Taliban gained ‘fair amount’ of US defence equipment, says White House

The White House acknowledged Tuesday that the Taliban had amassed a significant amount of US military equipment after seizing control of Afghanistan following two decades of war with American forces.Pictures and videos have shown the Taliban with firearms and vehicles that Pentagon troops used or provided to the Afghan national security forces, as well as advanced UH-60 Black Hawk attack helicopters and other equipment at the Kandahar airport.“We don’t have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defence materials has gone. But certainly, a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban,” said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.“Obviously, we don’t have a sense that they are going to readily hand it over to us,” he said.Sullivan said losing control of millions of dollars worth of military supplies to an enemy is an example of “the difficult choices a president faces… in the context of the end of a 20-year war”.He noted that the Black Hawks had been supplied to Afghan government forces to help battle the Taliban insurgency.But the government forces succumbed to the Islamist insurgents quickly, and gave up control of large stores of weaponry and their helicopters.


Indonesia arrests 4 for stealing vaccines meant for prisoners

Four people have been arrested in Indonesia for allegedly stealing Covid-19 vaccines marked for prisoners and selling them to the public, authorities said Tuesday.The suspects took more than 1,000 doses made by China’s Sinovac from the prisoners’ quota, offering them to buyers in the capital Jakarta and in North Sumatra’s Medan city for around 250,000 rupiah (US$17) each.The four arrested included a doctor at a prison in Medan and a local health official, police said. They could face a life sentence if convicted under Indonesia’s anti-corruption law.“One of the suspects brought the vaccines to Jakarta where we also uncovered some locations providing the service,” North Sumatra police spokesman Hadi Wahyudi told AFP Tuesday.Indonesia has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and it is rolling out a massive vaccination programme for many of its nearly 270 million people.Citizens get shots at no cost.But tens of millions are still waiting for their jabs, with limited supplies prioritised for frontline health workers and other high-risk groups – including the inmates at Indonesia’s overcrowded prisons.The country’s prison system is notorious for poor conditions and rights groups have warned about the risk of coronavirus outbreaks in jails across the archipelago.The arrests come after a separate vaccine scandal in North Sumatra this month, when police said they found health workers at Medan’s airport were recycling cotton swabs from Covid-19 tests by washing and repackaging them.The scheme could have affected thousands of passengers tested at the airport, they said.Indonesia has officially reported more than 1.7 million cases of coronavirus and nearly 50,000 deaths.


No total economic shutdown during MCO, says Ismail Sabri

The government will not completely close the economic sector even when implementing the movement control order (MCO) as this would adversely affect petty traders, says Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said the government had decided on this to strike a balance between lives and livelihoods despite calls from various quarters to shut down the economic sector to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases.“I have received many WhatsApp messages from petty traders and roadside traders saying it would be very tough for them if they are not allowed to operate during the MCO period.“Some of them said they had depleted their savings to keep their families going. Although we allow stall operators to do takeaway service, their income has dropped by 50%,” he told reporters after inspecting a roadblock at the Gombak toll plaza today.Ismail added that the government has to protect the economic interests of the poor, especially the B40 group.He said while it is important to protect the people from Covid-19, the government also has to ensure that they can earn a living.“We do not want people to die of Covid-19 but we also do not want them to die of starvation or to go without any income to support their family.“Just imagine what would happen if their stalls had to be closed for two weeks, then another two weeks. It would definitely have a big impact on them as they are living from hand to mouth,” he added.Ismail said there should be a balance between protecting economic interests and the people’s health to ensure that the nation’s economic revenue remains stable even as the country is fighting the pandemic.Nevertheless, he reminded the people to always abide by the SOPs to break the chain of infection.


Entrepreneurial skills more important than 51% Bumiputera stake, govt told

An economist says the government should focus on building the skills of Bumiputera entrepreneurs instead of setting the condition for 51% equity ownership in logistics companies.Yeah Kim Leng, a professor at Sunway University, said this would enable the Bumiputeras to establish their own companies and to better understand the increasing competition in the current market situation.He also voiced concern over what might happen if the policy is implemented without emphasising the long-term implications for the companies involved.“To be directly involved, we need to have expertise or experience in the industry to be able to contribute to the company and ensure that it continues to grow and remains competitive,” he told MalaysiaNow.“If this policy is seen as a forced recruitment process, it could create conflict within the management of the company and disrupt the growth process.”In 2018, Najib Razak who was prime minister at the time announced that the Bumiputera equity conditions for logistic companies would be reviewed in 2020.“If this policy is seen as a forced recruitment process, it could create conflict within the management of the company and disrupt the growth process.”In January, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said all brokerage licensees registered with customs had to comply with Bumiputera ownership conditions, but did not give specific details.The Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders subsequently urged the government on Sept 18 to clarify its stance on the 51% Bumiputera equity stake for logistic companies which will reportedly take effect by the end of the year.On Sept 28, Zafrul told the Dewan Rakyat that the finance ministry had extended the exemption period for freight forwarders to meet the requirement of 51% Bumiputera equity participation until December 2022.He said this was to allow the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit or Teraju to study and review the participation of the Bumiputera community in the logistics industry in greater detail.Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff from Universiti Putra Malaysia said condition did not portray the ability of Bumiputeras in the industry.While the intention of the proposed policy might appear to be in their best interest, he said, there were also fears that it would only benefit certain groups.“First of all, we need to understand why the government wants to implement this policy – to increase the ability of Bumiputeras to own property or assets in the form of equity.“But we also need to understand that uplifting the Bumiputeras is not just about equity percentage,” he said.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said each company has its own value in the market which cannot be directly compared through the equal distribution of equity rate.“For example, if an individual owns a 51% equity stake in a company worth RM1.1 million, that person will possess RM500,000. But if a company is worth RM1.1 billion, the individual will own RM500 million.“So we need to look at the value of equity,” he said.Yeah meanwhile said that in the event of a management conflict, the outcome is usually in favour of the majority shareholders as often seen in joint venture companies.“The concern is that the owner of a company whose holdings are shrinking will give up his shareholding and start a new business using the resources from his business.“This could cause the value of the company to plummet, and in the end the original goal of implementing that policy will not be achieved,” he said.Both he and Razman welcomed the government’s move to extend the exemption period, saying this would allow it more space to examine the policy in depth.


Australia orders 200,000 to flee floods, city of Sydney spared

Australia’s emergency services Thursday ordered 200,000 people to flee from the path of a wild storm that has killed 13 people in a week of record-setting east coast floods, but the city of Sydney escaped the worst of the deluge.Authorities issued severe rain and wind warnings for a 400km (250-mile) stretch of the coast as water levels rose rapidly – including in suburbs around Sydney, Australia’s largest city and home to five million people.The unpredictable storm front has crawled southwards along the east coast from Queensland to New South Wales, creating havoc as rivers and reservoirs broke their banks with water swamping homes up to their roofs.A low-pressure system sat off the coast hundreds of kilometres north of Sydney, dumping the heaviest rain in that area and sparing the city from a feared downpour, said meteorologist Ben Domensino of Weatherzone.“Sydney escaped the heaviest falls today,” he told AFP, predicting that the storm would weaken by Friday.The Warragamba Dam in southwestern Sydney, which supplies 80% of the city’s water, has been spilling over since the early hours of Wednesday.The forecast of peak overflow at the dam was downgraded by nearly half on Thursday because rainfall in the dam’s catchment areas was less than had been predicted.‘Unpredictable’Major floods are still under way in some areas west of Sydney along the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers – which snakes across the city’s suburbs – said a spokeswoman for the New South Wales bureau of meteorology.“That’s a system that is very big and it will take a while for it to ease off,” she warned.In the historic town of Windsor – where many of Australia’s oldest surviving European buildings are – Paul Caleo joined other locals watching the Hawkesbury River rise above the local bridge, cutting off access to homes and farms.Across the submerged bridge, an almost 120-year-old home stood alone on high ground surrounded by floodwaters.“The river by its very nature is unpredictable,” Caleo said.Along Sydney’s historic harbour, Taronga Zoo prepared for an influx of injured wildlife from torrential rainfall and flooding.The first fear was for young wildlife, small animals – including echidnas and bandicoots – and birds unable to escape surging floodwaters.Heavy downpours can make birds’ feathers so waterlogged they are unable to fly, a spokeswoman told AFP.As the floodwaters recede, concern will turn to the animals living in fresh water, including platypuses.New South Wales’ emergency services said more than 70 evacuation orders were still in force across the state.“Many people are waking up today to see much of our state underwater,” New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said earlier in the day.“If you are subject to one of those evacuation orders, please get out,” he told a news conference, explaining that the evacuation orders affected 200,000 people.‘We will be with you’Scientists say climate change is making Australia’s floods, bushfires, cyclones and droughts more frequent and more intense.“Australia is at the forefront of severe climate change,” said environmental expert Hilary Bambrick of the Queensland University of Technology.“Temperatures are rising faster in Australia than the global average, and higher temperatures mean the atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning rainfall events are becoming more extreme.”Across New South Wales, flood levels have climbed to the highest level in decades during the flooding disaster.In towns such as Lismore in the state’s northeast, which is now cleaning up as flood waters retreat, people had clambered onto their rooftops, sometimes waiting many hours to be rescued from rising waters.New South Wales said it was sending an extra 400 personnel to that region to help people on the “very, very long road” to cleaning up and recovering.“Many people today in the Northern Rivers and over the last 24 hours have returned home, and they have returned home to devastating scenes,” state premier Perrottet said. “My message is we will be with you.”


Zahid asked company to give money for Umno, court told

The Shah Alam High Court was today told that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi asked Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) to give financial aid in the form of political donations to Umno.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer V Mahendran, 38, said the request was made by Zahid when two former UKSB directors – Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani – came to his residence at Country Height, Kajang.
The 18th prosecution witness said Zahid was home minister at the time and had both power and influence in deciding on the policies and directions of the government, particularly the home ministry.
"UKSB agreed to give the political donations to ensure that its business would not be interrupted as there were several other companies lobbying for the job undertaken by UKSB, namely relating to the visa system.
"Investigations also revealed that those cash donations, which were given on a monthly basis to Zahid, were prepared by David Tan (former UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun) on the instruction of Harry Lee," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong.
Mahendran said Tan’s role was to ensure that UKSB had sufficient funds to fulfil Zahid’s request.
Prior to this, Wan Quoris Shah told the court that the financial aid given to Zahid was meant to strengthen the company’s position as a home ministry contractor, apart from getting the politician’s support to reduce competition from other companies running similar businesses.
Mahendran said based on the statements by Lee, Tan and Wan Quoris Shah, the cash donations for Zahid would normally be placed in an envelope.
"The handover of the cash would be done every month according to Zahid’s time, which was normally at 10pm at Seri Satria, Putrajaya, his official residence or at Country Heights," he said.
Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSC service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.
On another seven counts, he is charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 euros and US$15,000 from the same company which had official links with his official duty.
He was charged with committing the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.
The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues.


Don’t come to the city, stay home to welcome 2021, Sydney residents told

Every New Year’s Eve, Sydney, Australia, is one of the world’s first major cities to welcome the new year with a spectacular fireworks display that is watched on TV around the world.Enormous crowds normally pack together around the harbour bridge to watch the display and cheer the arrival of the New Year.However, 2020 is not a normal year and as 2021 arrives, Sydney will be like a ghost town.The state authorities have banned large gatherings on New Year’s Eve amid a recent outbreak of the coronavirus.A mid-December resurgence of Covid-19 in the city’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases after five new infections were recorded on Monday, reports Reuters.About a quarter of a million people there must stay in strict lockdown until Jan 9.That has led to further restrictions of the already toned-down plans for New Year’s Eve. New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian has banned most people from coming to Sydney’s downtown for the celebrations.“We don’t want to create any super-spreading events on New Year’s Eve, which then ruins it for everybody across the state,” Berejiklian said at a news conference, adding that the city’s famous fireworks display would still go ahead at midnight but watching the fireworks from home was the safest way.Plans to allow about 5,000 frontline workers to watch Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display from the foreshore have been scrapped.Berejiklian said the government believed having frontline workers from Sydney and the regions gathered together in the CBD for the fireworks display was too much of a health risk, the Guardian reports.“We’ll find another opportunity during the year to recognise what you have done,” she said. “On New Year’s Eve, we don’t want any crowds on the foreshores around Sydney whatsoever.”This means the centre of the city is likely to be eerily quiet on what is normally one of its busiest nights of the year.Berejiklian said there were still “too many concerning aspects” of the northern beaches outbreak, including that authorities have been unable to trace some cases.“You can’t just jump on a bus or a train and come to the city centre on New Year’s Eve,” the premier said.“Please know that singing, dancing, even speaking loudly and mingling really accelerate the virus spreading and we ask everybody, please, be sensible this year.”


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Chinese scientists propose sending squadrons of rockets to deflect asteroids

Chinese scientists want to send more than 20 of China’s largest rockets to practice turning away a sizable asteroid in a technique that may eventually be crucial if a killer rock is on a collision course with Earth.The idea is more than science fiction. Sometime between late 2021 and early 2022, the US will launch a robotic spacecraft to intercept two asteroids relatively close to Earth.When it arrives a year later, the Nasa spacecraft will crash-land on the smaller of the two rocky bodies to see how much the asteroid’s trajectory changes. It will be humanity’s first try at changing the course of a celestial body.At China’s National Space Science Center, researchers found in simulations that 23 Long March 5 rockets hitting simultaneously could deflect a large asteroid from its original path by a distance 1.4 times the Earth’s radius.Their calculations are based on an asteroid dubbed Bennu, orbiting the sun, which is as wide as the Empire State Building is tall. It belongs to a class of rocks with the potential to cause regional or continental damage. Asteroids spanning more than 1km would have global consequences.The science centre cited a recently published study in Icarus, a journal on planetary science.China has successfully launched six Long March 5 rockets since 2016. They are a key element of Beijing’s space ambitions.“The proposal to make one large ’kinetic impactor’ to deflect an asteroid, is a rather nice concept,” said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons from the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.“By increasing the mass hitting the asteroid, simple physics should ensure a much greater effect,” he told Reuters, although, he added, the actual operation of such a mission needs to be studied in greater detail.Current estimates show there is roughly a 1% chance a 100-meter-wide asteroid would strike Earth in the next 100 years, said Professor Gareth Collins of Imperial College London.Altering an asteroid’s path presents a lower risk than blasting the rock with nuclear explosives, which may create smaller fragments without changing their course, he added.Asteroid impact craters leave quite an impression on the surface of planets and moons.The largest verified asteroid crater on Earth today is the Vredefort crater in South Africa.It is more than 300km across, which means the asteroid that created it was about twice the size of the one that struck Earth and exterminated the dinosaurs.The largest asteroid predicted to make a close approach to Earth this year zipped by from a safe distance on March 21, according to Nasa.That relatively small near-Earth asteroid, was around 700m wide and more than five times the distance between Earth and the moon, during its closest approach, moving at 125,000kph.


Rights group slams proposal to close UN refugee office in Malaysia

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today hit out at a proposal by the National Security Council (MKN) to shut down the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office in the country, questioning its assertion that the government should manage refugees and undocumented migrants without "foreign interference".
In a statement, LFL director Zaid Malek said the protection of refugees and asylum seekers was not an issue that should be defined as foreign interference.
"It is an acknowledgement of the suffering of those displaced due to war or strife, and the responsibility to protect them from harm," he said.
"Malaysia, having been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, must embody international human rights principles not only abroad but also in our own shores. Shutting down the UNHCR will undoubtedly damage Malaysia’s international standing and reputation."
MKN director-general Rodzi Md Saad had said on Sept 6 that the council was studying the pros and cons of shutting down the UNHCR office in Malaysia and improving the management of refugees in the country.
He also said that MKN would need to strengthen the planned mechanisms and ensure the orderly implementation of its proposal before recommending it to the government.
Zaid said the UNHCR played an integral role in identifying the refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, and in giving them the necessary protection and social aid.
"Malaysia also has a longstanding working relationship with UNHCR beginning in 1975, where both worked together to shelter Vietnamese refugees.
"Even more recently, during the Covid-19 outbreak, both cooperated closely to ensure the safe vaccination of undocumented migrants, which ultimately benefited not only the migrants but Malaysians as well," he said.
He also questioned MKN's plan to handle such groups "directly", saying the home ministry's "appalling track record" did not create confidence in the council's assurances of a framework to manage undocumented migrants and refugees in Malaysia.
"UNHCR cardholders are constantly harassed by the enforcement authorities and many have been detained indefinitely and illegally in immigration depots, actions which thus far have been sanctioned by the home ministry and the government.
"The conditions in these depots are horrible and many children are reported to have died there."
Citing the deportation of more than 1,000 Myanmar nationals last year despite the ongoing military coup in the country, Zaid added: "Whatever framework that is in the works is highly suspect and cannot be expected to be up to international standards, especially when Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
"If the government truly wants to deal with refugees through local enforcement, they must first ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention, without which any replacement for UNHCR in Malaysia would be viewed with distrust."


3 Chinese workers killed in another fatal accident at SUKE highway construction site

Three Chinese workers were killed when a crane at the construction site of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) collapsed, the second fatal incident at the highway project this month.The workers fell some 120 feet when the launcher crane gave way. Rescue teams are still working to recover the body of the third worker.Authorities said the crane landed on a passing Perodua Bezza car, whose driver was seriously injured.Earlier this month, two people were killed when the van in which they were travelling on the MRR2 Highway near Bandar Tasik Selatan was struck by a bridge which collapsed after being hit by a trailer.


No Johor MB candidate until victory in the bag, says PKR

PKR has not considered or offered anyone in the party as its candidate for Johor menteri besar should Pakatan Harapan (PH) be given the mandate in the state polls this Saturday.PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the party was focusing on ensuring victory and that the menteri besar candidate would only be finalised after winning the election and discussing the matter with other PH component parties.“We do not have any name yet. We are only focusing on offering the best candidates, candidates who have provided the best service and always strive harder.“We have also learnt from our experience in past elections and will try to avoid repeating the mistakes we previously made,” he said at a press conference with PKR candidates at the Semerah state constituency people’s service centre near Batu Pahat today.Saifuddin said he was confident in the PKR candidates contesting the central zone as their records were good.He said two candidates were former assemblymen, one a former minister and another a former Johor state exco in addition to a new woman candidate.Polling is on March 12 while early voting is tomorrow.


China's Xi arrives in Saudi Arabia for energy-focused visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for a visit that is likely to focus on energy ties as Washington warned of Beijing's growing influence.
Xi, recently reanointed as leader of the world's second biggest economy, arrived in the capital Riyadh, Chinese and Saudi state media said, for a three-day visit that will include talks with Saudi and other Arab leaders.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar were among those who welcomed Xi at the airport, where a ceremonial purple carpet was laid out for his arrival.
China is Saudi Arabia's top oil customer, and both sides appear keen to expand their relationship at a time of economic turmoil and geopolitical realignment.
The trip – only Xi's third overseas since the coronavirus pandemic began, and his first to the world's top oil exporter since 2016 – comes after US President Joe Biden's visit in July, when he pleaded in vain for higher oil production.
It will feature bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, as well as a summit with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and a wider China-Arab summit.
Asked about the visit, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia remains a crucial US ally, but warned of "the influence that China is trying to grow around the world".
"We believe that many of the things they're trying to pursue and the manner in which they're trying to pursue it are not conducive to preserving the international rules based order," Kirby said, adding that Washington did not expect nations to choose between the two powers.
Washington tensions
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Wednesday said that "Saudi Arabia will remain China's credible and reliable partner" in the global oil market.
Bilateral "relations... are witnessing a qualitative leap," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted him as saying.
He said the two countries will endeavour to boost cooperation in energy supply chains by establishing a "regional centre" in Saudi Arabia for Chinese factories, according to SPA.
The agency said the kingdom accounted for more than 20% of Chinese investment in the Arab world between 2005 and 2020, the largest share of any nation in the region.
Oil markets are key to the bilateral talks, especially given the substantial market turbulence seen since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
The G7 and European Union on Friday agreed to a US$60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil in an attempt to deny the Kremlin war resources, injecting further market uncertainty.
On Sunday, the Opec+ oil cartel led jointly by Saudi Arabia and Russia opted to keep in place production cuts of two million barrels per day approved in October.
Washington said those cuts amounted to "aligning with Russia" on the war in Ukraine.
The US has been engaged in what is often described as an oil-for-security partnership with Saudi Arabia since the tail-end of World War II.
While the Biden administration has smarted over the production cuts, Riyadh has at times accused the US of failing to hold up the security end of the bargain, notably after strikes in September 2019 claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels temporarily halved the kingdom's crude output.
Deals in pipeline
Saudi and Chinese officials have provided scant information about the agenda of the bilateral talks, although Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the government, said he expected "a number of agreements to be signed".
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Wednesday that Xi's programme represents the "largest-scale diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world" since the People's Republic of China was founded.
Analysts say potential deals seeing Chinese firms become more deeply involved in mega-projects central to Prince Mohammed's vision of economic diversification will likely be key talking points.
Key Saudi projects include the futuristic US$500 billion (RM2.19 trillion) megacity Neom, a so-called cognitive city that will depend heavily on facial recognition and surveillance technology.
In a boost to the kingdom's ability to fund its diversification plans, the finance ministry on Wednesday announced a preliminary budget surplus for 2022 of some US$27 billion, its first surplus in nearly a decade.


Police say Hassan, not Hadi, under probe

Police yesterday confirmed receiving a report against Baling MP Hassan Saad for allegedly labelling Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as an agent of Israel.
They had earlier said that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was being investigated for remarks against the prime minister, under laws pertaining to criminal insult as well as online content.
In a correction issued by Bernama, police spokesman Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin said the investigation was being conducted by the Classified Crime Investigation Unit, Prosecution/Law Division, Criminal Investigation Department, Bukit Aman.
"The police confirm receiving a report on the issue concerned. The case is classified under Section 504 and Section 500 of the Penal Code (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, and defamation).
"(The case is also being investigated) under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (for improper use of network facilities or network services)," she said in a statement.
PKR Youth had yesterday asked the police to investigate allegations calling Anwar an Israeli agent.
Its chief Mohamad Syazreen Ezam Mohd Saidi was reported as saying that the matter should not be taken lightly as it involved the country’s sovereignty and security.
On Monday, Pakatan Harapan was reported as saying it would take legal action against anyone linking its leaders to Israeli agents while PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said Anwar had asked the police to act on seditious remarks.


Chinese visa applications just 35% of pre-pandemic levels, data shows

Visa applications by Chinese citizens remain well below pre-pandemic levels following the lifting of travel restrictions in January, data from a specialist visa firm revealed, as the number of international flights remained limited.
VFS Global, a visa application outsourcing and technology services firm, said in a statement visa application volumes from China reached 35% of pre-Covid levels by May compared with the same period of 2019 (January to May 20).
It listed top destinations as including Canada, Germany, Italy, Britain and the US.
China's government gave the green light for international travel and resumed issuing passports and travel visas for residents in January. But analysts had said travel would not quickly bounce back due to several reasons, including the low number of flights into and out of the country.
Although the country saw a spurt of domestic travel demand during the Lunar New Year and Labour Day holidays, analysts at Nomura said in a note that the recovery in outbound tourism has remained gradual.
Also, there remains a possibility of new outbreaks that could deter travel.
When the country first opened its borders, several countries barred Chinese citizens over fears of spreading Covid and alleged new variants amid a surge in the country, which the government declared victory over.
"The new wave could send the infections number to the highest level since China's official reopening this January," said analysts at Citi.
"The simulated infection peak also coincides well with the Dragon Boat Festival (June 22-24) and the beginning of the summer travel season. The travel data for the upcoming holidays will be an important watch point in this sense," Citi analysts wrote in a research note.
Despite cases rising in cities like Beijing, where the city's municipal health commission recently reported four straight weeks of increasing infections, many health experts in the country have downplayed any new major resurgence.


Radzi thanks teachers, ministry staff for hard work during pandemic

Education Minister Radzi Jidin today said that managing the operation of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic would not have gone smoothly without the cooperation of all parties involved.He also said it would have been impossible for him to carry out his responsibilities without the commitment and efficiency of teachers and those in the education ministry.“I am thankful because I have an education ministry management team and educators who always give their best to ensure the country’s education system continues to run smoothly.“We went through a very difficult period during the Covid-19 pandemic which was unprecedented, and we had to redesign the education system by issuing SOP guidebooks for compliance,” he said at the launch of this year’s Teachers’ Day celebration at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.Radzi said he was touched by the sacrifices of the teachers who had worked hard to understand every detail of the guidelines issued by the ministry to ensure a smooth learning process for students.“Alhamdulillah, all of the guidelines given were implemented as well as possible, such as teachers waiting in front of the gates to check the temperature and health of students, teaching online, complying with rotation system and so on. Thank you to all the teachers,” he said.Radzi added that even though the education system faced great challenges during this period, the ministry had managed to fill 87% of the 18,702 outstanding vacancies for teachers.“The remaining 13% will be filled in stages as the ministry is facing a shortage of teachers, especially for critical subjects such as English and visual arts education,” he said.


Pakistan province to block phones of the unvaccinated

A Pakistan province said Friday it will block the mobile phones of people refusing to get Covid-19 jabs, in the latest move to penalise the unvaccinated in a country where only a fraction of the population have been inoculated.It comes after Sindh province said civil servants who refuse to be vaccinated will not be paid from July.A third wave of infections has begun to stabilise in Pakistan after weeks of tough restrictions, and in Punjab – the country’s most populous province which includes the megacity of Lahore – demand for jabs has slowed.“At first this was only a proposal, but people have been very hesitant in getting vaccinated so the decision was made,” said Hammad Raza, spokesman for the Punjab Primary Health department.He said the state telecoms agency will decide how to implement the measure.Pakistan’s nationwide vaccination rollout has ramped up in recent weeks with more than 200,000 doses administered most days, but it adds up to only a fraction of the 220 million population.Almost 10.5 million doses have been administered, with China supplying most of the vaccines.But concerns about the side effects of the jab, coupled with misinformation that it causes infertility or death within two years, have sparked vaccine hesitancy.“Pakistan’s education level is low. People are also spreading rumours and misinformation about the vaccines,” Salman Haseeb, the head of Pakistan’s Young Doctor’s Association, told AFP.“So information campaigns by the government won’t work for the short term. They will have to make use of the law to ensure everyone gets vaccinated.”The measures were met with concern by some Pakistanis in Lahore.“It will be hard for me if I can’t use my phone, but I am very scared about the vaccine,” said Saima Bibi, a domestic worker in Lahore.“You can’t force someone to get vaccinated,” added Farwa Hussain, a teacher in Rawalpindi, who has already received a shot.“It makes me a little suspicious.”Under new incentives, those who do get vaccinated will be allowed access to cinemas, celebration halls, and shrines, while restrictions will be lifted on businesses in districts with more than 20% of the population protected.Mobile vaccine centres will also be set up outside shrines to reach people in rural areas.Pakistan has recorded more than 940,000 infections and 21,500 deaths, but with limited testing and a ramshackle healthcare sector, many fear the true extent of the disease is much worse.National data also shows that around 300,000 recipients of the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine haven’t returned for a second dose.


Umno crumbling under Zahid, says Dr Mahathir

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Umno has grown weak under the leadership of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, even as the latter comes under pressure over the appointment of a Bersatu man as Sabah chief minister.In an exclusive interview with MalaysiaNow, Mahathir, who was Umno president himself from 1981 to 2003, said under Zahid’s leadership the party had split into various camps.“Now Umno is divided. There is this faction and that faction. One faction says this, another says that. How will you lead Umno, which faction?” the former prime minister asked in an hour-long interview on a wide range of topics at his office at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya.He named at least three Umno leaders heading factions in the party.“Zahid has one faction, Hishammuddin Hussein has one faction, and Mohamad Hasan has one faction. This person says this, that person says that.“What Umno do you want to be president of?”Zahid’s leadership of Umno entered the spotlight after his failed attempt to put forward Sabah Umno chairman Bung Moktar Radin as chief minister, following Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) victory in the state election last Saturday.Instead, Sabah Bersatu chief Hajiji Noor, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) choice for CM who led an exodus from Umno in 2018, was sworn in despite protests from Zahid and a section of Umno leaders in the peninsula.Bung himself publicly declared his support for Hajiji, rejecting suggestions of a rift within the new GRS government comprising Umno, PBS and Bersatu representing PN.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whose leadership of the party has come under scrutiny. Photo: BernamaLast week, Zahid ruffled feathers between Umno and its closest ally PAS after he said their MPs were free to support PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim to oust Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Anwar had earlier claimed to possess a “strong and formidable” majority to form the federal government.“That is what Zahid says now,” Mahathir told MalaysiaNow.“Before this, when he wanted to topple Pakatan Harapan (PH), he told me that Umno would join this new coalition en bloc. I did not accept that,” said Mahathir, referring to the political crisis early this year.In efforts by Bersatu to form a new coalition after the fall of PH in February, Mahathir had rejected a pre-condition by Umno that its MPs would only join en bloc.The move caused a fallout between Mahathir and Muhyiddin, both co-founders of Bersatu, with the former prime minister announcing the formation of a new political outfit called Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.


Former defence minister Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen dies

Former defence minister Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail died of old age at his residence in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, last night. He was 94.The Umno veteran’s son, Tengku Farith, said his father suffered a stroke two weeks ago and was treated at a private hospital. He was later discharged.“But this morning he experienced breathing difficulties before passing away,” he said when contacted by Bernama last night.Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen’s remains were brought to the Federal Territory Mosque at Jalan Duta for prayers thism orning.But Tengku Farith said no decision had been made on whether his father’s burial would be held at the National Mosque or Bukit Kiara cemetery.Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, popularly known as “Ku Deen”, was defence minister from 1987 to 1990.He was also appointed as a minister with special functions to assist Tun Abdul Razak in the foreign ministry in 1973, and minister of information and special functions in 1974.He was subsequently appointed as foreign minister (1975) and trade and industry minister (1981) before being reappointed as foreign minister (1984) and then information minister (1986).In 1970, he held the post of deputy defence minister before being made a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in 1972.He was chairman of Umno’s discplinary board in 2001 and a member of the Supreme Council in 1987.


‘End of an era’ as New York removes last of its iconic payphone booths

Marking the end of an era, New York City on Monday removed the last of its storied payphone booths, which have fallen victim to the ubiquity of free Wi-fi and cell phones in recent years.But Superman fans can take comfort in the fact that Manhattan will keep four of the defunct booths, made famous as the impromptu changing rooms for journalist Clark Kent as he transformed into the Man of Steel.Over the decades, the phone booths have featured widely in pop culture, from comic books to Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows.That ended Monday morning, when, in front of assembled media, Manhattan borough president – the equivalent of the mayor – Mark Levine had the last booth housing two Bell System payphones at the corner of 7th Avenue and 50th Street dismantled and lifted on to a flatbed truck.Levine said on Twitter he was “on hand today to say ‘Bye Bye’ one last time to the famed NYC pay phone.”“I won’t miss all the dead dial tones but gotta say I felt a twinge of nostalgia seeing it go,” he added.Fixed-line payphones began disappearing from the streets of New York in the early 2000s as cell phone use spread, and then vanished even faster in the 2010s with the explosion of smartphones.The final blow came when, in 2015, Manhattan went ahead with the installation of thousands of LinkNYC hotspots offering WiFi and free local calls.Those new kiosks are to be gradually connected to the emerging 5G network.“Truly the end of an era but also, hopefully, the start of a new one with more equity in technology access,” said Levine, referring to neighborhoods in northern Manhattan, such as Harlem, that are less well covered by telephone and internet networks.According to local media, Manhattan will keep four of the old-fashioned phone booths on the Upper West Side, on West End Avenue at 66th, 90th, 100th and 101st streets.


Ministers under scrutiny in Hari Raya chit-chat

As friends and family members gather for Aidilfitri get-togethers, conversation at many houses soon turns to the bread-and-butter topics of the economy, current affairs and, sooner or later – politics.
At the heart of such chats is often the coalition government led by the once unheard-of combination of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional, its performance so far and the ministers in Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet.
Some, like Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, have courted controversy for the decisions made so far.
For Zaliha, the crux of the debate on her performance so far is the recent move to delist nicotine as a controlled substance under the Poisons Act, a decision that sparked concern over efforts to prohibit smoking in the country.
A doctor in a southern state said Zaliha's decision had affected the morale of public health workers.
"Many doctors are against it," he said.
"There are also outstanding issues like long working hours and the problems faced by contract doctors."
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he acknowledged that many of these issues had existed long before Zaliha took over the health ministry.
Nevertheless, he said, her responses were not always convincing.
He also referred to the health ministry's advice to civil servants against participating in illegal gatherings when rumours had swirled of a strike by contract doctors early this month.
"Why threaten them?" he said. "That is not the way to resolve the problems faced by the contract doctors."
Mohd Shah Mohd Saleh, who lives in Cheras but returned to his home town of Terengganu for Hari Raya, said he would like to see Anwar serve a full term of five years as prime minister.
However, he said the PH chairman should reshuffle his Cabinet.
In his opinion, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil is among those who should be replaced.
"He doesn't seem to do much and he flip-flops a lot," he added.
Fahmi was in the spotlight last month after criticising a report by a local news outlet about analysts' prediction of a hike in the overnight policy rate.
Mohd Shah, who works in the retail sector, also recalled how the PKR communications director had once answered a phone call during a press conference, describing this as immature and a poor way to handle the media.
In Kelantan, meanwhile, much of the flak was reserved for Umno president and deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
A local who introduced himself as Yusuf Awang said Zahid was the main stumbling block for those who wished to support the coalition government.
"It's not that we don't want to support Anwar," he added.
"We just cannot accept why he chose to work with Zahid."
He said this would likely be a deciding factor at the state election expected to be held in the next few months.
Zahid, who defended his Bagan Datuk seat at the last general election with a thin majority of 348 votes, was controversially appointed as one of two deputy prime ministers in Anwar's Cabinet despite the string of criminal charges against him in court.


Japan police find Ugandan weightlifter who went missing from Olympic camp

A Ugandan weightlifter has been found four days after he disappeared from an Olympic training camp in Japan leaving a note saying he wanted to find work, police said Tuesday.The disappearance of Julius Ssekitoleko came at a time of high public concern over coronavirus risks as thousands of foreigners arrive for the Games.“Today, the man was found in Mie prefecture with no injuries and no involvement in any crime,” an Osaka police official, who declined to be named, told AFP.“He carried his own ID and identified himself. It is not certain to whom we should send the man – the team or the embassy.”The alarm was raised on Friday after Ssekitoleko failed to show up for a coronavirus test and was not in his hotel room.The 20-year-old had recently found out he would not be able to compete at the Tokyo Games, which open on Friday, because of a quota system.A note was found in his room requesting his belongings be sent to his family in Uganda, according to officials in Izumisano city in Osaka prefecture, where the team was training.Police said Ssekitoleko had travelled to Nagoya in central Japan and then to nearby Gifu prefecture, before moving south to Mie.“He was found in a house belonging to people who have a connection to the man. He did not offer resistance. He was talking frankly. We are still questioning him about his motive,” the police official said.When Uganda’s delegation arrived in Japan last month, a coach tested positive, with another member of the delegation also testing positive later.Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem told AFP that Ugandan authorities had been informed that Ssekitoleko had been found and was being questioned.“We are working with Japan’s government to get the facts surrounding the weightlifter’s disappearance and how he got accredited,” he said.“As a government we have already apologised to the government of Japan on the disappearance of the weightlifter,” he added. “It was unacceptable conduct and treachery.”Coronavirus cases are rising in Tokyo, which is under a state of emergency, and there is heavy scrutiny in Japan of infection risks linked to the Games.Athletes and other Olympic participants are subject to strict rules including regular testing and limits on their movement.


Let teachers, students with Covid-19 symptoms stay home, says health ministry

The health ministry has suggested that a circular be issued to allow symptomatic teachers and students to skip school to curb the spread of Covid-19.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the ministry submitted the proposal to Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali and Education Minister Radzi Jidin after education cluster cases shot up by 83.3% between April 11 and last Saturday.“The circular should be issued because there are fears among teachers and students that action will be taken against them for not attending school although they have symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough and loss of sense of taste,” he said at a press conference today.He said teachers who could not attend school should inform the relevant district health office so that a letter could be issued to confirm that they have symptoms.“Covid-19 screening tests will be immediately conducted and if they test positive, reports will be made. We just want to remind teachers not to misuse this arrangement,” he added.Adham said symptomatic students should skip school straight away to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.“Symptomatic students should be allowed to skip school and should not be marked as absent although they stay at home,” he said.Adham also said 23,779 students aged 12 and below had tested positive for Covid-19 so far this year.“This is a sharp rise compared to the 8,369 cases involving students aged 12 and below last year,” he said.He said about 60% of all Covid-19 cases reported between Jan 1 and April 25 this year did not have any “epid link”, meaning the sources of infection were unknown.“They account for 170,173 cases and this is very high. Such sporadic cases are already in the community.”He said the states with the most sporadic cases are Selangor with 65,215, Kuala Lumpur (19,834) and Johor (17,974).


37 rescued after Genting Highlands landslide

Thirty-seven people believed to have been trapped at a campsite near Father’s Organic Farm in Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands, have been rescued, following a landslide in the area early today.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said firefighters began arriving at the scene at about 3am after receiving a distress call at 2.24am.
The fire teams included those from the Kuala Kubu Bharu, Rawang, Genting Highlands, Sentosa, Ampang, Pandan, Kota Anggerik, Kajang and Andalas rescue and fire stations.
Norazam said the landslide near the farm had fallen on a campsite close to the road.
"According to the police, there are 100 people at the campsite who are likely to be victims of the landslide.
"The search and rescue mission for the victims is being carried out with the STORM team," he said when contacted by Bernama today.


Unpacking the allure of South Korean pop culture

Once upon a time, popular film industries like Bollywood were Malaysia’s first external sources of Asian entertainment.But while Hindi cinema still holds strong sway in the country, another wave has been rapidly making its way across Malaysia and, for that matter, everywhere else.South Korean pop culture has been taking the world by storm since the early 2000s, starting with television drama “Winter Sonata” – its first global success which attracted a cult following throughout Asia.The so-called Korean wave or Hallyu is now enjoying even greater success on the world stage thanks to Netflix hit “Squid Game”, which has become the streaming service’s most popular original programme yet.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, industry experts give a variety of reasons for the stunning popularity that Hallyu is enjoying.“K-dramas are an easy route for escapism – a boost of serotonin through romance-based plots and attractive actors,” Arifah Husna Badlishah, a digital engagement officer at Edinburgh University in Scotland, said.“It’s a short escape from the problems of real life.”Given the Covid-19 pandemic that will soon mark its second anniversary since washing over the world in late 2019, this is likely something that many appreciate.But in Asia, especially, the allure of K-drama might also be traced to its culture resonance.Here, Arifah perhaps gives voice to the feelings of many.“I like K-dramas because I think the storylines are more interesting than local dramas, but they still retain our Eastern aspects such as family and cultural values,” she said.K-dramas are also family-friendly, for the most part, and can be enjoyed without fear of having to deal with awkward scenes, she added.There are also tangible benefits to South Korea’s efforts over the years to expand its creative industry, first and foremost to its economy and tourism sector.“I don’t think South Korea was a popular destination for Malaysian holidaymakers 15 years ago, but now many people want to go there because they want to see the filming locations of their favourite K-dramas, or locations that are connected to their idols,” Arifah said.“When I think of South Korea, the first thing that comes to mind is their entertainment industry.”Such popularity also puts South Korea in a better light globally. Arifah said many Hallyu fans in the West are now hugely interested in South Korea and Asia in general thanks to its pop culture.‘Relevant’Director Eoon Suhaimi meanwhile cited the unconventional concepts and ideas in K-drama.Giving the example of “Squid Game”, he said the show captures the deep-seated concerns of many about the income gap and economic disparity around the world, making it highly relevant to real life.Noting the show’s long incubation period – 10 years – he said this shows South Korea’s determination to defend its arts and expand its cultural exports.Security and political analyst Noor Nirwandy said South Korea had been utilising the elements of diplomacy included in the list of so-called feel-food factors such as attractive physical attributes and song composition.“This is the reason the cultural invasion will likely be adopted by the younger generation,” he said.He also cited geopolitical issues such as the desire to demonstrate support for democratic values over those associated with North Korea which is seen as more restricted and authoritative.With millions of people throughout the world in connection with South Korean culture on a regular basis, the country is now a global soft power behemoth, he said.Nirwandy said South Korea deploys “soft power propaganda” by touching minds and hearts, promoting its perspectives and culture until this becomes part of a trend in societies all over the world.“South Korea’s branding of its pop culture to a certain standard receives recognition from global politics and also boosts global economic growth,” Nirwandy added.He likewise referred to the link between the physical attractiveness associated with K-drama and the country’s hugely influential fashion and cosmetics industry.He said cosmetics exports alone have skyrocketed, making South Korea the world’s third-largest source in this regard.Whither Malaysia?When asked about comparisons with Malaysia’s film industry, Eoon said the main factor behind the country’s entertainment struggles is budget.“We have ideas but a very limited budget that has stunted the growth of our creativity,” he said.He also spoke of the way in which cultural exports limit the space of local artistes to produce their own content.“When we produce something more alike, people will say that we are not being original. But when we want to produce our own concepts, we are not given the space to be creative.“People don’t look up to the local creative industry anymore as more and more K-dramas are being aired.”In order for Malaysia’s creative industry to grow, he said the target market must be on a global scale and not just for locals.“South Korea sets a target that their entertainment products are for global views. This is the mindset that has led to their success,” he said.Setting such a high bar makes South Korea more likely to invest in producing high quality films or dramas, he added.Eoon said also said that the South Korean government had invested in long-term efforts to expand specialised creative industries.“If our government provided us with more support, I believe we too would advance,” he said.This is a vision that Arifah, too, shares.“I can only hope that Malaysia will one day achieve such a level,” she said.


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Chile vets accused of using dog Covid-19 vaccines on people

Two veterinarians in Chile are under investigation for allegedly giving dog coronavirus vaccines to at least 75 people in the months before human jabs arrived in the country, health officials said Tuesday.The pair stand accused of having administered vaccines developed against canine coronavirus, which is not the same as the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the global human pandemic, to people in the city of Calama in Chile’s north.Questions first arose last September, when visiting health officials noted workers at a veterinary clinic in Calama operating without masks. Questioned, they claimed they had been vaccinated by a local veterinarian.The first Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Chile months later, in December.It later transpired another vet had given the canine vaccine to more people.“This is very dangerous,” health secretary Rossana Diaz of the Antofagaste region told broadcaster 24horas.“There are studies saying that the effects in humans can be local, as in irritation… or systemic,” she added.The two cases came to light this week when health officials reported to prosecutors that the vets had failed to pay the fines they had been given.The Seremi public health authority said at least 75 people had received the dog inoculations, including health workers and miners.Chile has so far given at least one dose of an approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to some 7.7 million people, out of a 15.2 million target population.The country has registered 1.13 million coronavirus infections and more than 25,000 deaths.


When Covid-19 keeps music off the streets

While Covid-19 and the measures taken to curb its spread have kept millions at home in various phases of lockdown, one group in particular is itching to get back on the streets – literally.Before the arrival of the pandemic, street musicians or buskers made their living playing and singing on kerbsides, at five-footways or in cafes – any public space where they would be able to gather an audience.With public gatherings banned under most forms of lockdown due to the contagious nature of the Covid-19 virus, many of these individuals have been struggling to get by.Norimah Muhammad, better known as Abot, was a popular alternative singer in the 1990s. In 2015, she, her husband and a few others began a career as street musicians.But the pandemic brought their music to a halt and forced her to find other ways of making a living.“We honestly depended on moving around in order to make a living,” she told MalaysiaNow.“Since the movement control order, we have been spending most of our time at home.”Now, they do a little work on the side, writing songs and lyrics under the Music Authors’ Copyright Protection.“Thankfully, we make some money. But we cannot depend on this work alone,” Abot said.Despite their tightened belts, they know others are going through a harder time.“Our situation is still under control,” she said. “Others are in more difficulty.”She also receives some assistance from the Malaysian Artistes’ Association or Karyawan.“But when we cannot move about to make a living, eventually our resources will dry up too.”Better days, before the arrival of Covid-19 and the accompanying lockdowns.Like many other musicians and singers whose audiences were restricted by the pandemic, she has also started her own YouTube channel. However, it isn’t turning a profit just yet.In the meantime, she makes what she can reading poetry online and doing video editing work – a far cry from what she used to do before the pandemic.Pre-Covid-19, Abot was usually found performing in hotspots such as Wangsa Maju, Setia Alam, Cheras and throughout the capital city.Before becoming a street musician, she was a known artiste who made her first album, Alternatif Buat Orang Timur, in 1996.She also won the Best Album Cover award at the 1997 Music Industry Awards, qualified for the semi-finals of TV3’s Juara Lagu (Muzik Muzik), and was named the first female solo alternative singer in the Malaysia Book of Records that same year.Her second album, Tak Tahu, came out in 1997 followed by her third and final album, Sayang Pok Pai, in 2002.She married thrash metal guitarist Jac FTG, or Mohd Rafli, in 1999. They now have two children: Siti Khadijah, 20 and Siti Hajar, 13.While Covid-19 was an unexpected catastrophe that swept across the entire world, Abot believes it is also a challenge for her to continue moving ahead.“Our parents faced an emergency due to war, now we are facing tiny germs that cannot be seen but are very dangerous,” she told MalaysiaNow.“There must be something positive and better, and we need to think, I am always positive.”


Beijing steps up hot weather alert to highest level

Beijing on Friday upgraded its warning for hot weather to "red" - the highest in a colour-coded alert system - saying most parts of the Chinese capital could roast in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.
On Thursday, the maximum temperature in the city of nearly 22 million people breached 41C and shattered the record for the hottest day in June.
A weather station in its southern suburbs, considered to be Beijing's main gauge, recorded 41.1C in the afternoon. The previous June high was logged on June 10, 1961, when the mercury hit 40.6C.
The daily maximum logged on Thursday was the city's second-highest in history, just below the 41.9C recorded by Beijing on July 24, 1999.
China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. A red alert indicates the temperature is set to rise above 40C within 24 hours.
The China Meteorological Administration said on Thursday it expected high temperatures to persist across much of the country's north for the next eight to ten days.
High temperature monitoring and warnings would continue on a rolling basis in places including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Inner Mongolia, it added.
In Tianjin, a northern Chinese port city with a population of over 13 million, Thursday's temperature reached 41.2C, smashing local records.
Local authorities on Friday warned the extended period of high temperatures could have health impacts, including an increased risk of stroke, and advised people to drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily and limit their time outdoors.


China launches mission with first civilian to space station

China sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Tuesday, putting a civilian into orbit for the first time as it pursues plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by the end of the decade.
The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space programme in a push to catch up with the US and Russia.
The Shenzhou-16 crew took off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 9.31am (0131 GMT), AFP journalists saw.
The launch was a "complete success" and the "astronauts are in good condition", said Zou Lipeng, director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Dozens of employees from the space programme, many of whom live year-round on the huge site, attended the launch, snapping selfies with the rocket in the background.
Children played as they waited for the launch, some waving Chinese flags as they sat on their parents' shoulders.
Spectators let out a loud "wow", shouting "good luck" and waving as the rocket took off in a cloud of ochre smoke.
Leading its crew is commander Jing Haipeng on his fourth mission, as well as engineer Zhu Yangzhu and Beihang University professor Gui Haichao, the first Chinese civilian in space.
China was the third country to put humans in orbit, and Tiangong is the crown jewel of its space programme, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon.
Shenzhou-16 is the first mission to Tiangong since it entered its "application and development" stage, authorities said.
The Shenzhou craft will dock at the space station's Tianhe core module.
The crew will then meet their three colleagues from the Shenzhou-15 flight, who have been at the station for six months and will return to Earth in the coming days.
Shenzhou-16 will carry out a number of experiments during the mission, including in "high-precision space time-frequency systems", general relativity, and into the origin of life, CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang told reporters on Monday.
The space station was resupplied with drinking water, clothing, food and propellant this month in preparation for Shenzhou-16's arrival.
One expert told AFP that Tuesday's mission represented "a regular crew rotation flight", but even that was significant.
"Accumulating depth of experience in human spaceflight operations is important and doesn't involve new spectacular milestones all the time," said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
'Heavenly palace'
Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping, and it is planning to build a moon base.
"The overall goal is to achieve China's first crewed landing on the Moon by 2030 and carry out lunar scientific exploration and related technological experiments," CMSA spokesman Lin said.
The final module of Tiangong – which means "heavenly palace" – successfully docked with the core structure last year.
The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, state news agency Xinhua reported, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system".
Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at an altitude between 400 and 450km for at least 10 years.
It is constantly crewed by rotating teams of three astronauts.
China has been effectively excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the US banned Nasa from engaging with the country – pushing Beijing to develop its own orbital outpost.
China's space agency reiterated on Monday it is actively seeking international cooperation in the project.
China plans to send two crewed space missions to Tiangong every year, according to the CMSA.
The next will be Shenzhou-17, with an expected launch in October.


What about us, chicken breeders say after Rafizi's remarks on cutting down

Poultry breeders have urged Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli to understand the challenges they face, describing his remarks that customers should reduce their consumption of chicken as taking the easy way out.
Mazlina Kamarudin, managing director of Bismi Empire Sdn Bhd, said farmers were struggling with cost and salary issues which in turn affected their cash flow.
"What he said may have been true, but I am disappointed that the government did not invite the local breeders for talks to find out what our troubles are," she said to MalaysiaNow.
She added that calls for people to cut down on their chicken consumption would cause demand to fall, affecting the breeders who would sustain losses as chickens are considered highly perishable.
She also said that many breeders had yet to receive subsidies from the government, and were burdened by the decision to raise the minimum salary level to RM1,500.
Rafizi was reported as saying on Dec 23 that consumers appeared willing to pay the prices set by suppliers even though these continued to rise.
"By right, when the price of chicken increases, people should avoid buying chicken," he said at a press conference.
He later said on Twitter that he had been referring to "the need to address the supply and demand side so that a more elastic consumer demand becomes a force to reckon with in influencing the price of goods".
Malaysia has the highest chicken consumption rate in Asia and one of the highest in the world, with an annual per capita consumption of about 46.8kg.
Chicken is a primary source of protein for many in the country, apart from eggs and fish.
Mazlina said the cost of chicks used to hover around RM1.50 each but had now increased to RM3.
The price of bran for feed meanwhile has also increased since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Why not ask the integrators and chick producers to sell chicks at a cheaper price?" she asked.
In April, the price of chicken hit RM10 per kg. Two months later, the government suspended exports of chicken as part of efforts to stabilise prices.
An entrepreneur who asked to remain anonymous said Rafizi's statement could be seen as sabotaging the chicken farming industry.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the economy minister should instead investigate why the price of chicken had risen so much.
"Are there middlemen looking to make a quick buck, and is bran being monopolised by big companies?" he added.
Mazlina meanwhile said there was still no clear direction from the government about the chicken industry.
"Will there be more price controls next year? We are already taking on losses with the current ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg," she said, adding that the government should impose a floor price as well, in the interest of fair play.


JPN pans talk of Bangladeshis given ICs ahead of election

The National Registration Department (JPN) has dismissed rumours circulating on social media that many Bangladeshis have been issued identity cards (MyKads) ahead of the election.
In a statement, JPN said the allegations were untrue and that MyKads are only issued to eligible Malaysian citizens based on the provisions of the law.
On the photo of a MyKad said to have been issued to a Bangladeshi, JPN said the individual in question was a legitimate Malaysian citizen.
"The Bangladeshi was legally adopted and raised by a Chinese family since birth. In fact, this issue has been reported by the media which explained that the individual is a Malaysian citizen," it said.
JPN said a police report was made on Oct 23 as the allegation not only tarnished the department's image and undermined its credibility, but could also cause public alarm.
"The report was made so that the police can investigate any party spreading the false claim," it said.
JPN also cautioned the public to check the validity of information before sharing it, adding that legal action would be taken against anyone found to be spreading false information.
For queries, members of the public can contact the JPN corporate communications unit at 03-88807077 or email [email protected]


Negeri Sembilan PH seat allocation at final stage

Discussions on the distribution of seats for the state election involving the component parties under the Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Harapan (PH) are now in the final stage, says state PH chairman Aminuddin Harun.
He said the outcome of the discussions would be handed over to the coalition’s presidential council.
The PKR vice president told this to reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting at Wisma Negeri in Seremban yesterday.
Asked about the distribution of seats between PH and Barisan Nasional (BN), Aminuddin who is also state PKR chairman and Menteri Besar said that would depend on discussions at the central level which would involve all six states that are preparing for state elections.
Besides Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are also gearing up for their state polls. The mandate for the Negeri Sembilan government will end next month.
In the 14th general election, PH won 20 seats out of 36 state seats while BN secured the rest.
When asked about his candidacy, the Sikamat assemblyman said he was still uncertain about the matter, adding if God wills, he will contest in the upcoming state polls.


RAM votes to raise shareholder threshold, paving the way for CTOS takeover plan

RAM Holdings today passed a proposal that would allow the rating agency to come under the ownership of a single entity, after its annual general meeting (AGM) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a controversial amendment to its constitution.Some 93.86% of the AGM members voted in favour of amending a clause in the company’s constitution to lift a ban on any single entity owning more than the current cap of 20% of shares in the rating agency.MalaysiaNow has also learnt that at least two financial institutions, including a leading local bank, objected to the proposal.The proposal to amend the clause was put forth by CTOS Digital, another credit reporting agency linked to Brahmal Vasudevan through his equity firm Creador.The move, first reported by MalaysiaNow last week citing the notice of the AGM, is likely to ruffle feathers in the debt capital market, on the back of a plan by CTOS Digital to own a majority stake in the company.CTOS has already received the green light for this from the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). Amending the clause at the AGM today was seen as the last hurdle in its plan to take over RAM.Among the concerns from the market is that RAM’s independence as a rating agency long used as a reference point for financial institutions in the country will come into question if it is controlled by a single entity.RAM, in a response to MalaysiaNow’s report, had dismissed such fears, insisting that there were “safeguards” put in place by the SC.“The SC would not grant approval to any party to exceed this limit if it deems this to be detrimental to the best interest of the credit rating agency and the bond market,” said RAM Holdings CEO Chris WK Lee.RAM, established by Bank Negara Malaysia in 1990 to support the local debt capital market, is accepted as the industry leader in credit ratings by many fund managers. Its credit opinions are a crucial reference for banks as well as financial regulators.Several fund managers and bankers had expressed alarm over the proposal to lift the shareholder limit, with one saying there had been a “gradual subversion of RAM” over the years, pointing to non-banking as well as foreign entities which make up about a dozen shareholders in the agency.Adding to the fear is the potential conflict of interest by individuals in CTOS.“We know for a fact that at least one CTOS non-executive director is sitting on the SC board of directors,” a capital market analyst told MalaysiaNow, adding that as RAM’s credit reports have implications in the bonds market, the latest development points to conflict of interest as well as “the death of integrity in Malaysia’s financial sector”.


No point debating over Undi 18 any more, says analyst

An analyst says there should be no further dispute over the lowering of minimum voting age from 21 to 18 since the bill in question was unanimously passed by Parliament in 2019, as the Election Commission (EC) prepares to implement the move following a High Court ruling in Sarawak last week.Hisommudin Bakar, executive director of Ilham Centre, said any objections to the bill were no longer relevant as it had been passed in the Dewan Rakyat.“The main question now is how the government and EC will implement the act and prepare for the 15th general election,” he told MalaysiaNow.Yesterday, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said no instructions had been received so far on filing an appeal against the decision of the Kuching High Court ordering the government to implement Undi 18 by Dec 31.He said the government would comply with the court order to lower the minimum age of voting before the set date.The Kuching High Court had on Sept 3 ordered the government to implement Undi 18, paving the way for some 135,000 youth in Sarawak to vote in the state election to come.The decision was a victory for the five youths who had filed a judicial review to compel Putrajaya to implement the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18.On the question of political maturity put forth by those who oppose the move, Hisommudin said this would vary from individual to individual based on their level of political exposure.“Certainly, political education will be the main basis for this group to possess the level mindset needed to determine the fate of the ruling government,” he said.“While there is some political exposure in schools, this is mostly in the context of history classes or general studies. The question is how they view politics in real life.”The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in the Dewan Rakyat in July of that year, in an agreement to lower the minimum age for voting and candidacy, and to implement automatic voter registration.Hisommudin said it was normal for youth to show a disinterest in politics, adding that such trends were the case even in developed countries.He said the youth tend to see politics as a negative issue and to look down on careers in the field.“Ilham Centre conducted a study specifically on youth in 2015 which found that it is difficult to get them involved in political parties,” he said.“This is a complaint common of all political activists regardless of whether they are from the government or opposition. They all face the same problem in recruiting youths.”He said clarification is needed by parties from both sides of the divide to clear the minds and perceptions of the youth as part of efforts to make politics attractive.He also noted a preference among the group for independence, without being tied to a particular party.But he saw no problem with youths contesting in elections, especially if they are qualified and able to rally the support of the electorate.“That’s the advantage of the country’s democratic system,” he said.


Daily cases continue to hover at 3,200

Another 3,229 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,817,163.Another 2,848 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,744,203.Meanwhile 162 are in the ICU, including 133 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 76 are in need of respiratory assistance including 55 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 3,229 cases reported today, 38 (1.2%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 3,191 (98.8%) are in Category One and Two.


Bug out, litterbugs

Shame on you litterbugs! I have seen some irresponsible individuals who blatantly throw rubbish from their cars onto our public roads and highways. They calmly open their car doors or wind down their windows and dump their trash either while driving or stationary. These litterbugs should be ashamed of themselves. They are not embarrassed and will commit their act in broad daylight and in full public view.Please spare a thought for Mother Nature. Stop your selfish act of harming the environment and landscape. Also, unknown to you, the trash you discard poses a hazard to other road users. The pieces of tissue paper you throw could be sucked into the engine bays of other cars, causing damage to property and possibly human lives. Drivers and motorcyclists, in a natural reaction, will often try to avoid litter on the roads regardless of size and swerve to other lanes while doing so. This may catch drivers in the other lane unaware and cause an accident.The government, local authorities and even highway operators have been pushing for a stop to littering with countless signs, infographics and reminders. It involves monetary cost and effort which should be channelled to more important matters such as the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.Once again, I humbly urge all litterbugs to please stop your selfish act. This is not the mentality and attitude you should be carrying into the new year. Pause and reflect. Think about what you are doing to the environment.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Palm oil sector to get 32,000 foreign workers

Tight SOPs will be set by the government before Malaysia receives 32,000 foreign workers in the palm oil plantation sector, Primary Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said today.In a statement, she said that for this sector, foreign workers from Indonesia would be brought in first followed by those from other source countries.The strict SOPs to be enforced for foreign workers will first focus on those recruited for the oil palm plantation sector, she added.“The details of the mechanism to bring in foreign workers from source countries will be issued by the government through the human resources ministry, home ministry and health ministry.“All costs of bringing in the foreign workers will be borne by the employers for every approval obtained,” she said.Zuraida said employers should also ensure that all of their workers have completed their vaccination with the costs to be fully borne by these employers.According to her, the Indonesian government has also welcomed the procedure set for its citizens working in Malaysia.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Oct 22 said that the Covid-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee had approved the SOPs for the entry of foreign workers into the country.


Germany predicts rapid EU approval of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

Germany expects the EU to give a fast approval to the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca that was cleared for use in Britain on Wednesday, its top vaccines official has said.Berlin’s support for AstraZeneca comes as EU member countries seek to fill supply chains for ongoing vaccination programmes that began last weekend using a Pfizer-BioNTech jab, the only vaccine to win EU approval so far.Germany has been making good headway, saying 78,000 shots have been administered, but there have been reports of some vaccination centres shutting down temporarily because of supply shortages, according to Reuters.Fatalities in Germany hit a record daily high of 1,129 on Wednesday, bringing total deaths to over 32,000. Total confirmed cases reached 1.7 million.Klaus Cichutek, head of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, said that thanks to the rolling EU review of the AstraZeneca vaccine, it would be possible to make a quick decision once a formal application for approval was submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged “a thorough and quick examination” of the AstraZeneca vaccine by EMA, in addition to the expected clearance of the US shot from Moderna in early January.Even with increased supply, it will take months to inoculate the wider population.“Vaccination is the key to getting out of this pandemic,” Spahn told reporters. “I can only appeal for patience. Please don’t forget that we have a vaccine and that is reason enough for joy and optimism.”


Booster jabs to be rolled out in October

Groups that are vulnerable to Covid-19 infection are expected to begin receiving third doses or booster shots of vaccine in October, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said these groups include senior citizens with comorbidities such as chronic health problems, frontliners, individuals with low immunity, as well as those living and working at long-term care centres.“We will open to these groups first based on death toll and Category Five patient data in ICU. Most of them comprise senior citizens with heart problems, diabetes, hypertension and so on.“The dispensing of the third or booster dose does not mean the two earlier doses were ineffective. On the other hand, it is to raise the immune system,” he said at a media conference in conjunction with his working visit to Kedah at Wisma Darul Aman yesterday.He said many countries have started administering Covid-19 booster dose including the US, UK and Singapore to further enhance the people’s immune system against the outbreak.However he said the health ministry had yet to decide whether to also give booster shots to everyone in the country.“The matter is still being discussed. The health is now carrying out discussions with expert groups in deciding on the age of individuals who will be receiving the dose,” he said.He said the ministry had also directed all vaccine manufacturers to send further information to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency to determine the type of vaccine which can be given as booster shots.“For the time being, we are obtaining information from vaccine manufacturers registered under NPRA, as NPRA has given approval to Pfizer, AZ (AstraZeneca), Sinovac to dispense two doses only,” he said.


Macron says no need to lock down the unvaccinated as Covid-19 spreads

France does not need to follow those European countries imposing Covid-19 lockdowns on unvaccinated people, because of the success of its health pass in curbing the virus’ spread, President Emmanuel Macron said.Europe has again become the epicentre of the pandemic, prompting some countries including Germany and Austria to reintroduce restrictions in the run-up to Christmas and causing debate over whether vaccines alone are enough to tame Covid-19.“Those countries locking down the non-vaccinated are those which have not put in place the (health) pass. Therefore this step is not necessary in France,” Macron told La Voix du Nord newspaper in an interview published on Thursday.In France, proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is required to go to restaurants, cafes and cinemas and to take long-distance trains, among other activities.Europe accounted last week for more than half of the seven-day average of infections globally and about half of the latest deaths, according to a Reuters tally.German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday announced curbs on public life for those not yet vaccinated in areas where hospitals are filling dangerously fast with Covid-19 patients. Austria has also imposed a lockdown for the unvaccinated.Earlier in the day, several hundred people protested outside the Austrian Embassy in Paris against Austria’s restrictions, fearing France might be next to reimpose curbs aimed at reducing the circulation of the virus.Macron said he was still awaiting guidance from health authorities on whether a third dose should be extended to all those eligible for the vaccine.A booster shot is currently available for those over 65 and the frail and will be required for a valid health pass for the age group from December.“If it’s shown that a third dose is effective and necessary for the wider public, then obviously we will incorporate it into the health pass,” he told La Voix du Nord.


Signing the deaf and mute away from the margins

Eamienor Zakiah Md Zuki often has trouble getting help when she does her groceries. It’s not that she doesn’t want to ask – rather, she has trouble finding someone who can understand her.Eamienor, who is hearing impaired, communicates primarily in sign language.“When they realise I’m using sign language, they try to avoid me and ask other staff to help instead,” she said to MalaysiaNow.Whenever this happens, she follows them and tries again, although sometimes she must resort to typing out her questions on her mobile phone.Eamienor is just one of many Malaysians who have hearing and speaking impediments.For them, communication with so-called normal people depends greatly on whether an interpreter can be found to mediate.But there are only 95 sign language interpreters registered under the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf (MFD) compared to 40,389 hearing-impaired people with disabilities, known as OKU, recorded with the welfare department last year.Eamienor Zakiah Md Zuki communicates with other staff members at the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf in Puchong Jaya, Selangor.Eamienor, the secretary of MFD, said knowledge and awareness about the importance of sign language is still lacking in society.She said even some parents with deaf or mute children wash their hands of them, placing the responsibility of educating them solely with their teachers.“I was a teacher at the Selangor School for the Deaf for nine years,” she told MalaysiaNow.“There were some parents who never learned how to communicate with their children using sign language.”She said some parents left everything to the teachers, or hoped for a miracle which would allow their children to regain their hearing, or they would send their children for cochlear implant procedures which could cost RM100,000 or more.“Parents should accept their children whatever their condition because that their responsibility and what they are entrusted to do,” she said.“Take the time to learn sign language so that these children do not feel isolated from society.”Efforts to develop the use of sign languageWhen the movement control order to curb the spread of Covid-19 was announced, MFD began preparing online courses for sign language, an initiative introduced under the women, family and community development ministry and launched by its minister Rina Harun.Through the MySign programme, sign language courses are held online through the Facebook account of the Social Institute of Malaysia.Attendees include those from organisations such as the welfare department and Microsoft Malaysia.Helen Low, an instructor at the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf, teaches her students how to communicate in sign language.One of the programme’s instructors, Helen Low, is a teacher at MFD. She is seen as a veteran with 20 years of experience.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said teaching sign language online is challenging as not everyone has the necessary equipment such as laptops or mobile phones.“This complicates the teaching session,” she said.The situation becomes even more challenging when she wants to call on someone to answer a question.“I need to spell out their names using sign language until they realise that I’m calling them,” she said.At any one session, Low has more than 10 students.But she is driven by a passion to develop the use of sign language within the community so that those who are deaf or mute are still included.Mohamad Sazali Shaari, executive director of the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf, says many are unaware of the importance of sign language to the disabled community.Mohamad Sazali Shaari, executive director of MFD, is also concerned about the lack of awareness about the importance of sign language to the OKU community.“People think sign language is like the signals used in pantomimes or by traffic police,” he said.This misunderstanding needs to be addressed by raising awareness about the equal rights of all individuals under the Federal Constitution, he added.“With development should come a change in mindset, not based on compassion but rather on rights and equality.”Fariza Deraman, who has been an interpreter with MFD for 10 years now, said many try to avoid having conversations with those who are deaf or mute.“Sometimes I go with them to public places like fast food restaurants to see how they communicate,” she said.“People are usually surprised at first, maybe because they never thought that deaf people would be brave enough to go out in public.”But Fariza, who is also a sign language interpreter with Bernama TV, said society needs to realise that these people are now brave enough and independent enough to go about by themselves without needing help from others.


49 arrested to aid probe into video of Eid prayers in Juru

The police have arrested 49 men to facilitate investigations into a viral video showing hundreds of individuals believed to be foreigners violating the SOPs by holding Aidiladha prayers in an open area and at the roadside of Surau Taman Pelangi, Juru, yesterday.Penang police chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the 48 Bangladeshis and one local man were arrested separately around Juru.“They have been arrested to aid ongoing investigations for violating the SOPs,” he said in a statement, adding that investigations would be conducted under Sections 269 and 270 of the Penal Code.The investigation was sparked by a video showing over 200 individuals, mostly foreigners living in Taman Pelangi, conducting Aidiladha prayers in the parking lot and by the roadside of a surau in Taman Pelangi between 8.30am and 9am yesterday.They were praying in the area as the surau management had not allowed them inside since the surau had reached its maximum capacity of 100 people.Shuhaily said the report regarding the incident has been handed over to the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani for him to brief Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.The home ministry had asked the Penang police chief to provide a detailed report and explanation of the personnel assigned to monitor SOP compliance during the Aidiladha celebrations.


Shafie defends move to dissolve Sabah assembly

Former chief minister Shafie Apdal today defended his decision to dissolve the Sabah legislative assembly to make way for a state election, saying his Warisan government had been disrupted by certain parties.“I would rather die in the political arena than hand over the government. Let the people determine the outcome,” he said while debating the budget bill in the Dewan Rakyat.Mohamad Alamin (BN-Kimanis) had asked if Shafie regretted proposing the dissolution of the state assembly to hold an election which saw a subsequent spike in number of Covid-19 cases in Sabah.Shafie said he would not bow to those who practise the concept of “cash is king” and who had the ability to buy over MPs.He also said there would have been no need for the Sabah polls if his administration had not been disrupted by certain quarters.The Sabah election which was held on Sept 26 saw Warisan fall to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), comprising Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu Sabah.GRS formed the new state government after obtaining a simple majority of 38 seats.


10 Delta cases detected within a week

Ongoing studies by the Institute of Medical Research reveal that 10 cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19 (B.1.617.2) were detected from July 22 until yesterday.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this brought the cumulative number of cases infected with the Covid-19 virus classified as variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI) to 439.“Of the total detected, 419 are VOC cases while 20 are VOIs.“Overall, of the VOC cases, 206 are of the Beta variant, 199 are Delta variant cases and 14 are of the Alpha variant while for the VOI cases, 13 are of the Theta variant, four involve the Kappa variant and three are Eta variant cases,” he said in a statement.


Aussie PM ‘sorry’ for slow vaccine rollout

Australia’s prime minister on Thursday apologised for the country’s glacial vaccine rollout, as Sydney recorded a record jump in new coronavirus infections.Scott Morrison is under fierce public pressure to improve a vaccination rate currently languishing around 11%, among the lowest rate of any rich nation.After months of boasting about his “gold standard” pandemic response and insisting vaccine rollout was “not a race”, Morrison bowed to critics.“I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year. Of course I am,” he said.“I take responsibility for the vaccination programme. I also take responsibility for the challenges we’ve had. Obviously, some things are within our control, some things that are not.”His comments came as authorities in locked-down Sydney warned residents to brace for a spike in infections and long-term restrictions.The state of New South Wales reported 124 new cases, a record for a current outbreak that is spreading quickly across the vast country.“I’m expecting case numbers to go up even higher,” state premier Gladys Berejiklian warned, citing the large proportion of people who were not isolating while infectious.“I can’t underscore what a serious situation we’re in at the moment,” she said, girding the city’s five million residents for further bad news to come.Sydney has been in lockdown for almost a month, but there seems little prospect of stay-at-home orders being lifted at the end of this month as planned.The restrictions – which have shuttered most shops, businesses and classrooms – may have prevented a tidal wave of cases, but have so far failed to stop the outbreak.“Until we have enough of our population fully vaccinated, we will be living with some level of restrictions and that will depend on how quickly we can overcome the severity of the current outbreak,” said Berejiklian.Some 18 months into the pandemic, adherence to the latest lockdown rules has been patchy and there is widespread anger at the government’s response.Australia bet heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is now only recommended for Australians over 60s because of blood clotting fears.Health officials complain Australia is “awash” with AstraZeneca vaccine, while not expecting to get large supplies of the Pfizer vaccine much before the end of the year.