1,096 new cases, more than half in Selangor

Another 1,096 Covid-19 cases were reported today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 54,775.Selangor recorded the most new cases at 603 or 55%, of which 502 or 83.3% were from the Teratai cluster.This was followed by Sabah (311 or 28.4%) and Perak (55).Kuala Lumpur recorded 30 new cases, Negeri Sembilan 29, Kedah 16, Penang 15, Labuan 13, Johor nine, Kelantan eight, Melaka five, and Perlis and Putrajaya one each.No new cases were reported in Pahang, Terengganu and Sarawak.Active cases stand at 12,843 with 106 in the ICU and 46 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,104 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 41,597.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 335.


Fifa chief accuses critics of Qatar of hypocrisy ahead of World Cup

Fifa president Gianni Infantino accused critics of World Cup host Qatar's treatment of migrant workers of hypocrisy on Saturday, adding that engagement was the only way to improve human rights.
In lengthy, and sometimes angry, opening remarks at a news conference on the eve of the start of the tournament, Infantino rounded on European critics of the host nation over the issues of migrant workers and LGBT rights.
"I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons," he said.
"I have difficulties understanding the criticism. We have to invest in helping these people, in education and to give them a better future and more hope. We should all educate ourselves, many things are not perfect but reform and change takes time.
"This one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy," he said.
"It is not easy to take the criticism of a decision that was made 12 years ago. Doha is ready, Qatar is ready and of course it will be the best World Cup ever."
Infantino drew on his own experience as the child of migrant workers growing up in Switzerland, saying he had been bullied for being Italian and for having red hair and freckles.
"I know what it feels to be discriminated (against), I know what it's like to be bullied," he said.
"What do you do? You start engaging, this is what we should be doing... The only way of getting results is by engaging.
"I believe the changes that have happened in Qatar would maybe not have happened, or not at least at that speed, (without the World Cup). Obviously, we need to keep pressure, obviously we need to try and make things better."
Infantino's remarks sparked a backlash from human rights advocates.
"In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as Fifa's responsibility for it," said Steve Cockburn, of Amnesty International.
Cockburn said demands for fair compensation should not be "treated as some sort of culture war".
Nick McGeehan of migrant worker advocacy group Fair Square described Infantino's comments as "crass" and "clumsy".
Qatar has said that it is a welcoming country that does not discriminate against people and has denied accusations of abuse of workers.
Infantino also defended the presence of Iran at the tournament despite the current spate of deadly protests there sparked by the death of a woman in police custody in September.
"It's not two regimes playing against each other, it's not two ideologies playing against each other, it's two football teams," he said.
"If we don't have at least football to bring us together... which world are we going to live in? In Iran there are 80 million people, are they all bad? Are they all monsters?"
Beer ban
Addressing Friday's decision to ban the sale of alcoholic beer at stadiums during the tournament, Infantino said Fifa had failed to persuade the Qatar government to stand by the original decision to allow it.
"We tried and that is why I give you the late change of policy," he said. "We tried to see if it was possible."
Infantino said he had received assurances from the highest level of the Qatari government that LGBT people would be welcomed in the country for the World Cup.
Same-sex relations are illegal and punishable by up to three years of jail-time in Qatar. Some soccer stars have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling for the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.
In an extraordinary end to the news conference, Bryan Swanson, Fifa's director of media relations, took the microphone to defend Infantino.
"I've seen a lot of criticism of Gianni Infantino since I've joined Fifa, in particular from the LGBTI community," he said.
"I'm sitting here in a privileged position on a global stage as a gay man here in Qatar. He has received assurances that everyone will be welcome... Just because Gianni Infantino is not gay, does not mean he does not care. He does care."


Covid protests escalate in Guangzhou as China lockdown anger boils

People in the Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangzhou clashed with white hazmat-suited riot police on Tuesday night, videos on social media showed, as frustration with stringent Covid-19 rules boiled over, three years into the pandemic.
The clashes in the southern city marked an escalation from protests in the commercial hub of Shanghai, capital Beijing and other cities over the weekend in mainland China's biggest wave of civil disobedience since President Xi Jinping took power a decade ago.
Resentment is growing as China's Covid-hit economy sputters after decades of breakneck growth, which formed the basis of an unwritten social contract between the ruling Communist Party and a population whose freedoms have been dramatically curtailed under Xi.
In one video posted on Twitter, dozens of riot police in all-white pandemic gear, holding shields over their heads, advanced in formation over what appeared to be torn down lockdown barriers as objects fly at them.
Police were later seen escorting a row of people in handcuffs to an unknown location.
Another video clip showed people throwing objects at the police, while a third showed a tear gas canister landing in the middle of a small crowd on a narrow street, with people then running to escape the fumes.
Reuters verified that the videos were filmed in Guangzhou's Haizhu district, the scene of Covid-related unrest two weeks ago, but could not determine when the clips were taken or the exact sequence of events and what sparked the clashes.
Social media posts said the clashes took place on Tuesday night and were caused by a dispute over lockdown curbs.
The government of Guangzhou, a city hard-hit in the latest wave of infections, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China Dissent Monitor, run by US government-funded Freedom House, estimated at least 27 demonstrations took place across China from Saturday to Monday. Australia's ASPI think tank estimated 43 protests in 22 cities.
Easing curbs
Home to many migrant factory workers, Guangzhou is a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong in Guangdong province, where officials announced late on Tuesday they would allow close contacts of Covid cases to quarantine at home rather than being forced to go to shelters.
The decision broke with the usual practice under China's zero-Covid policy.
In Zhengzhou, the site of a big Foxconn factory making Apple iPhones that has been the scene of worker unrest over Covid, officials announced the "orderly" resumption of businesses, including supermarkets, gyms and restaurants.
However, they also published a long list of buildings that would remain under lockdown.
Hours before those announcements, national health officials said on Tuesday that China would respond to "urgent concerns" raised by the public and that Covid rules should be implemented more flexibly, according to each region's conditions.
But while the easing of some measures, which comes as China posts daily record numbers of Covid cases, appears to be an attempt to appease the public, authorities have also begun to seek out those who have been at recent protests.
"Police came to my front door to ask me about it all and get me to complete a written record," a Beijing resident who declined to be identified told Reuters on Wednesday.
Another resident said some friends who posted videos of protests on social media were taken to a police station and asked to sign a promise they "would not do that again".
It was not clear how authorities identified the people they wanted questioned, nor how many such people authorities contacted.
Beijing's Public Security Bureau did not comment.
On Wednesday, several police cars and security personnel were posted at an eastern Beijing bridge where a protest took place three days earlier.
'Hostile forces'
In a statement that did not refer to the protests, the Communist Party's top body in charge of law enforcement agencies said late on Tuesday that China would resolutely crack down on "the infiltration and sabotage activities of hostile forces".
The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission also said "illegal and criminal acts that disrupt social order" would not be tolerated.
The foreign ministry has said rights and freedoms must be exercised within the law.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday that protesters in China should not be harmed.
Covid has spread despite China largely isolating itself from the world and demanding significant sacrifices from hundreds of millions to comply with relentless testing and prolonged isolation.
While infections and death numbers are low by global standards, analysts say that a reopening before increasing vaccination rates could lead to widespread illness and deaths and overwhelm hospitals.
The lockdowns have hammered the economy, disrupting global supply chains and roiling financial markets.
Data on Wednesday showed China's manufacturing and services activity for November posting the lowest readings since Shanghai's two-month lockdown began in April.
Chinese stocks were steady, with markets weighing endemic economic weakness against hopes that the public pressure could push China to eventually reopen.


Sorry.


After nearly 30 years, still far from 'all aboard' for KTM Komuter

For the better part of 30 years, the KTM Komuter service has been running as part of the public transportation network in the Klang Valley.
But it is also the frequent target of poor reviews by commuters frustrated with the long waits between trains and the lack of last mile connectivity.
As a commuter rail system, it is difficult for the KTM Komuter to compete with its LRT and MRT counterparts.
Nevertheless, there are some advantages to taking the train, although plenty of room for improvement remains.
The KTM Komuter was dragged into the limelight after Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin, CEO of its operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd, attributed the growing congestion on the roads to Malaysians' preference for private vehicles over public transport.
His remarks were met with a backlash on social media, where some challenged him to take the KTM Komuter himself in order to better understand the experience of using public transportation.
For many, the biggest problem with the KTM Komuter is the low frequency of train arrivals.
Arrival schedules are available online to help commuters plan their trips for the day. But if they miss their train, they have to wait up to 40 minutes for the next one, as opposed to just a few if they had taken the LRT or MRT.
Facilities
There is also the matter of the facilities at the KTM stations.
Some, like the Seputeh station, do not cater to special needs people and wheelchair users.
Commuters must cross the platform using an overpass if they wish to exit the station.
There are no lifts, either. Users who take the train from Pulau Sebang (Tampin) to Batu Caves need to go to the Midvalley station before turning back to Seputeh just to cross to the next platform.
The situation is similar at the Tiroi station, where wheelchair users must go to the Kajang station before turning back as there is no access across the platform.
MalaysiaNow has also received complaints about a lack of lighting at some stations, which is a cause of concern for some commuters, especially at night. However, this problem appears to be more prevalent at smaller stations than at central hubs like KL Sentral.
Cheong Sze Hong, a commuter in his 40s who has used the train service for 20 years, said the distance between stations and housing areas is also a factor in the general preference for driving over taking the train.
"For me, the closest MRT station is Taman Connaught. It's only about 1km from my house, but there is no pedestrian access to the station," he told MalaysiaNow, giving the example of the mass rapid transit system.
If he wants to use the MRT, he must drive to the station and park his car there.
"If traffic doesn't look too bad, I'll probably just drive," he added.
Having used all of the train services throughout the Klang Valley, Cheong acknowledges that the KTM Komuter is by far the cheapest, especially when compared to the LRT and MRT.
At times, he also chooses the KTM over the other train services because of the destination options.
"The advantage of the KTM Komuter is that it offers a lot of destinations that are not part of the LRT or MRT routes," he said.
"So if I don't feel like driving, I will take the KTM Komuter."
On the issues related to the KTM Komuter service and its apparent lack of popularity, Cheong said it was a chicken and egg situation in which both KTMB and the commuters played a role.
"The commuters want more frequent train arrivals and nice facilities, but what's the point of KTMB doing all of that if the passengers don't hit the target capacity?
"This matter needs to be studied first," he added. "If KTMB wants to improve the efficiency of the KTM Komuter, of course there needs to be a response from the users."


New infections at 224 as death toll stays unchanged

Another 224 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,041,811.
There were 278 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,995,584.
There are now 9,270 active cases, of which 8,952 or 96.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 309 (3.3%) have been hospitalised.
A total of nine are in ICU with seven in need of respiratory assistance.
No new deaths were reported, leaving total deaths unchanged at 36,957.


Selangor dengue cases expected to spike 150%

Selangor will likely experience a 150% spike in dengue fever cases this year or next if the breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes are not dealt with seriously by the community.
State public health, unity, women and family development committee chairman, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, said as of Feb 11, which is the sixth epidemiological week (ME 6), a total of 6,870 cases had been recorded – an increase of 141.4% compared with the same period last year.
"With the number of dengue cases close to 40,000 last year, just imagine (the spike in cases in 2024) if it is not contained," she said at a press conference in Shah Alam yesterday.
Based on the dengue fever cycle in Malaysia over a period of 20 years, she said every four to five years, the country is expected to experience a steep rise in dengue cases.
"It is expected that a steep rise in cases will occur in 2023 or 2024 after the highest dengue outbreak in 2019," she said, adding that 510 dengue outbreak localities had been detected in the state in ME 6, an increase of 8.5% compared with the 470 localities recorded during the previous week.
The Petaling district recorded the highest number of localities at 203, followed by Hulu Langat (120), Klang (82) and Gombak (69).
Siti Mariah said the state government, in collaboration with the state health department and the relevant agencies, had, with an allocation of nearly RM1 million, begun implementing integrated dengue operations.


Over 31 million jabs given, more than 55% of adults fully vaccinated

Some 55.6% of the country’s adult population, or 13,022,246 individuals, had completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday, according to the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee.A total of 18,258,947 individuals received a first dose, taking the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 31,281,193.In terms of daily vaccination rate, 441,100 doses were administered yesterday, of which 303,545 were first doses.


Foreign minister proposes OIC refugee education foundation

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has proposed the establishment of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) refugee education foundation to design, facilitate and develop intervention in all relevant areas for the education of refugees.
Speaking at the 8th OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) International Seminar in Sepang today, he said these include identifying existing institutions, both public and private, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, where refugee students can be enrolled.
"School complexes for refugee students, including assets, furniture, equipment, students' transportation and accommodation; well-rounded and appropriate curriculum that is integrated and balanced that ensures quality education," he added.
Saifuddin also underlined the need for accreditation and international recognition of certification; scholarships for refugee students; teachers' training and career development, including for refugee teachers; and bridging courses and tutoring to support refugee students.
Other areas include legal matters such as passports and immigration documentation, refugee cards, and student visas to ensure there are no administrative barriers for refugee student enrolment.
He said the foundation could also facilitate partnerships with NGOs working with refugees in OIC countries to ensure protection and assistance services for refugee students and their families.
"Such a foundation, led by the OIC, is urgently needed and would give refugee children and youth the possibility of transforming from being a 'lost generation' to becoming leaders and contributors to the future, to build their nations when wars end or to contribute to the development of their new host countries," he said.
Saifuddin said he hoped his proposal would be included in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Rights and Access to Education for Refugees to be read by IPHRC chairman Haci Ali Acikgul at the end of the seminar tomorrow.
According to statistics by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Saifuddin said as of the end of 2021 there were approximately 27.1 million refugees and 4.6 million asylum seekers worldwide.
According to Unesco, he said, 50% of refugees and asylum seekers in the global population are individuals under the age of 18. However, due to several factors, most of them do not have proper access to education.
In order to provide education for refugees, Saifuddin said host countries would need strong political will, thoughtful policy planning and adequate resources.
"As one of the countries that temporarily hosts refugees, we admit that there is still much to be done in providing education for refugees in this country," he said.
As of August, only 44% (5,046) of refugee children in Malaysia were enrolled in primary education, and 16% (874) of refugee youth were enrolled in secondary education, he said.
The 8th OIC-IPHRC International Seminar themed "Islamic Perspectives on the Protection of Refugees - Rights and Access to Education" was attended by approximately 200 participants including delegates and observers from over 40 countries.


India imposes new curbs as Covid-19 cases hit record

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home region Gujarat became the latest to tighten coronavirus curbs on Wednesday as the country’s infections surged to a record of almost 116,000 new cases in 24 hours.Experts blame the country’s fresh wave on people ignoring guidelines and attending huge religious and political events, as well as weddings and cricket matches.India has now recorded 12.8 million cases, the third-highest behind the US and Brazil, although those nations have much smaller populations. More than 166,000 Indians have died.Maharashtra, the worst-hit state and home to megacity Mumbai, has imposed a night curfew and weekend lockdowns are due to begin on Friday evening.New Delhi imposed night curfews from Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Gujarat in western India extended after-dark restrictions to 20 cities and banned large social and political gatherings.“We have also extended the timing of night curfew from 8pm to 6am… This will be in force until April 30,” Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said in a video message.Press reports say that hospitals are starting to suffer, particularly in Maharashtra. One Pune clinic is reportedly giving oxygen support to patients in a makeshift waiting area.The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, one of Delhi’s biggest government hospitals, will from Thursday end walk-in consultations to minimise infections, reports said.The government has so far shied away from reimposing a nationwide lockdown after a shutdown in March 2020 – one of the world’s toughest – caused widespread human and economic misery.Many Indians lowered their guard after infections slowed sharply in late 2020, with huge crowds thronging religious festivals such as the Kumbh Mela which on one day last month saw three million attendees.Spectators were also allowed at cricket matches between India and England in Gujarat, while political rallies for state elections have drawn huge crowds, including an estimated 800,000 at one event hosted by Modi.India has so far administered almost 90 million vaccine shots but experts say that the government’s target of inoculating 300 million people by August risks being missed with many scared to get the injections or complacent about the virus.


Uneasy alliance between Umno, DAP grassroots ahead of state polls, says observer

A political observer says the relationship between Umno and DAP grassroots remains clouded despite calls by top leaders from both parties for mutual support between the long-time foes ahead of critical elections to be held in six states this year.
Umno and DAP put aside decades of hostility to join hands in the wake of last year's general election, where no single party won enough support to form the government on its own.
Ties have appeared fragile, with both sides taking potshots over issues such as Umno's bid to obtain a royal pardon for its jailed leader, Najib Razak.
But with elections looming in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu, party leaders have been urging members and voters alike to throw their support behind whichever candidate is fielded, despite years of campaigning against one another.
Azizi Safar, a former executive secretary for Penang Barisan Nasional, said the calls from the top would not necessarily resonate through the ranks.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he added that Umno's ties with DAP had yet to materialise at the grassroots level.
"There have been no programmes specifically for the Umno grassroots to explain why they need to work with DAP and support DAP candidates at the state elections," he said.
Ahmad Maslan was among the Umno leaders who had urged members to vote for DAP candidates for the sake of strengthening the "unity government", a term used to describe the administration led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi meanwhile said it was "difficult but not impossible" to change the attitude of the party's supporters towards DAP.
DAP publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching likewise urged party members to support Umno candidates, while DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said it was logical for parties in the coalition government to support each other.
But Azizi said the response of the grassroots towards Ahmad's call remained cool.
"Many also disagree with the appeal to support DAP," he said.
If the situation could not be taken in hand, he added, there would be negative effects on Umno.
"If Umno members do not support DAP's candidates at the state elections, it is not such a big problem that DAP's candidates will lose," he said.
"But if DAP supporters decide not to vote for Umno candidates in Malay-majority seats, these candidates could lose."
In fact, Azizi said, DAP supporters could become the determining factor in whether Umno wins or loses given the split in Malay vote seen at the last general election, where a large number of voters swung towards Perikatan Nasional.


DAP says no party-to-party cooperation with Umno for GE15

There will be no political cooperation between DAP and Umno in gearing up for the 15th general election (GE15), DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.Lim said the party’s stand had been consistent and that DAP was only willing to cooperate where it would benefit the people.“As long as it is for the benefit of the people, we are willing to support… it is on an ad hoc basis, on issues related to the people. There is no cooperation on a party-to-party basis with Umno,” he told a press conference today.He said during the last parliamentary sitting, DAP had not opposed the PAS government’s measures on Covid-19.“Taking an ad hoc approach is not tantamount to working with Umno, that is still not the case… we are willing to cooperate where it benefits the rakyat, like convening Parliament,” he said.Lim, who is also MP for Bagan, added that the party would not support the practice of party hopping even if this did not contradict the Federal Constitution, in line with its principle of clean governance.


Let the people judge for themselves, Azmin says on those who reject cooperation with Bersatu

Mohamed Azmin Ali says people should be allowed to form their own judgment of those who reject any form of cooperation with Bersatu in the Melaka state election on Nov 20.Azmin, who is a member of the Bersatu Supreme Council and Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director, said the coalition had initiated the cooperation for the sake of the people and the interest of the state.“That is their choice (refusing to negotiate with Bersatu). Let the people make their own judgment of the attitude and statements of those who refuse to cooperate,” he said when met at the Gombak parliamentary constituency’s Deepavali 2021 get-together in Kuala Lumpur last night.Several Umno divisions in Melaka had yesterday ruled out any form of cooperation between Umno and Bersatu in the upcoming state election.Tangga Batu Umno division chief Mohamad Ali Mohamad, who represented the group, said the decision was made to respect the wishes of the grassroots, while referring to other factors which he said made cooperation impossible.Azmin, who is also PN’s information chief, said the coalition was always ready to negotiate cooperation, especially with the parties that form the federal government.However, he stressed that time was not on their side, and that preparations must be made at the grassroots level especially involving seat distribution, candidates and the election machinery.“This matter needs to be streamlined as soon as possible so that our machinery can act more effectively and efficiently and our actions do not cause the people to be confused about the direction, future of the country and the state,” he said.He said the cooperation formed last year through the PN coalition had resulted in many successes for the country in the face of health and economic crises, adding that the cooperation should be continued in the Melaka state election.The Election Commission has set nomination day for the Melaka state election on Nov 8, followed by early voting on Nov 16 and polling on Nov 20.The election is being held following the dissolution of the Melaka state assembly on Oct 4, after four state assemblymen withdrew their support for Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.


Cooperation with other parties to be decided by BN, not individuals, says Ismail

Any decision to cooperate with other parties if Barisan Nasional (BN) is unable to form a new government after the 15th general election (GE15) will be made by the coalition and not by individuals, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says.
The Umno vice-president said this included the possibility of BN collaborating with PKR.
"Such a big decision like this must be made by the party, not any individual. Whether we want to do it (collaborate) with PKR, or PN (Perikatan Nasional) or PH (Pakatan Harapan), the party will decide," he told reporters in Alor Gajah today.
Meanwhile, on rumours that Nov 18 would be announced as a special public holiday and that salaries for civil servants would be paid on Nov 17, Ismail said an announcement would be made soon.
"It has been viral on social media today, but please wait for my announcement," he said.
Ismail had earlier gone on a walkabout and met with the people in Durian Tunggal.
With him were Melaka Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali and BN candidate for Alor Gajah Shahril Sufian Hamdan.


Swiss cheesed off over Covid-19 threat to fondue cheer

As Switzerland contends with one of the worst coronavirus surges in Europe, the Swiss are gripped by one melting-hot question: is it still safe to share a fondue?The beloved Swiss national dish consists of cheese melted down with white wine in a “caquelon” pot heated by an open flame.By tradition, Swiss cheese fondue is eaten by dipping in bread with long-handled forks, with several friends or relatives joining in and sharing the same pot.But can the convivial Swiss culinary experience still be done safely in the midst of a pandemic?Internet sages are piling in on the hot topic. “Eat your fondue with a fishing rod”, reads one suggestion for maintaining physical distancing.Another – with a touch more realism – proposes: “Each guest takes two forks and a knife, and it’s fixed: one fork to dip in the fondue, the knife to help remove the bread and the second fork to eat it.”The press has called experts to the rescue, even dragging in Geneva’s celebrated infectious disease specialist Didier Pittet.“A risk linked to fondue? Certainly not,” said the man considered the godfather of alcohol-based hand rub.Switzerland Cheese Marketing is also making reassuring noises.The industry body insists it has studied the question closely and has concluded: “The risk of contracting Covid-19 while enjoying a fondue with other diners is negligible.”Put simply by Professor Christian Ruef, a Zurich-based infectious disease specialist: “In the fondue pot, the cheese reaches a sufficient temperature to kill any virus.”Whether it’s a classic half-and-half mix of Vacherin and Gruyere cheeses, or a fondue done with tomatoes, morels or other variations, dipping in and eating therefore presents no risk in itself.However, Ruef recommended sticking to small groups, or even a fondue just for two.“The problem arises if you are seated together in a small space for an evening, and are talking loudly, laughing or even singing,” he said.“These are ideal conditions for spreading the virus.”Gerald Bongioanni, manager of Geneva’s historic Cafe du Soleil, which normally serves up to 300 fondues a day during winter, put it succinctly: “The risk is not in the fondue pot but in the gathering.”Cheesy love storyEach region of Switzerland has its own favourite fondue cheese, be it Vacherin, Gruyere, Emmental or Comte.The iconic Swiss dish rose to international fame and popularity since representing the country at the 1939-40 World’s Fair in New York.While the first Swiss fondue recipes date back to the 17th century, fondue truly established itself as a national dish in the 1950s, when the famously neutral country’s army put it in its cookbook.Even though fondues can be enjoyed at home or on an Alpine mountainside thanks to mass-produced kits and ready-to-use mixes, sharing a fondue with friends in a restaurant remains the heart of Swiss social life.But now restaurants are shut in many parts of the country and the 10th Fondue Festival, which was to be held on October 31, was cancelled because of the restrictions on large gatherings.Could Covid-19 add fondue to its list of victims?“Absolutely not!” insisted Arnaud Favre, president of Les Compagnons du Caquelon, which runs the festival.“The Swiss national dish, as well as the love that all Swiss have for cheese, are stronger than any health measures,” he told AFP.“Fondue mix sales have gone up by 10% since the start of the year. It goes to show that the restrictions have reinforced conviviality between family and friends,” he said.Lorenz Hirt, head of the Swiss Fondue Cheese Industry Association, also insisted he had “no worries”, saying spring sales figures this year were even higher than in 2019.Indeed, Bertrand Gabioud, co-manager of La Fromatheque cheese boutique in Martigny, reckons fondue could be just the thing to help see the nation through the pandemic.“Fondue is a Covid-compatible dish which lends itself very well to the current situation because we greatly need good humour and conviviality,” he told AFP.“It’s the dish par excellence to get through these times.”


Cops probe Twitter user for posting video mocking PM

A Twitter user who was investigated by the police twice within less than two months has questioned the freedom of expression under the administration of the coalition government.
Salim Iskandar, an avid user of Twitter and a vocal government critic, frequently posts tweets mocking Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition government.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the first time he was summoned to the federal police headquarters was on May 17, with the investigation lasting approximately two hours.
He was called up to Bukit Aman again yesterday at 10am.
"I've had my mobile phone confiscated by the police twice now," he said when contacted.
MalaysiaNow learnt that he was questioned on two Twitter posts: one that was critical of the coalition government and another of Anwar claiming to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone.
Salim said that he had criticised Anwar's administration in the posts, including Communications and Multimedia Minister Fahmi Fadzil, whom he says has not been performing his duties.
"I only provide constructive criticism because the people are suffering.
"If no one calls out on the government like me, who else can we rely on?" he said.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) attempt to get Twitter to take down four tweets by Salim failed.
"As Twitter strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account," the US-based social networking service said in an email to Salim on June 30, informing him of MCMC's request.
Salim meanwhile hailed the police for acting professionally throughout both investigations, adding that he did not feel intimidated or threatened during the process, which allowed him to cooperate with them.
"But as an ordinary person, I still feel anxious because people can abuse their power," he added.


Vaccination for media personnel to begin Wednesday

Media personnel registered under the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme will receive their first dose on Wednesday, says the programme’s coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said members of the media would receive their appointment dates from today.“Some will start receiving their appointment dates today and vaccination will start on Wednesday.“However, the number of vaccine recipients among the media has not been decided yet and we are still looking into it,” he told reporters after visiting the KLCC vaccination centre today.Last month, Khairy announced that more than 5,000 media practitioners would receive their Covid-19 vaccination appointment dates in June.Meanwhile, the science, technology and innovation minister said the operation of the KLCC vaccination centre which started today was going smoothly.“In terms of operations, it is structured, and vaccine recipients who are among the elderly are also satisfied with the smooth operation of the vaccination centre.“We will also look into the possibility of doubling the number of vaccine recipients from time to time at this centre, maybe between 10,000 and 15,000 people but this depends on the smoothness of the vaccination process here,” he said.On the issue of some senior citizens refusing to receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Khairy said he would advise them to take the vaccine offered to them.“For those who do not attend the scheduled appointment, they will get another appointment but be reminded that they cannot choose the type of vaccine. So, my advice is to take any type of vaccine that is being offered,” he said.


Rights activist slams Anwar's Cabinet as revolving door for politicians

Veteran rights activist and former MP Kua Kia Soong has joined the chorus of criticism against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet, questioning the reformasi movement long championed by the PKR chief while slamming "revolving door" reforms in the interests of politicians.
Kua, who was MP for Petaling Jaya from 1990 to 1995 and now heads human rights group Suaram, said Anwar's Cabinet was "a rude shock" for civil society activists, citing the appointment of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as one of two deputy prime minister as well as Anwar's move to take on the finance portfolio in addition to the top office.
"A prime minister who controls the finance ministry is a return to the Mahathir era and this was the condition which facilitated Najib’s 1MDB scandal," he said.
"During the 1990s when Anwar was finance minister, there were also fabulous financial scandals when Mahathir, Daim and Anwar had their own favoured 'Bumiputera capitalists'. Kleptocracy in Malaysia certainly did not begin with the 1MDB scandal."
In a statement, he also criticised the appointment of Saifuddin Nasution as home minister, describing him as "the mob leader" in a reference to Saifuddin's role in storming the 1996 Asia Pacific Coalition for East Timor II in Kuala Lumpur during his time as an Umno Youth leader.
Citing a claim by US International Republican Institute president Daniel Twining of having funded the opposition in Malaysia since 2002 through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Kua said this should alert civil society activists to the fact that the "partly NED-funded 'reformasi movement' was a really a convenient vehicle for regime change".
"This is an appropriate time for serious human rights defenders to reflect on the years of struggle of the 'reformasi movement' that have brought us to this rude awakening and to prepare for the struggle ahead," he said.
"This is the time for reform-minded Malaysians to reflect on what 'reformasi' and, for that matter, 'Bersih' was all about. What kind of reforms were they demanding and to what extent were they different from Barisan Nasional policies?"
Calling for reforms in matter such as race-based policies, Orang Asli rights, local governance, corruption, education and the economy, he hit out at what he called "the co-option" of civil society leaders into the PH administration post-GE14.
"How could the reform movement advance when their leaders were openly opportunistic and were happily co-opted into the exploitative state?
"Did civil society protest over PH stalling on democratic demands in the PH manifesto? Civil society expects serious transformative reforms that will reconstitute truly democratic institutions and improve the lives of the 99%, especially the B40 Malaysians," he said.
"These are some of the real substantive reforms civil society expects from the state, not 'revolving door' reforms to look after the interests of politicians in the new normal unstable governments at state and federal levels."


Anti-maskers punished by digging virus victims’ graves

Eight Indonesians who refused to wear face masks were ordered by a local official to dig graves for Covid-19 victims as punishment.As Indonesia is facing a surge of cases, leaders in Cerme, a district in East Java, established strict enforcement of social distancing and mask-wearing policies.Eight bare-faced culprits fell afoul of the law, and soon found themselves being marched to local cemeteries and handed spades for grave-digging duties.The district’s leader, identified by Indonesian news site Tribun News as Suyono, had proposed the punishment due to a lack of local gravediggers.“There are only three available gravediggers here at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them,” he told Tribun News. “Hopefully, this can create a deterrent effect against further violations.”Two wrongdoers are assigned to each grave – one to dig and the other to put wooden boards down inside to support the bodies.Cremation and embalming are not permitted in Indonesia, and corpses are traditionally interred without a coffin.The mask malcontents were not permitted to take part in any traditional ceremonies, reported the Jakarta Post.They were also forbidden from touching the corpses for health reasons. Instead, local officials wearing protective equipment buried the bodies.Indonesia has the highest current coronavirus death toll in Southeast Asia, with nearly 9,000 deaths as of Tuesday.


US hits 6-month high of over 2,400 virus deaths in 24 hours

The US on Wednesday registered more than 2,400 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally – the highest daily toll in six months as the Thanksgiving holiday began.At 8.30pm, the country had recorded a total of 262,080 Covid deaths, up by 2,439 in 24 hours. It also registered nearly 200,000 new cases.Travel appeared to be down the night before Thanksgiving, when Americans usually criss-cross the country to be with family and friends for a feast on Thursday marking one of their most important national holidays.In recent days, images on social media of crowded airports fuelled concerns Americans were not taking the warnings seriously.But one day before Thursday’s celebrations, officials and passengers in Los Angeles noted an eerie quiet compared to previous years.US president-elect Joe Biden cited accelerating plans to deliver a vaccine as he appealed for his “weary” countrymen to dig deep.“There is real hope, tangible hope. So hang on. Don’t let yourself surrender to the fatigue,” Biden said in a televised Thanksgiving address.“You will get your lives back. Life is going to return to normal. That will happen. This will not last forever.”


83% of higher education students fully vaccinated as of Oct 1

A total of 83% or 951,739 students at higher learning institutions (IPT) had completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of Oct 1, says Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad.She said for IPT staff, a total of 117,721 people or 90% had completed two doses of vaccine.“Overall, we have 1.15 million students. When students start entering campus in stages from Oct 15, they will be screened with self-test kits to monitor and curb the spread of Covid-19 despite being fully inoculated. Screening will be done periodically.“If any students are infected or become close contacts, we will place them in isolation or quarantine centres prepared by each IPT. IPT operations will not be shut, instead the teaching and learning (PdP) activities of the students will be postponed,” she said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.She added that if an IPT records a serious number of cases, closure of the IPT will be considered subject to the advice of the health ministry.Noraini was replying to a question from Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PH-Johor Bahru) on the development of the vaccination programme for IPT students and the strategy of reopening IPTs.On Sept 14, Noraini announced that the physical admission of IPT students to campuses would be implemented in stages starting Oct 15, for students who have completed their Covid-19 vaccinations.The move encompasses all categories of students and all phases of the National Recovery Plan with priority given to students in need.Through the admission process based on the SOPs of the Higher Education Sector: Operation of IPT, Noraini said apart from students, only staff who have complete their vaccinations and passed the vaccine effectiveness period will be allowed to be on campus.


Will heavy fines for SOP violators affect Muhyiddin at polls?

Analysts have played down the political impact of the stricter laws introduced by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in the battle against Covid-19, even as the opposition steps up criticism over recent moves to impose heftier fines on those who breach health SOPs.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Kartini Aboo Talib in fact believes the heavier fines are needed to ensure the success of the government’s war against the pandemic – the reason given by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin when he announced the virus emergency earlier this year.This comes as politicians including Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim, two of the most vocal critics of the PN government, take to social media to decry a series of fines slapped on those who violate SOPs, including the newly revised compound of RM10,000.Kartini said there was nothing wrong with ensuring that those who do not comply with the SOPs are heavily dealt with.“If we obey and abide by the SOP directives, why should we be afraid? Those who comply can move on to a new normal that is becoming common,” Kartini said.The RM10,000 compound, a ten-fold increase from the previous maximum of RM1,000, came into effect on March 11 under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.The new law also warns those convicted of a maximum RM100,000 fine, jail of not more than three years, or both.“If we obey and abide by the SOP directives, why should we be afraid?”Within 24 hours, a total of 330 people were issued compound notices of RM10,000 for various violations of SOPs under the movement control order (MCO).The offences included failing to register upon entering business premises and not wearing the compulsory face masks in crowded places.Last month, announcing details of the virus emergency, Muhyiddin warned that the government could come up with stiff laws to ensure the public’s compliance and cooperation in the war against Covid-19, which has so far taken more than 1,200 lives in Malaysia.Similar laws have already been put in place in neighbouring Singapore, which experienced a spike in cases last year which was then brought under control.Its Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 stipulates, among others, a fine of up to S$10,000 (RM30,500) or a six-month jail term for first-time offenders.Pollster Hisommudin Bakar expressed reservations over the claim that the government is being heavy-handed.He said such laws are crucial at a time when various parts of the country, including the industrial and education sectors, are on their way back to normal.“Malaysians must comply, and one way of educating the public is to impose fines or punishments, in addition to holding awareness campaigns.”Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia academic Mohd Mahadee Ismail said the hefty compounds are likely to become part of the opposition’s campaign in the impending general election.He said it would be easy to make it into an issue by saying that the laws were not subjected to parliamentary debates.Hisommudin said it is important for authorities to explain to the public the need for such laws, based on factual arguments.“If the government fails to address the issue with a counter-narrative, it will to some extent influence certain segments of voters into casting protest votes.”


Another lawyer targeted as Singapore’s contempt marathon continues

Singapore’s attorney-general has turned against another lawyer in the city-state in a series of legal actions targeting those involved in the defence of Malaysian death row inmates, filing an application in the High Court for leave for an order of commital for contempt against Charles Yeo.According to the court documents sighted by MalaysiaNow, the attorney-general alleges that Yeo had criticised the Singapore justice system in his Instagram posts.The contempt proceeding was launched over his criticism of a court decision in favour of a senior lawyer who was accused of mishandling the wills of Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew.The lawyer, Kwa Kim Li, was accused by two of Lee’s children of failing to execute their father’s wills.Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, both younger siblings of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also accused Kwa of breaching confidentiality by sending communication records to their elder brother.The complaints were dismissed in March by Singapore’s top solicitors body the Law Society, a decision also held by the Court of Appeal.Yeo is the latest in a series of what critics describe as the intimidation of lawyers who challenge the city-state’s stand on capital punishment.Several executions were carried out in recent weeks despite international condemnation, renewing concerns that Singapore’s tough laws are focused on drug mules from poor families while the kingpins who hire them remain largely free.Earlier this year, Yeo represented two intellectually disabled men convicted of drug trafficking, Singaporean Roslan Bakar and Malaysian Pausi Jefridin, in seeking to halt their execution.In view of the applications in which Yeo was counsel, Singapore President Halimah Yacob granted the two men a respite, sparing them from the gallows.Since then, Yeo has been slammed with an application for punitive costs by the attorney-general to the tune of S$35,000.Fellow lawyers Violet Netto and M Ravi are also caught in the authorities’ cross hairs, with Violet under police investigation over accusations of practising without a valid certificate.Ravi meanwhile faces seven separate professional disciplinary inquiries which could result in him being fined, suspended or struck off as a lawyer, in addition to three contempt proceedings as well as a number of police investigations.Both Violet and Ravi had represented Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was executed on April 27 despite an international outcry due to his mental disability.


Sorry.


New infections cross 3,500 as death toll up by 8

Another 3,537 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,975,473.
There were 3,319 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,911,632.
There are now 27,213 active cases, of which 25,127 or 92.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, seven (0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,978 (7.3%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 101 are in ICU with 61 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another eight deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,628.


Property market shaky now but not on last legs yet

The property sector may have taken its share of hits due to uncertainties in the economic, political and now public health spheres, but experts in the field believe not all is lost and that brighter days may yet come for the struggling industry.Acknowledging the difficulties that have long plagued the property market, Mani Usilappan, former director-general of the Valuation and Property Services Department, said the same factors that affected the economy would also affect the housing sector.But while the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic brought most economic activities to a standstill, he said demand remained as there were still buyers looking for houses at reasonable prices.“It is true, there has been a general slowdown in transaction volumes,” he told MalaysiaNow.“But there are sales taking place which indicate that the market is on somewhat firm footing, especially the secondary market.”The Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the government impose a three-month lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of infection, drove businesses to their knees, forcing many to close shop.Mani admitted the gravity of the situation, saying issues related to Covid-19 were global and “too far widespread”.“But they may not last forever,” he added. “We will have to face it and work through the uncertainties.“As long as the economy is moving, there will be demand for housing.”However, he cautioned that uncertainties linked to politics would continue unless the political scenario stabilised.Demand on the way back?NK Tong, vice-president of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia, said there was empirical evidence that demand was on its way up again.But he added that the situation next year would be a better indicator of how the property sector would fare.In a press conference at the recent Home Ownership Campaign-Malaysia Property Expo 2020 (HOC-Mapex 2020), he too spoke of the many uncertainties affecting the country.But noting that Malaysia had tackled the pandemic with more success than some other countries, he said this would boost public confidence in the sector.“Six months ago, everyone thought it was a trade-off between healthcare and the economy,” he said.“Now, in hindsight, the whole world realises that both are interlinked. We have to tackle healthcare to invigorate the economy.”Siva Shanker, CEO of real estate agency Rahim & Co International, attributed the drop in market to a number of “black swan events” including trouble in the oil and gas industry, the US-China trade war, turbulence in the global economy, political instability within the country and, of course, Covid-19.“These aspects have unleashed the storm, not just on the property market but on all sectors,” he told MalaysiaNow.He cited a report by the National Property Information Centre predicting a slowdown in demand given the depressed nature of transactions and property value.According to the report, the property market recorded a transaction volume of 115,476 units valued at RM46.94 billion in first half of 2020. This was a drop of 27.9% and 31.5% in volume and value respectively from the 160,165 units valued at RM68.53 billion in the first half of 2019.Patience keyBut like the others, Siva is not ready to write off the property market just yet.“It will take a long time (for the market) to recover to what it was before, but it will get back to the point,” he said.“The property market is a cycle. If we wait long enough, it will come back to the (same) point.”Despite the havoc wreaked by Covid-19 this year, he said the market was already down in 2019.“In 2021, when the market settles a bit, we’ll have more clarity on it, and then we’ll see a slightly improved market,” he said, adding that the next high might come in 2022 or 2023.He also played down the popular belief that the market had crashed this year, saying transactions had continued to take place with a large number of properties still marketed.“HOC is back, Mapex is back,” he said, adding that he believed these would benefit the market although they might not succeed to the extent of previous campaigns.For him, and for many in other sectors suffering from the shockwaves of Covid-19, the game-changer will be a workable vaccine.He acknowledged that it might take years for everyone to be vaccinated, but said a surge of positive sentiment would drive the market.“Certainly we will see an uptrend in the market, and all the pent-up demand will be released. Only then the market will surge forward,” he said.


PH-Umno unity in Perak a ‘game changer’, says man in new ‘Zahid audio’

A second part of an audio recording has surfaced just a day after another clip featuring what is thought to be Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi making his case for the party to join hands with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the next polls.In this latest audio, a voice identical to that of Zahid makes reference to the confidence vote in the Perak state assembly last December, where Bersatu’s Ahmad Faizal Azumu was removed as menteri besar through the combined vote of Umno and PH assemblymen.“Let Perak start the game changer, a huge transformation. Let Perak create a new political order. This is the way forward for the nation’s politics,” the voice, purportedly of Zahid, is heard saying.The clip was released on social media as well as on popular mobile messenger platform WhatsApp, believed to be a continuation of another clip that was making the rounds yesterday.It also comes in the wake of growing calls by some leaders in PH to form an allince with Umno, following the party’s decision to cut ties with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu.MalaysiaNow learnt from sources in Umno that the recordings are of a discussion during a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council in Janda Baik, Pahang, last month.While the claim could not be verified as of press time, an aide to Zahid did not deny the authenticity of the first clip released yesterday.On Dec 4, Faizal lost a confidence vote tabled by Umno amid the party’s rising tension with Bersatu. The motion received support from PH assemblymen, but not from PAS and Bersatu.This was followed by Umno’s Saarani Mohamad, who replaced Faizal as menteri besar, announcing equal constituency allocations to elected representatives, a move seen as Umno’s gratitude to PH for its support.In the latest clip, the man said he had advised Saarani to come up with a confidence-and-supply agreement, so that PH assemblymen would not reject the state budget.“What’s the objective? It is to show that we (Umno and PH) are better than the previous one,” he said, as the clip ended.A source meanwhile told MalaysiaNow that several Umno leaders who are against Zahid are bent on releasing the full recording in stages.In the first clip, the same voice suggested that Umno should not be worried about allying with DAP.It said DAP had assured that it would abide by constitutional provisions favouring the Malays, a key point of contention between Umno and DAP over the decades.“I told Nga Kor Ming, you must abide by these four items in the constitution. One, Islam as the religion of the federation, the status of Malay rulers, the special privileges of the Malays, and Malay as the national language. He made a media statement,” the man said in the audio, referring to his meeting with the DAP deputy secretary-general.


PM cannot use police to defend his reputation, says rights group

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today said it was "unacceptable" for the new government to call for police action against those who criticise the prime minister, adding that the premier holds no special status at law and cannot lawfully call on the police to defend his reputation.
"It would be an abuse of power for the prime minister to order police investigations into people who make accusations against him, as he is an interested party," LFL director Zaid Malek said.
In a statement, he said that if Anwar Ibrahim felt aggrieved by adverse comments, he should file a defamation suit in a civil court.
"The job of the police is to prevent crime, not to protect the PM from insult or criticism," he said.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) was reported as saying on Monday that it would take legal action against anyone linking its leaders to Israeli agents while PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said Anwar had asked the police to act on seditious remarks.
Noting that PH had been on the receiving end of such police action during Najib Razak's tenure as prime minister, Zaid said the coalition had always taken the position that it was untenable for the premier to use the police force to silence critics.
"Police intervention can only be justified where offenders make statements which incite harm, violence or injury to the public," he said.
"In a functioning democracy, police action cannot be taken against politicians or critics for issuing objectionable or insulting or false statements against anyone, including the prime minister."
Adding that it would be a "slippery slope towards authoritarianism" if the police were to initiate criminal probes into every accusation or insult to the prime minister, he said Anwar should instead proceed with the defamation action already begun against Baling MP Hassan Saad for allegedly calling him an agent of Israel.
"This new coalition government must avoid the pitfalls and excesses of previous governments if they truly want to empower free speech and a robust democratic culture.
"No matter how objectionable or insulting the speech may be, criminal action cannot be the response. That is how we foster a healthy democracy," he said.


Malaysia offers itself as trading hub for cash-rich Qatar

The government has offered to let Qatar use Malaysia as the cash-rich state’s trading hub in the Asean region, as one of several proposals discussed during a visit by International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali today.In a statement released by the ministry, the senior minister said both countries would resume the implementation of the 3rd Malaysia-Qatar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting, as well as the Investment Guarantee Agreement to encourage more investments between them.“With the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, Malaysia has become more attractive as it is connected to a market size of over two billion people,” the statement said.Azmin will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid Khalifa today, as well as top industrial players with Malaysia’s National Investment Aspirations (NIA) and Putrajaya’s National Recovery Plan among the key topics of discussion.“The meetings will be held with prominent leaders of Qatari companies in the retail service, cyber security and other areas that will expand Malaysia’s footprint in the global halal industry,” said the statement.NIA consists of five key outcomes for the country, namely to increase economic complexity, create high-value job opportunities, extend domestic linkages, develop new and existing clusters, and improve inclusivity.


Russian figure skater Valieva cleared to compete in next event

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in the women’s single in figure skating at the Beijing Olympics after a decision by sport’s top court CAS on Monday.The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had upheld the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to lift a ban on the 15-year-old, who tested positive for a banned substance on Dec 25, in a statement released on its website on Monday.CAS cited the fact that Valieva is a “protected person” under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules as one of the exceptional circumstances underpinning its decision.The figure skater is one of the youngest athletes to face a doping charge during the Olympics.The result of the positive drug test was not revealed until Feb 8 after Valieva had competed in the team event at the Winter Games, dazzling the world with the first quad jumps ever completed in the women’s Olympic competition.CAS emphasised the “serious issues of untimely notification of the results” in its decision.“Such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games,” the ruling said.The International Olympic Committee (IOC), WADA and the International Skating Union (ISU) had appealed Rusada’s decision to lift the provisional doping suspension of Valieva.The CAS ruling did not address the merits of Valieva’s drug case.Earlier, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the awarding of medals for the team event cannot go ahead until the doping case is addressed.It is not clear whether other members of the ROC team can receive gold medals. Second-placed Team USA and Japan in third are also waiting in the wings. Canada finished fourth.“That will probably not be sorted out during this Games and that is something regrettable, but we have to follow the process,” Adams said.The women’s single, an event for which Valieva is hot favourite, starts with the short programme on Tuesday and concludes on Thursday with the free skating.


Any fair-minded person would acknowledge that for a whole year Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has managed the affairs of the nation relatively well.His stewardship is all the more remarkable when we consider that for most of the time that he has been prime minister since March 1, 2020, there has been a sword of Damocles dangling over his head – a sword in the hands of four or five power-hungry politicians hell-bent on ousting him.In spite of this he has ensured with the help of his Cabinet, the health ministry and the nation as a whole that the coronavirus pandemic is effectively controlled while lives are protected and livelihoods safeguarded.Balancing lives and livelihoods is a Herculean task facing most governments. Malaysia is certainly within the top bracket of nations in the handling of the pandemic. Its mass immunisation programme which began on Feb 24 with the vaccination of frontliners is the epitome of the present phase in the fight against the invisible virus.Protecting lives and livelihoods is intimately linked to generating economic activities which is the nation’s twin challenge. As with the pandemic, the prime minister has been totally focused upon creating jobs, ensuring that economic aid packages reach their targets and that the vulnerable in particular have food on their table.There have been five stimulus programmes so far buttressed by the biggest budget in the nation’s history valued at RM322.5 billion for the year 2021. Malaysia was also one of the first countries to implement a moratorium on the repayment of loans taken from banks.As part of a comprehensive plan to revitalise the economy the Muhyiddin government has given a great deal of emphasis to digital transformation.It is estimated that when fully digitalised the economy could create 500,000 jobs and would contribute 22.6% to the nation’s gross domestic product by 2025. Training and skill acquisition would be directed towards this end.Yet another achievement of the government in the last one year has been its concerted drive to curb and eliminate corruption in the enforcement agencies.It explains why a number of personnel in departments such as immigration, customs and the police have been hauled up in recent months.Muhyiddin has pledged to implement the National Anti-Corruption Plan formulated by the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.Equally significant is his pledge to uphold and respect the independence of the judiciary which is fundamental to the integrity of the entire system of governance. This is not just a verbal commitment.There are several high-profile corruption cases before the Malaysian courts and since they involve some major political figures from Umno whose MPs provide critical support to Muhyiddin, his principled refusal to “interfere” in the judicial process in order to “save” these individuals is a courageous move rare in the annals of Malaysian politics.Apart from his commitment to the integrity of the judiciary, Muhyiddin is the first prime minister to launch a National Unity Blueprint (2021-2030).Because it contains strategies linked to aspirations, the blueprint conveys the impression that it is a serious endeavour.Of course, a lot depends on the actual implementation of the blueprint.Another long-term plan which became a reality in 2020 during Muhyiddin’s tenure was the much awaited Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), It is anticipated that RCEP will not only boost intra-Asean trade but also accelerate the region’s economic development through the synergy derived from Asean’s interaction with the more advanced economies of RCEP such as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea Japan and China.Some have even argued that RCEP as a regional grouping could change the dynamics of power in the global economy.The seven achievements noted here underscore the significance of Muhyiddin’s first year as prime minister. It is not only in his approach to the unprecedented health and economic crises that he has proved his mettle.By initiating changes in other areas which are of tremendous long-term importance such as the challenge of national unity he has shown that he is a visionary leader in his own right.May he continue to lead the nation with that deep sense of responsibility that emanates from his abiding faith in God.Chandra Muzaffar is a political scientist and has been writing on Malaysian issues for the last five decades.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Xinjiang leak sheds new light on China’s ‘re-education’ camps

A leak of thousands of photos and official documents from China’s Xinjiang has shed new light on the violent methods used to enforce mass internment in the region, researchers said Tuesday.The files, obtained by academic Adrian Zenz, were published as UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet begins a long-awaited and controversial trip to Xinjiang.Activists say Chinese authorities have detained more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in a network of detention centres and prisons in the region, which Beijing has defended as training centres.But the trove of police photographs and internal documents – sent to Zenz by an anonymous source who hacked into official databases in Xinjiang – add to evidence that the mass internments were far from voluntary, with leaked documents showing top leaders in Beijing including President Xi Jinping calling for a forceful crackdown.The files include a 2017 internal speech by Chen Quanguo, a former Communist Party secretary in Xinjiang, in which he allegedly orders guards to shoot to kill anyone who tries to escape, and calls for officials in the region to “exercise firm control over religious believers”.A 2018 internal speech by public security minister Zhao Kezhi mentions direct orders from Xi to increase the capacity of detention facilities.After initially denying their existence, Beijing has claimed the facilities are vocational training schools, attended voluntarily and aimed at stamping out religious extremism.But the leaked documents give an insight into how leaders saw the minority population as a security threat, with Zhao warning that more than two million people in southern Xinjiang alone had been “severely influenced by the infiltration of extremist religious thought”.MugshotsMore than 2,800 police photos of Xinjiang detainees included minors such as 17-year-old Zeytunigul Ablehet, detained for listening to an illegal speech, and 16-year-old Bilal Qasim, apparently sentenced for being related to other detainees.The details echo a separate police list leaked earlier to AFP which showed the government crackdown snaring hundreds of people at a time from villages, often many from the same household.“The sort of paranoid threat perception comes out in these files, and the internal justification for why one has to move against an entire population,” said Zenz in video comments published alongside the leaked files.Zenz works for the US-based non-profit organisation the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.The files, parts of which have been verified by multiple news organisations including the BBC and Le Monde, also provide a window into life in detention facilities.One set of photos appears to show a police drill during which officers simulate restraining hooded and shackled inmates with batons, while other guards wearing camouflage stand by with firearms.UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Tuesday called the details of the newly leaked documents “shocking”, and urged China to grant Bachelet “full and unfettered access to the region so that she can conduct a thorough assessment of the facts on the ground”.But China’s foreign ministry dismissed the leaked documents as “cobbled-together material” by “anti-China forces smearing Xinjiang”, with spokesman Wang Wenbin accusing media of “spreading lies and rumours”.


Foreigners in a familiar land

“Hoi pelancong, masuk dalam.”My father can be quite sassy sometimes. I have been into taking pictures lately and accompanying him to his kebun is another chance to keep my film from collecting dust. But it also means stopping the car every once in a while to take random pictures of the surrounding kampung, of cows running with billowing dewlaps, of sheep with unkempt and matted wool because their meat is all the villagers care for, and of fallen trees and the dry ground on which they rot.I have been here countless times, but this time, I am a tourist, much to my dad’s playful annoyance.My dad has been making a life out of his kebun for a while now. Actually, “a while” would be an understatement because I can remember the first time he uttered the word “kebin”, way back when I was still in school. All around the kebun is a stretch of land populated by people, and dirt roads leading deeper into the unknowable abyss of a lot more people, fittingly called a kampung. Nietzsche might have had the abyss staring back at him, but here you might find a monkey or two returning your gaze – more if you have some chow with you.But monkeys are not the only lifeforms you can find here. The kampung also provides a life for people who can cut by you in a narrow dirt road better than Grand Prix champions while their entire families chills at the back of their motorcycles. It is a place for people who finish their chores for the day before even the warung opens because they know better than to do anything when the sun can scorch you the most. Here, people can name the scandal of their neighbour’s fourth cousin’s great-grandaunt back when they arrived on the same boat.This is the kampung where my father’s kebun is located. And this is where I can still see my father as a foreigner in a place where he has been routinely toiling for his post-retirement life.Nothing ever succeeded in dampening his enthusiasm, planted deep beneath the soil of his kebun and his dream. But as his son, it was never easy to see that the strongest bond he could create with the kampung people was occasional small waves to those who passed by his kebun, waves that were seldom returned.What could earn him a place in the kampung community? The craft and labour involved in making something out of a piece of land is his life, as it is for the people here. The sun scorches him and them all the same, and the ground they till is shared no matter how many fences mark the borders. The palms that are cracked and worn out do not belong to only certain masters as they afflict everyone who holds a hoe. Yet, he is still not one of them.Maybe my father was not there to be invited to a kenduri to celebrate a birth or commemorate a death in the community. Or perhaps he woke up a little too late to enjoy the endless cups of teh tarik in the warung with the others while waiting for a breeze to blow away the heat. Or could it be that the mosque, always empty when he is there, is a sign for him to wait for the others instead of praying alone?I cannot help but wonder why, in a land where he has put in so much effort for so long, he is still a foreigner. And I can imagine that he is not alone in being perceived this way.Each August, when we celebrate our independence, the migrant security guards at my campus wave the Jalur Gemilang to greet visitors as part of their duty. But as soon as they assemble for the daily roll call, I sometimes see them being berated solely over their inability to navigate the language barriers in order to understand instructions. Just moments earlier, they were made to hold up our flag and wave it as if this country were theirs. Now, they are reminded that it will never be.I have met asylum seekers who have lived here for so long that the Malay language rolls off their tongues better than it does for those born and bred right in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. Yet they mourn the fact that they are eternally foreigners in a familiar land. No place is ever home for them, and we are more than happy to play a role in making sure that it stays that way.We also enjoy casual ridicule as part of our welcoming gestures. When rural folk attempting a life in the city fall victim to culture shock, they become a laughing stock and a stereotype which we choose to use for all such people. Yet when they decide to flock together in response to our lack of effort in making them feel welcome, we are the ones most annoyed by this natural sequence of events.Perhaps we have never been made to feel what it’s like to be the “other”. I certainly do not wish it upon anyone. But it is disheartening to see people treated as foreigners when they are not meant to be, and it is disappointing to know how much of it is of our own making.


Brazil states suspend AstraZeneca jabs for pregnant women

Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states on Tuesday suspended immunisation of pregnant women with the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on the advice of the national health regulator after a reported death.The suspension was to remain in place until the health ministry establishes the cause of death of a woman in Rio de Janeiro who received the vaccine, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga told a news conference.Queiroga said the call was made by a team of experts and was based “exclusively on technical criteria”.“It is not clear that the vaccine caused this blood clot. We are analysing the details of the whole case to reach a conclusion and clarify what happened,” said Jorge Kalil, a consultant for the National Vaccination Program, who took part in the press briefing.Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, recommended late Monday the “immediate suspension” of AstraZeneca vaccines for pregnant women in line with its “constant monitoring of adverse events with anti-Covid vaccines used in the country”.Franciele Francinato, coordinator of the National Vaccination Program, said pregnant women who had already received the first dose of AstraZeneca should hold off getting the second shot until the ministry issued new guidelines.The Rio de Janeiro municipal health secretariat said in a statement that authorities had decided to suspend application of the vaccine to pregnant women and new mothers in the state capital “until the investigation of the case of an adverse event in a pregnant woman is completed by the health ministry”.Other municipalities in the state adopted the same measure, and Sao Paulo state said it would also stop vaccinating women with comorbidities.In all, 22 of Brazil’s 27 states have taken similar steps, reported news site G1.AstraZeneca said in a statement that pregnant and nursing mothers had been excluded from its vaccine tests, which it said was common practice in clinical trials.“There were no adverse effects related to pregnancy observed in studies on animals,” it said.Several European countries have restricted AstraZeneca shots to older people only, after a link was made between the vaccine and very rare but often fatal blood clots coupled with low platelet levels.Denmark has abandoned the vaccine entirely and experts in Britain have recommended people under 40 be given an alternative.Brazil is immunising the bulk of its population with China’s CoronaVac, with limited doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.The AstraZeneca shot represents about 26% of all doses administered in the country so far.The Latin American giant of 212 million people has given one shot to 15% of its population, and two shots to 7%.It has been hit hard by Covid-19, with a death toll of more than 423,000, second only to the US.


Muhyiddin’s popularity as ex-PM lost BN its ‘fixed deposit’ in Sungai Udang, say analysts

While Barisan Nasional (BN) won by a landslide at the Melaka state election last weekend, political analysts say Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) victory in the Umno stronghold of Sungai Udang is indicative of civil servants’ support for the bloc led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.The defeat of Melaka BN deputy chairman Mohamad Ali Mohamad in the seat which Umno had dominated since independence to PN’s Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof was one of the surprise developments in the Nov 20 polls.Both the Terendak and Sungai Udang military camps are located in the constituency, and half of the electorate there comprise military personnel and their spouses.Ilham Centre, which had been monitoring the Melaka election campaign, said PN’s victory in the seat was a signal that civil servants are still grateful to Muhyiddin who had provided them with aid during the Covid-19 crisis.“BN’s candidate was left behind in the first round, after the early votes were tallied,” its executive director Mohamad Hisommudin said.“PN was able to win due to the increase in number of public votes.”Aleef defeated Ali with 6,789 votes to 6,259, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Hasmorny Tamby obtained 2,035. Independent Mohd Zahar Hashim meanwhile received only 471.BN won 21 of the 28 seats it contested, forming the state government with a two-thirds majority. PH meanwhile lost seven of the seats it had held before the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.PN meanwhile won two seats through its component Bersatu: Sungai Udang and Bemban.Hisommudin said Muhyiddin’s popularity as PN chairman and former prime minister was a big factor in the distribution of military votes.Muhyiddin was sworn in as prime minister in March last year, as the first wave of Covid-19 began sweeping over the country, and his administration had introduced a number of stimulus packages and programmes to cushion the economic impact of the crisis.The Pagoh MP resigned in August after losing his fragile majority following the move by 15 MPs led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak to withdraw their support for him.Military and police votes have long been seen as a “fixed deposit” for BN.A swing in support by these groups saw BN losing several seats during the 14th general election, including Setiawangsa and Lumut.Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia agreed that military personnel had received many benefits during Muhyiddin’s administration.“They may also have seen the political polemics sparked by Umno and therefore decided to vote for PN instead,” he said, referring to the withdrawal of support by four assemblymen which paved the way for the Melaka polls.The four assemblymen were Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Bebas-Pengkalan Batu).Hisommudin said Idris, a former Sungai Udang assemblyman and ex-chief minister who campaigned on a PH ticket in the Melaka polls, had played a role in BN’s defeat in the constituency.“Idris still has strong support there,” he said. “And the internal turmoil did not help BN.”PN had also fielded a younger candidate who was known in the constituency, he said.“For those on the fence and those voting for the first time, the PN candidate was more attractive and able to win over their support.”


China’s Covid controls will impact foreign investment for years, says US lobby

China’s strict Covid-19 controls will hamper foreign investment into the country for years to come as limits on travel block the pipeline for projects, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce warned on Tuesday.There are few signs that American companies are leaving the China market, but the years-long process of research and due diligence for projects has been delayed, Michael Hart said at an event launching the chamber’s annual report.“We’re very concerned about the ongoing and future investment by US and other foreign companies into China because people can’t get access in terms of travel,” he said.“Unfortunately, the Covid lockdown this year and the restrictions for the last two years are going to mean three, four, five years from now, we will see investment decline, most likely.”While much of the world has lifted coronavirus restrictions, China has strictly limited flights into the country and insisted a zero-Covid approach is necessary to prevent the country’s health resources from being overwhelmed.The restrictions are also leading foreign companies with supply chains in China to look for alternative sources to reduce disruption, Hart said.The chamber’s report cited market access restrictions, discriminatory regulations and intrusive cybersecurity requirements as among the main concerns of US businesses.Last week the chamber released a flash survey that warned of an “exodus” of foreign staff in China due to the Covid measures and ongoing lockdowns, saying that 58% of members had decreased their revenue projections for the year.European businesses are braced for the next wave of disruption from Covid outbreaks, with little chance of improvement likely until China increases vaccination rates, the European Chamber of Commerce in China said on Monday.


Agong consents to end emergency in Sarawak, paving the way for polls

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong today gave his consent to end the state of emergency in Sarawak, paving the way for state polls which had been delayed due to the Covid-19 situation and blocked by an extended emergency in the state.“His Majesty’s consent to end the proclamation of emergency was a difficult and complicated decision,” Istana Negara said in a statement.“However, consent was given to fulfil the needs of democracy and to return the mandate to the people to make a choice in the formation of a new state government.”The palace said the decision followed an audience granted by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to Sarawak governor Taib Mahmud, who requested that the emergency in Sarawak be ended.It said an audience was also granted to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob ahead of a Cabinet meeting, at which the Agong had consented to receive his advice on ending Sarawak’s state of emergency.Another audience on the same matter was granted to Attorney-General Idrus Harun on Nov 2.“His Majesty’s consent to end the proclamation of emergency for Sarawak is in line with Articles 40 and 40(1A) of the Federal Constitution,” the palace said.“According to Section 2 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) (Sarawak) Ordinance 2021, the proclamation of emergency can be ended earlier by His Majesty after consultation with the governor.”Adding that the Agong had voiced concern about the risk of an increase in Covid-19 infections if a state election is held, it said Sultan Abdullah also stressed that the safety and well-being of the people should be prioritised above personal and political interests.


UK discussing plans to hold refugees in African ‘processing centres’

British Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to reveal a bill that will allow the UK to hold asylum seekers in Australian-style offshore processing centres, according to reports.In a move aimed to discourage hazardous English Channel crossings, she has opened talks with Denmark over sharing a holding centre in Africa, The Times has reported.The Nationality and Borders Bill, which will be introduced next week, will include a provision that will allow the government to create immigration processing centres for asylum seekers outside of the UK for the first time.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly backing the plans after 315 migrants made the dangerous journey across the English Channel from France in small boats over the past weekend, taking this year’s total of illegal arrivals to 5,676.Denmark passed a similar bill last month with the Scandinavian nation said to be planning to send asylum seekers to a centre to be constructed in Rwanda.The policy is also similar to the German far-right AfD party’s demands to have “asylum centres” in North Africa.The Home Office has also studied Australia’s policy, which bans asylum seekers arriving in small boats and transfers any that arrive to offshore immigration accommodation centres in states such as Papua New Guinea.Charities and lawmakers hit out at the plans calling offshore processing cruel.Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity, said, “For generations, men, women and children seeking protection in the UK have been given a fair hearing on British soil. Most have rebuilt their lives as law-abiding citizens making a huge contribution to our communities.“Offshore processing is an act of cruel and brutal hostility towards vulnerable people who through no fault of their own have had to flee war, oppression and terror.”The Scottish National Party’s Westminster group leader, Ian Blackford tweeted: “If Priti Patel wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda she will have a fight on her hands. We treat people with respect and dignity. This is inhumane in the extreme. Where is our humanity?The revised plans come after the Home Office considered asking a number of overseas British territories to become holding centres and a diplomatic row ensued with Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.Other tentative plans discussed included sending asylum seekers to Ascension Island, an isolated volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean more than 6,000km from the UK, to be processed.Other suggestions included turning disused cross-channel ferries out at sea into processing centres. The government dismissed these plans as “blue-sky” thinking.A Home Office policy statement said the UK’s asylum system is “too easily exploited by people-smugglers and does little to disincentivise individuals from attempting to enter the UK illegally”.It added that, if left unchecked, “illegal immigration puts unsustainable pressures on public services”.In May, responding to the news that Danish authorities had signed an agreement with the Rwandan government to potentially send asylum-seekers to be processed in Rwanda, Amnesty International’s Europe director, Nils Muižnieks, said:“Any attempt to transfer asylum-seekers arriving in Denmark to Rwanda for their asylum claims to be processed would be not only unconscionable, but potentially unlawful. Denmark cannot deny the right of those arriving in Denmark to seek asylum and transfer them to a third country without the required guarantees.“These proposals take refugee protection by EU governments to a new low, and would set a dangerous precedent in Europe and globally.”


Use of ICU beds at Melaka Hospital at warning level

The use of Covid-19 ICU beds at Melaka Hospital is nearing the warning level with 51 out of 72 occupied as of yesterday.State Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Rahmad Mariman said additional ICU beds had had to be placed in regular wards as there are 145 patients including non-Covid-19 patients being treated at the ICU, over its current capacity of 114.“This is not a simple matter as it requires special beds, equipment and many things require the proper setting. It is not comparable to a real ICU,” he said at a press conference today.As of yesterday, 116 patients with minor symptoms were being treated at the Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre at the Melaka International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh.“Another 352 patients are still awaiting placement. We are also continuing to house 301 patients at the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park Serdang, Selangor, while 350 patients are self-isolating,” Rahmad said.He said seven more vaccination centres will be opened in Melaka to speed up the vaccination process.He said three of the centres began operations today, at Dewan Hang Tuah, Dewan Create Simpang Ampat Alor Gajah and Dewan Hj Ithnin Merlimau.The remaining four centres at Dewan CTRM Batu Berendam, Dewan MMU, Dewan MPHTJ Bukit Beruang and Dewan UITM Alor Gajah are expected to begin operations on June 15.“We hope that with the additional centres, an estimated 109,510 people will be vaccinated. This means 97% of those who qualify for Phase Two and have registered on MySejahtera will be vaccinated by June 30,” he said.In a related development, four factories in Melaka – two each in the Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah districts – have been ordered to close temporarily from May 21 to June 3 due to a rise in positive cases at the premises.


BN gathers views on heading to GE15 using ‘scale’ symbol

Barisan Nasional (BN) is considering heading into the next general election without its current allies in the federal government although it is also seeking data from the ground before making a decision, MalaysiaNow has learnt.This would mean using its blue and white “scale” symbol, and ditching its partners in Perikatan Nasional (PN) as well as Muafakat Nasional, the charter signed with PAS last year.The once powerful ruling coalition is conducting a survey on whether its brand is still relevant, and if it would be politically wise to use its logo in what will be its first general election since its historic defeat in 2018.“The survey aims to gauge the popularity of Bersatu and PAS among Malaysians,” a source familiar with the opinion poll being conducted among BN communication workers nationwide told MalaysiaNow.This comes amid deteriorating ties between Umno and PN following the ouster of Ahmad Faizal Azumu as Perak menteri besar.Faizal, the deputy president of Bersatu, lost in a confidence motion brought by an Umno assemblyman last Friday on the back of differences between him and Umno over the appointments of key administrative officers, including his political secretary.“The survey aims to gauge the popularity of Bersatu and PAS among Malaysians.”PAS and Bersatu have since criticised the move to oust Faizal.BN held federal power for six decades before its defeat in the 2018 polls. Four parties later exited the coalition: Gerakan and myPPP in the peninsula, and PBB and SUPP in East Malaysia.Aside from its dominant partner Umno, the coalition is now left with MCA, MIC, and several smaller race-based components: Kimma, IPF and Makkal Sakti.The BN survey comes in the wake of a separate survey by Umno to find out whether members of the Malay party are open to working with PKR and DAP in any future election.Observers say it would come as no surprise if BN went to the polls alone.Analyst Mahadee Ismail said the coalition felt it was being shortchanged at the federal level despite having more seats than the other parties in the PN-led government.He said some BN leaders also felt that the same fate had befallen the coalition in Perak and Sabah, where the state governments are led by individuals outside of BN.There has been talk of the 15th general election being held in the coming year, to put to rest allegations that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, formed after the collapse of Pakatan Harapan in February, has no mandate.Senior minister Mohamed Azmin Ali recently revealed that the government had planned to call for snap polls in September, but decided to call it off following a fierce rebound of Covid-19 infections nationwide.


Saudis confirmed Anwar's meeting with crown prince, says Wisma Putra

Wisma Putra today broke its silence on the prime minister's official trip to Saudi Arabia, saying it had received diplomatic notes confirming Anwar Ibrahim's visit as well as a meeting with King Salman Abdul Aziz and the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a statement detailing Anwar's visit from March 22 to 24, it said it had received a diplomatic note dated March 21 from the Saudi embassy, confirming the dates for Anwar's trip to the kingdom.
"A similar diplomatic note was also received on the same day by the Malaysian embassy in Riyadh from the government of Saudi Arabia," it said.
"Both diplomatic notes referred to the prime minister's official visit from March 22 to 25, including a courtesy visit programme with His Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia.
"They clearly stated that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the visit, including the performance of the umrah in Mecca and the pilgrimage in Madinah."
Wisma Putra earlier said that the visit was at the invitation of Mohammed.
Questions were however raised by the opposition after Anwar's visit to the kingdom ended without a meeting with Mohammed or the king.
A Bernama report said the meeting could not take place because the crown prince had a change of plans ahead of the Ramadan month.
Anwar expressed regret that he had been unable to meet Mohammed, but was said to have turned down a request by Saudi officials to extend his stay so that a meeting with the crown prince could take place.
Wisma Putra today said that it had made all arrangements early and in a professional manner, according to the SOPs for the official trips of leaders abroad.
"Based on the journey and the results of the visit, the prime minister's official trip to Saudi Arabia illustrates the importance of diplomatic relations and cooperation between Malaysia and the kingdom," it said.
"Malaysia has always considered Saudi Arabia a strategic partner. In this context, the foreign ministry insists that the polemics and unfounded perceptions by some for narrow political interests will not help its efforts to dignify Malaysian diplomacy, towards strengthening relations and cooperation with friendly countries around the world at the bilateral, regional and international levels."
It said the issue had cast in a negative light by certain groups, adding that this was unfair to both the ministry and government, as well as the foreign ministry and government of Saudi Arabia.
It said its preparations for the visit had involved several series of discussions with the Saudi embassy in Kuala Lumpur, including a meeting with the kingdom's ambassador before a proposed date was set.
It said the foreign minister had also spoken with his Saudi Arabian counterpart during his visit to Riyadh in February.
"The talks touched on specifics on the prime minister's visit and the appropriateness of the dates as well as plans for the expected deliverables from the trip," it said.
It also brushed off criticism on the timing of the visit at the start of the fasting month, saying this was not an issue on the Saudi Arabian side.
"The ministry was informed that the government of Saudi Arabia adopts an open attitude and had received visits from foreign leaders during the month of Ramadan."
It added that Anwar and his entourage had been accorded full national guest status, including the provision of vehicles, accommodation and security coverage by the Saudi Royal Guard and protocol officers from the royal court.
Noting the meetings Anwar had held, including with the president of the Islamic Development Bank, Wisma Putra said the prime minister's visit reflected Malaysia's commitment to boosting relations and cooperation between both countries to a stronger and more comprehensive level.


Sorry.