Airlines told to rectify all issues following passenger complaints

The transport ministry has instructed all airlines involved to immediately rectify the issues experienced by passengers following grievances and grouses aired over delays, rescheduling and technical problems.Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said his ministry and its aviation-related agencies – the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) – had received and investigated the reports and feedback given by passengers on their experiences.Adding that the government sympathises with their plight, he said many of the complaints could be attributed to higher-than-usual passenger traffic during the festive season where airlines had to fully utilise their aircraft fleets to meet demand.In a statement, he said aircraft with technical issues had been taken out of service for more thorough maintenance.As of today, all of the complaints related to rescheduling and flight backlog had been rectified and schedules put back on track, he said.“In the interest of safety and technical compliance to civil aviation regulations and passenger comfort, the ministry has tasked airlines to better monitor technical issues related to flight service and better communicate these issues to passengers in order to reduce inconvenience,” he said.He said the authorities had also reprimanded the parties involved and told them to ensure strict compliance with technical, economic, and safety regulations.He added that action would be taken against operators that fail to do so.He said the ministry and its agencies would also continue to monitor aviation service providers to ensure full and uncompromising compliance with maintenance and technical upkeep.“Equally importantly, it is vital for airlines to improve their communication channels to their passengers and customers to keep them properly informed of flight statuses,” he said.Over the past few days, passengers of local airlines had aired their grievances on social media over delays, the rescheduling of flights as well as technical issues such as non-functioning air-conditioning.


'Content, content, content': The place of Malaysia's oldest broadcaster in a digital world

Suhaimi Sulaiman was enjoying life after retirement when he received a phone call one day asking him to come back to work in the world of local television broadcasting.
At 61, Suhaimi had spent more than three decades in the fields of journalism and broadcasting.
He returned from retirement to a new career as the director-in-chief of state-owned television station Radio Televisyen Malaysia, popularly known as RTM.
It was a good transition for Suhaimi, who was already familiar with many of the people in his office, especially the reporters he had known during his time as a journalist.
And despite being their new chief, he placed no initial expectations on the work of his staff.

RTM director-general Suhaimi Sulaiman speaks during an exclusive interview with MalaysiaNow in Kuala Lumpur.

He is aware of the public perception of RTM as an outdated form of broadcasting, appealing only to those in the older generation and offering little to the youth.
But according to him, the data and reports he receives tell a different story.
RTM is in fact more popular with younger users below the age of 35, he says, with the most views on TikTok.
Most recently, the live broadcast of Malaysia's football match against Vietnam in conjunction with the 2023 SEA Games, for example, had more than 1.1 million views on the social media platform.
Of these, 64% of the viewers were under 32 years of age.
"We live in an age where people no longer just sit at home and watch TV," Suhaimi said in an exclusive interview with MalaysiaNow.
"This is now the reality of the broadcasting industry in Malaysia: people want to watch content. In the car, in the office, anywhere and everywhere, people are watching content."
This is why Suhaimi has come up with a new management system for television shows, geared towards the digitisation of RTM streams.
It is also a step towards rejuvenating the principles of RTM broadcasting, to give it a new lease of life in the industry.
One example of this is Kanta 744, a concept for simple, compact news that runs for 15 minutes before primetime news begins at 8pm.
Each headline is allotted just 15 seconds, and the news – national, economy, world, sports and entertainment – is presented by young and fresh personalities.
RTM direction?
RTM, the oldest public broadcasting station owned by the government, was established on April 1, 1946.
Headquartered in Angkasapuri Kuala Lumpur, it operates six national radio channels, 13 state and regional radio channels, and six television channels.
Each broadcasting station is expected to have its own identity, without relying on certain moulds.
"Maybe we can take some ideas to improve the content that is already in place," Suhaimi said when referred to broadcasters such as BBC in Britain and South Korea's KBS.
"But we are the ones who must define our direction. We need to know who our audience is and what they want."

RTM's Wisma Radio in Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur.

As for the political changes that have taken place since the 14th general election in 2018, Suhaimi said these had not had much of an effect on RTM's policies and internal operations.
As civil servants, he said, RTM staff see things differently from the public perception of the broadcaster as a government propaganda unit.
For them, he added, the job is to develop the country and help the people.
He said these efforts could be seen in the segments aired by RTM, including documentaries, educational programmes, and community enterprises.
"It's not about a purely political approach. What's important is the content which must be appropriate and relatable.
"We have to choose wisely where our expertise lies," he said.
On questions regarding media freedom, a hot topic since the establishment of the latest government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Suhaimi said that anyone who wished to develop the country and the nation would be assured of a place at RTM – with the caveat that this must be done without disrupting stability and national harmony.
"For instance, there were reports that an artist was axed from a programme for supporting a certain political party," he said.
"But was she given air time during the Raya celebrations? She was.
"Individuals will be given a place if they truly desire to move in this direction."


Daily caseload tops 30,700 as 70 more deaths logged

Another 30,787 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,741,986.There were 26,457 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,393,999.There are now 314,420 active cases, of which 302,242 or 96.1% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 3,039 (1.0%) are at quarantine centres while 8,750 (2.8%) have been hospitalised.A total of 389 are in ICU with 229 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 59.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 44.3%.Another 70 deaths were reported, including 19 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 33,567.


India’s unvaccinated: world’s largest inoculation drive stumbles

In mid-January, India began a Covid-19 inoculation drive for its 1.38 billion people, starting with healthcare professionals, frontline workers and the elderly.People aged over 45 were next to roll up their sleeves, in April.Then, following a surge in Covid-19 infections across the country in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accelerated plans to broaden the programme and opened up vaccinations from May 1 for people aged between 18 and 45 years, who make up 600 million of the population.This led to a rush by people in that age group to sign up to the government’s CoWIN vaccination website.However, the government had arranged no corresponding increase in vaccine supplies, and shortages soon became apparent, reports Reuters.By June 4, India had provided at least one dose to roughly 50 million people aged between 18 and 45, representing just 8% of that population group.The geographical spread of inoculations has not been even. For logistical reasons, urban dwellers have received shots faster than those living in the countryside.Adding to the difficulties, different hospitals were charging different prices for the same vaccine. Some hospitals in affluent areas have sold the Covishield AstraZeneca shot, manufactured in India, for US$25 per dose, almost double the price charged elsewhere.This means vaccines remain unavailable to large sectors of the population who cannot afford them or have little or no access to private hospitals.India – the world’s biggest producer of vaccines for polio, diphtheria and other diseases – sold or donated more than 66 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to 95 countries until the middle of April.But as infections started rising from around mid-March in India, the clamour for vaccines at home also increased and India began restricting exports. The country has now started importing vaccines and is also expecting donations from the US.The government expects vaccine supplies to improve substantially after June. It is expecting to produce enough shots by December to inoculate all of its estimated 950 million adults, though those between 18 and 45 years will still be last on the priority list.After a fall in cases in recent weeks, several states have begun to gradually lift restrictions on travel and businesses, but health experts have warned that cases could surge again once most states open and have called for vaccinations to be sped up.As of June 8, less than 4% of India’s adult population had been given the required two vaccine doses.Nearly 14% have received at least one dose and, of that group, less than 10% of 18-45 year-olds have been inoculated.CNN is reporting another disparity causing concern.Many more men in India have received Covid-19 vaccines than women, government data showed on Tuesday, highlighting gender disparity in the country’s immunisation drive.“We are noticing that men, especially in towns and villages, prefer to take the vaccine before women as they have to travel for work, while women are relegated to domestic chores,” said a medical superintendent at a big government hospital in Gujarat.Health officials say rumours about vaccines disrupting women’s menstruation cycle and reducing fertility have also contributed to the skewed data. The government has rejected the concerns.


Once Asia’s high flying currency, Thai baht now plunging to new lows

The Thai baht, the strongest-performing currency in Asia before the pandemic, has been steadily falling in 2021 and is this year’s worst-hit currency in the region, according to Japan’s Mizuho Bank.The baht has plunged more than 10% against the US dollar year-to-date, as of Monday morning, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.Thailand’s currency is the weakest-performing this year compared to other major Asia Pacific currencies, according to Refinitiv. Against the greenback, the Japanese yen is nearly 7% lower, the Malaysian ringgit declined by 5%, while the Australian dollar is down 4.43% year-to-date.“At face value, the baht as the unequivocal and significant laggard does not square with Thailand’s solid but diminished current account surplus or relatively low inflation,” wrote Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at the bank.In 2019, before the Covid pandemic hit, there were concerns about the strengthening baht, which was buoyed by its large trade surplus. A stronger currency makes the country’s exports more expensive, causing them to be less attractive in international markets.Still, the baht’s underperformance this year cannot be solely blamed on the Covid pandemic, considering that the impact of the Delta variant on the rest of the region is “far more dismal”, Varathan said.He pointed out the sharp decline in tourism numbers has actually multiplied the “Covid devastation” on Thailand’s economy.Thailand had only just over 34,000 tourist arrivals as of May this year, compared with over 39 million in 2019, according to data from its tourism ministry as well as the World Bank.The country relies heavily on tourism dollars for economic growth. Tourist spending accounted for about 11% of Thai GDP in 2019, before the pandemic.Fewer tourists also mean lower demand for the Thai baht.“The sheer force of this ‘tourism multiplier’ means that it remains the decisive drag on the baht,” Varathan said.“Further ‘variant risks’ and attendant rolling delays to tourism and travel resumption will continue to pose a clear and present threat to the baht,” he said, referring to new variants of Covid.Thailand’s over-reliance on tourism is going to be “very challenging” for the country as it seeks to reopen up to tourists while still battling with the pandemic, Nomura’s Chief Asean Economist Euben Paracuelles said.The country’s attempts to reopen its tourism destinations have not gone well, he told CNBC.In July, Thailand started a so-called “sandbox” pilot scheme in Phuket, where tourists can visit the holiday island without quarantining. But just a week after it reopened, it recorded its first Covid case – a tourist from the United Arab Emirates. By the end of the first week, it had 27 new cases, according to the AP.“They have very ambitious targets, they want to fully reopen by October but I think that’s probably too ambitious,” Paracuelles said. “And because of Thailand’s over reliance on tourism, I think that’s where the drive and the recovery will be coming from the most.”


Russia says Black Sea grain deal will be extended automatically if no objections

A deal allowing the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports will be extended automatically after it expires on March 18 if there are no objections from the involved parties, Russia's TASS state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Citing an unnamed source familiar with the details of the negotiations around the agreement, TASS reported that so far none of the involved sides had indicated a withdrawal.
Russia on Monday suggested renewing a deal allowing the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports but only for half of the 120-day term of the previous renewal, while the United Nations pledged to do everything possible to ensure the agreement's integrity remained intact.
"If the parties have no objections, the deal will continue after March 18," TASS quoted the source as saying.
The source said that the time length of the extension did not matter.
"If the deal is extended for 60 days, it will continue to operate after March 18, and after 60 days one of the parties may raise the issue of its termination," the source added.
The prices of corn and wheat have been under pressure on hopes of a deal renewal.


Clinical waste up by 111.94% since pandemic, says deputy minister

Clinical waste such as disposable plastics, rubber gloves and insulation gowns used by frontliners at health facilities has increased by 111.94% compared to December 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.Deputy Environment and Water Minister Ahmad Masrizal Mohamad said the volume of clinical waste would continue to increase to 173.25 tonnes per month within the next 12 months if the pandemic continues.“This is considered a significant figure that could threaten the earth’s greenery and environmental sustainability if not managed properly,” he said in a statement today.He said the environment and water ministry through the Department of Environment (DoE) and related agencies had taken steps to overcome the constraints of waste disposal efficiency, but added that there was still a backlog of clinical waste.Masrizal said so far, 12 incinerators, four microwaves and one ozonator had been licensed nationwide to manage “SW 404” scheduled waste with a total capacity of 5,168.05 tonnes. He said this was still able to accommodate the current clinical waste generation of 4394.37 tonnes.He said the ministry also welcomed private health facilities interested in managing clinical waste in Malaysia to contact it or the DoE.He said operating hours and disposal capacity at the clinical material disposal plant had also been extended and enhanced to accommodate the increase.He said the ministry was also aware of the increase in waste in areas subjected to enhanced movement control order, which would require more thorough and organised waste management to prevent secondary infection among staff.Masrizal said clinical waste would continue to increase if more people are infected with Covid-19, and urged the community to stay at home to prevent its spread.


8.2% of children given first Covid vaccine jab

A total of 289,912 children or 8.2% of those aged five to 11 had received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 13,607,475 individuals or 57.8% of the adult population have received a booster dose, while 22,940,521 or 97.5% have completed their vaccination.Some 98.7% or 23,217,374 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 164,572 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, with 45,251 as first doses, including 42,659 doses for children, 1,637 as second shots and 117,684 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under PICK to 65,524,828.According to the health ministry’s GitHub portal, 21 deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded yesterday: nine in Sabah, four each in Johor and Perak, two in Kedah and one each in Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today said that the country’s infectivity rate (Rt) stood at 1.32 yesterday, with Labuan recording the highest Rt value of 1.96, followed by Sarawak (1.56) and Sabah (1.51).


Water supply 28% restored in Klang Valley

The water supply in 998 areas that was disrupted following the upgrading and maintenance work for critical assets at the Sungai Selangor Phase 1 Water Treatment Plant had been restored by 28%, as of 6am today.Air Selangor spokesman Elina Baseri said areas in Kuala Selangor recorded a 75.6% recovery rate, Hulu Selangor 60.7%, Petaling 60.4%, Shah Alam 40.4% and Klang 0.9%.Three areas, namely Gombak, Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Langat are still at zero recovery rate, she said in a statement today.Residents around the Klang Valley began to experience a scheduled water supply disruption at 9am on Wednesday due to the upgrading and maintenance work.Consumers whose water supply has been restored are advised to use water prudently to ensure the restoration process in the affected areas runs smoothly.Further information can be obtained through official communication channels, including the Air Selangor app, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or by contacting Air Selangor at 15300.


Maybank Singapore withdraws suit against NFC chairman, children over housing loans

Maybank Singapore Limited has withdrawn its lawsuit against National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail and his two children for allegedly defaulting on two housing loan facilities amounting to S$2,534,203.41 for properties in Singapore.
Salleh is the husband of former women, family and community development minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Lawyer Wan Mohammad Arfan Wan Othman, representing Salleh and his children, Wan Shahinur Izran and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, said both parties had reached a settlement.
"High Court judge Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad allowed the lawsuit to be withdrawn with liberty for the plaintiff (Maybank) to file afresh and with no order as to costs," he said when contacted by reporters after the proceedings which took place online.
Yesterday had been fixed for the hearing of Maybank Singapore's application for a summary judgment, which was also attended by counsel Tan Hui Ru representing the bank. On July 19 last year, in its statement of claim, Maybank Singapore Limited said that at the request of the defendants, the plaintiff had provided a housing loan for a piece of property in Orchard Scotts, Singapore, totalling S$4.3 million, subject to the terms and conditions in the offer letters dated Nov 20, 2009, and Nov 10, 2017.
It claimed that the defendants had defaulted on paying the monthly instalment of S$7,225 and the plaintiff had then withdrawn the loan and demanded full payment of S$3.94 million – the amount owed and payable as of June 22, 2018, together with the accrued interests.
The plaintiff claimed that it had exercised its rights under the mortgage and obtained a court order dated Jan 23, 2019 from the Singapore High Court to repossess the property and sell it through an auction on June 28, 2019, for S$3.2 million. However, it said this was insufficient to settle the outstanding amount of the loan, which was S$1.3 million.
For the second housing facility, the plaintiff claimed to have granted a housing loan amounting to S$5.3 million to the first and second defendants (Salleh and Wan Shahinur Izran) for the purchase of a piece of property in Central Boulevard, Singapore, with a monthly instalment of S$8,700.
The plaintiff alleged that both defendants failed to settle the loan arrears and demanded payment of S$5.05 million from the amount due as of June 4, 2018, together with the accrued interests.
Exercising its rights under the mortgage, the plaintiff obtained a court order dated Jan 23, 2019 from the Singapore High Court to repossess the property before selling it through a personal treaty sale for S$4.68 million.
According to the plaintiff, the sale price was insufficient to settle the amount due under the loan, hence it demanded that the first and second defendants pay a total of S$1.16 million together with the accrued interests.
The plaintiff applied to the court to enter a judgment against all of the defendants including demanding the amount owed totalling S$1.36 million from the three defendants and S$1.16 million from the first and second defendants.


Indonesia to lift freeze on workers' entry to Malaysia

Indonesia has lifted the restrictions on the entry of its workers to Malaysia, and agreed to integrate the existing system between the Malaysian Immigration Department and the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur for the recruitment of Indonesian domestic workers (PDI).
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said the integration of this system would act as a single channel for the recruitment and entry of PDI into Malaysia as agreed in the previous memorandum of understanding (MoU).
"This system will be operational in three more weeks under the supervision of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Working Group," he said in a statement with his Indonesian counterpart Ida Fauziyah.
He said a pilot project would be implemented for a period of three months once the system’s integration is complete to ensure the smooth execution of the single-channel system.
"Therefore, the Indonesian side has agreed to withdraw the restrictions on the entry of PDI and Indonesian labourers into Malaysia starting Aug 1," said Saravanan.
Saravanan voiced confidence that the resolution of the issues in the MoU of PDI would lead to the smooth entry of Indonesian workers into Malaysia in the domestic services sector as well as other sectors that are allowed to employ foreign workers.
He reminded employers whose foreign worker quotas have been approved by the human resources ministry to immediately make levy payments with the immigration department.
Employers who wish to employ Indonesian workers can recruit them from Monday next week, he said.
Saravanan was in Jakarta in conjunction with the meeting of the Joint Working Group between Malaysia and Indonesia as outlined in the MoU regarding the PDI which was completed on July 27.
The meeting discussed policy and technical issues in the implementation of the MoU signed on April 1.
Earlier, Ida said a mutual agreement on the necessary steps was important to ensure the full implementation of the MoU, especially on the single-channel system.
The Joint Working Group had previously discovered several policy and technical implementation issues that could affect the implementation of the MoU.
"We agree to take all of the necessary steps to ensure that the terms in the MoU are fully complied with by all parties by involving the respective governments' relevant agencies or institutions," she said.


Amanah rep Faiz Fadzil denies sexual assault claims

Amanah’s Permatang Pasir assemblyman Faiz Fadzil today denied claims by a PKR activist that he had sexually assaulted her, saying he is considering taking legal action to clear his name.In a statement, he said he had been called in by the police following the report lodged against him on March 16.“I have given the police my cooperation and will continue to do so in order to assist the investigation,” he said, adding that he could not reveal his defence as the probe is ongoing.Faiz, the son of the late PAS president Fadzil Noor, also said he would continue his duties as an assemblyman along with the fight to uphold democracy and social justice.MalaysiaNow earlier reported that the 31-year-old woman had lodged a report at a police station in Subang Jaya last week, accusing the politician of fondling her.She said she first met the politician in January, followed by a second meeting where she agreed to his offer of a dinner treat for her birthday.She said she agreed to go with him as she “felt honoured”.However, she claimed the man tried to hug and fondle her in his car before telling her to keep what had happened to herself.She said she had been “emotionally distressed” since then.


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Economists warn of long-term pain as EPF withdrawal calls spread across political divide

Economists have panned calls by politicians from across the political divide for the government to allow further withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), warning once more that such a move will only result in long-term problems for contributors in addition to widening the wealth gap.The calls, initially made by former prime minister Najib Razak, recently gained traction among opposition leaders as well, with PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also urging the government to allow withdrawals from the retirement fund.But economist Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff advised caution, saying that while EPF’s dividends had increased from the year before, this might not be enough to ease the needs of contributors.“It is estimated that 5.8 million contributors under the age of 55 have savings of below RM10,000,” Razman, of Universiti Putra Malaysia, said.“If withdrawals are allowed, in the end they will run out of savings.”The i-Lestari, i-Sinar and i-Citra facilities introduced over the past two years were part of the various aid packages announced by Putrajaya to cushion the financial impact of Covid-19.Najib had said in November last year that the maximum amount for withdrawal under i-Citra should be raised from RM5,000 to RM10,000.He made similar calls several times more, saying in the Dewan Rakyat on March 2 that it would be his fourth time urging the government to allow further withdrawals under i-Citra.“It doesn’t matter who wants to claim the credit,” he said. “As long as the request for this final withdrawal, which people are really looking forward to, can be granted by the government immediately.”Opposition leader Anwar meanwhile made a U-turn from his previous stance, saying on March 9 that he had changed his mind after hearing the complaints of people struggling to get by.“Having seen that the government does not appear to have a way to fix these failures, I now support the approval for withdrawals to be made as quickly as possible and without any hindrance or bureaucratic red tape,” he said in a statement.Lim meanwhile said that withdrawals of at least RM5,000 should be allowed due to the rising cost of living without a corresponding increase in wages.Economist Madeline Berma however said that the government should not allow contributors to continue dipping into their savings, warning of long-term problems ahead.“EPF funds are meant as savings for the future, after retirement,” she told MalaysiaNow.“Retirement funds are important to prevent contributors from falling into poverty once they are no longer working.”Razman agreed, acknowledging that measures are needed to address immediate concerns and short-term gaps due to the economic crisis but cautioning that shortcomings in the country’s social protection system must also be tackled.He also said that any help should come from the government itself.“Politicians who call for EPF savings to be withdrawn are fishing in troubled waters,” he said, “proposing something that looks grandiose but does not place management responsibilities on the contributor.”Adding that there are many mechanisms in place to help those in need, he said it was better for contributors to keep their money in the EPF and rely on other forms of help from the government.The EPF itself said in December last year that the country’s social protection had been pushed to the limit after the series of withdrawals due to the Covid-19 crisis.It said while it was understandable that withdrawals were allowed during the virus lockdowns, this should not be made a practice during natural calamities as it is bound by laws guiding how members’ contributions are managed.It also revealed that the various withdrawal schemes had led to the outflow of RM101 billion involving 6.1 million members, leaving them with less than RM10,000 in their accounts. Of these, it said at the time, 3.6 million had less than RM1,000.It also said that a majority of those who made the emergency withdrawals were Bumiputeras.“As a result, 4.4 million or 54% of Bumiputera members now have less than RM10,000, and two million or 25% have less than RM1,000,” it said.Economist Yeah Kim Leng said allowing further withdrawals would further deplete contributors’ savings for their retirement.“It will add to the number of contributors with little or zero balance, making them vulnerable to old-age poverty,” he said.He said a better approach to helping the people would be through targeted support such as job placements, business grants and loan subsidy programmes.He also suggested more stringent screening before withdrawals are allowed, adding however that this would place administrative burdens on the EPF.Madeline meanwhile urged the government to provide more assistance for flood victims.“For the victims of natural disasters, I suggest that the government provide assistance such as home repairs or provisions for temporary housing,” she said.Other forms of assistance include financial aid for damage to property, health assistance, and help with funeral arrangements and logistics.


Ex-staff appeals to strike out Anwar's counterclaims in sexual assault suit

A former staff member of Anwar Ibrahim who brought a sexual assault suit against the PKR chief has filed an appeal against the recent High Court decision rejecting his application to strike out the opposition leader's counterclaims.
Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who sued Anwar in July 2021 for allegedly assaulting him four years ago, had filed to strike out several paragraphs from Anwar’s defence in September 2021.
He sought to strike out six accusations against him, including those in which the veteran politician mentioned two individuals who are now deceased.
On Sept 9, however, the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected his application and ordered him to pay RM3,500 in costs.
Yusoff said in his suit that the alleged incident had occurred at Anwar’s home in Bukit Segambut about 10 days before the PKR leader won the Port Dickson by-election on Oct 13, 2018.
He is seeking a court declaration that Anwar had committed the sexual assault, as well as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for suffering trauma as well as physical, psychological and sociological disturbances as a result of the alleged incident.
Yusoff first made the allegation against Anwar in a statutory declaration in November 2019, followed by a police report.
During an investigation by Bukit Aman under Section 354 of the Penal Code which deals with criminal force to outrage modesty, police subjected Yusoff to a four-hour polygraph test at Bukit Aman. Anwar meanwhile refused to take the test.
On Jan 14, 2020, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, then under Tommy Thomas, said it would not press charges against Anwar due to "insufficient evidence" and "contradictions" in facts.


Musk's Twitter poll showing narrow majority want Trump reinstated

Donald Trump on Saturday said he had no interest in returning to Twitter even as a slim majority voted in favor of reinstating the former US president, who was banned from the social media service for inciting violence, in a poll organised by new owner Elon Musk.
With less than 40 minutes before the poll closed, some 14.8 million Twitter users voted in the poll with 51.8% voting in favour of the reinstatement.
"I don't see any reason for it," the former president said via video when asked whether he planned to return to Twitter by a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting.
He said he would stick with his new platform Truth Social, the app developed by his Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) startup, which he said had better user engagement than Twitter and was doing "phenomenally well".
Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump, who on Tuesday launched a bid to regain the White House in 2024, praised Musk and said he had always liked him. But Trump also said Twitter suffered from bots, fake accounts and that the problems it faced were "incredible".
Musk first said in May he planned to reverse the ban on Trump, and the timing of any return by Trump was closely watched – and feared – by many of Twitter's advertisers.
The billionaire has since sought to reassure users and advertisers that such a decision would be made with consideration by a content moderation council composed of people with "widely diverse viewpoints" and no account reinstatements would happen before the council convened.
He also said Twitter would not reinstate any banned users until there was a "clear process for doing so."
But this week, Musk reinstated comedian Kathy Griffin, who had been banned for changing her profile name to "Elon Musk" which violated his new rule against impersonation without indicating it was a parody account. There has been no new information about process or the moderation council.
A no-show by Trump could reduce concerns among major advertisers, who are already rattled by Musk's drastic reshaping of Twitter.
He has halved the workforce and severely cut the company's trust and safety team, which is responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation and harmful content.
These actions and Musk's tweeting have pushed major companies to halt advertising on the site as they monitor how the platform handles hate speech.
On Saturday, Bloomberg reported Twitter could fire more employees in its sales and partnership divisions, citing unnamed sources, just days after a mass resignation of engineers.
If Trump returned to Twitter, the move would raise questions about his commitment to Truth Social, which launched on Apple’s App Store in February and Google’s Play Store in October. Trump has some 4.57 million followers on Truth Social.
Truth Social has been Trump’s main source of direct communication with his followers since he began posting on the app regularly in May. He has used Truth Social to promote his allies, criticise opponents and defend his reputation amid legal scrutiny from state, congressional and federal investigators.
His agreement with the company, however, opens the door for Trump to engage extensively on other platforms. Trump is obligated to give Truth Social a six-hour exclusive on any post – but is free to post "political messaging, political fundraising or get-out-the vote efforts" on any site, at any time, according to a May SEC filing.


Speaker Azhar questions claims by ex-AG Thomas on EC reforms

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun has fought back on claims against him by Tommy Thomas in a new autobiography in which the former attorney-general attacked several individuals he had worked with during Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) 22-month rule.Thomas claimed that Azhar, who served as chairman of the Election Commision (EC) under the previous government, had been against amending laws that would allow the public to challenge the EC’s decisions during elections.Thomas claimed that his move to abolish the ouster clause had faced resistance in the Attorney-General’s Chambers as well as from the home ministry and the Treasury.“But the most surprising objection came from the Election Commission,” Thomas wrote in his book “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”.The 552-page book, which was written with the help of several politicians including DAP’s Liew Ching Tong and Syahredzan Johan, as well as former Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan and businessman Kalimullah Hassan of ECM Libra Group, is not available at bookstores although a PDF version is making the rounds on social media platforms including WhatsApp.The ouster clause refers to a provision under Section 9A of the Elections Act, which prevents an electoral roll that has been certified from being challenged in court.Thomas said upon hearing of Azhar’s opinion, he telephoned the lawyer who is popularly known as Art Harun.“I was absolutely shocked when Art Harun defended the EC’s view, which he personally subscribed to, that the numerous ouster clauses in the EC laws were absolutely necessary,” he said.“We argued for some time, but when I realised that Azhar would not shift, I terminated our telephone conversation.”Thomas then accused Azhar of being against good governance, adding that this was shown when Azhar accepted the speaker’s post.“One should not be surprised at his lack of support for good governance, with the openness and accountability of civil servants whose decision ought to be open to scrutiny by a court of law.”Thomas then admitted that he did not pursue the abolition of the clause.Azhar: I discussed with othersWhen contacted, Azhar told MalaysiaNow that the resistance to Thomas’ proposal to abolish the ouster clause was not his decision alone.He also said there were several practical reasons for allowing the clause to remain.“Chief in my mind was, what if a challenge on the electoral roll is mounted just after the writ of election is issued, or worse, after nomination day?” he said.He said there were many operational decisions left for the EC to make on issues from localities, polling stations and number of streams to the type of banners and logos to be used.“What if all these are challenged in court after nomination day or after publication of writ?” he asked.Azhar questioned why Thomas had singled out the EC’s ouster clause when there were many such clauses prevalent which allow final decisions for many executive branches of the government.He said he had always discussed the EC’s position with stakeholders including Ambiga, the former chairman of Bersih 2.0, and Wong Chin Huat, who was active in the election reforms coalition.“I explained to them, and later to Tommy, the problems that the EC might face with the total abolishment of the ouster clause,” Azhar added.He said in one bipartisan engagement, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah had also agreed with his explanation of the need to retain the ouster clause.“After my explanations to all those who were present, she said, ‘Ya arr, how to conduct election if it was like that!'” Azhar told MalaysiaNow.Azhar said it was wrong to claim that he was totally against removing the right to challenge the EC, adding however that it was critical to take the middle path.He said this includes allowing people to challenge certain matters within a certain period of time.He said he had alternatively proposed an independent body to adjudicate election matters, saying it was a more practical solution than judicial interventions to complicate the EC’s functions.He also showed a memo he wrote to Thomas about finding the middle ground.“I did not refuse. I was trying to find a better solution, not a total deletion of the ouster clause giving rise to an impossibility to conduct an election,” said Azhar.Azhar added that he viewed Thomas’ criticism of him as personal.“To say that I totally rejected it and to connect it to my appointment as speaker is really bad of him,” he added.


53.9% of adults given Covid booster jab

Some 53.9% of adults in Malaysia, or 12,616,238 individuals, had received a Covid-19 booster dose as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 22,931,979 individuals or 98% of adults, have completed their vaccination while 23,207,389 individuals or 99.2% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of teenagers, a total of 2,792,830 individuals or 88.7% have completed their vaccination while 2,870,546 or 91.2% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 152,358 vaccine doses were dispensed – 10,471 first doses, 1,506 second shots and 140,381 booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 64,264,073.The country’s Covid-19 infectivity rate (Ro/Rt) based on yesterday’s daily caseload was 1.39.Sarawak recorded the highest RT value at 1.68, followed by Perlis (1.65), Sabah (1.59), Labuan (1.51) and Terengganu (1.40).According to the health ministry’s Github portal, 13 deaths dues to Covid-19 were recorded yesterday – three in Selangor, two each in Kelantan, Perak and Sabah, and one each in Kedah, Penang, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur.


Tens of thousands evacuated in Australia as heavy rains close in on Sydney

Tens of thousands of Australians fled their homes and authorities evacuated a hospital on Wednesday as torrential rains continued to batter the country’s east coast.Eleven people have died since the extreme weather arrived late last week, submerging town centres, unmooring homes and cutting power lines.The wild storm cell has been making its way down from Queensland state into neighbouring New South Wales (NSW) and is expected to hit Sydney, home to more than 5 million people, later on Wednesday.“Hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted by this event,” NSW Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cooke told broadcaster ABC on Wednesday morning. “It is not over by any stretch of the imagination.”The Bureau of Meteorology said Sydneysiders should brace for months of rain to fall within a few hours, as officials reported that Warragamba Dam, the city’s major water supply for Sydney, began overflowing on Wednesday morning.The country’s weather bureau warned Sydney and surrounding regions could receive up to 200mm (8 inches) of rains within six hours later in the day. Sydney’s mean rainfall for March is 138mm, according to official data.In the northern town of Ballina, the main hospital was evacuated, ahead of an anticipated peak in the floodwaters. In Lismore, a town a little further north that was hit hard on Tuesday, residents waited for water levels to recede far enough to allow emergency services to reach them with emergency supplies.NSW emergency crews carried out 300 flood rescues after getting 2,200 requests for help overnight. Military helicopters airlifted stranded people from rooftops, while stranded motorists and animals were rescued from a bridge after fast rising waters submerged both ends.Cassie Skillings, who got stuck on the bridge along with her sister, niece and nephew, told radio station 2GB a local resident rescued them in his boat.“It was just mayhem, once shipping containers started hitting the bridge I called triple zero and they said there was nothing they could do,” she said.


Malaysian among 3 who lost appeal against death sentence in Singapore

A Singapore court today rejected appeals by three men sentenced to death for drugs offences despite criticism from the United Nations and rights campaigners.Roslan Bakar, a Singaporean, and Malaysian Pausi Jefridin were arrested in 2008 on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death two years later.The appeal of Singaporean Rosman Abdullah was also dismissed.The city-state has some of the world’s toughest anti-narcotics laws and insists capital punishment remains an effective deterrent against crime, despite mounting calls to soften its stance.High Court judge Kannan Ramesh, in dismissing the appeals, said no new arguments were raised that were different from earlier pleas that had been rejected, and accused the complainants of abusing the court process.“In this case, the dominant ‘extraneous purpose’ of the applications is the ulterior intention of delaying the imposition of the sentence of death that was passed on the plaintiffs by disrespecting the finality of the judicial process,” the judge said.Rights activist M Ravi, who is assisting the legal team representing the three men, said they were considering another appeal.The UN rights office has urged Singapore to halt the executions, which would be the city’s first since November 2019, saying the death penalty is incompatible with international human rights law.Rights group Amnesty International has labelled the planned executions “appalling” and urged Singapore to impose a moratorium on the death penalty.Rights group Lawyers for Liberty meanwhile raised concerns that Pausi has an IQ of only 67, which suggests he has an intellectual disability.His case bears similarities to that of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, which has sparked a storm of criticism, with the European Union among those protesting against his punishment.Sentenced to death in 2010 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into Singapore, Nagaenthran was scheduled to be hanged in November despite concerns he is mentally disabled.In an 11th-hour plea this month, Nagaenthran’s lawyer asked the Court of Appeal for mercy and that he be examined by an independent panel of psychiatrists.The court has yet to issue a ruling on the plea.


Khairy pans 'PN media stereotype'

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has disagreed with the belief that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is only geared towards the narrative of race and religion in its role as the opposition, adding however that the coalition should do more to promote the leaders in its shadow cabinet announced last month.
Khairy said the claim that PN MPs were only interested in "narrow racial issues" was a stereotype enforced by the media's selectiveness in highlighting debates in the Dewan Rakyat.
On the contrary, he said, PN had many capable leaders who had been bringing up subtantial topics and fact-based arguments.
"I believe that on both the PN and the PH (Pakatan Harapan) side, there must be serious and constructive debate which does not receive publicity as it does not touch on sensitive issues," Khairy, who was expelled from Umno for criticising its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said in the latest espisode of "Keluar Sekejap".
"So when PN as the opposition raises issues related to the Malays and Islam, that becomes the headline because that's something newsworthy."
Khairy said his own observation of parlimentary debates had found that many PN MPs raised serious issues such as investments and economic strategies.
He was responding to his co-host, former Umno man Shahril Hamdan, who suggested that PN MPs were more interested in championing Malay issues.
"I think you are being a bit hard. It's easy to stereotype that this is PN, so they will talk about religion and race and nothing else.
"But if we look more in depth, I think they have MPs of calibre who have done their homework on other issues as well," he said.
Khairy added however that PN had much to improve in terms of branding, saying little had been done to ride on its shadow cabinet, which he described as a first for Malaysia.
The shadow cabinet was unveiled last month by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who said it wanted to keep checks and balances in order to be an effective opposition.
It included Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin, in charge of the finance and economy portfolio, Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan for home affairs, and Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah for education.
All three served as ministers during PN's time in two federal governments before the general election last year.
Khairy said PH and Barisan Nasional had formed committees when they were in the opposition.
But he said that PN's shadow cabinet was the closest to the system in place in the UK, where individuals are clearly identified as shadow ministers.
"If I were in PN, I would boost the image of these shadow ministers so that the people know who they are," he said.
He added that the Prime Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat should be fully utilised by the opposition to show what it can offer as an alternative government.
Khairy also disagreed with Shahril's remarks that PN had been reactionary in its role, citing the attacks on the government over political appointments, as well as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's failure to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his recent official visit to Saudi Arabia.
He said PN's strategy of attacking the government over issues was an effective way of providing checks and balances.
"I think for now, it is enough for the role of checks and balances, to attack issues and return to their experience, because many in the shadow cabinet are former ministers," he said.
"(They) say that the promises made have not been fulfilled. For example, Tuan Ibrahim has frequently raised the issue of flood mitigation in Parliament, and Takiyuddin has brought up issues of governance in the home ministry, laws, and so on."
Non-Malay support
Khairy meanwhile agreed that the lack of non-Malay support for PN could pose a problem in the formation of a federal government, adding however that it would hold the fort in several states and perhaps capture more.
Describing PN's non-Malay component Gerakan as "very minimal", Khairy said PN should find ways to attract a party from the outside with a track record of championing races other than the Malays.
He added however that the same argument could be used against PH.
"As long as PH does not get more than 20% of Malay support, it can form the government but a very fragile one.
"And it cannot form the government on its own. That's the counterargument," he said.


US charges crypto tycoon Bankman-Fried with 'massive' fraud

Disgraced cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried was hit with multiple criminal charges Tuesday, accused of committing one of the biggest financial frauds in US history.
The 30-year-old founder of the FTX platform, who was arrested in the Bahamas Monday at the request of the US, is facing a raft of accusations, including from US market regulators who say that the investor knowingly built a fraudulent house of cards.
A Bahamian judge denied Bankman-Fried bail and remanded him into custody as the one-time high-flyer began to battle his extradition in a Nassau courtroom, with his parents looking on.
A new Bahamas court date to examine the US request for extradition was set for Feb 8, local media reported.
Given the seriousness of the accusations, legal analysts said that Bankman-Fried risked as much as life in prison, recalling the fate of financier Bernie Madoff who died in a US prison last year after running the largest Ponzi scheme in US history.
In their indictment, US prosecutors said Bankman-Fried also carried out money laundering, violated campaign finance laws and committed wire fraud since the start of his company in 2019.
"It’s hard to compare these things, but this is one of the biggest financial frauds in American history," said US attorney Damian Williams when asked to compare the case to the Madoff affair.
When asked if further charges against other individuals would be forthcoming, Williams added: "I can only say this: Clearly, we are not done."
'Massive fraud'
Bankman-Fried "was orchestrating a massive, years-long fraud, diverting billions of dollars of the trading platform’s customer funds for his own personal benefit and to help grow his crypto empire," prosecutors said.
The legal hammer fell after the 30-year-old spent weeks defying legal advice and made multiple media appearances defending his actions, usually by video link from the Bahamas, where his company is headquartered.
"Bankman-Fried is reviewing the charges with his legal team and considering all of his legal options," his lawyer Mark Cohen said in a statement.
Bankman-Fried had embodied the emergence of cryptocurrency as an above-board investment rather than a dodgy get-rich-quick scheme for high-risk investors.
His FTX platform was plugged by celebrities in advertising campaigns and he became a regular presence in Washington, where he donated tens of millions of dollars in political contributions, mainly to the Democratic Party.
But after reaching a valuation of US$32 billion (RM141.06 billion), FTX's implosion was swift following a Nov 2 media report on ties between FTX and Alameda, a trading company also controlled by Bankman-Fried.
The report exposed that Alameda's balance sheet was heavily built on the FTT currency – a token created by FTX with no independent value – and exposed Bankman-Fried's companies as being dangerously interlinked.
'Grossly inexperienced'
Reeling from customer withdrawals and short some US$8 billion, FTX and around 100 related entities filed for bankruptcy protection on Nov 11, inviting scrutiny from regulators, prosecutors and furious clients.
"If convicted he could be facing the rest of his life in prison, given the dollar amount of the fraud," Jacob S Frenkel, a former federal criminal prosecutor at Dickinson Wright, told AFP.
"We would not see an indictment if prosecutors were not absolutely convinced that they will win a conviction."
In his media interviews, Bankman-Fried has admitted to mistakes, but has denied intent to defraud his customers.
FTX CEO John Ray, who came to the company after the debacle, told Congress on Tuesday that the problems arose because control was "in the hands of a very small group of grossly inexperienced and unsophisticated individuals."
"Never in my career have I seen such an utter failure of corporate controls at every level of an organization, from the lack of financial statements to a complete failure of any internal controls or governance whatsoever," Ray said.
The fall of FTX has caused major doubts about the long term viability of cryptocurrency and heaped stress on other platforms and entities that rode the success of Bitcoin and other currencies.


1MDB management unresponsive after landing US$3 billion loan, witness tells court

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was yesterday told that the 1MDB management never gave any feedback after securing a US$3 billion loan through a letter of support (LOS) issued by the government.
Former finance ministry deputy secretary-general Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa, 63, said various efforts were made by the ministry to obtain the latest information from 1MDB on how the US$3 billion was used, but the company never responded.
"I tried to contact the management of 1MDB through letters and phone calls. We also contacted the representative of 1MDB at the time, Zahid Taib, to give feedback and submit a report to the finance ministry, but there was no reply.
"I also confirm that I never saw the joint venture agreement document between 1MDB and Aabar Investment BVI Co, which was in their LOS application to the government to secure the US$3 billion loan," she said when cross-examined by lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, representing former prime minister Najib Razak at his trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB.
The 26th prosecution witness agreed with Wan Aizuddin's suggestion that 1MDB's lack of response showed the weakness of the company's management. Wan Aizuddin: Do you agree with me that you can't attribute the fault of the 1MDB management to the prime minister, finance minister and the chairman of the board of advisers?
All these positions were held by Najib.
Siti Zauyah: From what I can remember, there was a letter from (former 1MDB CEO) Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi stating that the management could not reveal any information about the use of US$3 billion because they had to refer to the 1MDB board of directors first.
Wan Aizuddin then referred to Siti Zauyah's witness statement which stated that Malaysia was now forced to pay the 1MDB debt due to the LOS issued by the government and signed by Najib as finance minister in 2013.
Siti Zauyah confirmed that she had no personal knowledge of the matter but had made a statement based on hearsay from the officer in charge of managing the LOS process.
Asked if she had seen any document showing that 1MDB failed to make repayments causing the government to bear the debt, Siti Zauyah replied "I don't remember... there must be some evidence, that's why I said that in my witness statement."
Wan Aizuddin: Interestingly, you made this statement: 'LOS signed by Najib as finance minister'. Are you attributing that the government has to bear the debt because Najib signed the LOS, therefore he is at fault?
Siti Zauyah: No comment.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial is being heard by judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.


Singapore lawyers ordered to pay S$10,000 over ethnic bias suit by Malay death row inmates

A Singapore court has ordered two lawyers to pay S$10,000 (RM31,500) in personal costs to the attorney-general over an ethnic discrimination suit filed by 17 Malay death row convicts, in what is seen as the latest in a series of legal actions against rights lawyers challenging the city-state’s stand on capital punishment.Prominent lawyer M Ravi and Cheng Kim Kuan had filed a summons on behalf of 17 prisoners in Singapore sentenced to death for various drug offences, seeking a declaration that the government had acted with discrimination and bias in their prosecution due to their Malay ethnicity.In their suit filed last year, the convicts, all Singaporeans with the exception of one Malaysian, named the attorney-general as the defendant, accusing him of breaching a constitutional guarantee on equal treatment under the law.They said the investigations, as well their trials and convictions under the draconian Misuse of Drugs Act, had been arbitrary and based on the “irrelevant factor of our ethnicity”.The suit was however dismissed by the High Court in December last year, which called it an abuse of the court process, logically flawed and speculative.The attorney-general subsequently filed a suit seeking costs from Ravi and Cheng, saying the suit was filed by the duo without his consent and that it was therefore “wrongly commenced”.In his judgment today, High Court judge Kannan Ramesh attacked Ravi for “improper” conduct.“Mr Ravi’s etiquette as an advocate and solicitor fell below the expected standard,” he said, adding that Ravi had pursued the suit even when told that it had not received consent from the attorney-general.“There is no doubt that Mr Ravi’s conduct caused the attorney-general to incur unnecessary costs.“The attorney-general was therefore compelled to litigate the matter and incur costs, including the costs of SUM 4742,” the judgement said, referring to the originating summons by the 17 prisoners.The 17 are Syed Suhail Syed Zin, Moad Fadzir Mustaffa, Hamzah Ibrahim, Norasharee Gous, Nazeri Lajim, Rosman Abdullah, Roslan Bakar, Masoud Rahimi Merzad, Zamri Mohd Tahir, Fazali Mohamed, Rahmat Karimon, Ramdhan Lajis, Jumaat Mohamed Sayed, Muhammad Faizal Mohd Shariff, Abdul Rahim Shapiee, Muhammad Salleh Hamid and Mohammad Reduan Mustaffar.In their affidavit sighted by MalaysiaNow last year, they said that Malays sentenced to death were “significantly overrepresented” compared to their share in the population of Singapore.It also noted that 50 out of 77 people sentenced to death between 2010 and 2021 were Malays, 15 Indians, 10 Chinese and two from other races.They further said that out of the 28 who had had their death sentences commuted, 12 were Chinese and nine were Malays.Some 90% of those currently on death row in Singapore are ethnic Malays and Indians, whose communities combined make up just over 20% of the population.Malays make up 13.5% of the population in the city-state, where 74.3% are Chinese and 9% are Indians, based on official statistics up to June 2020.Singapore does not release official numbers on its death row prisoners.


New infections at 217 as death toll up by two

Another 217 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,043,008.
There were 233 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,996,818.
There are now 9,230 active cases, of which 8,882 or 96.2% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 341 (3.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of seven are in ICU with three in need of respiratory assistance.
Another two deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,960.


Bersatu, PAS vow closer ties, reject protests by Umno leaders

Bersatu and PAS today vowed to forge close cooperation to strengthen the Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc following a meeting between their presidents yesterday.A joint statement by the two parties said Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and his PAS counterpart had also agreed to the formation of a consultation committee to formulate PN’s strategies at the impending general election, as well as the distribution of seats between partners and allies.The statement also said that the parties rejected attempts to split PN, believed to be a reference to recent calls by several senior Umno leaders for PAS to abandon the coalition, as well as any plans to form a coalition with Pakatan Harapan in the aftermath of the polls.“Bersatu and PAS are firm in rejecting any form of ‘new alignment’ to form the government after the 15th general election, especially with those involving PH and its allies.“Bersatu and PAS remain committed to strengthening the unity of the Muslim community as well as of the multiracial society, and are ready to work with any party that supports the concept while rejecting any attempt to disrupt the existing unity, and attempts to undermine the PN government,” the statement added.The Umno general assembly last weekend saw its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stepping up his attacks on Muhyiddin and Bersatu, with delegates taking turns to speak in support of a motion to cut ties with the party.Zahid and former prime minister Najib Razak have emerged as the most vocal critics of the PN government despite their party members being part of the Cabinet.


Only Jho Low could confirm that instructions came from Najib, ex-1MDB CEO tells court

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that only fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low could confirm that instructions on how to operate 1MDB came from Najib Razak.Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman said this under cross-examination by Najib’s lawyer, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed at the former prime minister’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.Wan Aizuddin was questioning the 49-year-old witness on the mismanagement of 1MDB that had caused the strategic development company to incur unnecessary loans and liabilities, to which Hazem agreed.The witness also agreed to Wan Aizuddin’s suggestion that there were funds misappropriated from 1MDB and funnelled to various organisations for the benefit of Jho Low.Wan Aizuddin: Now you say in various parts of your witness statement and in the evidence in court that you had consistently been receiving instructions from Jho Low. From the talking points and even orally?Hazem: Yes.Wan Aizuddin: You would also agree with me that only Jho Low can confirm in this court that all these instructions given by him were from Najib?Hazem: Yes.The witness also agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that Jho Low was now a fugitive of the law after fleeing from the country.Earlier, another lawyer representing Najib, Mardhiyah Siraj, suggested to the witness that he had made a “deal” with the prosecution to implicate the former prime minister to escape charges being framed against him.Mardhiyah: You only seem to remember whatever that implicates Najib, including Jho Low’s purported direct access to Najib. When it comes to matters that you were directly involved in, you conveniently forget.Hazem: I disagree.Mardhiyah: You agreed yesterday that 1MDB was being run like a coffee shop, which means you had breached many company laws. I put it to you that you’re lying in court to implicate Najib to escape the charges.Hazem answered in the negative to all the suggestions made by the lawyer.The defence concluded 23 days of cross-examination of Hazem, who has been on the stand since Sept 14, 2020.Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam said the prosecution would call the former chief financial officer of 1MDB, Azmi Tahir, as its next witness tomorrow.Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial is before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.


Record 673 compounds issued over RMCO

Police issued 673 compounds to violators of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) yesterday, the biggest spike since the order was implemented on June 10.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the highest number of compounds were issued in relation to night club activities (600), followed by physical distancing (127) and failure to record customer details (14).“This shows that the increasing defiance of the RMCO could be due to the people thinking that there is no need to adhere to SOPs,” he said in a press conference today.Another 98 people were remanded and seven released on bail, bringing the overall number of people arrested yesterday to 778.Police also conducted 63 roadblocks and detained a foreigner for an immigration offence.


Over 12,000 evacuated in flood-hit states

A total of 12,090 flood evacuees were at 84 relief centres in four states as of 8am today.
In Sabah, the state disaster management committee (JPBN) secretariat said the number of evacuees increased to 6,843 from 2,412 families, compared to 6,394 from 2,281 families last night. They are being housed at 29 relief centres in five districts.
Kota Marudu had the highest number of evacuees at 4,789 from 1,731 families accommodated at 12 relief centres.
"A total of 1,201 people from 453 families are at five relief centres in Pitas, and 720 people from 199 families at nine centres in Paitan. This figure is expected to increase while in the other four districts it is expected to remain unchanged," it said in a statement.
It said Tawau and Telupid were the latest districts to be hit, with 109 and 24 people respectively moved to relief centres.
In Johor, the number of flood evacuees rose to 4,868 compared to 4,575 last night with Tangkak becoming the eighth district to be struck by floods.
JPBN said there were a total of 50 relief centres operating so far, including the newly opened centres in Tangkak and Batu Pahat.
Mersing remained the worst affected district with 1,793 evacuees, followed by Kluang (1,173), Kota Tinggi (900), Segamat (490), Batu Pahat (358), Muar (121), Pontian (18) and Tangkak (15).
Meanwhile, the water levels at Sungai Muar (the river mouth of Sungai Gemas in Segamat), Sungai Lenik (Ladang Chaah, Segamat), Sungai Kahang (Kampung Contoh, Kluang) and Sungai Endau, Mersing remained above the danger mark.
Pahang JPBN reported that the number of flood evacuees in Rompin this morning remained unchanged at 323 from 97 families. Evacuees are being at housed at the Kampung Setajam relief centre (161), Rekoh community hall (122) and Bukit Lepas community hall (40).
Sungai Keratong in Rompin has exceeded the danger level at 24.76m, with a downward trend, according to JPBN.
The number of flood evacuees in Sarawak also remained unchanged from 56 (17 families) last night. They are being housed at two relief centres: SK Sebat and the Kampung Sebat Dayak community hall.


Muhyiddin proposes mechanism for Covid aid coordination

Muhyiddin Yassin today proposed that a Covid-19 aid coordination mechanism be established to ensure a more efficient, orderly and systematic distribution of assistance to those in need.The former prime minister said this is necessary as several parties had come forward to provide assistance throughout the Covid-19 pandemic period.“Malaysians are known to be generous, and Covid-19 highlighted this characteristic in us as several parties, apart from zakat centres, baitulmal, government-linked companies, the private sector and NGOs had stepped forward to offer assistance,” he said when debating the Supply Bill 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat.The Pagoh MP proposed an end-to-end aid management system as one of the mechanisms that could be considered, whereby recipients can receive aid directly into their accounts in times of need.“The aid can be channelled directly and immediately into the recipient’s account in the event of a calamity, such as loss of income and employment or when one has fallen into the poor or hardcore poor category,” he said.Muhyiddin also suggested that an exit policy be created under the mechanism to enable recipients to be assisted for a certain period until they are able to stand on their own feet.In another development, Muhyiddin recommended that the government focus on attracting new high-tech and green-tech foreign investments in an effort to boost the country’s economy following Covid-19.“The international trade and industry ministry and other relevant ministries will have to intensify investment missions abroad as well as increase regional and global trade cooperation,” he said.


Anwar says Agong ready to meet next week

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim says he has been granted an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Oct 13, three weeks after he claimed he had the majority support of MPs to topple the present government.“During the audience, I will present complete details on the formidable and convincing majority of MPs as I have said earlier,” the Port Dickson MP said in a statement.On Sept 23, Anwar called for an urgent press conference at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, declaring that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government had fallen and claiming to have a “formidable” majority of MPs behind him.However, he declined to give specific numbers or names, saying he would only do so when he meets the Agong.


WHO approves China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday approved the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use – the first Chinese jab to receive WHO’s green light.The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world.WHO has already given emergency use listing to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced at sites in India and in South Korea, which it counts separately.“This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing’s Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.“The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, or SAGE, has also reviewed the available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose schedule.”An emergency use listing by the WHO paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own.It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world and particularly in poorer countries.Covax call“The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate Covid-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk,” said Mariangela Simao, the WHO’s assistant director general for access to health products.“We urge the manufacturer to participate in the Covax facility and contribute to the goal of more equitable vaccine distribution.”Currently only AstraZeneca and some Pfizer jabs are flowing through the scheme.Bruce Aylward, the WHO lead on Covax, said Sinopharm was “looking at trying to provide substantial support, make substantial doses available.“It has been very interested in looking at playing a role to help with the global response, which is encouraging.”WHO recommended that the two Sinopharm shots be taken three to four weeks apart.The vaccine’s efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalised cases of Covid-19 was estimated to be 79 percent when all age groups are combined, it said.The agency said few adults over 60 were enrolled in clinical trials of the vaccine, so its efficacy could not be estimated in that age group.Nevertheless, “there is no theoretical reason to believe that the vaccine has a different safety profile in older and younger populations,” it said.The Sinopharm vaccine is already in use in 42 territories around the world, fourth behind AstraZeneca (166), Pfizer-BioNTech (94) and Moderna (46), according to an AFP tally.Besides China, it is being used in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and the Seychelles, among others.Second Chinese vaccine nextA clutch of other vaccines are on the road towards WHO emergency use listing.A WHO decision is expected within days on Sinovac, a second Chinese-made vaccine already being used in 22 territories.But WHO experts said Friday they have now asked Sinovac for additional information and are waiting for answers before they can make a recommendation.Behind Sinovac, Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is the next furthest ahead in the process.But Simao said WHO was still analysing data, receiving additional information on the dossier and conducting site inspections that will end in the first week of June.Approving Sputnik V could happen after that, she said, “but it depends on the inspections being made and the dossiers being completed”.


Minister denies interference in appointment of top officers in civil service

The appointment and work rotation of civil servants is being implemented in accordance with public service-related rules and regulations, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali said yesterday.
He said the processes were also in line with the Public Officers (Appointment, Promotion and Termination of Service) Regulations 2012 and the Ministerial Functions Act 1969.
Refuting allegation of political interference in the appointment of top officers in the civil service, Armizan said the appointment of such officers was a normal practice with similar appointments made during the administration of previous governments.
"For replacement and work rotation of civil servants on Grade JUSA C and above, 128 appointments were made during the administration of the seventh prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), 104 under the eighth prime minister (Muhyiddin Yassin), 92 under ninth prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob), and under the current prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, there were 62 as of Feb 28.
"So the perception that the unity government interferes in the appointment of top officers in the public service is untrue," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2023 at the policy stage at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.
Armizan also said that the government had always studied and reviewed the salaries of civil servants and made improvements to the Malaysian Remuneration System which was implemented in 2002.
He said the prime minister had also pledged to review the salaries and wages of civil servants once the country’s financial situation improves.
"Any salary increment or changes in the existing salary structure should be studied comprehensively to maintain harmony in the public service," he said.
Armizan said the decision to give salary increments to civil servants should also take into consideration the overall amount of public service emoluments and the country’s current financial situation.


The problem of 1.9 million unoccupied homes

A whopping 1.9 million out of 9.6 million residential units purchased in Malaysia are unoccupied, according to numbers released by the statistics department in June, raising questions about the housing situation in the country amid the scramble to find affordable homes.
Department director-general Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the data was collected in the 2020 population and housing census, and showed a steep increase from the 700,000 units registered as unoccupied just 10 years before in 2010.
In Pahang, 18% of homes purchased are not fully occupied while in Melaka, the numbers are even higher at 30%.
Speaking at a press conference, Uzir had attributed the situation in part to homeowners using such houses as temporary accommodation or homestays. In other cases, he said, the owners might possess a house in a particular area but work elsewhere.
A similar trend has been ongoing in the US, where one out of every 10 homes is unoccupied – equivalent to about 16 million units.
This is one of the highest figures in the world, followed by Japan (eight million), Brazil (7.9 million) and France (three million), according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Property expert Cha-Ly Koh said cities in Malaysia appeared to have been built without data or a comprehensive understanding of conditions.
"A key metric that we track is the over and undersupply of housing in Malaysian cities," Koh, the CEO of a property data company in Petaling Jaya, said.
"The areas with oversupply naturally translate to vacancies."
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Koh said that unoccupied homes were the result of two main issues, namely the use of houses as a commodity and policies that are not based on real data, coupled with the situation in the real estate market.
Rosli Said of Universiti Malaya's architecture faculty said those who invest in real estate might do so in the belief that such assets will not depreciate in value.
But he said this would also depend on the type of house as well as its location.
"The data issued by the statistics department includes the units that are located in areas with low levels of economic activity," he said.
"This leads to a lack of demand for these units. This is one of the factors leading to vacancies in houses offered for rent."
About 59% of rental demand comes from the private sector with the rest attributed to civil servants.
According to Rosli, tenants from the private sector gravitate towards areas with economic activity while government employees do not depend on location.
If this trend continues, he said, only houses for rent in areas with economic activity will remain in demand while the number of unoccupied units in other locations will increase.
At 76.9%, Malaysia's home ownership rate is one of the highest in the region.
Nevertheless, owning a home is also considered difficult and unaffordable.
"If housing is treated as a commodity, whether it shelters a family or not becomes a secondary concern," Koh said.
"That's why you hear stories of discriminatory landlords who would rather leave their units vacant than rent them out to families who need them."
Describing this as an artificial shortage, she said the government was taking the easiest route by simply building more houses.
She said this was why government policy usually asked developers to cross-subsidise the construction of affordable housing, or increase the density of housing projects.
However, units bought for housing are allowed to remain unoccupied for the accumulation of wealth, she added.
"The government KPI may have been met but the shelter pressure has not been relieved," Koh said.
"This cycle repeats itself to the point that it has risen to the 1.9 million vacant homes reported by the statistics department."
Rosli meanwhile said the country might witness a housing crisis as tenants are increasingly unable to afford homes while investors cannot make repayments to financial institutions if the units that they buy, especially wholesale, fail to obtain the expected rent.
At the moment, he said, there was no appropriate act to deal with the problem of speculation despite the constant changes to the real estate profit tax.
"Appropriate measures should be enforced by limiting the purchase of affordable units, for example to five units," he said.
He said local authorities could also help resolve the issue by limiting the rental period of "rent to own" homes to five years.
The "rent to own" scheme was introduced several years ago to allow prospective buyers to test out a particular piece of property by renting it before deciding whether to buy it once the scheme ends.
Under this scheme, no advance payments are required.
Rosli suggested that advance payments be included in the monthly rent in the form of an annuity for the first five years.
"This way, the buyers will not be burdened because they will continue to own the house at the same rental payments as the first five years," he said.
Koh meanwhile said that increasing the property supply would not resolve much.
Even though there are already 1.9 million unoccupied units, she said, it is difficult for first-time buyers to purchase these units from the original owners as they would need six to seven times the amount of cash compared to buying a unit in a new project.
"Instead of supplying more housing to the market, the government could simply effect some changes to the rules and unlock these 1.9 million units to those looking to purchase a home," she said.
"Young people should not be encouraged to buy new housing projects," she added. "Older or existing housing projects are better located, anyway."


Malaysia to host 2027 SEA Games

Malaysia has been selected to host the 34th SEA Games in 2027 by the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF).Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Mohamad Norza Zakaria said the unanimous decision was made at the SEAGF Council meeting in Hanoi today.“We would like to thank the SEAGF Council for the trust and belief in OCM to host the SEA Games.“The OCM will make an appointment to officially inform Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu upon return to Malaysia,” he said in a statement.This will be the seventh time Malaysia has hosted the SEA Games. It previously hosted the biennial Games in 1965, 1971, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2017.OCM last year expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Games following Brunei’s withdrawal.The 31st SEA Games, delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is ongoing in Hanoi. The opening ceremony will be held tonight, with the Games scheduled to end on May 25.Cambodia will host the Games for the first time from May 5-16 next year, while Thailand will be hosting the Games in 2025.


Sarawak deputy CM to face 3-way fight for Bukit Sari

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will face a three-cornered fight for the Bukit Sari seat in the Sarawak state election this month.Awang Tengah of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be challenged by Riyah Basrah of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Alias Mail of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).The final list of candidates was announced by Bukit Sari returning officer Ladin Atok at about 10.30am at the nomination centre at the Lawas District Council building today.“Only three candidates submitted their forms when nominations closed. I am satisfied and no forms were rejected,” he said when confirming the nominations for the state seat.Awang Tengah was the earliest to arrive at the nomination centre at 7.50am, accompanied by a proposer and a seconder as well as his wife Dayang Morliah Awang Daud and Lawas MP Henry Sum Agong, who is also the deputy transport minister.Alias arrived with his proposer and seconder at 8.40am. A few minutes later came Riyah, his proposer and seconder arriver.It was previously reported that the Bukit Sari seat would see at least a five-cornered contest.However, at the end of the nomination process at 10am today, only the three candidates had turned up to submit their nomination forms.In the 2016 election, Awang Tengah, who is also the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu deputy president, won uncontested while in 2011, he won with a 5,063-majority, defeating Japar Suyut of PKR.The Bukit Sari state constituency has a total of 13,054 registered voters, including 119 early voters.The Election Commission set today for nomination, Dec 14 for early voting and Dec 18 for polling.


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Britain faces 'humanitarian crisis' as energy costs soar, says health lobby

Britain faces a "humanitarian crisis" this winter when the difficult choices forced upon low-income households by soaring energy bills could cause serious physical and mental illness, a healthcare lobby group said on Friday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted calls to provide more support to households struggling with higher bills, insisting his government will leave major fiscal decisions to the next prime minister who takes office in early September.
"The country is facing a humanitarian crisis," said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector.
"Many people could face the awful choice between skipping meals to heat their homes and having to live in cold, damp and very unpleasant conditions," Taylor said in a statement.
The situation could cause outbreaks of respiratory conditions, mental illness, worsen children's life chances and add to pressure on the already stretched state-run National Health Service (NHS), he added.
A spokesperson at Britain's health department said the government was already helping households through a 37-billion-pound (US$44 billion) cost-of-living support package announced in May and was also working to increase NHS capacity
Britain's average annual household energy bills — covering both gas and electricity — look set to double again to more than 4,000 pounds (US$4,766) by January, exacerbating inflation which already topped 10% in July.
Facing growing pressure, Johnson's government said last week it was working on a cost-of-living support package for the next prime minister to consider, while the opposition Labour Party wants to recall parliament to freeze energy bills.
The NHS Confederation said it was concerned that "fuel poverty", in the absence of further government support, would cause more deaths associated with cold homes, which are currently estimated at around 10,000 a year.


When kindergarten becomes a race to the top

While tight competition for entrance into university, secondary school and even some primary schools is nothing new, debate has arisen over what appears to be the same trend at kindergarten – the first step for many towards the start of formal education.
Just one level up, admission tests have become a norm for students whose parents wish to enrol them at private or non-government schools.
But for children about to head off to kindergarten and preschool, at least one question at stake is the effect of similarly competitive aspects on their growth.
Azlin Norhaini Mansor, former chairman of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Leadership and Education Policy Center, said expectations these days have increased, even for children.
"Times are changing, and the needs and expectations of knowledge and skills are also increasing as children prepare for school as well as their future careers," she said.
"It would be unfair to children if we did not equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to face their world, which will definitely be different from the world of today."
Preschool education in Malaysia is for the most part dependent on private institutions as the number of government kindergartens is insufficient to meet demand.
Azlin said the tests and evaluations carried out at this level are to identify where each child is at, and to help the organisations in question prepare the appropriate programmes.
Child psychologist Suriati Sidek however disagreed with the administration of entrance examinations for children below the age of six.
"Studies show that at this age, children explore, understand and get to know the world through play," Suriati, of the International Islamic University Malaysia, told MalaysiaNow.
"Playing is a natural and routine activity that cannot be separated from childhood," she added.
"When parents are notified of exams or evaluations, they indirectly force their children to learn in order to obtain good results or gain entrance into the school."
Children can also feel pressured and worried about getting scolded if they do not achieve the desired results, she added.
She said children also tend to have a negative perception of learning in the first place, which should be made into a fun process.
Educationist Anuar Ahmad agreed, saying that preschool should not be turned into an institution which places a burden on children.
Anuar, of UKM, said preschool and kindergarten should instead provide children with a space to play and carry out other activities.
"They can also socialise with their friends," he said.
"If preschool becomes too centred on academics and tests, it will not be good for children's development."
Azlin meanwhile said that teaching methods should be improved in order to make learning fun.
"The workforce must also be strengthened, and infrastructure and materials improved as well."


Age limit for taxi, e-hailing vehicles increased to 15 years

The Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) today announced that the age limit for the use of taxi and e-hailing vehicles in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan has been increased to 15 years.
In a statement, Apad said the extension was in line with the transport ministry’s intention to sustain the taxi and e-hailing industry towards improving the country's transport system.
It said the extension applies to both taxi and e-hailing vehicles in the peninsula and e-hailing vehicles in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan with the conditions, among others, that the vehicles reach the maximum age limit starting Jan 1, 2023.
The vehicles must also comply with and pass all mandatory periodical inspections by Puspakom and fulfil other operating conditions.


A bio-filter designed for astronaut urine may be the answer to clean water on Earth

Last month marked 20 years of continuous human presence on the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).During that time, scientific research to improve life aboard the ISS has also brought many benefits to people back on Earth.Now, a company that designed a water-purification system for the ISS is developing spin-off technologies with the potential to provide clean drinking water in places that need it most, reports CNN Business.On the ISS, every drop of moisture, from humidity to urine, must be filtered and reused. The current system that does so is heavy and must be replaced every 90 days. Even then it fails to filter out some contaminants, according to Nasa.Danish company Aquaporin A/S has developed a new filter system that uses proteins called aquaporins. “It’s the same mechanism that allows water to cross the cell membrane of living cells but blocks contaminants,” says CEO Peter Jensen.In nature, these aquaporin proteins allow plant roots to absorb water from soil without taking in dirt. They also enable the human kidneys to filter about 45 gallons of fluid per day, preventing contaminants from passing through.Having tested Aquaporin’s biological system in space, Nasa is considering replacing its current system with it, but the technology is also finding uses all around the world.Over two billion people worldwide have no access to clean drinking water, and in developed countries many people don’t trust the safety of domestic tap water. Only around half of all households in Europe and the US drink water directly from the tap.Jensen is planning to enter the domestic water purification market – a sector worth billions.Last month, Aquaporin A/S launched an under-the-sink household filtration system that works without electricity.The company is currently targeting the European market and plans to expand to the US and then India and China in the next two years.“It has enormous potential,” says Dines Thornberg of Biofos, Denmark’s largest state-owned wastewater utility. “The Aquaporin system could lead the way in actually creating clean, affordable drinking water from wastewater in the future.”As production increases, Aquaporin’s long-term goal is to offer an affordable and pure product for water-stressed regions.“I really believe that we can make a difference,” says Jensen.Even better for the environment, Aquaporin is working with wastewater companies like Biofos, to remove micropollutants and microplastics from wastewater, preventing them from flowing into the sea.A study conducted at Biofos showed that aquaporins remove over 95% of microplastics and micropollutants in wastewater, and use much less energy than traditional systems.


New cases below 6,000 for second day

Another 5,745 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,401,866.Another 8,933 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,287,888.Meanwhile 682 are in the ICU, including 609 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 331 are in need of respiratory assistance including 280 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,745 cases reported today, 115 (2.0%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,630 (98.0%) are in Category One and Two.


Six states at risk of flash floods within 24 hours

There is a possibility of flash floods occurring in Johor, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu, Penang and Negeri Sembilan within 24 hours in the event of significant heavy rain or thunderstorms, according to the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (PRABN) of the Department of Drainage and Irrigation.
According to the PRABN notice issued at 4pm, the areas likely to be affected in Johor are Batu Pahat around Peserai, Simpang Kanan, Sri Medan and Sungai Punggor, Kluang (Kahang, Machap, Ulu Benut and Renggam) and Kota Tinggi (Johor Lama, Sedili Besar, Ulu Sungai and Johor).
Other districts and surrounding areas likely to be affected are Mersing (Padang, Endau and Triang); Muar (Ayer Baloi, Ayer Hitam, Bandar, Bandar Maharani, Jalan Bakri and Sri Menanti); Pontian (Api-Api, Ayer Baloi, Ayer Masin, Pontian, Rimba Terjun and Sungai Pinggan); and Tangkak (Kesang, Kundang and Tangkak).
In Perak, the districts and surrounding areas expected to be hit are Bagan Datuk (Pekan Simpang Empat); Hilir Perak (Changkat Jong and Durian Sebatang); Kerian (Bagan Serai, Beriah, Gunong Semanggol, Kuala Kurau and Parit Buntar); Larut, Matang & Selama (Asam Kumbang, Bukit Gantang, Sungai Limau, Pengkalan Aloy and Jebong); Muallim (Hulu Bernam Timor); and Perak Tengah (Bota, Pasir Panjang Hulu and Pasir Salak).
In Pahang, the districts likely to be affected are Kuantan (Bandar Kuantan, Kuala Kuantan and Sungai Karang) and Rompin (Endau, Pontian and Rompin); while in Terengganu, the districts issued notices are Kuala Terengganu (Batu Buruk, Cenering and Kuala Terengganu) and Marang (Alur Limbat, Bukit Payung, Jerung, Mercang and Pulau Kerengga). The areas expected to be hit in Penang are Seberang Perai Selatan (Mukim 11, Mukim 7 and Nibong Tebal) while in Negeri Sembilan, notices have been issued for the district of Port Dickson (Pekan Lukut, Pekan Jemima, Pasir Panjang and Jimah).
Members of the public are advised to obey the instructions from the authorities or flood disaster management agencies and to visit https://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my or check the @PublicInfoBanjir Facebook page or the @JPS_InfoBanjir Twitter account for more information.


Part of first plane to fly on Earth in place to fly again on Mars

A piece of the Wright brothers’ first airplane is now on Mars.Nasa’s experimental Martian helicopter holds a small swatch of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, the space agency revealed on Tuesday.The helicopter, named Ingenuity, hitched a ride to the red planet with the Perseverance rover, arriving last month, reports the Associated Press.Ingenuity will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet at the start of April in a “Wright brothers’ moment” noted Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Wilbur and Orville Wright were American inventors and aviation pioneers. In 1903 they achieved the world’s first powered, controlled airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.The stamp-size muslin swatch from their plane made the 300-million-mile journey to Mars with the blessing of their great-grandniece and great-grandnephew.“Wilbur and Orville Wright would be pleased to know that a little piece of their 1903 Wright Flyer is going to soar into history again on Mars,” Amanda Wright Lane and Stephen Wright said in a statement.A fragment of Wright Flyer wood and fabric flew to the moon with Apollo 11′s Neil Armstrong in 1969.Nasa’s 2kg helicopter will attempt to rise three meters into the extremely thin Martian air on its first ascent. Up to five increasingly higher and longer flights are planned over the course of a month.For now, Ingenuity remains attached to the rover’s belly. A protective shield dropped away over the weekend, exposing the spindly, long-legged chopper.The helicopter airfield is right next to the rover’s landing site in Jezero Crater.The rover will observe the test flights from a distant perch, before driving away to pursue its own mission: hunting for signs of ancient Martian life.


No official PAS-Umno discussions on GE15, says Muhyiddin

There have been no official discussions between PAS and Umno on facing the 15th general election (GE15), says Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said this was based on the explanation given by PAS at the PN Supreme Council meeting chaired by him yesterday.
"It was actually an unofficial discussion and did not involve the parties’ top leaderships. There was no progress made from this discussion after Umno made a stand not to cooperate with PAS in GE15," he said in a statement yesterday.
Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, said PAS had reiterated its stand to strengthen cooperation with the parties in PN.
He said the meeting also took a stand on efforts to assist the people, particularly the low-income group, in facing the effects of inflation in the challenging economic situation. "The meeting also noted that the B40 group has progressed to B60 and the provision of aid to those with the lowest level of income should be focused on by the government.
"To lessen the burden of this group, PN has ordered its party machinery at all levels to undertake the Prihatin Rakyat programme across the nation for the channelling of aid to those in need," he added.
The PN Supreme Council meeting also approved the appointment of constituent chiefs for Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Pahang.