Landing stories – and then some: A journalist’s bout with Covid-19

Good journalists are risk takers, going wherever their story takes them even if it means into danger.But today, as Covid-19 rages through the world, danger takes on a new form in the shape of an invisible enemy that could strike anywhere, at any time.For Azrul Affandi Sobry, a journalist based in Kuala Lumpur, it struck as he was on the line of duty covering the recent state election in Sabah.He admits that it wasn’t entirely unexpected as the nature of the job entails jostling with others in order to land the story.But he also confesses that he could have done more to prevent it from happening.“From the first day I arrived in Sabah and started reporting until the day I returned to KL, I never followed the SOPs,” he told MalaysiaNow.“There were hundreds of us there, and none of us did.”In Malaysia alone, the virus has claimed more than 200 lives and infected over 24,000 people.Azrul is candid about the source of his infection, and while he says he had little choice – “we have to get up close to the people in the story we’re covering” – he is also clear about where he believes the responsibility lies.“The fault is all mine because I spent time working in crowded areas where everyone abandoned the SOPs in the rush to get their stories.“Social distancing wasn’t practised by anyone I saw and we didn’t even wear face masks.”He and other reporters spent time crowding into former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal’s home, from where they reported on the excitement of the election.“I can’t blame the other people squeezed together in that house, only myself,” he added.Once he had sent his final election story to his editors, he flew from Sabah back to KLIA on Sept 30.“I spent time working in crowded areas where everyone abandoned the SOPs in the rush to get their stories.”On arrival, all passengers were swab tested. Health workers attached a pink bracelet to his wrist, and he was ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days. His swab came up negative, so he left the airport and went home in a cheerful mood, confident that everything would be fine.But the next morning when he woke up, Azrul felt some ominous changes coming over him. He felt his first stirrings of unease.As the day progressed he began to feel weak and cough continuously but he dared not leave the house to get treatment or medication because he was still wearing the pink bracelet.He began to suspect the worst.“On the third day after getting back from Sabah, I started to feel terrible with a horrible cough and bouts of dizziness so I called the Kajang hospital emergency department because now I was frightened and wanted to know what I should do.”He encountered difficulties dealing with the hospital so he contacted health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and soon found himself in Sungai Buloh hospital where he was given emergency treatment, warded, and tested.The next day his test results came back. They confirmed he was positive for Covid-19.Healthcare professionals quarantined him there and then. He spent over a week moving between three different wards as beds became scarce in the grip of a new local wave.On day 8, he still tested positive but was told he was no longer contagious and so would not spread the virus. He just needed time for his immune system to heal him.Azrul Affandi Sobry now works from home after his recovery from Covid-19.Due to the growing influx of Covid-19 cases in Klang Valley hospitals, patients were being allowed to return home after their 10th day if they did not exhibit severe symptoms.“If the patients seemed healthy, they were allowed to go home. In fact, after a week in the hospital just about everyone in the isolation wards was actually fit; most of us were even able to run,” he said.On day 8, he was discharged to allow room for the rush of new patients. He went home to recuperate.Before his bout with the illness, Azrul was known to his Facebook followers as “cikgu Covid” or Covid teacher, as he often shared advice and tips on how to avoid getting infected.Now he is able to advise his followers from first-hand experience.His advice now is not so much how to avoid getting infected any more, as how to react to being around recovered Covid-19 victims.“Paranoid people are always afraid of Covid-19 patients,” he said. “They see us like rabid dogs they shouldn’t go near. Even some of my friends are like that.“I want people to try to remember that Covid is not the only dangerous infectious disease out there. All viruses can spread. Influenza is also a killer. But people now see Covid as the only dangerous thing you can catch. Recovering patients are often avoided by everyone and there’s absolutely no need for that.”


PN likely to contest all seats in Melaka polls, says Muhyiddin

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today said there is a strong likelihood that his coalition will contest all 28 seats in the upcoming Melaka polls.Speaking at a press conference in Bukit Gambir, he said PN had many leaders and individuals qualified to be become state assemblymen.“It’s not a problem,” he said when asked about candidates.Muhyiddin said yesterday that PN was ready to face three-cornered fights in the Nov 20 election, adding that the coalition had already begun preparing for the polls.He said the three PN parties in the peninsula – Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan – had also agreed that they were ready to face multi-cornered fights if necessary.His comments came amid uncertainty over whether Barisan Nasional and its lynchpin party Umno would decide to work alone in the Melaka polls.Umno at its annual general assembly earlier this year had agreed to cut ties with Bersatu.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday referred to this conclusion, saying the decision not to work with Bersatu had been made at the assembly.“For Bersatu, we have made a decision. We will never work with them… period.“That is our decision and we have decided not to work with Bersatu,” he said.Speaking today, Muhyiddin said he had expected such a response.“I read many statements before this, and decisions from Umno at the general assembly. But out of prudence, at the early stages we wanted to see.“If it is now official that they are saying, no way we will cooperate, that is a fact. As I said yesterday, we are ready for any form of contest, whether three-cornered or four-cornered or a straight fight. That is not a problem for us.”


Ringgit slump no measure of economic situation, says PM

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said that the ringgit's performance against the US dollar or any other currency should not be used as a yardstick for the country's economic situation.
In a written reply during the Prime Minister's Question Time, he said while the ringgit had slumped against the US dollar, the rate of economic growth in 2022 had exceeded the pre-pandemic level and was expected to continue growing at between 4% and 5% this year.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said Malaysia's GDP in 2023 was expected to grow 5.6%, beating other countries in the region such as Indonesia (5%), China (4.5%) and Vietnam (3.3%).
"The decline in ringgit exchange rate experienced in the near term is largely driven by the strengthening of the US dollar," he said in response to Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin in the Dewan Rakyat.
"The same situation is also being experienced by major currencies such as the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar, the Korean won, the Chinese renminbi, the Singapore dollar and the Philippine peso, which have also depreciated against the US dollar this year."
Last week, the ringgit declined over the RM4.60 level, reaching RM4.6110/6165 against the US dollar on the evening of June 1 after four consecutive days of decline.
It rebounded slightly on Friday to 4.5745/5785.
The ringgit reached its lowest level ever on Nov 4 last year, hitting RM4.7465 against the US dollar and exceeding the level of RM4.7250 recorded on Jan 7, 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.
This morning, it opened at RM4.5950/6000 against the US dollar as investors took a cautious approach to the global outlook.
To an additional question by Radzi, Anwar acknowledged that the ringgit depreciation would affect imported inflation and lead to an increase in costs.
He added however that the situation was being monitored by a number of ministries, giving the example of how the government had addressed the shortage in supply of chicken and eggs.
Anwar, the Tambun MP, also denied that the government was reducing subsidies, saying this was only applicable to the T20 high-income group, to cover the subsidies for the middle-income (M40) and low-income (B40) groups.


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Mahathir, Hadi get invites to meet Agong

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang have received letters of invitation to an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.“The official letter from the palace was received last week,” Ulya Aqamah Husamudin, the information chief of Mahathir’s Pejuan bloc, told Bernama, adding that the audience has been fixed on Thursday.“However, the time for the audience has yet to be ascertained.”Meanwhile, PAS said a letter was sent on June 4 inviting its president to Istana Negara this week.Other party leaders said they have yet to receive any invitation from the palace.Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said he was not sure if his party had received an invitation.“I heard so,” he said to Bernama. “But I have not been to the office… I’m not so sure whether Umno has received such a letter or not.”PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail meanwhile told Bernama to refer to Khairuddin Abu Hassan who is a member of the Committee for Ending the Emergency Declaration.“Refer to Khairuddin… he might have more information than us,” he said.On Feb 9, the Prime Minister’s Office announced the appointment of 19 members to the committee, chaired by former chief justice Arifin Zakaria.Other members include former chief secretary to the government Samsudin Osman, former inspector-general of police Norian Mai, former chief of defence forces Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, former health director-general Dr Mohamad Taha Arif and former Sabah state secretary Sukarti Wakiman.The committee was set up under Section 2 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the ongoing emergency and when it should end.The National Security Council and the Prime Minister’s Department are secretariats for the committee.


Grounded container ship moved after nearly a week

The massive container ship blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week has been turned 80% in the right direction, officials said Monday, raising hopes the vital trade route could soon be clear.But its owner said that while the giant ship “has turned”, it was still not yet afloat.The MV Ever Given, longer than four football fields, had been wedged diagonally across the canal since Tuesday, strangling world supply chains and costing the global economy billions.Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chief Osama Rabie said Monday that rescue efforts with tugs had succeeded in shifting the front and back of the ship.“The position of the ship has been reorientated 80 percent in the right direction,” Rabie in a statement.“The stern… moved to 102m from the shore,” compared to its position 4m from the shore previously.Efforts to refloat it will resume on the next high tide.The SCA statement said that the refloating process “will resume when water flow increases again from 11:30 local time… in order to completely refloat the vessel, so as to reposition it in the middle of the waterway.”According to the Vesselfinder and myshiptracking sites, the stern could be seen to have shifted from the canal’s western bank.‘Not afloat’An official from the 200,000-tonne ship’s owners, Shoei Kisen, said while the Ever Given “has turned”, it “is not afloat”.The ship had been “stuck at an angle of 30 degrees towards the canal, but that has eased”, said the official.“A total of 11 tug boats have been pulling Ever Given since this morning,” they added, saying that while there was damage sustained by the ship on its bow when it got stuck, “but no new damage has been reported”.It is not yet clear when traffic along the canal will resume.A canal official, who requested anonymity, said that the team on the ground had started technical checks, and were reassured that the ship’s motor was working.Salvage crews have been working around the clock.They had focussed on efforts to remove sand around the ship, with 27,000 cubic metres (over 950,000 cubic feet) cleared at a depth of 18m (59 feet), SCA spokesman George Safwat said Sunday.On Sunday evening a shipping company, Leth agencies, had said Egyptian authorities had decided more tugboats were needed to shift the vessel and had postponed the refloating attempt around Sunday’s high tide.The Dutch-flagged Alp Guard arrived to join the mission on Sunday evening.The crisis has forced companies to choose between waiting or rerouting vessels around Africa, which adds a huge fuel bill, 9,000km and over a week of travel to the trip between Asia and Europe.Each day of the blockade could be costing global trade some US$6-US$10 billion, according to a study published Friday by German insurer Allianz.That translates to some 0.2 to 0.4 percentage points of annual trade each week.Authorities said 369 ships are currently stalled as they wait for the canal to reopen.Russia offered assistance Sunday, following other countries including the US that have made similar offers.In a sign of the knock-on effects, authorities in war-wracked Syria said the crisis had hit its fuel imports from Iran and forced it to ration already scarce supplies.Romania’s animal health agency said 11 ships carrying livestock out of the country were also impacted, while the charity Animals International warned of a potential “tragedy” affecting some 130,000 animals.


Govt to spend RM1.4 billion for flood relief

The government will provide RM1.4 billion in cash aid and other forms of relief for those devastated by the severe floods this month, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.Since Dec 17, nearly 70,000 people have been displaced while at least 48 were killed, after unusually high rainfall caused severe flooding in eight states.Ismail said in a statement that government relief measures would include direct cash aid for at least 30,000 affected households, death benefits, relief on utility bills and vehicle repairs.It will also include funds for post-flood cleaning and reconstruction, particularly in the worst-hit states of Selangor and Pahang.Malaysia typically has flooding on its eastern coasts that are exposed to the northeast monsoon between October and March.But authorities were caught off-guard by the floods in highly-populated urban areas in its western and central regions this month, prompting criticism of the government’s slow response.The National Disaster Management Agency today warned of more floods in coming days, issuing a continuous rainfall alert for five states.


Budget passed for women, family and community development ministry

The allocation for the women, family and community development ministry was passed by voice vote after the committee-level debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.This marks the 16th victory for the Perikatan Nasional government.Earlier, the budget for the tourism, arts and culture ministry was passed through bloc vote by 109 to 96 with 15 absent.It was the sixth ministerial allocation to be passed by bloc vote, following the budgets for the Prime Minister’s Department, finance ministry, plantation industries and commodities ministry, international trade and industry ministry and transport ministry.The budgets for the ministries of national unity, foreign affairs, agriculture and food industries, rural development, energy and natural resources, domestic trade and consumer affairs, entrepreneur development and cooperative and science, technology and innovation have also been passed.The budget for 2021 – RM322.5 billion, the country’s largest ever – was passed at the policy stage on Nov 26 in what was seen as a crucial test of support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.It was passed by voice vote after the opposition failed to garner enough support to force a bloc vote.


China's efforts to catch up in global electronic spying race

Amid reports that China is expanding its electronic eavesdropping capabilities in Cuba - which Beijing has denied - China's evolving military surveillance network has some way to go to match the sweep and reach of the US and its allies, defence and intelligence analysts say.
What is a foreign listening post?
Five defence and intelligence analysts and four diplomats say large-scale military operations, even in peacetime, demand extensive attempts to vacuum up communications and electronic emissions, all part of what is known as signals intelligence (SIGINT).
The targets could be, for example, conversations between military commanders, a ballistic missile communicating with its command centre or microwave exchanges between a satellite and its ground station. All generate information that can be used against adversaries in a conflict.
Even if the communications can't be decoded, tracking the volume and timing of signals can provide vital intelligence, retired military officials say. Radars and jamming equipment also produce electronic signatures that can be captured.
Fibre optic cables and mobile phone networks have complicated SIGINT efforts, but militaries still routinely communicate via radio.
Large militaries operate ships, surveillance aircraft, satellites and sometimes submarines capable of gathering such signals, but land-based stations expand a nation's scope and reach.
The US and its allies operate a vast global military surveillance network, centred around the listening posts of the Five Eyes grouping of the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and the long-standing US military presence in the Indo-Pacific, including sites in Taiwan, Guam and Diego Garcia, a British territory.
Why put one in Cuba?
The Cuba station is important to the People's Liberation Army for several reasons. It puts the East Coast of the US within range, including military and civilian space launches in Florida and several large army and naval bases.
Cuba's proximity to the equator could make it easier to monitor geostationary military satellites, said one retired military official familiar with such operations.
It could also help China watch the development of SpaceX's Starlink satellite network - a communications tool that Ukrainian forces have used extensively in their conflict with Russia, which Moscow calls a "special operation".
Carl Thayer, a professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy of the Australian National University, said that although PLA surveillance had a long way to go in catching up with the reach of the US and its allies, the Cuba station marked a fresh front in the SIGINT rivalry.
Aside from monitoring capabilities, a large, permanent presence on Cuba "is an important symbol, getting right under the noses of the US and reflecting China's global ambitions", he said.
China's ministry of defence declined to comment.
In 2019, Reuters reported that China's military was running a space monitoring station in Argentina.
What does China have already?
Defence analysts and diplomats tracking China's military modernisation say that Beijing has extensive listening posts on the Chinese mainland and Hainan Island but that its broader offshore operations remain a work in progress.
After reclaiming and fortifying a string of disputed reefs in the South China Sea over the last decade, China built new SIGINT infrastructure reaching deep into Southeast Asia, according to a 2018 study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London (IISS).
China operates its own Beidou system of global navigational satellites and deploys large space tracking ships in the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as smaller maritime surveillance craft and early warning and surveillance aircraft.
The IISS Military Balance notes China operates 207 satellites, including 86 for SIGINT and early warning operations.
The Pentagon's 2022 report on China's military said the tracking ships are operated by the PLA's expanding Strategic Support Force (SSF) and can follow ballistic missile launches and satellites.
The SSF also operates tracking and command stations in Namibia, Pakistan and Kenya, as well as Argentina, the report notes.
Regional diplomats say that as China builds a global military intelligence network, it lacks a US-style system of alliances and partnerships that can help discreet surveillance efforts.
Where else might China build them?
Speaking on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not specify other countries China was considering for listening posts, but some Western diplomats say they expect Chinese diplomatic pressure for facilities in the South Pacific and across the Indian Ocean.
The Pentagon report lists 14 countries where China "has likely considered" military logistics facilities, including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Angola.
China's defence ministry declined to comment.
"This trend is only going to grow alongside China's global reach," said Singapore-based defence analyst Alexander Neill. "Wherever China establishes a new military footprint, they will need to establish a new SIGINT capability."


Najib’s order to sign off on 1MDB financial statement was ‘intimidation’, KPMG partner tells court

KPMG Malaysia managing partner Johan Idris today described Najib Razak’s instruction to the audit firm to complete and sign off on its audit of 1MDB’s 2013 financial statement within two weeks as a form of intimidation.He said this when re-examined by lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram at the former prime minister’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.The 14th prosecution witness was questioned about a meeting which took place on the night of Dec 15, 2013, at Najib’s residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur.The 45-minute meeting was between KPMG with Johan as its sole representative, 1MDB and Najib himself.Sri Ram: You were asked to confirm that the minutes of the meeting do not show there was any pressure exerted by the accused Najib upon you at this meeting. You were there, at ground zero, so was there any pressure at all?Johan: I put it (as) intimidation… Intimidation for us to conclude and sign the audit statement ending March 31, 2013.Sri Ram: From whom did this come?Johan: Najib.Najib’s counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed then stood and objected to the witness’ answer as the word “intimidation” was never raised by Johan in any of his answers.However, High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah asked the defence to put forth its submissions.Previously, the court heard that KPMG had not signed off on the audit for 1MDB’s financial statement for the financial year ended March 31, 2013, as 1MDB had yet to provide the information that KPMG had been asking for since April 2013.In the minutes of the meeting that Johan himself had typed out, he noted that Najib had asked for KPMG to sign the audit by Dec 31, 2013.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before Sequerah continues.


Covax hits 500 million Covid-19 vaccine dose deliveries

The Covax scheme aimed at equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines has now delivered more than 500 million doses around the world, figures showed Wednesday.Covax was established to ensure poorer countries get Covid jabs but the facility has been hit by setbacks as wealthy nations hog doses straight off the production lines.Covax, co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and Cepi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, had said at the beginning of the year it hoped to deliver two billion doses in 2021.“Thanks to incredible hard work and dedication from partners and health workers, Covax has delivered 500 million Covid-19 vaccines to 144 countries and territories,” Gavi chief executive Seth Berkley said on Twitter.The 92 poorest participating territories can access jabs for free via Covax, with donors covering the costs.“Covax has faced challenges in 2021 in the form of export bans, supply shortages and vaccine nationalism. Arrivals in countries are now rapidly ramping up as we strive to ensure countries have as many doses as they are able to administer,” said Berkley.“When donors and manufacturers give us visibility on when doses arrive, countries can plan large-scale national rollouts. This is the only way we will bridge our dangerous global vaccine divide.”More than 7.5 billion vaccine doses have been administered around the world, according to an AFP count.Some 143 doses per 100 people have been injected in high-income countries, compared to fewer than seven per 100 people in low-income nations.Gavi said Tuesday that five of the world’s poorest countries – Chad, the DR Congo, Congo, Haiti, South Sudan and Yemen – did not even have enough doses to reach 2% of their populations.The Covax collective development and procurement scheme was set up to counter the likelihood that much of the world would be shut out from access to any eventual vaccines.According to its forecasts, it should truly come into force throughout 2022.Meanwhile WHO said that more than 3.3 million new coronavirus cases were reported last week – up 6% on the previous week.Just under 50,000 new deaths were registered, with all regions reporting stable or declining trends, apart from Europe which recorded a 5% increase.


Sarawak transitioning from pandemic to endemic phase, says CM

The number of daily Covid-19 cases in Sarawak which has exceeded 3,000 for the past three days shows that the state has started to transition from the pandemic to endemic phase, as almost all of the cases are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms only, Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said today.He said the Covid-19 vaccination programme which began in Sarawak in February had succeeded in boosting the people’s immune systems and reducing the serious effects of the disease.“According to health experts, the situation is the same as cholera, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and swine flu, which can be fought and which will lead to a phase called endemic. We will live with the virus, but we have a healthy immune system (to protect us),” he told reporters near Kuching.He said so far, Sarawak had given two doses of vaccine to 88.9% of eligible adults or 65.1% of its population.He said these numbers would continue to increase as the vaccination programme is ongoing.


China lambasts UK for ‘double standards’ over human rights for immigrants

China’s foreign ministry has hit out at the UK for “spreading false information”, lamenting London’s use of the UN Human Rights Council to accuse Beijing of systematically violating the human rights of minority groups, the Arab News reports.“Britain’s so-called adoption of a resolution on this issue is obviously an ulterior motive. Its purpose is to confuse and discredit China. We firmly oppose this. The British tricks cannot deceive the international community,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Wednesday.Wang sought to highlight Britain’s “double standards” on human rights issues, claiming that one-third of families with children under five in the UK live in poverty.“British troops indiscriminately killed and tortured innocents in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places, but the perpetrators were sheltered by the British government and remained at large,” Wang said.He urged the UK to look at its own human rights situation and take concrete actions, adding that it should adopt a more constructive approach for the healthy development of international human rights.He further claimed that xenophobia and hate speech are rampant in the UK and that the rights of immigrants are seriously violated, a line Beijing has increasingly adopted since Britain offered millions of Hong Kong citizens the chance to settle and obtain full British citizenship from this month.Wang’s comments come after UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab slammed China during an address to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, accusing Beijing of multiple human rights violations within its own borders.Raab cited violations in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, insisting that the UK will continue to hold China to account and requesting unfettered access to Xinjiang where Uighur Muslims are allegedly being persecuted.Beijing denies all allegations made against China.


Terengganu district sees 835% surge in Covid-19 cases

The Covid-19 situation in the Besut district is worrying, following an 835% increase in positive cases recorded since April, says Terengganu health director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus.She said that while only 60 positive cases were recorded in March, the figure had surged to 561 for April and May.“From April 1 to May 8, we carried out 9,936 screening tests and of the total, 662 tested positive. The Covid-19 situation in Besut is worrying.“This data clearly shows a very high rate of infection within the community and we are worried that it will be difficult to curb the spread of the virus,” she said in a post on her Facebook page.According to the Terengganu state health department, there were 166 recoveries yesterday and 93 new cases, bringing the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in the state to 4,941.Of the 93 new cases, 43 were recorded in the Besut district.


India’s Covid deaths 10 times higher than reported, study says

India’s coronavirus death toll is up to 10 times higher than the nearly 415,000 fatalities reported by authorities, likely making it the country’s worst humanitarian disaster since independence, a US research group said Tuesday.The Center for Global Development study’s estimate is the highest yet for the carnage in the South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people, which is emerging from a devastating surge partly fuelled by the Delta variant in April and May.The study – which analysed data from the start of the pandemic to June this year – suggested that between 3.4 million and 4.7 million people had died from the virus.“True deaths are likely to be in the several millions, not hundreds of thousands, making this arguably India’s worst human tragedy since partition and independence,” the researchers said.India’s official death toll of just over 414,000 is the world’s third-highest after the US’ 609,000 fatalities and Brazil’s 542,000.Experts have been casting doubt on India’s toll for months, blaming the stressed health service rather than deliberate misinformation.Several Indian states have revised their virus tolls in recent weeks, adding thousands of “backlog” deaths.The centre’s report was based on estimating “excess mortality”, the number of extra people who died compared with pre-crisis figures.The authors – which included Arvind Subramanian, a former chief government economic adviser – did this partly by analysing death registrations in some states as well as a recurring national economic study.The researchers, which also included a Harvard University expert, acknowledged that estimating mortality with statistical confidence was difficult.“(But) all estimates suggest that the death toll from the pandemic is likely to be an order of magnitude greater than the official count,” they said.‘Speculative’Christophe Guilmoto, a specialist in Indian demography at France’s Research Institute for Development, this month estimated that the death toll was nearer 2.2 million by late May.India’s death rate per million was nearly half the world average and Guilmoto said “such a low figure contradicts the apparent severity of a crisis that has struck most Indian families across the country”.Guilmoto’s team concluded that only one coronavirus death in seven was recorded.A model by the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that the Covid toll could be more than 1.25 million.India’s health ministry last month slammed The Economist magazine for publishing a story that said excess deaths were between five and seven times higher than the official toll, calling it “speculative” and “misinformed”.A World Health Organization report in May said up to three times more people had died around the globe during the pandemic – from coronavirus or other causes – than indicated by official statistics.


Jewish worshippers clash with police at pilgrimage site

A crowd of Jewish worshippers broke through police barriers on Thursday at an annual pilgrimage in Israel’s Mount Meron, a year after 45 people were crushed to death in a stampede.Israeli police said “dozens of extremists” broke into a section of the religious site while “wildly flinging the fences and endangering human life.”The police retreated from the site when a group of worshippers broke barriers and stormed in, an AFP photographer said, adding that officers later returned.More than 10,000 faithful had converged on the site under tightened security measures for the start of the pilgrimage on Wednesday.The Mount Meron pilgrimage occurs on the Lag BaOmer holiday, when mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews throng the site of the tomb of revered second century rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.On April 30 last year, a stampede broke out in the male section of the gender-divided site as the size of the crowd turned a narrow passageway into a deadly choke-point.At least 16 children were among those trampled to death, in what then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “one of the worst” disasters in Israel’s history.An AFP photographer saw several worshippers arrested and handcuffed by police on Thursday. In addition, some security cameras and electrical equipment at the site were sabotaged, the photographer said.Police then stopped the movement of additional faithful toward the site, where the pilgrimage runs until Thursday night.Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday that his government made a “considerable investment” in new safety measures to ensure there is no repeat of last year.Among the changes is a cap of 16,000 pilgrims allowed on the site at any given moment.On Tuesday, police said they had seized knives and hammers from an “extremist ultra-Orthodox faction” which allegedly intended to sabotage communications infrastructure at the site.Some ultra-Orthodox sects are anti-Zionist and oppose the existence of the Jewish state. They are sometimes antagonistic to Israel’s state institutions, including to its police forces.


Pricey shoes a gift from Johor sultan, says MB

Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has denied allegations that he purchased a pair of shoes worth tens of thousands of ringgit.
In a Facebook post, he said the shoes were a gift from the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
"Such accusations and attacks should be stopped. For the record, this is a gift from the Sultan of Johor.
"This is not a new thing. His Majesty had also gifted past state executive council members and state government officials to motivate them to work hard for the people," he said in the post.
Several Chinese-language newspapers had earlier reported about the issue which arose after a post made by an individual on social media.
The individual claimed that Onn Hafiz had bought a pair of shoes worth tens of thousands of ringgit, sparking various reactions from internet users.


Virus spike expected as Malaysians scatter to see off 2020

Tens of thousands are thronging beaches and other holiday destinations outside the cities despite repeated warnings to avoid non-critical travel over fears of Covid-19, as many Malaysians mark the end of a challenging year which saw daily life and businesses ravaged around the world.The increased mobility has been a trend since early this month, when authorities decided to end a ban on interstate travel even as the daily infection rate continued.Throughout the Christmas season, the Malaysian Highway Authority which reports conditions on all tolled highways has been reporting slow traffic on major interstate routes.That trend is expected to continue all the way into January, as many families take advantage of the little window of travel freedom they have after a year filled with movement restrictions and the closures of schools, malls and public attractions.Experts say they will not be surprised if a spike in infections occurs after a long weekend.“The scenario of a post-holiday spike is expected regardless of the occasion,” Dr Steven Chow, who heads the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, told MalaysiaNow.“It all depends on the people. If they don’t follow SOPs, it’s likely to spread.”But the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) says the year-end holiday mood might not cause the expected increase in daily infections.“It has already gone up quite high and I think people have become wary of the fact that it is spreading very quickly now,” MMA president Dr Subramanian Muniandy told MalaysiaNow.He said the recent spike had caused the public to exercise more caution in venturing out.“I think if everybody follows the SOPs carefully, the infection rate probably may not go down so much but I don’t think it will rise so high.“It all depends on the people. If they don’t follow SOPs, it’s likely to spread.”Checks by MalaysiaNow revealed crowds at holiday attractions such as the beaches in the east coast and shopping centres in Penang.People play by the swimming pool at the Royale Chulan Hotel in Cherating as holidaymakers kick back at the end of the year.Hotels have also reported full occupancy, a far cry from the empty rooms throughout most of the year which led to retrenchments and salary cuts.The Royale Chulan Hotel, among the more premium hotels dotting the seaside resort area of Cherating in Pahang, is seeing full occupancy as year-end approaches.“The weekend saw 100% occupancy. Our booking is full so far, and bookings in the days to come have already reached between 90% and 100% for the Dec 28-31 period,” said Badrul Rezal Baharudin, the hotel’s resident manager in Cherating.Streets in Penang were also packed, and checks revealed that most of the island’s beach resorts including five-star hotels are fully booked.Shops in tourist landmarks around George Town such as Penang Road and Gurney Drive, as well as Padang Kota, Batu Ferringhi and Bukit Bendera have reported brisk business.Nur Hasliza Mohd Salleh contributed to this report.


Judge reminds Rosmah's lawyers to prioritise money laundering case

High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan today reminded the defence team representing Rosmah Mansor in her money laundering and tax evasion case to give priority to the case as it had been pending since 2018.
Zaini said the trial of the case was still pending even four years after the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak was charged on Oct 4, 2018.
"I’m of the view that the court should fix trial dates for this case, but if the Court of Appeal allows Rosmah’s appeal to recuse me from presiding over the trial, the case will be heard before another judge," he said.
Zaini said this after lawyer Revin Kumar, representing Rosmah, informed him that he needed to consult lead counsel Geethan Ram Vincent about suitable trial dates.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn told the court that the prosecution would call 14 witnesses to testify in the trial of the case. Zaini then fixed Dec 1 for the hearing to set the trial dates for the case.
Rosmah, 70, faces 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750, and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank Bhd, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Jalan Ampang, between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, at LHDN at Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.
On Sept 1, Zaini found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption related to the solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, sentenced her to 10 years in prison, and imposed a fine of RM970 million.
The court also ordered Rosmah to be jailed for 30 years if she failed to pay the fine. However, the High Court granted a stay of execution of the prison sentence and fine pending her appeal at the Court of Appeal.


Consensus in govt ensures political stability, economic growth, says Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong today said that the consensus among party leaders in the coalition government allows the generation of economic growth that will guarantee the people's well-being and create political stability.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said this was in line with his desire to see the formation of a stable and strong government.
Congratulating Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as Malaysia's 10th prime minister, as well as the appointments of his Cabinet members, Sultan Abdullah urged all parties to accept and respect the results of the 15th general election.
"I appreciate the introduction of the Madani country initiatives that encompass aspects of sustainability, well-being, creativity, respect, confidence, courtesy and mercy.
"I hope these principles will be translated well in the framework of creating a leap for the country," Sultan Abdullah said in his royal address when opening the second session of the 15th Parliament in Kuala Lumpur today.
Sultan Abdullah also welcomed efforts by the government to curb the leakage of public funds, including the initiative to speed up the mechanism of providing targeted subsidies in an effort to face global economic challenges, post Covid-19 economic uncertainty, as well as inflationary pressures that increase the cost of living.
He also thanked the government for its commitment and determination to eliminate corruption by focusing on aspects of procurement, enforcement and large-scale corruption to cultivate integrity and strengthen the country’s governance.
Sultan Abdullah also welcomed the initiative to strengthen the ummah development agenda based on the principles of Maqasid Syariah in the country’s administration, in empowering the management of Islamic affairs such as Islamic education, shariah law, family institutions, Malaysian halal certification and tahfiz education.
"This effort is important to create a society that has superior spiritual, intellectual and personal strength," the Agong said.


RM2 million given to Ku Nan for 2016 by-elections, lawyer tells court

Lawyers defending former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor in his corruption case told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that the RM2 million given by a businessman was a political donation for the by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, and not for the accused himself.Tan Hock Chuan, who is leading the defence team, said this was revealed in the witness statement of prosecution witness Chai Kin Kong, the director of Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd (AKSB).In his statement, Chai said he wrote the RM2 million cheque as a political donation to Umno for expenses incurred in the 2016 by-elections.“It is very important to note that Chai, who is also the 19th prosecution witness (SP19), was not re-examined by the prosecution on his evidence that the sum of RM2 million was a political donation and not for the accused.“Failure by the prosecution to re-examine this issue amounts to an acceptance of the witness’s testimony,” Tan said, adding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge against Tengku Adnan beyond reasonable doubt.Tan, who made the argument at the end of the defence case, said SP6 – Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd group CEO Mohd Hasbi Jaafar – had said in his testimony that he too was informed by Tengku Adnan that the money was a political donation.“Hasbi said he received a WhatsApp text from the accused showing the deposit slip of the RM2 million from Aset Kayamas to Tadmansori.“He was told by the accused that the RM2 million cheque was a political donation for the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections,” he said.Tan said SP23, investigating officer Muhammad Saad Bordani, also confirmed that Chai and Tengku Adnan had informed him when their statements were recorded that the RM2 million was a political donation for Umno’s expenses in the two by-elections.Tan urged the court to accept the evidence brought by Tengku Adnan as well as SD2 Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan, SD3 Rizalman Mokhtar and SD4 Zakaria Dullah.“This means that there was in fact a cash advance from the accused and the money was spent for the two by-elections. The accused advanced his own money after he earmarked the political donation from Chai to be used for this purpose,” he said.Tan also argued that the banking of the cheque into the account of Tadmansori Holdings did not necessarily mean that Tengku Adnan had committed the offence.“In this case, the prosecution’s case is founded on the basis that the cheque was banked into the account of Tadmansori. This is insufficient to convict the accused as it is circumstantial evidence which does not point irresistibly to the guilt of the accused,” he said.He also said there was no dispute that the RM2 million cheque was deposited into Tadmansori’s account.“If the accused had accepted the RM2 million cheque for himself, it is very unlikely that he would deposit the cheque into the account of Tadmansori as the payment could be easily traced. This was an open transaction which negated any criminal intent for the payment,” he said.He likewise asked the court to consider Tengku Adnan’s financial means which were not challenged by the prosecution, in support of his claim that he did not have the means to commit the offence.“On the contrary, the accused frequently used his own money to make financial contributions to Barisan Nasional and Umno, which was supported by the evidence of SD2, SD3 and SD4.“According to SD3 and SD4, the money which was handed over to them by the accused totalling RM2,020,800 was all spent in the said by-elections for carrying out campaigning for the candidates,” he said.Tengku Adnan, 69, also known as Ku Nan, was charged in his capacity as a public servant with accepting for himself RM2 million from Chai via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to AKSB, which was later deposited into the CIMB Bank account of Tadmansori Holdings in which he had an interest, when it was known that Aset Kayamas had connection with his official duties.The offence was allegedly committed at the Pusat Bandar Damansara branch of CIMB Bank Bhd on June 14, 2016.The Putrajaya MP was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both upon conviction.On Oct 14 last year, the High Court ordered Tengku Adnan to enter his defence. Tengku Adnan chose to testify under oath from the witness stand when the defence proceedings commenced on Jan 17 and completed giving his evidence on March 5.The defence will continue their submission on Sept 18 before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.


Fallen football chiefs Blatter and Platini face fraud trial

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, once the chiefs of world and European football, face trial on Wednesday over a suspected fraudulent payment that shook the sport and torpedoed their time at the top.Former FIFA president Blatter, 86, and Platini, 66, start a two-week trial at Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona, following a mammoth investigation that began in 2015 and lasted six years.The pair are being tried over a two million Swiss franc (US$2.08 million) payment in 2011 to Platini, who was then in charge of European football’s governing body UEFA.They are accused of having, to the detriment of FIFA, illegally obtained the payment, plus social security contributions of 229,126 francs, in favour of Platini.The former French football great “submitted to FIFA in 2011 an allegedly fictitious invoice for a (alleged) debt still existing for his activity as an adviser for FIFA in the years 1998 to 2002,” according to the court.The defendants are both accused of fraud and forgery of a document. Blatter is accused of misappropriation and criminal mismanagement, while Platini is accused of participating in those offences.The indictment was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of Switzerland (OAG).The trial will conclude on June 22, with the three judges delivering their verdict on July 8.The defendants could face up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine.Both FIFA and UEFA are headquartered in Switzerland, in Zurich and Nyon respectively.‘Oral contract’Platini and retired Swiss football administrator Blatter were banned from the sport at the very moment when Platini seemed ideally-placed to succeed Blatter at the helm of world football’s governing body.The two allies became rivals as Platini grew impatient to take over, while Blatter’s tenure was brought to a swift end by a separate 2015 FIFA corruption scandal investigated by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.In the Bellinzona trial, the defence and the prosecution agree on one point: Platini was employed as an adviser to Blatter between 1998 and 2002. They signed a contract in 1999 for an annual remuneration of 300,000 francs.“The compensation agreed in accordance with this contract was invoiced by Platini on each occasion and paid in full by FIFA,” said the OAG.However, more than eight years after the end of his advisory role, the former France captain “demanded a payment in the amount of two million francs”, the OAG alleged.“With Blatter’s involvement, FIFA made a payment to Platini in said amount at the beginning of 2011. The evidence gathered by the OAG has corroborated that this payment to Platini was made without a legal basis. This payment damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,” the federal prosecution alleges.The men insist that they had, from the outset, orally agreed to an annual salary of one million francs.“It is outstanding salary, owed by FIFA, under oral contract and paid under conditions of the most perfect legality. Nothing else! I acted, as in all my life and career, with the utmost honesty,” Platini said in a statement sent to AFP.As a civil party, FIFA wants to be reimbursed the money paid in 2011 so that it is “returned to the one and only purpose for which it was intended: football”, its lawyer Catherine Hohl-Chirazi told AFP.Ballon d’Or winnerJoseph “Sepp” Blatter joined FIFA in 1975, became its general secretary in 1981 and the president of world football’s governing body in 1998.He was forced to stand down in 2015 and was banned by FIFA for eight years, later reduced to six, over ethics breaches for authorising the payment to Platini, allegedly made in his own interests rather than FIFA’s.Platini is regarded among world football’s greatest-ever players. He won the Ballon d’Or, considered the most prestigious individual award, three times – in 1983, 1984 and 1985.Only Lionel Messi (seven) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five) have won more Ballons d’Or than Platini.Platini was UEFA’s president from January 2007 to December 2015.Platini appealed against his initial eight-year suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced it to four years.


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Singapore’s virus-hit economy suffers worst decline in 2020

Singapore’s economy suffered its worst ever annual contraction in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the city-state’s vital trade and tourism sectors, official data showed Monday.But the 5.8% decline was not as bad as feared – official forecasts had predicted a fall of up to 6.5% – as economic activity picked up with the easing of curbs.The financial hub plunged into its first recession since the 2008 global financial crisis in the second quarter when the government closed most workplaces as part of drastic measures to contain infections.One of the world’s most open economies, Singapore is seen as a bellwether for the health of global trade, and its economy’s dramatic deterioration rang alarm bells.But curbs were eased in the second half of the year and key sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing, have begun to recover.In the fourth quarter, the economy shrank 3.8% year-on-year, less than expected, according to preliminary growth data released by the trade ministry.Song Seng Wun, a regional economist with CIMB Private Banking, told AFP the contraction was not as bad as feared due to strong exports of some goods.Song said he expects a “rebound of around 6%” this year.“We are seeing businesses continuing to benefit from the further easing of restrictions and stronger global demand for (microchips) and medicines,” he said.Singapore’s small economy is typically hit first by external shocks before ripples spread across the region. However, it usually also recovers quickly from any downturn.The city-state won praise for keeping the pandemic in check in the early stages only for serious outbreaks to emerge later in crowded dormitories housing low-paid migrant workers.But its outbreak has slowed markedly in recent weeks, and only a handful of cases are being recorded a day.Authorities last week began a coronavirus vaccination campaign, making it among the first Asian nations to roll out inoculations.


Indian couple rent plane for Covid lockdown-busting mid-air wedding

An Indian couple chartered a passenger jet to stage a mid-air wedding that hijacked coronavirus restrictions by taking more than 160 guests, reports said Monday.India’s civil aviation authority has ordered an investigation and suspended the crew of the jet, officials said.Because of a brutal new coronavirus wave – that saw India’s death toll pass 300,000 on Monday – most states only allow 50 guests at weddings, but 161 friends and family of the newlyweds were on the jet Sunday.The couple, who have not been named, were married as the Spicejet plane flew over the historic Meenakshi Amman temple on its way from Madurai to Bangalore, the Hindustan Times newspaper said.Film and photos of the on board celebrations were posted on social media. They show people with flowers around their necks and taking selfies, but could not be immediately verified by AFP.In breach of civil aviation rules, hardly any of them are wearing masks and social distancing rules are blatantly ignored.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has told Spicejet to take action against the newlyweds and their guests, reports said. All could be banned from taking passenger flights.“The agent and the guest passengers were briefed in detail, both in writing as well as verbally, on social distancing and safety norms to be followed as per Covid guidelines both at the airport and onboard the aircraft throughout the journey,” a Spicejet spokesman told Indian media.“Despite repeated requests and reminders, the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” the official added.Several states have imposed tough lockdowns over the past six weeks as India suffers a devastating coronavirus wave that has seen more than 120,000 deaths.With more than 26 million cases now recorded, Indian hospitals have been overwhelmed and experts say the toll is certainly much higher.


Umno will lose Melaka polls without PAS, analysts say

Analysts believe it will be difficult for Umno to win the upcoming state election in Melaka without PAS, following the Islamist party’s decision to contest the polls using the logo of Perikatan Nasional (PN).Martadha Mohamed of Universiti Utara Malaysia said three-way fights in Malay-majority areas would cause a split in votes, affecting both Umno and PN.“This is clear because it already happened before during the 14th general election in 2018,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Fights among PAS, Umno and Pakatan Harapan (PH) will benefit PH as the Malay vote will be split but the non-Malay support will go to PH.”PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had said on Monday that his party would contest the Melaka polls using PN’s logo, dealing a blow to Umno which had hoped to avoid clashes with the Islamist party come Nov 20.Analyst James Chin of the University of Tasmania in Australia agreed that the current situation points to three-cornered fights at the state election but said this did not mean an easy win for PH.“To an extent, PH is also divided as DAP is unhappy with Amanah,” he said, citing as well dissatisfaction with Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to accept the four state assemblymen whose withdrawal of support had triggered the Melaka polls.“If it can solve this problem, PH will be at an advantage.”Oh Ei Sun from think tank Singapore Institute of International Affairs said it was still to early to draw a conclusion about cooperation among Umno, PAS and Bersatu.“They still have six days before nomination day to discuss and decide whether they will be friends or foes,” he told MalaysiaNow.“PAS has only decided to use PN’s logo. This does not mean that they will reject Umno. Maybe they will cooperate with Umno through PN.”But Chin said the situation had affected ties between Umno and PAS.“PAS is benefiting from its relationship with PN and Umno. Now it is stuck and needs to choose between the two.”He said while it appeared as though PAS would choose PN, he said this was no guarantee as there were several PAS leaders who wished to use the party’s own logo.Ultimately, Chin said, a final decision will only be known on nomination day.He added however that this came as no surprise to Umno which had previously brought up the possibility of going solo in the Melaka polls.The Melaka election was triggered following the dissolution of the state assembly on Oct 4, after four state assemblymen withdrew their support for the chief minister.Nomination will be held on Nov 8 while voting will take place on Nov 20.


Putin says Russian economy faring better than expected

President Vladimir Putin said late on Tuesday that the Russian economy was performing better than expected after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reported to him that gross domestic product growth and inflation have been surprisingly positive.
GDP growth may exceed 2% this year and consumer price inflation may not rise above 5% in annual terms, Mishustin told Putin at a meeting at the Kremlin. The International Monetary Fund expects the Russian economy to grow 0.7% this year.
"Our results, at least for the time being, let's say, cautiously, are better than previously expected, better than predicted," Putin said, according to a transcript on the Kremlin's website.
Analysts polled by Reuters at the end of June saw GDP growth of 1.2% and inflation at 5.7% in 2023.
Russia's economy contracted 2.1% in 2022 and was under particular pressure in spring last year when Kyiv's allies imposed sweeping sanctions against Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine.
Russia's technocrats have helped to offset some of the blow by repurposing the economy and propelling it with cash, with the finance ministry saying earlier that public spending was 26.5% higher year-on-year in the first five months of the year.
On Tuesday, Mishustin told Putin that he had confidence that if there was no force majeure circumstances, the economy would perform well this year.
"Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin), the country's economy continues to confidently recover, despite the sanctions, despite all the impediments placed on our country," Mishustin said.
The effect of the sanctions has been painful, however, with Western financial markets and many export markets for Russian companies and commodities closed.
Crucial oil and gas revenues in January-May of this year were nearly half of what they were a year ago in the corresponding period, blamed on lower prices for Urals crude and lower natural gas export volumes.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has repeatedly said Russia's budget deficit this year would be no more than 2% of GDP, although most analysts disagree.
The International Monetary Fund is among those expecting Russia to see a sharply wider budget deficit this year.


Daily caseload creeps past 22,000

Another 22,133 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,083,683.Another 7,584 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,868,538.Meanwhile 194 are in the ICU, including 103 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 120 are in need of respiratory assistance including 55 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 22,133 cases reported today, 146 (0.66%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 21,987 (99.34%) are in Category One and Two.A total of 5,831 cases (26.34%) are in Category One, 16,156 (73.0%) in Category Two, 102 (0.46%) in Category Three, 24 (0.11%) in Category Four, and 20 (0.09%) in Category Five.


Targeted subsidies, price of goods to be raised at Dewan Rakyat

Targeted subsidies, the price of goods, and food security are among the matters to be raised in Parliament today.
According to the order paper, Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) will ask the finance minister when a targeted subsidy will be implemented and whether the government can guarantee that the price of goods will not increase with its implementation.
The question will be raised during the question-and-answer session, during which there will also be a question by Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) to the agriculture and food security minister on the total value of imported food for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Pang will also ask about measures by the government to ensure the country's food security and quality.
V Ganabatirau (PH-Klang) will ask the national unity minister how the government can ensure that all races and religions will be treated fairly if there is selective prosecution in cases involving insults to a race or religion. Meanwhile, Saifuddin Abdullah (PN-Indera Mahkota) will ask the education minister about the status of new teacher recruitments in 2022 as well as the details of teacher recruitments according to subject options for 2016 to 2022 and the projected teacher recruitment for 2023 to 2027.
After the question-and-answer session, the Dewan Rakyat will continue with the debate and winding-up of the Supply Bill 2023 at the committee level.


UK's autumn Covid vaccination campaign buoyed by Omicron booster nod

The United Kingdom's Covid booster campaign is set to kick off this September, after the country became the first in the world to approve an Omicron-adapted shot.
Around 26 million people in Britain are estimated to be eligible for an autumn Covid-19 booster, having had at least two Covid vaccine doses already, a UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) spokesperson said.
The preference is to deploy what is known as a bivalent vaccine that targets both the original virus and the Omicron variant through the autumn campaign, but that will depend on the UK health regulator (MHRA) approving such shots and the state of vaccine supplies.
The UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised boosters should be given to over-50s, individuals in clinical risk groups, frontline workers and care-home staff ahead of the winter, when respiratory viruses are typically at their peak.
On Monday, the MHRA gave Moderna's bivalent shot conditional approval.
The endorsement of the vaccine is based on data that showed it produced a marginally better immune response against some Omicron variants, versus the original novel coronavirus - although whether that translates into stronger protection against serious disease is unclear.
Contracts with Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech - the partnership behind the other mRNA vaccine that has been tailored to also target Omicron - dictate that supply will switch to bivalent shots upon MHRA approval.
A UKHSA spokesperson declined to provide details on how much supply the country has of the Moderna bivalent shot.
"Where feasible, it would be preferable for a single type of booster vaccine to be offered throughout the duration of the autumn programme for simplicity of deployment," the JCVI said in a statement on Monday.
At the same time, the JCVI also advised that the original Moderna vaccine, the original Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and the Novavax shot - for certain patients - can be used in the autumn booster campaign.
"It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up a booster this autumn, whichever vaccine is on offer," Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid-19 immunisation on the JCVI, said in a statement.
Lost momentum
While the original Covid-19 vaccines continue to provide good protection against hospitalisation and death, vaccines have become less effective as the virus has evolved.
Britain was the first to approve Covid vaccinations in 2020, but has since lost momentum and is now in such a vulnerable position "any booster programme is to be warmly welcomed," Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College, London, told Reuters.
The debate about the nuances of which booster is tricky - the bivalent booster may offer some additional benefit against the BA.5 variant now dominant in Britain, although this may not be substantial, Altmann said.
"Still, the benefit coming into a difficult winter will be palpable if we can really encourage large-scale uptake," he said.
In the week ending Aug 5, more than 800 deaths were registered within 28 days of a positive Covid test in England, data published by the government showed.
Billions of people worldwide have yet to receive a single dose of any Covid vaccine, said Julia Kosgei, Policy Advisor to the People's Vaccine Alliance.
"While countries like the UK buy updated vaccines for their fourth doses, people in low and middle-income countries are fighting today's variants with yesterday's vaccines."


No rush, please, urges doctors group after row over Chinese vaccine

The authorities have been urged not to rush through regulatory approval for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, following a report that it failed to achieve the threshold for approval in Brazil after a late-stage trial.The Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association said this as the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), which has the final say on approving all vaccines, continues its clinical trials on Covid-19 vaccines purchased by the government.The association’s president Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar however said that test results vary in different countries.“We must carefully study the methodology and outcome of the tests as they have produced different results in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey,” Zainal told MalaysiaNow.Several reports said that CoronaVac, the vaccine developed by Sinovac, had only achieved a 50.4% efficacy rate in a Brazilian trial, well below the threshold for regulatory approval.This was despite a higher rate of 78% achieved in tests announced by the Brazilian government’s Butantan Institute, which has been criticised by scientists and health experts for a lack of transparency on its trial data.“We must carefully study the methodology and outcome of the tests as they have produced different results in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey.”Pressured by critics, the institute explained that the higher result was due to volunteers who had suffered mild to severe cases of Covid-19.The World Health Organization (WHO) however says a 50% efficacy rate is good enough for a vaccine to be used.The findings come as Indonesia prepares to innoculate 1.3 million health workers with Sinovac’s CoronaVac, the first country outside China to use the vaccine.Clinical trials by Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency showed an efficacy rate of 65.3%.In an immediate reaction to reports on CoronaVac’s low efficacy rate, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, whose ministry has been tasked with procuring billions of ringgit worth of vaccines to cover more than 30 million Malaysians, said the authorities would review Sinovac’s clinical data before deciding to proceed with the purchase.“If we are not satisfied with the safety and efficacy, we will not go through with the procurement,” Khairy said on Twitter.Malaysia has signed a deal to purchase 14 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine, in addition to several others including Pfizer, which has reported an efficacy rate of up to 95%.So far, the NPRA has only given approval for Pfizer.“If we are not satisfied with the safety and efficacy, we will not go through with the procurement.”Zainal said it is crucial to identify the effectiveness and side effects of any vaccine.He said the NPRA should also carry out comparative studies on all vaccines to avoid any purchase that would result in financial loss to the government.“We should allow NPRA to come out with the best and most accurate evaluation,” he told MalaysiaNow.Malaysia is expected to begin its Covid-19 vaccination programme in late February with the arrival of 12.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.The government said it would purchase another 12.2 million doses of the same vaccine, enough to inoculate some 40% of the population.Malaysia has already signed deals with drugmaker AstraZeneca for 6.4 million doses, and the same amount from WHO’s global vaccine collaboration programme, Covax.


Iran's embassy reopens in Saudi Arabia for first time in 7 years

Iran officially reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a Reuters witness said, following a deal to re-establish ties and ease a long rivalry that fuelled conflicts across the Middle East.
A ceremony was held inside the embassy's compound with dozens of diplomats and officials attending the reopening of the diplomatic mission for the first time in seven years.
"We consider today an important day in the relations between Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Alireza Bikdeli said.
"The region will move Inshallah (God willing) towards greater cooperation and convergence to achieve stability, prosperity and progress," Bikdeli said in a speech during the ceremony.
In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and re-establish relations following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. The deal also highlighted China's growing influence in the Middle East.
Sunni Saudi Arabia severed relations with Shiite Iran following the storming of its embassy in Tehran in 2016 after a dispute over the execution of a Shiite Muslim cleric.
The relationship had begun worsening a year earlier, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in Yemen's war, where the Iran-aligned Houthi movement had ousted a Saudi-backed government and taken over the capital Sanaa.
The kingdom also has blamed the Islamic Republic for missile and drone attacks on its oil facilities in 2019 as well as attacks on tankers in Gulf waters. Iran denied the charges.
"Diplomacy is the best means for communication and dialogue between countries to reach a common understanding," Bikdeli said.


Investments for 2021 hit record RM306.5 billion

Malaysia approved a record RM306.5 billion (US$73.33 billion) in investments last year, an 83% jump from 2020 led by the manufacturing sector, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) said today.The manufacturing sector secured RM195.1 billion worth of projects in 2021, 114% more than in the previous year, with the bulk of investment going to the electrical and electronics industry, Mida said in a statement.Penang, which is Southeast Asia’s semiconductor manufacturing hub, was the largest recipient of investments.“The manufacturing sector continued to be the mainstay of the economy for 2021, generating significant multiplier effects on the nation’s activities and growth,” Mida said.Foreign direct investments accounted for about 68% of the approved investments, more than three times than in 2020. Top foreign investors included The Netherlands, Singapore, China, Austria and Japan.International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said in the statement that easing Covid-19 restrictions and high vaccination rates have allowed economic activities to resume in Malaysia.


Young people, women and singles at most risk of mental health problems during pandemic, study shows

A recent study by think tank The Centre has shown that those aged 35 and below, women, and single people are the demographics worst hit in terms of mental health throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.The study, carried out from Feb 4 to 14 and involving nearly 1,000 participants, was part of a four-part research series titled “A Year of Living Under Covid-19”.It showed that those 35 and below have a higher risk of feeling depressed, anxious and stressed compared to those from older age groups.Researchers also said that women are more likely to feel these markers of negative mental health compared to men, while single participants reported lower levels of mental health compared to those who were married.“According to global studies, uncertainty of future prospects, financial distress, social isolation and lack of quality sleep are the likely causes of negative mental health among the young,” they said in a press statement.“For gender, other studies have found that challenges such as parenting during the pandemic, uneven distribution of domestic care and an increased risk of domestic violence are some of the key contributors to women’s mental health struggles in the last year.”The study also cited a drop in income and absolute household income levels as significant predictors of negative mental health.It said individuals with household incomes of less than RM5,000 are more likely to experience higher anxiety levels than those who earn more.It also found a “clear relationship” between physical health and mental well-being, with participants who reported deteriorating health over the past year experiencing a dip in mental health as well.Other factors taken into consideration included household occupancy and working from home.“The government should consider decentralising service provision and resources, and empower state and local authorities to offer mental health support, particularly in targeting vulnerable groups such as young people and women,” the researchers said.“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic will be felt for many years – even decades – to come. We need to address these social challenges now if we are serious about helping Malaysians navigate their way safely into the post-pandemic future.”


DAP veteran Kit Siang retires from politics

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today announced his retirement from politics, saying he will not be standing in the general election to come.The Iskandar Puteri MP, 81, said he would also withdraw from contesting in the DAP central executive committee (CEC).Kit Siang said since joining DAP, he had seen how the party had expanded from a small opposition to forming the government with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 14th general election.“I saw how our party grew from a small opposition party which took part in the 1969 general election until it became a major political party which set up the federal government and took over seven state governments with our partners in PH during GE14,” he said at the 17th DAP National Congress in Shah Alam.He said the Johor state election should be an important reminder that the dream of Malaysia as a united, democratic, just and successful nation respected by the international community was a long-term political struggle.“In this process, we face many successes and failures, victories and defeats. But we must remain steadfast in our objective and never compromise on our principles and ideals,” he added.His son, Lim Guan Eng who is also the DAP secretary-general, said in his policy speech earlier that his father had been appointed to the CEC at the age of 26.“Little did they know then that Lim Kit Siang would become a giant among Malaysian politicians for his brilliance, courage, indomitable spirit and loyalty to ideals and principles.“For many decades, prime ministers and ministers considered Lim Kit Siang the only worthy opponent,” he said adding that Kit Siang was the longest serving parliamentary opposition leader, from 1974 to 1999.Kit Siang held the party’s secretary-general post in 1969 and was appointed as national chairman from 1999 to 2004.Apart from Iskandar Puteri, he had served as MP for Bandar Melaka (1969-1974); Kota Melaka (1974-1978); Petaling Jaya, Selangor (1978-1982); Kota Melaka (1982-1986); Tanjong, Penang (1986-1999); Ipoh Timur, Perak (2004-2013) and Gelang Patah, Johor (2013-2018).He was also elected as the assemblyman for Kubu, Melaka (1974-1982); Kampong Kolam, Penang (1986-1990) and Padang Kota, Penang (1990-1995).


Court cluster looking to block Ismail from becoming Umno president, says Nazri

Umno veteran Mohamed Nazri Aziz has described the court cluster’s move to postpone party elections as a bid to prevent Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from taking over the top post.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, the Padang Rengas MP said historically, the individual chosen as deputy prime minister would be confirmed in the Umno assembly as the party’s number two as well.“Ismail was chosen by our own MPs to become prime minister,” he added.“It makes no sense for him not to be made the party president as well.”The court cluster refers to a group of Umno MPs led by their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak who are facing a string of criminal charges in court.Nazri said the present Umno leadership could be expected to lose if party elections were held in the near future.He said the majority of Umno members were against their leaders regarding the date for the next general election.“They don’t want an early election,” he said. “They are honest people who have also been affected by what is going on.“It is only the court cluster and those who lost at the last election who want another one now.”Zahid, at the recent Barisan Nasional (BN) convention in Kuala Lumpur, had called for the 15th general election (GE15) to be held this year.Ismail meanwhile said the election should only be held once BN is truly prepared.Umno amended its constitution at its special general assembly last month to allow party elections to be postponed for up to six months after a general election is held.Nazri said he supported the amendments if they were the wish of the majority but added that they could not be implemented straight away.“The last 18 months were for us to hold party elections, not for us to do something that we could not do under the previous constitution,” he said.“It’s meant for the future, not to extend the terms of office-holders.”Citing the increase in cost of basic necessities and the rising inflation, Nazri said it made no sense to hold GE15 in the near future.Nazri, a former law minister, also said that an early election would not be easy as the proposal to dissolve Parliament would have to go through several stages of discussion among the component leaders in the government coalition.It would also have to go through a Cabinet discussion and receive the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.“An election will not be held just because Umno is calling for the dissolution of Parliament,” he said.


Over 500,000 PTPTN borrowers yet to repay their loans

A total of 539,284 National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) borrowers had not paid back their loans as of Sept 30, according to the higher education ministry.It said in a reply posted on the Parliament website today that they were among 2,424,009 borrowers who had completed their studies and were supposed to repay their loans amounting to almost RM24.6 billion.“Of the total, 1,884,725 borrowers have paid back their loans, with 751,216 having settled their loans.“A total of 427,861 borrowers have been paying consistently while 705,648 others do make repayments but inconsistently,” the ministry said.The ministry was replying to a question by Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol), who wanted to know the number of borrowers who still owe PTPTN and the total amount involved.According to the ministry, as of Sept 30, PTPTN had approved loans to more than 3.5 million borrowers, with the total disbursement amounting to over RM64.8 billion.


New cases top 4,500

Another 4,519 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 436,944.Selangor recorded 1,722 cases followed by Kuala Lumpur (557), Sarawak (479), Kelantan (373), Penang (363), Johor (288), Kedah (183), Perak (108) and Melaka (100).Pahang recorded 99 cases, Negeri Sembilan 98, Terengganu 71, Sabah 63, Putrajaya 12, Labuan two and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 36,564 with 393 in the ICU and 210 in need of respiratory assistance.Sixteen new clusters were detected:1. Kampung Kebun Sayur (Muar in Johor; 152 screened, 29 positive)2. Jalan Desaru (Kota Tinggi in Johor; 122 screened, 19 positive)3. Jalan Lima Puluh Satu (Petaling in Selangor; 52 screened, 19 positive)4. Jalan Padang Golf (Hulu Selangor in Selangor; 60 screened, 11 positive)5. Jalan Stadium 2 (Lembah Pantai, Cheras, Titiwangsa and Kepong in Kuala Lumpur and Hulu Langat, Petaling, Kuala Langat and Kuala Selangor in Selangor; 85 screened, 18 positive)6. Pasar Borong KL 3 (Kepong and Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 398 screened, 17 positive)7. Jalan Era (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 247 screened, 79 positive)8. Jalan Limbungan Jaya (Melaka Tengah in Melaka; 53 screened, 10 positive)9. Bechah Palas (Pasir Mas in Kelantan; 81 screened, 51 positive)10. Lorong Kubor (Pasir Mas in Kelantan; 59 screened, 16 positive)11. Jelalong (Bintulu and Sebauh in Sarawak; 198 screened, 22 positive)12. Dah Putih (Kota Setar, Kuala Muda and Kubang Pasu in Kedah; 56 screened, 42 positive)13. Rantau Siantan (Temerloh, Maran, Kuantan and Jerantut in Pahang; 101 screened, 15 positive)14. Keramat (Semporna in Sabah; 87 screened, nine positive)15. Jalan Mawar 20 (Johor Bahru in Johor; 119 screened, seven positive)16. Jalan Batu Maung (Barat Daya in Penang; 125 screened, 12 positive)There are currently 429 active clusters across the country.Another 2,719 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 398,723.However, 25 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,657.


After Selangor, Penang revokes Najib's title too

The Penang government has moved to revoke Najib Razak's honorific title, following in the footsteps of Selangor which just days earlier stripped him and his wife Rosmah Mansor of their state designations.
Najib, who began serving a 12-year jail term on Aug 23, was given the Darjah Utama Pangkuan Negeri which carries the "Datuk Seri Utama" in 2009.
Penang deputy state secretary (development) Zakuan Zakaria said that in light of his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case, this title would be stripped effective Sept 15.
Najib was found guilty by the High Court on July 28, 2020 of seven counts of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in the misapprioriation of RM42 million from SRC International funds.
The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021 and the Federal Court on Aug 23.
The Pekan MP, who is serving his sentence at Kajang Prison, has filed a petition for pardon as well as a review of the apex court judgment which sent him to jail.


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Scare at London G7 as Indian delegates test positive for Covid-19

The entire Indian delegation to the Group of Seven summit in London has been asked to self-isolate by Public Health England (PHE).This comes after two of their recently-arrived delegates tested positive for Covid-19, the UK government has said.India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he “was made aware of exposure to possible Covid positive cases”.He met Home Secretary Priti Patel in person on Tuesday but will now carry out all meetings virtually.Pictures were taken of the two wearing masks and swapping folders as new trade and investment deals were signed between India and the UK.He also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.It is understood that because strict social distancing was maintained, PHE has decided those at the meetings do not need to self-isolate.Everyone attending the G7 talks will continue to be tested daily.“This is exactly why we have put in place strict Covid protocols and daily testing,” Reuters reported a senior diplomat as saying.The official summit of G7 leaders is taking place in Cornwall next month, but ministers are currently in the UK for preliminary talks.The talks this week are the first face-to-face meetings the G7 powers have had in more than two years.The G7 group – the world’s seven largest advanced economies – is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.India is not in the G7 but delegates from there and Australia, South Korea and South Africa have also been invited as guests as the UK tries to deepen ties with the Indo-Pacific region.The meeting on Wednesday is between foreign ministers, who were greeted by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab with an elbow bump in the courtyard of Lancaster House in London.They then went to the summit room where the ministers were separated from one another by clear screens in order to minimise any risk from coronavirus.The talks are expected to discuss new ways to ensure fairer access to vaccine stockpiles and increase support for the global vaccine distribution scheme known as Covax.


Anti-hopping law expected to be enforced by mid-September

The constitutional amendments to prohibit MPs from switching parties are expected to be enforced by the middle of September at the latest, says law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said this expectation was consistent with the timeline set in the tabling and approval of the constitution amendment bill, which requires the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
"I am very confident that His Majesty is sensitive to this bill, and if my reading is right, (its enforcement will be) no later than the middle of September.
"Of course, we are hoping (for it to be enforced before the 15th general election). I can’t predict but once we have sent it to the istana, we need to give time to His Majesty to study the bill before giving his consent," he told a press conference at the Parliament building yesterday.
He said this when asked about the time frame for the bill to become law, and whether it could be enforced before GE15. The Dewan Negara passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) on anti-party hopping by MPs with more than a two-thirds majority after obtaining the support of 52 of 60 senators in two rounds of bloc voting.
Wan Junaidi said the bill would now go through the process of assent by the king in accordance with Article 66 of the Federal Constitution before it is gazetted into law and enforced.
Wan Junaidi also said the proposal for Malaysia to allow the holding of recall elections to prevent party hopping by elected representatives needed further study.
The government will hold engagement sessions with stakeholders such as political parties, NGOs and civil society to discuss the proposal, he said.
He added that the matter needed careful study because countries which conduct recall elections also face their own problems in implementation.


Data on Malay reserve land in Kedah from land and mines office, Nik Nazmi says

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nazmi Nik Ahmad says the data on Malay reserve land in Kedah which he presented at the Dewan Rakyat last week was obtained from the Department of the Director-General of Land and Mines (JKPTG) as of last year.
On March 29, he told the Dewan Rakyat that the size of Malay reserve land in Kedah had decreased, which was denied by Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
On April 4, Nik Nazmi said he had sent a letter of explanation to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul in response to the motion to refer him to the rights and privileges committee.
"I made it clear that the data was based on the information provided by the JKPTG which collects annual data on Malay reserve land from state land administrators.
"I also have the last letter from the Kedah government dated Nov 30, 2022, which shows the same figures on the Malay reserve land that I presented in Parliament," he told a press conference in Putrajaya.
On the allegation of an increase in the size of Malay reserve land in Kedah this year, Nik Nazmi said the federal government had yet to receive that information.
"The state government claims that there was an increase (in size of Malay reserve land) in 2023. The data, however, has yet to be received by the federal government," he added.


PH again threatens to tear apart MoU with PM

Top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have again threatened to abandon an understanding reached with the government of Ismail Sabri Yaakob, citing reports that the prosecution is revoking its appeal against the acquittal of Umno’s Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor over a RM2 million bribery charge.They also questioned Attorney-General Idris Harun, saying the decision would undermine his independence and credibility.“The presidential council will see if this action by the attorney-general goes against the memorandum of understanding between Pakatan Harapan and the government,” the coalition said in a statement today.Last week, it was reported that the prosecution was withdrawing the appeal filed days after the former Umno secretary-general was freed by the appeals court in July, reversing an earlier guilty verdict by the High Court in December 2020.High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan found the former minister, popularly known as Ku Nan, guilty of graft for accepting a sum of RM2 million from Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd managing director Chai Kin Kong, sentenced him to 12 months’ jail and fined him RM2 million.However, the appeals court later ruled that the sum was a donation to Umno for expenses in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections in 2016.PH in its statement expressed shock at the move not to appeal against Ku Nan’s acquittal and repeated its call for Idris to resign.“Withdrawing this appeal creates a very bad perception that erodes public trust in the institution of the attorney-general, tarnishing his credibility and independence in carrying out his official duties professionally,” it added, referring to a clause in the MoU between PH and Ismail on judicial independence.In September, Ismail signed an MoU on “Transformation and Political Stability” with PH leaders, a month after he was sworn into power to replace Muhyiddin Yassin.Ismail said then that his Umno-led government was ready to implement a series of reforms to strengthen the role of Parliament, similar to that made by Muhyiddin at the tail end of his administration which was spurned by PH.Ku Nan’s acquittal in July preceded a series of judgments favouring former Umno leaders and officials facing corruption charges since Ismail came to power.They include Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, former leader Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, who were allowed a temporary lifting of the travel ban imposed on them since 2018.Najib also won a court order to stop the recovery of some RM1.7 billion in taxes owed to the government, as well as the return of more than RM100 million confiscated by anti-graft officers from premises linked to him.Earlier this month, MalaysiaNow also revealed shocking details of a plan to reward Najib with a property worth RM100 million courtesy of Ismail, a move which drew protests from several senior Cabinet members and which was raised by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Parliament last week.PH leaders subsequently said they would review their MoU with the government, seeking an explanation of the reward for Najib.Najib has since said he is withdrawing his application for the land, which MalaysiaNow identified as premium real estate measuring 120,000 sq ft in the posh neighbourhood of Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur.


Harris to be first woman to hold US presidential reins as Biden undergoes colonoscopy

President Joe Biden will transfer power briefly to Vice-President Kamala Harris on Friday while he is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy, making her the first woman to hold presidential power in US history.Biden is undergoing his annual physical at the Walter Reed military hospital outside of Washington. Harris is the first woman to serve as vice-president of the US; no woman has ever been president in the country’s nearly 250-year history.“Following the process set out in the Constitution, President Biden will transfer power to the vice-president for the brief period of time when he is under anesthesia,” White House spokesman Jen Psaki said in a statement.“The vice-president will work from her office in the West Wing during this time,” Psaki said.Presidential power has been transferred to the vice president before, when President George W Bush had colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007.Biden, who turns 79 on Saturday, is the oldest person to take office as US president. Although speculation has persisted about whether he will run for re-election in 2024, he has said he expects to seek a second four-year term alongside Harris.Biden has pledged to be more transparent about his health than predecessor Donald Trump. The Republican visited Walter Reed in 2019 for an undisclosed reason that a former press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, later revealed was for a colonoscopy.


Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi dies at 86

Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister who reshaped Italy's political and cultural landscape while fending off multiple legal and sex scandals, has died aged 86, his spokesman confirmed to AFP Monday.
The billionaire media mogul was admitted to a Milan hospital on Friday for what aides said were pre-planned tests related to his leukemia.
His admission came just three weeks after he was discharged following a six-week stay at Milan's San Raffaele hospital, during which time doctors revealed he had a rare type of blood cancer.
Berlusconi had suffered ill health for years, from heart surgery in 2016 to a 2020 hospitalisation for coronavirus. Despite being re-elected to the Senate last year, he was rarely seen in public.
But he remained the official head of his right-wing Forza Italia party, a junior – and occasionally troublesome – partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government.
Berlusconi led Italy three times between 1994 and 2011, for a total of nine years, wooing voters with a promise of economic success only to be forced out as a debt crisis gripped his country.
But his influence extended well beyond politics, thanks to his extensive TV, newspaper and sporting interests, while his playboy antics kept him in the headlines even in his final years.
"Silvio Berlusconi made history in this country," ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi said on Facebook.
"Many loved him, many hated him: everyone today must recognize that his impact on political but also economic, sporting and television life was unprecedented," he said.
Berlusconi is survived by his 33-year-old girlfriend, Marta Fascina, two ex-wives and five children, some of whom help run his empire, recently estimated to be worth some seven billion dollars.
While it is too soon for details of his funeral, Berlusconi built a Pharaoh-inspired marble mausoleum at his villa in Arcore, near Milan, to house his family and friends when they die.
Bunga bunga parties
Charismatic, clownish and with a fine grasp of what his audiences wanted, Berlusconi used his media interests to project an image of a strong, self-made man that voters could emulate – a tactic later used by US president Donald Trump.
Berlusconi began his career as a real-estate magnate before investing in television channels which broke the mould in Italy, featuring shows particularly popular with housewives, later a pillar of his electorate.
He portrayed himself as both the messiah and a martyr and enjoyed widespread popularity, though detractors accused him of cronyism, corruption and pushing through laws to protect his own interests.
His fans admired his plain speaking, although many Italians were acutely embarrassed by his crude jokes and insults on the international stage, as well as his endless legal cases, which resulted in one conviction for corporate tax fraud.
While Italy's economy floundered, the self-professed playboy was hosting his notorious "bunga bunga" sex parties, which triggered a series of trials that were only wrapped up in recent months.
In 2010, 17-year-old Karima El-Mahroug, known as "Ruby the Heart Stealer", claimed to have been paid by Berlusconi for sex. He was later also accused of bribing witnesses to lie about the parties, although he was ultimately acquitted.