Ukraine says Russia using ‘all its power’ to capture eastern city

Ukraine said Saturday its forces were managing to push back against Moscow’s troops in fierce fighting in Severodonetsk despite Russia “throwing all its power” into capturing the strategic eastern city.At least 11 civilians were reported killed in the Lugansk region where Severodonetsk is located, the nearby Donetsk region, and in the southern city of Mykolaiv.Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in an interview posted online that the invading forces had captured most of Severodonetsk, but that Ukraine’s forces were pushing them back.“The Russian army, as we understand, is throwing all its power, all its reserves in this direction,” said Gaiday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “the situation in Severodonetsk, where street fighting continues, remains extremely difficult,” as well as in other cities in the Donbass region.There are “constant air strikes, artillery and rocket fire. As of this morning, the total number of various Russian missiles used against Ukraine is 2,503,” Zelensky added in his evening address.Severodonetsk is the largest city still in Ukrainian hands in the Lugansk region, where Russian forces have been gradually advancing in recent weeks after retreating or being repelled from other areas, including around the capital Kyiv.Russia’s army claimed some Ukrainian military units were withdrawing from the city.‘Put Russia in its place’Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions forced to flee and towns turned into rubble since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an all-out assault on his pro-Western neighbour on Feb 24.Western powers have imposed increasingly stringent sanctions on Russia and supplied arms to Ukraine, but divisions have emerged on how to react.French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday Putin had committed a “fundamental error” but that Russia should not be “humiliated” so that a diplomatic solution could be found.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reacted Saturday by saying such calls “only humiliate France” and any country taking a similar position.“It is Russia that humiliates itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place,” he said.Despite diplomatic efforts, the conflict has raged in the south and east of the country.Ukrainian officials on Saturday announced the death of four foreign military volunteers fighting Russian forces but did not specify when or under what circumstances they died.The International Legion of Defence of Ukraine, an official volunteer brigade, named the men and published photos of them, saying they were from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and France.The deaths of the two men named from the Netherlands and Australia had already been reported, and France’s foreign ministry said Friday a French volunteer fighter had been killed in combat.Ukraine also reported two victims from a Russian missile strike on Odessa in the southwest, without specifying if they were dead or injured.Russia’s defence ministry said it had struck a “deployment point for foreign mercenaries” in the village of Dachne in the Odessa region.It also claimed a missile strike in the northeastern Sumy region on an artillery training centre with “foreign instructors”.Fears over foodApart from the human toll, the conflict has caused widespread damage to Ukraine’s cultural heritage.On Saturday, Ukrainian officials reported a large Orthodox wooden church, a popular pilgrim site, was on fire and blamed Russia.Moscow continues to prove “its inability to be part of the civilised world,” Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said in a statement.Russia’s defence ministry blamed “Ukrainian nationalists” for the blaze and said its forces were not operating in the area.Russian troops now occupy a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Moscow has imposed a blockade on its Black Sea ports, sparking fears of a global food crisis. Ukraine and Russia are among the top wheat exporters in the world.The United Nations said it was leading intense negotiations with Russia to allow Ukraine’s grain harvest to leave the country.Putin said Friday there was “no problem” to export grain from Ukraine, via Kyiv- or Moscow-controlled ports or even through central Europe.The UN has warned African countries, which normally import over half of their wheat consumption from Ukraine and Russia, face an “unprecedented” crisis.Food prices in Africa have already exceeded those in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and the 2008 food riots.The head of the African Union, Senegalese President Macky Sall, said Saturday he intended to visit Ukraine after meeting with Putin the day before to discuss the wheat shortage.Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov repeated the government’s appeal for the swift delivery of heavy artillery in a telecast address to the Globsec-2022 forum on international security Saturday.If Kyiv gets the equipment they had asked for, he said, “I cannot forecast definitely what month we will kick them out, but I hope – and it’s absolutely a realistic plan – to do it this year.”


No Raya oomph at Rantau Panjang as Thai land border stays closed

While Kelantan was reported to have seen over two million vehicles entering the state for Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year, the atmosphere remained subdued at the Rantau Panjang-Golok border as the land route with Thailand stayed shut throughout the festive season. Previous years would see the immigration check point choked with vehicles forming queues of more than 10km as travellers waited to cross the border.Those looking to enter Thailand — mostly migrants from the country working in Malaysia — would have to wait hours for the authorities to complete their checks.For the most part, these travellers consisted of Thai nationals who came to Malaysia to open restaurants and eateries in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru and Shah Alam.For them, the long break over Hari Raya Aidilfitri would be the best time to return for a visit to their home towns. The majority of those exiting Malaysia through Rantau Panjang would be heading for Golok, Songkhla, Narathiwat and Bangkok.They would be joined by locals eager to hit Thailand’s famous shopping districts, where everything from clothes to fresh produce waited. Since the onset of Covid-19, though, things have been very different.While the business centres in Rantau Panjang were thick with customers making last-minute preparations for Hari Raya, locals said the atmosphere was nothing like it used to be. “There were many more people before 2020,” a cosmetics trader who introduced herself as Saurah told MalaysiaNow. “Back then, the cars would be at a standstill.”Saurah’s stall is next to the old bus station in the centre of Rantau Panjang town. She said not many cars had entered the area throughout the fasting month of Ramadan.“Normally, at times like this there would be so many cars that no one would be able to move,” she recalled. Norma Harun, who runs a small eatery, agreed. She told MalaysiaNow that the Hari Raya atmosphere this year was only so-so.“If the borders were open, I would be able to see a line of cars all the way to the intersection near my house,” she said. For now, only the land routes at Bukit Kayu Hitam-Sadao and Wang Kelian-Wang Prachan are open for international travel. This year, Norma said, some had returned to spend Hari Raya with their families in Rantau Panjang. “But the crowds were nothing special,” she added. “I have seen far more before.” Noradzli Che Senik, a Thai national who runs an eatery in Pasir Gudang, Johor, did not expect to be able to return to her home town in Golok for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. By staying in Malaysia, she hopes to recoup some of the losses she incurred throughout the movement control orders implemented since the onset of the pandemic.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said many of her friends were doing the same. “We are trying to see if we can go back for Aidiladha in July,” she added. Rantau Panjang, a district in the north of Kelantan, is a duty-free zone next to the Thai border. It is separated from the neighbouring country by Sungai Golok. Land travel aside, it is also possible to cross the border by air or by boat, the latter for as little as RM5 per passenger. Before the pandemic, these were popular forms of travel, and steady streams of travellers could be seen on a daily basis. Rantau Panjang itself is a main entry point for Thai migrants looking to return through Gerik-Jeli-Panglima Bayu.Unofficial routesTwo of Noradzli’s workers said they were ready to return to their home towns in Narathiwat. But both added that they would not pay the high costs required to travel to Perlis in order to enter Thailand. Instead, they said, they would take the river route in Rantau Panjang. They had already made arrangements with a couple of acquaintances who would lead them through unofficial routes or “rat lanes” to sneak into Thailand. MalaysiaNow understands that this way of entering Thailand would cost RM50 to RM100 per person. Such routes are popular among those looking for a short cut into Thailand. Sometimes, the Thai soldiers posted at the border notices them passing by.“But they just check our bags,” one of the workers, Moh, said. “If we’re not carrying anything suspicious, they will let us through. When I leave Thailand, I normally go through the same jetty and see the soldiers there again.” Moh said his mother would give him some ketupat and sweets to give the soldiers as a way of thanking them for letting him pass. “There are many good soldiers at the river,” he said. “They know how to judge whether we are just trying to get home for Raya or whether we are troublemakers.” Moh himself has always been allowed to pass through. “I only carry food home for my mother,” he said.


1MDB, SRC probe classified as NFA, never closed, ex-AG says in defamation suit against Kit Siang

Mohamed Apandi Ali told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the investigation into 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd was classified as “No Further Action” and was never closed during his tenure as attorney-general (AG).He said even when he left the post in 2018, the investigation remained ongoing.“Any investigator could reopen the probe if new evidence surfaced.“The investigation was never completed even until the day I left the AG’s Chambers,” he said when cross-examined by lawyer Ramkarpal Singh in the trial of his defamation suit against DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang before judge Azimah Omar.Apandi also said he had not cleared the former prime minister of 1MDB and SRC International-related charges, only on the RM2.6 billion donation.Ramkarpal: The press release (dated Jan 26, 2016) which you read at the press conference had cleared former prime minister Najib Razak of any wrongdoing in SRC International. Do you agree that it is because in your view the funds came from the donation instead of SRC International?Apandi: I did not mention the source of the funds in the press release, I only mentioned that there was no evidence that Najib had abused his position as prime minister.Ramkarpal: So you said there was no evidence that the money came from SRC International?Apandi: At that material time.Apandi also said that in his 47 years of experience in the legal arena he had never committed any wrongdoing or “assisted” anyone related to 1MDB or SRC International.Ramkarpal then questioned Apandi about a news report claiming that the then-AG had refused to act on the recommendation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) review panel to press charges against Najib.Ramkarpal: This report was quite damaging and one of the review panel members, Lim Chee Wee, alleged that you did not act upon the fact that RM42 million had entered the former prime minister’s bank account. You were given a chance to respond but you did not.Apandi: I was of the opinion that it was not worth responding to.On July 5, 2019, Apandi sued Lim, saying in his statement of claim that on May 6, 2019, Lim had written and caused to be published an article titled “Dangerous fallacy to think Malaysia’s on the road to integrity” in Malaysiakini.He claimed that the allegedly libellous words in the article implied that he was involved in crime and had abetted in the 1MDB financial scandal, that he was a person with no morals and integrity, and that he was unethical and had abused his power when he was the AG.Apandi who was AG from July 27, 2015 to June 4, 2018, contended that the words were untrue and written with the intention of tarnishing his image and credibility as a former Malaysian AG for cheap publicity.He is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as RM10 million in general damages, an injunction to prevent Lim and/or his agents from publishing the alleged defamatory words again and other relief deemed fit by the court.The hearing before judge Azimah continues tomorrow.


Non-Muslim wedding ceremonies allowed in areas under MCO, CMCO and RMCO

Marriage ceremonies for non-Muslims are now allowed at the National Registration Department (JPN), places of worship and premises of non-Muslim religious associations in areas under movement control order (MCO), conditional MCO and recovery MCO.In a statement, JPN said the decision was made at a meeting chaired by Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.“However, marriage ceremonies in areas under enhanced MCO are still not allowed,” it said, adding that it has updated the SOPs for non-Muslim marriage ceremonies.The updated SOPs include a limit of 10 people including the registrar for ceremonies at JPN.As for marriage ceremonies at places of worship and religious associations, the number of guests should not exceed 10 in MCO areas, 20 in areas under CMCO, and 30 in RMCO areas.“The SOPs are subject to the size of the premises,” the statement added.JPN also said no social events are allowed during marriage registrations while gatherings at non-Muslim places of worship and religious associations are subject to the instructions of the National Security Council (NSC).More details on the SOPs can be found on the NSC’s website (www.mkn.gov.my) or JPN’s website (www.jpn.gov.my).


Immunocompromised children advised to get third vaccine shot

Moderately to severely immunocompromised children aged five to 17 are recommended to receive a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine to complete the three-dose primary vaccination series, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says.In a statement on the recommendation by the technical working committee (TWG) for Covid-19 vaccines, Khairy said the procedure or mechanism for the implementation of the third dose as well as the first booster dose for adolescents would be finalised and announced soon.He said the recommendation was made based on the current situation on the level of effectiveness of the vaccine among high-risk adolescents.Khairy said the TWG recommended that booster doses for individuals with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions aged between 12 and 17 be re-categorised as a third dose and complement the primary vaccination.“Only after completing the three-dose primary series can the first booster dose be given to people aged between 12 and 17 with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions.“This measure aims to provide optimal protection to this group of teenagers from the risk of getting Covid-19 infection with severe symptoms,” he said.On April 14, the health ministry announced the administration of booster shots to moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and above.As of June 28, the vaccination rate of the primary dose of Covid-19 vaccines for adolescents was 93.5%.Studies from abroad have shown that the level of effectiveness of vaccines on hospital admissions among adolescents after five to 10 months of receiving a second dose decreased by 42% to 73%.Khairy said additional doses either to complete the three-dose primary vaccination series or as first and second booster doses would be given to individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions by government or private physicians.He said additional doses for individuals aged between five and 11 would be given at least eight weeks after their second dose.For individuals between the ages of 12 and 17, he said they would receive an additional dose at least 28 days after receiving the second dose.He said the second booster dose would be given to individuals between the ages of 18 and 59, including frontline health workers such as medical officers and nurses who are at high risk of getting serious or severe Covid-19 infection.“These people will receive a second booster dose at least six months after the first booster dose and after discussions with any registered medical practitioner,” he said.For the CanSino heterologous booster, he said recipients (18 years and above) must have received the second dose of their primary vaccine at least three months ago.


New infections top 4,000 as death toll up by 8

Another 4,098 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,608,768.
There were 2,071 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,534,019.
There are now 38,913 active cases, of which 37,495 or 96.4% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 26 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,339 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 53 are in ICU with 35 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 12.9%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including two who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,836.


MySejahtera app to be used in monitoring 2-hour shopping limit

The two-hour shopping time limit at retail premises will be monitored through the MySejahtera application, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.He said the MySejahtera application records the exact time a customer enters the premises, which would facilitate the ministry’s personnel or the staff members of the outlet to conduct checks if necessary.Yesterday, Nanta announced that customers are only allowed to spend a maximum of two hours at retail premises, including shopping malls. He also said the number of customers at a premise at any given time would be limited.The enforcement of SOPs is in line with the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) 3.0 from May 25.“Premises owners should also remind their customers to adhere to the two-hour time limit,” he said at a virtual news conference today.Nanta said the ministry’s enforcement officers would conduct random checks at popular retail outlets to ensure that the people comply with the SOPs.“Shoppers are advised to plan their activities wisely, thus helping to reduce the Covid-19 infection chain in the country,” he said.Asked about individuals bringing children to shopping malls, Nanta said the SOPs clearly state that the group is “not encouraged” to enter the premises but not prohibited because the government understands the problems faced by the people.“For instance, there are single parents who need to bring along their children. If possible, please leave the children with close relatives and avoid bringing them into premises,” he said.The minister also said that in-car dining services are not allowed, adding that there are no SOPs regarding the activity.He said the idea of enjoying meals in the car with family members may have cropped up following the ban on dining in at eateries, but so far, no decision has been made on the matter.According to news reports today, Sarawak police commissioner Aidi Ismail said providing in-car dining service was a violation of SOPs and premises owners could be issued compounds.He said a food outlet in Miri was compounded last Friday for providing the service.


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Perlis, Sarawak, Labuan to move to Phase 3

Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan will transition to Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan on Aug 4, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.He said in a Facebook post that the decision was made at a special meeting of the National Security Council taking into consideration the progress shown by these states.“But I would like to remind everyone that SOPs and regulations must still be obeyed, and all efforts to improve the pandemic situation in each states must continue,” he said.“I hope with the cooperation of all parties nationwide that more states will soon be able to transition to the next phase.“We must be optimistic and move forward so that Malaysia’s recovery plan can be carried out safely and systematically.”He also repeated assurances that relaxed SOPs for economic sectors and those who are fully vaccinated will be announced soon.


935 new cases, recoveries surge to 2,555

Another 935 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country past the 60,000 mark to 60,752.Of these, 326 or 34.9% were recorded in Sabah, 161 or 17.2% in Selangor, and 158 or 16.9% in Negeri Sembilan.Perak recorded 79 new cases, followed by Johor (60), Kuala Lumpur (59), Kelantan (28), Kedah (24), Penang (17), Labuan (13), Putrajaya (five), Sarawak (four) and Terengganu (one).Active cases stand at 11,348 with 110 in the ICU and 45 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 2,555 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 49,056.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 348.


Talks on MySejahtera purchase to be raised in Dewan Rakyat

Developments in negotiations between the health ministry and MySJ Sdn Bhd over the purchase of the MySejahtera application will be among the matters raised at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
According to the order paper, the question will be asked by Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching) to the health ministry in the oral question and answer session. Yii will also ask about the ministry's plans to optimise the use of the application.
Meanwhile, Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan) will ask the home minister about proactive and progressive solutions to overcome the congestion at the immigration department in connection with passport-related matters.
Sh Mohmed will also ask if the ministry has plans to reinstate the walk-in passport application process at the immigration office instead of relying only on online applications, and to abolish the daily quota system for passport applications.
Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) will ask the human resources minister to state the government's initiatives to help gig economy workers, in addition to the challenges in providing or mandating insurance coverage for the sector.
The debate on the Supply Bill 2023 is also expected to take place following the question and answer session.
On Feb 24, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled Budget 2023 with an allocation of RM388.1 billion, with RM289.1 billion for operating expenditure and RM99 billion for development including RM2 billion in contingency funds.


Anwar again defends DAP in front of civil servant crowd

Anwar Ibrahim has again defended DAP today in front of an audience of civil servants, the second time the prime minister made such a statement within a week ahead of the state elections where Malay votes are seen as crucial for the ruling coalitions.
Addressing civil servants in Seremban, Anwar urged them not to cast their votes to those who are "out to create disturbance", after promising them that he would propose a revision of their salary schemes soon.
He also urged civil servants who will vote in Negeri Sembilan during the state elections on Aug 12 to check facts by government opponents, including accusations against DAP.
Anwar then cited allocations for Islamic causes under the current government which comprised of DAP.
"I'm not here to defend DAP. But based on my experience in the current government, with Umno leadership present, as well as PH (Pakatan Harapan) and DAP, we're making decisions that have never been taken before in history, including the three years when Bersatu and PAS were in power. The allocation for Islam now is higher than before," he said.
He then turned his guns on Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying the former prime minister had cut allocations to religious schools.
"The People's Religious School's funding was completely stopped by Mahathir in 1999. Now they (PAS and Bersatu) are with him, but I choose to be different. We will help all religious schools.
"How are we anti-Islam?" he asked.
Anwar said DAP led by Anthony Loke has also given their full support to efforts to help Felda settlers.
"Where is this betrayal by DAP? It exists only in the words of people who foster hatred and animosity between races."
Earlier this week, Anwar was accused by a Bersatu leader of dragging the civil service into politics, after he cited Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali in his speech.
Anwar, in rejecting allegations against DAP, said Zuki who attended Cabinet meetings can be a witness on the party's stand.
"Anwar has certainly put the No. 1 man in the civil service in a very awkward and tight spot," said Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Bersatu's legal and constitutional bureau.
Anwar's remarks came in the wake of predictions that the six state elections next month would see a repeat of the general election trend last year, when the bulk of Malay votes went to Perikatan Nasional (PN).
PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) have agreed not to clash at the coming polls, allowing an intense contest between them and PN.
In one new survey focusing on Selangor, it was found that the move could cost the governing coalitions due to Malay voters who previously backed the Umno-led BN switching to PN.
The survey's findings, published by a journal from the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, found that large sections of Malay voters in the 39 Selangor constituencies who had voted for BN candidates in the polls last year have indicated they would vote for PN candidates.


New cases top 15,200 as 64 more deaths reported

Another 15,215 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,167,418.Of the total number of cases recorded, 134 were in Category Three and above.There were 24,154 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,920,643.A total of 906 cases were admitted to hospital, with 348 (38.4%) in Category Three and above and 558 (61.6%) in Category One and Two.Of the 134 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 48 (35.82%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 50 (37.31%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 36 (26.87%) had received a booster jab;* 69 (51.49%) were aged 60 and above;* 71 (52.99%) had comorbidities; and* 2 (1.49%) were pregnant women.There are now 211,869 active cases, of which 205,927 or 97.2% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 817 (0.3%) are at quarantine centres while 4,843 (2.1%) have been hospitalised.A total of 282 are in ICU with 176 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 32.0%.Another 64 deaths were reported, including 14 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 34,906.The country’s infectivity rate as of March 29 was 0.89.


PN welcomes PAS decision on common logo

Perikatan Nasional (PN) today welcomed PAS’ decision to contest the Melaka state election using the coalition’s logo, saying it reflects the spirit of consensus among the component parties.PN information chief Mohamed Azmin Ali said the coalition was determined to unite to ensure the stability of the government and the continued implementation of policies and initiatives for the socio-economic benefit and well-being of the country.“PN is confident that the people of Melaka are mature and wise enough to support the coalition, which has always promoted unity and prioritised public well-being,” he said in a statement.PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had said on Monday that his party would contest the Melaka polls using PN’s logo, dealing a blow to Umno which had hoped to avoid clashes with the Islamist party come Nov 20.However, the Malay party said PAS’ decision to contest the election under PN’s logo would not affect its ties in the Muafakat Nasional charter of cooperation.


More teachers to be recruited in one-off intake exercise

The education ministry will increase the one-off intake of teachers for placement next year through the subject cluster method, Education Minister Radzi Jidin said today.
He estimated that the intake would exceed the usual figure of 4,000 graduates recruited yearly, which is a common practice at the ministry.
"Prior to Covid-19, around 4,000 to 5,000 graduates were recruited each year to fill the vacancies. When the cluster system was introduced, it gave us the opportunity to increase the teacher intake.
"So now we are trying to increase the figure and this effort is being done by the Education Services Commission (SPP)," he told reporters after a programme with the Orang Asli community in Sungai Siput today.
It was reported that 18,702 Grade DG41 education service officers had been recruited on a one-off basis in a special recruitment drive to fill teaching vacancies in government schools under the SPP. Radzi said the subject cluster method had also helped address problems such as backlogs and mismatches in the recruitment of teachers.
"The backlog issue has been going on for many years because of a supply shortage, while the mismatch problem was addressed when graduates with certain areas of specialisation were allowed to fill vacancies in other subjects categorised under the same cluster," he said.


Myanmar's Suu Kyi gets more jail, hard labour for election fraud

Myanmar's deposed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi was found guilty of electoral fraud on Friday and sentenced by a judge to three years in jail with hard labour, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.
The Nobel laureate and figurehead of Myanmar's opposition to decades of military rule has been detained since a coup early last year and has already been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. She denies all the allegations against her.
On Friday, she was judged to have committed fraud in a November 2020 general election that her National League for Democracy (NLD) won with an overwhelming legislative majority, trouncing a party created by the powerful military.
The source, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to media, said it was unclear what hard labour would entail. Co-defendant Win Myint, the deposed president, was given the same sentence, the source said.
A spokesperson for the ruling military council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The junta has said Suu Kyi is being given due process.
The military seized power in February 2021 to stop Suu Kyi's NLD from forming a new government after the election that it said had instances of fraud that had not properly been investigated.
The NLD has denied fraud and said it won fairly.
Suu Kyi, 76, has been on trial for more than a year on multiple charges, ranging from corruption and incitement to leaks of official secrets, for which the combined maximum sentences is more than 190 years.
Her trials have been held behind closed doors in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the junta's statements on the proceedings have been limited. A gag order has been imposed on Suu Kyi's lawyers.


Disaster management machinery ready for monsoon-season GE, Dewan Rakyat told

The disaster management machinery throughout the country has been directed to prepare for any eventuality in the event that the 15th general election (GE15) is held during the northeast monsoon season, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Mastura Mohd Yazid said a Task Force on Preparation for MTL 2022/2023 meeting on Oct 3, chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali, had discussed the possibility of GE15 coinciding with the monsoon season.
"This task force will fine-tune the measures that need to be taken," she said in response to a supplementary question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka).
Khoo had asked whether discussions had been held with the Election Commission (EC) on the possibility and suitability of GE15 being held during the monsoon season.
Based on records, Mastura said, elections had been held before during the year-end monsoon period, namely the November 1999 general election and the Sarawak state election on Dec 18, 2021.
Mastura said the welfare of Malaysia's 33 million people would always be the priority of the prime minister, and that the government would consider the views of all agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency, Meteorological Department, Civil Defence Force and EC, before making any decisions.
"I believe the prime minister will use his wisdom when deciding to propose this matter (dissolution of Parliament) to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," she said.
She said in preparation to face uncertain weather and the northeast monsoon season, the government was taking a number measures, including from the aspects of pre-disaster, disaster counter-measures and post-disaster coordination.
This includes simulation and engagement programmes throughout the country to strengthen the readiness of the disaster management machinery at all levels, she said.
In terms of victim management, she said the Social Welfare Department was prepared to activate 6,010 relief centres throughout the country with the capacity to house 1,620,855 victims.
She said this in reply to the original question from Noor Amin Ahmad (PH-Kangar) on the government’s readiness to handle the possibility of floods later this year.


China finally tells Mekong River neighbours it is temporarily reducing flow by half

China has notified downstream neighbours it is holding back the Mekong River flow at a hydropower dam on the waterway’s upper reaches for 20 days.The statement came a day after a new US-backed monitoring system said Beijing had failed to notify downstream countries of water restrictions that started on Dec 31.China agreed last October to share water data with the Mekong River Commission (MRC), an advisory body to Mekong users Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that had long sought the information from China for planning purposes.More than 60 million people in those countries depend on the river for fishing and farming.Thailand’s National Water Command Center said China had on Tuesday notified Bangkok that its Jinghong Dam will until Jan 24 reduce the water discharge rate by nearly half, from 1,904 cubic metres per second to 1,000 cubic metres per second, for “maintenance of transmission lines” in its electricity grid.The MRC said it received notification the same day, though it first detected water levels dropping on Dec 31.The river level would probably drop by about 1.2m and navigation and fishing could be affected, it said.The MRC said the Chinese notification assured the flow “will be gradually restored to its normal operation status on Jan 25”, without specifying an exact volume rate.The new Mekong Dam Monitor, which is partly funded by the US State Department, started operations last month, adding to China-US superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia.On its Facebook page the monitor said China had not notified neighbours when the Jinghong dam starting restricting waters, “causing a sudden one-metre drop in river level” downstream that could devastate the fish population.The monitor uses cloud-piercing satellites to track levels at 11 upstream dams in China and other countries and so does not need to rely on China’s notifications.Beijing has rejected suggestions its Mekong dams harm downstream countries.Chinese authorities could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.


DAP's Young Syefura faces tough odds in Bentong

DAP's new candidate for the parliamentary seat of Bentong may face a stiff challenge at the 15th general election (GE15) with a number of locals questioning her track record of service and even voicing a preference for the pre-2018 MP from Barisan Nasional (BN).
Young Syefura Othman, popularly known as Rara, was announced as DAP's candidate to defend the seat at the coming polls, replacing environmental activist Wong Tack who beat MCA's Liow Tiong Lai there at the 14th general election.
She is DAP's deputy youth chief and the incumbent assemblyman for Ketari, one of four state constituencies under the Bentong seat, alongside Bilut, Sabai and Pelangai.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook, in announcing her candidacy, had cited her history in Ketari as an advantage.
"We encourage candidates who have a presence in the constituency," he said.
"This was a decision with months of deliberation and observation."
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, though, bakery owner Flex Tang Chin Choy said he was not optimistic about her chances.

Flex Tang Chin Choy speaks about the candidates for Bentong at the upcoming election.

"She came, gave a few pointers, and left," he said.
Fellow Bentong resident Md Zulkifle Md Yunos meanwhile described Young Syefura as a "glamour" candidate.
"Ketari is a small area – the Bentong constituency is huge," he said.
"Sorry to say, fielding Rara means that you're trying to fool the people."
Young Syefura's candidacy had been met with resistance by Wong, who refused the party's suggestion for him to contest the Cameron Highlands seat instead.

Bentong resident Md Zulkifle Md Yunos says Young Syefura Othman is a 'glamour' candidate.

A defiant Wong later announced that he would still run in Bentong, as an independent candidate.
But his chances of defending his seat remain to be seen as well.
Tang said his first choice would in fact be Liow, a former minister for transport and health, who recently announced his intention to return to the seat.
"He contributed a lot to Bentong," he said. "The results speak for themselves."
Citing the country's perennial problem with floods, he said Wong had not proven himself in this regard.
Local M Muniandy agreed, saying he had received no aid when his home was hit by floods.
"I didn't see him," he said, referring to Wong. "Not a single sen was given."
Muniandy, who voted for BN at GE14, said he would do the same again at GE15.
He, too, said it would be difficult for Young Syefura to win in Bentong.
"It's hard," he said. "I don't see her around here. How can I give her my support?"

M Muniandy voices disappointment with the Bentong incumbent, Wong Tack.

Armugam Sinnappan, who runs a coffee shop, said Wong had gone down to the ground to help in the post-flood clean-up efforts.
However, he said Liow, as a government MP, could help more.
"When Liow was in the government, he got the help," he said. "The opposition, of course, would get less."

Armugam Sinnappan meanwhile says that Wong Tack has helped in the constituency.

Zulkifle meanwhile said that Liow had continued to serve the community by renovating the hospital there during the floods, even though he was no longer its MP.
Liow himself voiced disappointment in DAP's decision not to field Wong in Bentong, calling it a "tactic".
"Bentong's development has been left behind for four years," he said.
"You must continue and let the people judge."
Returning to the matter of Young Syefura as DAP's candidate, Muniandy said race was not his concern.
He said his criteria in choosing a representative was whether or not the person could do the job.


Najib joins MPs in meeting as Umno plots next move

Former prime minister Najib Razak is among the Umno MPs who are attending a meeting at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur ahead of a deadline given by president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi which expires today.A source familiar with the meeting said there had been a heated discussion on the party’s plan to quit the Perikatan Nasional government, but refused to give more details.It is understood that apart from Najib and Zahid, who have been at the forefront of efforts to have Umno enter into an alliance with PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, others seen attending the meeting today include Bera MP Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as well as a handful of Cabinet members from Umno.“Shahidan Kassim refused to attend,” said the source, referring to the Arau MP who has joined the chorus of calls for action to be taken against Zahid, accusing the party boss of going against the decision not to cooperate with PKR and DAP.On June 21, Zahid urged the government to reconvene Parliament proceedings within 14 days, saying failure to do so would amount to treachery and a lack of respect for the Malay rulers following their recent statements on the matter.In a statement, Zahid said it was critical for Parliament sittings to be held immediately to give voice to the demands and aspirations of the people during this challenging time, and to ensure accountability in the government’s administration.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that the Cabinet would advise the Agong to call for the Dewan Rakyat to convene for five days from July 26.


Health ministry okays proposal to rope in medical fraternity for vaccination programme

The health ministry has approved a proposal to rope in those with a medical background including retirees, fresh graduates and volunteer doctors and nurses to be part of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said those selected will be able to contribute to the extra manpower needed at vaccination centres, including by taking on the role of vaccinators and managing cases at the observation section.At a joint press conference with National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin today, Adham said the move would help Malaysia reach its goal of administering 200,000 doses a day by July.“One (proposal) that has been approved is for all housemen in our hospitals, in their sixth posting, to be moved to vaccine centres as vaccinators and also to manage cases at observation centres.“Secondly, for medical school graduates such as doctors, dentists, medical assistants or nurses, we will train them and issue practice licences to manage the vaccine centres, and thirdly those who have retired and opted out early from the service will also be invited for this programme,” he said.He said the ministry would also invite doctors who freelance at private hospitals to join the programme, adding that they will be given credit for their annual practicing certificates.He also advised the public to continue complying with the SOPs set by the authorities.


Parachuting Santa gets stuck in power lines

Next time he should leave the navigation to Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.A Northern California-based Father Christmas flying on a powered parachute had to be rescued by fire fighters after he became entangled in power lines.The incident happened shortly after he took off near a school in Rio Linda to deliver candy canes to local children.He flew into a maze of power lines and wound up dangling upside down in them, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV.The man, who wasn’t identified, was not injured.Pictures from the rescue shows the red-white-and-blue aircraft suspended overhead as Santa sat uncomfortably fastened in the pilot seat.Colleen Bousliman, who lives nearby, said pilots often fly overhead but this was the first time she had seen Father Christmas doing so.Power was shut off during the rescue and Metro Fire of Sacramento shared video footage of Santa finally being lowered to safety.“We are happy to report Santa is uninjured and will be ready for Christmas next week,” department paramedics said. “But preferably flying in his sleigh with Rudolph leading the way!”


Daily caseload creeps past 33,400 to new high as 67 more deaths reported

Another 33,406 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,595,172.There were 27,143 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,250,793.There are now 311,206 active cases, of which 298,532 or 95.9% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 3,588 (1.2%) are at quarantine centres while 8,715 (2.8%) have been hospitalised.A total of 371 are in ICU with 226 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 42.0%.Another 67 deaths were reported, including 23 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 33,173.


Singapore opposition parties write to law minister on fear among lawyers

Opposition parties in Singapore have written to the law minister concerning claims of a climate of fear among lawyers discouraging them from representing drug mules on death row, following two recent cases in which inmates were forced to appear in court for themselves.The Reform Party, People’s Power Party and Red Dot United said in their letter to K Shanmugam that these were “serious allegations” as, under the Singapore constitution, everyone is entitled to legal counsel and representation.“The right to counsel is a key constituent of the right to a fair trial and goes to the heart of the rule of law, upon which the economic prosperity and national development of Singapore are anchored,” they said. “We are concerned by such serious allegations that lawyers in Singapore might be afraid to represent prisoners in such important legal matters because of the fear of reprisals by the state.”Malaysian Datchinamurthy Kataiah, who is on death row in the city-state for a drug trafficking offence, had argued before the judge himself in his appeal on April 28.He was due to be executed the following day despite his legal challenge which was still pending in court. The High Court subsequently granted him a stay of execution pending the outcome of his hearing on May 20. Datchinamurthy’s case had sparked comparison with that of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, another death row inmate who was executed earlier last month.Nagaenthran’s mother Panchalai Supermaniam had appeared in court during her final attempt to save her son, as she could not find a lawyer willing to represent him.Nagaenthran’s execution had caused international outrage due to his mental disability. He had an IQ of 69, a level recognised as a disability, and was reportedly coerced into trafficking a small amount of heroin into the island republic.The Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers later said it would not hesitate to cite critics who repeated what it described as “false allegations” contained in Panchalai’s affidavit for contempt.“The AGC takes a serious view of any act that may constitute contempt, and will not hesitate to take appropriate action to protect the administration of justice,” it said.The Singapore opposition parties today asked if lawyers in the city-state were afraid to represent prisoners in important legal matters due to fear of government reprisal.“Do lawyers in Singapore operate under a climate of fear of state reprisals for taking on certain types of cases or defendants?” they said.“If not, what measures are there to explicitly prevent the assumption of such potential reprisals forming among lawyers?“They also questioned procedure in criminal courts, asking if these place too onerous a requirement on lawyers to represent such cases, and whether these procedures adhere to the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Role of the Lawyer.“We believe that it is the duty of the government of the day to actively quell myths just as robustly as it defends harm to its reputation, and must be seen to set the record straight even – and perhaps especially – when such urban legends create conveniently favourable outcomes,” they said.


PN to embark on nationwide farming in new project to help poor families

Perikatan Nasional (PN) is planning to launch a people’s farming project on a national scale in the near future, coalition chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said today.He said the project would aim to provide food supplies and an alternative source of income for low-income families, especially those that had been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project will be officially launched on June 25.“The crops can be given to the poor, ideally for free,” he said at a press conference in Johor today.“Or they can be sold for cheap, as long as we break even. We’re not interested in making a profit.” Muhyiddin said the project would serve as a starting point for those whose livelihoods had been disrupted due to the pandemic to begin their lives anew. He said it would not be long before results could be seen, given that crops can usually be harvested within a short period of time. He said he himself had tried growing corn at home, adding that he had been able to harvest a crop within 60 days or so. Muhyiddin said the project would be managed by PN leaders in their respective areas without taking into account individuals’ status or background, given that poverty transcends race and political leanings. He added that no conditions would be set, including on the type of crop to be grown.“If there are problems acquiring land, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We have a lot of abandoned land. “Don’t look down on projects like this,” he added. “If we do this correctly, there will be no need to go to the market. Entire villages can be fed.”


Massed mourners attend funeral of ‘divine’ horse in India, flouting Covid restrictions

Hundreds of people gathered in Karnataka’s Belagavi on Sunday for the funeral of a horse which belonged to a local religious group and was believed to be divine.The horse had miracle powers, the villagers said. According to them, every time there was a crisis in the village, the horse was allowed to move around freely to resolve the problems.Hearing of the demise of the horse, around 500 villagers gathered for its funeral, preparing solemnly for its cremation.In a video which went viral, villagers were seen taking part in a long procession with little to no regard for social distancing, even though Karnataka is under a strict lockdown, causing a Twitter storm.Many users tweeted that while the country is battling the worst wave of Covid-19 which prevents many from being able to attend their loved one’s funerals, it is incredible that many people do not really care about the gravity of the situation and forget to follow pandemic procedures.Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “The district administration will look into this incident, and action will be taken.”Following the funeral, the village has been sealed for 14 days and district health officials have started RT-PCR tests in every house of the village.The south western state which has been under lockdown since May 10 continues to witness rising cases of Coronavirus.On May 21, the state government announced an extension of the Covid lockdown for two weeks till June 7.


Flood forces change of Sepang polling centre

Sekolah Rendah Agama Dengkil has been designated as a polling centre for the Sepang parliamentary constituency in place of SJKT Dengkil as the latter was flooded yesterday.
According to a Selangor state election office letter, Sepang returning officer Abd Hamid Hussain had informed them that SJKT Dengkil was fully submerged in floodwater yesterday.
As a result, Hamid wrote to them on Nov 17 asking for Sekolah Rendah Agama Dengkil to be used as the new polling centre, according to the letter distributed by the Selangor Information Department.
State election director Shafie Taib today sent a letter to the Election Commission asking it to re-gazette the polling centre.
Sepang is witnessing an eight-cornered fight among Anuar Basiran (Barisan Nasional), Rina Harun (Perikatan Nasional), Che Asmah Ibrahim (Pejuang), Raj Munni @ Aiman Athirah Sabu (Pakatan Harapan), Mohd Daud Leong Abdullah (Parti Utama Rakyat), R Nageswaran (Parti Rakyat Malaysia), and independent candidates Mohd Syahrul Amri Mat Sari and M Muneswaran.


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Reports of martial-law talk in Trump meeting draw outrage

With one month to go until Joe Biden takes office, Donald Trump remains fixated on his failed bid to overturn the 2020 election – with his advisers reportedly floating the idea of invoking martial law, triggering outrage and disbelief in Washington.Trump has stayed largely out of sight as several hugely consequential matters play out in the US: from a massive cyberattack to high-stakes talks on a huge Covid-19 relief package to the rollout of a historic vaccine campaign.But, according to accounts in The New York Times, CNN and The Wall Street Journal, the president found time Friday to oversee a turbulent White House meeting to discuss new ways to resist or overturn Biden’s victory – with the idea of deploying the military to assist in his fight raised, before being shot down.Multiple reports said Trump also considered seizing election machines to inspect them; and naming Sidney Powell, a lawyer for his campaign team who has put forward outlandish conspiracy theories, as a special counsel to keep digging into Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations of mass election fraud.‘Rerun our election’Present at the fractious Oval Office meeting was retired General Michael Flynn, who was briefly the national security adviser before resigning under pressure, admitting to lying to the FBI, and then, in November, being pardoned by Trump.Flynn recently told a Newsmax television interviewer that Trump could “take military capabilities and place them in those (battleground) states and basically rerun our election”.Trump denied reports about the Friday meeting in a tweet shortly after midnight Saturday, saying, “Martial law = Fake News. Just more knowingly bad reporting!”Several senior military officers have made clear they would take no part in any effort to overturn the results of an election that has been certified by every state and confirmed by the Electoral College.“There is no role for the US military in determining the outcome of an American election,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Army Chief of Staff James McConville said in a statement Friday.Trump, in any case, would need congressional approval to invoke martial law, according to a study earlier this year by the Brennan Center for Justice.But accounts of the extraordinary meeting – which reportedly devolved at times into “screaming matches” – raised eyebrows across Washington, drawing strong condemnation from some quarters while others were left shaking their heads in dismay.‘It’s going nowhere’“It’s not going to happen,” the Republican senator and frequent Trump critic Mitt Romney said bluntly on CNN’s State of the Union, adding, “It’s going nowhere.”Romney, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2012, added: “It’s really sad in a lot of respects, and embarrassing, because the president could, right now, be writing the last chapter of this administration with a victory lap….” over the historic vaccine rollout.“He could be championing this story, but instead leaving Washington with conspiracy theories and things so nutty and loopy that people are shaking their head wondering what in the world has gotten into this man?”Many of the president’s advisers pushed back hard in the Friday meeting against the notion of martial law, according to the New York Times.But John Bolton, a former Trump national security adviser who has been a frequent critic since leaving the administration in September, called the meeting’s reported contents “appalling”.“There’s no other way to describe it,” he told CNN late Saturday. “It’s unbelievable – almost certainly completely without precedent.”But he also said such talk was not atypical from his former boss – and a case of “incompetence” rather than “malevolence”.Bolton added: “He is unfit for the job.”‘What on Earth’Jen Psaki, named as press secretary for the Biden administration which takes office Jan 20, refused to be drawn on the matter, telling Fox News Sunday she would leave it to others to explain “what on Earth is happening in the Oval Office and the White House”.She added: “Leadership of the Republican Party has acknowledged the outcome of the election.”But Pete Buttigieg, nominated by Biden as transportation secretary, was more forthcoming.“Well, obviously, it’s irresponsible and it’s dangerous,” he told CNN.“At the end of the day, this is a country of laws, and the American people have spoken.”The Trump campaign has lost dozens of legal challenges to Biden’s election, and the window for further such action is nearly closed.But the president’s continuing resistance has drawn vocal support from many in his base – and allowed him to raise millions of dollars.


MoU may be voided if parties withdraw, say analysts

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Friday by the political groups that form the coalition government risks being voided at any time if any of the parties decide to withdraw, analysts say.
Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the basic nature of an MoU is dependent on the understanding inked among the parties involved.
"If there is no understanding, there is no need to continue a tyrannical agreement," she said.
"If it is cancelled, then the vote of confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can be challenged."
The MoU, among others, removed the right of individual MPs to vote freely in the Dewan Rakyat.
Its signatories were Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan.
Kartini said the government had been formed on the assumption that the parties who agreed would lead collectively.
However, motions for a vote of confidence in the prime minister and support for the supply bill can be accepted as long as they do not affect MPs to the point of losing their seats.
"It was not right to lay down this condition," Kartini said, referring to Clause 4 of the MoU which states that MPs are considered to have vacated their seats if they fail to vote on a motion of confidence, according to Article 49(A) of the Federal Constitution.
She said Clause 4 also violates Article 48 of the constitution on the conditions of disqualification for MPs, describing it as despotic and inclining towards a dictatorship.
Nizam Bashir, a law practitioner, said MPs are constitutionally bound to represent the stand of their constituents.
"This duty, in my opinion, trumps anything set out in any MoU," he said.
"Any restriction on their constitutional responsibility, especially if it is against the interests of the people, cannot be said to be consistent with the Federal Constitution."
Nizam was referring to Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution which was recently amended.
While it now stops MPs from switching camps, it does not prevent a member of the Dewan Rakyat from voting against the party stand.
According to the clause, a representative must cease to be an MP and vacate his seat if he gives up his party membership or joins a political party if he won as an independent candidate.
It also states that membership in the Dewan Rakyat will not be cancelled if the party is dissolved, or if the MP is chosen to be the speaker or sacked from his party.
However, Wilson Tay, a legal expert from Taylor's University, said the MoU does not remove the individual rights of MPs although parties are allowed to take action against them.
"It is a matter of internal party discipline, not MPs' rights," he said.
In the context of the anti-party hopping law, he added, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat recently stated in the case of four state representatives from Penang that the act does not prevent the freedom of association.


RM314 million of RM1 billion PICK allocation spent as of end-August

A total of RM314 million out of the RM1 billion allocated to the science, technology and innovation ministry for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) had been spent as of Aug 30, its minister Dr Adham Baba said today.Adham said the expenditure included the operational cost of the vaccination centres (PPVs), namely rental and utilities, cleaning and sanitation, disposable equipment as well as the staff welfare.He said the allocation was also used to strengthen the data integration network and system for the vaccination process through PICK as well as for efforts to increase the vaccine registration rate in each parliamentary constituency.“The science, technology and innovation ministry, health ministry and related agencies are also improving the contact tracing system including data sources to identify and analyse interactions as well as to determine the details of the risk of the spread of the virus.“In addition, a tracer hub has been developed to facilitate contact tracing and support activities as well as a vaccine management system for data record keeping and a vaccine certificate verifier application to ensure that a digital vaccine certificate is genuine via QR code,” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat.Adham was replying to Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-Pandan) on the cost of PICK and the next strategy to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.On the RM60 million allocation for the research and development of national vaccine manufacturing, he said the amount included the development of all types of vaccines for both humans and animals.“The government will also develop a roadmap or strategic plan for the development of national vaccines which will be announced on Nov 1 by the prime minister,” he said.Replying to a question from Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian), Adham said his ministry, through the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF), was optimistic that the efforts implemented through PICK are on track.“To speed up the vaccination process, CITF through capacity surge operations has successfully vaccinated almost all of the adults in the Klang Valley.“The focus now is to ensure that at least 60% of the adult population in all states are fully vaccinated and today, we will achieve that target in Sabah,” he said, adding that CITF continues to focus on distributing vaccine supplies to states with high Covid-19 caseloads.


When and how Parliament meets is outside Agong’s powers, says former top judge

The constitution accords no power to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the workings of Parliament, including on when it should convene, says one of Malaysia’s most renowned constitutional experts.“The king may not direct the prime minister to convene Parliament. He has no power to do that,” Gopal Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge with more than 800 judgments that became Commonwealth legal references, told MalaysiaNow.His comments come in the wake of intense speculation that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is under pressure to convene a promised confidence vote on him ahead of schedule, despite his assurance that it will be held at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in September.The move has sparked concerns of a power vacuum should Muhyiddin seek the dissolution of Parliament to make way for a general election, which could throw Malaysia’s battle against the raging Covid-19 pandemic into chaos.This is because, as Sri Ram said, rejecting a request to dissolve Parliament is one of three constitutional powers bestowed on the Agong.“The king may decline dissolution. He has the sole discretion to do so,” Sri Ram said.“Once the king refuses dissolution, the Cabinet must resign, including the prime minister,” he added.Sri Ram was referring to Article 40 of the constitution, which spells out three powers of the Agong: to reject a request to dissolve Parliament, to convene a meeting of rulers, and to appoint a prime minister.But Sri Ram said the Agong’s power to appoint the prime minister does not come with the power to sack him.“There is no power to dismiss (the prime minister).”PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and his Umno counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have been stepping up their efforts to bring forward the confidence vote, ahead of court trials on corruption involving the latter as well as former leader Najib Razak.Last year, Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s sudden resignation left Malaysia without a government for days, as the Agong conducted interviews with all 222 MPs to determine who had the support to form a new government.Muhyiddin was appointed just as the Covid-19 pandemic began taking its toll.With Malaysia also recording a surge in cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant sweeping through Asia, any pause of power in Putrajaya could affect the country’s Covid-19 battle, including its hope of achieving herd immunity by October.


464 evacuated amid floods in Sabah

A total of 464 people from 166 families have been evacuated to two relief centres (PPS) due to the floods in the Kota Marudu and Tongod districts.
The secretariat for the Sabah disaster management committee said in a statement that 377 people from 149 families were evacuated to the PPS at the Kota Marudu community hall.
A total of 87 people from 17 families meanwhile were evacuated to the PPS at Dewan Mini Kampung Simpang Entilibon in Tongod.
Both evacuation centres were opened late last night.
Continuous heavy rain since yesterday is believed to have caused floods in some areas in Tongod and Kota Marudun.
However, the weather this morning was reported to be fine in most areas.
The Meteorological Department of Malaysia expects rain in one or two places this evening until tomorrow.


LFL hits out at Singapore minister over ‘misleading’ claim on suit

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has re-filed its civil suit against Singapore Home Minister K Shanmugam over a notice issued under the island republic’s fake news law on LFL’s expose of reportedly brutal execution methods in Changi prison.LFL also hit out at the ministry over a press statement yesterday in which it said the group’s initial suit, which it called baseless, was struck out by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.“In fact, LFL’s civil suit had simply expired as it was not served yet upon Shanmugam,” its advisor N Surendran said.“The KL High Court had on Sept 21, 2020 allowed LFL to re-file the civil suit against Singapore, which shows that the suit was far from being ‘baseless’.”The order was issued to LFL under Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act or Pofma.In a statement today, Surendran said Singapore’s home ministry had also insinuated that the court papers were never served upon Shanmugam when in fact the attorney-general in a letter to LFL on Feb 13 this year had refused to accept service of the papers.“In short, Shanmugam and the Singapore government were desperately trying to avoid or delay service of the court papers upon him,” Surendran added.Urging Singapore to disclose “the real truth” about its execution methods, he said the city-state had refused LFL’s repeated requests for a former prison officer who supplied evidence of the alleged brutality to be granted immunity from prosecution.“Singapore has refused to grant immunity to enable this whistleblower to give evidence in the Singapore courts,” he said.“In short, Singapore has done everything possible to ensure that the truth about the brutal execution methods in Changi prison remains buried.“We will be vigorously prosecuting this civil suit, which is intended to protect the freedom of expression of Malaysians against encroachment by a foreign country.”


China pledges 2 billion vaccine doses to world

China will “strive to provide” two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to the world this year and donate US$100 million to the international vaccine distribution system known as Covax, President Xi Jinping said Thursday.The pledge came in a written message by Xi to a video forum on vaccine cooperation as China battles a fresh outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant.Delta has now been detected in parts of China, prompting mass testing and sending the number of daily cases to their highest in months.“For the whole of this year, China will strive to provide two billion doses of vaccine to the world,” Xi said in remarks reported by state broadcaster CCTV.China has also promised to donate US$100 million to Covax, he added, for the distribution of vaccines to developing countries.The announcement comes weeks after Xi promised US$3 billion in aid to developing countries to fight Covid-19 at an unprecedented emergency online meeting of Apec heads of state.The funds are aimed at helping developing nations recover from the social and economic impacts of the virus.Last week Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has already provided more than 700 million doses of vaccine to other countries since the start of the year.The latest pledge also follows President Joe Biden’s announcement that the US has donated over 100 million shots overseas.Beginning later this month, Washington will start dispatching an additional 500 million Pfizer doses that it has promised to 100 low-income countries.


Ahmad Jazlan's second stint as Felcra chairman postponed

The reappointment of former Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan as Felcra chairman, announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Dec 16, has been postponed, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
"I have informed the deputy prime minister (Zahid) of the matter, that the reappointment has been postponed," he said at a press conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today.
He was earlier asked if the reappointment was seen to be in violation of the Cabinet directive to end the tenures of chairmen and board members of federal statutory bodies who are regarded as political appointees effective Dec 15.
On Dec 16, Zahid announced the reappointment of Jazlan as Felcra chairman after taking into account the wishes of the representatives of Koperasi Peserta-Peserta Felcra Malaysia Bhd.
Anwar, meanwhile, said there was confusion regarding political appointments in government-linked companies. "I did not say that politicians cannot hold managerial positions, but they must be bound by certain conditions and must have qualifications in the field," he said.
Anwar said some politicians or MPs might be assigned but the government would set the level of professional capabilities needed, and look into their past performance and compliance with regulatory and governance practices.
When asked whether the government would issue guidelines related to political appointments, he said all political appointments have been terminated so that those who are appointed will follow the set guidelines.


Malaysia’s labour market to strengthen in second half of 2022, says MIDF Research

Malaysia’s labour market is expected to further strengthen in the second half of 2022 (2H2022), underpinned by the return of workers from Indonesia today.Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, reportedly said that Malaysia would today receive the first group of Indonesian migrant workers since the reopening its borders, with their arrival expected to ease the major labour shortage in palm oil plantations.MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd (MIDF Research) said the employment of labourers declined by 1.8% in 2020 and 2.9% in 2021 with more than 100,000 workers leaving the workforce due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Non-citizen workers constitute about 10% of Malaysia’s working population.“Malaysia’s unemployment rate is projected to trend lower this year to 3.8% in 2022 from 4.6% in 2021, underpinned by the domestic reopening and strong economic fundamentals,” the research firm said in a note today.However, it said that the projected joblessness rate would still be higher than pre-pandemic 3.4%.Employment growth is forecast at 2.5% (2021: 2.0%), while unemployment is expected to shrink by 15.0% this year (2021: +3.0%).“In the first four months of 2022, employment growth stood at 3.0% year-on-year (y-o-y), and unemployment fell by 12.6% y-o-y,” it added.


Jordan to open Covid vaccinations for 12-year-olds

Jordan’s health ministry announced Saturday that Covid-19 vaccines will now be available for children aged 12 and above.The ministry “has decided to lower the Covid-19 vaccination age to 12 years, starting from Sunday July 25” and without requiring an appointment, the ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page on Saturday.“Vaccination will be optional, and those under 18 will be able to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with the consent of their guardian,” the statement added.Jordan, a country of 10 million people, has officially recorded more than 763,900 coronavirus cases, including over 9,900 deaths, since the start of its outbreak.Some 1.9 million people have been fully inoculated against Covid-19, while 2.7 million have received an initial vaccine dose.The US, Canada and the European Union have already authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12-year-olds.Amman said last month it had concluded several agreements to obtain a total of around 12 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, and planned to order five million additional jabs.The country last weekend received half a million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses from Washington.Authorities are pushing the population to take up the vaccines, and have adopted restrictive or punitive measures targeting those who fail to do so.The measures include requiring unvaccinated or partially vaccinated public sector employees to present a negative Covid-19 test twice a week, and prohibiting the issuance or renewal of work and residency permits for those who are not fully vaccinated.


Sarawak, Selangor still lead as 2,195 more cases recorded

Another 2,195 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 375,054.Sarawak recorded 508 cases followed by Selangor (431), Johor (387), Kelantan (332), Kuala Lumpur (176) and Sabah (112).Penang recorded 84 cases, Negeri Sembilan 42, Perak 35, Kedah 30, Terengganu 16, Melaka and Pahang 15 each, Labuan six, and Putrajaya and Perlis three each.Active cases stand at 19,854 with 219 in the ICU and 90 in need of respiratory assistance.Five more clusters were detected:1. Selat Klang (Klang and Petaling in Selangor; 101 screened, 25 positive)2. Tapak Bina Cahaya Alam (Petaling in Selangor; 203 screened, 20 positive)3. Jalan Perindustrian Satu (Muar in Johor; 980 screened, 254 positive)4. Tarat Tani (Serian in Sarawak; 320 screened, 21 positive)5. Jalan Bintulu Sibu (Tatau and Bintulu in Sarawak; 546 screened, 11 positive)Fourteen others ended, leaving 338 active clusters across the country.Another 1,427 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 353,822.However, eight more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,378.


In India, bloated bodies of suspected Covid-19 victims float down Ganges, wash up on banks

The bodies of at least 40 people have washed up on the banks of the Ganges river in northern India, officials say.The discovery, near the border between the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, was confirmed to the BBC on Monday.It is not clear how exactly the bodies came to be there, but local media reports suggest they may be Covid-19 victims dumped in the river.Some media reports say as many as 100 bodies have been found, and that their condition suggests they may have been in the river for several days.“There is a possibility that these bodies have come out of Uttar Pradesh,” a local official told the BBC after questioning local residents.Officials said the bodies appeared to be bloated and partially burnt, and that they may have ended up in the river as part of the practice of cremating victims of coronavirus along the river Ganges, India’s NDTV news channel reported.District officials have collected the bodies for autopsies.The area where the bodies washed up borders India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, where a lockdown was extended over the weekend until May 17.In a press conference, district official Aman Sarin told local reporters an investigation is underway to identify and determine cause of death for the bodies. He said the remains would be buried or cremated.Some local residents and journalists told BBC Hindi a shortage of wood for cremations and the rising costs associated with funerals were leaving some families with no option but to put the bodies of loved ones who had died from coronavirus directly into the river.Local resident Chandra Mohan said: “Private hospitals are looting people. Common people are not left with money to pay a priest and spend more on cremation at the river bank. The river has become their last recourse so people are immersing corpses in the river.”As coronavirus infections continue to rise, at least 24 of India’s 36 states and union territories are under full lockdowns, according to CNN data compiled from state governments.


Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for Theranos fraud

A federal judge on Friday sentenced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to 11 years and three months in prison for defrauding investors in her now-defunct blood-testing startup that was once valued at US$9 billion (RM40.98 billion).
In San Jose, California, US district judge Edward Davila sentenced Holmes, 38, on three counts of investor fraud and one count of conspiracy after a jury convicted her last January following a trial spanning three months. The prosecution had recommended a sentence of 15 years in prison, while the defence had urged the judge to impose no prison time.
Holmes, dressed in a dark blouse and black skirt, hugged her parents and her partner after the sentence was handed down.
During the sentencing hearing, Holmes cried as she said she was "devastated" by her failures and would have done many things differently if she had the chance.
"I have felt deep shame for what people went through because I failed them," Holmes said.
Before handing down the sentence, Davila called the case "troubling on so many levels," questioning what motivated Holmes, a "brilliant" entrepreneur, to misrepresent her company to investors.
"This is a fraud case where an exciting venture went forward with great expectations only to be dashed by untruths, misrepresentations, plain hubris and lies," the judge said.
Davila set an April surrender date for Holmes.
Her lawyers are expected to ask the judge to allow her to remain free on bail during her planned appeal. They are expected to appeal the judge's decisions to uphold the jury's conviction of Holmes as well as her sentence at the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Assistant US Attorney Jeff Schenk told Davila during the hearing that a 15-year sentence would be "making a statement that the ends don't justify the means."
Holmes' attorney Kevin Downey sought home confinement, saying leniency was justified because unlike someone who committed a "great crime" she was not motivated by greed.
The federal probation office had recommended a 9-year prison sentence, according to court papers.
US Attorney Stephanie Hinds said the sentence for Holmes "reflects the audacity of her massive fraud and the staggering damage she caused." Downey declined to comment as he left court.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Holmes misrepresented Theranos' technology and finances, including by claiming that its miniaturised blood testing machine was able to run an array of tests from a few drops of blood. The company secretly relied on conventional machines from other companies to run patients' tests, prosecutors said.
Holmes testified in her own defence, saying she believed her statements were accurate at the time.
She was convicted on four counts but acquitted on four other counts alleging she defrauded patients who paid for Theranos tests.
Theranos Inc promised to revolutionise how patients receive diagnoses by replacing traditional labs with small machines envisioned for use in homes, drugstores and even on the battlefield.
Forbes dubbed Holmes the world's youngest female self-made billionaire in 2014, when she was 30 and her stake in Theranos was worth US$4.5 billion. Theranos collapsed after a series of Wall Street Journal articles in 2015 questioned its technology.
Actress Amanda Seyfried in September won an Emmy Award for portraying Holmes in the limited series "The Dropout."
Before sentencing Holmes, Davila asked if any of her victims were in the courtroom.
Alex Shultz, whose son Tyler Shultz worked at Theranos and whose father, former US secretary of state George Shultz, invested in the company, told the judge how a family member once heard Holmes describe her supposedly revolutionary technology.
"What's the hitch?" the family member asked Holmes, according to Shultz.
"There is no hitch," Holmes responded.


India’s Covid-19 cases soar past 20 million

India’s total Covid caseload soared past 20 million on Tuesday, official data showed, as the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the country’s hospitals.In the past 24 hours, India added 357,229 cases, taking the total to 20.3 million, according to the health ministry. Deaths rose 3,449 to 222,408. Many experts suspect the true number to be much higher.India has added around eight million new cases since the end of March in a ferocious new wave blamed on virus variants and the government having allowed most activities to resume as well as huge religious and political gatherings.This has overwhelmed India’s chronically underfunded healthcare system, leading to dire shortages of hospital beds, drugs and oxygen, with patients dying outside packed clinics in New Delhi and elsewhere.The daily number of new cases has, however, declined in recent days, having peaked at 402,000 on Friday.“If daily cases and deaths are analysed, there is a very early signal of movement in the positive direction,” senior health ministry official Lav Aggarwal told reporters on Monday.“But these are very early signals. There is a need to further analyse it and make related efforts to monitor it on a continued basis,” he added.


Zahid confirms Sulaiman's resignation as Melaka CM

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday confirmed that Sulaiman Md Ali submitted his resignation letter as Melaka chief minister during a meeting at his office in the Parliament building on March 28.
Zahid, who is also Umno president, said he would seek an audience with Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Mohd Ali Rustam to present the names of possible candidates to be appointed as the new chief minister.
"I hope for the wisdom of TYT (Tuan Yang Terutama) to accept the letter. The swearing-in ceremony (of the new chief minister) will be held according to the date approved by him," he said at a press conference in Bentong.
However, Zahid did not say when he would seek an audience with Ali or the number of individuals on the list.
Asked if the name of Melaka Umno liaison committee chairman Ab Rauf Yusof was on the list, Zahid replied: "I cannot confirm or deny. We are waiting for an announcement from the Melaka government."
When asked if the change of chief minister was part of plans for the formation of a unity government in Melaka, as he had recently announced, Zahid said there was a possibility that this might happen.
"We will see the latest developments when the new chief minister convenes the state legislative assembly after Raya," he said.
Speculation about the appointment of a new Melaka chief minister began circulating following viral messages about the new chief minister's swearing-in ceremony said to take place this Friday.


Thai man charged over Phuket waterfall murder as officials fear effect on tourism

Thai police have charged a 27-year-old man in connection with the death of a Swiss woman whose body was found near a waterfall on the resort island of Phuket last week.Local officials identified the victim as Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, aged 57. Police found her face down in the water covered by a black sheet, with her phone, shorts and trainers nearby.Theerawut Tortip told reporters at a police press conference that he killed the woman and stole from her, the BBC is reporting.He was charged with murder and robbery causing death, Deputy National Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said.“The cause of death is yet to be confirmed as the autopsy report has yet to be released by authorities,” Kissana told a press conference.Theerawut, who attended the press conference via a phone-in accompanied by his lawyer, said he had taken roughly 300 baht (US$9) after strangling Sauvain-Weisskopf. Local reports say he spent the money on drugs and alcohol.“I would like to apologise to the family of the tourist and plead for all Thais to forgive me,” he said.He was detained after CCTV footage showed him going to the waterfall around the same time Sauvain-Weisskopf went there, police said.Her death came just weeks after Thailand launched its “Phuket Sandbox” scheme on July 1. She reportedly arrived in Thailand on July 13.Under the programme, vaccinated tourists can come to the island without the need to quarantine, but cannot travel to the mainland within 14 days.Sauvain-Weisskopf’s death has prompted local officials to step up security on the island amid concerns that it is a huge setback to the sandbox scheme.The incident has shocked many around the world and could have a devastating impact on the country’s image, according to local media.The Bangkok Post reports that Phuket authorities will be making all-out efforts to restore tourist confidence following the murder, which they fear will deal a serious blow to the sandbox programme.Although police spent only two days tracking down the suspect after discovering the body, local authorities and business operators agree there is much to do to restore the confidence of tourists says the Post.Phuket governor Narong Woonciew said officials will survey unsafe areas in each community and put them under surveillance. He said collaboration from all sectors is a must and volunteers from the civil sector will be recruited to act as the eyes and ears of local authorities in deterring crimes.Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the Tourism and Sports Ministry and TAT offices worldwide will evaluate the impacts on the sandbox tourist  scheme.Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 20% of the Thai economy.More than 16,000 people have arrived in Phuket since the July 1 launch of the sandbox scheme.


China’s foreign minister says UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet can visit Xinjiang, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday, but China does not welcome any investigation based on the presumption of guilt.Bachelet has long sought access to the western Chinese region to investigate accusations of abuse against ethnic Uighurs. The issue has strained ties between Beijing and the West, sparking accusations of genocide from Washington and a US-led diplomatic boycott by some countries of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.“(China) rejects all kinds of biases, prejudices and uncalled-for accusations,” Wang, who is also a Chinese state councillor, said by video at the Munich Security Conference when asked if Bachelet would have unrestricted access in Xinjiang.Rights groups accuse China of widescale abuses against Uighurs and other minority groups, including torture, forced labour and detention of one million people in internment camps. China says the camps are re-education and training facilities and denies any abuse, saying it is fighting religious extremism.The so-called systematic forced labour or education camps are all lies and fabrication, said Wang.“I hope you can believe the Chinese government, and trust what the Chinese government has said and the information that we have been releasing,” he said.


New cases fall below 20,000 as death toll tops 14,000

Another 19,807 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,555,093.Selangor recorded 5,379 cases, Sabah 2,638, Kedah 1,948, Sarawak 1,772, Penang 1,501, Johor 1,391 and Kelantan 1,196.Kuala Lumpur recorded 999 cases, Perak 703, Pahang 598, Melaka 558, Terengganu 534 and Negeri Sembilan 508.Perlis recorded 54 cases, Putrajaya 24 and Labuan four.Active cases stand at 262,255 with 1,026 in the ICU and 496 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 18,200 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,278,670.However, 232 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 14,168.


India sees record Covid deaths, new cases in 24 hours

India saw almost 4,000 Covid deaths and more than 412,000 new cases in the past 24 hours, both new records, official data showed Thursday.Health ministry numbers showed 3,980 deaths, taking the total to 230,168, and 412,262 new cases, bringing India’s caseload since the pandemic began to 21.1 million.The renewed rise follows several days of falling case numbers that had raised government hopes that the recent catastrophic surge may have been easing.Having hit a high of 402,000 last Friday, the daily number of cases eased in subsequent days to as low as 357,000 before creeping up again on Tuesday.The sharp rise in cases since late March has overwhelmed hospitals in many places with fatal shortages of beds, drugs and oxygen.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has resisted imposing a new lockdown although several regions including the capital New Delhi, Bihar and Maharashtra have imposed local shutdowns.


Top cop warns of stern action against those playing up sensitive issues at polls

The police will take stern action against political parties that touch on issues involving religion, royalty and race (3R) in the upcoming state elections.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said that as such, political parties contesting the elections were reminded not to play up sensitive issues during their campaigns, especially on the 3R.
He said this was to avoid tension and fears that could disrupt harmony among the people.
"We have observed that each time the 3R are raised, there will be disunity and disharmony among the community. After all, I believe that all those who will be contesting are seasoned politicians.
"We want the state elections to run smoothly and peacefully so that voters can go out safely to cast their votes," he told reporters in George Town last night.
Razarudin said political parties were also reminded to comply with the rules and laws, especially those related to the Election Offences Act 1954 and the Sedition Act.
"We (the police) have our recording and zone officers who will be monitoring the election campaigns, and they will be at the talks, so if anyone is found to have touched on the 3R, investigations will be carried out either by Bukit Aman or the state contingent," he said.
In the meantime, he said 40,000 police personnel would be on duty during the six state polls.
He said the police also advised political parties involved in the polls to apply for ceramah permits as early as possible, for administrative purposes as well as to prevent a clash in venues between rival parties.
"We do approve permits for applications made as late as 24 hours prior, but we hope the applications can be done much earlier," he said.
The six states gearing up for elections are Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.


US ‘failing’ on Covid, says top health official

With the US recording its highest daily Covid case load in six months, a top public health official warned Sunday that the country is “failing” in its battle to keep the coronavirus in check.A surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant has brought a slew of bad news in the US, which already has the highest reported death toll worldwide from Covid-19 at more than 616,000.Total daily new cases have soared to 118,000, their highest level since February; deaths are up 89% over the past two weeks, even while slightly declining around the world; and children’s hospitals in US states like Florida are being overwhelmed as young people are increasingly affected.“We should not really have ever got to the place we are,” Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said on ABC’s “This Week”.“In that regard, yes, we are failing.”Fears about the Delta variant have sparked a surge in vaccination rates, but millions, especially in conservative-leaning areas of the country, remain sceptical about getting the shot.“We would not be in the place we are right now with this Delta surge if we had been more effective in getting everybody” vaccinated, Collins said.“Now we’re paying a terrible price.”Vaccine approval seen soonAnother top health official, infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci, said final full approval of key vaccines from the federal Food and Drug Administration could come as early as this month – something some sceptics have said they need to hear before taking the plunge.“I hope that it’s within the month of August,” Fauci told NBC’s “Meet the Press”.For now, the coronavirus vaccines have been approved on an emergency use basis to counter the pandemic.Fauci, who advises President Joe Biden on health matters, warned that failure to bring the Delta variant under control would increase the chances of a new variant emerging which “could be more problematic than Delta”.In a sign that fears are increasing about the surge in Covid cases, organisers of the New Orleans Jazz Fest announced Sunday that the event set to take place on Oct 8-17 had been cancelled.“In the meantime, we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials,” organisers said in a statement.Children under 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccines, and Collins warned that if the millions of children soon returning to in-person schooling are not required to wear masks, the virus will “spread more widely”.“It will probably result in outbreaks in schools, and kids will have to go back to remote learning, which is the one thing we want to prevent,” he said.Battle over masksThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Sunday on Twitter that even asymptomatic children can spread Covid-19, adding, “Children two years or older should wear masks in public indoor settings, including schools.”US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Sunday seconded that advice.“Let our education leaders lead,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation”.Yet in Florida, one of the states hardest hit by the latest surge, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis sparked a political furore when he issued an order barring the state’s school districts from mandating mask-wearing.But with hospitals in the state struggling under a fast-growing patient load, a handful of school districts said they would defy the order.“Our children’s hospitals are completely overwhelmed,” Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University, told CNN.Collins, for his part, expressed exasperation that the debates over vaccine and mask-wearing had become politicised.“This is not a political statement or an invasion of your liberties. This is a life-saving medical device,” he said.


Dreaming of a monsoon Christmas

Walking through a mall in December one year, it occurred to me that I didn’t know what a Malaysian Christmas looked like. Ironically, the thought came as I was wandering through what could rightfully be called a winter wonderland. Christmas trees of every size stood about, hung with colourful baubles and long strings of tinsel. Fairy lights twinkled from garlands and wreaths, and fake snow lay thick on models of reindeer and gingerbread men. Everything looked lovely, and I was enjoying myself tremendously but I couldn’t help wondering where Malaysia was in all of it.I would like to say at the outset that Malaysians are very good at decking the halls. Many of our malls pull out the stops every year, putting even some of their overseas counterparts to shame. And until recently, I used to drive past two houses – one in Petaling Jaya and the other in Subang Jaya – which were so ablaze with lights and decorations that people would stop by the side of the road to take pictures.Turkey and mashed potatoes, synonymous with the occasion, are available along with all the trimmings at nearly every restaurant serving Western food, with catering services available for those who wish to dine at home. At malls, children (and their long-suffering parents) wait in line to meet Santa and tell him what they hope to find under the tree on Christmas Day. And well-known songs such as “Let It Snow” and “Jingle Bells” are played on loop until well after Boxing Day.There’s nothing wrong, of course, with celebrating an occasion in the spirit of its origins. Across much of the world, evergreens and snow are a big part of Christmas and what people count on to help usher in the festive cheer. Putting up the tree is definitely one of my favourite things to do and something I look forward to all year.But part of me also wanted to know if it was possible for Christmas to be Malaysian, too, not just a foreign celebration imported wholesale with its overseas trappings. Walking through the mall that day, I thought perhaps it was.Every Christmas, my siblings and I have dinner at my parents’ place. And every year, right next to the turkey, is a big pot of asam laksa. If you ask me, I have no idea why it’s there, but for as long as I can remember Christmas dinner has meant asam laksa and hands that smell like fish for days after because of all the skinning and deboning needed for the fillets in the soup.We’re not the outliers here, either. Open houses, so integral to Malaysian culture, are thrown every year for every occasion and Christmas is no different. Regardless of race or religion, we gather to celebrate festive seasons, usually over plates of ubiquitous fried rice, mee hoon and curry.And no celebration is ever complete without the people, in this case the wide range of men, women and children who make up the country. For many, Christmas is not a personal celebration but this does not stop them from joining in the festivities, nor should it.Some time back, there were concerns about those from a particular race wishing others a Merry Christmas. Today, many stores appear still cautious about using the phrase in their year-end marketing, preferring more lukewarm expressions like “Happy Holidays”. But the fact of the matter is, Christmas is the name of the festival and there is nothing inherently dangerous in including the word in greetings any more than saying “Happy Birthday” actually makes the person turn another year older.If stores, in particular, are looking to profit from the season, they would do well not to water down the occasion by glossing over the reason people are buying gifts in the first place. And, as the saying goes, the more the merrier: while we may not partake in the religious ceremonies involved in a given celebration, that does not mean we cannot participate in the joy around it. Some of my favourite sights at this time of the year are of Malaysians, whatever their beliefs, enjoying the festivities, taking selfies, smiling, laughing and having a good time.So if you ask me now what a Malaysian Christmas looks like, this is what I’d say: good food, local or otherwise; no snow but a strong chance of rain pounding down because it’s monsoon season; scorching hot temperatures otherwise; and the privilege of sharing a celebration with others who do not necessarily share your beliefs but understand the importance of rejoicing with those who rejoice.Have a very merry, very Malaysian Christmas this year – just minus the open house bit because, you know, Covid.