Top editor of Israeli paper says Anwar's rise could present opportunity for ties with Malaysia

The top editor of an influential Israeli newspaper said Anwar Ibrahim's appointment as prime minister could signal a new chapter in the Jewish state's relationship with Malaysia, where every succeeding government has condemned Zionism and openly backed the Palestinian struggle.
Esther Solomon, chief editor of the English-language Haaretz, also compared Anwar to former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose open condemnation of Israeli policies at international forums had led to him being labelled an "anti-Semite".
"Unlike his predecessor [sic] Mahathir, Malaysia's new PM Anwar Ibrahim doesn't call himself a 'proud antisemite'; indeed, his foes slur him as an 'agent' of Jews and/or Christians.
"Israel would love closer ties with Kuala Lumpur. Could this be the opportunity?" she commented on Twitter as she shared a report by Haaretz on Anwar's appointment.
Her comments were met with a flurry of angry replies, mostly from Malaysians, although many consisted of one-liners claiming there was no such country as Israel, and remarks by some who felt that any diplomatic gestures to Israel would be political suicide for Anwar.
A long debate on Anwar's alleged ties with Israel was renewed during the recent general election campaign, when his rival in Tambun, Ahmad Faizal Azumu, challenged him to state that his party PKR was not infiltrated by Israeli elements.
This followed the arrest of a group of Malaysians said to have been hired by Israeli secret service Mossad to abduct a Palestinian computer programmer wanted by Israel in September.
Days after the suspects were charged in court with kidnapping, pictures on social media surfaced showing one of them, a Malaysian named Raibafie Amdan, waving the PKR flag in a photo taken a few years earlier.
PKR had then denied that he was a party member.
The incident brought back a controversial statement by Anwar when he was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal in 2012, in which he said he would "support all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel".
In an article on Anwar's recent appointment, Haaretz said his views showed that he was more open to establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
"This was a significant statement from a senior politician in a country whose passports state 'valid for all countries of the world, except Israel'," the paper said.
"Despite his mixed record, (Anwar) Ibrahim is certainly more open to Israel than the hard-line Mahathir, which could potentially provide an opening for Israel to improve relations to some degree."
But the paper warned that any initiative of the sort would have to take into account the fact that 61% of Malaysians "have expressed antisemitic views", citing a survey by Zionist interest group Anti-Defamation League.
It also said Iran's cordial ties with Malaysia would be a hurdle for any future ties with Israel.
"Western intelligence has suggested that the country has become a hub for Iranian activity, and it is one of the few countries in the world that Iranians can visit without a visa.
"A 2015 article in a Malaysian newspaper described the country as a 'bridge' between Iran and other countries. This may explain why Iranians have come to Malaysia in the thousands to study, and why some seek to stay on afterwards.
"Iran has very significant infrastructure in Malaysia," the paper quoted an Israeli official as saying. "There’s a very dangerous convergence there between Palestinian students and Iranian expertise."


Any winnable candidate welcome, PN says on Arau seat

Perikatan Nasional (PN) welcomes anyone who wants to support or join the coalition in the 15th general election (GE15), says deputy chairman Abdul Hadi Awang.
Hadi, who is also PAS president, said since Malaysian politics was quite dynamic, the doors were open to any prospective candidate capable of winning a seat for PN.
"The names of prospective candidates can change at any time before nomination day," he told reporters after the announcement of the PN candidates for Kedah parliamentary seats last night.
He said this in response to speculation that PN might offer to field Arau incumbent Shahidan Kassim who was dropped from the Barisan Nasional (BN) list of candidates.
Earlier yesterday, Perlis PN chairman Mohd Syukri Ramli was reported to have informed the PAS and PN leadership of Shahidan’s intention to defend the seat. PN has announced that it will contest 169 parliamentary in GE15, with Bersatu vying for 74 seats, PAS 64, Gerakan 20 and affiliated groups 11.
For state seats in Pahang, Perlis and Perak, PAS will contest 57 seats, Bersatu 41, Gerakan 14 and affiliated groups four.
The Election Commission has set Nov 5 for nomination, Nov 15 for early voting and Nov 19 for polling.


No thanks, PAS snubs offer of peace with Anwar

PAS has rejected DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang's suggestion for cooperation between the coalition government and the Islamist party ahead of the elections to be held in six states this year.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin said that the party remained firmly with opposition pact Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"We are committed to PN," he said.
"Lim should advise the Madani government and PM10 not to lie to the people and give empty promises," he added, referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Lim's offer of cooperation came amid apparent efforts by Anwar to reconcile with PAS through a meeting with central committee member Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz.
In a meeting last week, Anwar had voiced hope for good relations with PAS and its president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Lim, meanwhile, who was MP for Iskandar Puteri before his retirement from active politics, had suggested that PAS cooperate with the government on two conditions.
Firstly, he said, Hadi should cease hostilies against Anwar and prove his sincerity towards reconciliation.
He said Hadi should also promise not to hurl baseless accusations against DAP. If he agreed, Lim said, PAS should be invited to join the coalition government.
Lim said this step towards peace was also in line with the decree of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah that Malaysia should have political stability in order to become a progressive and prosperous nation.
"If Hadi can be an honest, responsible, and respected Muslim leader and he is willing to admit his mistakes in making these wild and absurd accusations, I don't see any reason why PAS cannot be invited to join the unity government," he said to reporters when attending the Unity Government Convention in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
PAS won 49 seats at the Nov 19 general election last year, the most of any single party.


Chinese port city near North Korea beefs up Covid controls

A key Chinese port city near the border with North Korea has launched regular Covid-19 testing for all 7.5 million inhabitants as its isolated neighbour grapples with a spiralling outbreak.China has stuck to a hardline, zero-Covid approach that has left the capital Beijing under a mosaic of restrictions and confined most of the 25 million residents of Shanghai to their homes for weeks.Across the border, impoverished, nuclear-armed North Korea has announced more than 1.7 million infections since last week, putting Chinese authorities on edge.Officials in Dalian – a port around 300km (190 miles) from North Korea – implemented a regular testing policy on Tuesday for all residents after logging a handful of cases in recent days.City authorities said men and women will be tested on separate days, sparking confusion.Authorities told state media that the gender-segregated testing would allow them to monitor the same household multiple times per week, seemingly assuming nuclear family units consisting of one man and one woman.“This is the first I’ve heard of splitting Covid tests by gender,” a social media user wrote on the Weibo platform.Men have been told to get tested on Tuesdays, and women on Thursdays with both then tested again on Saturdays.“Testing members of the family at different times will better help to… raise the sensitivity and timeliness of the tests,” a health official said at a press briefing this week.Other Chinese cities also tightened restrictions in the wake of North Korea’s blooming outbreak, with the northern port of Tianjin partly closing its subway system “in accordance with the needs of disease control”, state broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday.Residents in parts of the capital remain under work from home orders as the city reported 69 new local cases.There were a few signs of easing in Shanghai, where some locked-down residents mocked an announcement that the megacity had “achieved zero-Covid at the community level”, even as they remain stuck at home.After parts of Shanghai were doused in a haze of chemical disinfectant in recent weeks, a city official in charge of disinfection warned against “excessive” sterilisation.Zhu Renyi urged workers not to spray disinfectant on people, use drones to spritz outdoor areas or put sterilising tablets into the sewers.


Syed Saddiq slams govt for approving Najib’s RM100 million house

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today slammed the government for approving the expenditure of RM100 million on a house in an upscale area of Kuala Lumpur for former prime minister Najib Razak, asking how the decision could have been passed by the Cabinet.“This matter was approved by the Cabinet,” he said in a Twitter post.“Surely there was at least some objection to it when it was presented?! This government is more willing to sell the dignity of the country than help its own people.”MalaysiaNow previously reported that Najib had requested a “privilege” from the government in the form of a 2.8-acre residential property worth RM100 million in the capital city.The “privilege” to Najib would include the government surrendering the ownership of the premium land covering more than 120,000 square metres in Bukit Petaling, an exclusive hillock in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, as well as the construction of a bungalow on the site at a total cost of RM100 million.It is understood that Najib made a formal request to the government early this year following a site visit of the vacant land.MalaysiaNow also reported that the decision to approve Najib’s request did not sit well with some senior government officials and ministers who pointed to his corruption conviction, with indications that several ministers including from the Perikatan Nasional coalition as well as Umno leaders from the anti-Najib camp had opposed the move.The matter came up in the Dewan Rakyat today when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad asked why it was not explained in the 2022 budget, tabled at the end of last month.Syed Saddiq also questioned how Najib could have been given the house in light of his conviction on seven counts of corruption.“Embezzle billions in government funds and he can be given RM100 million! But when we ask for equal allocations, they say there is not enough money.”


North Korea’s Kim orders military to ‘stabilise’ drug supply amid Covid-19 outbreak

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided an emergency politburo meeting and ordered the military be used to stabilise the supply of medicines in Pyongyang as the country battles its first confirmed Covid-19 outbreak, state media reported on Monday.North Korea acknowledged for the first time last week that it is battling an “explosive” Covid-19 outbreak, with experts raising concerns that the virus could devastate a country with limited medical supplies and no vaccine programme.At the emergency politburo meeting, held on Sunday, Kim criticised the “irresponsible” work attitude and organising and executing ability of the Cabinet and the public health sector, state news agency KCNA reported.The government had ordered the distribution of its national medicine reserves but Kim said the drugs procured by the state are not reaching people in a timely and accurate manner through pharmacies, the report said.Kim ordered that the “powerful forces” of the army’s medical corps be deployed to “immediately stabilise the supply of medicines in Pyongyang City.”KCNA also reported that Kim visited pharmacies located near the Taedong River in Pyongyang to find out about the supply and sales of drugs.Kim said pharmacies are not well-equipped to perform their functions smoothly, there are no adequate drug storage areas other than the showcases, and the salespeople were not equipped with proper sanitary clothing.North Korea has said that a “large proportion” of the deaths so far have been due to people “careless in taking drugs due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of stealth Omicron variant virus infection disease and its correct treatment method.”The country reported 392,920 more people with fever symptoms, with eight new deaths, KCNA said.It did not report how many of those suspected cases had tested positive for Covid-19.


Thai Parliament to convene soon as poll body endorses election result

Thailand's poll body certified the results of last month's election on Monday, paving the way for the first session of Parliament in the next few weeks ahead of the formation of a new government.
The election commission said it had endorsed the winners of all 500 seats of the lower house, which must convene within 15 days to elect a speaker, who will then call for a joint session of the bicameral legislature to vote on a prime minister.
The progressive Move Forward party pulled off a stunning victory in the May 14 ballot, closely followed by the populist Pheu Thai party, as the opposition thrashed rivals allied with the royalist military after nine years of government led or backed by the army.
The opposition has formed an eight-party alliance that is expected to back Move Forward's Harvard-educated leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister and form a coalition government likely next month.
Though endorsement of the results clears up some of the uncertainty in the election aftermath in Thailand, it is far from clear whether Pita can muster enough support to become premier, which requires 376 votes from the combined upper and lower houses.
The alliance has control of 312 seats and will need to court votes from either rival parties or some of the 250 members of a conservative-leaning Senate, who were appointed under military rule after a 2014 coup.
The Move Forward victory included a near clean sweep of the capital Bangkok, riding on massive youth support for an anti-establishment platform that has put it on a collision course with conservatives, generals and an old-money business elite that have long controlled Thai politics.
Move Forward's alliance said it would meet on Thursday to agree on a speaker and deputy speakers.
Pita also has an election commission examination hanging over his bid for the top job, centred on whether he held shares in a media firm, which is prohibited under Thai law, and ran for office while knowingly unqualified.
He maintains the firm in question, iTV, is not an active media entity. If found guilty by a court, Pita faces a political ban of up to 20 years and even prison.


Relief and disbelief as Shanghai to start lifting Covid lockdown

Shanghai authorities on Tuesday began dismantling fences around housing compounds and ripping police tape off public squares and buildings, to the relief of the city’s 25 million residents, before a painful two-month lockdown is lifted at midnight.On Monday evening, some of the people allowed out of their compounds for brief walks took advantage of suspended traffic to congregate for a beer and icecream on deserted streets, but there was a sense of wariness and anxiety among residents.Most will be stuck indoors again until midnight, as they have been for the past two months under a ruthlessly enforced lockdown that has caused income losses, stress and despair to millions struggling to access food or get emergency healthcare.The prolonged isolation has fuelled public anger and rare protests inside Shanghai and battered the city’s manufacturing and export-heavy economy, disrupting supply chains in China and around the world, and slowing international trade.Life is set to return to something more like normal from Wednesday, when the passes issued by residential buildings for people to go out for a few hours will be scrapped, public transport will resume and residents can go back to work.“Now that I’m going back to work so suddenly, I feel a little nervous,” said resident Joseph Mak, who works in education. “It’s hard to believe it’s actually happening.”The easing of curbs applies only to those in low-risk areas, or about 22.5 million people. Residents will still have to wear masks and are discouraged from gathering.Dining inside restaurants remains banned. Shops can operate at 75% capacity. Gyms will reopen later.Residents will have to get Covid tests every 72 hours to take public transport and enter public venues. Tough quarantine is still in store for anyone testing positive and their close contacts.Lockdown-waryThe end of the lockdown brings relief, but is also met with apprehension.China is alone among major countries enforcing an uncompromising “zero Covid” policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks as soon as they occur at just about any cost.The highly-transmissible Omicron variant is prone to making comebacks and it remains to be seen if frequent testing can keep it under control.Todd Pearson, managing director of Camel Hospitality Group, which operates eight restaurants, four bars and three gyms in Shanghai and neighbouring Suzhou, is wary.His restaurants are only allowed to do deliveries, which amount for about 5% of revenue, not enough to pay salaries and rent. At least from midnight his workers who have been sleeping in the restaurants, stuck there due to the strict lockdown rules, can finally go home.“I’m hopeful that they will rush things along quickly to restart the economy,” Pearson said. “I just hope it’s not at the cost of more outbreaks. I’m not sure many businesses or the people could handle much more.”Economic activity in China has somewhat recovered in May from a dismal April as Covid curbs in major manufacturing hubs were gradually relaxed, although movement controls still depressed demand and restrained production.Factory activity was at a three-month high in May, but contracted from a year earlier.Shanghai’s new normalShanghai reported 31 cases for May 30, down from 67 a day earlier, all within controlled areas. The downtrend in cases could be noticed in many other cities in China, with new daily infections falling to 174 from 184, nationally.Other countries, which have decided to co-exist with the virus even as infections spread, are reporting tens of thousands of new cases daily.Once the Shanghai lockdown is lifted, life will still look very different in the city compared to those places.Some banking clerks said they will be required to wear full hazmat suits and face shields as they start facing the public from Wednesday.One banking worker, who only gave his surname as Qin, said he would take some basic supplies to work, in case a colleague tests positive and staff are required to isolate in the office.“I need to pack some clothes and supplies to leave at the office. Just in case,” Qin said.The lockdown has fuelled rare protests, with people at times banging pots and pans outside their windows to show their discontent with the strict measures, and many taking to social media to share frustrating interactions with authorities and other personal dramas caused by the restrictions.The public anger comes during a sensitive year for President Xi Jinping, who is widely expected to secure a precedent-breaking third leadership term this autumn.One complex on Tuesday hanged a Chinese flag for residents to take pictures with as they lined up for one more PCR test before the reopening.“It’s worth celebrating,” said one volunteer worker at the testing site, waving a small Chinese flag, who was more optimistic about Covid than those getting their noses swabbed. “Probably we won’t have it again in the rest of our lives.”


No more falling behind in classes as help brings enough gadgets for all

The family which could not afford enough personal devices for seven out of 14 children to follow their lessons through home-based learning can now breathe a sigh of relief as some much-needed help has arrived, easing the burden on them all.MalaysiaNow previously reported about Shaifol Bahri Mustaffa Kamalluddin and Norilla Mustafa Albakri, who live in a low-cost flat in Seri Semarak, Kuala Lumpur with their 10 children and four grandchildren.Due to their financial constraints, they were unable to afford enough gadgets for the five children and two grandchildren currently attending classes online under the movement control order.After learning of their situation, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin contributed six tablets, a WiFi modem and some kitchen necessities.Norilla, 49, said she was grateful for the help she and her family had received.“There is nothing I can say other than to give my endless thanks to those who helped us,” she told MalaysiaNow.“With the assistance we received, we can afford to spend some on kitchen equipment as the children want to eat the yong tau foo that is sold at night markets,” she said, adding that they had been trying to save ever since the MCO was implemented as their household income was also affected.Zuraida, who was represented by her political secretary Nor Hizwan Ahmad, expressed her desire to provide furniture as well, such as a sofa and table.But Norilla said while she was grateful for the offer, she had been forced to decline as there was no space for extra furniture in the tiny flat.“We use the living room as our bedroom as there are so many of us,” she told MalaysiaNow.Shaifol, 52, used to work at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur but when his salary was slashed by 60%, it became much more difficult for him to provide for his family.Now, they depend on his monthly income of less than RM1,400.The money must stretch to cover household essentials for all 16 of them.Norilla, meanwhile, does her best to help by making kuih and snacks to sell to those in the neighbourhood.


Daily caseload below 2,900 as death toll up by 9

Another 2,882 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,946,583.
There were 4,730 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,878,828.
There are now 31,209 active cases, of which 29,345 or 94% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,780 (5.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 84 are in ICU with 62 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another nine deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,546.


Frustrated foreign residents in Japan desperate for jabs

As the pandemic surges again with no shots in sight for most, Japan’s snail’s pace Covid-19 inoculation drive is prompting some foreign residents to consider flying to other countries to get vaccinated.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga negotiated with the CEO of Pfizer on Saturday to secure more vaccine doses, now expected to be enough for all residents by September, but that’s well after the scheduled start of the Tokyo Olympics and far behind the pace of most major economies.Japan only started vaccinating its sizable elderly population this month and health experts say it may take till winter or longer for most of the general population to get access to the shots.In total, Japan has vaccinated about 1% of its population, compared with nearly 3% in South Korea, which started later, and at least 40% in both the US and Britain, according to a Reuters tracker.It’s unclear how many foreigners are flying out of Japan to get their jabs but it is a hot topic on social media and in business circles.“I can confirm having heard of executives going to their home countries for vaccines,” said Michael Mroczek, president of the European Business Council in Japan, adding the number doing so is limited because of the need to quarantine when arriving back in Japan.Japan bars tourists from entering the country, and it’s no easy matter for residents to get vaccinated overseas and come back.A two-dose regimen would take at least a couple of weeks, often longer, and Japan operates a two-week quarantine for people coming into the country, even if they have been vaccinated.“If you would like to go back to your home country for inoculation, that’s fine with us,” Japan’s vaccine chief Taro Kono said on Friday. “Some countries have a higher rate of Covid-19, so you could consider which is safer for your health.”Japan’s top health experts say the Covid-19 pandemic has entered a fourth wave.Quasi-emergency measures have been imposed in 10 prefectures and the western metropolis of Osaka requested a full emergency declaration on Tuesday amid a rebound in cases driven by mutant variants of the virus. Tokyo may follow later in the week with a similar request, local media said.American Lauren Jubelt, who works in digital marketing in Osaka, thought about going home to Florida to get her shots, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk of perhaps getting trapped overseas if Japan shuts its borders.“I’m frustrated when I see my family in the US get their vaccine,” she said.“We don’t even have a solid date when we can get it here and cases are on the rise again.”


Ex-TNB president Amir Hamzah appointed as EPF chief

Former Tenaga Nasional Bhd president Amir Hamzah Azizan has been appointed as CEO of retirement fund EPF effective March 1, taking over from Tunku Alizakri Alias who had held the position since Aug 20, 2018.Amir, who has more than 25 years of corporate experience, began his career with the Shell Group of Companies before serving as CEO for MISC Bhd, Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Petronas Lubricants International, Icon Offshore Bhd and Themed Attractions Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd.EPF chairman Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir in a statement congratulated Amir on his appointment.“With his broad corporate experience, we are looking forward to his dynamic and focused leadership to lead the fund through this complex and challenging period of the EPF’s history,” he said.Adding that Tunku Alizakri would continue in public service “in a different capacity”, he thanked him for his service, saying Tunku Alizakri’s vision, drive and commitment was evident in the fund’s drive towards digital acceleration and operational efficiency, among others.


Cops on the hunt for bitcoin mining culprit behind RM9 million losses for TNB

Police in Melaka are hunting for a man believed to be the main culprit behind a bitcoin currency mining syndicate in the state which has caused Tenaga Nasional Bhd to suffer losses of about RM9 million since February 2019.Melaka police chief Abdul Majid Mohd Ali said Tan Joe Pheng, 26, was wanted for actively running bitcoin mining activities at 18 premises in the state.“I urge members of the public who have information about the suspect to inform the police. The suspect is also urged to surrender to the nearest police station,” he said at a press conference today.Majid said the man was wanted to assist in further investigations under Section 379 of the Penal Code (KK)/37 (1) of the Electricity Supply Act 1990 which provides for up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding RM 1 million.He said police also detained six individuals, aged 29 to 39, including a man and a woman who are believed to be siblings of the mastermind, who had acted as the accountant and manager of the bitcoin mining activities.All six, including an Indonesian man, were detained separately around Melaka and Selangor on March 16 and 17.Majid said police had raided six premises, two each in Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin, at which the activities were carried out. They also seized 317 bitcoin mining machines and various other pieces of equipment as well as 38 keys believed to be to the premises around Melaka.In a separate development, he said four men aged 25 to 60 were arrested in four cases involving setting fire and 17 cases of pouring paint on victims of unlicensed money lenders or “Ah Longs” since 2019.He said the men were paid between RM200 and RM300 to spray paint and RM500 to set on fire the houses of borrowers who failed to make loan payments, as well as their neighbours with the intention of defaming the borrowers.“All of the men were arrested separately around the Melaka Tengah district on March 10 and the various items used to commit the offences were also seized.“The investigation found that all of the suspects arrested were hired by an ‘Ah Long’ who operates in Johor online via Facebook and WhatsApp. Even the communications and payment transactions between them were done virtually,” he said.He said the case is being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code.


GPS’ Karim to defend Asajaya seat in 4-way fight

Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah will be contesting against three other candidates in his bid to defend the Asajaya seat in the state election on Dec 18.Karim from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) who has won the seat four times since 2001 will be challenged by Ishak Buji from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Mohamad Mahdeen Saharuddin of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and PKR’s Mahmud Ipah.Their names were announced by returning officer for Asajaya Rais Ahmad after nominations at SMK Asajaya No.2 closed at 10am.In the 11th state election Karim, the former Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu vice-president, contested on a Barisan Nasional-PBB ticket and defeated Abang Junaidi Abang Gom (PKR) with a 6,163 majority in a straight fight.


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Understanding the ‘cost’ of suspending loan repayments

Many Malaysians appear to be in the dark over the concept of bank loan moratoriums despite the government introducing such initiatives several times since the onset of the pandemic early last year, to cushion the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis.The latest moratorium, announced by then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin in June, entailed an unconditional six-month freeze on bank loan repayments for all income groups, from the B40 to the T20.Announcements on Bursa Malaysia have shown many banks recording a more encouraging financial performance for the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year.Maybank, for example, posted an increase of 45.57% to RM4.35 billion as of June 30 from RM2.99 billion recorded last year.CIMB meanwhile saw a four-fold increase, leaping to RM3.54 billion from RM785 million, while Public Bank rose from RM2.33 billion to RM2.91 billion.This led to calls by some for the elimination of accrued interest, which they said would burden those who opted for the moratorium.Proponents of the move refer to Bank Negara Malaysia’s explanation that through assistance for loan repayments, the cost of borrowing will increase overall as interest or profit will still be taken into account for the outstanding loan repayment.Bank Islam Malaysia chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said such calls might be driven by confusion over the concept of moratoriums and the meaning of accrued interest.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said many view accrued interest as an additional charge when it is in fact the income of the bank that cannot be collected during the moratorium period.“We need to understand that a banking company is also a business. There will be costs and profits.“Costs can be said to be principal loans, and profits are benefits,” he said.If there is accrued interest, he said, it will be collected by the bank first.“The implication is that when the loan period expires, there will be a principal loan balance.”Afzanizam said the size of the principal loan balance depends on the loan period and amount, as well as how much moratorium is taken by the borrower.“The more moratorium is taken, the higher the principal loan balance. If paid in a lump sum, it will be a large amount,” he said.“This is why banks extend loan periods, so that borrowers are not burdened with payments.”In addition, he said, moratoriums are only to defer payment.Afzanizam said the price agreed on is the principal loan amount combined with the interest on the loan contract signed by the borrower.Asked his view on whether moratoriums were likely to be given again in the future, Afzanizam said they would likely be given through a targeted approach.“If there is another moratorium after December, it might be given on a targeted basis,” he said.“Even though the economy will increasingly rally through the achievement of herd immunity targeted for October, it will take time to fully recover.”


Shouting match in Dewan as MPs trade barbs after 'monkey' remark

The Dewan Rakyat session today turned rowdy after Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan was accused of acting "like a monkey in the forest" by Arau MP Shahidan Kassim.
Shahidan had said that his debate on the Supply Bill 2023 was repeatedly interrupted by Sany who did not ask for leave to intervene.
"I feel sorry for Hulu Langat whose behaviour is worse than that of a monkey in the forest," he said at the end of his speech.
Sany repeatedly called for Shahidan to retract his remark.
"Using the word 'monkey'," he added. "Those who have been here for a long time should set an example. I ask that he retract his statement.
"Even I don't use vulgar words anymore."
Parit Buntar MP Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki then stood to reprimand Sany, and was told not to interfere as the matter was between him and Shahidan.
"Right now, I am not satisfied with Arau. Not Parit Buntar. This is between me and Arau.
"Speak nicely. I don't use inappropriate words. Ask Arau to take it back," Sany said.
Speaker Johari Abdul however only intervened after he was asked to do so.
"I want to see how many people are going to shout," Johari said. "Because the people are making their own judgments.
"Please continue, the people are watching."
The situation eventually subsided after Johari asked Shahidan to repeat his statement for clarity.
"I said don't behave like a monkey in the forest," Shahidan said.


Think outside of the box, teachers urged as Covid-19 shuts schools again

As parts of the country revert to various stages of lockdown amid spikes in daily Covid-19 numbers, an academic has urged educators to think outside of the box in coming up with innovative ways to continue teaching despite the frequent disruptions to school sessions.Teo Kok Seong from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said this could be done through the use of communicative technology or even through conventional methods such as maintaining some form of direct contact with students.“It could also come in other physical forms, such as delivering lesson materials directly to students and retrieving those assignments,” Teo, a member of the Malaysian Education Development Plan Committee, told MalaysiaNow.Earlier this week, the government said 298 schools in the Petaling district would be ordered to close until Oct 25 as the area had become a red zone for Covid-19 infections.This came a day before the announcement that Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah would be placed under conditional movement control order (CMCO) due to their increase in positive cases.Labuan has since been placed under CMCO as well, with all schools closed until the end of the month.Tens of thousands of students were forced to return to virtual classrooms, and while Teo acknowledges that online sessions are the best method to use during the pandemic period, he said educators could not rely solely on it.“The most important thing now is that education should continue to be provided, even though conditions are unconducive.”Although activities such as delivering lesson materials to students would burden schools, he maintained that this was the best way to innovate learning as not all students had access to internet facilities or devices.The Covid-19 virus, first detected in Malaysia early this year, has wreaked havoc on the economy as well as society, bringing normal daily routines such as going to work and school to a halt.But Teo said it would be useless if teachers only worried about the impact of the pandemic on education without being willing to make sacrifices as well.He told MalaysiaNow that educators, too, were considered frontline workers who would have to combat the virus in their particular sector.“The most important thing now is that education should continue to be provided, even though conditions are unconducive.”Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said several issues need to be tackled in order to ensure that standards are still met in spite of the pandemic.For one, she said, the government should allocate funds through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to ensure adequate and accessible internet connection throughout the country.The next would be to ensure that students at all levels have the necessary devices to participate in the online learning process.“Who can bear the expense of the devices for those who can’t afford them?” she said.But most importantly, she said, focus should be given to the teaching of core subjects, with twice the amount of class time devoted to these.“Meanwhile, other teachers need to assist those who are handling core subjects,” she said.


‘Uncle Kentang’ apologises to cops over FB post on RM10,000 compound

Social activist Kuan Chee Heng has apologised to the police over a Facebook post on a RM10,000 compound issued to a third party which turned out to be false.Ipoh district police chief A Asmadi Abdul Aziz said they had received a letter of apology from Kuan, better known as “Uncle Kentang”.“He (Kuan) clarified that he had received information from the mother of the individual who was said to have been issued a RM10,000 compound fine and hoped that the police could assist. But investigations found the claim to be untrue.“The individual was only trying to dupe his mother to avoid sending her money,” he said when met by reporters after attending an event today.The post, uploaded on Kuan’s Facebook, was also shared on the account of former prime minister Najib Razak and received much public attention.The post said that a compound for flouting conditional movement control order (CMCO) SOPs was issued in Kampung Rapat, Ipoh, on March 14.It claimed that an assistant cook was issued a RM10,000 compound after he stepped out of the back door of a restaurant for a smoke, and that he could not send money to his mother because his salary was being deducted by the restaurant which had settled it.However, A Asmadi said checks had found that no such compound was issued by the CMCO SOP inspection team in the district.He said the police were keeping an open mind about the letter of apology but urged the public not to make matters that are untrue viral, saying this would have a negative impact on the police and affect their commitment to giving their best.


Up to party, Azmin says on contesting Selangor polls

Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Mohamed Azmin Ali says he will contest the state election to come if directed to do so, adding however that he would prefer a break from politics.
The former Selangor menteri besar said his decision was made six months ago, after the 15th general election (GE15), as he had represented the people since 1999.
"This is quite a long period of time, and I believe PN now has young candidates with potential, who are able to carry out its policies and ideals," he told reporters at the PN Aidilfitri open house in Shah Alam last night.
Azmin was first appointed as an assemblyman in 1999, serving in Hulu Kelang until 2004.
He subsequently became the representative for Bukit Antarabangsa, a post he continued to hold after losing his parliamentary seat of Gombak at the Nov 19 polls.
On his defeat to Amirudin Shari in the five-way contest, Azmin said the situation would not necessarily happen again.
He said the situation at GE15 had been different as he had faced not just Amirudin but the entire machinery of Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the national level.
Describing this as a plan to kill off his political career, he said he had come to terms with his loss.
He said those who had supported PH in Gombak had begun to complain about the failure of their leaders to carry out their tasks.
"It is as though the leaders at the bottom have become yes-men without principles and too afraid to say anything to those above," he said.
"This has become a source of complaint."
Azmin also said he was confident that a big shift would take place in Selangor at the election to come.
He said the federal government had failed to resolve many of the issues faced by the people since coming to power.
"The government talks a lot but has never explained its approach to solving these problems," he said.
"Under Muhyiddin Yassin and PN, during tough times we succeeded in taking care of the economy and speeding up the recovery process.
"Many people in Selangor are well educated and from the middle-income group. They know what is happening, and we hope that they will give PN a chance."


Half a million face flood evacuation as Sydney braces for more heavy rains

Australian authorities on Thursday issued fresh evacuation orders for thousands of Sydney residents after heavy rains triggered flash flooding in Australia’s largest city, with officials warning of worse to come.The country’s east coast has been battered by a severe weather system that has cut off entire towns and submerged hundreds of homes and farms as it has moved south from Queensland state over the past week. Parts of Sydney and some neighbouring regions are forecast to get a month’s rainfall on Thursday.“We do believe that things will get worse before they get better,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said during a media briefing on Thursday, as he flagged some half a million people in the state would be affected by evacuation orders and warnings.“Many people are waking up today to see much of our state under water. It has been an incredibly difficult evening.” Tens of thousands of Sydney residents were ordered to evacuate in the middle of the night on Wednesday.Perrottet said the floods would likely be worse in many places than last year’s, which were the worst in 60 years.Some areas on the city’s west received around 100mm (4 inches) of rain over the last 24 hours and the weather bureau says more is on the way with some places to get up to 200mm on Thursday. March’s mean rainfall in Sydney, home to more than 5 million people, is around 140mm.“If you are asked to leave your home, please do so, please do not put yourself or your family at risk,” New South Wales Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cooke said. Emergency crews had received more than 1,400 calls in Sydney and conducted dozens of flood rescues.The second year of flooding comes as the La Nina weather pattern, typically associated with increased rainfall, has dominated Australia’s east coast summer. Rivers and catchments were already near capacity before the latest drenching after steady rains over the last few weeks.


Petrol subsidies based on JPJ data won't work, say experts

Automotive experts have panned the government's suggestion to subsidise RON95 petrol according to data from the Road Transport Department (JPJ), saying this assumes that vehicles with large engines are a sign of wealth.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Hezeri Samsuri said luxury cars were now being produced with smaller engine capacities than a Naza Ria MPV.
"These days, the automotive world has to comply with strict carbon emission controls," he said.
"Engines are getting smaller, even for supercars, which is why the world is turning towards electric vehicles."
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahudin Ayub had proposed the provision of targeted subsidies according to vehicle type.
Speaking after talks with the finance ministry on the mechanism for subsidies, he said the JPJ database could be used to identify the horsepower of cars eligible for subsidised RON95 fuel.
Petrol, diesel and gas subsidies are among the country's highest expenditures, amounting to some RM13.2 billion this year.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had said that subsidies should be given in a targeted manner instead of being enjoyed by the rich.
Hezeri, who operates the Careta.my website, said leading carmakers around the world were moving towards the production of small-capacity, yet powerful, engines.
"A small turbo engine can produce exhaust fumes with only a low amount of carbon," he said.
"It has nothing to do with our road tax or fuel prices."
Economic analyst Ahmed Razman Abdul meanwhile said that information on vehicles' engine power could help.
However, he said this should be supplemented by data on cash aid recipients and information from the Inland Revenue Board.
"There are some from the B40 income bracket who buy used cars with large engine capacities at a low price," he said.
A Mercedes Benz E200 or W210 made in 2000, for example, can be bought for under RM10,000 with spare parts available for cheap.
Hezeri said existing data could be used, with cash payments given to those who are eligible.
Fuel prices meanwhile could be entirely floated except for public transport and industries that deserve to be helped.
He said the monitoring aspect would likely run into problems as well, as subsidies based on engine capacity or horsepower will see many modifying their vehicle engines.
"At petrol stations, who is going to check how much a car's engine capacity is?" he said.


UK PM speeds up plan to end Covid self-isolation rule

People in England with Covid-19 will from late February no longer be legally required to self-isolate to stem the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, proposing to speed up existing plans to live with the virus.Johnson ended almost all Covid-19 restrictions in England last July, and last month lifted “Plan B” measures that had been temporarily imposed to slow the spread of the more recent Omicron variant of the coronavirus.He has said he wishes to go further as part of the shift towards learning to live with Covid, and England is set to become the first major economy to replace legal requirements for people to self-isolate with guidance.“It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid,” Johnson told lawmakers. Parliament returns on Feb 21.“Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last remaining domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive, a full month early.”The rule is currently due to lapse on March 24, and Johnson had previously said that he would look to bring the end of the requirement forward if he could.Britain is also dropping the requirement for vaccinated travellers arriving in the country to take a Covid test from this Friday. Johnson’s spokesman said that remaining travel restrictions would also be addressed on Feb 21.Johnson is under intense pressure over boozy parties held at his Downing Street office and residence, which are being investigated by police for allegedly breaching Covid lockdown rules.Some lawmakers in his Conservative Party are vocal critics of Covid restrictions, saying the measures are unnecessary and would not be indefinitely tolerated by the people.Britain has recorded nearly 160,000 deaths from Covid-19 over the past two years, and Johnson has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic.While vaccines and Omicron’s reduced severity have largely broken the link between infections and deaths, some scientists raised concern over the prospect of scrapping the self-isolation requirement while cases still average around 60,000 each day and the possibility that new, more deadly variants could emerge.“There is no way dropping self-isolation can be described as sensible public health policy,” said Aris Katzourakis, evolutionary virologist at the University of Oxford.


We can’t continue like this, Khairy tells Umno

Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin has backed calls for party elections as a way out of the current quagmire where top party leaders have been debating on forging future alliances at the next polls.In an online post, the former Umno Youth leader said Umno could only contest the next general election under a leadership that has a clear mandate and which enjoys the people’s support.“Expedite party elections. Do the right thing, Supreme Council. You know we cannot continue like this,” he said in an Instagram post.Khairy’s call is seen as in line with that of fellow party member in the Cabinet, Annuar Musa, who said holding a party election would be the best way to chart Umno’s course ahead of the 15th general election.“This is because the leadership must receive the grassroots’ mandate before any election,” he said on a talk show.“As for now, the president has come up with an idea to go solo in GE15. The best way is for not just the state liaison chairman to decide, but also the members,” Annuar had said as delegates gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the general assembly last weekend.The general assembly saw party leaders falling in line with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call to cut ties with Bersatu and the Perikatan Nasional bloc.Zahid and former leader Najib Razak have been at the forefront of attacks against the government despite Umno leaders occupying key ministerial posts.The last time Umno postponed party polls was in 2018 before the general election that year which saw its fall from federal power.Polls were then held on June 30, 2018, at which Zahid defeated Khairy and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the president’s post.Zahid later took “garden leave” after being slapped with multiple corruption charges, although he returned to the top post after six months.


Ukraine detains two over destruction of world's largest plane

Ukraine's SBU security service said Friday it has detained two former aerospace officials over the destruction of the world's largest plane, the Antonov-225 cargo plane, soon after the Russian invasion.
With an 88m wingspan, the unique Antonov An-225 plane named "Mriya", which means "dream" in Ukrainian, was destroyed last year during attacks on the Gostomel Airport near Kyiv, where it was parked in a hangar.
The airport saw fierce fighting soon after the start of the invasion on Feb 24, 2022 as Russia attempted to seize the hub and use it to airlift armaments to Kyiv.
The Mriya plane was destroyed in the first days of Moscow's invasion. It had been used to fly in medical equipment from China during the pandemic in 2020.
The SBU accuses top officials at Antonov defence company, the plane's manufacturer, of preventing Ukrainian forces from protecting the airfield ahead of the invasion.
"According to the investigation, on the eve of the full-scale invasion, the officials did not allow the National Guard of Ukraine to enter the territory of the Gostomel airport to prepare for its defence," the SBU said in a statement.
The SBU said Antonov officials in January and February banned the Ukrainian military from building defensive fortifications on the airfield and barred them from entry.
A former deputy director general of Antonov state enterprise "is currently hiding from justice", the SBU said, while the two other accused – the ex-director general and head of the aviation security unit – have been detained.
They face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on a charge of obstructing the lawful activity of Ukraine's armed forces.


Ripped jeans may be the undoing of Indian society, says senior lawmaker

Ripped jeans both cause and are symptomatic of moral turpitude in India, and parents should not allow their children, especially girls, to wear them.So said Tirath Singh Rawat, the newly appointed chief minister of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand at a workshop organised by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.The chief minister blamed “societal breakdown” on denim and chastised Indians for “running towards nudity”. He claimed that “while people in India were wearing ripped jeans, those abroad were covering their bodies properly and doing yoga”.Rawat’s comments attracted widespread condemnation throughout India.The head of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, tweeted accusing Rawat of “propagating misogyny”.On Thursday, senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a colleague “showing their knees”.Rawat’s remarks sparked a Twitter storm with thousands of Indian women sharing photos of themselves wearing ripped jeans.Many tweeted that Rawat should worry about more important matters like “ripped economy” and “women’s safety”.The opposition Congress party issued a statement telling him to “apologise to all Indian women” or resign.On Friday, Rawat did offer an apology, saying everyone was free to wear what they choose.The Uttarakhand chief minister is not the only Indian male with clothing advice for India’s women. In 2014, legendary singer KJ Yesudas was criticised for saying women should not wear jeans as it was “against Indian culture” and provoked “undesirable” behaviour.Clothing restrictions, especially for women and girls, are routinely reported from rural India, steeped in patriarchy.Last week, a village caste council in Uttar Pradesh state said women in jeans and skirts would be socially boycotted.A decade ago, a caste council in Uttar Pradesh banned girls from using mobile phones and wearing jeans.In the past few years, ripped jeans have become hugely popular and everyone from Bollywood stars to ordinary Indians wears them.Fashion designer Anand Bhushan, says, “For the young, they are about looking cool and fitting in with the fashionable crowd. For their parents and grandparents, it is incomprehensible why their children would wear torn clothes.”Activists say it’s one thing for parents to frown upon their children’s sartorial choices but it’s an entirely different issue when public authorities start banning clothes.“It’s an attempt to control women,” says Bhushan. “They offer the same tired arguments that jeans are not part of our culture, that they come from the West.”Rawat’s criticism of ripped jeans has had at least one unintended consequence: it has prompted some women to try them for the first time.Mumbai-based Viji Venkatesh said Rawat’s “ridiculous and offensive” comments made her cut holes in a good pair of jeans.“I’m 69 years old and generally wear saris. I had also always wondered why kids would wear shredded jeans,” she said. “But I was so angered by Rawat’s anti-women remarks that I made holes in a pair and posted a photo wearing them on Twitter.”Her verdict? “They are really comfortable on my knees and they still look pretty good.”She adds that what women wear is nobody’s business but their own.“It’s not Rawat’s concern. He should be worried about melting glaciers in Uttarakhand and other environmental issues that the state is facing and not about what women are wearing.”


Syed Saddiq gets temporary release of passport for Switzerland, South Korea trips

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the temporary release of Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's passport to enable him to attend two international conferences in Switzerland and South Korea next month.
Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid allowed the passport to be returned after hearing the submissions by lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, representing the Muar MP, 30, and deputy public prosecutor Mohd 'Afif Ali.
Azhar ordered the Muda president to return his passport to the court on May 20.
Earlier, Lim told the court that the prosecution did not object to his client's application, which was confirmed by 'Afif.
Based on the affidavit, Syed Saddiq applied for the temporary release of his passport to go to Switzerland on May 1 to attend an international drug policy conference and return to Malaysia on May 6.
On May 15, he is to go to South Korea to speak at the 2023 Asian Leadership Conference organised by the Center for Asia Leadership and is scheduled to return on May 19.
According to Syed Saddiq, he needed the passport early as he has to apply for a visa to visit the two countries, which would take time.
On Oct 28 last year, Syed Saddiq was ordered to enter his defence on four charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of property, and money laundering after the prosecution was able to prove a prima facie case against him at the end of its case.
The former youth and sports minister testified in his defence for two days from Feb 22 this year, and five other individuals also gave evidence as defence witnesses, including former Bersatu Youth information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin and Syed Saddiq's former special officer Mohamed Amshar Aziz and former private secretary Siti Nurul Hidayah.
Azhar will deliver his judgment on a date yet to be fixed.
Syed Saddiq is charged with abetting Rafiq Hakim, who was entrusted with RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing, to commit a criminal breach of trust by misappropriating the funds at CIMB Bank Bhd in Menara CIMB KL Sentral on March 6, 2020.
The Johor Bahru-born Syed Saddiq is also charged with misappropriating RM120,000 from the bank account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking Bhd in Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.
He also faces two counts of money laundering involving two transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, transferred from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru on June 16 and 19, 2018.


Consumers didn't buy air tickets to kiss their money good-bye

I refer to the article dated July 13, 2022 titled "Hope fades for AirAsia X passengers waiting ticket refunds".
How disgraceful the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) is by deceptively continuing to urge all parties to respect and abide by the decision of the courts, in a statement which may dash the hopes of AirAsia X (AAX) passengers who have been waiting to be refunded for flights cancelled as far back as 2020.
Many local and international passengers whose requests for a refund were rejected by AAX and Mavcom are still waiting to receive their money back, and this was the case even before the company underwent its debt restructuring process.
In truth, it is Mavcom's stance and the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) 2016, particularly Paragraphs 7A (1) and 12(5), that fail to protect consumers' rights and instead protect the airlines even after the amendment in 2019.
In fact, it is the root cause of the public outcry over the apparent discrepancies in AAX's refund policy under unprecedented circumstances.
That’s why Mavcom is often described as “toothless” for failing to act against AAX and instead allowing the company to ignore the rights of consumers. This is wrong – AAX should return its passengers’ money.
Based on its website, Mavcom's stance on refund request is:
(1) For any voluntary flight cancellation by consumers who buy a non-refundable ticket, the consumers are entitled to a refund only on the airport tax or government-imposed taxes minus 5% processing fee within 30 days.
(2) For any flight cancellation by the airlines under all circumstances, the consumers are subjected to the respective airline's refund policy. The request for a refund in the original mode of payment will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis. This is a commercial decision by the airline, taking into consideration that the cancellation of the flight was beyond the airlines’ control.
On the other hand, how come the airlines are not obliged to refund if the voluntary cancellation of the flight was beyond the consumers' control due to personal reasons such as being sick?
Mavcom fails to understand that the refund policy is not merely a commercial decision by the airline but rather about protecting the consumers' rights.
There is no cost to the airlines since the journeys have not been performed. So why refuse a refund?
Instead, the airlines should be ethical enough to allow consumers a refund with an option for credits or vouchers.
Accordingly, Mavcom's stance to allow airlines to decide on their own refund policy is unacceptable.
Obviously, it is unfair and deceptive that an operating airline should not be obliged to refund under all circumstances but the consumers are not entitled to a refund even under extraordinary circumstances.
Considering the public outcry and in the interest of doing the right thing, it is critical for Mavcom to reject the assertions that airlines are not required to refund a passenger’s fare when a flight is cancelled under unprecedented circumstances due to the following reasons:
(1) It is manifestly unfair and deceptive for an airline to fail to provide the flight service contracted for and then refuse to provide a refund if the passenger finds the offered rerouting unacceptable and he or she no longer wishes to travel;
(2) The focus is not on whether the flight disruptions are within or outside the airline’s control or whether the ticket is a refundable ticket or a non-refundable ticket, but rather on the fact that the cancellation is through no fault of the passenger;
(3) The term "non-refundable ticket" is not even defined under the MACPC and purely a commercial strategy and thus should not be used as a basis to refuse a refund; and
(4) In the event that an airline prefers to issue credit or vouchers for future travel in lieu of cash refunds, it is only fair for the airline to notify passengers that they have the option of a refund.
If Mavcom's stance remains the same, it can rest assured that the MACPC will continue to fail to protect the consumers' right to a refund when airlines cancel flights.
Based on the feedback from many affected international passengers, AAX’s refund policy has brought a bad reputation to Malaysia.
Mavcom urgently needs to revamp its flawed consumer protection code, not make announcements, stances and statements that are full of hot air.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Florida gunman kills 4 including baby, wounds 11-year-old girl

A self-described survivalist in body armour shot and killed four people, including a woman and her three-month-old baby boy in her arms, before surrendering to police in central Florida on Sunday, officials said.The shooter, identified as Bryan Riley, 33, a former US Marine, also wounded an 11-year-old girl who underwent surgery for seven gunshot injuries, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a news conference.Riley, who had no connection to the victims, engaged in a shootout with police before giving up, and later tried to grab a police officer’s gun while being treated in the hospital for his own gunshot wound, before being subdued again, Judd said.A veteran of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Riley was working as a bodyguard and a security guard. His girlfriend of four years told investigators he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and occasional depression, Judd said.About a week ago his mental health worsened and he told his girlfriend he had started speaking with God, Judd said.“He said at one point to our detectives, ‘They begged for their lives and I killed them anyway’,” Judd said at a second news conference.Riley also told sheriff’s deputies he was high on methamphetamine, Judd said.The shooter first appeared randomly at the house where the shooting occurred on Saturday night, making nonsensical statements, but left by the time police responded.He returned early Sunday morning, killing a 40-year-old man, the 33-year-old mother and her baby boy, Judd said. In the home next door, he also killed the 62-year-old mother of the woman, Judd said.“In addition to that, if he’s not evil enough, he shot and killed the family dog,” Judd said.Deputies responding to reports of two volleys of automatic gunfire arrived to find the suspect unarmed outside, wearing camouflage and body armour. Riley then went back inside and “we heard another volley, and a woman scream, and a baby whimper,” Judd said.A gunfight ensued before he came out unarmed and was arrested.“It would have been nice if he would have come out with a gun… We would have shot him up a lot. But he didn’t because he was a coward,” Judd said. “When someone chooses to give up, we take them into custody peacefully.”


US judge tells DoJ to release redacted Trump search affidavit

A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ordered the US Justice Department to make public a redacted version of an affidavit underpinning the Aug 8 FBI search of former president Donald Trump's Florida home, possibly providing fresh insights on the investigation and evidence earlier obtained by the government.
US magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the redacted document to be released by noon (1600 GMT) on Friday. His order came just hours after a Justice Department spokesman confirmed that prosecutors had submitted a sealed copy of the affidavit with proposed redactions to the judge.
Reinhart approved the Justice Department's warrant that preceded the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach. The affidavit is a sworn statement outlining the evidence that gave the department probable cause to seek a search warrant.
Just how much the redacted affidavit will reveal remains to be seen. In his order on Thursday, Reinhart said the Justice Department had valid reasons to keep some of the document secret including the need to protect the identities of witnesses and federal agents as well as the government's investigation and strategy and grand jury material.
"The government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the government's legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire affidavit," Reinhart wrote.
The FBI in its court-approved search at Mar-a-Lago carried away more than 20 boxes containing 11 sets of classified government records, some of which were labeled "top secret." The search was part of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed and kept documents from the White House when he left office in January 2021 and whether he tried to obstruct the government's investigation.
After Trump accused the FBI of political retribution against him, attorney-general Merrick Garland made the unusual decision to confirm the existence of the department's investigation and asked a court to unseal large portions of the search warrant and property receipt listing the seized items.
The department declined to release the affidavit, prompting media companies to file a legal challenge to get it unsealed.
At a hearing last week, prosecutors asked Reinhart not to release the document, saying it could harm their ongoing investigation and chill witness cooperation as well as create security risks for FBI agents already facing heightened threats.
Reinhart first signalled last week that he did not believe the entire document needed to be kept under wraps, and he asked the Justice Department to provide him a copy with proposed redactions for his review.
Trump on social media called for the document to be unsealed, though his lawyers had not weighed in on the matter.
He has filed a separate civil case asking another judge to halt the FBI's review of the seized records pending the appointment of a special master to independently review them for materials that could be protected under executive privilege, a legal principle that lets a president shield some information.
US district judge Aileen Cannon has asked Trump's legal team to file a more targeted request by Friday that better explains what relief the former president is seeking and why his request should not be sent instead to Reinhart.


Hackers targeted Afghan officials on Facebook amid Taliban offensive

Facebook revealed Tuesday it had worked to block a hacker group that targeted the accounts of people tied to Afghanistan’s then-government and security forces as the Taliban was moving in to take power.The Pakistan-based group, known as SideCopy, used “romantic lures” from what appeared to be young women on the platform to try to trick the targets into giving the hackers access to their pages.Executives from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, did not detail what the ultimate motive appeared to be but noted the attacks were directed at “those with links to the Afghan government, military and law enforcement in Kabul.”The hackers’ main technique, known as phishing, was to share links to malicious sites hosting harmful software or to encourage the targets to download compromised chat apps in a campaign that ramped up between April and August.After a nearly 20-year insurgency, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August as the US-backed government and military collapsed.As part of the attacks revealed by Facebook, the hackers also set up fake mobile app stores and compromised legitimate sites in an effort to get their prey’s Facebook credentials.SideCopy also sought to get their victims to download apps containing malware as part of an effort that “had the hallmarks of a well-resourced and persistent operation while obfuscating who’s behind it.”The company did not provide figures on the number of accounts potentially affected or the nature of the information hacked.It said it has shared the information with the relevant authorities, and warned those affected.The California-based group also said it “removed” the hackers involved in the Afghan operation as well as a set of three groups of hackers that targeted opposition or government critics in Syria.


Covax wants equal treatment for WHO-approved Covid jabs

The Covid vaccine facility Covax urged governments Thursday to consider equally all people inoculated with WHO-approved products to avoid creating a two-tiered travel and trade regime.Covax spoke out after an EU-wide Covid certificate for easier travel took effect that recognises four vaccines but not others, notably the Covishield version of AstraZeneca’s jab which is widely used in Africa.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has authorised vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.But the EMA estimates that differences in how Covishield is manufactured in India prevent it from qualifying for an EU seal of approval.That means that EU countries along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland will not grant the same travel access to those who have received the Covishield jab, notably people who live in Africa.Covax, which was set up to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries, said that discriminated against them.“Any measure that only allows people protected by a subset of WHO-approved vaccines to benefit from the re-opening of travel into and with that region would effectively create a two-tier system,” a statement said.That would widen “the global vaccine divide” and exacerbate “inequities we have already seen in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines”, it added.Covax has struggled to get donation-funded doses to poorer countries, and it argued that a rejection of Covishield would make it harder to convince people to become inoculated.“It would negatively impact the growth of economies that are already suffering the most,” the statement added.In addition to the four EU-approved vaccines, the World Health Organization has given emergency authorisations to two Chinese products, Sinovac and Sinopharm.


China arrests 1,100 over cryptocurrency money laundering

China has arrested more than a thousand people for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies, security officials said, as part of a growing crackdown on the industry.The country’s bitcoin mines power nearly 80% of the global trade in cryptocurrencies, although trading in China is banned.Officials have started to turn a sharp eye towards cryptocurrency miners to prevent speculation and stamp out money laundering.Chinese police busted a network of 1,100 people involved in laundering money by buying cryptocurrencies, the public security ministry said in a statement dated Wednesday.The launderers charged clients commission to convert illegal proceeds into virtual currencies via crypto exchanges, the ministry said, without outlining the amount of money involved.China banned trading in cryptocurrencies in 2019 and is increasingly tightening restrictions on bitcoin mining.In April, the northern region of Inner Mongolia closed down all its cryptocurrency mines, claiming they failed to meet annual energy consumption targets.The region accounted for 8% of the computing power needed to run the global blockchain – a set of online ledgers to record bitcoin transactions.That is higher than the amount of computing power dedicated to blockchain in the entire US.The northwestern province of Qinghai announced a similar ban on cryptocurrency mining on Wednesday, but no data is available about the size of the operations in the region.Bitcoin values tumbled in May on the back of a warning by Beijing to investors against speculative trading in cryptocurrencies.China is in the midst of a wide-ranging regulatory crackdown on its fintech sector, whose biggest players have been hit with large fines after being found guilty of monopolistic practices.


Govt agrees to recruit 10,000 workers from Sri Lanka

The Cabinet has agreed to the recruitment of 10,000 workers from Sri Lanka after taking into account the state of the country during the current economic crisis, says Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.
In a statement today, he said the Sri Lankan government had submitted an official application to supply manpower involving a quota of 10,000 workers.
Saravanan said the Cabinet, at a meeting on Sept 14, agreed on the hiring of the foreign workers to help Sri Lanka, which is facing its worst economic crisis.
He also urged Malaysian industries and employers to support the government’s intention by employing workers from Sri Lanka to fill job vacancies in sectors that are allowed to hire foreign workers.
As of Sept 14, levy payments had been made for 416,634 applications for foreign workers, he said, adding that employers keen to hire foreign workers can contact the ministry’s Migrant Worker Management Division ([email protected]) or the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department ([email protected]) for more information.


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Russian hackers linked to new Brexit leak website, Google says

A new website that published leaked emails from several leading proponents of Britain’s exit from the European Union is tied to Russian hackers, according to a Google cybersecurity official and the former head of UK foreign intelligence.The website – titled “Very English Coop d’Etat” – says it has published private emails from former British spymaster Richard Dearlove, leading Brexit campaigner Gisela Stuart, pro-Brexit historian Robert Tombs, and other supporters of Britain’s divorce from the EU, which was finalised in January 2020.The site contends that they are part of a group of hardline pro-Brexit figures secretly calling the shots in the United Kingdom.Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the emails, but two victims of the leak on Wednesday confirmed that they had been targeted by hackers and blamed the Russian government.“I am well aware of a Russian operation against a Proton account which contained emails to and from me,” said Dearlove, referring to the privacy-focused email service ProtonMail.Dearlove, who led Britain’s foreign spy service – known as MI6 – between 1999 and 2004, told Reuters the leaked material should be treated with caution given “the context of the present crisis in relations with Russia.”Tombs said in an email he and his colleagues were “aware of this Russian disinformation based on illegal hacking.” He declined further comment. Stuart, who chaired Britain’s Vote Leave campaign in 2016, did not return emails.Shane Huntley, who directs Google’s Threat Analysis Group, told Reuters that the “English Coop” website was linked to what the Alphabet Inc-owned company knew as “Cold River,” a Russia-based hacking group.“We’re able to see that through technical indicators,” Huntley said.Huntley said that the entire operation – from Cold River’s hacking attempts to publicizing the leaks – had “clear technical links” between one another.The Russian embassies in London and Washington did not return emails seeking comment.Britain’s Foreign Office, which handles media queries for MI6, declined comment. Other Brexit supporters whose emails were suspected of being disseminated on the website also did not respond to emails.‘Looks very familiar’How the emails were obtained is unknown and the website hosting them made no effort to explain who was behind the leak. The leaked messages mainly appear to have been exchanged using ProtonMail. ProtonMail declined comment.Reuters was unable to independently verify Google’s assessment about a Russian link to the website, but Thomas Rid, a cybersecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University, said the site was reminiscent of past hack-and-leak operations attributed to Russian hackers.“What jumps out at me is how similar the MO is to Guccifer 2 and DCLeaks,” he said, referring to two of the sites that disseminated leaked emails stolen from Democrats in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election.“It looks very familiar in some ways, including the sloppiness,” he said.If the leaked messages are in fact authentic it would mark the second time in three years that suspected Kremlin spies have stolen private emails from a senior British national security official and published them online.In 2019, classified US-UK trade documents were leaked ahead of Britain’s election after being stolen from the email account of former trade minister Liam Fox, Reuters previously reported. UK officials never confirmed the specifics of the operation, but then-British foreign minister Dominic Raab said the hack-and-leak was an effort by the Kremlin to interfere in the Britain’s election, a charge that Moscow denied.The “English Coop” site makes a variety of allegations, including one that Dearlove was at the center of a conspiracy by Brexit hardliners to oust former British Prime Minister Theresa May, who had negotiated a withdrawal agreement with the European Union in early 2019, and replace her with Johnson, who took a more uncompromising position.Dearlove said that the emails captured a “legitimate lobbying exercise which, seen through this antagonistic optic, is now subject to distortion.”He declined further comment.Johnson, who took over from May later in 2019, has staked out a tough stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, committing hundreds of millions of dollars of military equipment to the government in Kyiv. In April, Johnson visited the capital for a televised walkabout with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Johnson was officially banned from Russian soil on April 16. Internet domain records show the “Coop” website was registered three days later. Its URL included the words “sneaky strawhead” in an apparent knock at Johnson’s tousled hairstyle.Rid said that while journalists should not shy away from covering authenticated material exposed by the leak, they should still tread very carefully.“If the leak has newsworthy detail, then it is also newsworthy to point out that the material comes from an adversarial intelligence agency, especially in a time of war,” said Rid.


Kenya arrests ‘bloodthirsty vampire’ over child killings

Kenyan police were on Thursday holding a man described as a “bloodthirsty vampire” accused of the grisly murders of at least 10 children.Masten Milimo Wanjala, 20, was arrested on Wednesday over the killing of two children whose bodies were found dumped in a forested area of the capital Nairobi.But in a chilling confession, he admitted to the cold-blooded killing of at least 10 young teenagers, police said.They described his arrest as a major breakthrough in an investigation into a spate of disturbing child disappearances in Kenya – almost two a day in recent weeks, according to police.“Wanjala single-handedly massacred his victims in the most callous manner, sometimes through sucking blood from their veins before executing them,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Twitter late Wednesday, describing him as a “bloodthirsty vampire”.The murders, targeting 12- and 13-year-olds, stretch back five years. His victims were drugged and drained of their blood and some of them strangled, police said.Wanjala’s arrest was splashed across Thursday’s front pages of the main newspapers in Kenya, with some publishing pictures of the suspect in a blood-stained football jersey.According to police, Wanjala’s first victim was a 12-year-old girl he kidnapped five years ago in Machakos county east of Nairobi.The murder of his next victim in western Kenya sparked protests, with locals torching the house of the person they suspected killed the boy.“In a nerve-wracking blow-by-blow account, the murderer recounted harrowing details of how he lured victims to his killer jaws before squeezing (the) dear life out of the innocent children,” the DCI said on Twitter.“Unbeknownst to some of the worried families, their children were long executed by the beast and their remains dumped in thickets. Others were submerged in sewer lines in the city and left to rot away,” it added.Police said he had demanded 30,000 Kenyan shillings (US$277) from the parents of one teenage boy before killing him.The bodies of several children feared to have died at Wanjala’s hands have yet to be found.Wanjala was unapologetic over his actions and told detectives he derived “a lot pleasure” from killing his victims.


Canada bans Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks

Canada will ban Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless networks due to national security concerns, officials said Thursday.The long-awaited move follows the US and other key allies, and comes on the heels of a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing over the detention of a senior Huawei executive on a US warrant, which has now been resolved.The US has warned of the security implications of giving Chinese tech companies access to telecommunications infrastructure that could be used for state espionage.Both Huawei and Beijing have rejected the allegations, while Beijing warned of repercussions for nations placing restrictions on the telecoms equipment provider.The company did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Canada’s ban.Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino made the announcement at a news conference.“Today, we’re announcing our intention to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunication systems,” Champagne said.“This follows a full review by our security agencies and in consultation with our closest allies.”Canada had been reviewing the 5G technology and network access for several years, repeatedly delaying a decision that was first expected in 2019.It remained silent on the telecoms issue after China jailed two Canadians – diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – in what observers believed was in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wangzhou in Vancouver in December 2018 at the request of the US.All three were released in September 2021 after Meng reached a deal with US prosecutors on the fraud charges, ending her extradition fight.Champagne said Canadian telecommunications companies “will not be permitted to include in their networks products or services that put our national security at risk.”“Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it,” he said.‘Hostile actors’Huawei already supplies some Canadian telecommunications firms with 4G equipment.Most, if not all, had held off using Huawei in their fifth-generation (5G) wirelesss networks that deliver speedier online connections with greater data capacity, or looked to other suppliers while Ottawa hemmed and hawed.Mendicino said 5G innovation “represents a major opportunity for competition and growth” but “also comes risks.”“There are many hostile actors who are ready to exploit vulnerabilities” in telecom networks, he said.The US, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Japan and Sweden have already blocked or restricted the use of Huawei technology in their 5G networks.The US government considers Huawei a potential security threat due to the background of its founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese army engineer who is Meng’s father.The concern escalated as Huawei rose to become the world leader in telecoms networking equipment and one of the top smartphone manufacturers, and following Beijing’s passage of a 2017 law obliging Chinese companies to assist the government in matters of national security.Canada’s two spy agencies had reportedly been divided initially over whether or not to ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G networks – one favouring a ban while the other argued risks could be mitigated.The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Communications Security Establishment had been tasked with conducting a cybersecurity review to evaluate the risks as well as the economic costs to Canadian telecoms and consumers of blacklisting the equipment supplier.Huawei was already prohibited from bidding on Canadian government contracts and core network equipment such as routers and switches.


Prosecution dropped appeal against aquittal of Ku Nan in graft case, report says

The prosecution in the RM2 million graft case involving Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has withdrawn its appeal against a court decision earlier this year to acquit the former minister of receiving bribes from a businessman in 2016, The Edge reports.The Court of Appeal had on July 16 allowed the application by Tengku Adnan, popularly known as Ku Nan, to set aside the conviction and sentence of 12 months’ jail and RM2 million fine meted out by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.It said in a 2-1 majority decision that the cheque for RM2 million received from businessman Chai Kin Kong was a political contribution to Umno.The prosecution filed an appeal against the decision on July 19, appealing against it to the Federal Court.However, The Edge said it had reliably learnt that the prosecution had withdrawn its appeal.Tengku Adnan was found guilty of receiving the bribe by the High Court on Dec 21 last year.The judge said then that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.Tengku Adnan had been charged in his capacity as a public servant with having received for himself a total of RM2 million from businessman Chai, who is Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd director, via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to the company which was deposited into a CIMB account owned by Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd, in which Tengku Adnan had an interest.Tengku Adnan, who is MP for Putrajaya, was accused of committing the offence at the Pusat Bandar Damansara branch of CIMB Bank on June 14, 2016. He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries an imprisonment of up to two years, a fine or both upon conviction.Judge Mohamed Zaini, who delivered the verdict, said there was no evidence to show that Tengku Adnan had withdrawn RM2 million from Tadmansori’s account to pay the expenses of the by-elections in Sg Besar and Kuala Kangsar.“It is undoubtedly apparent that the RM2 million remained in Tadmansori’s account for the accused’s benefit and not to pay for the two by-elections,” Zaini said, adding that Tengku Adnan had used Tadmansori “as a facade for his crime”.But the Court of Appeal ruled in July that Zaini had erred in his judgment, setting aside the conviction, jail term and fine handed down to the former minister.


38 reported Covid deaths take toll to 30,652

Another 38 Covid-related deaths were reported on Dec 6, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 30,652.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, eight or 21% of these were brought-in-dead (BID) cases.Selangor had the highest number of reported deaths at six or 15.8% followed by Perak at five or 13.2%.Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur reported four deaths each while Pahang and Sabah reported three deaths each.Melaka reported two deaths while Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Sarawak reported one death each.No deaths were reported in Perlis, Penang, Labuan and Putrajaya.A total of 4,262 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,663,034.As of yesterday, there were 60,329 active Covid-19 cases reported and 5,894 recoveries.


State immunity bill to be tabled in October, says Azalina

The government is planning to table the state immunity bill, which is currently at the policy stage, at Parliament in October, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.
She said the proposed law would reflect the general principles of international law regarding sovereign immunity, effective service to foreign states, upholding the rights and interests of relevant parties, safeguarding national sovereignty and promoting good relations with other countries.
"The state immunity bill aims to codify the principle of state immunity as part of Malaysian law, reflecting Malaysia's efforts to ensure the protection of national sovereignty in matters involving claims," Azalina said in her speech at the 2023 International Dispute Resolution Colloquium inaugurated by Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor today.
Azalina said on June 6, the Malaysian government secured a landmark victory in the dispute with Sulu claimants after the Paris Court of Appeal upheld Malaysia's challenge against the partial award rendered on May 25, 2020, by Dr Gonzalo Stampa and that the arbitrator (Stampa) wrongly upheld his jurisdiction.
"This decision has strengthened the position and confidence in Malaysia's firm stance on this matter. More importantly, the recent historic decision by The Hague Court of Appeal on June 27, 2023, is the first decision to reject the claimants' attempt to recognize and enforce the alleged final award.
"The decision of The Hague Court of Appeal will contribute to the next success in ongoing proceedings initiated by the government to challenge the recognition and enforcement of the final award in other jurisdictions, including in Luxembourg," Azalina said.
Meanwhile, Hajiji in his opening speech called on the global community to stand with Sabah in rejecting the unfounded claims by the so-called Sulu heirs, which threatens not only Malaysia but also the principles that underpin international order.
"The international community has been pivotal in supporting Malaysia's position on this matter. We are grateful for the solidarity expressed by our friends and allies, who understand the importance of upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The recent decisions at the Paris Court of Appeal in France and the Hague Court of Appeal, Netherlands are testaments to the government's unwavering commitment to protecting the rights, integrity and sovereignty of Sabah," he said.
Hajiji reiterated that the Sabah government had firmly rejected the so-called "final award" issued by Stampa on Feb 28, 2022, and did not recognise its legitimacy.
"We consider it to be baseless, lacking any legal or historical foundation. We see it as an attempt to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Malaysia, particularly with regards to the state of Sabah," he said.
Hajiji said the final award brought the ongoing international legal battle between the government of Malaysia and the self-proclaimed descendants of the Sulu Sultanate to the forefront.
He said the so-called award had also sparked widespread discussion and debate, requiring the Sabah government and federal government's attention and response.
"I have full confidence in the federal government which has been working tirelessly in concert with our Sabah state attorney general's office to counter the false narratives spread by those supporting the Sulu claims.
"The Sabah state government will continue to work closely with the federal government to deal with this case," he said.


China exodus to cities leaves abandoned elderly at the mercy of shady officials

In China over the past 30 years, tens of millions of young country folk have migrated to the country’s megacities to work.They leave behind their elderly parents and grandparents to care for their children. As the exodus gathers pace, empty houses decay, schools close, and local shops go out of business.In a bid to find a solution, many provinces have been emptying and demolishing underpopulated villages and building new towns to house displaced residents in a scheme known as “village consolidation”, the Economist reports.The bonus for the authorities is that the freed-up land can then be turned into arable cropland. This is desperately needed in China, which has 20% of the world’s population but less than 10% of its arable land.By creating alternative arable land, local governments can sell greenfield sites near cities to developers without reducing their province’s stock of farmland, which is strictly limited by central government. Profits are substantial and often difficult to trace.The farmers are powerless to protect their villages from rapacious officials. If they refuse to leave, the local bureaucrats arrive with their enforcers. Reports of beatings are common, and even petrol bombs have been thrown into homes.Last year Shandong province launched a “village consolidation” programme, leading to mass protests by villagers and outrage in the state-controlled press. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has long insisted that the “rural revival” must not involve “mass demolition and mass building”, but corrupt local officials know the planning processes will be murky and profits will be huge.In China, if an official decides a villager must move, he has no choice.Another problem for farmers is that the Communist Party calls rural villages “collectively owned”. Shady officials interpret that as meaning they can seize whole villages when they like and kick the elderly inhabitants out, whether they have a completed “consolidated village” to go to or not.Many are calling for villagers to be given clear rights to their homes and then be allowed to sell them freely, as city dwellers have been allowed to do since the 1990s.Local governments could then buy them legally if they wish, at a price fairly negotiated with the owners.The law should protect the weak from powerful men with big bulldozers, not vice versa.


'Datuk Roy' remanded 3 days in JanaWibawa probe

A businessman known as "Datuk Roy" has been remanded for three days beginning today to assist in investigations related to a corruption case involving the JanaWibawa programme.
Lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin, representing the businessman, said the remand order was issued by magistrate Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim after an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
"The investigation is being made under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for accepting bribes," said the lawyer.
According to Fahmi, his client presented himself at the Kuala Lumpur MACC office at 2.30pm yesterday, before he was arrested at 3pm.
In a statement yesterday, the MACC said it had been tracking down Datuk Roy, 54, whose last address was in Kuantan, Pahang.
Datuk Roy was previously charged in court and sentenced to jail for corruption as he was believed to be the mastermind in the case.


Ex-workers at Malaysian glove maker sue companies over forced labour claims

Former workers at rubber glove maker Brightway Holdings filed a lawsuit in the US against Kimberly-Clark Corp and Ansell Ltd, accusing them of "knowingly profiting" from the alleged use of forced labour at the supplier, according to the complaint seen by Reuters.
The workers – all Bangladeshi citizens – say Kimberly-Clark and Ansell were aware of the alleged labour abuses through public reports on Brightway and other Malaysian glove makers, and violations found by labour audits, according to the complaint filed late on Tuesday in the US.
Kimberly-Clark said the lawsuit was "completely without merit."
"Kimberly-Clark stands against all forms of forced labour and we are committed to ensuring that all workers within our supply chain are treated with humanity and in accordance with our workplace and human rights standards," it said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Ansell and Brightway said they did not have an immediate comment.
Malaysia, which depends on millions of migrant workers from South Asian countries, has faced allegations of exploitation across key export-oriented industries over the years. Eight Malaysian firms, including six glove makers, have been banned by the US in the last three years.
In the lawsuit filed late on Tuesday in the US, the 13 former Brightway workers say they paid high recruitment fees to middlemen that resulted in debt bondage, worked long hours with few or no rest days, and had their passports taken by the company.
They are seeking damages from Kimberly-Clark, a US personal care company that owns the Kleenex brand, and Australian personal protective equipment supplier Ansell in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia.
"These companies cannot deny that they had knowledge of forced labour at Brightway," said Terrence Collingsworth, a lawyer from International Rights Advocates representing the workers.
Collingsworth said he had first proposed mediation with Kimberly-Clark and Ansell to obtain compensation for the workers, but both companies declined.
The US banned Brightway products from entering the country in December 2021 over suspected forced labour practices, saying it had found 10 of 11 International Labour Organization indicators of forced labour.
Allegations of misconduct at Brightway had been public for at least a year before that.
In December 2020, Malaysian officials found Brightway workers living in shipping containers, and a minister likened the squalid conditions as "modern slavery" after a raid.
Reuters reported in May 2021 that labour audits of Brightway had detailed 61 violations of global ethical standards and 50 violations of Malaysian labour laws, even though the auditors concluded that they did not find forced labour.
Ansell told Reuters at the time that the audits, when it inspected them, had "revealed several non-compliances with labour standards."
Both companies then said Brightway had fixed some of these problems since the government raid in December.
Buyers such as Kimberly-Clark and Ansell use labour audits to monitor their supply chain.
Andy Hall, an independent labour activist who has investigated Brightway, said factories should not be the only players penalised for labour violations.
"Brands and buyers fail to comply with their stated commitments to conduct more adequate due diligence to prevent modern slavery conditions... We need adequate remediation from them too, and from investors and public procurers," Hall said.