Sri Aman MP Masir leaves Parti Sarawak Bersatu

Sri Aman MP Masir Kujat today announced his withdrawal from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) with immediate effect.In a statement, Masir said he now fully supports the leadership of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said he decided to leave PSB after holding discussions with grassroots supporters in his constituency.He also cited several other factors such as the political situation which he said had affected the well-being of the people.“I believe the best way to move forward is to set aside politics for now in order to help stabilise and rebuild our beloved country.“Our prime minister is doing everything possible to help Malaysians get through this difficult period and I have to play my part by fully supporting his leadership,” he said.Masir joined PSB after leaving Gabungan Parti Sarawak component Parti Rakyat Sarawak in March 2019.His exit from PSB leaves the opposition party with only one MP in the Dewan Rakyat – Baru Bian, the MP for Selangau.


One island or 3? Better none at all, Penang govt told on PSI

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) today urged the Penang government to put a complete halt to reclamation south of the island, following the announcement that the Penang South Island (PSI) project would be scaled down by 49%.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said yesterday that the project would continue with the construction of just one of the three artificial islands planned in the waters off Permatang Damar Laut, near Bayan Lepas.
"Silicon Island (Island A), covering 2,300 acres, will be implemented in two phases within 10 to 15 years for reclamation work, while reclamation work for Island B, covering 1,400 acres and Island C (800 acres) will not proceed," he told a press conference in George Town.
But CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader urged the state government against insisting on the reclamation, whether for one or three islands.
"Naming one island Silicon Island and holding the carrot of attracting tourists cannot be the answer to the question we have repeatedly asked: what is the need for the reclamation with its attendant negative ecological and social impacts?
"The prime minister has called for a review of the reclamation project. The primary consideration of the review will be whether the project is needed and beneficial for the people," he said.
"Don't jump the gun and call for the reclamation of one island. Get on with the review process, which should be undertaken by independent experts with input from civil society organisations. In the meantime, don’t commit the governments – state and federal – to any financial liability."
The PSI project had received objections from the fishing community and environmental groups in the state, which said it would damage the marine ecosystem in the area.
Green group Sahabat Alam Malaysia meanwhile said that a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) report should be carried out, given the change in development concept.
The original EIA green light for the project was given last month.
But SAM president Meenakshi Raman said a new EIA should be done as the project would now involve only one island.
"For example, there needs to be a new hydraulic and hydrology impact assessment which covers current flow, water level, wave conditions, sedimentation and erosion etc," she said.
"In addition, the shrimp migration study which was required to be done earlier under the EIA which was just approved is yet to be completed. This is a vital component to be assessed since the reclamation of Island A involves 2,300 acres, which is still very significant in terms of impacts on the marine life, shrimp migration, food security and so on."
In a statement, she said the statement of need for the project had also changed since the federal government was now providing the funds needed to address transportation issues in Penang.
Her remarks followed the announcement on May 6 that Putrajaya would set aside an additional allocation to help the Penang government expedite the proposed George Town-Bayan Lepas LRT project.
Mohideen in his statement cited this agreement, saying there was also enough land in Penang for economic development.
"So why the need for extensive reclamation?" he added.


Media council bill to be tabled by March

The bill for the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) is expected to be tabled in Parliament by March next year, said Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
As of now, he said the process required a memorandum to be submitted to the Cabinet.
“We have to go through that process first, subsequently through the AGC (Attorney-General's Chambers) and then to Parliament.
"We hope that before the end of the year either in the October session or February or March 2024 session, the bill can be tabled," he told the media after his ministry’s monthly gathering yesterday.
On May 3, Fahmi was reported as saying that the government was looking into several bills relating to the media, including the draft bill for the formation of the MMC in a bid to ensure press freedom in the country. He said the MMC draft bill was currently in the discussion stage among media organisations, related companies and media practitioners' associations.
Meanwhile, regarding the data leakage incident involving Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Fahmi said the personal data protection department (JPDP) has contacted the university to ensure that UiTM fills out the data leakage notification form and would give its cooperation in several matters.
"I understand that JPDP should be getting the information today. So far I have not received any updates but I hope we can identify what happened and prevent a recurrence," he said.
He said priority should be given to amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act to ensure that data holders understand the important aspects of data storage and data management as well as to be more careful and organised in the future.


Daily caseload hovers at 15,900 as another 33 deaths logged

Another 15,941 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,183,359.Of the total number of cases recorded, 108 were in Category Three and above.There were 21,186 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,941,829.A total of 845 cases were admitted to hospital, with 366 (43.3%) in Category Three and above and 479 (56.7%) in Category One and Two.Of the 108 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 26 (24.07%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 45 (41.67%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 37 (34.26%) had received a booster jab;* 57 (52.78%) were aged 60 and above; and* 63 (58.33%) had comorbidities.There are now 206,591 active cases, of which 200,962 or 97.3% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 690 (0.3%) are at quarantine centres while 4,664 (2.3%) have been hospitalised.A total of 275 are in ICU with 168 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 57.5%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 31.2%.Another 33 deaths were reported, including 11 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 34,939.The country’s infectivity rate as of March 30 was 0.88.


Court strikes out affidavit on money trail in 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today struck out a purported money trail affidavit filed by the prosecution in a RM114 million forfeiture suit linked to 1MDB.This came after judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin allowed the application by former prime minister Najib Razak’s lead counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, and Umno’s counsel, Hariharan Tara Singh, to strike out the affidavit.Jamil, in his brief decision, said the affidavit was filed during the submission stage and would cause prejudice to the third-party claimants, namely Najib and Umno.“It was filed after all of the other affidavits were filed and without leave of the court.“Accordingly, I rule that the affidavit cannot be used and I will not consider the affidavit in support. Shafee may continue with the submission,” said the judge at the hearing of the government’s application to forfeit RM114,164,393.44 and jewellery seized at a premise owned by Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd.The affidavit in question is crucial to the prosecution’s 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit against Obyu Holdings.On Feb 10, the prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, contended that Umno had a secret unaudited account to receive political donations, which they argued is an offence under the Societies Act 1966.In the suit’s written submission, the prosecution claimed this was because some of Umno’s own leaders denied having knowledge about the funds.Obyu Holdings is owned by Bustari Yusof, who is the younger brother of former works minister Fadillah Yusof and a close associate of Najib.The prosecution filed the forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings to forfeit the items including 11,991 pieces of jewellery, 401 watches and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of eyewear and 306 handbags, as well as cash in various denominations amounting to RM114,164,393.44.The money and jewellery were seized by the authorities for allegedly being linked to the 1MDB fund scandal.On Sept 3, 2019, it was reported that Najib was among several third parties seeking to stake a claim in the forfeiture suit involving cash and jewellery, among others, seized by the authorities from Pavilion Residences in Kuala Lumpur in 2018.The other third-party claimants in the forfeiture suit are Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor, Umno and Lebanese jeweller Global Royalty Trading SAL.The submission before Jamil continues on Monday.


Daily caseload at 2,800 as 6 more deaths reported

Another 2,863 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,711,415.
There were 4,752 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,631,508.
There are now 43,875 active cases, of which 41,996 or 95.7% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 34 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,790 (4.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 55 are in ICU with 38 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 62.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 14.6%.
Another six deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,032.


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229 foreigners arrested in Klang raid

The immigration department detained 229 foreign nationals in Ops Patuh at a scrap metal factory in Meru, Klang, yesterday morning.Those detained comprised Indian nationals (99), Bangladeshis (88), Pakistani nationals (33), Myanmar nationals (five), Indonesians (three) and a Nepalese, aged between 22 and 45.Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said further inspection at the factory found that the premises had flouted the SOPs of Phase One of the movement control under the National Recovery Plan.He said an offence was also committed under the Immigration Act, namely the use of foreign labourers who were without documents and who had overstayed.“The factory was slapped with a RM10,000 compound by the police for flouting the SOPs.“It was also compounded RM20,000 by the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia for failing to comply with the SOPs on the management of the workplace,” he said in a statement.He said those detained underwent Covid-19 screening tests before being sent to the immigration depot in Semenyih for investigation over various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passports Act 1966 and Immigration Regulations 1963.


Rights group slams Singapore over S$5,000 fine on lawyer

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today hit out at the Singapore government over a S$5,000 fine imposed on prominent lawyer M Ravi over applications in a case which later revealed that authorities in the city-state had been illegally spying on prison communications between Malaysian death row prisoners and their lawyers.LFL adviser N Surendran said the fine, payable to Singapore’s attorney-general, was ordered by the Court of Appeal there four days ago.“The excessive fine arose from a complaint by the AG against Ravi over applications he had filed in court on behalf of death row prisoner Syed Suhail,” he said, adding that Ravi had been at the forefront in defending Malaysian citizens facing the death penalty under Singapore’s drug laws.In a statement, he said Ravi’s work had resulted in regular harassment and intimidation by the Singapore government, police, AG’s office and judiciary.M Ravi.“The latest fine imposed on Ravi for doing his duty as defence counsel in a death penalty case is unprecedented, and clearly linked to his high-profile defence of many Malaysian drug mules on death row,” he added.Noting Ravi’s efforts in the case of Malaysian Gobi Avedian, which had resulted in the case being reopened, Surendran said the fine was “clearly intended to prevent him from vigorously pursuing appeals in the cases of the other Malaysians in death row”.“Apart from this, the Singapore AG has also brought disciplinary action against Ravi, by faulting legitimate court applications Ravi had pursued in Gobi Avedian’s case.“This persecution of Ravi by the Singapore government, AG and judiciary over his strong stance against the death penalty, has been longstanding and a black mark upon Singapore’s international reputation.“We strongly urge the Singapore government to respect the rule of law, and allow Ravi to carry on his efforts on behalf of Malaysian death row prisoners without further subjecting him to such oppressive proceedings.”He added that lawyers in Malaysia had managed to raise the full sum of S$5,000 in support of Ravi.“We hope this will send a clear message to the Singapore government and their judiciary to allow defence lawyers to carry out their duties without undue interference or punitive consequences.”


Tony Fernandes forced to defend AirAsia himself

Airline boss Tony Fernandes was recently forced to defend his company AirAsia from disgruntled passengers airing their frustrations about the low-cost carrier.
Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia parent company Capital A Bhd, had uploaded an Instagram post on Sunday introducing "Ask Bo", the airline's latest chatbot.
His post received a comment from one T Buventiran, who said Ask Bo was no different from AVA, the chatbot's predecessor which was introduced in 2019.
Buventiran also voiced disappointment with the airline over its flight delays.
"No difference, sir," Buventiran said. "Improve the things that you should improve first."
Fernandes responded, asking Buventiran to show him when he had used the bot "so I can see why it's no difference [sic]".
"It's typical negative and love to run down kinda person," he added.
"And please highlight which flight was delayed. Our on time is at a record high."
Buventiran then presented Fernandes with details, including the plane's flight number, saying it was supposed to take off from klia2 to Langkawi at 7.10pm on Feb 16.
"It was delayed to 11pm," he said. "Please explain why."
Fernandes replied that the flight had returned from China with an engine issue.
"It happens and I apologise," he added. "We don't deliberately have delays."
The comment section was nevertheless flooded with remarks by other users who urged Fernandes to take better notice of the issues associated with AirAsia, especially in terms of customer service and flight delays.
While the conversation was eventually taken down, users continued to vent their frustrations.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Buventiran said the issue he had brought up was not the only problem he had faced while dealing with AirAsia.
On Nov 21 last year, he said he had booked two round-trip tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar via Malaysia Airlines, using AirAsia's platform.
The flight tickets were meant for his parents, and the plane was scheduled to depart on Nov 27.
But he encountered difficulties during the check-in process and rushed to KLIA for an explanation from Malaysia Airlines.
There, he was told that the booking had been handled by AirAsia.
"They said I needed to go to the AirAsia customer service centre in klia2," he added.
"I was shocked to be told that the failure was because my account had been hacked. How could this have happened? This is a serious issue.
"This clearly shows that passengers are at risk in terms of cyber security when using AirAsia's platform."
Buventiran said he waited at klia2 for nearly two hours before AirAsia finally agreed to let his parents board another flight the following day.
"Unfortunately, that flight was also delayed for a short while although it eventually took off that same day," he said.
MalaysiaNow is still waiting for a response from AirAsia.


Unlikely monkeypox outbreak will lead to pandemic, WHO says

The World Health Organization does not believe the monkeypox outbreak outside Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said on Monday, adding it remains unclear if infected people who are not displaying symptoms can transmit the disease.More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox – a usually mild illness that spreads through close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions – have been reported in May, mostly in Europe.The WHO is considering whether the outbreak should be assessed as a “potential public health emergency of international concern” or PHEIC. Such a declaration, as was done for Covid-19 and Ebola, would help accelerate research and funding to contain the disease.Asked whether this monkeypox outbreak has the potential to grow into a pandemic, Rosamund Lewis, technical lead for monkeypox from the WHO Health Emergencies Programme said: “We don’t know but we don’t think so.”“At the moment, we are not concerned of a global pandemic,” she said.Once monkeypox has been contracted, the duration of the rash emerging and scabs falling off is recognised as the infectious period, but there is limited information on whether there is any spread of the virus by people who are not symptomatic, she added.“We really don’t actually yet know whether there’s asymptomatic transmission of monkeypox – the indications in the past have been that this is not a major feature – but this remains to be determined, she said.The strain of virus implicated in the outbreak is understood to kill a small fraction of those infected, but no deaths have been reported so far.Most cases have cropped up in Europe rather than in the Central and West African countries where the virus is endemic, and are predominantly not linked to travel.Scientists are therefore looking into what might explain this unusual surge of cases, while public health authorities suspect there is some degree of community transmission.Some countries have begun to offer vaccines to close contacts of confirmed cases.


Rivers in 5 states at danger levels

Residents in Pahang, Selangor, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka have been advised to remain on the alert and to follow the instructions given by the authorities as the rivers in these states are still at danger levels.The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in a statement today said that in Pahang, the water levels of Sungai Serting at Padang Gudang Bridge (Bera), Paya Gintong Station (Jerantut), and Sungai Pahang in Kuala Krau (Temerloh) were at danger levels with an upward trend.Other rivers in the state, namely Sungai Pukin in Rompin, Chegar Perah Bridge Station (Lipis) and Sungai Luit in Kampung Subuh (Maran), though still at danger levels, showed a downward trend.In Selangor, the water level at Sungai Langat in Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat, was also at danger level but with a downward trend.As for Johor, two rivers in Segamat district namely Sungai Lenik at Ladang Chaah and Sungai Segamat in Bandar Segamat were at danger levels with an upward trend, while the water level in Sungai Tangkak at Kampung Seri Makmur remained unchanged at the danger level.In Negeri Sembilan, Sungai Muar at Pekan Rompin, Jempol, and at Kampung Berembang, Kuala Pilah, were reportedly showing a declining trend although still at danger levels.In Melaka, Sungai Melaka at Melaka Pindah (Alor Gajah) was at the danger level but with a downward trend although at Batu Hampar (Melaka Tengah), the level was reported to be on an upward trend while Sungai Kesang in Telok Rimba (Jasin) remained at the danger level with no change.Meanwhile, the Department of Minerals and Geoscience informed of additional landslides today at seven new areas in Sabah, six in Negeri Sembilan and one in Johor.The total number of landslide incidents so far stands at 243 in nine states including Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu and Sarawak.The latest landslide occurred in Sabah at two residential areas in Kinabatangan, namely Kampung Sagaliud Seberang in Jalan Sagaliud and Kampung Warisan in Jalan Bukit Garam. Also affected were road areas in Ranau district at Jalan Bongkud, Jalan Stadium, Jalan Tambunan-Ranau and Jalan Timbau-Melinsau, Ranau and Jalan Nangoh Paitan (Kanibongan).In Negeri Sembilan, landslides also affected three road areas at Jalan Seremban-Port Dickson, Jalan Karak–Tampin, and Jalan Talang Ulu, Kg Lubuk Kadam, Tanjung Ipoh and three housing areas at Taman Desa Permai (Tampin), Kampung Jeram (Tampin) and Gemas.In Johor, a landslide was reported to have occurred today at Taman Bukit Pelali in Pengerang district.


From homeless to adopted in fairy tale ending for former soldier

Life has changed in the blink of an eye for a former soldier who went from living on the streets of Kuala Lumpur to the welcoming embrace of a family in Klang, Selangor.Not too long ago, Ruslan (not his real name) was awakened each morning by the sound of workers pulling up the shutters of whichever shop he had fallen asleep in front of the night before. Now, he wakes up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window and his adoptive mother making breakfast in the kitchen.Still the soldier despite his years on the streets, Ruslan begins each day of his new life by washing up and tidying his room. Only after everything is in its place does he head to the dining area to have breakfast with his family.Ruslan was once a member of the army’s military reserve force, stationed in Taiping, Perak. He was discharged after developing third stage pneumonia, and spent the next four years wandering through the streets of the capital city, trying to scrape together enough to see him through the next day.While he received a disability pension of RM450 a month, this was not enough to keep a roof over his head.Ruslan shares a light moment with his new parents, whom he has promised to take care of for the rest of their lives.But everything changed with a woman who introduced herself as Lily. She and her parents had read about Ruslan’s plight and wanted to make him part of their family.Now, Ruslan lives in a quiet neighbourhood in Klang with his new parents, Pak Cik Subari and Mak Cik Zainab.Although they had never met before, he and Lily hit it off immediately, chatting and laughing like old friends. As for his parents, they welcomed him with open arms as though he had always been their son.“You are my child now, you don’t have to go anywhere anymore,” Pak Cik Subari told him.Lily’s son, meanwhile, took it upon himself to show Ruslan around, and explained how the household runs to ease any initial awkwardness he might have in settling in.“He is Ruslan’s friend now,” Lily told MalaysiaNow.Ruslan also helps around the house, doing chores such as the laundry.Ruslan himself feels as though he has started life afresh after years of scrounging for food and sleeping on the pavement.He also earns some money on the side as a companion to his adoptive parents, and his treatment for pneumonia has been shifted from the Tanglin health clinic to Hospital Tunku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang.“My hope is to fully recover and to spend the rest of my life with my adoptive family,” he said, thanking all those who had expressed concern about his well-being.Ruslan helps wash the dishes after a family meal.According to Lily, Ruslan’s arrival has brought about a change for the better already.Her parents no longer feel lonely, and her father is more chatty and animated than he has been in years.“As a family, we will take care of Ruslan to the best of our ability,” she said.“His past is not an issue, only the present. And right now, he is one of us.”


Asian markets continue fall over US and UK investor worries

UK and US investors’ worries about the significant rise in coronavirus cases and consequent strict new restrictions, caused stock markets in Asia to suffer on Tuesday.Stock exchanges in Australia, Hong Kong, China and South Korea all closed lower.Previously, Asian markets had been buoyed by optimism over China’s continued economic recovery.The other big issue affecting local markets by weighing on Asian investors’ confidence is the struggle between the US and China over their tech companies.“The biggest issue for local markets is how the battle for tech sector super dominance plays out between the US and China, which is getting viewed through the lens of the ByteDance and Oracle-Walmart deal,” said Stephen Innes, a market strategist quoted by the BBC.In Europe, banking shares fell over concerns about leaked documents and possible further scandals following on the heels of the HSBC debacle. Those falls carried over into Asian trading.HSBC, the bank at the centre of the global money-laundering scandal, saw its share price fall to a 25-year low, and the entire banking sector saw its shares follow downwards.More than £50 billion was wiped off UK shares, and caused similar falls across European and US stock markets.


Zahid met company rep at his house before deciding on contract renewal, court told

The High Court was today told that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi met with a representative of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) at his house in Seri Satria, Putrajaya before deciding to extend the company’s contract for the foreign visa system (VLN) for three more years.Former home ministry immigration affairs division secretary Shahril Ismail said the former deputy prime minister also rejected the proposal of his division to take the matter to the Public-Private Partnership Unit (Ukas).“On June 15, 2017, I received a call from Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani (director of UKSB) and he said that Zahid had agreed to extend the contract of UKSB for three years and asked me to bring the part of the minutes to Zahid’s house at Seri Satria in Putrajaya for the minister’s approval.“Upon my arrival at Zahid’s house, Wan Quoris Shah was waiting for me and he told me to wait for the green light first following a meeting of the company’s representative with Zahid.“Later, he invited me to enter and meet Zahid. In the meeting with Zahid, I handed over the part of the minutes for his decision and signature. I also informed him of my division’s proposal,” he said, adding that the meeting was held during the fasting month several days before Hari Raya.He said this when reading out his witness statement in an examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong.He was also asked in a supplementary question by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin whether it was usual for a private company or stakeholder to discuss the receipt of a government contract in a minister’s house.Shahril: It was usual as I had brought documents to a minister’s house before, but with a stakeholder, I think this was my first time.The 10th prosecution witness also said his meeting with the former home minister and Wan Quoris Shah in the accused’s house was held when his division informed the UKSB director that the extension of the VLN contract for six years had to be processed by Ukas and approved by the Cabinet.“Wan Quoris Shah later informed him that he would discuss the matter with Zahid,” he said, adding that UKSB had earlier received the contract to supply the VLN system in China for six years from Nov 1, 2013 to Oct 31, 2019.According to the service contract extension, any company that wished to extend its contract for more than seven years would have to get the approval of the Cabinet through Ukas.Replying to a question by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran on the need to bring the part of the minutes to Zahid’s house that day, Syahril said it was to obtain a decision in black and white written by the Umno president.“Earlier, we only received a verbal order from Wan Quoris Shah that the company had discussed with the minister (Zahid),” he said, adding that the minister had not agreed with the decision of his division.“So to confirm the decision of the minister, I met the minister directly to obtain the decision in black and white. We could not process the verbal decision as informed by (Wan Quoris Shah) so we needed a written decision on an official government document for us to process. We did not consider the verbal decision as valid,” he said.Rozela: To accept the order from Wan Quoris Shah?Sharil: Yes.Rozela: Company representative giving order to government officer?Sharil: It was more than just for information.Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of accepting a bribe of S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the company’s contract as the operator of the OSC services in China and VLN systems as well as to maintain a contract agreement to supply VLN integrated systems to the same company by the home ministry.On seven other charges, Zahid is alleged to have obtained for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 euros and US$15,000 in cash from UKSB that had links with his official duties.The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on April 1.


EPF withdrawals could bring economy to ‘tipping point’, say economists

Economists have warned that allowing withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund or EPF as an emergency measure to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic may bring the country to a tipping point that will determine its economic path in the days to come.The move, rolled out under the government’s i-Sinar and i-Lestari programmes, was one of numerous economic support plans unveiled last year.But Geoffrey Williams from the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said Malaysians are now stuck in a “survival trap” where the aim is to weather the pandemic even if it means using the last remnants of their financial means.Speaking at a virtual briefing titled “Economic Recovery: Navigating Dangers and Opportunities”, he said allowing EPF withdrawals presents a serious structural problem as it will leave millions without pension provisions.“We feel that we’re going to face a tipping point in the economy where, if the stimulus package doesn’t have the effect we hoped it would, the economy may tip further into a period of stagnation or even mild recession,” he said.“If there is a downturn in the global economy, that might lead us into a much stronger recession or even a depression,” he added.The i-Sinar programme is an extension of the government’s i-Lestari programme which allows a monthly withdrawal of up to RM500 from Account 2.Under the initiative, EPF contributors have access to up to 10% of their savings in Account 1 as long as they have a minimum balance of RM100.Economist Noor Azlan Ghazali from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia agreed that the economic stimulus packages rolled out by the government, including EPF withdrawals, are a survival move.He added that they would not allow the country or the people to progress to a better state of living.“The financial injections by the government will only allow people to continue the minimum sense of living,” he said, adding that improvements to micro-targeting could be made to address the problems of those in the B40 group.Williams meanwhile said the 2020 lockdowns had taken Malaysia’s gross domestic product back to 2018 levels.He said the economy might not return to pre-pandemic levels until mid-2022 under normal economic growth rates.However he rejected the idea that Malaysia is moving towards a welfare state despite the various economic relief measures provided by the government.He said the actual amount that the government is putting into the economy is relatively small.“Most of the money comes from the pension funds of the poorest people in society who are carrying the weight of the policy decisions made by the richest people in society.”


Finnish parliament passes Nato bill with large majority

Finland's parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly backed its bid to join Nato, the assembly's speaker said.
Approval of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's treaties and Finland's accession passed with 184 members of the 200-seat parliament voting in favour, seven against and one abstaining.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland last May applied to join Nato, having until now relied solely on its own armed forces to defend the 1,300km (800 mile) border it shares with Russia.
New Nato entrants must be approved by all existing members of the Western military alliance, and support for Finland's application remains pending from Turkey and Hungary.
By adopting Nato's founding documents, Finland may get a head start on neighbouring Sweden, which has also applied to join but has had its application held back by Turkey.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is ready to accept Finland into Nato but accuses Sweden of harbouring people he considers members of terrorist groups.
Sweden is also still awaiting approval from Hungary, whose parliament began debating the ratifications on Wednesday and could hold a vote this month.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg last week said he aimed to have both Nordic countries as members in time for a summit scheduled for July.


Daily caseload drops to 1,600 as death toll up by 2

Another 1,633 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,967,299.
There were 1,989 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,903,906.
There are now 26,798 active cases, of which 24,847 or 92.7% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,857 (6.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 94 are in ICU with 55 in need of respiratory assistance.
Two more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,595.


Canada, in world first, proposes health warnings on individual cigarettes

Canada is proposing that written health warnings be printed on individual cigarettes, the first country in the world to do so, a federal minister said on Friday.In 2001, Canada broke new ground globally by requiring picture warnings on cigarette packages. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said the measure had become stale for the 13% of Canadians who smoke regularly.“Adding health warnings on individual tobacco products will help ensure that these essential messages reach people, including the youth, who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations sidestepping the information printed on a package,” she told reporters.Despite decades of efforts, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in Canada, killing approximately 48,000 people each year, Ottawa said in a statement.A 75-day public consultation period will start on June 11 and this will inform the development of the proposed new regulations, it added.Other steps include extending the existing list of health risks printed on cigarette packs.Rothmans Benson & Hedges, the Canadian unit of Philip Morris International, said the proposals would not help cut the number of smokers.“We believe that better choices start with better information, and the millions of current adult smokers should be given access to the appropriate information about alternatives,” a spokesman said by email.The other two major vendors of tobacco products in Canada are subsidiaries of British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco Inc. Neither company was immediately available for comment.Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society said the measures should be implemented as soon as possible.“A warning on every cigarette simply cannot be ignored, especially considering that there are more than 20 billion cigarettes sold each year in Canada,” he said.


Violence erupts as journalist’s coffin emerges from Jerusalem hospital

Israeli police clashed with Palestinian mourners packed around the coffin of killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh at the start of her funeral procession in Jerusalem on Friday.Masked police officers faced scores of flag-waving and chanting Palestinians in the compound of St Joseph’s Hospital in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, television footage showed.Officers then charged the crowd and at one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the ground.The violent scenes underlined the growing anger over Abu Akleh’s killing which has threatened to add further fuel to an already raging conflict.Abu Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more than two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.Palestinian authorities described Abu Akleh’s killing as an assassination by Israeli forces. Israel’s government initially suggested Palestinian fire might have been to blame, but officials have also said they could not rule out it was Israeli gunfire that killed her.On Friday, Israeli police said the group of Palestinians they described as rioters had begun throwing stones in the hospital compound. “The policemen were forced to act,” they added. There was no immediate comment from Palestinian authorities.A few minutes later, Abu Akleh’s coffin was placed in a vehicle that headed toward the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin in Jerusalem’s Walled Old City, where the ceremony proceeded peacefully.Investigations and raidsThe Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation “concluded that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire which hit and killed Ms Abu Akleh.”The inquiry has raised two possibilities, the military said in a statement. The first, that Abu Akleh was hit by Palestinian militants who fired dozens of bullets toward Israeli military vehicles, “which is also the direction where Ms Abu Akleh was”.The second, that an Israeli soldier returning fire from a jeep toward a gunman had inadvertently hit her. The vehicle was around 200m from Abu Akleh, the military said.Israeli forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu Akleh was killed.At least 13 people were wounded, the Palestinian health ministry said. The military said that an Israeli police officer had been seriously injured in what it said was counter-terrorism activity.The Jenin Brigade, an armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, said its fighters were engaging in armed clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin and residents said the Israeli forces arrested a militant from the Islamic Jihad Group.Abu Akleh’s death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the moments after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest marked “Press”.At least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come under Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants.Israel, which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh’s death has proposed a joint investigation with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet for examination.The Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said Israel was fully responsible and called for an international investigation.Israel has stepped up raids amid deadly attacks in Israel. Since March, Palestinians and members of Israel’s Arab minority have killed 18 people, including three police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have mostly targeted civilians.Some of the assailants have come from the Jenin area. The Israeli arrest raids in the West Bank have often sparked clashes and have brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or armed civilians since the beginning of the year to at least 42. The casualties include armed members of militant groups, lone assailants and bystanders.


Govt still studying proposal to put MACC under EAIC supervision

The government is still scrutinising the proposal to place the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) under the purview of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh said the government had also established a pro-tem committee to discuss the direction of the proposal following the Cabinet's meeting on April 19.
"Also, on May 17, a working-level meeting was held to discuss the terms of reference or TOR. The pro-tem committee will also recommend the results of their findings to obtain policy decisions for Cabinet scrutiny.
"The implementation of disciplinary matters needs to be managed systematically so that monitoring of the misconduct of administrative officers and implementors at the enforcement agencies is done holistically," he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in his reply to a question from Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor) regarding the proposal to place the MACC under the EAIC to ensure effective disciplinary control and improve the commission's integrity.
Ramkarpal added that the study also involves the proposed appointment of EAIC members under the purview of the parliamentary special select committee as a measure to strengthen the function and integrity of the enforcement agency.


Give govt aid to low-income groups during MCO 3.0, experts say

The government has been urged to provide financial assistance similar to the initiatives introduced during the first round of movement control order (MCO) last March to help those from the low-income group during MCO 3.0, slated to continue until June 7.Economist Muhammed Abdul Khalid of consulting firm DM Analytics said initiatives such as the loan moratorium and Bantuan Prihatin Nasional should be reintroduced to ensure that the vulnerable groups are not left even further behind.Speaking at the media launch of Part Four of the “Families on the Edge” study commissioned by United Nations agencies, he said failure to do so would result in “great injustice”.“If there is a time for the assistance, it should have been yesterday. They are vulnerable, they should be given this assistance,” he said.The UN study involved 500 low-income families living in PPR flats in Kuala Lumpur. It was carried out over 10 months, from May 2020 to March this year.Muhammed said without government aid, inequalities might deepen across the country, adding that the impact on education was the biggest concern.During the presentation of the study findings, he said eight in 10 parents had reported that their children struggle to focus while six in 10 said their children had lost interest in studying.“Education is the key to upward mobility. If that opportunity is no longer given to the low-income society, we will lose a big chunk of human capital.“This is something we cannot afford. The intervention must be now,” he said.Asked whether the country was capable of giving out such aid, he said the government had the money, and that it should be spent on those in the low-income bracket.He maintained that providing assistance for the poor was good for the economy.“We depend on people spending on private consumption. So this assistance also helps the country. There are a lot of multipliers that are good for society.”The study also found that up to 70% of respondents said they need monthly cash assistance as a form of immediate assistance, while more than half (51%) said they prefer permanent monthly allowance for vulnerable groups such as children, the disabled and the elderly.In terms of women’s well-being, the study found a general sense of an increase in domestic burden during the MCO due to more people staying at home for a prolonged period. The resultant stress and fatigue was said to have continued into MCO 2.0.With MCO 3.0 around the corner, Dr Narimah Awin, technical adviser to the United Nations Population Fund, agreed that the aid should continue.“In the long term, it is better to teach them to fish. However, in the Covid-19 crisis, among the residents of those flats, they need the fish and we have to give it to them.“They are in dire condition,” she said, adding that women in this group are suffering from the triple jeopardies of being women, poor and old.“In normal times, these women could be the Makcik Kiah who sell nasi lemak and kuih but now they have to look after their elderly mother or sick husband. These women who are old are doing unpaid care work. They contribute so much,” she said, referring to intergenerational families who live together in a single family unit.


DAP leader distances party from rep’s comments on ‘Chinese dilution’

DAP leader Loke Siew Fook today sought to distance the party from recent comments by a central committee member who said it should not degrade itself in order to win the support of Malays.He said the comments by Ronnie Liu represented his own view or that of a certain segment of the party, but not the party itself.“There is an effort by DAP to be more open so that we can be accepted by Malaysians,” he said on a talk show today hosted by the National Council of Professors, adding that the party’s true foundation is multicultralism.“This is why there is an internal debate in DAP. We are working to show (the aspects of) multiculturalism.”Loke, the party’s organising secretary, said this approach could bring risks as there might be efforts to dislodge the current leadership.“But we must explain to our supporters that DAP is not for one race alone,” he added.Liu, who is assemblyman for Sungai Pelek, had made the remarks in a speech yesterday.“DAP is for all Malaysians. We need to cooperate with other Malay parties, but we shouldn’t degrade or portray ourselves as a non-Chinese party,” he was reported as saying.He also said that DAP “need not dilute its Chineseness just because of the criticism from our political enemies”.His comments sparked a strong response from Damansara MP Tony Pua and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, with Yeoh saying: “The DAP that Ronnie wants is not the DAP I joined.”“For me, I have stopped listening to Ronnie long time ago. But this time I cannot stay silent because he has done a great disservice to many of us DAP leaders out there who are working hard to fight off prejudices and stigmas against DAP.“Ronnie does not represent me. Ronnie does not speak for me,” she added in a Facebook post.Pua meanwhile said in a statement that DAP “can certainly do without such chauvinists in the party”.But Loke said there was no need for disciplinary action against Liu as he was free to express his views.


Taliban back to old ways in newly seized Afghan territory

Days after the Taliban captured a remote district in Afghanistan’s north, they issued their first orders in the form of a letter to the local imam.“It said women can’t go to the bazaar without a male companion, and men should not shave their beards,” said Sefatullah, 25, a resident of Kalafgan district.The insurgents also banned smoking, he added, and warned that anybody violating the rules “will be seriously dealt with”.The Taliban are making huge advances across the country as they capitalise on the final withdrawal of foreign troops – capturing districts, seizing key border crossings, and encircling provincial capitals.In some areas they are again introducing the harsh interpretation of Islamic rule that earned them notoriety until being overthrown by the US-led invasion that followed the Sept 11 attacks.Last month they took Shir Khan Bandar, a northern customs post that connected the country to Tajikistan over a US-funded bridge that spanned the Panj river.“After Shir Khan Bandar fell, the Taliban ordered women not to step out of their homes,” said Sajeda, who told AFP she worked in a local factory at the time.“There were many women and young girls doing embroidery, tailoring and shoe-making… The Taliban’s order has now terrified us,” she told AFP by phone.The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 according to an interpretation of the Quran little changed in centuries.Women were ordered to stay indoors unless accompanied by a male relative, girls were banned from school, and those found guilty of crimes such as adultery were stoned to death.Men had relatively more freedom but were ordered not to shave, would be beaten if they didn’t attend prayers, and were told to only wear traditional clothing.Afghanistan is deeply conservative and some rural pockets of the country adhere to similar rules even without Taliban oversight – but the insurgents have tried to impose these edicts even in more modern centres.‘Marry your daughters to the Taliban’A statement purporting to come from the Taliban circulated on social media this week ordered villagers to marry off their daughters and widows to the movement’s foot soldiers.“All imams and mullahs in captured areas should provide the Taliban with a list of girls above 15 and widows under 45 to be married to Taliban fighters,” said the letter, issued in the name of the Taliban’s cultural commission.It brought back bitter memories of the edicts issued by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice during the Taliban’s first stint in power.Keen to project a softer image this time around, they have denied issuing any such statement and dismissed it as propaganda.“These are baseless claims,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group.“They are rumours spread using fabricated papers.”‘Nobody can leave home at night’But people in areas recently taken by the insurgents insist there is truth to the social media buzz.In Yawan district on the Tajikistan border, the Taliban gathered residents at a local mosque after taking over.“Their commanders told us that nobody is allowed to leave home at night,” Nazir Mohammad, 32, told AFP.“And no person – especially the youths – can wear red and green clothes,” he said, referring to the colours of the Afghan flag.Their orders didn’t stop there.“Everybody should wear a turban and no man can shave,” said Mohammad.“Girls attending schools beyond sixth grade were barred from classes.”The Taliban insist they will protect human rights – particularly those of women – but only according to “Islamic values”, which are interpreted differently across the Muslim world.For Sajeda on the Tajikistan border, just a few days of Taliban rule was enough – and she fled south to the nearby city of Kunduz.“We will never be able to work in areas under the Taliban,” she said, “So, we left”.


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Tens of millions gather for Eid prayers in Bangladesh

Tens of millions of Bangladeshis defied a Covid-19 surge on Wednesday to join prayers in packed mosques and outdoor locations, as Muslims slaughtered record numbers of animals for the festival Eid al-Adha.The government has lifted a strict lockdown for a week to allow millions to head back to their villages for the second-largest religious festival in the Muslim-majority country.The South Asian nation of 169 million people, where two-thirds live in villages, has been hit by a major surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in recent weeks that shows little sign of abating.This is despite a tough lockdown in place since July 1 shutting down transport, offices and deploying the military to stop people leaving for their homes except for emergencies and essential supplies.More than a million Bangladeshis have now been infected and over 18,000 have died – figures seen as a gross undercount. The surge has been blamed largely on the Delta variant first detected in neighbouring India.On Wednesday, the streets of Dhaka took on a festive look, with people in traditional clothing hugging each other and watching butchers as they slaughtered cows and goats for the three-day celebration.Iftekhar Hossain, a spokesman for the livestock ministry, told AFP “a record 11.9 million cows, goats, buffaloes and lambs have been readied for sacrifice this Eid”.He said authorities have launched an app to facilitate online animal sales as they want to cut crowds in the cattle markets to stop the spread of coronavirus.“A record 387,000 cows and goats have been sold online,” he said.The Eid al-Adha animal sale is a US$10 billion industry and is one of the key drivers of the economy in rural Bangladesh.It is a key reason the government lifted the lockdown to allow cattle farmers to bring their animals to the cities.Mohammad Ali, a farmer, said: “Last year we had to struggle due to the lockdown. This year again, if the lockdown wasn’t lifted, we along with our families would have to die starving.”Ali came to Dhaka with 20 cows from the western border district of Kushtia.On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people thronged the Gabtoli cattle market, the largest in the capital, deep into the night for last-minute purchases of animals.“This is a difficult time. But sacrificing an animal during Eid is mandatory. Being a follower of Islam, how can I deny that? That’s why I came to the market to buy a cow,” Yasir Arafat, 39, a banker and a buyer, told AFP.


95.5% of adults, 81.4% of teens fully vaccinated

A total of 22,350,755 individuals or 95.5% of the adult population had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on data from the CovidNow website, a total of 22,891,163 individuals or 97.8% of adults have received at least one dose of vaccine.For the adolescent population, 81.4% or 2,563,344 individuals have completed their vaccination while another 87.2% or 2,745,553 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 117,736 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, of which 20,013 were second doses, 6,243 were first doses and 91,480 were booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to to 51,591,383.


PH leaders endorse PM’s ‘Malaysian Family’ tag line in rare joint statement

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the three top leaders of opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan today signed a rare joint statement pledging to finding common ground in “lowering the political temperature” as advised by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.In the statement co-signed by Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu, the leaders said there was mutual agreement on strengthening the function of Parliament and making it more transparent.“We also agree and understand the importance of the independence of the judiciary, institutional reform and good governance to ensure a more conducive environment for the people and the country in the framework of the Malaysian Family,” the leaders said, in reference to a phrase Ismail had used in his maiden speech as prime minister on Sunday.This follows a meeting between Ismail and the three leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office earlier today, seen as in keeping with palace advice that the new government work together with the opposition in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.Anwar had after emerging from the meeting indicated that the opposition would not vote against Ismail in the event of a vote of confidence in the prime minister.In their statement, the leaders said the meeting had focused on the interests of the people and on finding the best common ground for tackling the pandemic, safeguarding lives and freeing the people from the grip of economic uncertainty following the loss of jobs and income.In introducing the “Malaysian Family” tag line on Sunday, Ismail had said that he empathised with the people in their struggle to weather the pandemic.He also said that the common enemy of the “Malaysian Family” was the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the recent power vacuum and the change in government should be a thing of the past.


Brazil airport screens show porn movies in apparent hack

With its thong-covered beaches, flesh-flaunting carnival and sultry nightlife, Rio de Janeiro has a racy reputation, but it rose to a new level Friday when porn films started playing on screens at the Brazilian city’s central airport.News of the apparent hack first broke on social media, when shocked and bemused travellers posted images of screens inside Santos Dumont Airport playing explicit videos that were decidedly not safe for work – or travel.“It seems a lot of people missed their flights today,” cracked one Twitter user.“Welcome to Santos Dumont Airporn,” wrote another.Brazil’s airport operator, Infraero, said the monitors were advertising screens run by a private company, not official information displays.“Infraero has taken appropriate legal action and filed a case with the federal police,” it said in a statement.“The monitors in question will remain turned off in our airport network until the company responsible for them guarantees their security.”Not everyone was laughing over the incident.“Imagine people travelling with children,” one social media user wrote. “What a lack of respect.”Others were more amused.“I love Rio,” wrote one.


Sri Lanka pardons suspected Tamil Tigers convicted under terrorism law

Sri Lanka’s president Thursday pardoned 16 minority Tamils imprisoned for over a decade, as the country faces renewed United Nations pressure over detentions without charge under draconian anti-terrorism laws.The amnesty is a first for people linked to the Tamil Tigers since Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a member of the majority Sinhalese community, came to power in 2019 on a nationalist agenda.The men were convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) that gives security forces sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects.A total of 78 other convicts, including a murderer closely linked to Sri Lanka’s ruling Rajapaksa family, were also released under an amnesty to mark a Buddhist holiday.The UN rights body as well as the US ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina Teplitz, criticised the release of Duminda Silva, a former ruling party legislator facing a death sentence for a 2011 murder.“Presidential pardon… is another example of selective, arbitrary granting of pardons that weakens rule of law and undermines accountability,” the UN Human Rights Council said on Twitter.Ambassador Teplitz said the US welcomed the early release of PTA prisoners, but “the pardon of Silva, whose conviction the Supreme Court upheld in 2018, undermines rule of law.”Silva worked for the defence ministry when current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was president from 2005 to 2015.The Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the main opposition party SJB also slammed his release.Protecting criminals“Today, those found guilty of the most serious crimes in our law enjoy presidential protection while the judges and police officers who brought them to justice have targets on their backs,” SJB legislator Thalatha Athukorale, a former justice minister, said.The US has been pressing Sri Lanka to ensure accountability for war-time atrocities by both government forces and Tamil rebels during a 37-year separatist war that ended in 2009.A prison official said the 16 Tamil prisoners freed Thursday were due to complete their sentences soon.“The 16 Tamil detainees are among 94 prisoners who received a presidential pardon,” prison superintendent Chandana Ekanayake said.Government officials said the release was the first phase of a plan to free all those held or charged under the PTA.Another 78 people arrested under the law on suspicion of supporting the separatist Tamil Tigers have been in custody for decades, political sources from the Tamil community told AFP.Lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, the president’s nephew and son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, told parliament this week that some of those detained had been in jail since before he was born in 1986.He added that his government is working to free them.The Human Rights Council last week urged the government to either charge or release those detained under the PTA, including human rights activists who were recently arrested.Critics warn the law is being used as a weapon targeting dissidents and minorities in the fractured country.


Novelist Salman Rushdie attacked, wounded on stage at New York event

Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born novelist who was ordered killed by Iran in 1989 because of his writing, was attacked on stage at an event in New York and suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, according to New York State Police and an eyewitness.
A man rushed to the stage at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state and attacked Rushdie as he was being introduced, an eye witness said. A state trooper present at the event took the attacker into custody, police said.
Rushdie was taken by helicopter to a hospital but his condition was not yet known, police said
"We are dealing with an emergency situation," a Chautauqua Institution spokesman said when contacted by Reuters.
Rushdie fell to the floor when the man attacked him, and was then surrounded by a small group of people who held up his legs, seemingly to send more blood to his upper body, as the attacker was restrained, according to a witness attending the lecture who asked not to be named.
Rushdie, who was born into an Indian Muslim family, has faced death threats for his fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses," which some Muslims said contained blasphemous passages. The novel was banned in many countries with large Muslim populations upon its 1988 publication.
A year later, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, pronounced a fatwa, or religious edict, calling upon Muslims to kill the novelist for blasphemy.
Rushdie went into hiding for many years. The Iranian government later backed away from the order and Rushdie has lived relatively openly in recent years. Iranian organisations, however, have raised a bounty worth millions of dollars for Rushdie's murder.
Rushdie was at the Chautauqua Institution to take part in a discussion about the United States serving as asylum for writers and artists in exile and "as a home for freedom of creative expression," according to the institution’s website.
The Wylie Agency, which represents Rushdie, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Teen stabs classmate to death at London ‘Knife Crime Awareness’ class

An 18-year-old who stabbed his classmate to death at a Knife Crime Awareness course has been jailed for life in London.Vladimir Nachev attacked Hakim Sillah with a 25cm-long knife during their court-imposed programme for minors with previous weapons-related offences.Nachev arrived at the class with a concealed Rambo-style knife and attacked Sillah in front of their classmates, killing him.In court, he tried to claim his attack was in self-defence but the court heard he had attacked Sillah previously with a knife and had sent him abusive and threatening messages.Murder Squad detectives found messages on Nachev’s mobile phone sent to a friend shortly after Sillah was fatally stabbed: “I’m going jail … I cheffed [stabbed] up hakz again inside yot,” Nachev had texted.The court was told that just days before the class, Nachev searched online for hunting knives, zombie knives, and samurai swords.Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall, of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command, said that both Nachev and Hakim had turned up with a concealed knife. Of Hakim she said, “He was a highly dangerous individual, who was intent on carrying out a violent attack.”Judge Pushpinder Saini told Nachev when sentencing him to life with a minimum of 18 years, “The cruel irony of the fact you took with you, and used, this weapon on a course which was intended to give you an awareness of weapons hardly needs stating.”Sillah’s mother said her son’s stabbing is a painful reminder of the knife-crime epidemic that is ravaging British youth.Social media commenters noted ironically that it was good to see that Britain’s much-touted gun control laws are keeping UK streets safe.


EPF declares higher dividends for 2021

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has declared a 6.10% dividend for conventional savings for 2021 with a total payout of RM50.45 billion, surpassing the 5.45% dividend declared during the pre-pandemic year of 2019.CEO Amir Hamzah Azizan also announced a 5.65% dividend for shariah savings, with total payout of RM6.27 billion for 2021, beating the 5.0% dividend in 2019.This brings the total payout amount for 2021 to RM56.72 billion.Amir said the dividend delivered in 2021 was partly due to the board’s healthy and globally diversified portfolio.“The RM101 billion pandemic-related withdrawals since the year 2020 resulted in 48% of EPF members having less than RM10,000 in their accounts.“We hope that this dividend and our continued performance will help us begin the process of rebuilding our members’ retirement savings, as economic recovery takes shape over the course of the year,” he told a media briefing on EPF’s 2021 financial performance today.According to him, the primary concern with the withdrawals was the impact on members’ retirement adequacy.However, he said despite the challenge of managing liquidity in the face of these outflows, the EPF had the capability and agility to respond with minimal impact to the financial market.For 2021, Amir said the EPF had rebalanced and managed its investment portfolios by acquiring shares that were fundamentally strong at attractive prices, as well as capitalising on its overseas investments, which contributed 56% to its overall returns.As of Dec 31, 2021, he said the EPF recorded an increase of 6.0% in total gross investment income to RM67.06 billion from RM63.45 billion in 2020, driven by the progressive recovery of the equity markets and most asset classes amid the global rebound.“For 2021, the EPF recorded its first ever negative net contribution (contributions after withdrawals) in 20 years of RM58.2 billion, but remained steadfast and prudent in its long-term investment strategies while adapting to the challenges to ensure long-term sustainable returns.“The EPF recorded a gross investment income of RM67.06 billion, with RM6.91 billion allocated to shariah savings,” he said.Amir said the performance was attributed to the EPF’s diversified approach, guided by its strategic asset allocation which has kept the fund resilient against financial shocks and stable in unprecedented situations.“By asset class, fixed income instruments made up 45% of investments while equities comprised 44%. Real estate and infrastructure as well as money market instruments made up 6.0 and 5.0% of EPF assets respectively,” he added.The crediting of dividends for both conventional and shariah savings will be completed on March 6, 2022, when members may check their accounts via i-Akaun or get their statements from EPF kiosks nationwide.


Muhyiddin chairs special Cabinet meeting

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today chaired a special meeting with his Cabinet at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya, believed to be on current issues.Muhyiddin’s vehicle was seen entering the Perdana Putra compound at 8.57am. The meeting was scheduled for 9.30am.Several vehicles carrying Cabinet members were also seen entering Perdana Putra. Their occupants were subjected to temperature checks beforehand.Among those seen entering the building were Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as well as Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.The vehicle carrying Chief of Defence Force Affendi Buang was also seen entering Perdana Putra at about 9am.


Beijing requires Covid test results within 48 hours to enter public places, official says

China's capital Beijing reported 634 new local Covid cases for the 15 hours to 3pm (0700 GMT) on Tuesday, the deputy director of city's municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Liu Xiaofeng said at a briefing.
The capital city will require a negative PCR test result within 48 hours for people to enter public places such as shopping malls, hotels, government buildings from Nov 24, city government spokesperson Xu Hejian told the same briefing.


Teresa Kok’s ‘KL not Ketereh’ remark draws ire of petty traders

Recent remarks in the Dewan Rakyat by Teresa Kok on the government’s move to allow more people to operate stalls in Kuala Lumpur have drawn condemnation from petty traders, who say the Seputeh MP is being insensitive to the plight of low-income groups affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.Kok had questioned an announcement by Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa that his ministry would allow residents of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan to operate stalls and petty businesses in suitable areas for six months beginning Nov 15, saying Annuar was treating the city like his rural constituency of Ketereh.“I am perplexed with the minister’s statement because it looks like he considers the federal territories the same as his Ketereh parliamentary constituency in Kelantan, where everyone can open stalls, tables and sell anything anywhere,” Kok said on Thursday.Her comments echoed those of six associations representing big businesses, who claimed the hawkers have lower hygiene standards, and that their businesses would lead to pest and rodent problems in the cities.The associations, representing the interests of mall owners, builders and retailers, also said the move was unfair to formal businesses which pay fees for licences and permits, unlike petty traders.The Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Traders and Hawkers Association said Kok’s remarks showed that she could not empathise with the plight of the urban poor despite being a resident of the city.“It looks like an outsider like Annuar can relate more to the hardships faced by city dwellers who have lost their jobs than Teresa Kok,” the association’s president Rosli Sulaiman told MalaysiaNow.He welcomed the announcement, saying it was one of many ways to allow people to find an alternative income as tens of thousands struggle with the loss of jobs since Covid-19 was detected in Malaysia earlier this year.Hairul Samsul who operates a burger stall at Taman Sri Rampai in Gombak will ensure cleanliness at his stall.Mad Jan, who operates a kuey teow stall in Setapak, said easing restrictions on petty traders would help many people make ends meet after losing their jobs.“I do not see it as a problem because everyone has their own advantage when it comes to selling food.“The question of competition does not arise,” he added.Hairul Samsul, who operates a burger stall at Taman Sri Rampai in Gombak, said it is incumbent on stall owners to ensure cleanliness in return for the opportunity granted to them.“We cannot be in a situation where the public complains that these traders do not care about cleanliness and are a nuisance,” he said.Rosli meanwhile said those looking to become petty traders would still have to secure the funds and capital to run their businesses, as well as adhere to a host of procedures and rules.He said people from all races should be given an equal opportunity to run their businesses.“As a representative of traders, I have had discussions with Kuala Lumpur City Hall on suitable sites for petty traders to open their stalls,” he added.


Why intervene when Umno hasn't been banned, Hamzah asks Saifuddin

Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin today questioned Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail's use of his discretionary powers to intervene in the affair between Umno and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) even though the party had not been banned.
He said the minister's powers under Section 70 of the Societies Act 1966 should only be used when a party has been banned.
"By right, these powers can only be used if a party has been banned.
"Here, nothing has happened yet so why pre-empt things? What's that about? This means that Saifuddin really does feel that Umno should be banned," he told reporters outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya.
Saifuddin said on March 7 that he had used his ministerial power to exempt Umno from a clause in the Societies Act, allowing the party to forgo elections for its top two posts.
He said yesterday that it had been an "applicable" decision, and that if Umno members who had previously brought the issue to the RoS were not satisfied with the decision, they could take it to court.
This followed the circulation of a letter dated March 2, purportedly from the RoS, stating that the additional motion, passed at Umno's 2022 general assembly in January, was irregular and in conflict with the party's constitution.
Hamzah said different parties had the right to view the matter from their own perspectives.
"As long as it's in line with the laws of the country," he added.
"So the people, especially Umno members, should realise that there are many things to be questioned. But it's up to them."


Elon Musk meets Modi, says Tesla is looking to invest in India

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the electric carmaker is looking to invest in India "as soon as humanly possible."
His comments followed a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York during Modi's state visit to the US. A source previously told Reuters that Musk would brief Modi on plans to set up a manufacturing base in India.
"I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible," Musk said when asked by reporters about Tesla's plan to invest in India, adding he intended to visit the country next year.
"I would like to thank the prime minister for his support and hopefully we'll be able to announce something in the not too distant future," he added.
Musk said he is "a fan" of Modi and noted the prime minister visited a Tesla factory in California several years ago, according to video from Indian broadcaster ANI on Twitter.
"India has more promise than any large country in the world. He (Modi) really cares about India because he's pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something we intend to do. We are just trying to figure out the right timing," Musk said.
India has strong potential for a sustainable energy future including solar power, stationary battery packs and electric vehicles, he said. Musk, also CEO of SpaceX, said it hopes to bring Starlink satellite internet service to India as well.
Executives of Tesla visited India and held talks with Indian bureaucrats and ministers last month on establishing a manufacturing base for cars and batteries in India.
Musk said last month Tesla would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year, adding India was an interesting place for a new plant.
US companies need to reduce reliance on China as a manufacturing base in the face of tensions between Washington and Beijing. Tesla last year shelved its India entry plans due to high import tax structures.
Modi's meeting with Musk, who owns Twitter, came days after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey accused India of threatening to shut down the platform for not complying with content takedown orders during a 2020-2021 protest. India called the allegation an "outright lie".
Musk has not commented on the episode, which caused a political storm in India.


Google withdraws 'Slavery Simulator' game app after Brazil outcry

Google has withdrawn a gaming app that allowed players to buy, sell and torture black virtual "slaves" after a racism outcry in Brazil.
Dubbed "Slavery Simulator," the Portuguese-language game saw players trade in slaves and strategise to prevent the abolition of slavery in order to amass virtual riches.
The prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation for "hate speech" related to the game downloaded by hundreds of people.
The app itself had come with a disclaimer condemning "all types of slavery" and insisting the game was "solely for entertainment purposes."
After withdrawing the app from its Playstore, Google said in a statement that  "applications that promote violence or hated against groups of people or individuals because of their skin color or ethnic origin" would not be allowed on its platform.
The company invited users to report offensive content.
Brazil's ministry of racial equality said it had asked Google to put in place measures "to filter out content containing hate speech, intolerance and racism" and "to prevent it from spreading so easily, without moderation."
Racism is still a problem in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery, in 1888. More than 56% of the population is Afro-Brazilian.
"Brazil is one of the countries with the most consumers on Google’s platforms, and there one finds this app that recalls the era of slavery, with bonuses for those who torture the most," said Renata Souza, a leftist regional lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro.
"This is not only racism, but also fascism," she told AFP. "Here in Brazil, we have a neo-fascist movement that is not afraid to show itself... because of the lack of regulation on social networks."
Google has spoken out against a bill seeking to stem online disinformation in Brazil, saying it "seriously threatens free speech."
Supporters call the bill a badly-needed defense against disinformation and online extremism, but detractors say it amounts to censorship.
A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation of Google and Telegram over what he called their "abusive campaign" against the bill.
Racism has been on the minds of Brazilians since "monkey" insults were hurled Sunday against their own Vinicius Junior, playing for Real Madrid in Spain.
The lights on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro were turned off for an hour in solidarity with the player.


Anwar postpones Cabinet announcement

A keenly awaited announcement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding his Cabinet line-up has been postponed at the eleventh hour.
Scores of reporters who had gathered for hours at the Prime Minister's Office for a press conference scheduled for 5pm today were informed about the postponement by Anwar's press secretary Tunku Nashrul Tunku Abaidah.
The announcement will instead be made at 8.15pm.
Anwar earlier attended an audience with Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, believed in order to brief the Agong about his Cabinet line-up.
Speaking at Tambun, Perak, where he attended a thanksgiving event at the constituency he won in the recently concluded polls, Anwar confirmed that an announcement of his Cabinet line-up would be made late in the afternoon today.


64.2% of adults boosted, 29.9% of children given first vaccine jab

A total of 15,113,923 individuals or 64.2% of the adult population had received a Covid-19 booster jab as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 22,930,441 or 97.5% have completed their vaccination while 23,207,220 or 98.7% have received at least one dose.A total of 1,060,063 or 29.9% of children aged five to 11 have received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids).As for adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,832,919 or 91% have completed their vaccination while 2,933,324 or 94.2% have received at least one shot.Yesterday, 68,624 vaccine doses were administered, with 19,511 as first doses, 1,835 as second shots and 47,278 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number vaccine doses given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 67,869,343.


Court throws out bid by Najib, Irwan Serigar for discharge not amounting to acquittal

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed an application by Najib Razak and former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah for them to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on six counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) amounting to RM6.6 billion involving the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin said the court dismissed the applications on grounds that the prosecution was ready for the trial.“The trial dates, for 32 days from September 2021, were set before but were vacated at the request of the prosecution and it was objected to by the defence.“An application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal under Section 254 of the Criminal Procedure Code can only be allowed if the prosecution does not intend to continue the case,” he said.He also set April 1 to 4, 8 to 11 and throughout May next year as the new trial dates for the case.Najib, 68, and Irwan, 63, applied for the DNAA today during a case management on grounds that they were charged in 2018 but had not been tried until now.Lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, representing Najib, said his client had yet to be tried and that the case was still pending despite him being charged four years ago.“We also applied for several documents from the prosecution according to Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code, but these are not yet completed. Therefore, we apply for our client to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal,” he said.Lawyer K Kumaraendran, represented Irwan, said he did not doubt the court process or the prosecution, but that the case facing his client was still pending and had been mentioned 14 times in court since October 2018.“This case has been suspended because there is no suitable hearing date as the first accused, Najib, is being tried in several different courts and we have received information from his lawyer that the only available date is in 2023,” he added.Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, however, objected to the application on grounds that it was unfair for the court to allow the two accused to be discharged but not amounting to an acquittal at this stage, before the trial.He said the prosecution was ready to conduct the case, and had submitted documents three times under Section 51A. In accordance with the provisions of the law, he said, the defence could submit additional documents, if any, before the trial.“The public prosecutor represents 34 million members of the public who want to see this case go to trial. They cannot be given a DNAA just like that. We are ready to prove the charges against the two accused,” he added.On Oct 24, 2018, Najib and Irwan pleaded not guilty to six charges of CBT amounting to RM6.6 billion in government funds involving payments to IPIC.Najib and Irwan were jointly accused of committing the offences at the Finance Ministry Complex, Putrajaya between Dec 21, 2016, and Dec 18, 2017.They were charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code which provides for a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping as well as a fine upon conviction.


Alibaba says ‘dismayed’ by Uighur facial-recognition software

Chinese tech giant Alibaba has sought to distance itself from a face-recognition software feature devised by its cloud computing unit that could help users to identify members of the country’s Muslim Uighur minority.A report this week revealing the software feature made Alibaba, one of the world’s most valuable companies, the latest Chinese corporate entity embroiled in the controversy over China’s treatment of Uighurs.In a statement posted online late Thursday, Alibaba said it was “dismayed to learn” that Alibaba Cloud developed the feature.The technology was used only in for capability-testing and not deployed by any customer, Alibaba said, adding that it had “eliminated any ethnic tag” in its products.“We do not and will not permit our technology to be used to target or identify specific ethnic groups,” it said.The Uighur issue looms as a worrying threat for Chinese companies as global criticism grows over Beijing’s policies in the northwest region of Xinjiang.Rights groups say as many as one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in internment camps there.Beijing initially denied the camps’ existence but now calls them vocational training centres aimed at offering alternatives to religious extremism.China’s Uighurs, a Muslim people of Turkic origin, have for decades chafed at Chinese control, anger that has periodically exploded into deadly violence.Surveillance spending in Xinjiang has risen sharply in recent years, with facial recognition and other technologies deployed across the province.Washington last year blacklisted eight Chinese tech firms for alleged links to the surveillance effort.Last week, US-based surveillance research firm IPVM said Chinese telecoms company Huawei had been involved in testing facial-recognition software that could send alerts to police when Uighur faces were recognised.Huawei denied the claim.But the controversy caused Barcelona’s World Cup-winning French football star Antoine Griezmann to sever an endorsement deal with Huawei.Alibaba is the leader in China’s huge e-commerce sector, projecting a sunny image to the world epitomised by globe-trotting founder and billionaire former chairman Jack Ma.It has also moved into cloud computing, bricks-and-mortar retail and delivery services, as well as an overseas expansion.The Trump administration has imposed an escalating series of US sanctions against Huawei over alleged digital collusion with Chinese state security and has hinted at applying pressure on other companies, possibly including Alibaba.


Ex-AG Apandi willing to settle suit against Mahathir, govt through mediation, says lawyer

Mohamed Apandi Ali is willing to settle his suit against Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the government of Malaysia over his termination as the attorney-general (AG) through mediation, his lawyer says.Apandi filed the suit on Oct 13 last year, seeking among others a declaration that his termination of service as the AG by the former prime minister was unlawful.Lawyer Abd Shukor Ahmad, representing Apandi, said they had submitted the mediation form to the AG’s Chambers (AGC) through email on May 21.“My client (Apandi) is ready for trial, but at the same time willing to negotiate to settle the suit,” he told reporters through WhatsApp after case management held online before judicial commissioner Latifah Mohd Tahar today.Federal counsel Lau Wen Yen, representing Mahathir and the government, also attended the proceedings.Shukor said the next case management had been set for Sept 29.Meanwhile, senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan when contacted said the AGC had received the email from the plaintiff.In his statement of claim, Apandi, who was a Federal Court judge before being appointed as AG in 2015, sought among others a declaration that the first defendant had committed misfeasance and misconduct in public office, and a declaration that the first defendant had caused and induced a breach of contract between him and the government of Malaysia.He is seeking special damages of RM2,233,599.36, general damages, exemplary and/or punitive damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.The two defendants, in their statement of defence filed on Nov 12, said there was no abuse of power by Mahathir in the termination of Apandi as AG as it was done in accordance with the provisions of the law.


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WHO mass-testing three potential Covid-19 treatments

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday announced major international trials of three drugs to find out whether they improve the condition of hospitalised Covid-19 patients.Artesunate, imatinib and infliximab will be tested on thousands of volunteer patients in more than 600 hospitals in 52 countries.“Finding more effective and accessible therapeutics for Covid-19 patients remains a critical need,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.Artesunate is a treatment for severe malaria; imatinib a drug used for certain cancers and infliximab a treatment for immune system disorders such as Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis.The coordinated research across dozens of countries allows the trial to assess multiple treatments using a single protocol, thereby generating robust estimates on the effect a drug may have on mortality, including moderate effects, said WHO.The drugs were chosen by an independent expert panel for their potential in reducing the risk of death in hospitalised Covid-19 patients.They were donated for the trial by their manufacturers and are already being shipped out to the hospitals involved.Previous trial’s dead endThe testing of artesunate, imatinib and infliximab on Covid-19 patients is the second stage of the WHO’s Solidarity hunt for effective treatments against the killer disease.Previously, four drugs were evaluated by the Solidarity trial, involving almost 13,000 patients in 500 hospitals across 30 countries.The provisional results issued in October showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalised patients with Covid-19.The final results are due out next month.“We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat Covid-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers. But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical spectrum, from mild to severe disease,” Tedros told a news conference.The WHO Covid-19 Therapeutics Advisory Group recommended evaluating the anti-inflammatory properties of artesunate, which has been extensively used in the treatment of malaria and other parasitic diseases for more than 30 years, and is regarded as being very safe.A randomised clinical trial in the Netherlands reported that imatinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, might confer clinical benefit in hospitalised Covid-19 patients.Meanwhile infliximab has shown favourable efficacy and safety in restricting broad spectrum inflammation, including in the elderly populations who are the most clinically vulnerable to Covid-19.300 million cases warningThe novel coronavirus has killed at least 4.3 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP, while nearly 204 million cases have been registered.Lamenting that the 200 millionth known case came just six months after the 100 millionth, Tedros said the real number of cases was “much higher”.“Whether we reach 300 million, and how fast we get there, depends on all of us,” the UN health agency chief said.“At the current trajectory, we could pass 300 million reported cases early next year. But we can change that. We’re all in this together, but the world is not acting like it.”WHO has consistently decried the drastic imbalance between rich and poor countries in access to Covid-19 vaccines.


The day the doves sang

In Forough Farrokhzad’s “The House is Black”, she laments the state of humanity and the leper community that lives on the edge of humans’ concern. As a being, the community was like a cage full of birds, filled with the moans of captivity. Her doves wish for deliverance as they cry out for justice, but there is none.She prayed to God for her doves not to be entrusted to the wild beast. Here in the moment as the sexual minority community in Malaysia anticipated the decision to be made on a Thursday morning, I believe all around seats warmed by hopeful and hopeless individuals, the space was filled with the same prayer.The prayer was answered, and the doves were given the deliverance they had hoped for.The quiet nervousness of the community prior to the announcement was quickly replaced with cheers and embraces. People rejoiced and celebrated the decision not for themselves, but for the community they were in. The emotion was shared not because the struggle was theirs alone, but because it was a struggle that they had gone through together.The history that was immortalised by the event was a history of a community. Just like what can be found about battles of opposing definitions of justice, the battle won was because a community braved through it together. The individual emotion that made the noise transmit was emoted by the others in the community. From ripples to waves, they crashed through their hurdle as a being.They knew as well that the fight for liberation from their struggle was far from over. New fear and worries rose, and doubts and suspicions about how things would turn out was also a concern. But as long as they know that the fight is a shared one, they will be fine.On the evning of Feb 25, as I smoked as usual in my little sanctuary at my campus, I could see the sun setting over a Selangor flag in the distance. The sunset was the brightest I had ever seen. In the spectacular brilliance of the evening sky, the hope of the community was battling against the lights to see who could shine the brightest.It was hot throughout the day as well. I know that the dog days are not yet over and that the heat will never be taken off the community’s back. But at least the day was kind enough to blow a little breeze over the land and the community, to dry the sweat and tears shed over past hurt, to make ways for tomorrow when the community may live as they may be, and to ease them as they continue to fight in an eternal struggle of living as a sexual minority.The doves had cried out for justice, but today, they sang out of joy.


Daily cases continue to hover at 6,300

Another 6,355 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,575,888.Another 5,031 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,477,314.Meanwhile 542 are in the ICU, including 436 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 268 are in need of respiratory assistance including 173 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 6,355 cases reported today, 15 (1.8%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 6,240 (98.2%) are in Category One and Two.


Twitter votes Elon Musk should sell 10% of Tesla stock

Twitter has spoken – after Elon Musk polled his more than 62 million followers on whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla shares, by Sunday a majority had voted “yes.”“I was prepared to accept either outcome,” said Musk, who regularly takes to Twitter to make unexpected announcements or surprising comments. He did not specify when or how he plans to sell the shares.The electric car maker’s query on Saturday night follows a proposal by US Congressional Democrats to tax the super wealthy more heavily by targeting stocks, which are usually only taxed when sold.Musk had already criticised the proposal at the end of October, tweeting: “Eventually, they run out of other people’s money and then they come for you.”He broached the topic again on Saturday, writing on Twitter: “Much is made lately of unrealised gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock.”He also shared a poll asking followers whether they agree “yes” or “no.”By Sunday, 57.9% of those who voted had picked “yes.”Musk owned about 17% of Tesla’s outstanding shares as of June 30, currently worth US$208.37 billion, according to Bloomberg.The entrepreneur was also awarded a large package of stock options and convertible shares as compensation.By selling 10% of his shares, he could theoretically earn just under US$21 billion.His wealth swelled with the recent surge in Tesla’s stock price, from about US$130 at the start of 2020 to US$1,222.09 as of Friday.Taking into account his stakes in his other companies, such as neurotechnology firm Neuralink and SpaceX, Musk is, in theory, the richest man in the world, with an estimated fortune of some US$338 billion, according to Bloomberg.“Note, I do not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere,” Musk tweeted Saturday.“I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock.”


US charges North Korean ‘bank robbers’ in US$1.3 billion computer hacks

Three North Korean computer programmers have been charged with stealing more than US$1.3 billion from banks and Hollywood movie studios.The US Department of Justice said on Wednesday that the three, all in their 30s, stole money and cryptocurrency while working for North Korea’s military intelligence services.One charge alleges that the hackers were responsible for a retaliatory 2014 attack on Sony Pictures for producing “The Interview” movie, which depicted a fictional assassination of North Korea’s leader.“North Korea’s operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world’s leading 21st century nation-state bank robbers,” a government prosecutor told a news briefing.The group is also alleged to have hacked into computers belonging to a UK film company that was working on a drama series about North Korea, as well as being involved in the creation of the destructive WannaCry 2.0 ransomware which played havoc with Britain’s National Health Service in 2017.The indictment accuses the hackers of breaking into banks across South and Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Africa by using the SWIFT protocol to steal money.They are alleged to have made off with US$81 million from the Bangladesh Bank alone.Overall, North Korea has generated an estimated US$2 billion using “widespread and increasingly sophisticated” digital intrusions at banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a UN report.The three men also conducted campaigns targeting US defence and energy contractors. As part of this, Department of State and Pentagon officials were tricked into sharing their credentials so hackers could access their computers.“The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering,” a US government official said.The North Korean mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.