While the number of new coronavirus cases has started to fall, hospitals remain under stress as they battle the Omicron variant of Covid-19. February was also the deadliest month of the pandemic so far, with 4,856 fatalities, a tally by national broadcaster NHK showed.The central government has received requests from five prefectures, including Kyoto and Osaka in western Japan, to extend infection control measures set to expire on Sunday, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday.Ten other prefectures, including Tokyo, are expected to seek an extension of two to three weeks of measures that include shorter business hours for restaurants and limits on alcohol sales, local media reported.Kishida is also expected to address the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Japan has joined with overseas allies to slap sanctions on Russia, and Kishida said on Wednesday the country is also ready to take in Ukrainian refugees.Separately, discount Japanese retailer Pan Pacific International, formerly Don Quijote Holdings, said on Thursday it would accept 100 refugee families from Ukraine. It did not provide any further details.


Young boy rescued from Indonesia quake rubble after two days

A six-year-old boy has been pulled from the rubble of a deadly Indonesia earthquake after spending two days trapped under debris without food or water, in a "miracle" rescue.
The dramatic rescue captured on camera Wednesday evening revived hopes that survivors could still be pulled alive from the wreckage days after the strong tremor that hit the West Java town of Cianjur on Monday, killing at least 271 people.
"Once we realised Azka was alive everybody broke into tears, including me," 28-year-old local volunteer Jeksen told AFP on Thursday.
"It was very moving, it felt like a miracle."
Video showed rescue workers pulling the boy Azka free from a destroyed home in Cianjur's worst-hit district of Cugenang, wearing the blue shirt and trousers he had on when he became trapped.
The man who pulled him out of a hole cut in the debris clasped him in both arms, as another rescue worker in an orange hard hat ran after them to hold the boy's hand, footage released by the administration of West Java's Bogor district showed.
Azka – who like many Indonesians goes by one name – was then shown calmly sipping a drink, held by a soldier as another emergency worker stroked his hair.
His mother died in the earthquake and her body was found hours before Azka's rescue, a volunteer told AFP on Thursday.
The boy was then found next to his dead grandmother, Jeksen said.
He was only saved by a wall holding up another collapsed wall, preventing it from falling on him, local media reported.
"He was found on the left side of the house, on a bed. He was protected by a pillow and there was a 10cm gap between him and the concrete slab," said Jeksen. "Such a narrow space, it was dark, hot and there was not enough hole for air."
"We didn't expect him to still be alive after 48 hours, if we knew we would have tried harder the night before," he said.
"For all the years since I became a volunteer, I've never seen anything like this. How can you not cry?"
Many of those killed in the quake were children at school or in their homes when it struck, officials said.
But authorities warned that time was running out as rescue workers were delayed by hammering rain and potentially deadly aftershocks.
"Today for the search and rescue operation we deployed 6,000 people. It was raining but we keep searching," said Suharyanto, head of the national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB.
"Please pray for us so the 40 missing people could be found."
Authorities are continuing to search for dozens who remain buried under debris, including a missing seven-year-old girl.


EU chief warns of more vaccine production delays ahead

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen defended Thursday her handling of the bloc’s coronavirus vaccine strategy, but warned that more production and supply problems lie ahead.In an interview with several outlets, including French daily La Croix and Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung, von der Leyen admitted Europe could have acted more quickly to boost production capacity.“In Europe, we aim to have 70% of the adult population vaccinated before the end of the summer. This is not insignificant, we are moving in the right direction,” she said.“There will certainly be other obstacles, other problems in production, and we must also prepare for possible shortages of raw materials or certain components of these vaccines.”Von der Leyen also admitted she should never “even have thought” of invoking a clause in the Brexit withdrawal agreement to prevent vaccines crossing the Ireland to Northern Ireland border.This threat, floated in a European Commission export control plan on Friday before being hurriedly abandoned, was denounced in both Dublin and London and embarrassed the Commission.But she defended the broader European vaccine strategy, which has seen the EU Commission negotiate contracts with private pharmaceutical giants on behalf of 27 member state governments.The idea was to avoid competition driving up prices and freezing out smaller EU capitals – but the US, UK and Israel have raced ahead in terms of vaccinating citizens.“What I realise, looking in the rear view mirror, is that we should have been thinking more about mass production and the challenges it poses,” von der Leyen said.“Increasing volumes, setting up new supply chains sufficiently upstream, could have been done earlier,” she said.“Now we are working with industry to prepare for the possibility of coronavirus variants that are able to resist vaccines.”


When care, not neglect, lands the elderly in old folks’ homes

For many, the thought of ending up in an old folks home is linked to the sense of being abandoned or dumped once loved ones who used to care for you decide that it’s no longer worth the trouble.But Erra Norfazira Tarmizi, who works at a nursing home in Kuala Lumpur, says more often than not, this is untrue.Erra, 22, has worked at the Husna Arrashid Care Centre for almost a year. She has witnessed many visits by the residents’ children, who also bring along food and items like disposable diapers for their parents.“They never come across as having been dumped by their families like you hear about in TV dramas,” she said.On the contrary, she said, their families send them to the home out of concern for their welfare as they realise their parents’ need for special care by experienced professionals.“Most of the residents were sent here because they need to be closely monitored.”Erra Norfazira Tarmizi prepares medication to be given to the residents of Husna Arrashid Care Centre, just across the hall from a room furnished with a hospital bed and the medical equipment needed to attend to the their needs.There are 16 senior citizens at the home, aged 50 to 75. Erra’s duties include bathing them, changing their diapers and cleaning up after them.But she has never viewed her job as a burden, neither has she ever recoiled from her tasks.She and six others take turns looking after their charges in shifts which are divided into three per day.It costs about RM2,000 a month at the Husna Arrashid centre although the amount varies depending on the level of care needed.Long-distance loveBecause of the Covid-19 pandemic, family visits have been restricted. Children who would otherwise visit their parents at the home on a regular basis can only leave the items they bring for them outside the gate.These are collected by staff members who observe strict physical distancing and wear gloves as an extra precaution.For now, there are no more face-to-face chit-chats and catch-ups, as all priority goes to ensuring that none of the residents contract the deadly virus.“Last year, all of them took a Covid-19 swab test and thankfully none of them were infected,” Erra told MalaysiaNow.“So to keep them safe, they can only see their family members on video calls or talk to them on the phone.”Erra Norfazira Tarmizi and another staff member prepare a meal for the senior citizens at the Husna Arrashid nursing home.But it’s tough even at the best of times to go weeks or months without seeing loved ones, what more during a pandemic.“Nearly every day, we update their families and send them videos to help them feel better as they have not been able to meet for a long time,” Erra said.“They are part of the high-risk group and if they are not carefully monitored, anything could happen.”Inspiration behind the centreHarunnarashid Mohd Nor, who founded the nursing home, did so in order to ease the pain of losing her own parents.“I wanted to find foster parents to take care of, that’s why I opened this centre,” she told MalaysiaNow.With Ramadan and Hari Raya fast approaching, she and her staff have planned a variety of activities for the residents such as making and decorating Hari Raya cards and taking videos of them breaking fast.They will do their best, but they know that this year will be different again as Covid-19 prevention measures remain the top priority.“Special care will be given to those with dementia or Alzheimer’s because sometimes they forget that they are fasting,” said Erra, who wants to open a nursing home of her own one day.She cannot help but remember simpler times, before Covid-19 arrived.“Before 2020, family members would come and observe Ramadan together with them, and celebrate Hari Raya together.”


Indonesia cleric arrested over ties to Bali bombing group

A senior Indonesian cleric has been arrested over allegations he raised funds for the Al-Qaeda-linked terror network behind the Bali nightclub bombings and other attacks, police said Wednesday.Ahmad Zain An-Najah, a member of top Islamic organisation the Indonesian Ulama Council, and two associates were charged with setting up a charity organisation that diverted money to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).“This institution was created to obtain funding under the cover of social and educational purposes, and part of the funds collected was used to mobilise JI,” national police spokesman Rusdi Hartono told reporters Wednesday.The cleric worked in the council’s fatwa division, which is in charge of issuing religious edicts, police said.Terror groups in Indonesia, which has suffered a string of attacks since the 2002 Bali attacks, have used charities as a cover to raise funds to finance their operations, authorities have said previously.In August, police arrested dozens of suspected extremists linked to JI and said the group had been planning a fresh attack during Indonesia’s independence day celebrations.JI was nearly dismantled by authorities after bombs ripped through nightclubs on the holiday island of Bali, killing more than 200 people including scores of tourists in what remains Indonesia’s deadliest terror attack.But the organisation has been rebuilding and its spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir was released from prison this year after serving time on terror-related charges.The outlawed JI has ties with Al-Qaeda and has been implicated in other attacks over the past two decades.It has also sent jihadists to fight in conflict-wracked Syria and Iraq, authorities have said.Muslim-majority Indonesia is home to dozens of extremist organisations, including some loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group.In March, an IS-inspired Indonesian couple blew themselves up at a church in Makassar on Sulawesi island, killing themselves and injuring dozens.


Indonesian president warns cabinet against overspending

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday urged his ministers to maintain a "healthy" state budget in anticipation of global geopolitical and economic risks and as the country gears up for elections next year.
Speaking during a routine cabinet meeting, Jokowi, as the president is known, highlighted outsized spending by the country's security agencies including the defence ministry which has been modernising Indonesia's ageing military equipment.
"We have to maintain a healthy state budget. We need to be focused and alert for the risk of crisis," Jokowi said, warning that ministers must "be careful on purchasing goods". He also highlighted high spending by the national police and intelligence agencies.
Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is set to mount a third bid for the presidency next year, in January finalised an $800-million deal to buy 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, which some critics said were too old.
Indonesia also bought 42 Rafale fighter jets for US$8.1 billion (about RM37.8 billion) in February and is in the advanced stages of finalising a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets, according to Prabowo.
The defence ministry's total budget was pegged at US$8.93 billion, while the country's total spending was estimated to reach US$200 billion in 2023, according to the finance ministry.
The government is targeting a 2023 budget deficit of 2.84% of GDP.
Jokowi also urged his ministers to help maintain political and economic stability ahead of the 2024 polls when the world's third-largest democracy will choose lawmakers and a new president.


Bulk of RMCO offenders still nabbed at nightclubs, pubs

Pub and nightclub activities continued to account for the bulk of offences against the recovery movement control order (RMCO) yesterday, with 608 people arrested, says Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said they were among 763 individuals nabbed for breaching the RMCO.Other offences included failing to provide the necessary equipment or logs for entry (six), activities which made social distancing difficult (63), failing to wear face masks (22), holding private parties (27), and operating beyond permitted hours (one).There were also arrests in connection with premises operating without a licence (one), cock fighting (10), suspected involvement in gambling activities (12), defying the enhanced MCO (12) and other activities (1).In a statement, Ismail said 71 illegal immigrants, three skippers and a smuggler were also arrested.Ten of the migrants were arrested by the armed forces in Padang Mulud, Bandar Penawar, Johor for not possessing valid identification documents.A total of 79 roadblocks were conducted as well: 57 by the police, 10 by the Border Security Agency and 12 by the armed forces.From July 24 until yesterday, 28,508 people returning to the country were placed at 73 hotels and eight other premises including public training institutes and private institutions of higher learning.Of these, 10,359 are undergoing the compulsory quarantine period while 69 were sent to hospital for treatment and 18,080 were discharged and allowed to return home.Since March 30, the government has carried out 9,937 public sanitisation operations in 134 zones involving 12,994 premises.


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Public response to booster jabs still unsatisfactory, says health minister

The public’s response to the Covid-19 vaccine booster dose is still unsatisfactory, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa however said there had been an increase in the number of people receiving a booster dose following the campaigns implemented by the health ministry.
"For the first booster dose, the figure increased from 49.9% to over 50% now, while for the second booster shot, it increased from 1.9% to 2.2% a few weeks ago," she said during the question-and-answer session.
She was responding to a question from Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu), who wanted to know if the government was satisfied with the public’s response to the booster dose take-up.
Zaliha said the health ministry had taken steps to encourage more people to get a booster dose, including by allowing appointments through the MySejahtera application without specific times or locations and offering walk-in vaccinations for those in the high-risk group.
Meanwhile, she said the Covid-19 infection trend in the first month of 2023 was relatively stable, adding that the number of daily cases had remained around 500 last month and dropped to 226 yesterday.
"The seven-day average of new cases ranged from 187 to 511 cases throughout January 2023.
"The infectivity rate has remained below 1.0 since the 46th epidemiological week from Nov 13 to 19, 2022, and stood at 0.8 during ME 4/2023 from Jan 22 to 28, 2023," she said.


'Allah' ban remains, Anwar insists

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today again defended the move not to appeal against a High Court decision allowing the use of term "Allah" in Christian material, saying it was done after consultation with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He said the Agong had said that any decision must be in line with the Malay rulers council, which prohibits the Arabic word for God from being used by Christians in the peninsula, while giving leeway for those in the two Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak.
"The matter of not referring it (to the rulers) does not arise.
"The decision by the Cabinet on Feb 7 was to confirm the decision and advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in line with the decision by the Council of Rulers that the term 'Allah' cannot be used, even if there are other views," he told the Dewan Rakyat today, responding to a question from Bagan Serai MP Idris Ahmad.
He said while PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and others have expressed their personal opinion in not opposing the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims, the government would only stick to the current policy by the home ministry in limiting its use.
Anwar said the case involving Sarawakian Christian Jill Lawrence had to do with religious materials for Sarawak.
"So the attorney-general decided not to appeal. In his opinion, this decision is in line with that of the Malay rulers.
"And it is also the same as the decision which has remained unchanged all this time, especially in 1986, namely the decision made by the Council of Rulers and on the directions of the administration," he said, referring to a Cabinet decision under Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration that year.
Anwar as a minister under Mahathir was then part of a committee tasked with studying the usage of Arabic words in non-Muslim religious materials.
The committee's decision became the basis for a home ministry ban on several terms, which included "Allah", in religious materials other than Islam.
Anwar said the attorney-general was of the view that the government's case in the appeal was weak due to the home ministry's decision.
"So for this reason, we end by amending all of the rules so that it is clear, and no case can be brought to court."
Anwar said the government would now study all decisions on the matter, including the one reached in 1986.
"Meanwhile, our decision is to fully comply with the decision of the Malay rulers regarding 'Allah' in the peninsula, and (to give) space in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
He further said the court's decision on the Jill case, who challenged the government's confiscation of her Christian religious material for containing the word "Allah", applied only to Sarawak.
On March 10, 2021, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in favour of an application filed by Jill Ireland, who sought a declaration that her constitutional rights were violated when the home ministry in 2008 seized Christian religious CDs and books using the term "Allah" under Section 9(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The court decision was followed by an appeal filed by Putrajaya, then under the Perikatan Nasional government headed by Muhyiddin Yassin.
The announcement by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution that the government was dropping its appeal sparked a flurry of criticism from Muslim groups, lawyers as well as top Perikatan Nasional leaders.
Former federal territories mufti Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri reminded that the appeal was filed based on the stand by a committee in charge of issuing national-level fatwas, as well as decrees from the sultans of Johor and Selangor.
Former prime minister Muhyiddin said the government should have allowed the court to solve the dispute, while opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin took Anwar to task for saying that the High Court decision allowing the term to be used by non-Muslims was only applicable for Sarawak.


WHO approves China’s Sinovac Covid jab

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday approved the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use – the second Chinese jab to receive the WHO’s green light.The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in several countries around the world.“WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use,” it said in a statement.The move gives countries, funders, procuring agencies and communities “assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing”.Last month Sinopharm became the first Chinese vaccine to be approved by WHO.The organisation has also given emergency use listing to vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced in India, South Korea and the EU, which it counts separately.WHO’s listing paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own.It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world, particularly in poorer countries.Currently only AstraZeneca and some Pfizer jabs are flowing through the scheme.“The world desperately needs multiple Covid-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe,” said Mariangela Simao, WHO’s assistant director-general for access to health products.“We urge manufacturers to participate in the Covax facility, share their know-how and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control.”The Sinovac jab is already in use in 22 territories around the world, according to an AFP count.Apart from China, the countries using Sinovac include Chile, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey.WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation has reviewed the jab and published its advice on its usage.“WHO recommends the vaccine for use in adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks,” the agency said.“Vaccine efficacy results showed that the vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of those vaccinated and prevented severe Covid-19 and hospitalisation in 100% of the studied population.”


Ex-1MDB CEO tells court unsure if Bank Negara gave green light for huge transactions

A former CEO of 1MDB told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he was not sure whether the company had obtained permission from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to transfer huge amounts of money to various entities.Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, 49, said this during cross-examination by Najib Razak’s lead counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, at the former prime minister’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.Shafee was questioning the 10th prosecution witness on the US$975 million loan taken by 1MDB from Deutsche Bank for the purpose of a buy-back option from one of its investment partners.The lawyer said that parts of the said loan were not used for the real purpose but had been transferred from 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited in two tranches (US$223 million and US$475 million) to a shell company, Aabar Investments PJS Ltd (Seychelles) in September 2014 and then to various other entities.Shafee: Do you know that permission was needed for the transfer of such huge amounts of money originating from Malaysia?Hazem: I agreed, technically.Shafee: Did you get BNM’s permission when you transferred out millions of money from 1MDB to various entities?Hazem: I’m not sure.Shafee: Do you know that it was an offence if you did not get permission from BNM?Hazem: I don’t know but likelihood, yes.Shafee: The loan from Deutsche Bank was for a specific purpose and when the purpose was not fulfilled, did you realise that you and the others had committed criminal breach of trust (CBT) of the company’s funds?Hazem: Yes, technically.Shafee: Technically, it was CBT. It was also money laundering.Hazem: Yes.Shafee then asked if anyone had investigated the witness under CBT or money laundering offences, to which Hazem replied, “No.”“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has been very kind to you,” Shafee said.The lawyer also said that Hazem should be sent to jail for CBT and laundering of the sovereign wealth fund’s money.Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Sept 13.


Weekly dengue cases up 16%

The number of dengue fever cases in the 44th epidemiology week (ME 44) this year increased by 233 cases or 16% to 1,693 compared to 1,460 in the previous week.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement today said two deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported this week.
"The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far is 51,262 compared to 22,101 for the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of 29,161 cases (131.9%)," he said.
A total of 35 deaths due to dengue complications were also reported, compared to 17 in 2021 – an increase of 18 deaths.
However, Noor Hisham said the number of hotspot localities reported in ME 44 decreased to 50 compared to 56 the previous week. Of the total, 31 localities were in Selangor, 14 in Sabah, four in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and one in Melaka.
On chikungunya, he said 12 cases were recorded in ME 44 with six cases in Penang, five in Selangor, and one in Negeri Sembilan. This takes the cumulative number of cases so far to 682.
As for Zika surveillance, Noor Hisham said 1,739 blood samples and 16 urine samples had been screened with the results all negative.


Did PSC exceed its powers in calling Azam?

The recent allegations made against the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the resulting defamation suit filed by him has certainly captured the interest of the public, including myself.This is due in no small part to the investigation announced by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department.I also read with speechless curiosity and utter disbelief of the way many interpreted the call by the committee to have the chief commissioner face the committee.Lim Kit Siang, for example, said Azam Baki could be jailed for contempt of Parliament if he defied the notice to appear before the PSC.The question here is whether the PSC issued a subpoena or an invitation to Azam. Has anyone seen the letter from PSC to Azam?If it is an invitation, then the invitee is not compelled to attend.The PSC was established under Order 76(1) and Order 81(1) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders.On Nov 11, 2020, Parliament passed a motion to establish 9 PSCs: the PSCs on Finance and Economy; Security; Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department; Agriculture and Domestic Trade; Infrastructure Development; Education; Health, Science and Innovation; Women and Children Affairs, and Social Development.The powers of the PSC are detailed in the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 (Act 347).Under Order 83(2) of the standing orders, a PSC shall have the power to send persons, documents or papers and shall have leave to report its opinion and observations, together with the minutes of evidence taken before it to the House.In short, every PSC shall have the authority to call individuals to have their statements taken, or to gather opinions and views on matters related to the field stated in the respective PSC’s terms of reference.Subsequently, inquiry reports prepared by the PSC will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat which are then debated in accordance with Standing Order 86(1).Based on the terms of reference, it is clear that the PSC cannot act in its own capacity except with the reference of the Dewan Rakyat or minister through a motion, petition, report and document affecting the affairs of Sabah/Sarawak, Parliament, law or religion under the Prime Minister’s Department.Questions remain. Firstly, has the PSC received any referral from the Dewan Rakyat or minister? Second, does the PSC have the authority to investigate matters related to the chief commissioner?In the case of Azam, the purchase of shares is now the subject of investigation by the Securities Commission (SC). One needs to wait for the conclusion of the SC’s findings on the matter.Another question that needs to be asked and which the PSC should clarify is on the terms of reference of the committee. Can the chief commissioner choose not to attend the proceedings of the PSC as it may have exceeded the powers conferred on it by the terms of reference for it was established in the first place?It is also noteworthy to highlight that the current situation of the PSC investigating the chief commissioner of the MACC may not have been commenced lawfully, in that it is highly doubtful and suspect if a referral was made by the House to the PSC to investigate. This is a necessary requirement of Order 83(4) of the Standing Orders.If no such referral from the House was made, then the PSC’s investigation into Azam is unlawful and must stop, and should only commence following the correct procedures.These knee-jerk reactions stemming from articles that were published before verification are reckless and dangerous to say the least.A journalist must verify any allegations before going to print, and the procedures to investigate must be followed correctly. Failure to do so is highly likely to result in a miscarriage of justice and will have the effect of tarnishing the good standing of not only high-ranking public officials and the organisations they lead, but also any person including civil servants.For all we may know, the only offence that the chief commissioner committed may not be an offence at all.Kassim Noor Mohamed is a criminologist based in the UK.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


South Africa mulls options on ICC arrest warrant for potential visitor Putin

South Africa is mulling its options over an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin should he accept an invitation to a BRICS summit in August, a South African government official said.
A member of the ICC, South Africa would theoretically be required to arrest Putin under the warrant issued in March by the court, which accused him of the war crime of forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.
Moscow denies the allegations. A senior Russian official also poured cold water on the idea of moving the summit to China.
South Africa had on Jan 25 already invited Putin to the Aug 22-24 meeting in Johannesburg of BRICS leaders of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
"There has been no firm decision," said Zane Dangor, director-general of the department of international relations, adding that ministers assigned to the matter would soon meet to consider a report setting out the options.
One option gaining traction among South African officials would be to ask the group's previous chair China to host the summit, a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that reports the BRICS summit would be relocated to China from South Africa were fake, Interfax reported.
The Kremlin had said on Tuesday that Russia would take part at the "proper level".
Former President Thabo Mbeki, whose views on international relations hold a lot of sway among government officials, said in a May 25 interview with radio station 702 that the summit was unlikely to take place in South Africa.
"Because of our legal obligations, we have to arrest President Putin, but we can't do that," Mbeki said.
A deputy minister, Obed Bapela, told Britain's BBC on Tuesday that South Africa was planning to pass legislation that would give Pretoria the option to decide whether or not to arrest leaders wanted by the ICC.
Bapela did not respond to requests for comment. However, a justice department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there wouldn't be enough time to get such a law approved by parliament before the summit.
South Africa on Monday issued diplomatic immunity to all leaders attending the meeting and a gathering of BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town this week. The international relations department said this was standard procedure, however, for all international conferences in South Africa.
"These immunities do not override any warrant that may have been issued by any international tribunal against any attendee of the conference," department spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
South Africa previously signalled its intention to withdraw from the ICC following protests about its failure to arrest Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir, wanted on genocide charges, when he attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg in 2015.
The governing African National Congress decided in December that South Africa should abandon the process and try to effect changes to the ICC from within.


Hong Kong drops curbs on incoming travellers, scraps Covid app

Arrivals in Hong Kong from Wednesday will no longer receive an 'amber' code barring them from some venues, Chief Executive John Lee said, while dropping use of a government-mandated Covid-19 mobile application.
The news of a further loosening of Covid-19 curbs in the global financial hub, which has trailed most of the world in easing them, is set to boost resumption of travel and business, as the code had limited access to bars and restaurants.
The government's move to scrap its mobility-tracking app governing access to restaurants and venues such as gyms, clubs and salons, comes after mainland China dropped the requirement.
Business groups, diplomats and many residents had slammed Hong Kong's Covid-19 rules, saying they threatened its competitiveness and standing as an international financial centre.
The rules have weighed on Hong Kong's economy since early 2020, adding to an exodus of businesses both expatriates and local families kickstarted by Beijing's efforts to exert control and limit freedoms.


WHO virus probe begins with fieldwork in ground-zero Wuhan

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) visited a Wuhan hospital Friday as the fieldwork began in a closely watched coronavirus origins probe that will take in a food market presumed to be “ground zero” of the pandemic.The WHO investigation has been hobbled by delays, and there are fears over access and the strength of evidence a year after the virus emerged in the central Chinese city.The team met Chinese officials Friday and then left their Wuhan hotel in a fleet of cars, trailed by a media pack reflecting the intense global scrutiny on a visit whose aim is to establish how the virus was transferred from animals to humans.The Xinhua hospital – where some of the earliest Covid-19 patients were admitted – is among the field visits, which will “include the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Huanan market, Wuhan CDC laboratory”, WHO said in a tweet Thursday – three sites now indelibly linked with the pandemic.The Huanan market – which remains boarded up – is believed to have been the first major cluster of infections, while former US president Donald Trump had pushed an unsubstantiated theory that the virus escaped from a testing facility at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.The mission’s exact itinerary remains unclear – tweets from WHO and its experts are so far the main source of information.The highly politicised mission had been beset by delays, with China refusing access until mid-January.China on Thursday warned the US against “political interference” during a trip, after the White House demanded a “robust and clear” investigation.WHO insists the probe will be tethered tightly to the science behind how the virus jumped to humans.Beijing is desperate to take the air out of the blame game and instead train attention on its handling and recovery from the outbreak.In a tweet Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had had a “frank discussion” with China’s Health Minister Ma Xiaowei.“I asked that the international scientists get the support, access & data needed, and the chance to engage fully with their Chinese counterparts,” he said.China’s National Health Commission says 4,636 people have died in the country as a result of the virus. The nation’s GDP grew 2.3% in 2020, the only major economy to do so.In comparison, more than 400,000 Americans have died so far as the sickness rips through its population and economy, while Britain recorded its 100,000th fatality this week.


State elections on Aug 12

Voters in the states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu will head to the polls on Aug 12, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.
Nomination will be held on July 29, while early voting will take place on Aug 8.
EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said a total of 9.7 million individuals are eligible to vote in the state polls.
"The EC has decided that the state elections will be held to fill 36 state legislative assembly seats in Kedah, 45 in Kelantan, 32 in Terengganu, 40 in Penang, 56 in Selangor and 36 in Negeri Sembilan," he said at a press conference after chairing a special meeting on the state polls at Menara SPR today.
Kelantan was the first to dissolve its state assembly on June 22, followed by Selangor on June 23. Penang, Kedah and Terengganu state legislative assemblies were dissolved on June 28, while Negeri Sembilan was the last to dissolve its state assembly on July 1.
A total of 245 state assembly seats will be contested in the six states.


PN says no need for third deputy speaker

Perikatan Nasional (PN) will not support any move to amend the constitution in order to create a position for a third deputy speaker, with its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin saying there is no need for one at this point.In a statement, Muhyiddin said the role of two deputy speakers as provided for in Article 57(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution is enough to ensure the smooth running of Dewan Rakyat meetings.“The provisions of Article 57(3) which allow any member of the Dewan Rakyat to chair meetings in the absence of the speaker and deputy speakers are also enough for this purpose.“So there is no need to amend the constitution to add on the role of another deputy speaker at this time,” he said, adding that the proposal to amend the constitution for this reason would require the support of two thirds of the MPs.The issue came about after Azalina Othman Said resigned as deputy speaker in August, days after she joined about a dozen MPs aligned with former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in withdrawing their support for the PN administration led by Muhyiddin.She cited conflict between her party role and being a ruling MP, while calling for the post of speaker and deputy speaker to be filled by those who are impartial and who hold no political posts.The election of a new deputy speaker to fill her post was postponed to enable an amendment to Article 57 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution to increase the number of deputy speakers from two to three.Two names had been mentioned for nomination: Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan and Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor MingBut MalaysiaNow previously reported that PN had decided not to support Umno’s plan to nominate Ahmad despite the Pontian MP’s recent acquittal of a money laundering charge.MalaysiaNow also reported that the coalition was against a proposal to create a third deputy speaker’s post to accommodate an MP from the opposition.A source familiar with the discussions said the decision not to back Ahmad was in keeping with PN’s principle that it would not support any leader tainted by criminal cases for senior posts.Muhyiddin said today that the memorandum of understanding between the government and the opposition in Parliament was limited to the issues agreed to and clearly stated in the pact inked on Sept 13.“Amending the constitution to increase the number of deputy speakers was not part of the agreement,” he said.“Therefore, it is not reasonable for any party to demand it.”


Enforce retirement village act to address ageing population

Many people are unaware of how the ageing population is becoming a concern in Malaysia and globally. This societal issue for developing countries has been debated for over a decade. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development outlines older people as those who are beyond the age of 65.
Currently, ageing is more apparent in developed countries but less so in developing nations. This phenomenon affects the socioeconomic systems such as healthcare, public retirement plans and kinship structure of nations.
In Malaysia, the elderly is defined as individuals aged 60 years and above. The statistics in 2020 indicated that Malaysians aged 65 and above make up 7% of the population and are predicted to double by 2028. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasises that all proportions of the population, including age and population groups, are responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative in the decision-making process at all levels.
By 2030, the UN predicts that Malaysia will reach the status of an old country when the population of those 60 years old and beyond attains 15% of the entire populace. In spite of this, the elderly in Malaysia is not given ample priority since they are always viewed as incapable, vulnerable and dependent.
Consequently, while the ageing trend and the issues involving the elderly continue to escalate and be of concern, there is a necessity for comfort and a safe home for their health and safety so they can sustain positive ageing during their lives as a part of the nation's development. There is a regular term called "active ageing" that is used in countries such as the United Kingdom, America and Japan which seem to be preeminently appreciative of their seniors and the elderly involvement in physical, economic and social aspects of countrywide development.
Unfortunately, Malaysia has been slow in tackling the tsunami of ageing people. Unawareness of the ageing population has led to less emphasis on the need for housing for old people. In other words, developers have not delivered housing schemes for the elderly, simply because there is no legislation or regulation in Malaysia that obliges housing developers to design and construct housing schemes to cater to their needs. This is where the concept of a retirement village comes about as one that can fulfil the needs of elderly housing.
In 2020, the government drafted a Retirement Village Act to regulate the development of retirement villages or houses by the private and public sectors but this proposal is so close and yet so far to drive the interest of developers in building retirement villages due to uncertainties for such a development.
Fundamentally, this programme offers the elderly accommodation in community settings that share lifestyles, facilities and amenities and for them to be able to live independently. However, the terminology of a retirement village in Malaysia is highly misinterpreted and miscomprehended as an old folks home where no one is there to look after them.
Public housing programme such as the Public Residential Care Home for the Elderly is carried out only to protect the vulnerable, poor, abandoned and needy senior citizens but not for the independent elderly. The Sri Seronok Retirement Village in Cheras is claimed to be the first settlement for retirees in Malaysia. Unfortunately, it is not a precise concept to be called a retirement village.
On the other hand, the Green Acres Retirement Home in Ipoh and Eden-on-the-Park in Kuching are the most accurate retirement village concepts in Malaysia. They were constructed based on a blueprint from Australia in 2017. But then, these retirement villages were marketed as luxury retirement homes, primarily targeting mid-high to low-upper class buyers since the cost of development is very high to cater to elderly-friendly designs as well as special facilities and services.
Even though it is a new idea for Malaysians, this housing concept is well-liked by senior citizens in developed countries and is often regarded as a suitable and practical alternative for retirees. According to the Australia Retirement Village Association, some 138,000 of the country's elderly residents were moved to 1,850 retirement villages in 2011 and the number is projected to triple in the next few years. The average age of the elderly moving into the villages is 75 years old while the average age of people living there is 80 years old. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the gender ratio is considerably different, with only 35% of residents being men and 65% women.
Nonetheless, there is no legal term concerning retirement villages in Malaysia because it is considered a new idea but broadly acknowledged as a practical choice of accommodation and appropriate space to stay for old people.
Since the baby boomer generation sees themselves as more than just grandparents who stay at home to care for their grandchildren, the retirement landscape is set to evolve. In their later years, old people definitely hope to live a more productive life. It is likely that the Malaysian elderly have favourable opinions on the retirement village concept.
It is timely for the government to introduce this concept to the elderly. Malaysia needs to step up its game in enforcing the Retirement Village Act and produce its own model that suits a specific market to attract the interest of developers.
Since the proportion of seniors living alone in Malaysia has increased sharply from 5.1% in 2004 to 9% in 2014, such an act will not only help Malaysia in adapting to its ageing population but also be proof of how this country is serious in tackling problems relating to ageing nation.
In 2017, Michael Yam, who was formerly president of the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association, predicted that the demand for retirement villages in Malaysia would increase over the next five years. Malaysia will be able to offer a wealth of prospects for the establishment of retirement villages to align itself with SDG target 11.3 which points out the inclusivity and sustainability of urbanisation for sustainable human settlement planning.
The elderly require a special living arrangement whereby the facilities and other attributes must be in accordance with their abilities. This issue can only be addressed through proper legal framework and policy for the sake of the elderly.
Mashitah is a Research Analyst Intern at Institut Masa Depan Malaysia.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Academics, experts look back on Penang-Kedah history

Penang's status as a sovereign state became the subject of recent debate after Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor openly said that the island belonged to his state.
Sanui's remark sparked a variety of reactions from the government bloc, including from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who said in Parliament that Penang's status was guaranteed in the Federal Constitution through agreements inked between the British and the Malay rulers.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, academic Ahmad Murad Merican said there were no documents that referred to an agreement between Francis Light and the sultan of Kedah in 1786.
"So on Aug 11, Francis Light occupied the island illegally. Was that situation used as the beginning of the narrative of Penang?" he added.
"This is a false narrative. The narrative of Penang has existed since the beginning."
Murad, who specialises in social and intellectual history at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, and who has written on the issue, also said that returning Penang to Kedah would require amendments to the Federal Constitution.
In his book "Batu Uban: Sejarah Awal Pulau Pinang", Murad had argued that the history of Penang and Kedah should be explained from a perspective that is neither Eurocentric nor overly inclined towards the British colonialists.
In "The Avatar of 1786" meanwhile, he criticised the "reproduction" of Penang under the British and wrote of a need to redeem the historical narrative of Penang and Kedah.
And in 2021, he criticised a statement from the Penang Heritage Trust that Siam, the former name for Thailand, had ownership of Penang.
A similar statement was made by politician Zaid Ibrahim, who said Kedah should be returned to Siam as a response to Sanusi's demands.
In 1956, Penang Umno which was then under Perikatan sent a memorandum to Kedah Umno for the agreement to be cancelled and Penang returned to the state.
Mohd Yusoff Latiff, the Umno Youth secretary at the time, was among those involved in the submission of the memorandum which came in the wake of calls by some for Penang to be separated from the peninsula.
"The movement for independence became a concern for the Penang International Chambers of Commerce, which represented the interests of the white people," Yusoff told MalaysiaNow.
"They made efforts to separate Penang from the mainland.
"The motion was brought to the Penang state legislative assembly but it was opposed by Umno representatives at the time."
According to Yusoff, the motion was defeated when the British representative chose to remain neutral.
Now, he added, Penang had become an independent state.
"Penang entered the federation after independence as a state. So don't bring it up anymore – we are now independent," he said, adding that Sanusi's statement appeared more of a political gimmick ahead of the state elections in Kedah and Penang.
Zaini Hassan, a former editor at Utusan Malaysia, said the issue had been ongoing for a long time, tracing it to a scientific discussion raised by the Kedah Historical Society.
"This debate will go on forever, like China's claim to the South China Sea.
"But in the case of Penang, the government paid a lease to Kedah even after the formation of Malaysia.
"If a lease is still being paid, then who does it belong to?" Zaini, who wrote a column on the issue in 2010, added.
Umno in 2017 had also called for Penang to be returned to Kedah.
In 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government under the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad raised the lease value to RM10 million a year, to be paid by the federal government to the Kedah state administration.
The original value of the lease was 10,000 Spanish dollars, converted to RM10,000 a year.
Zaini told MalaysiaNow that Sanusi's claim to Penang contained political elements, adding however that there were also historical issues that should be reviewed.
Zaini, himself a native of Kedah, added that politicians should not keep flogging a dead horse in terms of Kedah's ownership of Penang.
"Facts are facts and history is history," he said, adding however that the debate on Penang's status was not aimed at challenging the constitution.
"It's to straighten the narrative," he said. "Throw out the false narrative and replace it with the real one."


The science behind ‘gold standard’ Covid-19 test

A government medical expert has sought to allay fears of false positive results from the main screening method used to diagnose Covid-19 as daily cases remain in the four-figure range despite the movement control order (MCO) implemented earlier this month to curb the spread of infections.The Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test, better known as the RT-PCR test, is seen as the gold standard for diagnosing the virus. It works by detecting the presence of viral RNA in the body, and can detect Covid-19 even before the person becomes infectious.But concerns have arisen of late over the sharp spikes in positive cases even with the MCO which saw the bulk of the retail sector closed and only critical and essential services allowed to continue.Despite efforts by health authorities to reduce the number of cases to a manageable level, the country’s infectivity rate or R-naught remains above 1.0.Concerns of the test yielding false positive results – a positive diagnosis despite no infection present – are due to several factors including a component used in screening known as the cycle threshold or Ct value.The screening process begins with the collection of nasopharyngeal swab samples or nasal secretions.Studies show that a high Ct value of 40 and above will likely reduce the specificity of the test.These are tested by trained medical officers who look for traces of viral RNA by adding a biochemical reaction mixture. A positive reaction detects an accumulation of a fluorescent signal in the RT-PCR machine.The Ct value is the number of cycles required for a fluorescent signal to cross the threshold.Studies show that a high Ct value of 40 and above will likely reduce the specificity of the test. This is because a high Ct shows a low amount of viral genetic material in a sample whereas a low Ct would show a high amount of viral genetic material.The expert said the cut-off Ct value used by the ministry in RT-PCR screening is 35. However, a value of 30 and above can be considered non-infective depending on the clinical assessments conducted.“These test results should only be interpreted by trained medical officers to maintain accuracy,” the expert told MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity.He added that the issue of false positive results had been addressed in April last year, when the ministry kept patients until they could show two negative PCR results within 72 hours.He said the ministry is aware of the effects a high Ct value could have on test results, adding that the necessary arrangements are in place to prevent this.In the case of patients with high pre-test probability – the chance that he or she has the disease before the test results are known – high specificity tests are used, he added.“These test results should only be interpreted by trained medical officers to maintain accuracy.”“For example, a cohort of factory workers with a high positivity rate, or in Sabah where incidence is higher.“We deploy Rapid Test Kit (RTK) Antigen tests that have a high specificity value to reduce the time needed to diagnose, treat and isolate,” he said.But in clinical settings, he said, medical officers might not rely fully on the test results as they are aware of the limitations.Unlike the RT-PCR, the RTK Antigen test detects viral proteins in the body, revealing patients at the peak of infection when the body has the highest concentration of viral proteins.While it is affordable and can provide results in less than an hour, it might not detect the infection at the early stage, unlike the RT-PCR.“This may cause false negative results and a false sense of security,” the expert said.


Teacher embroiled in rape joke issue transferred from Shah Alam school

A teacher at a school in Shah Alam accused of making a rape joke has been transferred to the Selangor state education department pending completion of an investigation into the matter, the education ministry said today.In a statement, it said further action would depend on the outcome of the investigation.The teacher at SMK Puncak Alam was accused by a Form Five student of making inappropriate comments during a class session.The education ministry confirmed that the student had lodged a police report on the matter on April 24, saying it had previously refrained from commenting due to the ongoing investigation.It also confirmed a separate police report lodged by the principal over comments against the student said to have been uploaded on Facebook.It said the principal in the report filed at the Kuala Selangor police station had denied making the comments, instead stating suspicions that his Facebook account had been hacked.On the warning letter sent to the student for being absent from school, the ministry said students who do not attend school for three days in a row or for 10 non-consecutive days without a written explanation to the school would be given a first warning.“In general, this letter is issued to ensure that the parents or guardians and school are aware of students’ attendance,” it said.“It also allows the ministry to monitor the possibility of students falling behind and to take the necessary measures to intervene.”It said the school in question had issued six first warning letters to the parents of students who failed to attend classes without an explanation from April 16 to 30.“The ministry would like to state that it always prioritises the safety and well-being of students as well as the entire school.”


Efforts underway to vaccinate Sarawak’s homeless

A total of 87 homeless individuals in Sarawak have received a first dose of Sinovac vaccine, according to state Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah.Speaking at a press conference, she said 17 shots were administered to homeless individuals in Kuching, 28 to those in Sibu and 23 to those in Miri.“We have identified 121 homeless people across the state,” she said, adding that the programme had been underway since late July.“As of Aug 20, 72% of homeless people across the state had received a first jab.”She said seven individuals in Kapit and Sarikei respectively, three in Serian and one each in Samarahan and Betong had also received a first dose of vaccine while efforts are ongoing to administer the second dose.“Those in Miri have started to receive a second dose because they are housed at a temporary shelter to allow for easier vaccination,” she said.“The homeless individuals in other places will receive their vaccine shots in the coming weeks.”Authorities are aiming to administer the first shot of vaccine to those in Bintulu early next month.“We hope the mobile vaccination programme will also be carried out in Bintulu,” Fatimah added.She also said that vaccination of the homeless would be done using a doorstep delivery approach.As homeless people were likely to move about from one place to another, Fatimah said the delivery of vaccines would require the assistance of all relevant government agencies, through a combination of mobile units and mass vaccination centres.However she added that vaccine shots for the homeless would be limited to locals.“Providing vaccines for homeless people presents certain challenges. They can be hard to keep track of, or might have more immediate concerns than getting vaccinated.“However, we will make sure we work together to ensure that everything is done safely,” she said.“Vaccinating this group is key to achieving herd immunity. The consequences of not getting the vaccine rollout right can spread beyond the homeless population and to entire communities.”