Ex-minister’s wife vents fury at PM after hubby revokes support

One of the wives of a former minister who recently revoked his support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) has vented out against the government, giving a series of complaints over everything from the emergency declaration to her husband’s political moves.Several screenshots of chat messages by Haflin Saiful, the wife of Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz, were made available on Twitter, showing her engaged in rants against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.In one instance, she said that she would not accept the Covid-19 vaccination.“I don’t want to be vaccinated… until it’s proven,” she said.When contacted by MalaysiaNow, Haflin confirmed that the messages in the screenshots were hers.“I have the right to say all this. It’s not against the law. We have freedom of speech,” she said, adding that she believes her husband would not disagree with her views.In one of several screenshots of an Instagram chat released by Twitter user Politico, Haflin poured scorn on Muhyiddin, and recalled her time at the education ministry when he was the minister.Among others, she said Muhyiddin had “bullied women entrepreneurs like me”, before adding the hashtag “#Karmaisbitch”.She also scoffed at a claim that her husband Nazri was incensed with the PN administration for refusing his request to be appointed as an ambassador to Geneva.“Really? That’s all you’ve got? Ambassador post ni powerful ke? (Is ambassador a powerful post?)” asked Haflin, adding that Muhyiddin had made such an offer to Nazri in exchange for his support to form the government.In October last year, MalaysiaNow reported attempts by several former ministers to land jobs as ambassadors in key Western capitals, including in the US and Switzerland.However, it was understood that Muhyiddin had rejected them for the post, in keeping with a policy to only appoint career diplomats to represent Malaysia in overseas missions.Haflin’s furious messages against the government were met with cynical remarks, some of which said her husband was no different from other politicians with questionable track records.She repeatedly called the PN bloc a “backdoor government”, saying the Covid-19 emergency declared this week showed cowardice on the part of Muhyiddin.When told that her husband too had supported the formation of the PN government, Haflin claimed Nazri was “the last one who signed the SD (statutory declaration)”.She then claimed that Nazri was offered a chance to be both the chairman of the government’s Bumiputera empowerment agency Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB) as well as the law minister.“…But he rejected… because this government its not legit [sic],” she added.Haflin meanwhile questioned why people were allowed to go about their normal activities despite the declaration of emergency this week.“Declared emergency but everything run as normal. Then whats the need for declaration?” she asked.She then claimed that the twin declarations of the movement control order and the emergency were due to fears of her husband quitting the PN bloc, responding to a news report on Nazri’s announcement on Tuesday.Nazri, the former tourism minister, was the second MP to declare he was no longer supporting Muhyiddin, as a group of Umno leaders aligned with former president Najib Razak step up a campaign to bring the party out of the ruling bloc.


Ronaldo scores on record-breaking appearance

Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for the most international caps as Portugal played Liechtenstein on Thursday and celebrated the milestone with a record-extending goal.
Ronaldo, who turned 38 last month, won his 197th cap, surpassing Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa, as he returned to the starting line-up and captained his country in their Euro 2024 Group J qualifier at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
He converted a 51st-minute penalty – his first goal against the tiny Alpine principality – as the home side went 3-0 up after being only one goal ahead at the break.
It extended Ronaldo's record for the most goals in international football to 119, although he had earlier missed gilt-edged chances when he skied the ball in front of goal and glanced a header wide.
"I like to break records, I have broken lot of records," he told reporters on the eve of Thursday’s match, which marked the first game in charge of new Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.
"I look for commitment," said Martinez. "And Ronaldo has huge commitment to the national team, is a major figure for it, and has experience he can pass on."
Ronaldo had been benched by former coach Fernando Santos for their final two games at last year's World Cup in Qatar where Portugal lost in the quarter-finals to Morocco.


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Nov 10 hearing for Umno’s bid to quash SRC’s suit over RM16 million transfer

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today set Nov 10 to hear Umno’s application to strike out a suit filed by SRC International Sdn Bhd against the political party for allegedly receiving a misappropriated sum of RM16 million from the company.In May, SRC International, which is a subsidiary of 1MDB, under its new management filed the suit together with its subsidiaries Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd and Jendela Pinggiran Sdn Bhd as the plaintiffs, naming Umno as the sole defendant.When contacted, a counsel from Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership, which acted for the three plaintiffs, said the court set the date after the matter came up for case management before judicial commissioner Quay Chew Soon.“The application will be heard at 9am via Zoom,” the counsel said.SRC International, Gandingan Mentari and Jendela Pinggiran are suing the party for the RM16 million which was allegedly wrongfully transferred to Umno.In its writ of summons, the plaintiffs claimed that the political party knew or ought to have known that the money belonged to SRC International and that it had no basis to receive the funds.On May 10, the finance ministry confirmed that 1MDB and SRC International had filed 22 civil suits to seek assets of over RM96.6 billion, including RM300 million from various local parties.The writ of summons was filed on May 7, six by 1MDB and 16 by SRC International.The suits filed by 1MDB were against nine entities, including two foreign financial institutions and 25 individuals, while SRC International filed suits against eight entities and 15 individuals over various acts of misconduct.


Don't run, come and face Azmin, PN tells Anwar

Perikatan Nasional (PN) has urged PKR president Anwar Ibrahim to make good on his remarks on contesting a seat held by a "PKR traitor" at the upcoming election, attributing his apparent about-turn on the issue to a fear of rejection by the Malay voters.
Mansor Othman, the executive secretary of PN's election department, said Anwar had "changed his tune completely" after Mohamed Azmin Ali said challenges were welcome in his Gombak parliamentary seat.
"The real reason why Anwar is afraid of contesting against Azmin in Gombak is obvious.
"Gombak has about 75% Malay voters," he said, adding that both Anwar and Pakatan Harapan (PH) had been rejected by this group.
"To cover his failure to accept Azmin’s bold challenge, on Oct 15, he claimed to have multiple offers to contest in parliamentary seats in Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Penang and is dizzy about where to contest. In short, Azmin called his bluff and Anwar ran."
This comes a day after Azmin criticised representatives whom he said change seats and contest in different constituencies to fulfil their personal interests.
He said said a leader’s responsibility was to serve the people, not to make parliamentary seats a place to grab power.
He also said it was inapprioriate to contest in certain areas only in order to topple others.
Mansor in his statement today said Anwar and PKR had spent their time since the 2020 fall of the PH government "attacking and insulting Azmin and his colleagues instead of explaining what PH will do for the people".
"Now, when he has the opportunity to finally take on Azmin at the ballot box, Anwar runs away," he added.
Azmin won the Gombak parliamentary seat on a PKR ticket at GE14, beating the other candidates from Umno and PAS.
At the time, Gombak had 141,112 registered voters, 85.4% of whom turned out to vote.
The majority — 75.8% — were Malays while Indians represented 10.77% and the Chinese, 10.67%.
Azmin later joined Bersatu where he is currently a member of the Supreme Council.
His Gombak seat became the subject of speculation after Anwar hinted that he might contest there in GE15.
But MalaysiaNow previously reported that the PKR chief might settle for the Bandar Tun Razak seat instead, with a PKR source saying party strategists were aware that Gombak, a Malay-majority seat in the middle of Kuala Lumpur consisting of both semi-rural and urban voters, was considered Azmin's fort.


New infections top 2,700 as another 11 deaths reported

Another 2,722 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,762,552.
There were 4,856 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,690,835.
There are now 35,551 active cases, of which 34,068 or 95.8% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 31 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,384 (3.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 68 are in ICU with 41 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 18.2%.
Another 11 deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,166.


Survival of the fittest as hiring picks up again

The Covid-19 crisis has disrupted businesses in ways they could not have imagined and at a speed no-one predicted.Half of the world’s workers fear losing their jobs in the next 12 months, says a new World Economic Forum report which surveyed 27 countries including Malaysia.Released last week, the report also has some good news: new jobs are emerging. The catch is that they require whole new sets of skills and knowledge.The labour market is changing fast, and the pandemic is accelerating the need for businesses to integrate technology into many more areas of operation. Inevitably, this requires that prospective workers learn new skills.For new graduates looking to get a foot on the corporate ladder, being adaptable is more important than ever to get ahead.Both employers and jobseekers need to be willing to learn new ways of doing old things and some completely new things.Recruitment experts Pete Yoong and Jay Huang, who founded an employment platform based in Malaysia and Singapore, told MalaysiaNow that hiring by large corporations is in fact picking up despite the rising unemployment.“During lockdowns, sectors like retail have been far less active or have migrated online, but makers of consumer goods are in a far less precarious position,” Yoong says.“Booming sectors such as glove-making, and producers of fast-moving consumer goods or the healthcare sector are not putting hiring on pause.”Huang said during the initial phases of the lockdown, companies were uncertain about how the pandemic would play out.“Now, companies are resuming their yearly drives to hire graduates for management programmes, and application numbers have shot up by at least 50%.”But that does not mean that hiring expectations are back to the way they were before the pandemic. Both employers and jobseekers need to be willing to learn new ways of doing old things and some completely new things.“The willingness to learn must be backed up by the ability and skill sets necessary to make that change,” says Huang. “What’s crucial is that mindsets and expectations need to change.”He cites the example of Zoom, a video conferencing tool that has been around for seven years, but which only took off during the pandemic as organisations and workforces scrambled to maintain business continuity.“That was a wake-up call,” Huang says. “Organisations need to change but people need to change, too.”How organisations look at jobseekers and what they expect from them is shifting. “Before Covid-19, your degree might well have been useful to you for 10 years, but because the pandemic is accelerating organisational change, which means everyone has to learn new things quickly, it might now only carry you two years into your career,” warns Huang.“Also, jobseekers need to make painful adjustments, such as their salary expectations. Short-term pain is necessary to build a long-term future.”“Organisations need to change but people need to change, too.”Discussions with their corporate clients about talent development are designed to give Yoong and Huang the ability to discover underlying issues beneath the numbers.One such issue, Huang says, is the often-held belief that employees and jobseekers of a certain age lack the ability to change. It is not true, he insists, that older people find it harder to adapt to digital working.“Willingness and ability are the only two things necessary for workers to successfully change and adapt,” he says. “Age affects these, but it is just one factor.”Blanket judgments such as assuming that only the young are risk-takers are counter-productive to developing a dynamic labour force, say the pair.Neither is it true that technology will replace all jobs.“To a certain extent technology can replace certain jobs but when you look at companies that have jumped ahead of the curve – such as digital media over the last 15 years – jobs have not been disrupted,” says Yoong.“In fact, jobs have been created in which roles have been expanded to include data analytics and social media specialists.“The reality is that the people who were slow to adapt were the ones who were disrupted and lost their jobs.”As Malaysians move past the pandemic, adaptability will be a key driver of economic recovery and progress because Covid-19 has fast-forwarded the need to adopt technology.This trend also impacts the hiring process, says Yoong, citing practices such as video-hiring. Candidates must adapt to these methods or lose out.He cautions jobseekers who think that once things “go back to normal” digital hiring will disappear. “No,” he says. “All these processes are here to stay.”


Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac recommended for booster jabs

The Technical Working Committee (TWG) under the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force-Booster (CITF-B) has recommended booster shots using three types of vaccines to be administered to all residents aged 18 and above.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the vaccines are Comirnaty, AstraZeneca and CoronaVac with appointment priority given according to the age step down approach, and to frontliners, individuals with comorbidities, pregnant women and those who need to travel abroad.“For recipients of the CoronaVac vaccine, the booster dose will be given three months after the second dose. They are recommended to receive a booster dose from Comirnaty (Pfizer) for all levels or the AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals aged 50 and above.“For individuals who cannot take Comirnaty or AstraZeneca as a booster dose, the CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine can be administered. Nonetheless they have to inform the vaccination centre (PPV) to receive the vaccine,” he said in a statement.AstraZeneca vaccine recipients will be given a booster dose six months after the second dose. They are recommended to receive the same vaccine for all ages even though the Comirnaty vaccine can be used.Khairy said for the recipients of other vaccines such as Comirnaty, Spikevax (Moderna) and Convidecia (CanSino), Covilo (Sinopharm) and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), they are recommended to receive the Comirnaty vaccine as the booster dose for all ages or the AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals aged 50 and above.“Recipients of Comirnaty, Spikevax and Convidecia will be given a booster dose six months after the last jab while for recipients of the Covilo vaccine, it is three months after the second dose and the Janssen vaccine, two months after the last shot,” he said.He said the booster jabs will be administered at private medical practitioner facilities or off-site private health facilities, or at selected health clinics and government hospitals as well as outreach centres.He said appointments for booster jabs for eligible individuals will be given through the MySejahtera application. Recipients can also register on the waiting list to obtain appointment dates at selected public and private health facilities.The list of public and private health facilities involved in administering booster shots can be obtained via the health ministry website at https://covid19.moh.gov.my/vaksin-covid-19 or Protect Health website at https://protecthealth.com.my/.


Beijing Olympics close after golden moments and doping storm

The Beijing Winter Olympics have closed with IOC chief Thomas Bach hailing a smoothly run event and a “safe Games” in the midst of the Covid pandemic, but the gold medals were overshadowed by a doping controversy.The Games ended on Sunday in the “Bird’s Nest” stadium, just as they had when the Chinese capital hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a snowflake-themed closing ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping and a socially-distanced crowd.As he declared the Games over and handed over to 2026 hosts Milano-Cortina, the International Olympic Committee president Bach hailed an “unforgettable Olympic experience”.The Games produced bright new stars including China’s Californian-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who won two gold medals to cement her huge popularity in the host nation.The future of 15-year-old Russian figure skating prodigy Kamila Valieva is less certain after she failed a drugs test but was allowed to continue competing.Then, after a week of intense pressure, she fell apart in an error-strewn performance that will go down as one of the saddest in Olympic history.Chinese organisers will be quick to hail the success of the vast Covid-secure “bubble” that enveloped the Games, with up to 70,000 people sealed off.There was no mass outbreak of Covid at the Games or in the wider Chinese capital, but Bach said: “If we want to finally overcome this pandemic, we must be faster, we must aim higher, we must be stronger — we must stand together.“In this Olympic spirit of solidarity, we call on the international community: give equal access to vaccines for everybody around the world.”With tensions rising between Russia and Ukraine, Bach said the athletes had “given peace a chance”.“May the political leaders around the world be inspired by your example of solidarity and peace,” he said.China and its ruling Communist Party will look back on a soft-power success.The Global Times, a Chinese nationalist state-run tabloid, said on Monday the Olympics had shown the ‘true nature’ of China.“The unexpected global popularity of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games declared the complete failure of the so-called diplomatic boycott, smashed the malicious slander of some Western media, and demonstrated the enduring charm of human resilience and unity,” it said.Echoing that theme, fireworks lit up the night sky at the ceremony, spelling out “ONE WORLD”.Valieva’s case dominatedGu, the 18-year-old who was born in California but switched to China in 2019, gave the hosts a significant medal bump, helping them finish third in the medals table with nine golds.That was easily China’s best performance at a Winter Games, a place ahead of chief geopolitical rival the US, who claimed eight golds.For the second Games in a row, Norway topped the medals table, with 16 golds, mainly thanks to their peerless cross-country skiers. Germany were second on 12.A new men’s figure skating champion emerged in 22-year-old Nathan Chen of the United States, who dethroned two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, in what could be the Japanese legend’s final Games appearance.Shaun White, the American who has defined snowboarding, bowed out after finishing without a medal. The 35-year-old three-time Olympic champion called the sport “the love of my life”.There was bitter disappointment for his fellow American and one of the biggest names of the Games, the alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who also went home empty-handed.But it was Valieva’s story that dominated the Games, catapulting the teenage skater to the forefront of yet another Russian doping controversy to mar an Olympics.After becoming the first woman in history to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition to help Russia win the team event, it was revealed Valieva had tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina but which is banned for athletes because it can boost endurance.To fury from the US team and others, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to continue competing at the Games, citing her young age, though without clearing her of doping.In the final, Valieva fell several times, to audible gasps from the crowd, and was given a cold reception from her coach Eteri Tutberidze as she left the rink.Bach called that reaction “chilling” and ordered the young skater’s coaches and advisors be investigated.Valieva’s doping case looks certain to drag on for months.For the first time in Olympic history, the IOC ruled that the skating team medals cannot be awarded until her case is settled.Ice skating’s governing body meanwhile said it would consider a proposal to raise the minimum competition age to 17.Rights protests mutedWhile a Covid outbreak never materialised, some athletes did have the Olympics ruined by the virus and the pandemic was never far away – Russia and Canada’s women ice hockey teams played each other wearing medical masks after the results of their PCR tests failed to arrive in time.Concerns about human rights had dominated the build-up, with the US leading a diplomatic boycott by its closest allies over China’s rights record, especially the fate of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.China warned in the fraught lead-up that foreign athletes criticising the authorities could face consequences, but any protests against the hosts were extremely muted.


Johor Felda settlements, no longer fixed deposits for BN?

At Kampung Felda Ayer Hitam in Machap, Johor, the road leading to the village is small and narrow.While the main road has been tarred, other paths leading in are still bare red earth.On either side of the road lie lush green fields, peppered here and there with food stalls run by the villagers themselves.The peaceful countryside atmosphere however is soon shattered by the sound of traffic as a long line of cars makes its way into the village.Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister and chairman of Pejuang, has come to visit.Families stand at the doorway of their homes, carrying their children and watching as the convoy goes by.Pejuang is contesting an election for the first time in Johor, and its candidates are banking on Mahathir’s name to draw in the crowds.Felda settlements were previously known as fixed deposits for Barisan Nasional (BN), but this time around, things might be different.At the 14th general election in 2018, the Machap state seat was won by Bersatu although the parliamentary seat of Ayer Hitam itself remained with BN, represented by Wee Ka Siong.With the Johor election fast approaching, though, some of the Felda settlers in Ayer Hitam believe it will be a close race between Pejuang and Perikatan Nasional (PN).Mohd Rashid Taha, the former village chief, said sentiments in the settlement are mainly divided among BN, PN and Pejuang.Another villager meanwhile said that while BN has strong support in the rural areas, the settlers were uncomfortable with the arrogance shown by some of those selected by the coalition.In Felda Tenggaroh 2, village chief Anuar Abd Ghani said many of the older settlers still stood with BN.“BN’s message makes more of an impact among the women here, while the men are more inclined towards PN,” he told MalaysiaNow.In Tenggaroh, where the settlers’ village is located, the upcoming election will witness a four-way fight among BN, PN, Pejuang and PKR.Anuar said Pejuang’s chances might be slim as its candidate was relatively unknown.Referring to PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, though, Anuar said his strategy of structuring the coalition’s agenda around the resolution of settlers’ debts had resonated with a number of voters in the area.The government under Muhyiddin’s administration had last year agreed to write off with conditions part of their debts amounting to some RM8.3 billion.Political analyst Ismail Sualman however said this was unlikely to influence the outcome of the election as the efforts were still ongoing.“This has caused dissatisfaction among many with what was promised by the Felda management,” Ismail, of Universiti Teknologi Mara, added.Ismail, who hails from Johor himself, said Felda voters would likely support BN at the state level.He nonetheless warned that BN could not afford to rest on its laurels.“In some places, the settlers support Bersatu,” he said. “There is no one-party domination this time around.“There are still many opportunities for parties if they are capable of making a last-minute impact on the election.”In Johor, Felda settlers make up a sizeable number of voters with settlements established in 20 state constituencies.But Ismail said the chances of Pakatan Harapan and PKR in these areas were low as the opposition bloc in general struggles in Johor.He said many voters still remembered the promises left unfulfilled after the last general election.“In Felda settlements in the Layang-Layang seat, for instance, even though PKR is contesting, the votes are likely to go towards BN.”


Najib expected to file for contempt against ex-AG Thomas, says lawyer

Najib Razak is expected to file contempt action against former attorney-general Tommy Thomas over the latter’s allegations in his recently published book, “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”, implicating the former prime minister in the murder of Mongolian citizen Altantuya Shaariibuu.Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters that a contempt application would most probably be filed this week.“My client, Najib, has not been implicated at all throughout the (Altantuya) case which was decided upon up to the Federal Court level. His (Thomas’) words are seen as scandalising the court.“The defamation suit is definite, the contempt application is 98% complete, and we are filing it this week. We have to give him (Thomas) a show-cause first,” he told the press after the 1MDB trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.On Feb 2, Najib, in a letter of demand (LOD) sent through his solicitor, Messrs Shafee & Co, demanded an apology and RM10 million in damages from Thomas over allegations against him in the book.The letter stated that by clear inference and innuendo, Thomas had conveyed the message that he, as the then attorney-general and public prosecutor, had been satisfied with the truthfulness of the allegations by two convicted persons that Najib was involved in directing them to murder Altantuya.Thomas, in a response to the LOD on Feb 5, denied defaming Najib.


NZ extends national virus lockdown

New Zealand on Friday extended a national lockdown sparked by a Delta virus outbreak into next week but warned restrictions would last longer in the infection epicentre of Auckland.The Delta cluster emerged in Auckland last week, ending a six-month run without local transmission that had made New Zealand one of the world’s last Covid-free zones.While there were 70 new cases reported on Friday, taking the total to 347, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were signs the outbreak would soon peak if stay-at-home orders remained in place.“We may be seeing the beginning of a plateau in cases,” she said.“Our job is to keep up the hard work in order to bend, and then flatten, the (infection) curve.”Ardern said a nationwide lockdown imposed on Aug 17 would now continue until Aug 31.She said Auckland, where all but 14 cases have been found, and the neighbouring region of Northland, were set to face at least an extra two weeks of hard lockdown.New Zealand is pursuing a “Covid zero” elimination strategy – which has resulted in just 26 deaths in a population of five million – using strict border controls backed by hard lockdowns when any cases do slip through.Ardern said that from Wednesday areas outside Auckland and Northland would move down a notch to level three on New Zealand’s four-tier virus alert system.Most residents must still remain at home during level three but some businesses such as restaurants and retail outlets can reopen using contactless collection methods.Ardern said police checkpoints would be set up to ensure there was no travel between Auckland, Northland and the rest of the country.


Now, Mahathir threatens legal action against ‘compulsive liar’ Zahid

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today lashed out at Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the latter’s claim several years ago about his Indian heritage, calling him a “compulsive liar” even as the Umno president launches a defamation suit against him over his statement that Zahid had sought his help to interfere in his ongoing court cases.In a statement, Mahathir said Zahid’s decision to sue him was an effort to cover up his lies through the legal process.“Honestly, I have grown tired of Zahid’s attitude,” he added. “Zahid is a liar. Those in the West would say a ‘compulsive liar’.“During the campaign for the 14th general election, he claimed that my original identity card put my name as ‘Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty’. He also claimed that my blue IC with this name was sent to him by the director-general of the National Registration Department.“I waited for Zahid to show evidence of this but there was nothing even after the election ended.”Claiming that Zahid had sought to challenge his eligibility to lead Umno, other Malay parties and the Malays as a whole, Mahathir said he had never denied being of Indian heritage.“But the fact is that my birth certificate and IC both say ‘Mahathir bin Mohamad’,” he added.Mahathir said he had never liked using the courts as he understood that in politics, there would be those who acted without boundaries or limits.“But this time I think that I need to act, because the attitude of this liar Zahid is truly disgusting and cannot be left unchallenged,” he said.“Not only has it damaged my reputation, his lies to those who support Umno as well as the other Malays for the sake of wishing to stay in power are very damgerous.“I am considering taking legal action over Zahid’s lies that have defamed me,” he added.“I challenge Zahid to show proof of my identity which disputes my status as a Malay. If he does not apologise and retract his claim, I will take court action.”Zahid, who faces 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering in relation to funds from charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi, sued Mahathir for defamation on April 20.He accused Mahathir of damaging his name and reputation after the former prime minister revealed in February that Zahid had come to ask for his help in having the corruption charges against him dropped.Zahid also filed a similar suit against Muhyiddin Yassin over allegations that he had asked for help to resolve or postpone the trial of his criminal cases.


Al Qaeda urges Muslims to shun World Cup, stops short of threats

Al Qaeda's regional branch urged Muslims around the world to shun the football World Cup in Qatar, though it stopped short of threatening attacks or promoting violence in connection with the event, according to a statement reported by a monitoring group.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the militant group's Yemen-based branch, criticised Qatar for "bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula" and said the event served to divert attention from the "occupation of Muslim countries and their oppression".
"We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it," said the statement, reported by the SITE Intelligence group on Saturday, a day before the tournament opens in a predominantly Muslim country for the first time.
World Cup organisers, in response to criticism over Qatar's human rights record including LGBT rights as well as social restrictions, have said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the event.
Qatar, a small country of some three million, mostly foreign workers, has said that it trained more than 50,000 people to provide security during the World Cup, with foreign forces helping out under Qatari command.


Reunion dinners, house-to-house visits given green light for CNY

National Unity Minister Halimah Mohamed Sadique today said that family reunion dinners and house-to-house visits would be allowed for Chinese New Year this year although open houses remain prohibited.Chinese New Year receptions will be allowed, limited to invited guests only and in numbers not exceeding 50% of the premise capacity.Receptions organised by companies or associations must be held in halls or restaurants and not in the open or over a long period of time as is the case with open houses, Halimah said at a joint press conference on the SOPs for Chinese New Year with Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong.Prayers at temples will be allowed on Feb 1 and 2 in full compliance with the SOPs for Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan.Special night prayers for the Hokkiens on Feb 8 and 9, as well as other religious activities, will only be allowed within housing compounds.Chap Goh Mei prayers at temples on Feb 15 will be allowed in accordance with the SOPs.Lion and dragon dances are also allowed, subject to the SOPs by the creative industry.


Education service disciplinary board to meet over maths teacher case

The Education Service Disciplinary Board is scheduled to convene today after receiving a letter of representation submitted by mathematics teacher Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh on Oct 14.
In a video uploaded on the education ministry’s Facebook page, education director-general Pkharuddin Ghazali said the letter received by Fadli did not mean that punishment had been handed down by the board.
He said it was to inform him that the board had received his claims and that there was a need to submit a written representation or explanation.
Pkharuddin also said the disciplinary procedure was initiated under a provision of the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993, applicable to all civil service employees currently serving.
Fadli had posted on his Facebook page that he would be fired or demoted for voicing his views on the learning syllabus which he considered of too high a level and inappropriate for students.
He also highlighted other claims in his post, including the high number of students per class, the number of subjects and the issue of heavy schoolbags that he said could be harmful to students’ health.


Sydney city centre to enter lockdown as new Delta cases multiply

Areas of Sydney’s central business district and suburbs, including Bondi Beach, will be locked down after a jump in Covid cases.The city is battling to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, with officials reporting 17 new cases on Friday, taking the cluster to 65 cases.The outbreak has been linked to a driver who transported international arrivals from the airport to government approved quarantine hotels.It is the first lockdown in Australia’s largest city – home to 5.3 million people – this year, reports the BBC.From Saturday, residents who live or work in those areas have to stay at home except for essential reasons. The lockdown will be enforced until July 2.“We understand this is a difficult time for everyone, however we need to take these steps now to get on top of this outbreak,” the New South Wales government said.Sydney’s current outbreak marks its most significant rise in Covid transmission since December. For most of the year, locals have enjoyed almost no restrictions on daily life.The cluster of infections emerged just a week ago in Bondi, the famous beach suburb, but has since spread into the city centre and to its western fringes.Australia has enacted strict border closure and quarantine measures since March 2020 to keep the virus out of the country.However, more infectious airborne strains of the virus – such as the Delta and Alpha variants – have increasingly breached the defences of the hotel quarantine system.Since November, more than eight lockdowns have occurred in various state capitals across Australia including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.Authorities in Sydney had previously steered away from citywide lockdowns. In December, it locked down the city’s northern beaches district following an outbreak of about 150 cases there.The latest outbreak has sparked criticism over the slow pace of Australia’s vaccination rollout – a responsibility of the federal government.So far, just 3% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated and about 25% of Australians have received a first dose.


Australia’s hotel quarantine rules may continue for ‘years to come’ even with vaccinations

Experts are warning that hotel quarantine arrangements may need to be in place for years regardless of vaccines.The Australian federal government is considering granting international travellers and returning Australians who can prove they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 special entry into the country.However, World Health Organization (WHO) experts say people who have been vaccinated would still need to take the same precautions as now – including quarantine arrangements – until a level of herd immunity is achieved.The national vaccination programme is planned to kick off in March and have population-wide coverage by the end of October.Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid said Australia’s quarantine arrangements would remain “until we have at least all of our vulnerable population vaccinated and possibly the entire population”.He said governments would have to decide what level of immunity was needed before they reopened the international borders but with the virus expected to become endemic – that is, circulating all the time – Australia has to learn to live with it.“At some point you’ve got to open up the borders,” Khorshid said. “But these vaccines are not silver bullets and we’re going to see quarantine stay in place for many months to come.”The federal Department of Health said mandatory hotel quarantine was key to keeping the virus out and was still considered the best way to deal with people arriving from overseas.The federal government determines the numbers of people who are allowed into Australia, but the state governments are in charge of health-related quarantine procedures.A spokesman for the Victoria state health department said they believe hotel quarantine would continue to limit the possibility of the virus spreading there.New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was not comfortable with having people coming from overseas without going through the 14-day quarantine system.“Until everybody is vaccinated, we have to keep all of our settings, including our quarantine system,” she said.Adam Kamradt-Scott, a University of Sydney expert in the spread and control of infectious diseases, said Australia would likely need some type of hotel quarantine system for years to come.He said danger spots would remain overseas as wealthy countries such as Australia bought up limited supplies of vaccines, leaving poorer nations without any access.Also, the vaccines may not deliver ongoing immunity, meaning people would need regular doses, similar to the flu shot, making the campaign to provide worldwide coverage even harder.“I expect we are going to be living with the virus at least for the next five years, and it may never go away,” Kamradt-Scott said.“I suspect that we are going to have to have some form of hotel quarantine system in place for probably at least the next two years, if not longer. We may then also have to have restrictions on Australians going overseas and coming back.”A Qantas spokesman said hotel quarantine arrangements would be required until there was an effective vaccine rollout. “Which is why we don’t expect our international flights to resume in any real size until the second half of 2021.”


India’s Covid-19 cases pass 9 million as Delhi struggles

India’s coronavirus cases passed nine million on Friday, as the world’s second-worst-hit country saw hospitals in the capital New Delhi under pressure and graveyards fill up.India has now registered more than 132,000 deaths, according to the latest official figures, which are widely seen as understating the true scale of the pandemic.The total number of infections in India is second only to the tally in the US, which has recorded 11.6 million cases and more than 250,000 deaths.India, the world’s second-most populous nation, has seen a drop in daily cases over the past month but it is still registering about 45,000 new infections on average every day.New Delhi, facing the dual scourge of winter pollution and coronavirus, has seen infections soar past half a million with a record rise in daily cases.On Thursday, the megacity’s government quadrupled fines for not wearing a mask in an effort to get a grip on the outbreak.At one of Delhi’s largest cemeteries, burial space is fast running out, grave-digger Mohammed Shamim told AFP.“Initially when the virus broke (out), I thought I’ll bury 100-200 people and it’ll be done. But the current situation is beyond my wildest thoughts,” Shamim said.“I only have space left for about 50-60 burials. Then what? I have no idea.”Covid fatigueIndia imposed a stringent lockdown in March but restrictions have been gradually eased as the government seeks to reboot the economy after the loss of millions of jobs.Experts say this has helped spread the disease, as has a general reluctance to wear masks and maintain physical distancing.The western city of Ahmedabad, home to six million people, late Thursday announced an indefinite night curfew after an uptick in cases.“The increase in numbers of cases is a concern, primarily because it is driven by people not following the basic protocol of corona-appropriate behaviour,” said Anand Krishnan, a community medicine professor at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.Hemant Shewade, a Bangalore-based community medicine expert, said it was likely cases outside major towns and cities were not being taken into account in the official numbers.“My guess is that it is spreading slowly and silently in rural areas,” Shewade told AFP.In Delhi, the spectre of the virus wreaking havoc has come back to haunt its 20 million residents, as families scramble to arrange hospital beds.Over 90% of intensive care beds with ventilators were occupied as on Thursday, a government mobile app showed.“My father’s oxygen saturation level dipped to 35% suddenly and we rushed to the nearby hospital but there were no beds available,” Delhi resident Rajeev Nigam told AFP.“We ran all night from one hospital to another but it was the same story everywhere,” he said, blaming the Delhi government for being “unprepared” and “callous” in its approach.Distraught families were making fervent pleas on social media, tagging Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for help in securing beds.Under pressure to control the new wave, Kejriwal Thursday announced the addition of 1,400 intensive care beds.Jeevendra Srivastava, an advertising professional, said Delhi was paying the price for overcrowding during the ongoing festive season.“It’s shocking how a few people still are not taking this deadly virus seriously,” said Srivastava, 47.“People are still going to crowded places without masks. It’s because of this irresponsible behaviour that now almost every second house has a case of the virus.”


3 PH-ruled states won't call for polls this year

The top leaders of Pakatan Harapan (PH) today said that Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang will only dissolve their state assemblies next year due to concerns over the occurrence of floods as recently predicted by the Malaysian Meterological Depaermtent.
"The Presidential Council also notes that the state governments of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang have raised their level of preparedness to face the floods in each state, in order to prioritise the welfare of of the people, life and property," said a statement by leaders of the coalition's four parties today.
The decision comes amid strong protest from PH as well as Perikatan Nasional against pressure from Umno leaders for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament this year and pave the way for the 15th general election (GE15), which must be called by the middle of next year.
Critics of such a move have cited concerns that holding an election this year would hamper efforts to manage the floods expected during the monsoon season.
The PH decision also follows warnings by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) of heavy rain and thunderstorms through to November as the country moves through the monsoon transition phase following the end of the southwest monsoon period.
"During the monsoon transition phase, the country will experience weak winds from all directions, conducive to thunderstorms that usually bring heavy rain and strong winds within a short period of time.
"Such incidents occur mainly in the evening and early night in most areas of states on the west coast, the interior of the peninsula, west Sabah and central Sarawak," MetMalaysia said, adding that these weather conditions could cause flash floods and damage to unsound structures.


Opposition walks out after no go for motion on EPF withdrawals

MPs from Perikatan Nasional walked out of the Dewan Rakyat today after the speaker's office rejected an emergency motion on the withdrawal of savings from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said the speaker's office rejected the motion submitted last Friday as it had already been answered by the finance minister and his deputy.
MPs from the opposition bloc then said that many of their motions had been rejected without clear reason.
Fayhsal himself said that he was still receiving complaints and grievances from the people who were asking for a targeted EPF withdrawal.
"They say that they are not satisfied with the explanation by the finance minister and deputy finance minister," he said.
"So allow us to debate this issue today. There are only two days left in this Parliament session."
Fayhsal submitted the motion on Friday, asking that the Dewan Rakyat session be adjourned in accordance with Articles 18 (1) and (2) of the meeting rules.
Today, he called again for the motion to be considered, calling it a matter of public interest.
Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin agreed, saying many were struggling in the current economic situation.
Deputy speaker Alice Lau however said that a final decision had already been made by the speaker, in line with meeting rule 43.
"If you are not satisfied, you can submit another motion," she said.
"If you would like to leave, you can leave."


Don’t blame civil servants if ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ slogan doesn’t catch on, say analysts

Six months after Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as prime minister, his “Keluarga Malaysia” or “Malaysian Family” slogan has yet to catch on, analysts say, cautioning however against blaming civil servants for the lack of support.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said the people did not really understand the tagline which Ismail introduced shortly after taking his oath of office last August.Oh Ei Sun of Singapore’s Institute of International Affairs said the definition of the slogan was unclear, perhaps due to the sudden appointment of Ismail as prime minister and his need to find a tagline to encapsulate the concepts of his administration.“Many may still be confused about the definition of ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ and how it is any different from the 1Malaysia slogan introduced by Najib Razak in 2009,” he said.“Because of this, many are indifferent. They also see Ismail as only a caretaker prime minister who may not be in office for long.”Ismail was sworn in on Aug 22, 2021 after his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin lost his majority in the Dewan Rakyat following the move by a group of Umno MPs aligned with Najib and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to withdraw their support for him.Ahmad Atory Hussain of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the concept would not help Barisan Nasional (BN) rally support at the Johor state election to come.He said “Keluarga Malaysia” is a government policy whereas elections see political parties fighting it out to determine who will form the next administration.Because of this, he said, the prime minister should not blame civil servants if the concept does not catch on with the public as they would carry out their duty irrespective of political party.He said it was also possible that civil servants in ministries were not implementing the concept of “Keluarga Malaysia” due to a lack of guidance by the minister.Last month, Ismail told civil servants in the Prime Minister’s Department during their monthly assembly to put more effort into promoting the “Keluarga Malaysia” concept.Oh said ministers including the prime minister should be careful in openly rebuking civil servants as this could backfire on them.“Don’t forget the consequences of always accusing civil servants as occurred during the administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” he said. “This caused a dislike in many for Pakatan Harapan (PH).”Oh said the situation would become worse when voters including civil servants are confused about the political landscape, leading to a loss of loyalty to just one party.“We aren’t even sure who is the government and who is the opposition,” he said. “For example, Bersatu and PAS sometimes play more of an opposition role than PH.“PH, on the other hand, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government. They sound like the government, and this causes confusion among the voters.”Atory said the situation could cause a swing in votes by civil servants to parties that do not represent the government, which could contribute to the eventual fall of the current administration.He said the matter should be given serious attention as there have been no “strongholds” since BN’s loss of power in 2018.“Civil servants used to vote for BN because of stability, as the coalition frequently obtained a two-thirds majority in Parliament.”While civil servants do not make up as large a portion of voters as the youth, he said, political parties should realise that every election to come will be an open fight as there are no longer dominant parties such as existed during BN’s time before the 2018 polls.“If Johor is an Umno stronghold, they should obtain a two-thirds majority in the state assembly and not a majority of just one seat,” he added.“This state election looks like BN’s strategy to return to power at a time when political coalitions are unable to rally support like they did in the past.”


Five-star hotel in Kuching turns to street food as Covid measures bite

An upscale hotel in Kuching, Sarawak, is putting aside its five-star image to serve food hawker-style from stalls at the side of the road as part of its efforts to stay afloat following the latest in a series of health measures that have taken a heavy toll on the tourism industry.Pullman Kuching, located at the heart of the Kuching Golden Triangle, is known for its kitchen. Now, instead of filling its restaurants, customers are queueing along the street just outside the hotel, waiting their turn to pack home some of its signature dishes.And with good cause: most of the items on the menu are going for just RM8.The hotel’s food and beverage director Fabian Francis Mathews said they were hoping to bring in some revenue as restaurants have effectively been closed with no dine-in allowed since May 12.“This is a major issue as we have about five restaurants at our hotel which are now closed,” he told MalaysiaNow.“So we are encouraging the customers to take away our food.”From hotel restaurant to sidewalk stall, this cook is hard at work turning out burgers for hungry customers.But judging by the queues, which form for lunch as early as 10.30am, customers need little encouragement.The chicken rice is especially popular, although other favourites like fried kuey teow, fried rice and mee goreng mamak are served as well. And for dessert, five-star hotel ABC for RM5.Sarawak, which like many other states has been experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases, is the only part of the country still under conditional movement control order (CMCO).However, restrictions still apply, particularly the ban on interstate and interdistrict travel.Since the hotel must now rely on domestic demand, Fabian said they had been trying their best to retain their staff.“The hospitality industry and restaurants are facing financial constraints, and many have laid off their workers with some cutting their salaries as well.“But we are maintaining everything as normal although we have been badly hit by the pandemic. We believe that we are also responsible for our staff’s well-being.”Hotel staff wait at the ABC stall where bowls of the delicious dessert are sold for RM5.It is a move that many of their staff appreciate. Ivanna, who has been working at Pullman Kuching for two years now said she was grateful that she had not been let go.“During these tough times, people are struggling to earn enough to survive, not only to buy food,” she said.“There are other things that we need to settle every month, like travel expenditure and bank loans.”Another staff member called Joseph who took on a job as a chef just last month said he was shocked but thankful.With restrictions set to continue for a while more, Fabian said his team would continue to serve customers through the socially distanced options of takeaway and delivery.“Given that we responded swiftly in pivoting our business to takeaways and deliveries since last year’s lockdown, we will now enhance our efforts in these two areas to cater to our customers who are working from home,” he said.This is his advice to those in the food and beverage industry as well.“Before we resort to laying off staff, we should come up with an alternative idea. We have to get everyone to brainstorm together,” he said.The stalls, tiny against the bulk of the hotel, are part of efforts to continue serving customers despite the pandemic constraints.There’s no telling how things will turn out during this CMCO period but Fabian and his team will be at their stall every day from 10am to 10pm, bringing their hospitality from the hotel to the streets.“The response has been encouraging, and I would recommend that other eateries follow suit,” he said – with permission from the city council, he is quick to add.“Although our stall is within the hotel premise, we also obtained a permit from the council.”And, until the pandemic ends, they will ensure that customers continue complying with the SOPs.“Especially physical distancing and taking their temperature when they arrive at the entrance,” he said.


Activists, groups who called for Azam's removal tight-lipped after reappointment as MACC chief

A number of activists and pressure groups which previously called for the resignation of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki have remained mum following his reappointment to the position for another year.
When contacted by MalaysiaNow for a response, NGOs, activists and politicians either declined to comment or did not answer their phones.
These include individuals who had attended the #TangkapAzamBaki rally in Kuala Lumpur last January, following the controversy over claims of conflict of interest in his ownership of shares.
Azam, who was appointed as MACC chief in March 2020, was reappointed for another year effective May 12.
Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali said Azam's reappointment had received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
The news received no response from politicians who had spoken against Azam's handling of MACC ahead of the general election last year, including Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
Rafizi, in his campaign for the election, had warned that he would "look for" Azam if Pakatan Harapan came to power, condemning what he called a raid by MACC at Invoke Solutions, the PKR-linked company he heads.
"Saturday we vote. After we win the election, we will look for Azam Baki," he said at a campaign event in Johor Bahru.
He later backed down from his warning, denying any move on his part to threaten the anti-graft chief.
MPs who were called up by the police for participating in the #TangkapAzamBaki rally have yet to respond to news of Azam's reappointment either, including Fahmi Fadzil, Maria Chin Abdullah, Maszlee Malik and Teresa Kok.
Azam came under scrutiny over the alleged purchase in 2015 and 2016 of shares and warrants at two public-listed companies, but said these had been purchased by his brother using his share trading account, maintaining that he had committed no wrongdoing.
The issue was revealed by activist Lalitha Kunaratnam, against whom Azam filed a defamation suit which is slated for hearing in July.
MACC under his leadership opened investigations this year into Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Bersatu's Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan.
It also froze several bank accounts belonging to Bersatu in relation to the alleged misappropriation of funds used by the government when the country was dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Azam began his career at the anti-graft body in 1984, when it was known as the Anti-Corruption Agency.
He has held the position of MACC chief under three administrations, led by Muhyiddin, Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Anwar Ibrahim.
Thomas Fann, chairman of electoral watchdog Bersih, said Anwar had missed a golden opportunity to escape from the convention of changing the MACC head each time there is a change of government.
He said the extension of Azam's tenure only reinforced the fact that the prime minister had absolute discretion over the appointment process.
"Because of this, there are accusations by some that MACC is not independent and is used against political opponents," he told MalaysiaNow.
He added that Anwar should have referred the appointment process to the parliamentary select committee, which he said would also eliminate the perception of interference by the prime minister in MACC's work.


Passport vaccination stamps ‘on the way’ in UK

The British government reportedly plans to introduce vaccine stamps in passports by next year for those who have been inoculated against Covid-19.The inoculation stamps are being worked on by the Department for Transport, as airline bosses around the world announce they will make vaccinations mandatory before flying.A supporter of the passport stamps, MP James Sunderland, told The Telegraph, “Pets need a vaccination passport when travelling between the UK and Europe and this would be a wonderful way of ensuring freedom of movement for people too. A vaccination stamp is simple, would save all the hassle at either end and really boost confidence.”He insisted that, “We must do everything possible to boost the economy by re-opening our travel, hospitality, leisure and business sectors, and how fantastic would it be to have our planes, trains and boats full again.”Government sources told the newspaper that Aviation Minister Robert Courts is “upbeat and supportive” of the idea. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said earlier this month that his transport secretary is “looking at all such schemes”.Some airlines are already saying they will require such stamps after the international rollout of vaccines, with the CEO of Australian airline Qantas saying last week that proof of inoculation will be required to travel on his company’s flights.Korean Air and Air New Zealand say they may be forced to require vaccine stamps as some governments may implement mandatory vaccines as conditions for reopening their borders to international travel.However, the chief executive of Irish short-haul budget airline Ryanair says that they are unlikely to require the stamps, explaining that it is unrealistic to require such restrictions within Europe.“With short-haul and freedom of movement of people in Europe, I think we’ll see an entirely different landscape come spring and early summer,” he said. “In European cities, if you were to choose no vaccination, you’d just get an express train instead.”For those staying at home in the UK, the British government is considering “freedom passes” as a means of lifting lockdown restrictions. People who test negative twice in a week would be given a certificate on their phones, enabling them to see their families or travel without a mask within the UK.


Firms turn down orders as migrant labour shortage hits

Malaysian companies from palm oil plantations to semiconductor makers are refusing orders and forgoing billions in sales, hampered by a shortage of more than a million workers that threatens the country’s economic recovery.Despite lifting a Covid-19 freeze on recruiting foreign workers in February, Malaysia has not seen a significant return of migrant workers due to slow government approvals and protracted negotiations with Indonesia and Bangladesh over worker protections, say industry groups, companies and diplomats.Malaysia, a key link in the global supply chain, relies on millions of foreigners for factory, plantation and service sector jobs shunned by locals as dirty, dangerous and difficult.Manufacturers, who make up nearly one-fourth of the economy, fear losing customers to other countries as growth picks up.“Despite the greater optimism in outlook and increase in sales, some companies are gravely hampered in their ability to fulfil orders,” said Soh Thian Lai, president of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, which represents over 3,500 companies.Palm oil growers are at breaking point, said Carl Bek-Nielsen, chief executive director of oil palm grower United Plantations.“The situation is dire and very much like having to play a game of football against 11 men but only being allowed to field seven,” he said.Malaysia lacks at least 1.2 million workers across manufacturing, plantation and construction, a shortage worsening daily as demand grows with an easing of the pandemic, industry and government data shows.Manufacturers say they are short 600,000 workers, construction needs 550,000, the palm oil industry reports a shortage of 120,000 workers, chipmakers lack 15,000 and cannot meet demand despite a global chip shortage, and medical glovemakers say they require 12,000 workers.Malaysia’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index dropped to 50.1 in May from 51.6 in April, barely remaining in expansion, as the sector shed the most jobs since August 2020, according to data from S&P Global.Chipmakers are turning away customers, locals are not interested in working in the industry and many who do join leave in less than half a year, says Wong Siew Hai, president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association.The palm oil industry, which contributes 5% to Malaysia’s economy, warns three million tonnes of crop could be lost this year as fruit rots unpicked, meaning losses of more than US$4 billion. The rubber glove industry estimates US$700 million of lost revenue this year if the labour shortage persists.Workers’ rightsThe human resources ministry, which is responsible for approving the intake of foreign workers, did not respond to Reuters queries for comment on the labour crunch and its economic impact.In April, minister M Saravanan said companies had asked to hire 475,000 migrant workers but the ministry had approved just 2,065, rejecting some for incomplete information or lack of compliance with regulations.Diplomats from Indonesia and Bangladesh, two of Malaysia’s biggest sources of foreign labour, told Reuters that workers’ rights were part of the hold-up in sourcing migrant workers.Bangladesh signed an agreement in December to send workers, but implementation was delayed after Dhaka protested Malaysia’s proposed hiring process, citing fears the plan could lead to increased costs for the workers and debt bondage, said a Bangladeshi diplomatic source.“Our main focus is our workers’ welfare and rights,” said Bangladesh’s expatriate welfare and overseas employment minister, Imran Ahmed. “We’re making sure they get standard wages, they have proper accommodation, they spend minimum cost for migration and they get all other social security.”He told Reuters that Dhaka does not “want workers to end up falling into a cycle of debt trap”, adding that Malaysia wants to hire 200,000 Bangladeshi workers within a year.The US has banned seven Malaysian companies over the last two years over what Washington called forced labour.Saravanan, who was in Dhaka early this month, said Malaysia had given the Bangladesh government reassurances that it would ensure better salaries and protection of workers’ welfare. He has denied claims that the hiring process was flawed.Saravanan said last week the government was finalising technical matters, recruitment procedures and agreements with some source countries.Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name, said concerns over worker protection came up in recent bilateral talks.


How a communication blunder by Malaysian diplomats left UAE red-faced during PM Ismail’s official visit

A communication blunder by top diplomats at the Malaysian embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during a recent official visit by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to attend a major trade expo has left the Gulf state red-faced, with UAE officials scurrying to the airport to apologise to the Malaysian delegation, MalaysiaNow has learnt.The incident, described by officials on both sides as “embarrassing”, left Wisma Putra with no choice but to recall the Malaysian ambassador to the UAE, Tarid Sufian, and its consul-general in Dubai, Hasril Abdul Hamid.Wisma Putra in a statement confirmed that the duo had been stationed in Putrajaya, saying the move was justified as they had failed to make arrangements to manage the visit of a head of government.“Such a measure had to be taken because as the head of the delegation, they were not able to coordinate the administration and logistics for the visit, which should have been handled properly based on the SOPs of high-level visits abroad, especially involving the arrival of the prime minister in Dubai on March 29,” it said, adding that a news website’s description of the incident bordered on “speculation and baseless allegations”.Invitation to summitIsmail visited Dubai late last month to attend the Expo 2020 event, one of the biggest trade exhibitions in the world which had been postponed due to Covid-19.The expo was held in tandem with another major event, the World Government Summit, for which an invitation was extended to Ismail. Wisma Putra however was never notified of this.“Had the embassy informed Putrajaya earlier about the invitation, this whole incident could have been avoided as the necessary arrangements would have been made,” said the source.It said due to the critical lapse in communication to Wisma Putra about the summit, it was too late for the organisers to include Ismail in the list of speakers.The Malaysian embassy’s failure to inform the UAE government about the prime minister’s visit also led to an absence of official protocol to welcome foreign dignitaries.As a result, the prime minister was made to go through normal immigration clearance at the airport.A junior diplomatic source from the UAE said the failure of the Malaysian embassy to inform his government had left the emirates “embarrassed by the lack of hospitality accorded to the Malaysian prime minister”.“Due to the absence of any information given to our side, there was no official welcome or police outriders. It was a huge embarrassment, more so for the host country than the visitors,” the source added.“Within hours of being told that His Excellency (Ismail) had arrived at the airport, we dispatched our officials and extended our apologies,” he said.When queried about the failure to inform UAE officials, one Malaysian diplomat said it was wrongly assumed that Ismail was on a “private visit”.“Whatever the reason, both sides were left red-faced by such inefficiencies. It is part of basic SOPs for diplomats to be on the alert, especially when their head of government is coming to their turf,” the diplomat added.Ismail’s departure from Dubai, meanwhile, was a far cry from his arrival as he was given a full security escort and other official arrangements accorded to visiting VIPs.


Fahmi says focus on 'cooling down' social media

The government will continue to respect the right to freedom of expression including on social media, but users are reminded not to create slander and sow the seeds of hatred to create unrest in the country, says Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said false and defamatory news had emerged during and after the 15th general election (GE15), which saw the country experience a hung Parliament.
He said the country was now governed by a unity government and that the current focus was to work on steering the country toward a better path.
"So now, after holding this position (as communications and digital minister), one of my priorities is to ‘cool down’ social media. The right to express exists, (and so does) the right of journalists.
"Like for example... monitoring the government. That's a very good motto, but don't turn it into baseless slander, or plant the seeds of hatred and extremism.
"I was very much affected by the (last) general election, sometimes (there were things) said that were a bit extreme... if you want to be political, be political, but be moderate," he said on an Agenda Awani programme last night. On the freedom of the media, Fahmi said as long as it was within the ambit of the law, the media was free and had the right to report current developments.
However, he said that in addition to the limits of the law, the limits of decency also need to be taken into account when reporting news.
"They can monitor, I see that there is a need for the media to carry out their duties. The media is the fourth estate, one of the pillars of democracy, so please go ahead, but not to the point of being misinterpreted, denigrating religion, royal institutions, we draw the line," he said.
On internet coverage in the country, Fahmi said engagements had been made with the parties involved, including service providers, so that costs could be reduced for the people.
"Soon, we hope to have some good news regarding this matter," he said.
Earlier, Fahmi said the communications and digital ministry was holding discussions with industry players to lower the price of telecommunication services in the country.


Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties to win World Cup

Argentina won the World Cup on Sunday after beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties, following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time.
Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman's penalty and Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide to give Argentina their first world title since 1986, and third overall.
France had come from two goals down to level over 90 minutes with Kylian Mbappe netting twice in two minutes, including an 80th-minute penalty.
The France striker completed his hat-trick in the 118th with another spot-kick after Argentina's Lionel Messi had tapped in for a 3-2 lead in the 109th.
Argentina had gone 2-0 up in the first half with Messi, making a record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance, converting a 23rd-minute penalty.
They struck again with a sublime four-pass counter-attack as Alexis Mac Allister's cutback found Angel Di Maria and he finished well.


Selangor up to 1,743 as 4,865 new cases logged

Another 4,865 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 479,421.Selangor recorded 1,743 cases, Sarawak 512, Kuala Lumpur 477, Johor 407, Kelantan 406, Kedah 244, Penang 220, Perak 160, Terengganu 156, Pahang 152, Negeri Sembilan 149 and Melaka 127.Sabah recorded 95 cases, Putrajaya nine, Labuan six and Perlis two.


North Korea’s Kim pledges to strengthen defence capabilities

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to strengthen his nuclear-armed nation’s military capabilities at a key ruling party meeting, state media reported Thursday, just weeks before Joe Biden’s inauguration as US president.In his work report to the Workers’ Party congress, Kim pledged to place “the state defence capabilities on a much higher level, and put forth goals for realising it”, the official Korean Central News Agency said.After an initial war of words and mutual threats, outgoing US President Donald Trump had an extraordinary diplomatic bromance with Kim, featuring headline-grabbing meetings and declarations of love by Trump.But talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since the two men’s second summit in Hanoi broke down in February 2019 over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.Analysts say the North is using the five-yearly congress to send the incoming administration a message, but is treading carefully – Biden characterised Kim as a “thug” during the presidential debates, while Pyongyang has previously called him a “rabid dog”.KCNA did not refer to nuclear weapons in its report or give specific details of Kim’s goals.But defector-turned-researcher Ahn Chan-il of the World Institute for North Korea Studies in Seoul told AFP: “It basically means the North will strengthen its nuclear capabilities.“Kim does not want to say the word ‘nuclear’ as Biden takes office later this month, and he knows the incoming president’s stance on Pyongyang is uncompromising compared to his predecessor,” he added.“Kim probably does not want to provoke him at this stage. But the North would never give up its nuclear weapons, that’s very clear.”The US is expected to return to more orthodox diplomatic approaches under Biden, such as insisting on extensive progress at working-level talks before any leaders’ summit can be considered.‘Mistakes we have made’North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against a possible US invasion, and for decades has poured vast amounts of resources into developing them, at the cost of diplomatic isolation and multiple international sanctions.Its progress accelerated rapidly under Kim, including by far its most powerful nuclear test and missiles capable of reaching the whole of the US.At a military parade in October it showed off a huge new missile that analysts concurred was the largest road-mobile, liquid-fuelled missile anywhere in the world, and was highly likely to be designed to carry multiple warheads in independent re-entry vehicles (MIRVs).Analysts said it was proof that the North had continued to develop its arsenal throughout the diplomatic process, and gave Pyongyang greater heft to demand a return to the negotiating table.The five-yearly congress is the top meeting of the North’s ruling party, a grand political set-piece that reinforces the regime’s authority and is closely followed by analysts for signs of policy shifts.Reports citing satellite imagery say there are indications Pyongyang is planning a parade “with military elements” to mark the gathering.On its first day, Kim admitted that “almost all sectors” had fallen short of their economic targets and said the congress would comprehensively analyse “the experiences, lessons and mistakes we have made during the period under review”.The coronavirus pandemic has added to the pressures on the North, which closed its borders last January to protect itself against the pandemic that first emerged in neighbour and key ally China.As a result, it has blockaded itself far more effectively than even the most hawkish advocate of sanctions could ever hope to achieve.Pyongyang insists that it has not had a single coronavirus case – observers doubt the claim – but trade with China is at a tiny fraction of the usual level.


202 new infections as death toll up by one

Another 202 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,037,784.
There were 275 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,990,705.
There are now 10,136 active cases, of which 9,758 or 96.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 372 (3.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of six are in ICU, all of whom are in need of respiratory assistance.
One more death was reported, taking total deaths to 36,943.


3 more deaths as cases stay in 4-digit zone

Another 1,594 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 106,690.Selangor recorded 697 cases, of which 362 were from clusters, 231 from close contact screening and 104 from other screenings.This was followed by Kuala Lumpur (194), Johor (191), Negeri Sembilan (160) and Sabah (157).Penang recorded 69, Perak 47, Kelantan 28, Melaka 14, Kedah 12, Pahang 11, Putrajaya nine, Terengganu three and Sarawak two.Five new clusters were detected: Tapak Bina Jalan Gadang (Lembah Pantai and Cheras, Kuala Lumpur; 13 cases), Menara Sri (Cheras, Kepong, Lembah Pantai and Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur; 14 cases), Bukit Pasir (Muar, Johor; nine cases), Pintu Geng (Kota Bharu, Kelantan; 21 cases), and Putra 15 (Putrajaya; eight cases).Four others ended – Putra-18, PTS Tawau, Tamar and Intan – leaving 214 active clusters in the country.Active cases stand at 20,643 with 116 in the ICU and 53 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,181 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 85,592.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 455.


We will go solo in GE15, BN says it again

Barisan Nasional (BN) is keeping to its decision to go solo in the 15th general election (GE15).
BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan said the coalition would boost its efforts to win as many seats as possible in Parliament to form a government by itself in GE15.
However, Mohamad who is also BN election director, said if the results showed otherwise, the coalition was prepared to negotiate with other parties to set up a strong and stable government for the people’s well-being.
"Even though the people said we are going with this or that party in GE15, BN will still maintain its decision to go solo with the support of its coalition parties.
"We will see after the election if we win and can form a government by ourselves. If not, the results of the party will determine who we need to negotiate with for a strong government," he said at the launch of the Terengganu BN GE15 machinery in Pantai Penunjuk, in Kijal yesterday. Mohamad said the criteria for the selection of the party with which to form a coalition would be its points of similarities and its struggle with BN.
This is to ensure an understanding, to create a stable political environment in the country, he said.
"We do not want the people to continue being victims of political upheavals… it’s enough. It has been four years, we are still not aware of where we are going while countries more adversely affected by Covid-19 have leaped in their economic performance as many investors invest due to political stability," he said.     In another development, Mohamad said the application of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) to join BN would be discussed in the BN Supreme Council meeting on Monday.
"The matter has to be decided through a consensus. All parties have to unanimously agree," he said.
Also present were BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir and Terengganu BN chairman Ahmad Said.


AmBank to pay RM2.83 billion settlement over 1MDB scandal

AMMB Holdings Bhd has agreed to a RM2.83 billion global settlement on all outstanding claims and actions in relation to the involvement of AmBank Group in the 1MDB matter, the finance ministry said today.In a statement, it said it was part of the government’s recovery efforts against all parties involved, either directly or indirectly, in 1MDB and its entities.“This follows the government’s successful negotiations on Goldman Sach’s RM15.8 billion settlement in July 2020,” it said.“These settlements will not absolve other entities and individuals of their alleged wrongful involvement in 1MDB, and they will continue to be pursued through the criminal justice system.”According to the statement, the settlement also addresses the requirements by the Securities Commission of Malaysia on compliance with its laws and guidelines.“As part of the terms for the global settlement, the SC will require AmInvestment Bank Bhd to take corrective measures, including putting in place systems and processes to strengthen their due diligence framework for submission of corporate proposals.”It said the settlement amount is in addition to the RM53.7 million penalty imposed by Bank Negara Malaysia and paid by AmBank Group.It added that the settlement would not affect or compromise Malaysia’s claims against individuals like Low Taek Jho, Jasime Loo and other parties related to the 1MDB scandal.“This latest settlement is beneficial for the Malaysian people,” Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said in the statement.“Resolving this through the court system would have cost a lot of time, money and resources. With this settlement, the payment of the monies will be expedited instead of being held up by lengthy court battles, and can be utilised to fulfil 1MDB’s outstanding obligations.”


Winning votes through identity politics

According to official estimates, Donald J Trump obtained a little more than 74 million votes in the November 2020 presidential election, losing to Joseph Biden who secured a little more than 81 million votes. Biden won by a comfortable margin but Trump also performed remarkably well. What explains his performance? An analysis of his performance may reveal the growing influence of a certain combination of forces that may shape elections in not only the US but also in other parts of the world in the coming years.Considering that most of the popular media channels, many established business outfits, professional groups, women’s organisations and youth movements were against Trump, how did he succeed in harnessing so much support? Let us not forget that more than the media and various entities, Trump’s failure to handle the coronavirus epidemic which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and spiralling infections eroded considerably his support base.While a variety of factors may have been responsible for the votes that Trump garnered – including his incumbency – certain observers have highlighted his appeal to a huge segment of the majority white population and his economic record as decisive. As he did in his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump successfully projected himself as the defender of the interests of the whites at a time when demographic changes favouring the Hispanic population on the one hand and black political empowerment on the other (Obama’s eight years in the White House as a case in point) were allegedly jeopardising the position of the majority community. Baseless as these allegations were, they were craftily manipulated to the advantage of the fearmongers.Fear manipulation by itself would not have worked if Trump had not proven that he could also deliver the goods – even if it was superficial. During his four years as president of the US, it is true that he created jobs for not only the majority but also for the minorities including blacks, Hispanics and Asians. Businesses at all levels flourished and the economy appeared to be benefitting segments of society.It is this combination – Trump at the forefront of identity politics and Trump pushing the economy forward – that seems to have helped Trump in his electoral campaign. This combination of forces would have ensured his political triumph, some analysts argue, if it had not been for the pandemic.Within his white constituency, the force that mobilised mass support for Trump came from the Christian right. The Christian right comprises diverse elements including Christian Zionists who in recent times have come to view Trump as a divinely chosen leader who will fulfil their ideological mission through Israel. This is why many Christian Zionists blindly endorsed Trump in the November 2020 US election.When we turn from the US to India, the world’s largest democracy, the nexus between identity politics and economic achievements becomes even more obvious. In recent elections, the ruling Bharatiyya Janata Party (BJP) which assumed power on its own in 2014 has projected itself as the champion of Hindutva, of Hindu nationalism – a party sworn to protect Hindus against alleged moves by Muslims and other minorities in India to weaken the link between the religion and the Indian polity.In the 2019 general election, after five years in power, its Hindutva credentials even more pronounced, the BJP had a greater grip upon the Hindu vote. Its readiness to erase manifestations of Islam in the public arena from place – names to historical narratives – was testimony to its fidelity to the religion.But the BJP also has a people-oriented development agenda. It is committed to not only creating jobs and raising incomes but also to building much needed public facilities. Its claim to have built “a million toilets“ since coming to power in 2014 has had some impact on popular sentiments. The BJP often talks about its rural transformation programmes and how it has reached out to the urban poor.The BJP’s identity politics provides psychological support to its development agenda just as its development agenda derives its moral strength from its adherence to identity symbols and forms. However as in the US, the issue is how identity politics tends to encourage exclusive tendencies within the body politic. It strengthens dichotomies and divisions in society. The real challenges facing the people in the economy, in politics and in societal relations are often marginalised as bigotry and prejudice take centre stage. Thus some religious or cultural symbol manipulated by the elite may capture the popular imagination though what requires attention in society may be falling educational standards or universal healthcare.Political parties or political leaders who do not want to see the politics of identity expressed through bigotry and communal stances dominate their societies, especially if they are multi-ethnic, are often in a quandary. How do they defeat such politics while remaining faithful to politics that is inclusive, honest and committed to justice and integrity? There is one thing that they should not do. They should not play the same game of exploiting religious or communal sentiments to gain electoral support. The entire system will sink deeper into the communal cauldron. Neither should the opponents of bigotry and communalism dismiss the impact of these forces as a temporary phenomenon which will disappear in time.The sane response is to examine in depth the eternal values and principles embodied in the great religious and humanistic philosophies and present their wisdom as an alternative discourse. In other words, what is universal and inclusive, what is just and compassionate in our traditions should be articulated as the real, authentic message of our belief systems. This should be done with courage and integrity whatever the bigots and communalists may say, and however harsh and aggressive their pronouncements and actions may be.At the same time, those of us who are fighting bigots and communalists with an exclusive agenda should also put forward development policies and programmes that are just, inclusive and humane. In concrete terms, if the former seeks to build colleges it would be primarily to equip the next generation with the character, knowledge and skills that serve the public good rather than strengthen the elite stratum of society. As articulators of an alternative, promoting peace and harmony through shared values and principles that bind diverse communities together would be our cherished goal, not the propagation of attitudes that create barriers among us and sow the seeds of mutual distrust and suspicion. Likewise, those of us who subscribe to an alternative vision of society, will expose the corrupt and the greedy regardless of whether he or she is on our side or not.If those of us who are opposed to bigotry and communalism possess and practise the right values and principles, it will not be possible for the manipulators of identity politics to spread their influence in society.Chandra Muzaffar is president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST).The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


US CDC plans to focus on public health response after pandemic failings

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will prioritise its public health response in a revamp of its structure after months of criticism over its handling of the Covid-19 and monkeypox pandemics.
A briefing document provided by the agency on Wednesday said an external report into its response found public guidance had caused confusion, while important information were sometimes released too late to inform federal decisions.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in response the agency was undertaking a series of changes designed to make it more nimble at responding, quicker at providing data and less focused on publishing fully vetted scientific papers.
"For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for Covid-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations," Walensky told CDC staff.
"I want us all to do better and it starts with CDC leading the way," she said, adding that the focus will be on creating an "action-oriented" culture that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication and timeliness.
According to a background briefing document shared with Reuters, plans to modernise the agency include giving the CDC new authority to require states to report data and changes that will allow the CDC to hire staff more quickly and offer more competitive salaries. Both actions will require authorisation from Congress.
As part of the changes, the CDC will name Mary Wakefield, former acting deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration, to lead a team to help implement the restructuring, the agency said.
The steps follow the external review ordered by Walensky in April of its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To encourage faster communication, Walensky wants to create an online mechanism to share findings before they are completely published and expedite the data review process.


Umno revokes support for Muhyiddin, calls for interim PM

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today announced an immediate revocation of the party’s support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, saying he has failed to fulfil several conditions as the basis of its support for the Perikatan Nasional government.“Umno urges Muhyiddin to step down gracefully and to allow a new prime minister for a limited term,” Zahid said after chairing a Supreme Council meeting tonight.It is not clear whether the decision by Umno will obtain the support of its MPs, who have so far resisted attempts by Zahid to have them vacate their Cabinet posts.Giving his justification for the decision, Zahid claimed the government had failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis, accusing it of using the virus emergency for its political benefit at the cost of the country’s economy.Zahid said the government had also failed to uphold democratic practices, and to effectively distribute aid to the people.“The failure of the government, which should have given the people the confidence and trust in managing their welfare, has led to serious social problems such as suicides,” he said.Zahid, who had backed Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to topple Muhyiddin, also said the Umno leadership had resolved not to align itself with the PKR leader or Pakatan Harapan.He said the government had also snubbed repeated calls by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to convene Parliament, adding that it was an affront to the Malay rulers and, as such, went against the Umno constitution to defend the royal institution.


Agong holds pre-Cabinet meeting with PM

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today granted an audience to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for a pre-Cabinet meeting at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur.According to a statement by the palace, the meeting began at 8am and lasted an hour.“The pre-Cabinet meeting is among the weekly activities or the main routine of Sultan Abdullah to discuss and exchange views with the prime minister on government affairs and related issues,” it said.


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Russian TV shows mutiny leader Prigozhin's 'palace' in move to discredit him

Russian state TV on Wednesday night launched a fierce attack on Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of an aborted armed mercenary mutiny last month, and said an investigation was still being pursued.
Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, took control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24, seized the command centre there where Russia coordinates its war in Ukraine, and sent a convoy of fighters towards Moscow. He stood down after striking a deal with the Kremlin.
His mutiny posed the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin since the Russian leader came to power more than two decades ago and forced the Kremlin to launch a damage-limitation exercise in which it has stressed the loyalty of the armed forces and the unity of society in the face of treachery.
Under the agreement that ended the mutiny, Prigozhin, whose aim had been to topple the defence minister and chief of the General Staff for alleged incompetence in prosecuting the war, was meant to relocate to neighbouring Belarus. In exchange, criminal charges against him were to be dropped.
But Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who helped broker the agreement, said on Thursday that Prigozhin, who he said had visited Belarus on June 27, was currently in his native St Petersburg, Russia's second city. His fighters were at their permanent camps on Russian-controlled territory, added Lukashenko, saying an offer to host them in Belarus still stood.
The attack on Prigozhin on state TV could not have been launched without the Kremlin's knowledge and may be part of an attempt to coerce Prigozhin into fulfilling his side of the deal to defuse the mutiny.
There was no immediate reaction from Prigozhin to either the state TV report or Lukashenko's comments.
In the programme "60 Minutes", broadcast on Wednesday on Rossiya-1 television, footage was shown that had purportedly been shot during law enforcement raids on Prigozhin's St Petersburg office and one of his "palaces".
The host, lawmaker Yevgeny Popov, called Prigozhin a "traitor" and the footage was presented by an invited guest - journalist Eduard Petrov - as proof of Prigozhin's criminal past and his hypocrisy in alleging corruption in the armed forces.
The footage showed boxes full of high-denomination roubles in his office and bundles of dollars in a luxurious residence along with a helicopter alleged to belong to him, an arms cache and a collection of wigs.
A fully equipped medical treatment room, gold bars and a collection of souvenir sledgehammers, the tool Prigozhin called a symbol of vengeance to be used against traitors, were also shown.
Investigation of Prigozhin remains live
"Nobody planned to close this case. The investigation (into the mutiny) is ongoing," said Petrov.
He said investigators had concluded that a video used by Prigozhin as a pretext to start the mutiny, which had shown an alleged Russian strike on a mercenary camp, was a fake.
State TV broadcast images of armed Russian law enforcers entering Prigozhin's office. St Petersburg's Fontanka news outlet had reported that raids on properties linked to Prigozhin were conducted on June 24.
"I consider that the creation of Yevgeny Prigozhin's image as a people's hero was all done by media fed by Yevgeny Prigozhin," said Petrov, referring to media outlets financed by Prigozhin. "After it failed, they quickly closed and fled."
He said cash worth US$6.6 million (about RM30.7 million) had been found in Prigozhin's properties.
Prigozhin has said Wagner only dealt in cash, which it used to pay salaries and expenses. Putin has said Wagner was financed by the state.
The programme showed several passports in different names, which it said Prigozhin had used.
"A normal person can't have so many passports," said Petrov. "Why did this person have such strange powers, like the serious leader of some kind of criminal group?"
Photographs of Prigozhin dressed in different disguises and uniforms were leaked to the Telegram messaging app at the same time. Reuters could not verify their authenticity.
"We need to get to the bottom of who was on whose side (in the mutiny). We need to punish and prosecute them," said Petrov.


DAP rep tests positive for drugs after raid on nightclub

A DAP elected representative from Perak tested positive for drugs during a raid at a nightclub in Penang, a source told MalaysiaNow.It is learnt that the assemblyman was among 48 patrons at the nightclub in Prai who were arrested during the raid last night.The DAP man, a lawyer by profession who is in his 50s, is also a member of the state DAP leadership.He was elected in a state constituency for a second term in the 2018 polls.


Miss Universe Thailand loses mental health post for condemning police brutality

Only a few days after the Department of Mental Health appointed Amanda Obdam as its brand ambassador, it reversed its decision after she spoke critically of state violence used against the pro-democracy movement, media sources report.Crowned Miss Universe Thailand last year, Obdam was dismissed this week after she expressed disgust at images showing security forces appearing to assault medical volunteers in the street.“The Department of Mental Health acknowledges people’s concerns and it cannot proceed with Amanda’s mission that may cause conflict and discomfort among the people, therefore we have terminated Amanda’s brand ambassadorship from this point onward,” the department’s statement reads.Obdam was only appointed last week and pro-government elements were already criticising the move, saying it was wrong to appoint a “nation-hater” – a popular term used by conservative royalists to describe those pressing for social and government reform.Unlike many risk-averse beauty queens, the 27-year-old Thai-Canadian has often been vocal on social media.She has tweeted about cases of forced disappearances and criticised police violence ever since October when officers first deployed chemical-laced water cannons against protesters.“Protesting is never a disturbance of the peace. Corruption, injustice, war and intimidation are disturbances of the peace,” she tweeted last month, quoting American author-activist Bryant McGill.After police officers were filmed stomping on a volunteer medic on the ground on Feb 14, Obdam spoke out again.“Disgusting behaviour. Where is the humanity?” she tweeted. “How can we talk about love when there’s still violence on the street?”