Sabah political party leader arrested over fake information card op

The president of a political party in Sabah has been arrested on suspicion of masterminding an information card fraud syndicate targeting foreigners, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said today.Speaking at a press conference at Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur, he said the individual in question, Mohd Arshad Abdul Mualap of Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS), was arrested alongside one other person.They are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, and were charged at the Shah Alam court this morning.Hamzah said the arrest was made on June 22, at the suspect’s home in Subang Jaya.“Arshad registered PPRS as a party in 2017,” he said. “It has not yet been determined whether the other individual arrested as well is also a member of the party.”Hamzah said the syndicate was exposed after he received a tip-off from a foreigner living abroad and told Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to conduct an investigation.He said the syndicate had told its victims that the cards could be used in Malaysia, and would allow them the same benefits as locals.“The government has never instructed any party to issue cards like this,” he said.“If we do it, we will make an announcement about it.”He said he was made to understand that the syndicate members had charged a number of fees in order to make a profit.In Malaysia, he said, there were only four legitimate identification cards registered with the National Registration Department: the blue IC for locals, the red IC for permanent residents with non-citizen status, the green IC for non-citizens on temporary stays, and the brown IC for those punished for major offences.


Don’t make the same mistakes in programmes to legalise migrant workers, govt told

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has urged the government not to repeat the failures of previous programmes to legalise undocumented migrants, as the country continues to battle the labour shortage sparked by restrictions imposed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago.FMM president Soh Thian Lai said employers who tried to recruit workers through the programmes in question had faced all manner of challenges and costs in attempting to fulfil the stipulated conditions.“In many instances, the legalisation included the involvement of third-party intermediaries, resulting in additional costs to the employers and profiteering by the intermediaries from the legislation exercise,” he said when contacted by MalaysiaNow.He also said that employers were having trouble finding workers due to a lack of employee information repositories under the verification schemes which should be managed by the embassies of the respective countries.Soh was responding to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan, who recently slammed the idea of legalising undocumented migrants for the workforce.Saravanan, the Tapah MP, had said that this was a “stupid idea” which would only result in the arrival of more undocumented migrants to the country.The National Association of Private Employment Agencies voiced support for Saravanan’s remarks but asked what the government intended to do about the three to four million undocumented migrants presently in the country.Its secretary-general N Sukumaran said the problem was a lack of enforcement.“Undocumented migrants are no longer afraid,” he said. “Those who come here have been living here illegally for years.“Every time there is a legalisation effort, it only continues for a short while.”Sukumaran said one of the main issues was the tendency of workers to move from one employer to the next.“The moment a company can’t renew its permit for the following year, the worker automatically becomes illegal,” he said.“When the company makes a police report, the worker can’t renew his or her permit anywhere else.”Soh agreed that employers were worried about the dependability of undocumented workers hired through these legalisation programmes.“The legalisation programmes also lead to an increase in abscondment among legal workers from their existing employers,” he said.“They are lured by agents with the promise of more lucrative job opportunities through these legalisation exercises.”He said another way for the government to resolve the problems related to the hiring process of foreign workers was to ensure a direct application process from the source country with a clear client charter for the purpose of effective processing.The last recalibration programme for the repatriation of undocumented workers was in December last year.A total of 192,281 workers registered to be voluntarily returned to their home countries.The programme was later extended until the end of this month.There are an estimated four to six million undocumented workers in Malaysia.


Sorry.


Widespread destruction on the horizon as Malaysia Airlines braces for impact

Any closure of Malaysia Airlines will have disastrous spillover effects that cut across the company’s ecosystem worldwide, a former senior executive of the national carrier warns in the wake of remarks by the airline’s CEO that a shutdown could be around the corner if creditors reject the management’s restructuring plan.“We’re not talking about a pittance. We’re talking about saving the airline,” the former finance director who spent 20 years with the airline told MalaysiaNow.The comments by Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail came amid reports that funds from the airline’s owner Khazanah Nasional have depleted to US$139 million – barely enough for it to stay afloat until the end of the year.Malaysia Airlines is said to be burning through US$88 million each month, money from Khazanah that has kept the company alive through a massive restructuring exercise following the twin disasters of MH370 and MH17 in 2014.That restructuring ensured that the airline could continue operating for the next six years, albeit on a super-lean structure.The former executive said closing down the airline entirely would “invite greater socio-economic problems”.“I’m sure Khazanah doesn’t have deep pockets but there has to be a balance between financial costs and other considerations,” he said.He added that Khazanah’s first consideration in any refusal of funds should not be the risk aversion of stakeholders to a lack of future returns.But there has been little optimism about the airline’s future even from the government.Last week, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz said Putrajaya would not bail out the company, or AirAsia, the other local airline which has been suffering from the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry.“There has to be a balance between financial costs and other considerations.”Nonetheless, given the backdrop of the ravaging effects of the pandemic, the government’s refusal and Khazanah’s reluctance are understandable.The company currently employs 12,000 people in 53 cities.But it’s not just about saving the staff, the former senior executive said.“What about the suppliers? There are so many of them. It’s not a straightforward, clear-cut decision. The airline supports an entire ecosystem of stakeholders.”He said any rescue plan for a company such as Malaysia Airlines must also take into consideration the social aspect.He paints one scenario.“Malaysia depends on tourism, to a large extent. If we’re depending on tourists to come with other airlines, the other airlines can cut their services any time.“You cannot depend on other airlines, because they can bypass you any time.”And then there is the impact on airports nationwide, which could turn into white elephants if the country’s main airline closes shop.“Travel and cargo agents will be out of business. The food suppliers, big and small, will have no choice but to scale down. We are talking about huge numbers of Malaysians and employees out of jobs.”


Rise of ‘underdog’ Muhyiddin puts to rest debate on ‘Mahathir or Anwar’, says analyst

One of the biggest achievements of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after assuming the top post on the back of a power vacuum was to put to end a long and divisive debate on the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim, an analyst on Asean politics says.Adib Zalkapli said Muhyiddin had brought some level of political stability after being catapulted into a position with which he was never associated.He said Muhyiddin also came at a time when the country was in need of strong leadership in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic which had begun to spread worldwide, and that his constant televised appearances during the first phase of the movement control order (MCO) had helped allay public anxiety.“It was very reassuring for a lot of people who were worried by the uncertainties caused by the MCO.“At the same time it also ended any concern that people might have had that Malaysia was being led by a lame duck prime minister,” Adib, of consultancy group BowerGroupAsia, told business station BFM today.He said in contrast, Muhyiddin’s predecessor had to face constant calls about the date of his retirement and the promised handover to Anwar.Under an agreement by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, Mahathir was to make way for the PKR president. The handover however did not take place in the 22 months of PH rule.“Questions were asked after one year, partly because the coalition put him (Mahathir) in a difficult position as a temporary prime minister, so he had difficulty projecting his brand,” said Adib on the troubles faced by Mahathir.Muhyiddin marked his first year in office yesterday since managing to gather rival politicians in a new coalition following the collapse of the PH government in February 2020.In a recent interview, Muhyiddin fought off claims that his government lacks legitimacy, saying he has enough support from MPs to remain in power.Adib said Muhyiddin still enjoys the privilege of incumbency ahead of the much anticipated general election.But he warned that the experience of 2018 showed that this could not ensure one would remain in power, referring to Najib Razak’s defeat to a “relatively young” PH.“The prime minister’s brand is only as good as his opponents’ weaknesses. As long as the opposition does not regroup and try to offer a stronger alternative, I think the incumbency will help a lot,” he said, adding that it also depends on Muhyiddin strengthening his present coalition into a credible brand in the next polls.Adib meanwhile said Muhyiddin had managed to reconcile the realities of occupying the top office with his past statements when he was in Umno.He referred to a frequent criticism about Muhyiddin’s statement that he was a “Malay first”, a remark which he made as a deputy prime minister in 2010.Adib said the statement should be seen in the right context.“He was the number two in Umno at that time, with the Umno president as the prime minister. Obviously the prime minister cannot be seen to favour a certain race too much. So somebody else had to play the role as the party idologue.“In Umno, naturally that responsibility will fall in the lap of the number two who is not the prime minister.”He said political reality in Malaysia demands that parties make compromises on their ideologies.He added that Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy system ensured that the government of the day would be steered towards the centre without leaning to any extremes, as the ruling bloc would be in constant need of support from MPs across the divide.


Sarawak upbeat about vaccination goal as daily jabs multiply

The Sarawak government is optimistic that the state will be able to achieve herd immunity by August as targeted, with Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg saying 45,291 doses of Covid-19 vaccine were administered yesterday.Speaking at a press conference in Kuching, he said the state is boosting its efforts to hit its daily target of 50,000 injections.“Our focus now is on upping our mobile vaccination teams to transport the vaccines into the rural and remote areas in Sarawak,” he said.“We will use all the logistics assets that we have to send the vaccines to the centres in the interior areas, whether by boat or road, or if we fly them in using our helicopters. All logistics costs are covered by the state government.”He said more vaccination centres would be opened in Sarawak, which has 121 government hospitals, 80 general practitioner private clinics, 12 private hospitals and four large-scale vaccination centres at Stadium Perpaduan, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Borneo Convention Kuching and the National Youth Skills Institute in Miri.He said Sarawak would receive another 410,460 doses of vaccine this week.“Tomorrow, a total of 110,380 doses of Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Miri, and another 300,080 doses will arrive Kuching on the following day.”


No way to tell if Najib read ex-chairman’s SMS on 1MDB mismanagement, court told

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur was today told that it could not be ascertained whether Najib Razak had read an SMS sent by former 1MDB chairman Mohd Bakke Salleh on the company’s mismanagement.The former prime minister’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the defence did not even have a copy of the SMS in question.He said this when questioning Bakke, the 15th prosecution witness at Najib’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.Shafee: We don’t know how short or extended your SMS was to my client. We don’t have a copy of your SMS.Bakke: I remember… It was a lengthy SMS. I explained the payment of two tranches.Shafee: But we don’t know whether the PM (Najib) managed to read the SMS or not. It is not like WhatsApp whereby we are able to see through the blue tick that the recipient has read the message.Previously, it was reported that US$1 billion from 1MDB was placed in a joint venture and paid out in two batches of US$700 million and US$300 million.The US$300 million was channelled to the joint-venture company while the US$700 million was paid to Good Star Limited, a company owned by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.Shafee then questioned the witness on whether Najib might have been misled by the 1MDB management and Jho Low, to which Bakke answered, “Yes, possibly.”During previous proceedings, Bakke testified that before submitting his resignation letter, he had sent an SMS to Najib to inform him of several matters which were instructed by the board of directors to the 1MDB management but not followed.“However, I did not receive any response from Najib. It did not cross my mind to report to any relevant authorities the financial misconduct of the management of 1MDB because I assumed that I had already done so through my SMS to Najib.“I hoped that Najib would take the necessary action against the management of 1MDB if he found any misconduct on their part.“Since my concerns did not get Najib’s attention as he did not reply to my SMS, I had a feeling that he was involved and that something wrong was happening without my knowledge. This was one of the main reasons I decided to resign,” said Bakke.Today, the court also heard that the 2016 Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on issues faced by the sovereign wealth fund did not reflect what Bakke had exposed then in its entirety.Bakke, who is now Petronas chairman, said much of what he revealed to PAC at the time had been omitted from the report which was later made public.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.


Facebook says hackers ‘scraped’ data of 533 million users in 2019 leak

Facebook said Tuesday that hackers “scraped” personal data of some half-billion users back in 2019 by taking advantage of a feature designed to help people easily find friends using contact lists.A trove of information about more than 530 million Facebook users was shared over the weekend at a hacker forum, prompting the leading social network to explain what happened and call on people to be vigilant about privacy settings.“It is important to understand that malicious actors obtained this data not through hacking our systems but by scraping it from our platform prior to September 2019,” Facebook product management director Mike Clark said in a post.“This is another example of the ongoing, adversarial relationship technology companies have with fraudsters who intentionally break platform policies to scrape internet services.”The data included phone numbers, birth dates, and email addresses, and some of the data appeared to be current, according to US media reports.The stolen data did not include passwords or financial data, according to Facebook.Scraping is a tactic that involves using automated software to gather up information shared publicly online.“All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free,” Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.He denounced what he called the “absolute negligence” of Facebook.“Bad actors will certainly use the information for social engineering, scamming, hacking and marketing,” Gal said on Twitter.Clark urged members of the social network to check their privacy settings to control what information can be seen publicly, and to tighten account security with two-factor authentication.This is not the first time leaks or use of data from the world’s largest social network – with nearly two billion users – has embroiled Facebook in controversy.In 2016, a scandal around Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that used the personal data of millions of Facebook users to target political ads, cast a shadow over the social network and its handling of private information.


Najib never sued AmBank while he was an account holder, bank officer tells court

An Ambank officer told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that Najib Razak never filed any lawsuits against the bank for mishandling his accounts while he was an account holder.
Ambank (M) Bhd Jalan Raja Chulan branch manager, R Uma Devi, 43, who has held the position since 2015, said Najib also never lodged any complaints to the bank about his bank statements.
"On monthly intervals, the bank would send a bank statement listing all of the transactions made in the account to its customers. As far as I know, even during the SRC International case, there were no disputes or complaints made by Najib regarding his bank account statements," she said.
The 37th prosecution witness said this while answering additional questions from senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram at the Pekan MP’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.
Sri Ram: Between 2015 and 2018, did the accused file any proceedings against your bank for mishandling his account, to your knowledge?
Uma Devi: To my knowledge, no. Earlier, Sri Ram questioned the witness on the evidence she gave during the SRC International trial, during which time she said that her statement was accepted and never disputed by either the High Court or the Court of Appeal.
Last week, Uma Devi testified that Najib held five accounts with Ambank: one savings account ending with number 694, and four current accounts – AmIslamic (ending with number 481), AmPrivate Banking-1MY (880), AmPrivate Banking-Y1MY (898) and AmPrivate Banking-MY (906).
On Dec 10, 2019, Najib sued AmBank Islamic Bhd and its former relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping over the management of accounts under his name, namely the accounts ending 694, 880, 898 and 906 which Najib claimed were managed by AmBank without his knowledge and used to divert funds from SRC International.
However, Najib lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal in January this year when the court ruled that he was seeking to proceed with his civil suit to undermine the criminal proceedings and findings by the High Court and Court of Appeal in the SRC International criminal case.
Earlier, Uma Devi testified that in 2011 alone, Najib received RM1.25 million in interest payments that were credited to his personal savings account ending with the number 694.
Referring to Najib’s bank statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, Uma Devi said the payments were received in 11 tranches throughout the year to the 694 account, between February and December 2011.
"I confirm that there were several entries involving interest payments for the year 2011 and the amount received varied according to the current balance of the account each month.
"This was based on the code 202000 written in the status of each interest entry transaction," she said, adding that the 694 account was opened on Jan 13, 2011, and closed on Aug 30, 2013.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.


PM notes Covid-19 concerns if Melaka polls are held

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said he took note of the people’s concern about the risk of spreading Covid-19 in Melaka if a state election is called any time soon.Speaking to reporters after launching the National Preparedness Month (BKN) 2021 in Putrajaya, Ismail said his social media platforms had been flooded with messages from the public who were concerned about the possibility of a spike in Covid-19 cases in the country as had happened after the Sabah election in September last year.“The number of (Covid-19) cases in Sabah was initially low, but it spiked after the state election was held and this is what the people are worried about.“If a state election is called in Melaka, I believe that the EC (Election Commission) will definitely come up with strict SOPs as a control measure,” he said in response to the latest political turmoil in Melaka.Nevertheless, he said everyone should wait for Melaka Governor Mohd Ali Rustam to decide on the matter.Yesterday, four Melaka assemblymen declared that they had lost confidence in Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali, technically causing the state government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) to collapse.The four assemblymen were former Melaka chief minister Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu) and Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas).The Melaka assembly has 28 seats, with 14 held by BN, two by Bersatu, seven by DAP, two by PKR, two by Amanah and one by an independent representative.Ismail, who is also Umno vice-president, also said he would leave it to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to find the best solution to the political issue in Melaka as it also involved the party.


MPs who vote against govt considered disqualified, says MoU signed by party chiefs

A memorandum signed by the coalitions that make up Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government appears to have removed the freedom of individual MPs to vote in the Dewan Rakyat, with political parties told that anyone who does not support government motions will be deemed as no longer being an MP.
According to the memorandum signed by Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan, all parties must support the prime minister in confidence motions or supply bills as well as in any other parliamentary procedure that could affect the continuity of the government.
It also said the onus was on the parties involved to ensure how their MPs vote, adding that MPs who vote outside party lines will be deemed as disqualified, and their seats declared vacant.
"The party of the MP in question must notify the speaker of the Dewan Rakyat of the vacancy pursuant to Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution for the the Election Commission to hold a by-election," the memorandum said.
This comes some three weeks after Anwar was named as prime minister, following days of political stalemate in the aftermath of the 15th general election, where none of the major coalitions secured the simple majority needed to form the government.
In the aftermath of a deadline for coalition leaders to submit proof of their support, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah reportedly ignored the submission of 115 affidavits from MPs in support of Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin later said he had disagreed with a proposal by the Agong for his coalition to join hands with Anwar to form a "unity government".
The palace later named Anwar as prime minister, with GPS saying it would abide by the royal decree.
The MoU today follows a similar understanding signed in 2021 between former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and then opposition coalition PH.
The MoU had ensured support for Ismail's government in return for several demands by PH, including the introduction of a ban on party-hopping.


Appeals court upholds lorry attendant's death sentence for drug trafficking

A lorry attendant lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal today to set aside his conviction and death sentence for trafficking in 83.03g of methamphetamine four years ago.
M Santanasamy, 45, also failed in his appeal to set aside the conviction, jail sentence and whipping meted out to him for another two charges of drug possession.
A three-member panel comprising Court of Appeal judges Kamaludin Md Said, Ahmad Nasfy Yasin and High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed Santanasamy's appeal.
Kamaludin said there was overwhelming evidence that pointed to Santanasamy having custody and control of the drugs.
Adding that Santanasamy's conviction was safe, he said his appeals were dismissed.  Santanasamy has one more round of appeal, that is to the Federal Court.
He was charged in the High Court alongside two others – K Thierruselvan and S James – with trafficking in 83.03g of methamphetamine, as well as possession of 7.48g of cannabis and 10.13g of heroin.
They were charged with committing the offences in a house in Taman Sri Rampai, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, at about 11.40am on Feb 14, 2018.
On Aug 14, 2020, the High Court convicted Santanasamy of the drug trafficking offence and sentenced him to death.
He was also found guilty of possessing the cannabis and sentenced to 11 years' jail and 10 strokes of the rotan, in addition to two years in jail for the possession of heroin. The High Court, however, discharged and acquitted Thierruselvan, 38, and James, 43, of the trafficking offence and possession of cannabis.
The two men were convicted of possession of heroin and sentenced to two years in jail.
Neither of them appealed against the conviction and sentence.
Lawyer SS Ruban represented Santanasamy, while deputy public prosecutors Asmah Musa and Wong Poi Yoke prosecuted.


Vietnam police smash US$3.8 billion cryptocurrency ring

Vietnamese police have smashed a huge cryptocurrency ring worth around US$3.8 billion, state media said Friday, as authorities battle rampant illegal gambling in the country.Fifty-nine people were detained in southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City, accused of luring players through social media to place bets online, according to the city police’s official newspaper.The gambling ring is reportedly the biggest ever uncovered by Vietnamese police.State media said players were instructed to buy a cryptocurrency wallet and convert their money into one of two digital currencies, Ethereum or USDT – also known as Tether – before placing bets on Swiftonline.live and Nagaclubs.com.To entice new players, the detainees posted pictures on social networks showing off their fancy cars, expensive houses and extravagant parties.To sway the more cautious, scammers also offered players insurance packages, with the promise of a refund if they did not win after six games.However, during periods when there were a large number of players, the ring leaders crashed the websites in order to steal money from the digital wallets and avoid detection by police.Officers confiscated 55 laptops and desktops, 39 mobile phones and seven luxury cars from the gang in Ho Chi Minh City.State media said the gang had also established large-scale gambling networks in many other provinces and cities across the country.Vietnam’s communist government has started loosening its grip on domestic gambling, allowing Vietnamese to bet in casinos and opening up some sports betting.But online gambling and private card rooms remain banned.Still, despite regular crackdowns on illegal gambling, rings run by both locals and foreigners continue to flourish.Last year police uncovered a massive online card ring with revenues estimated at US$2.6 billion.


The long climb up the food chain for fresh grads

Rasyidah Zulkifli began job hunting almost immediately after graduating in January. She sent out more than 150 applications through various online platforms and received exactly four calls for interviews.Of these, two were for low-skill jobs that did not require a degree.“I was offered RM1,200 for both vacancies. I declined as I wanted to find a better opportunity, and I thought the salary was too low,” she said.Her luck improved in her third interview. She asked for a salary of RM2,000 and received an offer for slightly below that.“I thought this offer was better than the other two, so I accepted it. But even then, I think the salary is still relatively lower than the market rate.”Things could be worse, though. At least this job is related to her field of study.Rasyidah’s experience is the story of millions of fresh graduates across the country who are struggling to find a job that will cover their basic expenses.In January this year, government statistics showed that the unemployment rate had risen by 0.1% from the previous month to 4.9%, taking the total figure to 782,500 from 772,900 in December.And according to Bank Negara Malaysia’s 2018 annual report, the real starting salary for most fresh graduates has been on the decline since 2010, even after taking inflation into account.“A fresh graduate with a diploma earned a real salary of only RM1,376 in 2018 (2010: RM1,458) while a masters degree holder earned a real salary of RM2,707, a significant decline from RM2,923 in 2010,” the report said.Rasyidah said she expects a salary of RM2,500 for fresh graduates in her field of study. While the offer she accepted was for less than that, she views it as a starting point for her to find something better down the line.For now, her salary will cover her cost of living although there will be little left over for savings or emergencies.According to Bank Negara Malaysia’s 2018 annual report, the real starting salary for most fresh graduates has been on the decline since 2010.Mohamad Fazli Sabri, dean at the faculty of human ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the current minimum wage of RM1,200 is very low.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said offering this amount to fresh graduates, especially those who live in the city, would leave them close to being categorised as “extreme poor”.“Both parties need to have a win-win situation,” he said. “Fresh graduates need to keep in mind that they have no experience and employers should not push wages lower than they should be.”Noting that the statistics department had revised the national poverty line income from RM980 to RM2,280 last year, he suggested that this be used as a benchmark in determining wages, at least for those with qualifications.While many fresh graduates are struggling to find a job that pays enough, they are far from being the only ones.According to the Bank Negara report, Malaysian workers in general are paid less than their regional counterparts in countries such as Singapore and South Korea.“To illustrate this point, if a Malaysian worker produces output worth US$1,000, the worker will be paid US$340 for it. The corresponding wage received by a worker in benchmark economies for producing the same output worth US$1,000 is, however, higher at US$510.80,” the report said.It said this was more evident in sectors such as wholesale, retail, food and beverages, and accomodation – labour-intensive industries reliant on low-skilled workers. It attributed the disparity in wages to workers’ low bargaining power in the presence of foreign workers.For economist Barjoyai Bardai, there is light at the end of the tunnel although he admits to seeing no immediate solution to the issue.“The industry has its own principles that workers are paid based on productivity. Employers often complain that the productivity of graduates today is declining, not because of their lack of knowledge but because they enter the industry without soft skills.“Twenty years ago, employers did not expect graduates to have ‘anticipative skills’ but today, they are deemed necessary although graduates do not have it.”He told MalaysiaNow there is a need for structural change from all parties.“We can’t force employers to raise salaries because they have their own strategies in business. But what we can do is to upskill those who have joined the workforce.“If graduates continue feeling that their skills are adequate, they will end up job-hopping from one firm to another. And that would not solve anything.”


Ex-aide withdraws appeal to remove Anwar's counterclaims in sexual assault suit

Muhammed Yusoff Rawther has withdrawn his appeal against a High Court decision dismissing his application to remove several paragraphs in Anwar Ibrahim's statement of defence and counterclaim in his lawsuit against the prime minister.
A three-member Court of Appeal comprising justices Lee Swee Seng, Hashim Hamzah and Lim Chong Fong struck out the appeal and ordered Yusoff to pay Anwar RM5,000 in costs.
Earlier, Yusoff's counsel Reenajit Kaur Golen said they had written to the court on March 6 to notify it about the withdrawal of the appeal.
Anwar's counsel Navpreet Singh said the appellant’s decision to withdraw the appeal only showed that he agreed with the High Court’s decision that he had failed to pass the striking-out threshold test.
"The appellant filed the notice of appeal and proceeded with case management sessions to obtain directions to file submissions. However, he made a U-turn to withdraw the appeal a month before the appeal hearing date today," he said. The lawyer then sought RM5,000 in costs as the appellant had retracted the appeal at the last minute.
On July 14, 2021, Yusoff, who is Anwar's former research assistant, filed the suit claiming that Anwar had sexually assaulted him. He sought, among others, special, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as interest, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
On Sept 9 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Yusoff's application to strike out several paragraphs in Anwar's statement of defence and counterclaim.
Anwar, in his statement of defence filed on Sept 28, 2021, claimed that Yusoff had lied under oath to the authorities regarding the sexual assault.
According to the PKR president, who filed a counterclaim on the same date, Yusoff had concocted a story about a sexual assault to tarnish his political career to ensure that he would not become the prime minister.


Former director says feared for his family’s safety during 1MDB investigation

A former non-executive director of 1MDB told the High Court today that he felt restless and worried for his family’s safety when he was called by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to give his testimony regarding the 1MDB scandal.Ismee Ismail, 56, said he feared for his family and for his own safety as there were many uncertainties which he personally could not figure out.“I was not pressured by anybody; the feeling is very difficult to describe… I felt restless because at the time I was wondering what was happening.“I was trying to figure out if there were things I had not done correctly,” he said under cross-examination by Najib Razak’s lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh in the former prime minister’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.Further questioned by Hariharan, Ismee said MACC never threatened to initiate a criminal or civil proceeding against him or promised him anything in return, to get him to give evidence against the Pekan MP.“During the time of giving testimony to MACC, I was worried about the safety and security (of my family) but they (MACC) showed me I should not be worried, but there was no promise about no civil suit.“I won’t say I am giving incriminating evidence against (Najib) but I am giving the facts of the case. I have a responsibility to tell the truth during investigation.“I gave them (MACC) true facts but if it was against the law I would not be the judge of that,” he added.The 13th prosecution witness also agreed with a suggestion by the lawyer that he was unhappy when he came to know about a civil suit filed by the government through 1MDB against him and other former senior management members of the company.Hariharan: I put it to you that you became very unhappy because you were promised by MACC, if you give evidence against Najib, there will be no civil suit for you.Ismee: There was no such promise.Hariharan: Did you, in a way, feel betrayed when you became aware of the civil suit?Ismee: I wouldn’t say betrayed; I would say very, very sad. I felt more sad than betrayed.However, the civil suit against him has been withdrawn.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Jan 5 next year.


Muhyiddin says ready to resign as PN chief after defeat in Johor

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today said he was ready to resign from his leadership of the coalition if asked to by the members or leaders of its component parties following its defeat at the Johor state election.He said his post as chairman was determined by the components according to the principles of democracy.“I am ready to step down at any time as my position is only with the agreement of the component parties.“In victory, I am responsible, and in defeat, I am also responsible,” he said in a press conference at PN’s operations room in Senai tonight.Despite fielding candidates for all 56 state seats in Johor, PN won only three: Maharani, Endau and Bukit Kepong.This is the coalition’s second defeat following the Melaka election last November.Nevertheless, the Pagoh MP said PN had succeeded in making inroads, and had gained traction in a number of areas despite being a new coalition.When asked about the prospect of Parliament being dissolved, Muhyiddin said he hoped that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would discuss the matter with PN before any decision is made.


Cabinet members discussing Trump’s removal, says US media

Members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet on Wednesday discussed the possibility of removing Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol, three US news channels reported.The discussions focused on the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which allows for a president’s removal by the vice president and cabinet if he is judged “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”.Invoking it would require Vice-President Michael Pence to lead the cabinet in a vote on removing him.CNN quoted unnamed Republican leaders saying the 25th Amendment had been discussed, saying they had described Trump as “out of control”.CBS reporter Margaret Brennan said that “nothing formal” had been presented to Pence, and ABC reporter Katherine Faulders said “multiple” sources had told her that discussions took place on the unprecedented move.Trump’s encouragement of the protesters, his unfounded claims that he lost the Nov 3 presidential election due to massive fraud, and other bizarre behaviour have raised questions about his ability to lead.While only two weeks remain before president-elect Joe Biden takes office, after the attacks on Congress Wednesday Democratic lawmakers called for invoking the 25th Amendment as well.Democrats of the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Pence urging him to act to remove Trump, saying he had stoked an act of insurrection and “sought to undermine our democracy”.Pointing to a rambling speech Trump gave Wednesday, it said he “revealed that he is not mentally sound and is still unable to process and accept the results of the 2020 election.”Others blamed Trump for fuelling terrorism.“The president incited a domestic terror attack on the Capitol. He is an imminent threat to our democracy and he needs to be removed from office immediately,” said representative Kathleen Rice in a tweet.“The Cabinet must invoke the 25th Amendment,” she wrote.The lawmakers’ call was echoed by the influential Washington Post.“Responsibility for this act of sedition lies squarely with the president, who has shown that his continued tenure in office poses a grave threat to US democracy. He should be removed,” the Post said.“The president is unfit to remain in office for the next 14 days. Every second he retains the vast powers of the presidency is a threat to public order and national security,” they said.


Daily caseload tops 1,240 as 6 more deaths reported

Another 1,241 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,013,724.
There were 1,567 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,959,725.
There are now 17,215 active cases, of which 16,138 or 93.7% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,010 (5.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 67 are in ICU with 43 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another six deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,784.


PH-BN seat distribution for state polls settled, says Anwar

Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim today said that seat distribution between PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) for the impending state elections in six states has been settled.
Speaking to reporters after launching the book titled Adab Perbezaan Pendapat Dalam Islam in Putrajaya today, the prime minister said he had held a meeting with BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently to settle the seat distribution between the two coalitions.
"No issue (of seat overlapping) so far," he said.
The six states holding state elections are Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
On the focus of the coalition government for the six state polls, Anwar anticipated the success of PH in taking over the power in two states and retaining the three existing ones.
"I see that we are strong in the three states and we can retain them, and Insha Allah, there is a big chance for us to take over two other states," he said without naming any.
The three states under PH are Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan, while Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are under Perikatan Nasional.
Yesterday, Election Commission (EC) secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak reportedly said that the EC will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss important dates for the elections in the six states.
He said the meeting followed the receipt of notices of the official dissolution of the Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan state assemblies from their respective state assembly speakers.


Hackers targeting Covid-19 vaccine supply chain, IBM warns

Hackers are targeting the coronavirus vaccine supply chain, IBM warned Thursday, saying it had uncovered a series of cyber attacks against companies involved in the effort to distribute doses around the world.It was “unclear” if the attacks were successful, IBM said, adding that they were potentially carried out by state actors.“Our team recently uncovered a global phishing campaign targeting organisations associated with a Covid-19 cold chain,” Claire Zaboeva and Melissa Frydrych, analysts for IBM X-Force, a cyber security working group, wrote in a blog post.The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union was one target, as were energy and IT companies based in Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, South Korea and Taiwan.The hackers impersonated an executive from Haier Biomedical, a Chinese-owned cold chain supply company working with the World Health Organization and the United Nations, IBM said.“Disguised as this employee, the adversary sent phishing emails to organisations believed to be providers of material support to meet transportation needs within the Covid-19 cold chain,” Zaboeva and Frydrych wrote.The purpose “may have been to harvest credentials, possibly to gain future unauthorised access to corporate networks and sensitive information relating to the Covid-19 vaccine distribution”.Some of the vaccines being developed against Covid-19 must be stored at temperatures well below that of a normal fridge. Distribution, therefore, requires specialised logistics companies such as Haier Biomedical.IBM said it could not identify those behind the attacks – but that the precision of the operation signals “the potential hallmarks of nation-state tradecraft”.“Without a clear path to a cash-out, cyber criminals are unlikely to devote the time and resources required to execute such a calculated operation with so many interlinked and globally distributed targets,” Zaboeva and Frydrych wrote.The US federal cyber security agency, Cisa, said the IBM report should be taken seriously by organisations involved in the vaccine supply chain.“Cisa encourages all organisations involved in vaccine storage and transport to harden attack surfaces, particularly in cold storage operation, and remain vigilant against all activity in this space,” Josh Corman, a Cisa strategist, told AFP.


Zahid wasn’t transparent in extension of contract for VLN, court told

The High Court was told today that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was not transparent and did not follow procedures when extending the contract of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) for the foreign visa system (VLN) project.Former home ministry deputy secretary-general (policy and control) Suriani Ahmad said Zahid, 68, who was home minister at the time, approved the contract extension in a short time without evaluating the performance of UKSB.Suriani said the evaluation of a company’s performance was important because the company would carry the country’s image and it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that all processes were implemented properly.Asked by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin whether the application was still approved even though no assessment was made, Suriani replied: “Yes.”The fourth prosecution witness said this on the seventh day of the trial of Zahid, who is facing 40 corruption charges relating to the VLN.Wan Shaharuddin: In this application, does UKSB follow procedures?Suriani: For work procedure, it follows the procedure. However, in terms of approval, it is not in accordance with the procedure.Wan Shaharuddin: Although Datuk (Suriani) did not have the opportunity to evaluate UKSB’s performance, why continue to extend the contract?Suriani: Because the instruction from the minister was to extend the contract. As a civil servant, I complied with the instructions because at that time Zahid was the deputy prime minister.Suriani also said Zahid took less than 24 hours to approve several applications for the extension of UKSB’s contract with the government.Suriani said a letter from UKSB dated Oct 17, 2016 for approval to extend the contract period of the VLN and eVisa System for six years was approved by Zahid and minuted on Oct 18, 2016.“Besides that, UKSB’s letter dated May 15, 2017 to Zahid for the one-stop centre (OSC) contract extension was also minuted by Zahid on May 16, 2017,” she said.The witness also agreed with Wan Shaharuddin’s suggestion that there was no need to expedite the application for an extension of the contract.She said the application made by UKSB was too early because the existing contract was still far from its expiration.According to Clause 2.2.1 of the Agreement to Supply VLN Integrated System, the company could apply for a contract extension no less than six months before its expiry.“But for this application, UKSB applied too soon, that is in October 2016, about three years before the contract expired. Therefore, the home ministry did not have sufficient time to evaluate the performance of UKSB to decide whether the contract should be extended or not,” she said.During cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, Suriani agreed with his suggestion that the VLN system managed by UKSB never received any complaints until the the Pakatan Harapan government took over.The witness also agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that Zahid had made the decision to shorten the contract extension period from six to three years after discussing with the relevant parties.Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from UKSB as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and then home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSC in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.For another seven charges, Zahid was charged as home minister with accepting S$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 (RM75,663) and US$15,000 (RM62,115) in cash from the same company which he knew had a connection with his function as then home minister.The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on Oct 22.


Mavcom says powerless over flight routes outside of Malaysia

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) today said that it could only act within the confines of the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) 2016 in responding to passenger complaints, following reports of more international travellers venting their frustrations with budget airline AirAsia.
In a statement, Mavcom said that Section 69(3) of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 "limits compliance to the MACPC to aviation service providers that carry passengers to two or more places, of which at least one place is in Malaysia".
Responding to an article by MalaysiaNow, it said the flights in question were not governed by MACPC as they fell under the jurisdiction of other countries which might have different consumer protection laws.
"Hence, these cases are beyond Mavcom's jurisdiction," it added.
MalaysiaNow had reported complaints by two AirAsia passengers who said they were still waiting for refunds from the low-cost airline.
One of them, a UK citizen living in Germany, said he had paid €103 (about RM480) for a flight from Luang Prabang, Laos to Bangkok, Thailand, scheduled to depart on Aug 30, 2022.
He booked the tickets on June 23, 2022, and was told a month later that the flight schedule had been changed.
Felicity Wilcox said after the report had been published that he had finally succeeded in getting his money back.
"I finally got my refund!" he said in a post on Facebook.
"Over six months of waiting, hundreds of tweets, almost daily emails, Mavcom unable to help... it is finally done. I will now never have anything to do with AirAsia ever again."
The other passenger who spoke to MalaysiaNow, Elvi Yuliani from Singapore, said she had been contacted by AirAsia in three emails promising her a refund.
"One email said the transaction had succeeded and asked me to check my account balance," she said.
"But they never asked me for my bank account number, so where did it go? I checked my credit card account too, but there was nothing."
Elvi then received a second email informing her that she would need to wait four to eight weeks for a refund.
"The third email said everything would be done within seven working days," she said.
Mavcom, in its statement to MalaysiaNow, confirmed reviewing and responding to both customer complaints, adding that this had been done within the stipulated time frame of seven days.
"Based on the commission's review, the cases occurred overseas and the flight routes did not include Malaysia as part of the scheduled journey," it said.
"Therefore, these flight incidents are not governed by the MACPC."
It said it had informed Wilcox and Elvi on Jan 1 and 26 respectively to contact the source of the booking.
Mavcom has been under fire by AirAsia passengers, both local and international, who say the commission has not taken firm action against the airline in the issue of flight delays and cancellations since early 2020.
MalaysiaNow has repeatedly contacted AirAsia for a response but has yet to receive any reply.


First Covid jab alone not protective, Chile study shows

A study in Chile, which has one of the furthest-advanced vaccination campaigns in South America – mainly with China’s Coronavac – has found that a first dose alone does not protect against coronavirus infection.The study by the University of Chile found inoculation to be 56.5% effective in protecting recipients two weeks after the second dose, and 27.7% effective within the first two weeks.But for a single dose, efficacy in the 28 days between the first and second dose was only 3% – on par with the margin of error in such studies, it said.Researchers looked at the combined effect of Coronavac, which accounts for about 93% of doses being administered, and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.It estimated Coronavac’s efficacy in real-life conditions at 54% – in line with trial results in Brazil.The Pfizer jab has been estimated to be about 94% effective in an Israeli study.Chile has so far given at least one shot to 7.07 million people, and both shots to 4.04 of 15.2 million inhabitants being targeted for vaccination.Like the rest of Latin America, the country has seen a steep rise in new infections and has surpassed the daily rate of the first wave last year, with more than 8,000 new cases per day.“Getting vaccinated very significantly decreases the possibility of infection, it does not eliminate it, but it decreases it a lot, therefore you have to get vaccinated,” University of Chile rector Ennio Vivaldi told a virtual press conference.But it was also clear that the first dose on its own “does not have any relevant effect after four weeks” which means the recipient was for all intents and purposes just as vulnerable to infection as a non-vaccinated person.The study estimated that for people between 75 and 79 – targeted in the initial vaccination campaign – there would have been 80% more infections without the vaccine.For those aged 70 to 74, the percentage dropped to 60%.


Bung Moktar and wife told to enter defence in RM2.8 million graft case

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court has ordered Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad to enter their defence in the RM2.8 million corruption case against them.
Judge Rozina Ayob made the ruling after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Bung Moktar, 64, and Zizie Izette, 44, at the end of its case.
The couple chose to testify under oath from the witness stand where the prosecution will question them during cross-examination.
Lawyer M Athimulan, representing Bung Moktar, told the court that eight witnesses including his client would testify while K Kumaraendran, Zizie Izette’s lawyer, told the court that only two witnesses, including the actress, would testify at the trial that is scheduled to run for 14 days from Sept 23.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with three counts of accepting bribes totalling RM2.8 million as an inducement to obtain Felcra Bhd's approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trust products while Zizie Izette was charged with abetting him.
Bung Moktar was the non-executive chairman of Felcra when the offences were allegedly committed seven years ago.


Virus strikes twice for India’s first Covid patient

India’s first coronavirus patient, a student who was in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has tested positive for a second time, a medical official told AFP on Wednesday.The 21-year-old woman from the southern state of Kerala has no symptoms but is in isolation at her home, Thrissur district medical officer Reena KJ told AFP.The woman tested positive again during a routine check ahead of a trip to New Delhi.“Health teams are in constant touch with her,” Reena said.The patient was among Indian medical students who fled Wuhan in January 2020 after the virus first appeared in the Chinese city.She developed mild symptoms and tested positive on Jan 30, becoming India’s first Covid-19 patient.India has since accumulated nearly 31 million cases and suffered more than 410,000 deaths, many in a devastating wave that hit in April and May.Experts have warned that a new wave could hit India within weeks and authorities have launched a frantic vaccination campaign that has been hindered by a critical shortage of doses.The government has set a target of vaccinating all adults by the end of the year but the campaign has fallen behind and major cities such as Delhi and several states say they have run out of vaccines.India administered more than nine million doses on June 21 after the government kicked off a new vaccine drive. But numbers have since come down to less than three million shots a day.The country has so far inoculated nearly 390 million people, covering just under 6% of its population with two doses and 23% with a single dose.The Kerala student had not been vaccinated because she was waiting to see which version would be approved by China for her to go back to the country.Kerala is in the grip of a massive Covid-19 surge with more than one-third of total nationwide cases coming from the state.About 14,500 cases were reported in Kerala on Wednesday – out of 43,000 nationwide – and authorities have announced a lockdown from this weekend in a bid to stop the spread.


Sorry.


India tightens security after militants threaten attacks over anti-Muslim remarks

India tightened public security on Wednesday after the circulation of a letter warning of Islamist militant attacks to avenge derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad by an official of the ruling Hindu nationalist party.Several Indian media groups shared the June 6 letter attributed to Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Indian subcontinent (Aqis) in which threats were made to carry out suicide bombings in Indian states to defend, it said, the honour of the Prophet.A federal home ministry official said intelligence agencies were checking the authenticity of the threats issued by Aqis.“We have also ordered state police to ensure public gatherings or protests are not allowed as they could be targeted by the militant group,” a senior home ministry official in New Delhi said.The security threat surfaced days after a spokesman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made comments about the Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate.BJP spokesman Nupur Sharma’s remarks sparked uproar among Muslims in India and triggered diplomatic protests from Islamic countries demanding an apology from the Indian government.Sharma has been suspended from the party while another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal, was expelled over comments he made about Islam on social media.Police in northern India arrested a BJP youth leader for posting anti-Muslim comments on social media, along with 50 other people who took part insporadic unrest among minority Muslims in parts of India last week over Sharma’s remarks.India’s foreign ministry said on Monday the offensive tweets and comments did not in any way reflect the government’s views.Instructions have been issued to several senior members of the BJP to be “extremely cautious” when talking about religion on public platforms.But domestic outrage gained fresh momentum after leaders from Islamic nations including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan demanded apologies from New Delhi and summoned diplomats to protest against the remarks in the TV debate.The influential 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said in a statement that the insults came in the context of an increasingly intense atmosphere of hatred toward Islam in India and systematic harassment of Muslims.India’s minority Muslims have felt more pressure on everything from freedom of worship to hijab head scarves under BJP rule. There were Hindu-Muslim clashes during religious processions recently, following deadly riots in 2019-20.The new controversy has become a diplomatic challenge for Modi who in recent years has cemented strong relations with energy-rich Islamic nations.Islamic rights groups in India said that it was the first time influential foreign leaders had spoken out against what they called humiliations experienced by the minority community.“Our voices have finally been heard, only world leaders can nudge Modi’s government and his party to change their attitude towards Muslims,” said Ali Asghar Mohammed, who runs a voluntary rights group for Muslims in India’s commercial capital Mumbai.


With Najib in jail, what next for Umno?

Following the Federal Court's historic decision yesterday to send Najib Razak to jail after upholding his conviction and sentence for the misappropriation of tens of millions of ringgit, at least one of the questions on the minds of many is: whither now for Umno, which had long benefited from the popularity of "Bossku" – the moniker adopted by the former prime minister as part of his rebranding strategy in the wake of his fall from power.
The question is especially pertinent given Umno's image as the party of choice for many Malays and the looming prospect of a long-anticipated general election.
For Najib himself, the question is whether his political career will survive his stint behind bars.
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun said the court's decision on Najib's appeal had taken many by surprise, especially Umno.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Oh, of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said it would therefore be difficult to predict the next step by Umno as the party itself had been caught off guard.
Nevertheless, he said one of two possibilities would likely take place.
Firstly, he said, the public might view Umno as a corrupt party since Najib, its de facto leader, had now been found guilty in court for a third time.
"On the other hand, Umno might attract more support from those who view Najib's verdict as proof that the party is really trying to stamp out corruption," he said.
Najib, who ruled the country for nine years until his fall from power in the 14th general election, is now in Kajang Prison where he began serving his 12-year jail term yesterday for charges related to the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.
The decision by the five-man Federal Court bench, led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, ended almost four years of legal proceedings and made him the first former prime minister to be sent to prison.
On the possibility of a political comeback for Najib after serving his time in jail, Oh said such a scenario could occur.
He gave the example of PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition which swept to victory at the 2018 general election.
"The Agong could give Najib a royal pardon like the one Anwar received.
"Of course, he will use the same approach of garnering sympathy over a punishment allegedly motivated by politics," he said, adding that the court's decision was far from the end for Najib.
James Chin of Australia's University of Tasmania meanwhile said the ruling had broken what he described as one of the biggest taboos in Malaysian politics.
"One of the big taboos in Malaysian politics is that if you are a prime minister, you are virtually untouchable," he said.
"So this taboo has been broken."
The authorities began investigating the SRC International case in 2018 while the trial began in April the following year, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
On July 28, 2020, Najib was convicted by judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, who sentenced the former prime minister to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million.
The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021.
In the wake of the apex court's historic decision yesterday to uphold the findings of the two lower courts, Chin said Najib's focus would likely be "spending as little time in jail as possible".
"He will try to find a way to reduce the sentence," he added.
Nevertheless, Chin said that Najib's political career was now over as he would lose his position as an MP as well as any chance of contesting the next general election.
For Chin, the biggest winner from the Federal Court's verdict was the Malaysian people.
Ironically, he added, the second biggest winner was Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
"He can call for a general election now," he said. "If Umno or Barisan Nasional wins, he has a very good chance of coming back as the prime minister.
"He doesn't have to watch over his shoulder for Najib or Ahmad Zahid Hamidi," he added, referring to the Umno president who is also facing a slew of criminal charges in court.
On the next move for Umno, Chin said it would want to push for a general election given the gloomy economic outlook ahead.
"The ringgit is already falling," he said. "The earlier, the better. They will want to go for a quick election, hoping to win back power."
But Chin also credited PH for starting the legal proceedings against Najib during its time in power.
"Even though PH fell apart after two years, it started the case and we have seen the results.
"If there was no regime change, obviously Najib would still be walking around today."  Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia meanwhile said Umno had lost a leader who had been capable of moving the party.
For him, the decision would be an incentive for the people to believe that Umno and BN were truly facing a problem with integrity.
"Perhaps the opposition will use Najib going to jail as proof of the fight against corruption in Umno and BN, that it is a real thing," he said.
"Umno will be seen in a bad light. Maybe the people will believe such arguments."


French police battle partygoers at illegal rave

Five police officers were injured in western France as they broke up a 1,500-strong illegal rave, authorities said Saturday, with one partygoer losing a hand.Police fired teargas to disperse the crowd, who defied an 11pm coronavirus curfew on Friday and stayed on into Saturday afternoon in the area around a race course near Redon in Brittany.There were “very violent clashes” when 400 police intervened, prefect Emmanuel Berthier said, adding the violence lasted more than seven hours through the night.“The rave party at Redon has ended,” he announced after police had cleared the area.Police detained five men and opened an inquiry into violence against people in positions of public authority.According to the authorities, five police officers were injured, two of whom were taken to hospital.Two of the ravers were also hurt, including a 22-year-old man who lost a hand.Berthier said the “people had an objective, to confront the forces of public order”.Firebombs, metal balls, breeze blocksBerthier told AFP that the group threw “Molotov cocktails, metal balls and bits of breeze blocks”.A police officer said it was not usual for people to bring the metal balls used in the French sport of boules or petanque to a rave.Event organisers said police had chosen violence instead of dialogue by firing tear gas grenades.“It was war,” said Flo, a 22-year-old man who attended the event.“There hasn’t been any music since last night,” but “people taking part in the illegal rave are still on the scene,” the prefect’s office had told AFP early Saturday.Local authorities had on Friday banned the party, which came two days before the coronavirus curfew is set to be lifted as Covid-19 case numbers fall in France.The rave had originally been set up in memory of a young man killed in nearby city Nantes two years ago during the annual nationwide Fete de la Musique celebration.Prosecutors said Friday that Steve Maia Canico fell into the Loire river when police moved in to break up the gathering.His body was found more than a month later and protesters in Nantes have demanded “Justice for Steve”, saying the police intervention was disproportionate.Hundreds of people flouted France’s coronavirus curfew with underground parties near Dijon and a village in western Brittany, while police managed to prevent organisers from staging a major rave in Paris.


Malaysia aims to cut prison occupancy rate by two-thirds in 8 years

Malaysia aims to cut its prison occupancy rate by two-thirds over the next eight years by boosting reliance on community corrections, Prison Department commissioner-general Nordin Muhamad says.
He said the greater focus on community corrections is part of Malaysia's objective to reduce the prison population and improve the rehabilitation of those convicted of non-serious offences.
"By 2030, two-thirds of convicted prisoners should undergo community corrections. Correctional facilities are meant for those involved in serious crimes," Nordin told Bernama in an interview in New Delhi.
About 30% of crimes committed in Malaysia are of a serious and violent nature.
Nordin said the recidivism rate among former inmates without rehabilitation opportunities outside the prison is 15% compared with just 0.38% for those who undergo community corrections.
"Our future focus is more on community corrections so that we can reduce recidivism," he said.
In order to better protect the communities, the idea should be to transform from retributive to restorative justice, he added.
Malaysian prison facilities at present hold about 76,000 inmates against their capacity of 66,000.
The Prison Department's rehabilitation and resettlement initiatives include job attachment schemes in which companies offer employment and accommodation to eligible inmates under the supervision of prison officials.
At the moment, about 5,000 prisoners are enrolled in job schemes with various companies.
"We can reach 10,000 inmates by 2023. The government will be able to cut its monthly expenditure by RM500 per inmate," Nordin said.
On healthcare facilities for prisoners, he said the basic services are similar to those available outside although the department has been looking into ways to improve access to specialist medical care.


Teach Science and Maths in English, no two ways about it, says Dr M

An emphasis on the English language and a focus on Science and Mathematics will make national schools more relevant and accepted, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been fiercely campaigning over the years for a rethink of the education system, told MalaysiaNow in a recent interview.The former leader, who served as education minister in the 1970s, also recalled a time when English-stream public schools were still allowed.He said public schools were then popular among people of all races.But today, he said, the emphasis on learning Malay and religious subjects had become problematic.“In the end, students face difficulties in furthering their studies overseas as they must be proficient in English.“Even if you want to go to Japan, you have to be fluent in English,” Mahathir told MalaysiaNow in an hour-long interview on various topics at his office in Putrajaya.In the past, Malaysians were known for their English proficiency, he said.“Now it is no longer the case.”English-medium schools were a norm pre- and post-independence until the 1970s, when the government converted them into national schools with Malay as the main medium, as part of the National Language Policy.The language change was gradual, but by the early 80s, all national schools were using Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium.Mahathir clarified that he was not for the return of English-medium schools, only for science and mathematics to be taught in that language.The former prime minister was a strong proponent of the Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English, introduced in 2003 during his first term in office.The policy was suspended in 2009 and abolished in 2013.Just before the fall of his government in February, Mahathir, as the acting education minister, announced that the policy would be revived.It is something he still believes would work.“Do not sacrifice knowledge because you want to prioritise a language. That is why I have always stressed teaching Science and Mathematics in English,” he said.Mahathir said without English proficiency, Malaysia would be left behind in the field of science.“Every day, thousands of studies and scientific research papers majoring in science are published. Without English language skills, Malaysia will not be able to excel in new discoveries.”He added that translating papers into Malay was not a solution as translators should also be knowledgeable in the field.


On love, unions and conformity

The past week saw the ceremonial union of a Johorean lady and her partner in Punjab, India. The ceremony sparked controversy as it was deemed un-Islamic due to the lady’s participation in a Sikh religious ceremony.Within the same week, a friend of mine got married as well.It began with a consultation followed by a month-long preparation. From the initial plan for a simple nikah, it grew into an arduous and exhausting experience for those involved.Documents on taklik and sighah for the procession were made and repeatedly reviewed. Satay minang recipes were googled and followed to the letter by the stressed cook for the ceremonious makan beradab. A simple altar was prepared for the two lovebirds ahead of the pivotal moment when everyone could let out a sigh of relief over the ijab kabul vowed with nervous breaths.My friend went through the same experience as other couples: the nervousness and excitement of anticipation, the stress of planning and the awkward glee of wording sentences to officiate the union.In spite of this, they did not conform to the general understanding of union and marriage.Looking back at the multiple instances of marriages which bred controversy and dismay among Malaysians, the opposition ranges in reasoning but comes down to the basic argument of conforming to societal norms, even when it comes to loving someone else.Does love need approval and consensus from the general audience that has nothing to do with the love itself? Is love exclusive to conformed norms? Is it justified for love to be a crime just for the sake of isolating the differences between people?Love as an act of faith under the perceiving nature of the object of belief has been the building block of oneness. Marriage is a union of love built on the basis of sharing experiences and commitment.The most basic way I have been perceiving marriage and union is as a clarification of a bond between those who love each other dearly. Thus, if there are two individuals who will themselves to love and care for each other, willingly commit and share responsibilities as well as the experience of being together through thick and thin, what more should we demand from them?If all the boxes that solidify a couple’s reasons for being together are checked, why is there still a need for them to seek approval from us for a relationship that is mutually exclusive to them?I know that people will have a hard time understanding a bond between two distinctive personalities, but love does not have to be limited by the differences between two people, and it does not have to conform to the concept of sameness to which we are accustomed.At the end of the day, it is still a bond, a union for the sake of love, witnessed by all who may perceive it, and the universe created by that bond that will stay in motion whether we approve of it or not.Maybe a discourse on unions for interfaith couples and sexual minorities is yet to come. Perhaps it will take years and countless debates for us Malaysians before we can inch towards readying ourselves to be open to such a concept. But there is no reason for love to be invalidated and dictated by our need for others to conform to our idea of a union in overcoming separateness.


Kremlin says Ukraine must accept 'realities' for there to be peace

Russia on Tuesday dismissed a reported three-step peace proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying Kyiv needed to accept new "realities".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said progress would not be possible without taking into account these realities, including Russia's capture of territories from Ukraine.
He was responding to a request by Zelensky to leaders from Group of Seven powers on Monday for more military equipment, support for financial and energy stability, and backing for a peace solution that would start with Russia withdrawing troops from Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly said it is willing to hold peace talks but that it does not see Ukraine and the West, which is supplying Kyiv with weapons, as ready to do so. Ukraine says Russia must halt its attacks and withdraw from all territory it has occupied.


5 Palestinians killed as Israel deploys helicopters in West Bank

Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank killed five Palestinians including a militant on Monday, in a raid that saw eight Israeli security personnel wounded and rare helicopter fire.
Palestinian authorities reported "intense gunfire" by Israeli forces in what the army described as "routine activity" in which an armoured vehicle was said to have been hit by a "dramatic" explosion.
The Palestinian health ministry said five people had been killed and at least 91 others were wounded in the violence.
It identified those killed as 15-year-old Ahmed Saqer, as well as Khaled Assassa, 21, Qais Jabareen, 21, Ahmad Daraghmeh, 19, and Qassam Abu Saria, 29.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed Abu Saria as a fighter for the militant group.
Among the injured was Palestinian journalist Hazem Nasser, who was hospitalised with a gunshot wound, according to the Palestinian journalists syndicate.
The sound of gunfire was heard across Jenin as wounded Palestinians continued to arrive by ambulance to the northern West Bank city's Ibn Sina hospital into the early afternoon, an AFP journalist said.
Crowds, among them Palestinian gunmen, gathered outside a government hospital in Jenin for the funerals of those killed in 11 hours of fighting.
Jenin's deputy governor, Kamal Abu al-Rub, told AFP the Israeli forces had launched the raid at around 4am (0100 GMT).
"The army stormed the (Jenin refugee) camp and the city after the dawn prayer in large numbers, and there was intense gunfire," he said.
Jenin camp resident Bassem Talib, 38, said he "woke up to the sounds of gunfire at 4.15 in the morning".
"The army targeted anything that moved... there is no safety," he said.
An AFP journalist at the scene said Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin at around 1510 (1210 GMT).
'Deteriorating situation'
The Israeli army said an armoured vehicle had been hit by a "very unusual and dramatic" explosive device at around 7.10am (0410 GMT), during "routine activity" to arrest two "wanted suspects" – one affiliated with Islamist movement Hamas and the other with Islamic Jihad.
"We had five Israeli border police guys wounded, and two soldiers also lightly wounded," army spokesman Richard Hecht said.
The army said an Apache helicopter had fired missiles in support of the soldiers during an operation to extract the injured.
A Palestinian intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity it was the first time since 2002 – during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising – that the Israeli army has fired missiles from an aircraft during a raid in Jenin.
United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said he was "extremely worried by the deteriorating situation".
"Unlawful killings of Palestinians by the Israeli security forces have increased, including apparent extrajudicial executions," he added.
Violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated over the past year, particularly since the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took power in December.
'Open war'
Hussein al-Sheikh, the Palestinian Authority's civil affairs minister, said a "fierce and open war is being waged against the Palestinian people".
Speaking as the raid unfolded, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "We will use all the tools at our disposal and strike terrorists wherever they may be."
The raid came as the US State Department's top Middle East official, Barbara Leaf, was in Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian leadership.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad chief Ziyad al-Nakhalah were also in Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders Monday.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War and its forces regularly launch incursions into Palestinian cities, which are nominally under the control of president Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority.
Later Monday, two Israeli soldiers were wounded after Palestinians rammed them at a checkpoint near Jenin, the army said.
"The soldiers responded with fire, hits were identified," a statement said.
The Palestinian health ministry said two Palestinians suffering gunshot wounds were being treated in a Jenin hospital, one of them in a critical condition.
Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp – which was besieged by the army in 2002 and saw deadly fighting – have frequently been the site of violent clashes.
In March, four Palestinians were killed during a raid on the camp.
Ten Palestinians were killed in another operation in the camp in January – at the time the deadliest single raid in the West Bank for 20 years. An incursion into Nablus the following month killed 11 Palestinians.
Since the start of the year, at least 164 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.
The figures include combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority.


Hold 1MDB trial in court, not media, Sri Ram tells Shafee

Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram today warned Najib Razak’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah against conducting a trial in the media over the former prime minister's RM2.3 billion 1MDB corruption case.
The former Federal Court judge told High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that the media statement made by Shafee yesterday amounted to an attack on the prosecution over claims that the prosecutors had suppressed evidence in the case.
"My Lord, there was a direct attack on the prosecution on behalf of the accused (Najib). He (Shafee) said that the prosecution failed to disclose the transactions. With respect, the accused must conduct his trial in court and not in the public. I cannot respond in public and is not proper for me to respond in public," he said.
He said the prosecution would have to apply to bar the defence from going to the press if they continued with such acts.
Yesterday, Shafee highlighted the inflow of funds into Najib's account in February and June 2011, amounting to about RM60.6 million (about US$20 million) from Saudi Prince Faisal Turki Al Saud. The defence claimed that funds were part of a gift to Najib from the former governor of Madinah province, Saud Abdulaziz Majid Al Saud.
The senior lawyer also said the prosecution had only highlighted the two transfer transactions, but did not highlight five other transfers into Najib's account between August 2011 and August 2012 which were allegedly from Prince Turki and Riyadh's finance ministry, amounting to about US$180 million.
Shafee also included letters from the former governor addressed to Najib, stating the different sums of donations made to the former prime minister.
During today’s proceedings, Sri Ram said that the same letters were presented in the SRC International trial and that the trial judge, along with the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court, had rejected the evidence.
"If they are going to rely on the same letter in the public domain, you can't say we (the prosecution) suppressed (the information), that is not relevant," he said, adding that his case was to prove that the 1MDB funds went into the accused’s account.
Another of Najib’s lawyers, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, interjected, saying that the SRC International case was a different matter and had nothing to do with the current trial.
"My Lord, Shafee will address the court on this matter tomorrow morning," he said, adding that Shafee was not in court today as he was unwell.
After hearing arguments by both parties, Sequerah said the court would wait for Shafee’s reply on the matter tomorrow.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues this afternoon.


Maszlee pulls out from Dr M’s bloc

Former education minister Maszlee Malik has pulled out from Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang bloc, following speculation over his absence as a signatory to a recent statement issued by the group.In a statement today, the Simpang Renggam MP announced his withdrawal as a member of Pejuang’s pro tem committee.He said he would instead focus on assisting those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and on education reforms in his capacity as an independent MP.“I believe efforts for change do not need power and positions only, but passion and opportunity,” he said.Questions were earlier raised over Maszlee’s absence as a signatory to a joint statement issued by a breakaway group of Bersatu MPs aligned with Mahathir calling for the contents of next year’s budget to be made available for MPs before they lend their support.The statement, issued by Mahathir, his son Mukhriz, Kubang Pasu MP Amiruddin Hamzah and Sri Gading MP Shahruddin Md Salleh, also backed a call by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan for parties not to contest the impending by-election in Batu Sapi, Sabah, for fear of triggering another Covid-19 cluster.Maszlee’s move came in the wake of a revelation by MalaysiaNow last month that the former education minister had submitted a statutory declaration in support of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to bring down the Perikatan Nasional government.The move was seen as further complicating his ties with Mahathir, who earlier this year urged Maszlee to resign as education minister, just two months before the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.In his statement today, Maszlee said his decision to leave the bloc was based on facts obtained through research and observations of the people’s aspirations.“I am confident that the people have grown nauseous with the game of power and politics by the elite politikus,” he said.“The people are in need of politicians who focus on supporting (them) and truly solving the adversities they currently face.”


Flight instructor killed in Ipoh plane crash

A flight instructor died while another was injured in a light aircraft crash at Jalan Dr Nazrin Shah, Sungai Rokam, Medan Gopeng in Ipoh last night.
The instructor was identified as Fajim Juffa Mustafa Kamal, 52, of Semenyih, Selangor, while the injured victim is Muhammad Din Fikri Zainal Abidin, 62, of Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the police received a call about the incident at about 8.10pm. An initial investigation found that the two flying instructors took off from a flying school located nearby.
"They were believed to be in the Piper 28 plane and the weather was fair during the incident.
"The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) will be conducting an investigation on the cause of the crash," he said when met by reporters at the location last night.
He said the injured victim and the body of Fajim Juffa were brought to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun for further action.
It was learned that flying company BATS Aviation has contacted the families of the victims involved in the incident.


NGOs to meet home ministry on changes to citizenship laws for abandoned children

NGOs will be meeting with the home ministry soon on the proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution involving the citizenship of abandoned children.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had told her about the matter yesterday. "I spoke with the minister (Saifuddin) and he was very responsive. I received a lot of responses from the NGOs. Since my ministry is responsible for looking after the welfare of children, I was asked to help with this.
"We still have time... I hope there will be new developments through the meeting session. I want the best to protect these children, thanks to the home minister," she told reporters in Seremban.


Banking on new blood to keep going

A crucial part of the country’s healthcare system has been running short of supplies since the movement control order (MCO) was first implemented in March last year to curb the spread of Covid-19.In 2019, the National Blood Centre was able to collect 199,721 bags of blood – just short of 200,000. Last year, though, that number dropped about 14% to 171,106 as movement restrictions and concerns over the virus which has so far claimed nearly 1,200 lives in the country kept many would-be donors at home.Dr Tun Maizura Mohd Fathullah, the centre’s first deputy director, said there had been an increase in blood donations since the conditional movement control order or CMCO was implemented following a drop in number of infections.But she said community involvement in the donation of blood to meet the needs of patients throughout the country remains low.“The practice of donating blood should be done consistently, every three or four months at least twice a year while ensuring consistent blood supply and safety,” she told MalaysiaNow.About 2,000 bags of blood are needed every day to help some 1,000 patients in hospitals across the country.Community involvement in the donation of blood to meet the needs of patients throughout the country remains low.Muhd Azim Ashaal, Leng, and Abdul Qayyum Manan Mustafa have been actively donating blood for several years now.They told MalaysiaNow that their goal is to help the National Blood Centre maintain a sufficient supply of blood to continue helping patients in need.“I want to donate because I am worried that a low supply could cause difficulties for patients,” Leng, 33, said.Civil servant Qayyum, who has been an active blood donor for five year, said he would like to donate plasma as well.“When I was told by the centre that we can also donate plasma, I thought it was time to get involved in that programme,” he said.Azim meanwhile sees blood donation as a charitable act. He said donating blood had also helped him switch to a healthy lifestyle and to quit smoking.“To donate blood, I need to take care of my health and eat iron-rich foods to maintain the quality of blood,” he said.A staff member at the inventory section of the National Blood Centre takes bags of donated blood to be given to hospitals in need.Maizura said many are aware of the importance of donating blood. Part of the problem is that there are still those who believe that donating blood will lead to sudden weight gain.This mindset is hard to change, even though the act of donating blood is believed to have existed since 1955 among British Red Cross volunteers, she said.She cited studies which show that donating blood can burn up to 650 calories depending on the amount of blood given.“Regular blood donation can also help maintain cardiovascular health and reduce blood clots and the accumulation of excess iron in the heart which is a risk factor for heart attacks,” she said.Other health benefits include a boost in the production of red blood cells, while donors are likely to maintain their fitness and increase productivity.


Ukrainian army defends female soldiers drilling in high heels

CNN is reporting that Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has defended its decision to train female soldiers to march in high heels, following an outcry from local lawmakers.Women’s units from the Ukrainian armed forces will march in a parade to mark the 30th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union on Aug 24.In preparation, they have been drilling twice a day and are progressing well, Major Eugene Balabushka said. He confirmed the plan for the women to wear high heels during the parade.Cadet Ivanna Medvid has been training for more than a month. She told Army Inform: “Today, for the first time, training takes place in high-heeled shoes. It’s a little harder than in boots, but we try.”The decision to march in high heels angered a number of lawmakers after local media picked up images published by the defence ministry.Elena Kondratyuk, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, joined members of parliament from the “Equal Opportunities” cross-party group to call on defence minister Andrei Taran to reevaluate the decision to have female soldiers wear heels while marching.“Shoes with heels are incompatible with the combat capability of soldiers, and a ‘Prussian’ step on a parade in such shoes is a deliberate harm to the health of soldiers,” reads their statement.There are 57,000 women serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, and the country is introducing Nato standards, under which the principle of equality of rights and obligations of servicemen, regardless of gender, applies unconditionally.In response to the criticism, the defence ministry uploaded a series of pictures to Facebook of female soldiers from other armies wearing high heels.But Stefanishina pointed out that while the armies of some Nato member countries do issue high heels to women as part of their dress uniform, they are not worn while marching in parades.Other countries are adjusting their female soldiers’ dress, too.In May, The US Army announced a change to its grooming policy, permitting female soldiers to wear ponytails, locs, lipstick, and earrings in all uniforms.And in March, for the first time ever, the Swiss army announced it was going to issue its female recruits women’s underwear, as the force looks to attract more women to its ranks.At present, Swiss female soldiers are traditionally issued with men’s underwear, but in future two different sets of women’s undergarments, for warmer and colder weather, will be tested and if successful issued.The army told CNN in a statement that “previous army equipment and uniforms were too little or not at all geared to the specific needs of women”.


Can Malaysia’s literature scene for children begin a new chapter?

Once upon a time, folk tales like Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, Pak Pandir and Si Tanggang were the stuff of everyday life for children who would gather around storytellers or read them for themselves at the local library.They would whistle the tune of songs like Rasa Sayang, Chan Mali Chan and Ikan Kekek, or drift off to sleep with these one-time favourites sung to them as lullabies.There was a time when bookstores were flooded with children’s books, each volume opening the door to another world filled with fantasy and wonder.Now, though, such tales are scarcely to be found. Television slots once reserved for storytelling sessions have been taken over by advertisements for online shopping, and the old songs are either forgotten or changed nearly beyond recognition to fit the hip new trends favoured by the modern youth.Bookstores no longer promote children’s books, and parents are less inclined to buy them anyway or to tell their children the same stories they were told so many years ago.While it may be tempting to blame digitalisation for the drop in interest, many children’s books are in fact available in e-format, making them even easier to access.Nursyuhaidah A Razak, a writer and activist at local literature movement Gerak Malaysia, said national laureates could play a major role in reigniting interest in children’s books.“The role of literature is to educate and enlighten the people,” she said.“In the context of children’s literature, larger themes like anti-corruption and even political awareness can be woven into stories.”But whether writers are ready to bridge the gap by doing so is another question, she added.Across the world, stories for children form an established branch of literature, with books like The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland and the Harry Potter series familiar household names.With translations of these and other childhood staples now readily available in many countries, access to such books is no longer constrained to a purely English readership.And in a world where borders make little difference to technology and digitalisation, perhaps translation holds the key to keeping children’s literature alive and well.Kiridaren Jayakumar, founder of publishing house The Biblio Press, said his decision to set up a subsidiary devoted to children’s books was based on his own love of the genre as a child.At that time, he said, the development of literature for children including translations from abroad was in full swing.“Books like this gave me a love for the Malay language and of reading,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Harry Potter aside, there were the books published by Oxford Fajar, and they also did books about the stories and tales of long ago.“Why should literature be something just for adults?”Biblio Kids is currently at the final stage of publishing some of the tales and legends of heroes from the Islamic tradition.Biblio Press itself recently translated The Little Prince, a short novel by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, into the Malay language.While business was initially slow for the company, things are now picking up.Kiridaren said several new titles are also expected to hit the market this year as a result of collaboration with local writers.“I personally feel that these books that have lasted throughout the years and the decades are very important for children to read,” he said.But he also fears that Malaysia’s literature scene for children is lagging far behind that of neighbouring countries like Indonesia.“If there are no books for them to read, we cannot blame them for turning to gadgets all the time,” he added.