Zahid admitted to phone call with Anwar, says report

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi admitted to his party leaders last night that it was his voice in a recording of a phone conversation that exposed his cooperation with PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, Utusan Malaysia reports.The paper quoted a source connected to a member of the Umno Supreme Council as saying that Zahid made the admission during a meeting of Umno MPs at the defence ministry’s Wisma Perwira in Kuala Lumpur last night.“He said Anwar called him. Ahmad Zahid also admitted that he had signed a statutory declaration in support of Anwar as prime minister,” the source said.Zahid alongside former leader Najib Razak had gathered with more than 20 Umno MPs yesterday to decide on a proposal for the party to quit the Perikatan Nasional government.MalaysiaNow reported that MPs and Cabinet members from the party shot down the idea promoted by Zahid and Najib, who have been at the forefront of efforts to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.When it was first reported by MalaysiaNow in April, Zahid had denied that it was him in the recording, saying that he would lodge a police report on the matter.Anwar meanwhile described the audio recording as part of “sophisticated attempts” to defame him, and said he would let the police investigate.No police reports were filed by the duo, despite then-police chief Abdul Hamid Bador telling them to come forward and lodge a report if they truly believed they had been slandered.The four-minute phone call is believed to have taken place hours after Zahid’s closing speech at the Umno general assembly, where he sought a mandate for the decision to cut ties with PN and Bersatu.Both leaders were heard exchanging pleasantries over the way the Umno delegates had accepted Zahid’s proposal, with Anwar congratulating him and Zahid describing the PKR leader as “my teacher”.Zahid was Anwar’s key ally during their time in Umno when it was headed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the 1990s. Anwar at that time was seen as the successor to the top post before Mahathir sacked him from both party and government in 1998.Zahid was arrested under the Internal Security Act following Anwar’s dramatic removal, but later pledged his loyalty to Mahathir and climbed up the political ladder while Anwar served time in prison.In October last year, MalaysiaNow revealed an explosive letter to the palace from Zahid and Najib, expressing support for Anwar’s bid to become prime minister.


Homestay owner issued RM20,000 compound for breach of SOPs

The owner of a homestay in Kampung Lembah in Kepala Batas was issued a RM20,000 compound yesterday for violating SOPs under the movement control order.Seberang Perai Utara Police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the 40-year-old man was issued the compound for failing to control guests’ entry into the premises.A total of 10 guests, aged between 20 and 40, were each issued a RM4,000 compound for not scanning the MySejahtera QR code and not practising physical distancing, he said in a statement today.Noorzainy said police had also detained two elderly men, aged 61 and 66, at the Jalan Sungai Nyior roadblock for attempting interstate travel without a valid permit.


Bottleneck for DAP amid anger over unkept election vows?

DAP appears to have reached the limit in terms of support as well as the number of seats that it can contribute in the 15th general election (GE15), due to be held within weeks, amid talk of failing support from its Chinese vote base over unfulfilled promises from the previous polls.
At GE14 in 2018, DAP won 42 of the 47 seats it contested, riding on the wave of anti-government sentiment that swept across the country following the massive 1MDB scandal in which billions were siphoned off from the state investment fund.
It retained these seats even after the Sheraton Move in 2020 which saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
But political analyst Liew Wui Chern said the seats held by DAP were in constituencies with relatively high numbers of Chinese voters.
"DAP won these seats," Liew, of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, said to MalaysiaNow.
"But it can't contribute any further. It has reached a bottleneck in terms of Chinese-majority seats and votes."
If it wished to move beyond its traditional base, Liew said, DAP would have to turn its attention to other mixed or Malay-majority constituencies.
And even among its established vote bank, DAP's support might be slipping.
A former senior politician from DAP who spoke to MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity said the party was now on weaker footing.
"DAP is losing support from the Chinese over the TAR UC funding issue," he said, referring to the move by the PH government to cut the 2020 allocation for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College by over 80%, from RM5.5 million to RM1 million.
The former politician also cited PH's failure to make good on its 2018 election pledge to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) for entry to public institutions of higher learning, which he said had delivered a "huge blow" to DAP.
"For the Chinese, education is close to their hearts," he said. "When they were in power, they couldn't deliver."
Shadow of a dynasty
GE15 must be held within the next two months, following Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's move to dissolve Parliament on Oct 10.
Apart from the challenges it will face during the election period, DAP will also have to emerge from the shadow of the so-called Lim Dynasty, a reference to Lim Kit Siang and his son Lim Guan Eng who, for decades, symbolised the top leadership in the party.
Kit Siang retired from active politics in March, about the same time that Guan Eng stepped down as secretary-general after serving the maximum three terms. He was replaced by Seremban MP Anthony Loke Siew Fook, becoming DAP's national chairman instead.
Loke said at the time that it was the beginning of the "3G" or third generation.
"The first generation was of Lim Kit Siang, the second generation Lim Guan Eng, who is still at the central executive committee to lead us and has given room to 3G leaders like me, Gobind Singh Deo, Steven Sim and others to jointly lead the party through the challenges that lie ahead," he said.
Given the limited period of time expected before GE15 is called, though, the former DAP politician said it would be an "uphill task" for the party to make this transition.
"Assuming it can emerge from the Lim Dynasty, it will still have problems dispelling the anger of the Chinese community over the TAR UC funding issue," he said.
He also questioned DAP's achievements after its return to the opposition bench, saying it had only continued "hammering" on 1MDB.
He also cited the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Ismail and PH in September last year, calling it "a major killer".
"The MoU was a major killer for both DAP and PH," he said. "You sign the MoU to support the government, and you condemn it at the same time. You condemn the 2022 budget, and after that you vote for it.
"It doesn't make sense."
Liew meanwhile said that PH and DAP must work to get rid of what he described as "old-man politics", especially in order to capture the support of first-time voters.
"Give the exposure to Loke from here on out," he said.
"Woo the support of new voters, and prove that DAP is different now."


Emergency ordinances, proclamations preventing by-elections for 3 seats revoked

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has revoked six ordinances and proclamations of emergency promulgated in 2020 to prevent the holding of by-elections in Batu Sapi, Gerik and Bugaya amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revocation was stated in the new proclamations and ordinances promulgated at Istana Negara yesterday, namely the Proclamation of Emergency (Revocation) 2022 for Parliamentary Constituency of P.185 Batu Sapi, Sabah; Emergency (Essential Powers) (Revocation) Ordinance 2022; Proclamation of Emergency (No. 2) (Revocation) 2022 for Parliamentary Constituency of P.054 Gerik, Perak; Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) (Revocation) Ordinance 2022; Proclamation of Emergency (No. 3) (Revocation) 2022 for the State Constituency of N.66 Bugaya, Sabah; and the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 3) (Revocation) Ordinance 2022.
According to the Federal Government Gazette dated Oct 6 published by the Attorney-General's Chambers, Sultan Abdullah was satisfied that the need for all emergency ordinances and proclamations declared following the epidemic of an infectious disease, namely Covid-19, had ended.
The revocation of all ordinances and proclamations of emergency was pursuant to Clause (2B) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution and Clauses (1) and (3) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.
The Federal Government Gazette also stated that the matter would be laid before Parliament pursuant to Clause (3) Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong promulgated the proclamation of emergency for the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency in Sabah effective Nov 18, 2020, and for the Gerik parliamentary constituency in Perak and the Bugaya state constituency in Sabah, effective Dec 12, 2020, to curb the spread of Covid-19.


Sorry.


US pastor sent on leave over Melania Trump ‘trophy wife’ sermon

A Baptist preacher in the US state of Missouri is taking a long period off to reflect on the backlash he received after making comments about women and their looks in a viral video of a sermon he preached to his flock.Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark has been sent on leave after he exhorted women to be more like former first lady Melania Trump and not let themselves go.He also made racist and homophobic comments, according to the New York Daily News.Clark was savaged on social media for the sermon, in which he gave advice to wives on how to stop their husbands becoming “distracted” by other women.He told churchgoers that it is “really important” for men to have a beautiful woman on their arm, asking the crowd: “Why is it so many times that women, after they get married, let themselves go?”Generously, he accepted that most women, try as they might, will never be able to fully match up to Melania.“I’m not saying every woman can be the epic trophy wife of all time like Melania Trump,” he said as he stood in front of a giant image of her projected onto a large screen.The goal, the pastor preached, is simply for women to please their husbands, especially in how they look.He criticised women for wearing casual clothes, before turning his thoughts, unfortunately voiced aloud, to “weight control”, referring to one woman as “a sumo wrestler”.“Don’t ever forget this, God made men to look at women and you want them to look at you – not some hottie out there or someone on a computer screen,” he is seen telling his parishioners, who receive his advice in unusual silence, without even an amen when he asked for one.The pastor’s helpful marital advice then turns to make-up, hairstyles, fashion tips and sexual intimacy.“Men have a need for their women to look like women. Sweatpants don’t cut it all the time,” said Clark, sporting an untucked button-down shirt. “Wearing flip-flops and pajamas to the mall – that ain’t going to work.”A disgruntled woman posted the video online and thousands of people then weighed in, accusing Clark of sexism and misogyny.The 55-year-old pastor’s church authorities told KCTV that the preacher is now on leave and in professional counselling.Far from espousing Clark’s sentiments, the church backed women.“Baptists believe that every woman was created in the image of God, and they should be valued for that reason,” the church said.


Indonesia at 'pinnacle of global leadership', president says

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday hailed his country's growing stature on the global stage and reiterated calls for the Southeast Asian nation to be a "bridge of peace" between Russia and Ukraine.
"In 2022, we hold the presidency of the G20, an international forum made up of the world's largest economies. Next year, we will assume the chairmanship of Asean," he said in an annual state of the nation speech a day before Indonesia celebrates 77 years of independence.
"It indicates that we [are at the] pinnacle of global leadership," he added.
As head of the G20 this year Jokowi, as the president is known, has taken an increasingly active role in foreign affairs.
In late June he travelled to Kyiv and Moscow to meet with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, as part of diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war and ease the global food crisis. He was the first Asian leader to do so.
Indonesia, he said, "has been accepted as a diplomatic bridge" between the two nations.
In the televised national address Jokowi also noted the country's economic fundamentals remain strong amid a volatile global economy, with inflation at 4.9% and economic growth reaching 5.4% in the second quarter of 2022.
As the pandemic eases, relatively low case numbers this year have allowed Jokowi to refocus on his priorities, including economic growth and infrastructure development in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
The parliament passed legislation earlier this year on relocating the country's capital to Indonesian Borneo, a cornerstone of the president's agenda.
Jokowi, who donned a traditional outfit from Bangka Belitung islands off Sumatra, the colour of which his private secretary said represented a "green future", was elected in 2014 and will finish his second and final term in 2024.


Dutch govt collapses over bitter migration row

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's coalition government collapsed Friday over "insurmountable" differences on how to tackle migration, with elections expected in November.
Rutte, 56, the Netherlands' longest-serving leader and one of Europe's most experienced politicians, said days of crisis talks between the four parties failed to produce a deal.
They fell out over Rutte's plans to tighten curbs on reuniting families of asylum seekers, a bid to curb numbers following a scandal last year over overcrowded migration centres.
"It is no secret that the coalition partners have very different views on migration policy," Rutte, the leader of the centre-right VVD party, told a press conference after talks broke down.
"This evening, we have unfortunately reached the conclusion that the differences are insurmountable. For this reason, I will shortly present my written resignation to the king in the name of the whole government."
The government later confirmed he had presented his resignation and would visit King Willem-Alexander on Saturday.
The coalition was Rutte's fourth since he took office in 2010. But it had only taken office in January 2022 after a record 271 days of negotiations and was deeply divided on many issues.
Rutte – dubbed "Teflon Mark" after the non-stick pan coating for his ability to avoid political catastrophe – added that he had the "energy" to stand for a fifth term but that he had to "reflect" first.
'Very disappointing'
The earliest that elections can be held is in mid-November, the Dutch election commission said.
Rutte said he would lead a caretaker government until then that would focus on tasks including support for Ukraine.
The sudden collapse sparked bitter recriminations between the four parties in the year-and-a-half-old coalition, which had been dubbed "Rutte IV".
ChristenUnie – a Christian Democratic party that draws its main support from the staunchly Protestant "Bible Belt" in the central Netherlands – and centre-left D66 had opposed Rutte's plan.
He reportedly demanded that the number of relatives of war refugees allowed into the Netherlands be capped at 200 per month.
Rutte had promised to tackle migration after last summer's migration centres scandal, during which a baby died and hundreds of people were forced to sleep in the open
"The family, that children grow up with their parents, is a core value for us," said deputy prime minister Carola Schouten of ChristenUnie, adding it was "a very difficult moment".
Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag of D66 said there was "unnecessary tension in the process" and that the collapse was "regrettable".
Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra of the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal said the fall of the government was "very disappointing, unnecessary and inexplicable to the people of the country".
'Worried'
The Netherlands now faces one of its most stormy and divisive election campaigns in years.
The upstart BBB party, led by farmers who oppose the government's European Union-backed environmental rules, will be seeking to repeat the success of senate elections that it won earlier this year.
Its leader Caroline van der Plas has refused to serve in a coalition with Rutte, and she didn't rule out standing for the prime minister's job if it wins the most seats in the general election.
Local media said Rutte had taken a tough stance on migration to deflect a challenge from the right wing of the VVD, whose voters the farmer party has begun to woo.
And Rutte has long been under pressure on the issue of migration due to the strength of far-right parties in the Netherlands, including that of anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders.
After the collapse of the government, a crowd of onlookers gathered outside the government buildings where the talks had taken place in the historic centre of The Hague.
"I'm quite concerned. I'm worried what the next cabinet is going to look like," 19-year-old IT worker Marijn Philippo told AFP.
"I hope that the next cabinet will do better than this one, especially in terms of asylum," added Pieter Balkenende, 32.


Pollution charge for plastic bags to be implemented in all states

All state governments have agreed to implement a pollution charge for plastic bags used with a minimum value of 20 sen for each one through the “No Plastic Bag” campaign which has already been implemented in Penang, Selangor and Johor.Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man in a statement said his ministry had obtained the mandate from the 76th National Council meeting for local government to impose the pollution charge.He said an agreement to continue the campaign had been reached at the Meeting of Environment Ministers and Members of the State Executive Council Responsible for the Environment, which he chaired yesterday.“Several other states are planning to start implementing this campaign along with the collection of the charge, starting with the initial phase of consumer awareness.“This initiative that has been implemented since 2021 is an effective effort in reducing plastic pollution in Malaysia. I hope this initiative will continue to be supported by all parties for the sake of environmental sustainability which is our shared responsibility,” he said.He also said the Department of Environment had continued to strengthen the Rakan Alam Sekitar (RAS) programme by creating five main clusters under RAS 2.0 to mobilise environmental conservation activities throughout the country in a more focused manner.He said the establishment of the Agency RAS Cluster, Campus RAS Cluster, School RAS Cluster, Industrial RAS Cluster and Community RAS Cluster was aimed at forming and categorising RAS members, and would involve members of the Civil Defence Force, People’s Volunteer Corps, Scouts and Rukun Tetangga.Tuan Ibrahim said the meeting also agreed on strengthening cooperation between the federal and state government to ensure that development activities are balanced with the need to preserve the environment.


On brink of bankruptcy, Najib says he’s a ‘victim of injustice’

Najib Razak today described the Inland Revenue Board’s (LHDN) bankruptcy notice served on him yesterday as adding insult to the injury he had suffered, adding that he is a victim of injustice.The former prime minister said this in a lengthy piece on his Facebook account, in a break from his usual sarcastic posts mocking his political enemies and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.“How did it happen? This tax case was imposed on me by the PH (Pakatan Harapan) government and has no solid reason or merit whatsoever. It was then continued by the PN government,” he said.The bankruptcy notice from LHDN was served to Najib over his failure to settle some RM1.7 billion in tax arrears for 2011 to 2017.Najib questioned the demand from LHDN, saying it was related to political funds he had received.“Even when I was the prime minister, I had always paid income tax without fail, but this unjust tax of RM1.74 billion (including a penalty of RM46 million since last year) is an additional assessment and an unreasonable penalty.“Previously, LHDN had issued a statement stating that political donations were not taxable,” he wrote.Najib also said that the money he received in a “special account” had been spent on “CSR and politics”, including contributions to mosques as well as flood aid over the years.“Just imagine, I have been fined RM1.7 billion for using money from Saudi Arabia to help flood victims and mosques across the country for four years!”He said tax accountants and lawyers agreed that the government had no merit in imposing such a penalty.He added that if he were to be declared bankrupt, he would lose not only his income but also his ability to pay the legal fees for his defence.“I can no longer pay my lawyer’s fees for my defence in court.”He then said he would do his best in his bid to quash his corruption conviction involving millions of dollars of funds in his private bank account.“As I prepared to go to court yesterday, it pained me to feel the weight of the injustice of this case.“The dark clouds around me moved along with grief, and made me realise that what I am going through today is not something rare or new in the country’s legal history,” said Najib.Adding that he would not allow those in power to “bully and intimidate” him, Najib also attacked those in Umno whom he said had acted treacherously.“Could it be that in the greed of some parties preparing for the impending party elections, some have allowed themselves to be compromised by the enemy and indirectly revealed their true selves to me?” he asked.LHDN had accused Najib of not declaring taxable income of close to RM4 billion for the years 2011 to 2017, including the RM2.6 billion which investigators said came from 1MDB.Najib however insisted that the money was a donation from the Saudi Arabian king, and that funds used for CSR can be deducted from taxable income.


PAS working to patch up Bersatu-Umno ties

PAS is making efforts to reconcile Bersatu and Umno, to unite the ummah in preparation for the 15th general election, says PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
"Insha Allah (the effort) will be fruitful. The people want to see the same thing (the unity of ummah)... and PAS plays the role of uniting the two sides.
"We need political stability which can only be achieved when there is an element of political consensus," he said.
Tuan Ibrahim, who is also environment and water minister, said this at a press conference after chairing the special implementation committee meeting for the implementation of the Sungai Klang-Rassau dual function reservoir project and the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant Phase 2 in Putrajaya yesterday.
He said PAS was working to restore ties between Bersatu and Umno after the latter stated its decision at the 2020 general assembly to reject any cooperation with Bersatu.
Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin was reported as saying on Sept 27 that the formation of a unity agenda among the Muslims of Bersatu, PAS and Umno could not be realised as Umno had rejected cooperation with Bersatu. Tuan Ibrahim said the parties still had time to hold discussions and achieve a political consensus.
"Both parties should sit down (to discuss) as some Bersatu members were from Umno (earlier). We want to see a better political future in the context of political consensus," he said.
Asked about the stand of PAS in choosing its partners in political cooperation, Tuan Ibrahim said the party should not be given an ultimatum as PAS felt the need to unite the ummah among the political parties representing the Malays.
PAS earlier said it would finalise the direction of its political cooperation soon.


Muhyiddin’s aide tells of ‘breakfast argument’ a day before resignation

A key aide of Muhyiddin Yassin has given a glimpse of a breakfast conversation he had with the prime minister a day before his resignation brought down his 18-month government in the midst of the pandemic.Marzuki Mohamad, the prime minister’s political secretary, said he was initially shocked when told by Muhyiddin that he was prepared to back Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob for the top post.“How could this man nominate as PM candidate a person from the party which had just booted him out from that coveted position?” Marzuki wrote, saying they had a “little argument” about the matter.“But he looked set to do what he believed was right.”He said Muhyiddin was worried that if he did not support a prime ministerial candidate, the political turmoil would continue.“The only thing he asked me was whether it was constitutional. I told him, ‘Yes, sir. It is constitutional’.“Then he said to me, ‘Call Ismail to see me at 11am’.”Marzuki said he admired the magnanimity shown by Muhyiddin, adding that he planned to detail the full conversation in a future memoir.Ismail was among the Umno leaders and Cabinet members who had refused to join their party bosses Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in campaigning for Muhyiddin’s ouster by revoking their support for him.Najib and Zahid are part of the so-called court cluster group made up of Umno leaders who were part of the Barisan Nasional government before its downfall in 2018.Yesterday, Muhyiddin, who is the Perikatan Nasional chairman, confirmed that Ismail had the support of 50 MPs under his coalition as long as the Umno vice-president was committed to a clean government and upholding judicial independence.Muhyiddin had repeatedly said he was forced to step down due to a group of “kleptocrats” who plotted against him to escape trial.MalaysiaNow previously reported in detail how Zahid had approached Muhyiddin in a bid to get his charges dropped.


Community cinemas, an alternative for movie-shy Kelantan

Throughout the country, film buffs are familiar with the anticipation of waiting for the latest blockbuster release, the smell of butter melting on hot popcorn at the snack counter, and the shorter but no less agonising wait to pass through the ticket booth and enter the movie hall where the dim light of their mobile phone guides them at long last to their seats.
In Kelantan, though, there are no queues. There are no snack counters, and there are no ticket booths.
In fact, there are no cinemas at all.
This has been the case for three decades, ever since the state government implemented a series of strict policies to curb what it viewed as excessive entertainment elements.
Once upon a time, Kelantan had four popular commercial cinemas – Lido, Odean, Rex and Meena – in addition to the Rama cinema in Pasir Putih.
Lido, the last movie theatre operating in the state, was demolished in 1997.
The PAS government at that point expressed concern that cinemas could lead to immoral activities in the state.
Trips to the movies began to decline, and eventually other cinema companies had to completely close shop.
Now, three decades later, efforts are underway to allow residents in Kelantan to enjoy films another way: through the development of community cinemas.
Community cinemas are screening centres set up by non-profit organisations and volunteers including arts activists.
Kamil Othman, the former director-general of the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas), was among those who had spoken with the state government about the matter in 2015.
Even at the early stages of the discussion, he had realised the government's negative reaction to the development of cinemas in the state over fears that it would lead to immorality.
This was a view that appeared unchanged despite explanations about the benefits of cinemas and how they could provide space for knowledge, entertainment and education.
"For example, films could be screened even in village fields," he said.
"But right from the start, they appeared against this idea as they were afraid that immoral activities could take place in fields.
"If that's the way you think, then that's that," he added. "Even pens could be banned in case they are used to write obscene stories or novels."
Kamil's contract at Finas ended in November 2016.
By then, the establishment of community cinemas in Kelantan was in the final phase, and the white paper for its implementation had already been prepared.
But after his departure, Kamil said, many of the policies he had developed languished as no one was appointed to succeed him for four months.
Technological advances
Today, he said, the fears of the state government could be allayed through the assurances of technology.
Films and videos at community cinemas no longer depend on projectors and screens, but can be shown using LED televisions. This means that the lights stay on, and viewers can enjoy the show as if watching it in their own living room.
"What the state government should focus on right now is, what content do they want to screen?
"If they think that it's not appropriate, they can change it because they have the right to determine their own content," Kamil said.
Community cinemas are already an institution in other countries such as the UK and the Philippines.
In the UK, meanwhile, the British Federation of Film Societies uses community cinemas to screen documentaries and award-winning shows.
Screenings are also held in low-income neighbourhoods and welfare homes with the cost sponsored by corporate bodies.
Kamil said the establishment of community cinemas could lead to the discovery of new talents and help develop the skills of animation and film students in the state.
"Create content that would be beneficial for the viewers," he said.
"For example, the story of how the Japanese soldiers entered Malaya on bicycles through the land route in Kota Bharu. Make an animation to showcase these historical facts. And there are many more stories that can be told."
Film director Al Jafree Md Yusop, who has been actively supporting the effort, said the development of community cinemas would contribute to the development of thought in society.
"'Mat Kilau' is a form of cinema, too," he said, referring to the Malay movie which recently took the country by storm.
"Why is 'Mat Kilau' okay for screening but not other films?"
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Jafree said the community cinema movement was already established in other parts of the country such as Johor, Melaka and Ipoh in Perak.
He said it would be a simple matter to call those with experience in this area to set up the screening centre initially envisioned by Finas.
"When I made the telemovie 'Melur vs Rajawali', it was first screened in a community cinema called Panggung Pungguk," he said.
"It was a simple layout on the upper floor of a shop, with chairs, a projector, a screen and speakers.
"This, they did by themselves," he added. "Imagine what they could do if they had the support of Finas. Perhaps it could be made even more comfortable and conducive."


Covid booster efficacy wanes significantly by fourth month, US study shows

The efficacy of third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines wanes substantially by the fourth month after administration, a new study by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday.Though it’s now well documented that vaccine efficacy goes down after two doses, relatively little has been published on the duration of protection after a booster.The new study was based on more than 241,204 visits to the emergency department or an urgent care clinic, and 93,408 hospitalisations, which are more serious, among adults with Covid-19–like illness during Aug 26, 2021 to Jan 22, 2022.Vaccine efficacy was estimated by comparing the odds of a positive Covid test between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients and using statistical methods to control for calendar week, geographic area, while adjusting for age, the level of local transmission, and patient characteristics like comorbidities.During the Omicron-predominant period, vaccine efficacy against Covid-associated emergency department or urgent care visits was 87% during the two months after a third dose, but fell to 66% by the fourth month.Vaccine efficacy against hospitalisation was 91% in the first two months, but fell to 78% by the fourth month after a third dose.“The finding that protection conferred by mRNA vaccines waned in the months after receipt of a third vaccine dose reinforces the importance of further consideration of additional doses to sustain or improve protection,” the authors concluded.Speaking at a White House Covid briefing on Wednesday, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser Anthony Fauci said it was likely that fourth doses would more likely be needed for subsets of people who mount weaker immune responses, such as the elderly and immunocompromised.In a separate development Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised a new lab-grown antibody treatment by pharmaceutical company Lilly called bebtelovimab.The drug is administered as an intravenous injection over at least 30 seconds and has been green lighted for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid among people 12 and over at high risk of severe disease.Data supporting the authorisation came from a clinical trial that showed the drug has strong promise against Omicron. Lilly’s previous antibody treatment was de-authorised by the FDA after it was found to be ineffective against this variant.


Extra-territorial, extra-judicial killings: Enough is enough

The assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Nov 27 near the resort town of Absard which is some 35 miles east of Tehran as reported by Iran’s Fars News Agency raises the issue of extra-judicial killings on an extra-territorial basis with far-reaching ramifications. All eyes are on Israel (in the form of Mossad, no less) as the mastermind and main culprit behind this dastardly act which not only violates national sovereignty but breaches international law (written/codified and unwritten/norms).There have been conflicting accounts of how the assassination was carried out. One report by UPI has it that Fakhrizadeh was killed when a suicide attacker confronted him and his bodyguard. But Iranian state television as quoted by Sky News (UK) reported that a truck with explosives blew up near a car that was carrying that top nuclear scientist. The final official narrative by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is that Fakhrizadeh was killed by a satellite-based remote-controlled weapon – meaning that there was no physical presence of the assassins.Israel/Mossad is the usual suspect and has so far neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. Be that as it may, whether directly or through intermediaries of which the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK/MKO) would be the lead internal actor, Israel can’t and shouldn’t escape responsibility or culpability since the country has a history and track record of carrying out unilateral and rogue (i.e. by international legal and moral standards) acts without the sanction and approval of the international community and not least the US as the principal sponsor.For example, a string of killings dating back to 2010 that have seen the deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists based on an established pattern whereby explosives would be attached to the car by a motorcyclist were all traced back to Israeli planning and involvement. The hall of Iranian nuclear science luminaries that were killed in this manner included Massoud Ali Mohammadi (2010), Majid Shahriari (2011) and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan (2012).It’s indisputable that the one and only country that will openly benefit from the deaths of Iranian nuclear scientists and hence the disruption and hopefully halt to the latter’s nuclear programme is Israel.And Israel has had a history and track record of other extra-judicial acts on an extra-territorial basis, namely kidnappings of ex-Nazi officials involved in the Holocaust, most notably of Adolf Eichmann from Argentina in 1960. Without in any way diminishing or disrespecting the reality of the Holocaust which saw the genocide of some six million Jews, it’s still questionable if the kidnapping of Eichmann would have been sanctioned under international law.After all, there’s the law of extradition treaty and even in its absence, there’s always the forum of the international court (be it the International Court of Justice/ICJ or the International Criminal Court/ICC; and even the European Court of Justice/ECJ and the European Court of Human Rights/ECHR for good measure).Moving on, with such a history of extra-judicial/legal acts that’s also extra-territorial, it’s high time that the international community stand up to the state of Israel and demand a complete and final cessation of its rogue behaviour abroad. The US under the Biden administration should provide the fullest cooperation by handing over evidence (obtained directly or indirectly) of Israel’s complicity in the extra-judicial acts focusing on assassinations over a period of three decades or more, if relevant, to a UN task force or committee set up to investigate such contraventions of international norms and conventions. The end result is to secure a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning Israel and putting pressure on the country to permanently desist altogether.A Biden administration would be well poised to demonstrate a firm and sustained commitment to multilateralism as opposed to the immature unilateralism under Trump that in principle gives a carte blanche (blank cheque) to Israel to do whatever it pleases while also providing strong moral and ideological backing even if it’s as ever implicit.Imagine the consequences if other countries were to engage in extra-judicial killings on an extra-territorial basis too. Where would it stop? Better still, what if the situation was reversed, namely that Iran’s external security apparatus was the one engaging in covert operations to assassinate Israeli officials for planning to destroy the nuclear sites of the former? Is there a moral equivalence here?But surely the point is that extra-judicial killings are simply not justifiable at all, legally or morally. After all, there’s never been an acceptable or reasonable argument to the effect that there’s a difference between extra-judicial killing done domestically on the one hand and externally on the other. Not even the government of the state of Israel has ever stepped forward to proffer such argument.At the same time, the international community should work with like-minded Israelis to pursue, build and develop a case – both on the basis of judicial review as well as law of tort – against extra-judicial killings on an extra-territorial basis before the Supreme Court of Israel, which has never been embarked upon before. The purpose is to obtain a constitutional and legal ruling against the government, principally the prime minister, minister of defence, minister of foreign affairs and Mossad.If the state of Israel really feels threatened by the nuclear ambitions of Iran, why not reach out to the country even if ever so covertly? And keep working with the US and the International Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that Iran doesn’t transform its nuclear programme which it has declared is purely for civilian use into destructive purpose.In 2018 and 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to have presented evidence of the existence of nuclear facilities in Iran for the purpose of conducting experimentation on developing nuclear bomb. It’s noteworthy, however, that the IAEA responded by reaffirming its 2015 assessment that there was no evidence of Iran carrying out any activity related to the development of nuclear weapons after 2009. If not satisfied, then the best “pre-emptive strike” option for Israel is to present the evidence to the ICJ and argue its case from there.In conclusion, it’s highly regrettable that such extra-judicial killing has happened yet again and for now it’d seem not be the last. The Islamic Republic of Iran must be pro-active in compiling all proofs and prosecute its case before the court of the international community – across the full spectrum of legal, diplomatic and political forums.Jason Loh Seong Wei is head of social, law and human rights at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


EU starts debate on economic security with eye on China

The European Union executive on Tuesday launched its bid to convince the bloc's 27 member states to agree to stronger controls on exports and outflows of technologies that could be put to military use by rivals like China.
The European Commission sees exporting and sharing critical new innovations like artificial intelligence and quantum computing as a potential security risk, as it could allow know-how to leak to "countries of concern" looking to use them for military applications.
It is set to present its European Economic Security Strategy, laying out its proposals to tackle the risks, on Tuesday. It wants to see stronger export controls and screening of outbound investments for a list of key technologies, according to a draft seen by Reuters on Monday.
The presentation of the strategy marks the start of the commission's efforts to convince EU nations to back its proposals ahead of a debate on relations with China at an EU leaders summit in Brussels on July 29-30.
But nations will be reluctant to relinquish their powers to grant export licences and weigh security interests.
A diplomat of one EU country said it would be a challenge to agree on what the risks were in the first place, let alone whether fresh measures were needed.
"Only then can we have a clear view of possible gaps that might require new instruments," the diplomat said.
Germany, which hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday, is mulling a new, tougher China strategy, even though China is Germany's largest trading partner and a key market for German companies to export goods and procure materials.
The EU paper does not name China, but stresses partnering with like-minded countries and uses the phrase "de-risking", its policy of reducing economic reliance on China.
The EU strategy document comes just after the US, which has pressured the EU to adopt its firmer stance towards Beijing, sought to stabilise the intense rivalry during a rare visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.


Once a soldier, now sleeping rough on the streets of Kuala Lumpur

For Ruslan (not his real name), each day begins with the noise and clatter of workers arriving and shutters being rolled up at the shops along Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin in Kuala Lumpur.This is his cue to get out of bed – or at least it would be, if he had a bed to get out of.For the past few years, Ruslan has lived on the streets, curling up to sleep at night on the hard floor of the five-foot way outside the busy row of shops.Life wasn’t always like this for him. Not too long ago, Ruslan was a member of the army’s military reserve force, stationed in Taiping, Perak.That was in 2002. Two years later, he was transferred to the army camp in Section 16, Shah Alam, where he remained until 2014.It was then that he was diagnosed with third stage pneumonia. His services were immediately terminated, and for the first time in years, he found himself at a loss over what to do.Carrying a small bag filled with his few belongings, Ruslan makes his way through the streets of Kuala Lumpur on foot.He eventually found work as an assistant at a restaurant in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. But he worried about whether his disability pension would be stopped if the government discovered that he was earning a monthly salary at another job.At the time, he rented a small room in Setapak – just enough to provide him with a roof over his head.All too soon, though, even that became impossible to sustain. His disability pension of RM450 a month was not enough to keep him afloat amid the high cost of living and soaring prices in the capital city.“I couldn’t afford to pay the rent of RM400,” he said. “What would I have to eat?”Yet, the thought that he might eventually wind up homeless never crossed his mind.Ruslan had dreamed of being a soldier since he was a child. At the army reserve camp, he rose through the ranks until, in 2010, he was given the title of lance corporal.Even after he fell sick, he hoped he would be able to continue serving in an administrative or clerical position.Homeless people settle down for the night in a five-foot way in Kuala Lumpur.These days, he receives treatment at the Tanglin health clinic in Jalan Cenderasari, Kuala Lumpur. In order to get there, he takes the public bus.While the treatment is free, he must scrape together the money needed for the bus fare, as well as his food and drink for the day.He tried applying for zakat aid but his application was rejected. Any help he gets today is through the compassion of the public and activists from NGOs, who give him basic items such as soap, shampoo, mosquito coil and mineral water.But such aid isn’t distributed every day, and Ruslan tries to ration out his meagre hoard to make sure he will have enough to get by in case of a rainy day.His most difficult patch was during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw most of the country shut down on and off throughout the past two years.None of his friends or acquaintances know that he is homeless – not even his family members back in his home town.A small piece of mosquito coil burns in an empty mineral water bottle, the one defence of the homeless against the mosquitoes that come at night.The twelfth of 15 siblings, Ruslan has lost touch with his mother and cannot bring himself to tell the rest of his family that he is now living on the streets, fearing that they will disown him out of shame.“If I am given a chance, I want to turn my life around,” he said. “I want to live a normal life like other people, with a job and a monthly salary and a place to live.“I am sad about my situation, but I have accepted it.”Ruslan has tried looking for odd jobs around the city – anything that will allow him to save enough each month to get off the streets. But he is still dogged by the fear of losing his pension.“If the government knows that I have work, I will lose my disability pension,” he said. “Then how would I live?”His pneumonia prevents him from doing heavy labour, so he earns what he can as and when he finds work. But the money is never very much.Caught between a rock and a hard place, Ruslan has no idea what to do next.“If I lose my pension, I will end up in greater difficulty,” he said. “But if I depend on my pension alone, it is not enough for me to live a normal life.”Holding a bag filled with his few belongings, Ruslan wanders through the city each day, watching the people and traffic go by.He likes it when it rains because it helps him feel better about missing his mother back in his village.When asked how he had lost touch with her, Ruslan was evasive. He would only say that his greatest wish is to be able to earn enough for a bus ticket back to Taiping.He dreams about eating a meal with his mother and gathering with his siblings for Hari Raya.“I might return to Kuala Lumpur after that,” he added. “Live here like this until I get an opportunity to live like normal people once more.”


Official: BN to form Melaka govt

The Election Commission (EC) has declared Barisan Nasional (BN) the victor in the Melaka state election with 15 out of 28 seats won as of 9.42pm.EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said in a statement that the coalition had succeeded in obtaining a majority of over 50%.The coalition is expected to win a two-thirds majority in the state legislative assembly, three years after losing Melaka to Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the last general election.The Melaka state election was triggered by the decision of four assemblymen to withdraw their support for Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.Sulaiman was also BN’s candidate for chief minister this time around.PH nominated Amanah’s Adly Zahari while Perikatan Nasional chose Bersatu’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who would have been the country’s first woman head of state if the coalition had succeeded in winning the election.The results are in line with predictions by political analysts following the low voter turnout, due in large part to concerns over Covid-19, as well as political lethargy among the people.


JPJ offers 70% discount on traffic summonses

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is offering a 70% discount on traffic summonses for two months including for cases that are still blacklisted beginning April 13.Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the discount, which is being offered in conjunction with JPJ’s 75th anniversary, involves 3.5 million active summonses identified from 2010 to March this year.The discounted payments can be made at any JPJ office or online through the department’s official portal“I encourage the public to pay their summonses online to avoid congestion at JPJ offices,” Wee told reporters after the department’s 75th Platinum Jubilee celebration in Putrajaya today.Wee said JPJ had also introduced JPJeQ, an online waiting queue system, to avoid the 3C’s (crowded, confined and close spaces) at all JPJ premises and counters.“The mobile application will allow customers to choose the JPJ branches which are less crowded and use QR codes to get the waiting number. It is a friendly app for people with disabilities and senior citizens,” he added.JPJ also launched a special “FD” vehicle registration plate for Putrajaya which can be bid for through the online vehicle registration number bidding system or JPJeBid beginning today.Bidding will close at 10pm on April 16, with the results to be announced the next day.


Economist warns against using EPF dividends to pay interest on loans

An economist has cautioned against using the dividend returns offered by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to pay interest on personal loans from banks.
Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, head of economics and social finance at Bank Muamalat Malaysia, said dividend returns are not fixed and will change according to the investment climate, while loans or financing rates are nearly fixed and easily known to borrowers.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he gave the example of EPF's Account 2 Support Facility.
"We already know that the interest for this is between 4% and 5%," he said.
"That has been determined, so whether the dividend can overcome the interest rate charged by the bank is hard to say.
"We are not even sure what dividend interest rate will be announced by the EPF, but in the EPF Act it is mentioned that the minimum dividend is 2.5%. That's all."
The government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously proposed the use of EPF savings as collateral to apply for personal loans from commercial banks, amid calls for more withdrawals from the retirement fund.
Former finance minister Johari Abdul Ghani had opposed the suggestion, saying borrowers might be further affected by interest payments from the personal loans taken.
This gave rise to further debate on social media, with some saying that EPF dividend payments could be used to pay the interest on bank loans.
In 2022, EPF announced a dividend rate of 5.35% for conventional savings and 4.75% for shariah savings.
This was a drop from 2021, where the conventional rate was 6.10% and the shariah rate was 5.65%.
The dividend rate for shariah savings in 2022 was the lowest since the scheme was introduced in 2017.
"So it would not be wise to say that dividends can prevail over loan interest," Afzanizam added.
He also said that any move to allow further withdrawals from EPF savings could result in a lower dividend amount for contributors in general.
He said the situation could also spark concern among contributors with high EPF savings and encourage them to switch to investment platforms that they believe can offer better and more stable returns.
"There could be a risk of the EPF letting go of investments that should have been held for a long period to realise better returns," he said.
"But because there is a demand for withdrawals, they have to sell premature assets and cannot realise big returns.
"This could be considered as undermining returns, which would translate into lower dividend returns."
Four rounds of withdrawals have been allowed so far through the i-Lestari, i-Sinar, i-Citra and special withdrawal programmes, with a total of RM145 billion taken out by 8.1 million contributors.
Afzanizam said withdrawals by a handful of contributors could also affect dividend returns across the board.
"It's a collective investment, meaning that when the EPF receives contributions, these will be invested in bulk, not segregated according to category – whether B40, M40 or T20," he said.
"So when one group decides to withdraw a large amount of funds because they have permission to do so, this will disrupt the investment process which will also affect the potential for higher returns.


‘Just don’t bully us’: Melaka Portuguese indifferent to election outcome

Despite several changes in state government behind them and another looming this weekend, the members of the small Portuguese community in Melaka are mainly concerned about just one thing: their future in their quiet settlement in Ujong Pasir.The biggest threat to this for the 1,500-strong community is the fact that the land on which their village is built is still categorised as leasehold despite years of trying to convert it to freehold.The settlement was founded in 1930 by two priests with the help of British colonialists.Activist Martin Theseira said the priests bought the land under a Dutch grant for 999 years.A motorcylist rides down a street in this aerial shot of the Portuguese settlement in Ujong Pasir, which has been festooned with flags in conjunction with the upcoming Melaka state election.“But after the entry of the convent which was considered a foreign party, the original grant was cancelled and the land was labelled as belonging to the crown, meaning that it became government land,” he said.It was later given lease status for 99 years starting in the 1970s.According to Theseira, there are only 20 to 30 years left in the lease.An aerial shot of the Portuguese village in Melaka, the surrounding waters of which appear to have become more shallow following reclamation works for the Melaka Gateway commercial development project.While they have been given verbal assurances from the authorities, he said these do not guarantee that the setttlement will be allowed to remain there after the lease expires.Theirs is the only settlement left – others in Tengkera and Bandar Hilir were swallowed up by modern development.They had protested against the seawall project in Bandar Hilir but received no response from the state government.Now, they are haunted by the Melaka Gateway embankment project taking place on the doorstep of their village.The project was launched in 2014 by Najib Razak who was prime minister at the time.Wooden boats bob about in the water as a Pakatan Harapan flag flutters in the breeze at the Portuguese settlement in Melaka.Theseira said it would destroy the livelihoods of the ethnic fishermen along with the sea-front atmosphere in the village.He added that the villagers were never consulted before the project began, noting as well claims that it does not fulfil the criteria set in the environmental impact assessment.“This is our last village,” he said. “We used to have settlements in Tengkera and Bandar Hilir but we lost those to development.“We don’t care who forms the next government, just don’t bully us. We are only a small community,” he added.A fisherman who identified himself as Baboi said the Melaka Gateway project had caused a steep drop in their catch of geragau prawns, one of the main ingredients of belacan.Baboi, a fisherman at the Portuguese settlement in Melaka, says there has been a steep drop in the catch of geragau prawns due to the Melaka Gateway development project.He said the water currents have been disturbed by the mooring, making it more difficult to net the prawns.“We have been left with only 10% of our normal catch but if we tell the authorities, they don’t believe us,” he told MalaysiaNow.Baboi, who is 60 years old, said it was the same with the catch at Tanjung Kling.He voiced hope that the government would heed the complaints of the fishermen in the area.He said it is not cheap to go out to sea, and that the drop in catch had caused them great difficulty.Activist Martin Theseira (centre) chats with residents at a coffee shop in the Portuguese settlement.Theseira meanwhile said the fishermen have had to move their docks away from the community.“That was the first casualty of the project,” he said. “It separated the fishermen from the main community here.”“We are not asking for the moon and the stars. We just want whoever becomes the government to preserve our heritage and ensure our survival.”


Oct 4 hearing for Rosmah’s bid to stay corruption trial

Rosmah Mansor’s application to stay her ongoing corruption trial pending the disposal of her appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of her bid to nullify the trial proceedings will be heard on Monday.Lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader representing Rosmah and deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, when contacted, confirmed that the stay application will be heard in the Court of Appeal on Oct 4.Akberdin said the court also fixed Oct 13 for another case management for Rosmah’s appeals against the High Court’s decision dismissing her application to nullify her corruption trial over the Sarawak schools solar hybrid project and to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor.The case management for the stay and the appeals came up before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron today.On Sept 24, Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak lost her bid in the High Court to declare her corruption trial a nullity as well as to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.In dismissing both of Rosmah’s applications, High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the authorisation given by then attorney-general (AG) Tommy Thomas to Sri Ram to conduct the criminal prosecution in Rosmah’s case was without doubt validly done under Section 376(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) in his capacity as public prosecutor.He said Thomas clearly stated that he had, after appointing Sri Ram to lead the prosecution in 1MDB cases, subsequently authorised Sri Ram to conduct the prosecution for the criminal cases against Rosmah.Rosmah filed the two applications at the High Court on May 6 this year, seeking to nullify her entire trial in a bid to be acquitted of all three charges. She also sought to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.Rosmah is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and with receiving bribes of RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s former managing director Saidi Abang Samsuddin through her former special officer Rizal Mansor.These were said to be an inducement to help the company (Jepak Holdings) secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project and maintenance and operation of genset/diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations from the education ministry.She was accused of dishonestly soliciting for herself through Rizal at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra, Kuala Lumpur between March and April 2016.For the second charge, Rosmah was alleged to have dishonestly received for herself RM1.5 million from Saidi for the same purpose at her residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta on Sept 7, 2017.Rosmah is also facing the third charge of accepting gratification of RM5 million from Saidi through Rizal for helping Jepak Holdings secure the same project on Dec 20, 2016, at Seri Perdana residence in Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.On Feb 18 this year, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on all three corruption charges. She is scheduled to take the stand when the defence begins its case on Oct 5.


Sorry.


Dubai airport sees pre-pandemic monthly passenger volumes by end of 2023

The operator of Dubai International Airport said on Wednesday said the Middle East hub could see monthly passenger traffic return to pre-pandemic levels in the latter half of next year.
Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths told Reuters 62.4 million passengers were now expected to travel through the airport this year, about 7% more than its most recent forecast after traffic more than doubled in the first half.
"We should be back at the normal sort of monthly throughputs of about 7 million passengers-plus by the end of next year. That's what we're predicting," he said in an online interview.
The airport is expecting an average of 5.6 million a month in the second half of this year.
The state-owned operator has previously said Dubai International could return to pre-pandemic annual passenger traffic levels in 2024. It handled 86.4 million passengers in 2019.
Dubai airport screened 27.9 million passengers in the first half of the year, compared to 10.6 million a year ago, while second quarter traffic nearly tripled to 14.9 million.
"As soon as people have been able to travel again, they've voted with their feet... and the evidence is there," Griffiths said.
The recovery at the airport, hub for airline Emirates, continues to be led by passengers starting or ending their journey in Dubai, rather than catching connecting flights.
Griffiths said about 75% of pre-pandemic transit traffic had recovered and that point-to-point traffic was expected to remain strong.


Vaccinate those at risk worldwide before children, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to refrain from vaccinating children against coronavirus until the elderly and at-risk worldwide have received the vaccine.The WHO plea comes after Canada authorised the use of Pfizer vaccine on children, with other rich nations set to follow suit.“The priority really needs to be getting vaccine to all countries in the world for the highest priority groups before we start advancing to groups that have much lower risk of disease,” said Dr Kate O’Brien, director of WHO’s vaccines and immunisation department.Canada on Wednesday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in children aged 12 years and up, becoming the first nation to do so.Canada chief medical adviser Supriya Sharma told a news conference that Britain and the European Union are expected to soon follow suit, after reviewing the same testing results submitted by the manufacturer.The US is also set to authorise the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12-15 year olds as early as next week, according to media reports.While such authorisations will open the way for millions more people to receive the vaccine in rich nations, such moves add to WHO concern over the contrast to the vaccine rollout in Africa and elsewhere.“When we have supply that is adequately distributed in an equitable way, so that every country has secured the implementation of vaccine for those highest priority groups, we very much welcome the use of vaccine,” said O’ Brien.


In Terengganu, Peranakan Chinese hold to tradition in the face of modernisation

From afar, the simple wooden house built on stilts like the rest of the homes in the area looks like any other Malay house in Kampung Tiruk, Kuala Terengganu.Visitors who enter the gate are greeted in the porch area while to the right stands a wooden garage and behind the house, a cooking area outfitted with a charcoal stove.Only the red lanterns hanging from the beams in front of the house and the strips of paper bearing the Chinese characters for good luck and prosperity reveal that the household is not Malay but in fact Peranakan Chinese.The matriarch of the house is 72-year-old Yee Choo Im who lives there with her son, Chia Soon Thye. Her husband passed away in 2015.Yee and her daughter-in-law say a prayer for the new year at the large shrine in the living room.Much of the house is the original structure although additional rooms were built at the back over the years.In the place of honour at the front of the house is the altar where the family prays. Other rooms hold antique items, lending the air of a museum.Yee, fondly known as Mek, is the sixth generation of Peranakan Chinese in Terengganu.Her family has never failed to celebrate Chinese New Year, for which preparations begin far in advance.Much of the time is spent making a sticky cake known as nian gao or kuih bakul.Yee arranges her homemade kuih bakul or nian gao on a table.“Ten days before the New Year, I start by buying glutinous rice,” Yee told MalaysiaNow in her distinctive Terengganu dialect.“I grind the ingredients myself and then leave them overnight. The next day, I steam everything for 12 hours.”Accustomed to working without the conveniences of a modern kitchen, Yee does everything by hand over the charcoal stove at the back of the house.Her son Chia is one of seven siblings. Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said his family normally holds their ancestral prayers a day before New Year.On New Year’s Day itself, they pray once again in the morning before holding a big dinner at night.Yee and her family welcome their Malay friends to their home for a Chinese New Year visit.There used to be more Peranakan Chinese like them in the area but now, the village is home to only 10 or 15 households compared to 20 several decades ago.“When the older generation dies, their children sell their wooden houses and give up on life in the village,” he said.“They move to the city to find work there instead.”The first generation of Chinese to come to Terengganu from mainland China worked in fields or rubber plantations.Yee herself, when she was young, worked as a rubber tapper.Younger Peranakan Chinese who have left the village still recall the old days and traditions with fondness despite following different customs themselves.Evin Chua now lives in Ladang in Kuala Terengganu but those from her grandfather’s generation are still in Kampung Tiruk.“The younger generation prefer wearing cheongsams for Chinese New Year,” she said.“But those in the village still follow the old custom of wearing nyonya kebayas, especially the Peranakan Chinese.”Yee distributes ang pows or red packets to the children and unmarried guests.In Terengganu, where the majority of the population is Malay, much of the culture is entwined with that of the Chinese.This also means that the Chinese New Year celebrations of the Peranakan Chinese extend to their Malay friends and neighbours as well, as a sign of friendship.Roslinah Limi who lives in Kuala Terengganu is a familiar face at the open houses of her Peranakan Chinese friends in Kampung Tiruk.“In the city, it doesn’t feel as festive,” she said. “In the village, though, there is an atmosphere of celebration and of family ties.”And her Peranakan Chinese friends in turn visit her during Hari Raya Aidilfitri.This year, not all of Yee’s children are able to return home for New Year. But she is grateful to be able to celebrate with those who are in the state.Even as more migrate to the city and modern life, they remain together, celebrating the old traditions with joy and pride.


Biden administration says Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi killing lawsuit

The Biden administration has determined that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has legal immunity from a lawsuit filed against him over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the US Department of Justice said in a court filing on Thursday.
Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in an operation which US intelligence believed was ordered by Prince Mohammed, who has been the kingdom's de facto ruler for several years.
"Jamal died again today," Khashoggi's former fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, said on Twitter minutes after the news became public. She added later: "We thought maybe there would be a light to justice from #USA But again, money came first. This is a world that Jamal doesn’t know about and me...!"
A spokesperson for the Saudi consulate in Washington could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening after business hours.
“This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law," a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said in a written statement. "It has nothing to do with the merits of the case."
The spokesperson referred further questions to the State and Justice Departments.
In a document filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia, Justice Department attorneys wrote that "the doctrine of head of state immunity is well established in customary international law."
Justice Department lawyers said that the executive branch of US government, referring to the Biden Administration, had "determined that defendant bin Salman, as the sitting head of a foreign government, enjoys head of state immunity from the jurisdiction of US courts as a result of that office."
Biden was criticised for fist-bumping the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. The White House said Biden had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi's killing.
The prince has denied ordering Khashoggi's killing but acknowledged later that it took place "under my watch."
Khashoggi had criticised the crown prince's policies in Washington Post columns. He had traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.
"It's beyond ironic that President Biden has single-handedly assured MBS can escape accountability when it was President Biden who promised the American people he would do everything to hold him accountable. Not even the Trump administration did this," Sarah Lee Whitson, a spokeswoman for Democracy for the Arab World Now, said in a written statement.


Hong Kong parents decry child separations during virus surge

Hong Kong parents are being separated from children and babies who test positive for the coronavirus, compounding public anger over the financial hub’s lack of readiness for a major outbreak now sweeping the city.The densely populated metropolis is in the throes of its worst-ever Covid wave, registering thousands of cases every day as hospitals and isolation units run out of space.A strict China-style zero-Covid policy kept the virus mostly at bay the last two years at the expense of marooning the city internationally.But when the highly contagious Omicron variant eventually broke through earlier this year, authorities were caught flat-footed.Hong Kong has been ordered by China to stick to its zero-Covid policy and aim to isolate anyone who tests positive even though the number of daily cases has soared far beyond capacity.Some parents have complained of being unable to accompany children in hospital while others have flocked to social media to voice fears of separation if they seek treatment for themselves or sick young ones.The revelation has sparked dismay, including among health professionals.“If a child requires hospitalisation due to Covid, it should be made possible for one parent to stay in the same room unless the child’s condition is very serious,” Siddharth Sridhar, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, wrote on Twitter.“In times like these, staying rational and compassionate is more important than ever.”‘I’ll sleep on the floor’Laura, a 32-year-old British-born permanent resident, told AFP her daughter Ava tested positive after she was admitted to hospital on Sunday night with a fever and laboured breathing.Ava is now stable in the intensive care unit and will soon be moved to an isolation ward but she will have to recover without her parents for at least seven days.“I’ve said I’ll sleep in the corridor, on the floor, anywhere,” she said, fighting back tears.Laura and her husband Nick managed to share a quick video call with Ava on Tuesday.“It was devastating,” Laura recalled, asking to use just her first name.“She’s 11 months, she’s aware of her surroundings, separation anxiety is at an all-time high at this age, she was inconsolable, just crying ‘Mamma, Mamma’.”Online parent groups have filled with angst, fear and confusion this week.Kunj Gandhi, the administrator of a popular Facebook support group for people going through quarantine, wrote that many hospitals had stopped letting parents stay with children as wards filled beyond capacity.“Many (parents) tried to fight or rationalise it but in the end had to make the heartbreaking decision of leaving their child in hospital so the child could get the treatment he/she needs,” she wrote.On a 17,000-strong mostly Cantonese-speaking Facebook group for mothers looking for coronavirus treatment, many said they had sick children but feared going to hospital.“My son is two and a half years old and has been feverish since early Monday morning,” one member called Shan Hor wrote. “I don’t know what to do. I am so scared.”Others wrote that calls to the health department and government advice lines went unanswered.Lau Ka-hin, an official from Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, confirmed that children were being separated.“We tried our best to arrange the children and the parents who are confirmed Covid positive to be in the same hospital so that the parents can take care of the children,” he told reporters on Tuesday.“But there are many, many cases and many children are infected. It takes time for our staff to arrange the suitable place for them.”Schools disruptedHong Kong authorities are facing rising anger over the lack of preparations to deal with a surge of cases despite two years of hard-fought breathing room earned through zero-Covid.Usually uncritical newspapers such as Oriental Daily have published multiple editorials this week castigating city leaders, an outspokenness that is increasingly rare in Hong Kong as authorities crack down on dissent following 2019’s democracy protests.The strict, often changing social distancing measures have been punishing for businesses and especially grim for parents with schooling disrupted for the last two years.On Tuesday, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced the summer holidays would be immediately brought forward to make school buildings available for three rounds of compulsory citywide Covid tests in March.Figures this week showed departures from the city have reached their highest since the pandemic and political crackdown began.But even then leaving Hong Kong is not easy with very few international flights.Some health experts are worried Hong Kong’s harsh isolation rules may in fact fuel the spread of the virus.“My real fear now is parents delaying treatment due to fear of separation,” David Owens, a local doctor, wrote on Twitter this week.


Southeast Asia to set 'guardrails' on AI with new governance code, sources say

Southeast Asian countries are drawing up governance and ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) that will impose "guardrails" on the booming technology, five officials with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Regulators across the world are rushing to draft regulations to govern the use of generative AI, which can create text and images and is engendering excitement as well as fear about its potential to reshape a wide range of industries.
Ministers from the 10-member Asean agreed in February on the need to develop an Asean "AI guide" for the region of 668 million people, but details of the discussions among regional policymakers have not previously been reported.
Senior Southeast Asian officials said the so-called Asean Guide on AI Governance and Ethics was taking shape and would try to balance the economic benefits of the technology with its many risks.
"The drafting is ongoing and it could be completed towards the end of the year before it is endorsed by Asean members," one official told Reuters.
Another official said it could be announced at the Asean Digital Ministers' Meeting early next year.
A spokesman for Singapore’s Ministry for Communications and Information said that as 2024 chair of that meeting, the country would be collaborating with other Asean states "to develop an ‘Asean Guide on AI Governance and Ethics’ that will serve as a practical and implementable step to support the trusted deployment of responsible and innovative AI technologies in Asean."
The other Asean countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Those governments were not immediately reachable for comment.
The sources declined to comment further on what the AI guide would look like, given the early stage of the discussions and confidentiality of the Asean process.
The sources, who included officials in three Southeast Asian countries, declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Moves by Asean to set guidelines around AI come as the European Union and US are expected to release a draft of a voluntary AI code of conduct within weeks. The code would take effect ahead of the EU’s trailblazing AI Act, which is still being thrashed out.
Like their counterparts in Europe and the US, regional policymakers have expressed particular concern about AI's potential to industrialise misinformation.
Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority warned in a research paper in June about the risk of "hallucinations", when generative AI produces specious content with convincing certainty.
The island city-state has been at the forefront of AI strategy in the region and is leading the talks to draw up the AI guide, according to three sources.


Handling Najib's accounts 'stressful and challenging', ex-banker tells court

A former AmBank relationship manager told the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday that she felt stressed when handling former prime minister Najib Razak's accounts.
Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 52, said she was shocked when businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low informed her about Najib’s intent to open an account with AmBank.
"I was a bit shocked because I didn't think the prime minister of Malaysia would want to open an account with AmBank. I assumed he would go to the government banks or Maybank.
"So I said 'okay' and Jho Low said, 'That's not your level, it has to be Cheah Tek Kuang (then AmBank managing director) and above to meet up with Datuk Seri.'
"So when it started, I didn't have any feelings of what to expect. We just proceeded and Cheah was going to meet Datuk Seri.
"But as time went by, when the account was overdrawn and there was pressure to not honour the cheques and then we were told that we could not allow a bounced cheque situation because he was the prime minister, I was under pressure. So it was stressful and challenging," she said. Yu said this during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib at Najib’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.
Akram: If you let cheques bounce, what did you have in mind would happen?
Yu: I do not know. We were concerned about the negative media reports if the PM’s cheques were to bounce. It could be anything. These were cheques issued by the PM of Malaysia. Anything could happen. It was a reputation risk to the PM. I was very stressed at the time.
Akram: You said the media might pick it up and the PM’s name would be smeared if the cheques were allowed to bounce. Why do you think so?
Yu: This is Malaysia. I cannot say for sure, but I remember it was political, and this was the PM’s account. We did not allow cheques to bounce as we did not want repercussions for the bank and Malaysia.
The 41st prosecution witness also told the court that Najib did not question the source of the money he was using. Asked by Akram if it was possible for Najib to have used the funds in his personal accounts to make payments for cheques and to pay his credit card bills without knowing there was money in the bank, Yu said: "He would believe there was money in the bank for him to make those payments."
To another question, she said there were multiple cheques issued from Najib’s accounts but that the former prime minister never complained that these cheques were not actually issued by him.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to receive bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering.


Health ministry in talks with Pfizer to get another 30% vaccine supply

The health ministry is in talks with pharmaceutical company Pfizer to obtain another 30% supply of Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, produced by Pfizer-BioNTech.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the additional amount would cover 50% of Malaysia’s population.The National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan Programme will be implemented earlier as the country is expected to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier, he said at press conference today.Adham was previously reported to have said that Malaysia would receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine a week earlier before the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan begins on Feb 26.On Jan 11, the agreement for the delivery of the first phase of the Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was signed between the government, through the health ministry, and Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.The agreement involves the procurement of 12,799,800 doses of vaccine that will be supplied from the end of February, to cover 20% of Malaysia’s population with two doses per person.Adham said the supply would enable early shots to be given to vaccinators who would be placed at 600 locations.He said seven personnel would be stationed at each location adding that the ministry was targeting 120,000 people to receive the vaccine per day.On measures taken by the ministry to ensure the smooth running of the programme, Adham said it had conducted an online survey in December last year and found that 67% of the 200,000 respondents agreed to take the vaccine.He said 17% of the respondents said they were unsure and 16% of them rejected the vaccine.“The ministry has carried out several efforts to convince those who are unsure to take the vaccine,” he added.


Russia war crimes allegations mount as Ukraine refugees top six million

Russia faced mounting accusations of war crimes in Ukraine Friday including forcing thousands of people into interrogation camps, as the number of refugees reported to have fled the conflict surpassed six million.The Russian invasion has also led to a seismic policy change by Finland, whose leaders said Thursday the previously neutral nation must apply to join Nato “without delay” – triggering a blunt warning of retaliation from the Kremlin.Throughout the 11-week conflict, Russian forces have been accused of committing atrocities – including the killing of unarmed civilians, torture and rape.CNN and the BBC on Thursday released what they said was security camera footage showing Russian soldiers with assault rifles shooting two Ukrainian civilians in the back.The two men appeared unarmed – the footage showed the soldiers frisking them before allowing them to walk away at a business premises on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.One man died on the spot, the other shortly after, according to the outlets.The killings took place on March 16 and are being investigated as a war crime, CNN said. AFP has not independently verified the footage.Separately, investigators and witnesses interviewed by AFP Thursday accused Russian forces of shelling a residential home in an eastern Ukrainian village from a tank, killing three civilians.The incident took place on March 27 in the village of Stepanki outside Kharkiv, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said on Telegram.Local resident Denys, 40, said he saw the barrel of the tank turn towards him.“Someone said: let’s go hide inside the house,” Denys said.“I entered last and as soon as I entered, the tank fired. Everything collapsed, I couldn’t see anything.”The UN Human Rights Council voted 33-2 on Thursday to investigate alleged atrocities by Russian troops in Ukraine.Ukrainian prosecutors say they have received reports of more than 10,000 alleged crimes.‘Brutal interrogations’The UN refugee agency said Thursday more than six million people had fled Ukraine, more than half of them going to neighbouring Poland.Women and children make up 90 percent of the refugees, UNHCR said.The United States on Thursday accused Russia of forcibly taking tens of thousands of Ukrainians to “filtration camps” in Russia or Russian-controlled territory where they are subjected to “brutal interrogations”.“These actions amount to war crimes,” said Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).“We must not allow this evil to stand.”The remarks backed Kyiv’s allegation that 1.2 million people have been taken to Russia or Russian-controlled areas.Fighting in Ukraine has been concentrated in the south and east since Russia abandoned attempts to seize the capital.Ukraine’s presidency said shelling continued throughout Lugansk – part of the Donbas region where its forces are fiercely opposing Russian troops and Kremlin-backed separatists.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Russian forces had destroyed 570 healthcare facilities.“What for? It’s nonsense. It’s barbarity,” he said.In the northeastern region of Chernigiv, three people were killed and 12 others wounded early Thursday in a strike on a school in Novgorod-Siversky, the emergency services said.In the southern port city of Mariupol, troops at the Azovstal steelworks have been holding out against Russian bombardment for weeks, refusing demands to surrender.Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said “difficult talks” were under way on the evacuation of 38 seriously wounded soldiers.Russia’s army said it struck Donetsk and Kharkiv on Thursday, killing more than 170 people and destroying Ukrainian drones and rockets.Finland’s Nato decisionWhen launching the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had cited in part what he called the threat from Nato, which has expanded eastwards since the end of the Cold War.Rather than containing the bloc, however, the war appears to have had the opposite effect.The leaders of Finland, a declared neutral state in East-West crises for decades, said Thursday their country should join the bloc.“As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance,” President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement.The Russian foreign ministry warned Moscow would be “forced to take reciprocal steps, military-technical and other, to address the resulting threats”.Finland shares a 1,300km (800-mile) border with Russia and its past is studded with conflict with its giant neighbour.NATO has already declared it will warmly embrace Finland and Sweden, two countries with deep pockets and well-equipped militaries.A special committee will announce Finland’s formal decision on Sunday. Sweden, another neutral state, is widely expected to follow.Russian gasThe flow of gas from Russia to Europe meanwhile fell, spurring fears for Germany and other economies heavily dependent on that source of energy.Russian energy giant Gazprom announced it would stop supplying gas via the Polish part of the Yamal-Europe pipeline following retaliatory sanctions that Moscow imposed Wednesday on Western companies.Gazprom also said gas transiting to Europe via Ukraine had dropped by a third.Ukraine and Poland are major supply routes for Russian gas to Europe and the two sides have kept flows going despite the conflict.Europe must end its reliance on Russian gas and cut off Moscow’s “energy oxygen”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday.Kuleba has been invited to the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Germany, which started Thursday with the Ukraine war set to be the main topic on the agenda.


After 2 days below, daily cases cross 6,000 mark again

Another 6,239 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 633,891.Selangor recorded 2,291 cases, Kuala Lumpur 704, Negeri Sembilan 507, Johor 468, Sarawak 419, Kelantan 340, Sabah and Pahang 232 each, Labuan 200, Penang 194, Perak 175, Terengganu 171, Melaka 150 and Kedah 135.Putrajaya recorded 17 cases and Perlis four.Active cases stand at 81,575 with 905 in the ICU and 453 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 7,386 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 548,705.However, 75 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 3,611.


New cases jump past 17,400 to highest level yet

Another 17,405 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,061,476.Selangor recorded 7,171 cases, Kuala Lumpur 2,880, Kedah 1,112, Sabah 913, Negeri Sembilan 863, Johor 767, Penang 760, Kelantan 532, Melaka 531, Terengganu 490, Sarawak 464, Pahang 429 and Perak 406.Putrajaya recorded 68 cases, Labuan 16 and Perlis three.Active cases stand at 175,113 with 1,016 in the ICU and 529 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 12,373 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 877,812.However, 143 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 8,551.


Cabinet gives green light for Tabung Haji RCI

The government today said that a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) would be set up to probe issues related to Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) following a series of audits held from 2014 to last year.Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the decision was made at a Cabinet meeting earlier today.He said the scope of the RCI would focus on the audit results for the years in question but would exclude the restructuring and rehabilitation plan currently underway.He said it would also determine whether there had been any cover-up or misleading statements related to the issues raised, and recommend the appropriate action to be taken against those involved if they are found to have violated any laws, without jeopardising any investigation or legal action being taken by the related authorities.“This is to improve the management of LTH,” he said in a statement.He added that a report would be presented to the government within three months, together with suggestions for follow-up action if necessary.“The establishment of this RCI is necessary so that further investigations can be made on the matters raised, and the appropriate recommendations submitted to the government to restore the image and confidence of the people in LTH,” he said.“It is also to ensure a transparent and in-depth investigation to make certain that LTH has carried out its mandate professionally in managing the deposit money of Muslims.”


Get boosted if you haven't, Khairy says as Covid numbers rise

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has urged those who have yet to receive a booster shot to do so immediately, as Covid-19 case numbers are on the rise.
He also suggested that non-boosted Malaysians who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are at high risk receive the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which has been available at the health ministry's facilities since April 15.
Paxloid is the first oral antiviral drug in Malaysia to treat Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms (Category Two and Three).
"Get boosted, if you haven’t. Get Paxlovid, if you’re high-risk and Covid-19 positive," he said on Twitter yesterday.
Khairy also urged Malaysians to wear a face mask when in enclosed or crowded areas, and to practise TRIIS (test, report, isolate, inform, seek).
It was reported that seven million Malaysians have yet to take their booster dose against Covid-19.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was also reported as saying that although the booster dose was not mandatory, it was still vital as positive cases of Covid-19 have returned in an upward trend. He said the dose would also help in facing new variants of the virus, especially the more infectious Omicron BA.5.
Khairy said the distribution of Paxlovid was also available at private health facilities free of charge, but that patients would still be subject to consultation service charges and other related charges determined by the facility.


Najib’s bid for documents relating to 1MDB case to be heard on May 31

Former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid to acquire 1MDB-related documents involving former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s family and US investment bank Goldman Sachs will be heard at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on May 31.Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah set the date after deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam informed the court that the prosecution needs more time to reply to the discovery applications filed by Najib’s defence team.“We received the cause papers on April 12 (on the second discovery application) and we need at least two weeks to reply to the applications,” Mustaffa said during mention of the case today.Mustaffa also informed the court that a similar application related to Zeti’s family had been scheduled for hearing on May 20. He said the prosecution proposed that both applications be heard together on a later date.Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah did not object to the prosecution’s request.On March 24, Najib made a discovery application to compel the prosecution to produce several banking statements and other documents for his defence team, believed to be related to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and Zeti’s family.On April 5, Najib’s legal team filed a second discovery application seeking a confidential agreement signed between the government of Malaysia and Goldman Sachs, where it was reported that Goldman Sachs had reached an agreement with Malaysia to pay US$2.5 billion (RM10.4 billion) in cash and guarantee the return of US$1.4 billion (RM5.8 billion) from 1MDB assets seized around the world in exchange for Malaysia to drop criminal charges against the US investment bank.In the affidavit affirmed by Najib relating to the second application, the Pekan MP claimed the disclosure of the Goldman Sachs settlement was crucial to his defence and his right to a fair trial.“In light of such an arrangement between Goldman Sachs and the government, I am concerned that the settlement may contain a clause that requires the bank and its employees to cooperate with the prosecution and such cooperation would include its employees being called as the witness in the 1MDB trial.“In such circumstances, I believe that such clause in the Goldman Sachs settlement agreement obliges and compels such witnesses to give evidence favourable to the prosecution and to suppress evidence favourable to my defence,” said Najib in his affidavit.He also sought the transcripts or forensic reports from the phones of Tim Leissner, who is a former Goldman partner in Asia, as well as the data stored on Goldman Sachs’ server involving Leissner’s communications.Najib, 68, is currently on trial for 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.


Keep MoU with PH until next GE, PAS tells govt

PAS today called for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) to remain in force until the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for the next general election (GE15).In a statement welcoming Umno’s decision to name Ismail Sabri Yaakob as its prime ministerial candidate for GE15, it voiced hope that his agenda for unity would be continued.“PAS hopes that the agenda for unity pioneered by Ismail will be continued as it has succeeded in creating stability as well as a good and harmonious political climate in the country,” it said in a statement by party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan.“PAS is also confident that the MoU on Transformation and Political Stability between the federal government and the opposition bloc which, in general, took effect on the date it was signed and applies until the dissolution of the 14th Parliament of Malaysia, will continue to help the country’s recovery process under Ismail’s leadership, in all aspects including health, economic, social and the well-being of the people.”The MoU was inked with top PH leaders Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu, Lim Guan Eng and Upko’s Wilfred Madius Tangau on Sept 13 last year in a move described by Ismail at the time as “consultative democracy”.He also said that his Umno-led government was ready to implement a series of reforms to strengthen the role of Parliament, similar to that made by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin at the tail end of his administration which was spurned by PH.The MoU covered MA63 on the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as well as the empowerment of the Covid-19 plan, administrative transformation, parliamentary reforms, freedom of the judiciary and the formation of a steering committee.The Umno Supreme Council yesterday decided against extending the agreement beyond its expiration on July 31 this year.