With UPSR gone, tuition centres look to chart new path

For three years, Laila Husna Kamarulzaman sent her son, Mohammad Humam Shah, to a tuition centre in Pasir Tumboh, Kelantan, to prepare for his Standard Six exam or Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR).Their routine came to an abrupt halt this month after news that the primary school leaving examination would be scrapped from this year on.Humam is one of thousands of students across the country who spent months, if not years, attending extra classes in the hope of attaining good grades in the exam. Now, though, with the exam out of the picture, tuition centres may have to re-evaluate their approach to classes.Muhamad Huzaimi Abdul Ghafar, a spokeman for the Association of Muslim Tuition Centre Operators, said many parents had withdrawn their children from classes following the government’s announcement.He said this was especially the case in rural areas.“Parents in these areas still relate studying with exams,” he said. In urban areas, though, parents are continuing the extra classes as they prioritise education even without exams, he added.In general, though, tuition centres would have to come up with new modules now that the exam-oriented approach appears to be on the wane, he said.“The module must focus on skills such as reading, calculating and even artistic skills. Schools will have a new educational environment and tuition centres can support that.”“In general, tuition centres will have to come up with new modules now that the exam-oriented approach appears to be on the wane.”His suggestion is for tuition centres to focus on one segment of their expertise and to develop that in their approach.Muhammad Azrin Ahmad Zahar, who operates the Ilmu Studio tuition centre, said it was too early to comment on the fate of tuition centres now that UPSR has been scrapped.“We have yet to see a pattern,” he told MalaysiaNow. He acknowledged that students had been opting out of extra classes but attributed this to the long closure of schools last year.“Most tuition centres have been badly hit, not because UPSR was abolished, but because of the pandemic,” he said.“I had four branches in the Klang Valley before the pandemic. Now two are closed down.”Asked if tuition centres would remain relevant in the future, Azrin said what mattered was the learning process.“Our concern is that students will not prepare at all, or that they will reject self-improvement.”Even at the Form Three level, he said, most students are not mature enough to plan their lives.“If they are given the freedom to choose between studying and playing, they will choose the latter. We fear that the time they used to use going to tuition centres will be replaced with playing games, for example.”For now, he believes that tuition centres will be able to survive.“The emphasis on academic achievements is not as heavy as before.”“There are students who do not come for exams alone, but because they love the way our teachers conduct the sessions. It is the informal way of communicating and teaching that makes them happy to learn.”And with more and more of life shifting online, he said tuition centres might be able to leverage this and attract students even from other states.For Laila, the move to abolish UPSR will give her son more space to focus on his co-curricular activities.Humam loves sports and with the exam out of the way, he will have time to develop his skills in this regard.“It’s not that we abandoned his academic studies,” Laila told MalaysiaNow. “But the emphasis on academic achievements is not as heavy as before.”She will continue sending her younger son, who is in Standard Four, for tuition as she wants to make sure that he can keep up with his classes in school.While UPSR has been abolished, Huzaimi is mindful of the fact that other exams still lie ahead – exams such as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or SPM in Form Five.“If parents want their children to excel in SPM, they must still start early and not scramble only when their kids have entered Form Five,” he said.“It will be hard for students to keep up if they have a laid back attitude simply because there is no UPSR or PT3.”


86.8% of adults, 62.4% of population fully jabbed

A total of 20,389,622 people or 86.8% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile, 23,645,337 or 94.2% of adults have received at least one dose, including of the single-shot CanSino jab.In terms of total population, 62.4% have been fully vaccinated while 72.4% have received at least one dose.A total of 237,245 doses were administered yesterday, taking the cumulative number of vaccine doses given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 43,933,988.


Armed Forces Fund Board declares higher dividend of 3.5% for 2020

The Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) has declared an improved dividend of 3.5% for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2020, compared to 2.5% in 2019.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said LTAT was able to declare an increased dividend for 2020 on the back of a higher net profit of RM229 million compared to RM92.8 million in 2019.“I am pleased with the results achieved by LTAT for 2020, more so as this was achieved amid the challenging economic climate brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused much economic upheaval and market volatility,” he said in a statement today.Ismail said the key contributing factor to last year’s improved results was the successful implementation of high-impact initiatives via LTAT’s Transformation Plan.“This enabled LTAT to record an increased retained profit of RM287.5 million after payment of dividends amounting to a total of RM310.7 million, compared with the retained profit of RM63.5 million in 2019,” he said.Ismail said the government was conscious that the welfare of frontliners, particularly serving members of the armed forces, must continue to be a priority.“Towards this end, we are pleased to support LTAT in order to ensure improved dividends for the year. The defence ministry, on behalf of all members of the armed forces that have benefited from the dividend pay-out, is appreciative of the support provided by the government,” he said.Ismail said LTAT will also continue to enhance prospects via its Transformation Plan, premised on strengthening and rebalancing its investment portfolio while improving its organisational structure, risk management, corporate governance practices as well as human capital development.He said LTAT had successfully implemented 41 initiatives in 2019 and 53 initiatives in 2020, with an additional 77 initiatives set to be rolled out this year with a view towards strengthening the operational and financial performance of the fund and its subsidiaries.“It is encouraging to note that the LTAT Strategic Asset Allocation Framework was approved by the LTAT board last year with the aim of optimising long-term returns with appropriate risk levels, this year the fund has commenced the process of restructuring its investment portfolio in stages, with a strong focus on fixed income instruments as well as improving its public equity investment,” he added.


New cases at 1,739 as Selangor leads 3-figure states

Another 1,739 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 360,856.Selangor recorded 535 cases followed by Sarawak (443), Sabah (127) and Penang (113).Kelantan recorded 98 cases, Kuala Lumpur 96, Johor 67, Melaka 59, Perak 50, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan 40 each, Terengganu 34, Pahang 22, Putrajaya 11 and Labuan four.Active cases stand at 15,574 with 183 in the ICU and 81 in need of respiratory assistance.Eight more clusters were detected:1. Jalan Kasawari (Kuala Langat in Selangor; 198 screened, 49 positive)2. Jalan Desaria (Sepang, Gombak and Hulu Langat in Selangor; 193 screened, 13 positive)3. Jalan Bambangan (Mukah and Dalat in Sarawak; 72 screened, 30 positive)4. Jalan Badarudin (Kuching and Samarahan in Sarawak; 91 screened, 17 positive)5. Jalan Zainab (Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas and Tumpat in Kelantan; 286 screened, 51 positive)6. Nanga Kelangas (Julau in Sarawak; 57 screened, 37 positive)7. Abak Bon (Miri and Subis in Sarawak; 175 screened, 34 positive)8. Meruntum (Putatan and Penampang in Sabah; 72 screened, eight positive)Eight others ended, leaving 343 active clusters across the country.Another 1,216 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 343,953.However, eight more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,329.


Company, ex-director claim trial to bribery in first commercial graft case

Ship chartering company Pristine Offshore Sdn Bhd pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam today to offering a bribe to ensure the company was awarded a subcontract in oil exploration work.It is the first commercial organisation in the country to be charged under Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act which was gazetted on June 1 last year to directly impose corporate liability on commercial organisations for corruption and dishonest commercial misconduct.The company’s representative, director Abdul Kamal Mohd Mydeen, 70, made the plea after the charge, framed under Section 17A (1)(a) of the MACC Act, was read out to him before judge Rozilah Salleh.According to the charge, Pristine Offshore, in association with its then-director, Chew Ben Ben, 64, corruptly gave RM321,350 to Deleum Primera Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Mazrin Ramli, 41, as a reward to secure the subcontract.The offence was allegedly committed between June 29, 2020 and Oct 14, 2020 in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong.The company faces a fine of not less than 10 times the sum or value of the gratification or RM1 million, whichever is higher, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both upon conviction.Rozilah allowed the company, represented by lawyers Bernard Francis, Chong Ki Keong and Azim Razak, bail of RM200,000 with one surety.Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib prosecuted.Earlier in the same court, Chew pleaded not guilty to a charge of corruptly giving the RM321,350 bribe to Mazrin between June 29, 2020 and Oct 14, 2020 in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong.The charge was framed under Section 16 (b)(A) of the MACC Act.He was allowed bail of RM150,000 with one surety and told to surrender his passport to the court.The court set May 25 for mention of both cases.


3 men found drowned in Shah Alam

The bodies of three men believed to have drowned in flood waters in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, were found early today.Members of the public and rescue team found two of the bodies at 1am, and the other at 5am.Shah Alam police chief ACP Baharudin Mat Taib confirmed the discoveries, saying the three bodies had been taken to Hospital Shah Alam.


Hundreds mourn at Nagaenthran’s funeral

Hundreds of mourners wept, read prayers and banged drums today at the funeral of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, whose hanging in Singapore this week sparked an international outcry.Nagaenthran, convicted of trafficking a small amount of heroin into the city-state, was executed Wednesday after more than a decade on death row.His case sparked widespread anger, with critics including the United Nations and European Union saying that hanging someone with an intellectual disability breaches international law.Singapore insists the death penalty has helped keep the country one of Asia’s safest places.In the 34-year-old’s home town of Tanjung Rambutan in Perak, about 250 mourners gathered at his home to pay their final respects, according to an AFP reporter.The funeral followed Hindu traditions, with sobbing relatives placing flowers on his coffin.Prayers were read, drums banged and fireworks set off, before the body was carried to a hearse to be transported to a crematorium.“My brother was a wonderful person and we will miss him dearly,” his sister, Sarmila Dharmalingam, told AFP.“Our worst nightmares have come true.”“My humble message to the world – please abolish the death sentence,” she added.Nagaenthran was arrested aged 21 as he tried to enter Singapore with a bundle of heroin weighing about 43g – equivalent to roughly three tablespoons.Supporters say he had an IQ of 69, a level recognised as a disability, and was coerced into committing the crime.But Singapore has defended the execution, with its drug enforcement agency saying Nagaenthran “knew what he was doing” when he committed the crime and the courts had found he did not have an intellectual disability.Singapore resumed executions last month after a hiatus of more than two years, and activists fear authorities are set to embark on a wave of hangings.But there was relief Thursday for another Malaysian convicted of drugs offences, Datchinamurthy Kataiah, after he won a bid to delay his hanging.Datchinamurthy, who was found guilty of trafficking heroin into Singapore, had been scheduled to be executed Friday but it was postponed as he has another pending case in the courts.


EU agency says blood clots ‘very rare’ side effect of J&J jab

Europe’s medicines regulator said Tuesday that blood clots should be listed as a “very rare” side effect of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, but that the benefits of the shot still outweighed the risks.The US is expected to announce its decision on the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Friday, as nations around the world urgently try to accelerate inoculation campaigns and revive their pandemic-ravaged economies.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) assessment came as an EU official promised to have enough doses available to vaccinate 70% of European adults by the summer – a boon for the continent’s sluggish rollout.Europe’s Johnson & Johnson campaign was delayed after US health regulators said the shot should be paused over blood clot fears.After reviewing isolated cases of clotting among people who received the vaccine, EMA’s safety committee said it found a “possible link” to the jab.The regulator said its safety committee “concluded that a warning about unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be added to the product information” for the Johnson & Johnson shot.“This is a very rare effect,” EMA chief Emer Cooke told reporters. “But it also makes it very important for doctors and patients to be aware of the signs so that they can spot any concerns.”Italy’s health authorities said that in light of the EMA ruling, the vaccine should be considered “definitively safe” but the country would prioritise its use for people aged over 60.‘We remain confident’ Only two countries had started administering the Johnson & Johnson shot before it was paused – the US and South Africa – with more than seven million doses given out so far, according to an AFP tally.The vaccine was praised as easier to administer and transport than some of its rivals, because it requires just one dose and can be stored at warmer temperatures.The EU approved the Johnson & Johnson shot on March 3 and started taking deliveries on April 19, but has not yet started administering it to people.A top Johnson & Johnson executive said Tuesday he hoped for a speedy resolution to the current pause.“We remain very confident and very hopeful that the benefit-risk profile will play out,” chief financial officer Joseph Wolk told CNBC.The Johnson & Johnson concerns follow similar reports of blood clots in a very small number of people who received the AstraZeneca shot.The EMA also described those clots as a “very rare” side effect, stressing that the AstraZeneca jab’s benefits outweigh the risks.Europe’s leaders are keen to accelerate vaccinations and expand availability after facing intense criticism over a slow rollout and with the public desperate for a return to some degree of normality.Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal markets commissioner, told French newspaper Le Figaro the bloc was now set to have enough doses to cover 70 percent of its adult population by mid-July.The Dutch government said Tuesday it would end its coronavirus curfew and allow cafes to serve outdoors during limited hours from April 28.Elsewhere there was less reason for hope.Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced a drive to get elderly residents vaccinated to avoid a lockdown, acknowledging the deteriorating situation there.‘Like a storm’And India, home to 1.3 billion people, is battling a worrying surge, with record daily case numbers overwhelming already stretched hospitals.The capital New Delhi was locked down Monday for a week, and the government said all adults would be eligible for a vaccine from May as it tries to get a grip on the crisis.In a televised address Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged that this second wave had hit India “like a storm”.“It is a big challenge, but we have to – together, with our courage and determination – overcome it,” he added.The Delhi lockdown follows strict measures already imposed in other Indian states.The US Centers for Disease Control on Monday advised against all travel to India, and the UK imposed restrictions on arrivals from the country.India’s crematoriums and gravediggers have been overwhelmed.Social media and newspapers have been flooded with horrifying images of row upon row of burning pyres. At a cemetery in New Delhi, gravedigger Shamim told AFP: “At this rate, I will run out of space in three or four days.”Hard-hit Brazil meanwhile now has the leading overall death rate in the Americas and the entire southern hemisphere, according to AFP data.With 176 deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of the outbreak, Brazil has recently overtaken Peru with 174 per 100,000 and the US with 172 per 100,000.There was growing concern about a spike in Japan, where the third most populated region, Osaka, on Tuesday asked the central government to impose a state of emergency with infections rising just three months before the country hosts the Olympics.Tokyo and several other areas are expected to follow suit, hoping to avoid Osaka’s plight, where hospital beds for seriously ill coronavirus patients have run out.


Individuals with Covid will be allowed to vote, says health DG

Individuals who are Covid-19 positive but not in critical condition will be allowed to vote in the 15th general election (GE15), health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
However, he said they would have to comply with strict SOPs, to be announced by the Election Commission (EC).
Noor Hisham said the health ministry had given the EC several recommendations to be included in the SOPs, to ensure that the election process is smooth and safe.
"There will be special channels for them (those with Covid-19), they will not be mingling with the rest.
"The use of face masks and face shields is also important, in addition to sanitisation. We (however) did not suggest the use of personal protective equipment," he told reporters in Kuala Terengganu.  Separately, Noor Hisham said the ministry had also prepared for the monsoon flood season by placing personnel at temporary relief centres (PPS) and identifying locations with high-risk patients.
He said the health workers would ensure that proper hygiene is maintained at the PPS and conduct screenings to prevent the spread of disease.
"As for those with medical risks such as kidney patients who require hemodialysis treatment, the health ministry has identified their locations so that treatment will not be interrupted during floods.
"We have their data and we also have the data of locations where additional services are required if it floods," he said.
He said 552 of the ministry’s 2,891 health clinics nationwide had been identified as being in flood-risk areas, adding however that alternative measures were in place to overcome the problem.


The bottlenecks in using private hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients

The recent call by the government to convert private healthcare facilities into Covid-19 treating centres, whether wholly or as hybrids, has met differing comments from private healthcare givers and the public. The Association of Private Healthcare Malaysia, the Malaysian Medical Association and the Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice, etc, including individuals such as former directors-general of health have given their comments.The prior strategy was to decant non-Covid cases first from government hospitals to military hospitals, then to university hospitals and then to private hospitals. But due to near maximal bed and staff utilisation in government hospitals as mentioned by the director-general of health in a directive on Jan 19, private hospitals were instructed to make preparations and to start treating Covid-19 cases, especially those that land in their premises including the probability of receiving referrals from government hospitals.This letter has been misunderstood by some authorities both in private and public to mean that private hospitals have to start treating Covid-19 cases straight away without preparation. That is not the proper context of the directive when read in totality including the annexes. To adjust to the new function, private hospitals need to prepare and modify a few functions, structures and facilities and that need prior assessment and certification by the relevant authorities. Some of the jobs are in fact not easy or straightforward.Here are some of the bottlenecks in the implementation of the above directive:1. Payment coverage by insurance companies and managed care organisations (MCOs), financial institutions and companiesMost insurance companies, MCOs, companies and financial institutions do not pay for admissions due to Covid-19 as it is considered a pandemic. This depends on the existing agreements and policies between the insurers and the policy holders. Furthermore, stage 1 and 2 Covid-19 patients do not usually need admission but rather home quarantine for those selected by the Centre of Assessment for Covid-19 (CAC).Thus, for stages 1 and 2, maybe only those with comorbidities such as uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension will need admission. The availability of ICU beds will dictate the appropriateness of admitting patients at stages 4 to 5 anticipating possible disease progression. There is a limited range of patients that can suitably and safely be admitted to private hospitals.The government therefore has to create enough funds to pay for the bills or play a major role in negotiating with the creditors. This is mainly outside the jurisdiction of private healthcare authorities.Additional funding will hopefully come from the government to pay private hospital bills.2. ManpowerThe consideration of manpower should be across the board. There is generally usually just optimal manpower in private hospitals from the cleaners and care aides to nurses, administrative personnel, medical officers (MOs) and consultants. There are no house officers (HOs), whereas in government hospitals there are tiers of HOs, MOs and medical consultants.Private consultants generally manage their patients without MOs. The duty might be overtaxing especially considering that the age of medical consultants is predominantly older in private hospitals and they might need to be excluded from treating Covid-19 patients. Generally, over 60% of consultants in private hospitals are above the age of 50. Breaching of infection to this group of people might bring grave medical consequences especially to those with comorbidities.3. Building structureThe type of existing building structure is a very important consideration. A hospital may convert a section or a whole wing or floor to treat Covid-19 patients, taking into consideration patient safety and the prevention of the spread of the disease as Covid-19 is highly contagious.There are situations where it is not possible to convert just a section, and the whole ward (ie. more than the 10% of beds requested) has to be converted. Routes of patients from the isolation room in the emergency department to their beds, through which doors and lifts, have to be planned and decided. The ventilation system and air conditioning need to be improvised for patient safety.4. ICU beds and structureGenerally, private hospitals have relatively few ICU beds and a limited number of anaesthetists, what more intensivists. However the ICU ratio to bed number should meet ministry requirements. ICUs are shared by a wide range of disciplines such as cardiology, surgery, medical and obstetric and gynaecology. ICU beds are what the ministry really needs. But this not achieved just by creating logistics without having the proper trained manpower.However, it is impossible to bring Covid-19 patients to ICUs without jeopardising the safety of other patients in terms of infection. ICU beds are as well needed to treat patients from other disciplines including emergency cases. Thus it is impossible to convert ICUs to Covid-19 wards without collapsing the services of the other disciplines. It also means that the facility most badly needed by the ministry cannot be offered by private hospitals of small or moderate size unless it is turned into one that is fully for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.5. Medicolegal implicationsMedicolegal implications with regard to patient management during the Covid-19 pandemic may be abundant. Hospitals that breach standard SOPs that lead to hospital transmissions may be sued. Who should treat Covid-19 patients in a specialist hospital? Infectious disease specialists or any consultant, given that there are only a few infectious disease specialists in private hospitals at the moment? Structural modifications that are inadequate might be also liable for litigation. This emphasises the fact that the Cawangan Kawalan Amalan Perubatan Swasta (CKAPS) needs to conduct a thorough inspection before certification. These medicolegal issues are uncharted waters, although the atmosphere may be a bit different in government hospitals.6. CostServices in private hospitals come attached with costs. The expected average costof a 10-day stay is RM10,000 while the cost of an ICU stay of the same length might reach RM100,000 to RM150,000 or more. This does not mean that private hospital services are expensive. Do not forget that the total cost of service may be as high as that in government hospitals but the latter is subsidised or absorbed by the government.7. Characteristic genre eg. business structure, governance and functions of private hospitalsEach private hospital has operated within its own genre for so long in contrast to public hospitals, each contributing to society and the nation in its own way. Not all private hospitals are owned only by rich tycoons. Some are shared with state agencies in quite big proportions, thus giving big dividends year after year. Some have been good cash cows for the state government. Maybe the public view on this has not been apparent or has been misleading. Disturbing this ecosystem might lead to a business collapse. Proper business forecasts should be made.In conclusion, the decision of whether each private hospital should treat Covid-19 patients or not, whether fully or as hybrids, depends on the objective and total assessment of all of the above factors, taking into account real national needs in the fight against Covid-19, the safety and comfort of the patients and the sustainability of each hospital in the long run.Sufficient time and room for negotiation should be given to the hospital authorities to present their views and suggestions. At the end of the day, the suggestion might be to let private hospitals treat non-Covid-19 cases only, and that might be in the best interest of the nation. This might even occur soon when the number of Covid-19 cases regresses and the government medical facilities in each state are able to cope well.Dr Mohamad Hamzah is medical director at Hospital KPJ Perdana, Kota Bharu.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


PAC chief rapped for ‘misleading public’ on speaker’s power to make Azam inquiry public

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh has come under fire for his recent statement that the Dewan Rakyat speaker has the power to make public an inquiry into Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki’s ownership of company shares.Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin, who accused Wong of misleading the public on the issue, said the Ipoh Timur MP had referred to Standing Order 90(2) in making his statement earlier today.“The speaker is not right,” Wong had reportedly said of Azhar Harun’s position that the standing orders do not allow for open proceedings.“He has the power to initiate the suspension of the standing orders by referring the same to the House for a decision pursuant to Standing Order 90(2).”But Mongin said the standing order in question does not give the speaker any discretion to suspend the standing orders relating to the parliamentary select committee (PSC), nor does it give the speaker the right to initiate their suspension.“A member of the House must initiate the question and only then may the speaker put it to the House for a vote,” he said in a statement.“In short, 90(2) merely allows any MP to propose that a rule be suspended, and certainly not for the speaker to make such a proposal. It says the speaker can allow the question be put without notice to a vote in the House. That is the extent of Standing Order 90(2). No more, no less.“But Wong has added salt and pepper, or lacks the comprehension to interpret them properly.”Azhar yesterday confirmed to MalaysiaNow that members of the PSC are prohibited from divulging the details of any proceedings.Azhar also said that any breach of the standing orders would result in action against PSC members.While the PSC’s reports can be published, he said, this can only be done after it is presented to the Dewan Rakyat.“All committees, whether standing committees or special select committees, must follow the standing orders. Currently, the standing orders do not provide for public hearings or the making public of proceedings,” he said.Azam is expected to be questioned on Jan 19 by the PSC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, a committee comprising MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional as well as GPS and Warisan.He is under investigation over claims of conflict of interest in the purchase of company shares following a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center.He has since issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.


Arab lawmaker returns to Israeli coalition after protest walkout

A lawmaker from Israel’s Arab minority said on Sunday she was returning to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition, restoring its tenuous hold over half of the seats in parliament after she briefly bolted in solidarity with the Palestinians.Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi of the liberal Meretz party said in a statement that she reversed course in order to “make gains addressing the needs of the Arab community” and after several of its local leaders placed her “under immense pressure” to do so.Her walkout on Thursday had left Bennett’s alliance of nationalist, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties in control of 59 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. That made him vulnerable to any parliamentary vote to dissolve the government.Zoabi had said she was leaving in protest against an escalation in violence at a Jerusalem holy site as well as tactics by Israeli police at the May 13 funeral of a Palestinian journalist.Welcoming her return to the coalition, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said he and Zoabi had “held an open, candid and circumspect dialogue about the real needs of Arab society”.Arabs, most of them Muslim, make up 21% of Israel’s population and often complain of discrimination by the Jewish majority. Many of them identify with the Palestinians.Bennett’s coalition lost its slight majority last month when a lawmaker from his own party quit.


The Taliban’s return and how Malaysia should respond

A prominent Malaysia-based Afghan Muslim scholar has advised Putrajaya to practise cautious optimism amid mixed signals from the recent return of the Taliban in Kabul, some 20 years after the ulta-purist religious movement was ousted in the aftermath of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.“Malaysia will be interested in trade relations but political developments will take time. However, an early show of interest in recognition will make a big favourable impact on the Taliban,” Hashim Kamali, who heads the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies in Kuala Lumpur, told MalaysiaNow.He was asked for a response on the return of what many have called the Taliban 2.0, as speeches from the group’s top leaders suggest that they are shedding some of the controversial interpretations of Islam that characterised their rule in the late 1990s.At the peak of their power, the Taliban imposed tough restrictions on women including a ban on their formal education.In 2001, months before they were ousted by US forces who accused them of protecting Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban regime earned international condemnation for destroying the historic Buddhas of Bamiyan, the sixth-century statues in central Afghanistan, on the assertion that retaining the monuments was a form of idol worship and un-Islamic.The Taliban were the product of the post-Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, made up of students (talib) educated in traditional religious schools and whose pioneers were involved in the 10-year armed struggle against Soviet forces.Despite statements indicating that the current group of Taliban leaders could be “gentler” and more moderate, there is little expectation that they have changed in their interpretation of the shariah.Kamali, who was part of the Constitution Review Commission of Afghanistan in 2003 and a consultant appointed by the United Nations on constitutional reforms in the country, said while the world could expect differences in terms of approach and administration, the group’s basic ideology, especially on Islam and shariah, remained the same.He said statements from top leaders only indicated that the group was out to seek international legitimacy of its rule.“There are signs that the Taliban will put in place a civilian administration and not the mullas, so to speak,” he added, pointing to an assurance that all government functionaries would be retained as well as the Taliban’s offer of a general amnesty.Kamali said while some semblance of normalcy and stability would be welcomed by Afghans, many were apprehensive at the memory of the Taliban’s past atrocities, especially their “killing sprees in recent months and years”, he added.Herizal Hazri, who heads think tank Institute of Strategic and International Studies, agreed, saying the Taliban would need international recognition to remain in power.“They must also realise that they need to join the world’s economy if they want to develop the country and maintain the image that they can uplift the living standard of Afghans.”Kamali meanwhile does not think that the rise of the Taliban will have any effect on Malaysia’s Islamic movements, despite some voices seen as sympathetic towards the group.“The Taliban do not seem to have had close ties with the Islamists groups of Malaysia. Malaysia is fairly secure with a strong government that is alert to such developments,” said Kamali, an expert on Islamic jurisprudence who has written close to 50 books.For Herizal, the Covid-19 pandemic would minimise problems posed by extremist groups, although he said the possibility of radical ideologies gaining a foothold in the country should not be ruled out.He said Malaysia should not rush into recognising the Taliban administration until all negotiations involving the group are over.


Hadi questioned over remarks linking corruption and non-Muslims

Police yesterday said that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had been at Bukit Aman to give his statement about his claim that non-Muslim and non-Bumiputera communities are the majority involved in corruption.
Police spokesman A Skandaguru said Hadi had been present with his lawyer.
"He cooperated throughout the statement recording session. The Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department Classified Criminal Investigation Unit is conducting the investigation," he said in a statement.
It was earlier reported that the police had opened an investigation paper against Hadi over his statement.
Skandaguru said an investigation against Hadi was being carried out under Section 505 (C) of the Penal Code for issuing statements likely to incite the community and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for the improper use of network facilities or network services.
He also said that so far, 28 police reports had been made over the remarks.


Malaysia to move into second phase if average daily cases stay below 4,000 for 7 days

Average daily cases of Covid-19 must be below 4,000 for seven consecutive days for Malaysia to transition into the second phase of the National Recovery Plan, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said bed utilisation at ICUs must also be below 75% while 10% of the population must be fully vaccinated.“Alhamdulillah, the vaccination rate today has reached 11% and with the threshold indicator approach, we can move into the second, third and fourth phase,” he said in Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.The National Recovery Plan, which comprises four phases, is Malaysia’s exit strategy from the Covid-19 crisis.It will be based on three indicators, namely the situation of Covid-19 transmission in the community based on the number of daily cases of infection; the capacity of the public health system based on bed occupancy rate in the ICU; and the level of protected population based on the percentage of completed vaccination.Adham said the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) 3.0 was an intervention method to achieve the targets of the plan.“We have the SEIR (susceptible-exposed-infected-removed) model projection and in the National Recovery Plan, we will look at the value of RT (infectivity rate).“If the RT stays at 1.2, based on the SEIR projection, we might record up to 13,000 (Covid-19) cases…but due to MCO 3.0, we managed to intervene until the SEIR projection is below one, namely 0.9,” he said.“This needs a strong will, which is to fight Covid-19 with public health action, vaccination and the solidarity of the people because we are not only facing the old virus but also the new variants.”Meanwhile, Adham said the government had a plan to enable those aged 12 and above to be vaccinated but that it needs to ensure that the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme is completed first.“We need to have convincing data from Pfizer and we also need to prioritise Form Five and Form Six students who will sit for major examinations,” he said.


180 fleeced of RM22.6 million after failed agarwood investment in Thailand

A total of 180 individuals suffered losses of more than RM22.6 million when investments in an agarwood planting project carried out by international company Asia Plantation Capital (APC) did not materialise, MalaysiaNow can reveal.Information received shows that the case began as far back as 2011 when the company in question began advertising about investments in an agarwood plantation project on a plot of land obtained through a lease in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand.It is understood that the advertisement was spread on a variety of platforms such as newspapers, social media and agent calls. Some victims were also drawn into the scheme after hearing word of it from their close friends.Documents and reports obtained by MalaysiaNow show that the investment promised lucrative returns, given that oud oil was in high demand at the time, with the selling price of each tola – a unit of weight equal to approximately 11.7g – estimated at S$400.According to the documents, the proceeds of the sales would be given in Singapore dollars, after a 17.5% cut for harvesting costs and commissions.Investors were also told that the trees would be cared for by experienced professionals to ensure that they would grow well.MalaysiaNow was told that victims made transactions amounting to tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands depending on the number of trees purchased. Some recorded transactions of over RM500,000.The transactions were converted to Singapore dollars as the company in 2011 had no office in Malaysia.The sale and purchase agreement shows that the company had said the trees would take up to seven years to mature for harvest.At the time the agreement was made, the victims were also told that they would be kept informed about the progress of their crops through annual reports.They were also told that some of them would be brought to see for themselves the land in Thailand, purportedly as proof that the investments were legitimate.But once the contract was signed, APC reportedly failed to provide the promised updates, saying nothing until contacted by the victims themselves.Even those who contacted APC of their own accord were left disappointed, saying that the company gave all sorts of excuses for why the crop was not succeeding and offered them a new agreement.However, none of the victims took up the new offer as they felt they had been cheated. They chased the company to return their money as their contracts had already been breached several times.In June 2020, APC in a report by the Business Insider said that uncertain weather conditions such as the El Nino phenomenon and drought had jeopardised several of the company’s assets.This caused the company to post losses of US$36 million in 2019 and 2020, although it said it was taking proactive steps to diversify its business structure.The report also said that APC was actively investing in the Malaysian and Thai plantation sectors, establishing new factories to produce agarwood and related products for export to the international market.In 2020, an estimated 60 to 70 victims came forward to lodge police reports against the company. However, MalaysiaNow understands that the case was classified as NFA – no further action – since there were no new clues that could be linked to it.Although disappointed with the decision, the victims resolved to take the case to court, represented by a group of lawyers led by Shobah Veera.Speaking with MalaysiaNow, Shobah said the court would issue an order to the police to re-investigate the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code following their application to the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Magistrate’s Court on March 2.A suit was also filed against the company two years ago, case management of which will take place on March 31.“This is our first victory for our clients, and we hope that this case will be investigated with full transparency,” she told MalaysiaNow when met at the Kuala Lumpur court complex on Wednesday.


Disabled man turns to loan sharks after losing his stall

Despite his status as a special needs person or OKU, Murugan Raju used to run a kiosk selling snacks and sweets near SK Rawang in Selangor. Now, though, he has lost his stall and is in debt to loan sharks to the tune of RM10,000.Murugan, 50, was aware of the risk involved when he took out the loan. But he had no choice as he has four children, one of whom also has OKU status.He was told that he could no longer run his kiosk as it would be in the way of a project to expand the road. Local authorities also rejected his application to renew his business licence.That was a year ago.Now, he and his family depend on handouts from the welfare department which gives them RM450 each month.Murugan had tried appealing to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) for permission to continue his business until the project begins.“I need that kiosk. It was our only source of income for the whole family,” he told Malaysianow.“We asked for assistance to be given a new location to run the business, but until today we have not received any response.”Murugan Raju holds up his expired business licence which he has been trying without success to renew.MPS licensing department director Zulaina Abu Talib said Murugan had been unable to renew his business licence due to the road widening project.“If he wants to reapply, he can identify a business location and then submit an application for a licence,” she told MalaysiaNow.Unable to continue running his business, Murugan chalked up losses of up to RM2,000 from damage to the goods he could no longer sell.His wife Theivanai Vellithan, 42, is unemployed and his 24-year-old daughter still needs her family’s support as she has learning difficulties.Lacking the money to provide for his wife and children, Murugan turned to loan sharks or “ah long”.“I was once under such pressure that I thought it would be better to die than to continue suffering like that,” he said with tears in his eyes.“If I didn’t take that loan, how would I provide for my family?”Murugan Raju pulls down the shutters at his kiosk, which was his family’s sole source of income.Those who borrow from loan sharks run the risk of threats and being roughed up if they are slow in making repayments, something Murugan can now testify to.“They telephoned, angry because I was behind in my payments. They said if I couldn’t give them one of my daughters, my wife would do,” he told MalaysiaNow.In an attempt to protect himself and his family, Murugan dipped into his EPF savings, withdrawing RM5,000 under the i-Sinar programme to repay some of his debt.As he is a member of the Independent Living & Training Centre (ILTC), he also turned to the association for help.ILTC president Francis Siva said the centre gives skills training and support to about 400 members to live an independent life.“We offer advice and support as well as assistance in computer skills or anything else they need,” he said.“We also try to ease the burden of members through contributions of food and daily necessities.”He voiced hope that more people designated as OKU would register with the centre, adding that they too would continue seeking them out in order to provide assistance.He estimates that some 600,000 people across the country are designated as OKU but only 124,000 receive help from government agencies.He said the rest are considered ineligible due to factors such as incomplete forms or the ability to afford a car, refrigerator or Astro TV at home.


Over 140 homes in Janda Baik hit by flash floods

Continuous heavy rain since 3am today has caused flash floods and landslides in several areas in Janda Baik, Bentong.The Malaysian Civil Defence Force Bentong district disaster management committee secretariat said as of 8am, more than 140 houses had been flooded in Kampung Sum-Sum, Kampung Lampin, Kampung Cheringin and Kampung Pulau Santap.“There are no reports of injuries so far,” it added in a statement.Bentong district police chief Supt Zaiham Mohd Kahar said the water level was on a downward trend, adding that various parties had been deployed to help control the situation in areas where landslides had been reported.The old Bukit Tinggi-Genting Sempah road has been closed to vehicles, but the road heading towards Janda Baik is still passable.“No temporary evacuation centres have been opened,” he said.Meanwhile, Anih Bhd senior general manager Radzimah Mohd Radzi, in a statement, said the KM68 stretch along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway (KLK) Expressway heading towards Kuala Lumpur was still safe to use, although some nearby areas were flooded due to the heavy rain.“Even though the rain has started to ease at this time, Anih Bhd is monitoring the water level of Sungai Bentong in preparation for any eventuality,” she said.


Fahmi wants MACC to monitor his officers

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to carry out continuous monitoring of all officers in his office in an effort to avoid any fraud.
He said that the enforcement authorities, especially the MACC, are free to act in carrying out their duties.
"I ask the MACC to (do) a check on all my officers to make sure there is no fraud. If any action is taken (by MACC), we will also take action.
"Thus far, there has been no investigation and nothing untoward has happened," he told reporters after the communications and digital ministry's (KKD) 2022 excellent service award presentation ceremony in Putrajaya today.
Recently, Edisi Siasat via its Telegram channel claimed that Fahmi and Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had sacked their respective officers over an alleged anti-graft probe.
On May 13, Fahmi dismissed the allegation that one of his officers was being investigated by the MACC. He also described the allegation against KKD and himself as untrue, baseless and malicious.
"We hope that those behind the allegation will be brought to justice and that people check (the authenticity) first before sharing something," he said.


With Ramadan comes a world of worries for urban poor

Ramadan, one of the biggest events on the Muslim calendar, is normally a cheerful and lively affair. Bazaars open throughout the country where customers throng to sample the delicious food prepared by vendors, set out beneath scores of colourful canopies. At night, meanwhile, more crowds gather at markets and expos to purchase goods and necessities ahead of Aidilfitri.After more than two years of Covid-19 and pandemic-related restrictions, many are looking forward to the start of the fasting month this weekend – but not everyone. Even as the hustle and bustle of Ramadan preparations begins, in many cities, the daily struggle just to put food on the table continues as always for the pockets of urban poor. “If no one helped us with food, none of us would eat.”For them, Ramadan brings less anticipation than it does uneasiness and concern. Adawiyah, a housewife in Dengkil, knows that the arrival of Ramadan means a month without wages for her husband, an Indonesian who works as a manual labourer building houses for private developments in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.“The boss will order a break from all work for a month,” she told MalaysiaNow. “So we won’t have any money. If he does odd jobs like repair work, he gets paid by the week, not every day.”Adawiyah and her husband have five children. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is just two years old. Even on normal days, it is a struggle to feed all five of them. Often, the best she can do is to fry some noodles. If there are any leftovers, she keeps them for the next day. Once in a while, a neighbour drops by with some gravy or side dishes.“If no one helped us with food like that, none of us would eat,” Adawiyah said. As a general rule, the family only gets rice to eat when her husband’s salary comes in. “I cook this with a little bit of chicken,” Adawiyah added. “When the rice and chicken runs out, we wait until there is enough money to buy more.”Still, she considers the family fortunate as her husband has many friends who do what they can to help. “Whatever they give, we save for the fasting month,” she said. “If there is anything to save, that is. The children are growing so they eat a lot right now.” Living below the poverty lineAdawiyah and her husband moved from Klang to Dengkil in 2018. From time to time, they receive assistance from their neighbours as well as community leaders and NGOs who give them cash aid and food. Dependent on her husband’s salary of less than RM2,000 a month, her family lives well below Malaysia’s poverty threshold of RM2,208.Ida and her husband are not making many plans for Ramadan and Hari Raya as they know that their financial situation is precarious.At a low-cost housing unit in Petaling Jaya, a housewife called Ida told MalaysiaNow that the pandemic had brought little change to her family’s modest celebrations. Each year, she prepares cheap side dishes from whatever she can find at the market. “Whatever we eat when we break our fast, that is all we have until the pre-dawn meal,” she said. “We rarely eat more than once a day.”This has been the norm for her family since her six children were small. “Now that they are older, they understand,” Ida said. “What is there, they eat.” Ida’s husband works as a lorry driver, offering transportation services for heavy goods. But the economic slump has meant little demand, and the family’s finances are rapidly shrinking. At the moment, two of Ida’s children are being treated for tuberculosis – one at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and the other at Hospital Shah Alam. Each month, Ida spends about RM150 on transport and medication. She herself is not in the best of health. A chronic back problem limits her movements and prevents her from going out to work alongside her husband. In the kitchen, a few tins of sardines and a bottle of cordial sit in the otherwise empty cupboard. The fridge meanwhile holds only some meagre leftovers and a container of water.Kak Nani sits surrounded by her family’s belongings in her cramped living room in Petaling Jaya.In the same neighbourhood, a single mother who introduced herself as Kak Nani told MalaysiaNow that she had yet to begin preparing for Ramadan. Her husband died of a heart attack in 2020 and since then, she and her three children have been on their own. With no permanent job, Nani depends on what little she makes from a part-time business online. Her oldest daughter who recently finished her SPM exam is looking for a job to help cover the cost of pocket money for her siblings.But even if she manages to find one, Nani said the cost of living in the city had driven her to consider returning to her village in Dungun, Terengganu. For now, her friends and neighbours are urging her to stay, for the sake of her children who are still attending school.“Sometimes people offer to help and they give donations to my children who bring them home to me.“If people give us donations, we accept them,” Nani said. “But we will not ask for charity.”


‘Provocative’ Jerusalem march through Muslim Quarter to go ahead

Israel’s outgoing government has said a controversial march by nationalists and pro-settler groups through occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City will go ahead next week.This comes a day after the event was scrapped due to security concerns, reports Al Jazeera.Several right-wing Israeli groups had planned a “March of the Flags” through the walled Old City’s Damascus Gate and into its Muslim quarter on Thursday, drawing warnings from Hamas – the group that governs the Gaza Strip – of renewed hostilities should it proceed.The far-right groups cancelled the march after police denied them a permit. But following a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on Tuesday, ministers approved the march for next week.“The parade will take place this coming Tuesday June 15 in a format to be agreed between the police and the parade’s organisers,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.The Jerusalem Day event normally takes place on May 10 and marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem – home to the Old City and its holy sites – in the 1967 Middle East War.Hundreds of flag-waving Israeli youths usually make their way through the Muslim Quarter via Damascus Gate, chanting and singing patriotic songs.It is regarded by many Palestinians as a deliberate provocation.A top Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, had warned Israel on Monday “against letting the march approach East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound”.Netanyahu faces an end to his long hold on power on Sunday when the country’s legislature is scheduled to vote on approving a coalition government of diverse parties that came together to unseat him.If that vote is successful, it will be up to prime minister-hopeful Naftali Bennett and his partner opposition leader Yair Lapid to decide whether to proceed with the march.Labor politician Gilad Kariv, a supporter of the coalition challenging Netanyahu, called the move to allow the march “another chapter in the outgoing government’s attempt to leave a scorched earth”.Tensions are likely to remain high in Jerusalem whether or not the march goes ahead.


Education ministry says no jurisdiction over privately published books

The education ministry only has jurisdiction over books published by the ministry itself, Education Minister Radzi Jidin said today, following the circulation of a screenshot of a page in a Form Five history reference book carrying a wrongful depiction of VT Sambanthan’s face.
"Firstly, I would like to explain that our checks revealed that the book in question was published by a private company and not by the ministry.
"Our jurisdiction at the ministry is meant for books published by the ministry. The main focus of the ministry is to do our best to ensure that the books contain data and facts that have been verified," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
The depiction of Sambanthan in the reference book was said to have raised the concern even of his daughter, Deva Kunjari Sambanthan.  On the Kamus Dewan Perdana, Radzi said the newest edition of the dictionary contained over 120,000 root words and showcased the development of the Malay vocabulary over a period of more than a century.
"Insha Allah, we will see the dictionary becoming the main reference for all for the Malay language.
"There have been certain improvements made, including introducing Jawi words that will benefit the future generations greatly," he said.


No toll for 7 days at Johor-Singapore border

The government has agreed to waive toll charges for seven days for all types of vehicles at the Malaysia-Singapore border, in conjunction with the reopening of land routes between the two countries beginning April 1.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the exemption would involve the toll plazas at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex at the Sultan Iskandar building (Johor causeway) and Tanjung Kupang (Second Link Expressway or Linkedua) in Johor.“The move is in line with the approach to facilitate cross-border movements with Singapore.“This exemption is for Malaysians and consumers to top up or renew their Touch ‘n Go and Smart Tag,” he said in a statement today.Ismail said the move was also to ensure smooth traffic following the reopening of the land border, which has been closed for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“This exemption is in addition to the road charge waiver given to Singapore-registered private vehicles when entering Malaysia by land at both locations,” he said.Ismail said PLUS Malaysia estimated that at least 42,000 vehicles would enter Malaysia on a daily basis via the Johor causeway and Linkedua.“The toll exemption will benefit more than 300,000 vehicle owners on Malaysia-Singapore cross-border trips,” he said.To ensure a smooth journey, he said, PLUS in collaboration with the Johor government and the relevant ministries and agencies had been actively making final preparations, including at toll plazas, rest and service areas and all public facilities provided along the PLUS Expressway.“The government welcomes the return of Malaysians in Singapore and the arrival of Singaporeans to Malaysia with the reopening of the country’s borders,” he said.Ismail said that starting April 1 as well, all fully vaccinated travellers would be allowed to cross the land border without having to undergo quarantine or perform Covid-19 testing, both pre-departure and upon arrival.


Worldwide Covid-19 deaths pass 1 million

On Sunday, the global death toll from Covid-19 passed one million.Recorded infections worldwide are not far off 35 million.The US has the highest death toll with more than 200,000 fatalities followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and Britain.In Brazil, even next year’s Rio de Janeiro carnival, the biggest in the world, has already been called off.Europe, hit hard by the first wave, is now facing another surge in cases, with Paris, London and Madrid all forced to introduce controls in a desperate effort to slow case numbers threatening to overload hospitals.Governments are adding and subtracting countries to their quarantine lists on a daily basis as their infection tallies see-saw wildly.In the UK, students are trapped in their halls of residence and told not to go home to their families as numbers soar in their universities.In every country, many people refuse to obey new laws restricting their lives even as their neighbours succumb to the disease.Scientists in pharmaceutical organisations all across the world are scrambling to develop a working vaccine and test it accurately but quickly.Governments are again and again forced into an uneasy balancing act: trying to slow the virus through strict controls on their citizens, while trying not to inflict fatal damage on businesses already staggering under the weight of constantly changing restrictions.The phrase everyone is getting used to hearing is “second wave”. Many people are wondering when we shall begin to hear “third wave” and so on.“One million is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million,” the WHO’s emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters on Friday.How it will turn out is anybody’s guess, as government scientific advisers are proven wrong again and again.What is for sure is that 2020 will be remembered as a very special year.Let’s hope 2021 doesn’t turn out to be even more special.


Umno to stay put in government after all

Umno made no decision tonight on quitting the government despite days of strong calls from its top leadership for the party to quit the ruling bloc.This followed a three-hour meeting by the party’s Supreme Council today, with hordes of reporters waiting for more than an hour in anticipation of a press conference by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.But the party instead issued a statement signed by its information chief Shahril Hamdan.The statement said the party would study several motions passed during the recent division meetings.These include a motion not to work with Bersatu at the next polls, and another on strengthening its cooperation with PAS.A third motion is on calling for a general election in the first quarter of this year, subject to the Covid-19 situation.Zahid and a group of Umno leaders recently stepped up their criticism of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin while threatening to revoke their support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.They have also been urging PAS, with whom they inked a charter when the two parties were in the opposition, to follow Umno out of the government.The Islamist party has however repeatedly stated its commitment to PN.The statement also said Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties had agreed to allow the Umno secretary-general to assume the same post in the coalition.On Tuesday, Umno removed Annuar Musa as BN secretary-general, drawing protest from MCA and MIC which said they had not been consulted.Annuar said yesterday that his sacking was due to his vehement opposition to Zahid and leaders allied with him over cooperation with Pakatan Harapan.


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Masks cut risk of Covid-19 infection on planes, US military study shows

The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.Researchers using sensors and fluorescent tracers measured the volume of airborne contagious matter emitted by a dummy simulating an infected person breathing normally.The passengers most exposed to the infected person – those just in front of, behind or beside the dummy – were represented in the study by the sensors.Some 300 test rounds were carried out on the ground and in flight over the course of eight straight days in August in cooperation with United Airlines on Boeing 767 and 777 jetliners.The study concluded that 99.7% of Covid contaminant particles were eliminated by the sophisticated ventilation systems on the planes before they reached the passengers seated closest to the dummy.Expanding outward to the 40 seats closest to the infected person, the elimination rate is 99.99%, the study said.The results prompted US military transport officials to conclude that even on a full plane, the level of transmission over 12 hours of flight was negligible.However, the tests only looked at a scenario involving a single infected passenger. They also assumed that everyone on the plane wore a mask continuously, and did not address a scenario in which an infected person walks around the cabin of the plane.“While the tests did have some limitations,” said Commander Joe Pope, the US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) operations directorate liaison for the testing, “the results are encouraging”.“For both the 777 and 767 airframes, the calculations show about 54 flight hours are required for cumulative inhalation of an assumed infectious dose,” Pope said.The study was conducted by USTRANSCOM and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or Darpa.Since the start of the pandemic, the US military has suspended most movement of its troops and their families.


Power more important than DPM posts, says Sarawak leader

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) today insisted that the allocation and distribution of power to the state government is more important than any offer of deputy prime minister position at the federal level, following debate on the allocation of the post to the two Bornean states.
GPS secretary-general Alexander Nanta Linggi said the deputy prime minister position offered to Sabah and Sarawak might not make much difference as efforts to develop the two states require more allocations and approval for development projects from the federal administration.
"The important thing is power, not positions," he said when contacted by MalaysiaNow.
"If there are certain ministries such as the ones around now, with allocations included and approval for development projects, perhaps that is more important."
He was referring to the offer by Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of three deputy prime minister posts to represent the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak if the coalition wins the 15th general election (GE15).
"There's nothing wrong with having three deputy prime minister posts, nothing wrong," he said at an event in Kimanis, Sabah on Sunday.
"The Federal Constitution says nothing about the deputy prime minister's post. We'll see, there might be a deputy prime minister from Sabah."
His proposal was in line with suggestions by Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim, said to have been expressed since the days of Pakatan Rakyat.
When asked if the authority of the deputy prime minister's position should be listed in election manifestos, Alexander said this would be up to the contesting parties.
"If there is such a position, there must be certain portfolios so that it will be effective for the welfare of Sabah and Sarawak," he added.
Nevertheless, he said the focus at the moment was on winning GE15.
"If the time comes when this offer truly materialises, we will welcome it," he said.
"But for now, let us win first."
Sarawak's GPS has been at the forefront of calls for more power from the federal government, with the state succeeding in its claim on oil royalties as well as several measures showing it to be an equal partner under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
In April last year, Muhyiddin Yassin who was prime minister at the time, said that Sarawak was a region or "wilayah".
"I can’t say it’s a state because it’s big though the population is not big," he had said during a visit to Sarawak.
Early this year, meanwhile, Sarawak replaced the title of "chief minister" with "premier", an amendment made as part of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022.
Just two months after Muhyiddin was sworn in following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government, meanwhile, national oil firm Petronas agreed to settle some RM2 billion in sales tax owed to Sarawak.


Over 1,600 evacuees in Terengganu moved again as floods hit relief centres

A total of 1,641 flood victims seeking shelter at 15 relief centres in Terengganu had to be moved to other locations after the centres concerned began flooding yesterday.
Terengganu police chief Rohaimi Md Isa said the centres were in Kemaman (two), Besut (five), Hulu Terengganu (five) and Setiu (three).
He said the unforeseen circumstance due to worsening floods in the state had made it more difficult for the authorities and rescue agencies to manage and carry out evacuation missions.
"We hope all of the victims remain patient because the evacuation process will take time. We are trying to do it quickly and safely," he said after visiting flood victims at SK Mangkuk near Permaisuri today.
Rohaimi said apart from a lack of heavy-duty assets, the evacuation process was facing constraints as many places that had never previously flooded were also hit this time.
He said the focus would be on critical areas with chronic patients, pregnant mothers and the elderly who need immediate evacuation.
"The flood this time is different because some relief centres have also been submerged. Many areas that have never flooded before are also affected.
"We have enough strength in terms of rescue personnel from the police, fire and rescue department and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force. We just need bigger assets. But yesterday, we got the help of 16 five-tonne trucks from the management of the East Coast Rail Link project to overcome this problem," he said.
In the meantime, he reminded parents to monitor their children and prevent them from playing in floodwater for safety reasons.


From Ikea furniture to live animals, the cargo stranded in Suez logjam

An Aladdin’s cave of goods ranging from Ikea furnishings to tens of thousands of livestock is stuck in a maritime traffic jam caused by the Suez Canal blockage.More than 360 vessels have been stranded in the Mediterranean to the north and in the Red Sea at the other end as well as in holding zones since giant container ship MV Ever Given was wedged diagonally Tuesday across the Suez, a lifeline for world trade.Industry experts have estimated the total value of goods marooned at sea at anywhere between US$3 billion and US$9.6 billion.Some 1.74 million barrels of oil a day is normally shipped through the canal, but 80% of Gulf exports to Europe pass through the Sumed pipeline that crosses Egypt, according to Paola Rodriguez Masiu of Rystad Energy.According to MarineTraffic, about 100 ships laden with oil or refined products were in holding areas Sunday.Crude prices shot up on Wednesday in response to the Suez blockage before dropping the next day.Sanctions-hit Syria, however, on Saturday announced a new round of fuel rationing after the hold-up delayed a shipment of oil products from ally Iran.‘Adds to volatile situation’Apart from goods, some 130,000 head of livestock on 11 ships sent from Romania have also been held up.“My greatest fear is that animals run out of food and water and they get stuck on the ships because they cannot be unloaded somewhere else for paperwork reasons,” Gerit Weidinger, EU coordinator for NGO Animals International, told British newspaper The Guardian.Egypt, for its part, has sent fodder and three teams of vets to examine livestock stuck at sea, some bound for Jordan.Sweden’s Ikea said it has 110 containers on the stricken Ever Given and other ships in the pile-up.“The blockage of the Suez Canal is an additional constraint to an already challenging and volatile situation for global supply chains brought on by the pandemic,” an Ikea spokesman said.The Van Rees Group, based in Rotterdam, said 80 containers of tea were trapped at sea on 15 vessels and said there could be “chaos” for the company as supplies dried up.Dave Hinton, owner of a timber company in northwest England, said he had a consignment of French oak stuck on a ship.The oak had been sent from France for reprocessing into veneered flooring in China, and was on its way back to a customer in Britain, Hinton said.“I’ve spoken to my customer and told him the bad news that his floor was blocking the Suez Canal. He didn’t believe me, he thought I was pulling his leg,” he told BBC radio on Friday.Shipping giants such as Denmark’s Maersk have re-routed ships to the longer journey around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding at least seven days to the travel time.Even if the Ever Given were dislodged, Maersk estimated Saturday it would take between three and six days for the stranded ships to pass through the canal.The company said that 32 Maersk and partner vessels would be directly affected by the end of the weekend, with 15 re-routed, and the numbers could increase unless the canal was reopened.According to Lloyd’s List, up to 90% of the affected cargo is not insured against delays.


The man with 2,000 plants in his backyard

For 13 years now, Suzairi Zakaria has been photographing the Orang Asli and the lush forest landscapes in Terengganu and Kelantan.A Terengganu native himself, he works as a freelance photographer so that he can focus on his pet project of documenting the Orang Asli community.Several years ago, he went to the Setiu wetlands in Terengganu to capture the landscape and greenery there. When he thought of returning for another photoshoot, though, he discovered that the landscape had utterly changed due to development for agricultural and residential purposes.It was then that Suzairi, also known as Dome, resolved to begin doing what he could to save nature.Little by little, he collected cuttings of plants under threat from development and exploration.Suzairi pauses to check on some fruits growing wild in the forest area.“I went to areas where logging activities were underway, especially in Kenyir,” he said.“When I first started out, a friend from the state forestry department also took me to collect orchid species.”His collection ranges from endangered plants to those which are in no danger of dying out just yet. But even these will one day face extinction if nothing is done to protect them.Suzairi’s interest in collecting plant clippings eventually led him to the discovery of new species including orchids, pitcher plants and fungus-like flora.One of the newly discovered orchid species, Dendrobium mizanii, was named after the sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.Suzairi is a familiar face among the Orang Asli community in Kelantan.Others are given names that are a variation of his own nickname, Dome – the Nepenthes domei pitcher plant, for instance, and the Thismia domei, a fungus-like plant from the Thismiacae family.There is even an orchid species in Guatemala named after him by researchers in the Central American country who follow his activities on social media.He has also named a species of the Thismiaci family after his mother – Thismia setimeriamae.“I work with institutes like the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to study and register new species,” he said.“The discoveries are then confirmed by international researchers.”A pitcher plant, one of several species at risk due to logging activities in forest areas.Specimens of the new species are then sent to the herbariums of the UPM, FRIM and Mardi research centres to be placed on record.Suzairi’s exploits take him far and wide. He often crosses paths with elephants, and once he came across the tracks of a tiger.Working alone and without external funds, Suzairi has collected over 2,000 plant species which he keeps in his backyard, 200 of which are orchids.“I use my own money,” he said, estimating thousands in costs for the metal frames, pots and organic fertiliser he uses.Suzairi crouches to examine a dead plant on the forest floor.The biggest challenge for him is ensuring that plants from the wild can thrive in a domestic environment.Part of what makes this tricky is the difference in temperature.“In the wild, pitcher plants can grow to the size of a 1.5 litre mineral water bottle, but here, they are quite small,” he said.He hopes to one day hand over his collection of plants to a conservation centre – but no such thing is yet available in Malaysia.Still, he continues to collect plants in order to preserve them, even if for now, the only conservatory in sight is his own backyard.


11% voter turnout in Sarawak as of 9am

The Election Commission has reported an 11% voter turnout in the Sarawak election as of 9am today since polling centres opened at 7.30am.A total of 1,866 polling centres involving 3,555 channels have been set up and, depending on the number of voters, several centres are expected to close in stages as early as noon, before polling ends at 5pm.The 12th state election, involving 1,213,769 ordinary voters out of 1,252,014 registered voters, will be managed by some 46,565 election officials in all 82 state seats.On Dec 14, a total of 18,141 out of 20,360 registered early voters cast their votes while 17,885 voted by post.Gabungan Parti Sarawak is fielding 82 candidates for the polls, followed by Parti Bumi Kenyalang with 73, Parti Sarawak Bersatu 70, PKR 28, DAP 26, Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak 15, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru 11, Amanah eight, Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak five and PAS one.Thirty independent candidates are in the fray as well.


South African fast-spreading coronavirus found in Japan

Japan has detected a case of a fast-spreading coronavirus variant found in South Africa, the government has said.It was reported on Monday and is the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of another variant that is spreading rapidly in Britain.A woman in her 30s who arrived in Japan on Dec 19 was found to be infected with the new South African variant, the health ministry said.South Africa’s health authorities have said the variant might be responsible for a recent surge in infections there.The detection of the South Africa-linked variant comes after the Japanese government on Monday started banning the entry of non-resident foreign nationals following the discovery of the UK variant in Japan.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged calm ahead of the New Year holidays, when hospitals tend to be understaffed, and instructed ministers to remain alert.“The virus recognises no year-end or New Year holidays. I ask each minister to raise the level of their sense of urgency and thoroughly carry out counter measures,” he told a meeting of the government’s task force on coronavirus responses.A Japanese business traveller at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, where few people were seen yesterday, told Reuters the government should do more.“Even though Japan is doing things to counter the new variant, there are still reports of cases here,” Seiji Oohira said on arriving from India, where he works for a construction-related company. “So I think it’s better to tighten the restrictions a little bit further.”Japan is facing a third wave of Covid-19 infections, with daily cases hitting a record of nearly 4,000 on Saturday, according to public broadcaster NHK. Fatalities hit an all-time high of 64 on Friday.Yuichiro Hata, a 53-year-old former transport minister and the son of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, died of Covid-19 on Sunday, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said, becoming the first incumbent lawmaker to succumb to the disease.


Appeals court reserves judgment on Guan Eng’s bid to transfer graft case to High Court

The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgment on Lim Guan Eng’s appeal to transfer his corruption case involving the construction of the undersea tunnel and paired roads project in Penang from the Sessions Court to the High Court.Court of Appeal judge Nor Bee Ariffin, who led a three-member bench, made the ruling after hearing submissions from the former Penang chief minister’s counsel Gobind Singh Deo and deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.“We need time to decide on the matter. The trial at the Sessions Court fixed for next Monday will proceed. Our decision will come after that,” said Nor Bee.The other two judges on the bench were Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Hashim Hamzah. Lim attended today’s proceeding.On July 8 this year, Lim filed an application to have his case transferred to the High Court on the basis that the case, among others, involved Section 62 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 relating to the filing of the defendant’s statement, a key issue in ensuring a fair trial, and that it could be appealed until the Federal Court.For cases heard at the Sessions Court, appeals end at the Court of Appeal.On July 12 this year, High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin dismissed the Bagan MP’s application to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.Lim is facing four charges involving the construction of the undersea tunnel and paired roads in Penang worth RM6.3 billion.According to the first amended charge, Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million as an inducement to help Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) owner Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli secure the construction project worth RM6,341,383,702.Lim allegedly committed the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.In the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a bribe of 10% of the profit from the company as gratification to secure the project.The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, faces another two charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8 million, belonging to the Penang government, to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project.The two offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015 and March 22, 2017.As of today, a total of eight prosecution witnesses had testified in the case which started on July 13 this year. The trial is scheduled to continue on Nov 1 before judge Azura Alwi.


First Wuhan Covid case days later than initially reported, scientist says

The first case of Covid-19 identified in Wuhan, China and presented as such by the World Health Organization (WHO) was actually days later than previously believed and at an animal market, a top scientist said in the journal Science Thursday.Rather than the original patient being a man who had never been to the Wuhan market where wild and domestic animals were sold, the first known case of Covid-19 turns out to have been a woman who had worked in the market, virologist Michael Worobey wrote.For Worobey, that key piece of information, and his analysis of other early cases of Covid-19 in the city, clearly tip the scales towards the virus having originated in an animal.With no definitive evidence, debate has raged among experts since the start of the pandemic almost two years ago over the origin of the virus.Worobey was one of the 15 or so experts who in mid-May published a column in Science demanding serious consideration of the thesis that the virus had leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan.In this latest article, he argued that his research into the origin of the outbreak “provides strong evidence of a live-animal market origin of the pandemic.”One criticism of the market theory was that because health authorities raised the alert about cases of a suspicious disease linked to the market as early as Dec 30, 2019, that would have introduced a bias that led to the identification of more cases there than elsewhere, since attention had already been drawn to it.To counter that argument, Worobey analysed cases reported by two hospitals before the alert was raised.Those cases were also largely linked to the market, and those which were not were nevertheless geographically concentrated around it.“In this city of 11 million people, half of the early cases are linked to a place that’s the size of a soccer field,” Worobey told the New York Times.“It becomes very difficult to explain that pattern if the outbreak didn’t start at the market.”Another criticism of the theory was based on the fact that the first case identified was unrelated to the market.But while the WHO report claimed the man originally identified as patient zero had been ill from Dec 8, he actually was not sick until Dec 16, according to Worobey.That deduction was based on a video interview he found, from a case described in a scientific article and from a hospital medical record that matched the 41-year-old man.That would mean the first reported case would be the woman who worked in the market, who fell ill on Dec 11.Peter Daszak, a disease expert who was on the WHO investigation team, said he was convinced by Worobey’s analysis.“That Dec 8 date was a mistake,” he told the Times.


Russia to respond to oil price caps by shipping more to Asia

Russia will respond to price caps on Russian oil by shipping more supply to Asia, its energy minister Nikolai Shulginov told reporters at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday.
"Any actions to impose a price cap will lead to deficit on (initiating countries') own markets and will increase price volatility," he said.
Finance ministers of the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, France and Canada gave a green light last week to the idea of capping the price of Russian crude to reduce Moscow's revenue in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Before Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February, around half of Russia's crude and petroleum product exports went to Europe, according to the International Energy Agency.


Football chief Blatter says Platini payment followed ‘gentleman’s agreement’

Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter denied approving fraudulent payments to French football legend Michel Platini, telling a Swiss court on Thursday that a cash transfer followed a “gentleman’s agreement” between the pair.Swiss prosecutors accuse the two men, once among football’s most powerful figures, of illegally arranging the two million Swiss franc (US$2.04 million) payment in 2011. Blatter and Platini both deny the charges.Blatter gave testimony to the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona after being excused on health grounds on Wednesday.The 86-year-old said he had asked Platini to be his adviser after the Swiss official was elected FIFA president for the first time in 1998.Platini asked to be paid one million francs per year but Blatter told the Frenchman that FIFA could not afford such a salary.Instead they agreed Platini, one of the greatest players of his generation, would be paid 300,000 francs per year, with the outstanding cash to be paid at a later date.“I knew when we started with Michel Platini that is not the total, and we would look at it later,” Blatter said referring to the agreed 300,000 francs salary for the job of technical consultant.Sealed with a handshake, Blatter said the arrangement was a so-called “gentleman’s agreement”.“It was an agreement between two sportsmen,” Blatter said. “I found nothing wrong with that.”Platini signed a written contract with FIFA in 1999, but it specified only a salary of 300,000 francs, with no mention of the extra payments.The former French national team captain said he trusted Blatter and believed he would be paid in full eventually.“I trusted the president, and knew he would pay me one day,” Platini told the court.FIFA’s fragile financial position in the early 2000s after the collapse of its broadcast partner meant the organisation could not pay immediately when Platini stopped his work as technical advisor in 2002. Blatter described the organisation as “broke.”Platini, who led France to victory in the 1984 European Championship, did not pursue the outstanding debt until 2010, telling the court he did not need the money.The 66-year-old decided to claim the money after hearing that two former FIFA employees had received substantial payments.Platini said he contacted FIFA and was informed the organisation did owe him money and should send an invoice. He sent FIFA a claim for two million francs in January 2011 and was paid 10 days later after the invoice was approved by Blatter, he said.The Swiss Office of the Attorney General has accused Blatter and Platini of “fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document.Platini, who later became UEFA president, was also charged as an accomplice.A verdict is due on July 8. If convicted, Platini and Blatter face up to five years in jail.Both officials were banned in 2016 from soccer for six years over the payment.Platini said the affair was a deliberate attempt to thwart his attempt to become FIFA president in 2015.“What FIFA did to me was scandalous. And the goal was that I didn’t become present of FIFA.”


Daily caseload drops below 20,000 as 71 more deaths logged

Another 19,105 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,993,124.Of the total number of cases recorded, 193 were in Category Three and above.There were 28,250 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,684,665.A total of 1,239 cases were admitted to hospital, with 526 (42.5%) in Category Three and above and 713 (57.5%) in Category One and Two.Of the 193 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 58 (30.05%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 78 (40.41%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 57 (29.53%) had received a booster jab;* 92 (47.67%) were aged 60 and above; and* 81 (41.97%) had comorbidities.There are now 274,059 active cases, of which 264,985 or 96.7% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 1,623 (0.6%) are at quarantine centres while 7,080 (2.6%) have been hospitalised.A total of 371 are in ICU with 203 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 58.4%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 41.9%.Another 71 deaths were reported, including 26 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 34,400.The country’s infectivity rate as of March 20 was 0.93.


PM, Zahid meet with Umno delegates

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are holding a meeting with party members from 191 Umno divisions at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the meeting involved over 700 delegates including divisional chiefs, as well as Youth, Wanita and Puteri chiefs.
When asked whether the matters to be discussed include the 15th general election, Ahmad said: "Only good things."
He said a press conference is scheduled to take place after the meeting.


Malaysian varsity student held by Egyptian authorities

A Malaysian student at Al Azhar University has been detained by Egyptian authorities, says Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.
The Malaysian embassy in Cairo is in close contact with the Egyptian authorities to obtain further information on the case, Saifuddin said in a statement last night.
"The foreign ministry will continue to monitor the development of the case via the Malaysian embassy in Cairo and will provide appropriate consular assistance to the student in question," the statement added.


As food prices go up, nutritionists tell how diets can stay affordable and healthy

The recent spike in food prices, especially for chicken and eggs – a primary source of protein – may have brought about a new set of challenges for those in the low-income group who were already struggling to afford healthy meals for themselves and their families.
Fears that such individuals might turn to more affordable but unhealthy options such as instant noodles and processed food compound concerns over observations in 2019 by Unicef that some 20% of children in Malaysia aged five and below suffer from stunted growth.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, nutritionist Nor Fatimah Ishak said people need to look for protein alternatives to ensure an adequate supply for their daily needs.
Fatimah, a hospital dietetic officer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, said a trend towards unhealthy foods was highly possible as Malaysians would increase their intake of excessive carbohydrates, sugary drinks and snacks that are high in salt and sugar content.
"Other protein sources include fish, tofu, tempeh, legumes, seafood and meat," she said.
"The daily requirement of protein is about four to five servings just to ensure adequate levels."
But this may not be possible for everyone given the rate at which prices have been on the rise.
Most recently, the ceiling price for chicken was raised to RM9.40 per kg – up 50 sen from the previous price cap of RM8.90.
The government also enforced a ban on poultry exports in order to stabilise the domestic supply of poultry.
According to Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Ronald Kiandee, Malaysia's average chicken requirement is two million birds per day or 62.9 million a month.
In terms of chicken eggs, meanwhile, Malaysians are estimated to consume 30 million per day.
Fatimah said it would suffice to consume chicken three or four times a week if the remaining protein intake can be filled from other sources.
Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof, a dietitian from Universiti Putra Malaysia, agreed, saying plant-based proteins such as tofu and tempeh would supply the necessary amino acids.
"A shift in this direction for protein source is also healthier as plant protein is low in saturated fat and rich in fibre," Barakatun, who has published more than 40 research papers on eating and dietary behaviours, said.
She also cited studies showing that the inclusion of plant protein in diets is associated with a reduced risk of death from a number of diseases, compared to a diet based solely on protein from animal sources.
Barakatun said a good knowledge and awareness about food choices is especially important as purchasing power declines due to the rising prices and cheaper options such as instant and processed food become more attractive.
She said instant food such as chicken burgers, nuggets and processed meat do not count as protein sources.
"They are high in fat and high in salt content and preservatives that could cause cancer," she said.
"Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive. Plant proteins are usually more affordable than animal proteins."
Taken from a positive angle, Fatimah added, the price spikes for chicken and eggs could be seen as a wake-up call for the people to put an end to unhealthy and excessive dietary practices.


MACC confirms RM1.2 million cash seizure in probe on PKR man linked to ex-minister

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed a report by MalaysiaNow that its officers had seized cash amounting to RM1.2 million during an investigation into a politician linked to a minister under the Pakatan Harapan government.In a statement, the anti-graft body said the cash was kept at a house and an office belonging to a proxy to Perak PKR deputy chairman MA Tinagaran and former water, land and natural resources minister Xavier Jayakumar.It also confirmed that two company directors were arrested over projects awarded to them, as well as the freezing of some RM77 million in several bank accounts.MACC’s statement however did not name Tinagaran or Xavier.“A luxury car used by the former minister as his official vehicle, believed to belong to one of the directors of the company awarded the project, was also seized,” the statement said.This comes in the wake of denials by PKR leaders and Xavier today over a report by MalaysiaNow, quoting sources who said the investigation was related to sand-mining deals, which came under the purview of the ministry Xavier headed.Xavier today said Tinagaran, who has been remanded, was not an aide, but a “close family friend”.Meanwhile, Perak PKR chairman Farhash Wafa Salvador, who is also the political secretary of party supremo Anwar Ibrahim, had urged action over MalaysiaNow’s report for spreading “fake news”.Farhash had disputed MalaysiaNow’s report on the confiscation of RM1.2 million in cash, saying only RM17,000 was seized.MACC in its statement today said investigations remain ongoing.“MACC hopes all quarters will not make any speculation on the investigation,” it added.


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1MDB to apply for substituted service in suit against Jho Low, 5 others

1MDB will file an application for a substituted service order to serve a US$3.7837 billion writ of summons to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, his family members and associate.Representing 1MDB, lawyer K Siva Kumar said the application will be filed this week as the writ of summons has yet to be served on all the defendants since they are not at their last known addresses.“The court has fixed Oct 6 for the next case management,” he said when contacted by reporters after case management before High Court deputy registrar Nor Afidah Idris today.Substituted service is to serve documents in public litigation in the form of letters, advertisements or any other method that allows the proceedings to get the attention of the defendants after attempts to serve documents via personal service have been unsuccessful.On May 7, 1MDB and its four subsidiaries, 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited, filed a suit against Jho Low, his parents Larry Low Hock Peng and Goh Gaik Ewe, his sister May Lin, his younger brother Taek Szen and his associate Eric Tan Kim Loong.Based on the writ, 1MDB is claiming US$661 million from Jho Low and US$41 million, US$397 million, US$608 million and US$1.9 billion from Jho Low and Tan respectively as well as US$325 million from Jho Low and his father Hock Peng.1MDB Global Investments Limited is also seeking US$630 million from Hock Peng, Jho Low and Tan and US$2 million from Taek Szen, Jho Low and Tan.The plaintiffs are also seeking US$3.5 million from May Lin and Jho Low and US$1.695 million from Goh Jho Low and Tan in connection with the purchase of jewellery and secret profits apart from claiming US$25.5 million from Jho Low, Tan, Hock Peng and Taek Szen.Based on the statement of claim, all of the plaintiffs claimed that they were manipulated by a group of individuals, including Najib Razak and the first defendant (Jho Low), into facilitating a large-scale and long-term fraud which resulted in billions of ringgit being fraudulently misappropriated into privately controlled accounts for the benefit of various fraudsters, including the defendants.“In carrying out the fraud, multiple breaches of trust and/or fiduciary duties were committed by Najib, members of the board of directors and the senior management of the plaintiffs.“The funds and assets of the plaintiffs which were transferred to the defendants were misappropriated, with the knowledge of the defendants, in breach of trust and fiduciary duty,” said all the plaintiffs.They also claimed that Najib had abused his power and position to protect himself and cover up the fraud against the plaintiffs, among others by obstructing efforts to investigate and uncover evidence related to fraud and misconduct against the plaintiffs in Malaysia.