Sulu claimant listed as terrorist

One of the claimants from the Sulu group known as Fuad A Kiram has been classified as a terrorist, says the director-general of the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department, Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
He said Fuad had been listed in the entity classified as terrorists under Section 66B of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 effective April 6.
"The home ministry has informed that claimant Fuad A Kiram, who is also one of the founders of the Royal Sulu Force which is a terrorist group, has been classified as a terrorist entity by the government," he said in a media briefing in Putrajaya yesterday.
Fuad, whose real name is Muhammad Fuad Abdullah Kiram, is one of eight individuals claiming to be the heirs of the Sulu group who are making claims against Sabah, including some Malaysian assets abroad.
In February last year, news agencies in Spain reported that the country's arbitrator Dr Gondoza had ordered Malaysia to pay compensation of US$14.92 billion (RM62.59 billion) to the heirs of the sultan of Sulu. Malaysia is accused of not paying separation money or compensation amounting to RM5,300 a year since 2013, which is said to have violated the 1987 Agreement signed by Sultan Jamal Al-Alamn with Baron De Overbeck and Alfred Dent representing the British North Borneo company.
Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the claim through commercial arbitration and proceedings against Malaysia was funded by a litigation fund known as Therium, with a conspiracy to claim US$14.9 billion from Malaysia.
Azalina said the facts of the case were not very solid as until now, it was not known whether the claimants were really the heirs of Sultan Jamalul Kiran II.
The Sulu claim against Malaysia also ignores the will of the people of Sabah to join Malaysia in 1963 as reported by the Cobbold Commission, she said.


Indonesia cathedral suicide bombers were newlyweds

The two suspected suicide bombers who attacked a Catholic church in Makassar, Indonesia were a husband and wife who received online training in bomb making, authorities said on Monday, according to CNA.Speaking at the scene of the attack, the head of the Indonesian National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar said his agency has uncovered the identity of the suspects.“They are husband and wife,” he said, adding that one of them was born in 1995.In Jakarta, national police spokesman Inspector-General Argo Yuwono said that the couple both worked in the private sector and had married six months ago.“Investigations are still ongoing, including to uncover other suspects,” he said.On Sunday morning, the two suspected suicide bombers rode up to the Catholic cathedral in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on a motorcycle as Christians inside celebrated the start of Holy Week.They tried to enter the cathedral, but a security officer stopped them. Shortly after, there was a loud explosion.The two suspects were killed and 20 people were injured. As of Monday afternoon, 15 people remained in hospital while the rest have been discharged.Officials have announced that the suicide bombers were members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) extremist network and had carried out a previous bombing in the Philippines, in Jolo, Sulu.Responding to a query about how the suicide bombers assembled the bomb used in Sunday’s attack, Amar said it was a pressure cooker bomb which they had learned to assemble online from social media.National police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the couple were married by a JAD member who the police arrested in January.The couple also left a will which is being analysed for further clues.Following Sunday’s bombing, the police arrested four people who belonged to the same study group as the alleged bombers.“They are in a study group named Vila Mutiara, where each member spreads extremist doctrine, plans for jihad, and also plays a role in buying materials to be used as tools for suicide bombings,” said the police chief.The police have also arrested four people in Jakarta and Bekasi, on the outskirts of the capital. Five bombs that were ready to be used and as well as ingredients to make other bombs were discovered, he said.Another person was arrested in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara province on Monday.


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Former chief secretary to the govt Ahmad Sarji dies

Former chief secretary to the government Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid died in hospital at 1.40am today.A statement issued by a member of his family said the body was still at the hospital and that matters pertaining to the funeral arrangements would be announced later.Sarji, who was chief secretary to the government from 1990 until 1996, was also chairman of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim).According to Ikim, Sarji’s remains will be buried at about 11am today at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery.


Biden forgives millions of student loans, critics fear inflation

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday the US government will forgive US$10,000 in student loans for millions of debt-saddled former college students, keeping a pledge he made in the 2020 campaign for the White House.
The move could boost support for his fellow Democrats in the November congressional elections, but some economists said it may fuel inflation and some Republicans in the US Congress questioned whether the president had the legal authority to cancel the debt.
Debt forgiveness will free up hundreds of billions of dollars for new consumer spending that could be aimed at homebuying and other big-ticket expenses, according to economists who said this would add a new wrinkle to the country's inflation fight.
The actions are "for families that need them the most - working and middle class people hit especially hard during the pandemic," Biden said during remarks at the White House. He pledged no high-income households would benefit, addressing a central criticism of the plan.
"I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle class, especially not to the same folks who voted for a US$2 trillion tax cut that mainly benefited the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations," Biden said, referring to a Republican tax cut passed under former President Donald Trump.
Borrower balances have been frozen since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, with no payments required on most federal student loans since March 2020. Many Democrats had pushed for Biden to forgive as much as US$50,000 per borrower.
Republicans mostly opposed student loan forgiveness, calling it unfair because it will disproportionately help people earning higher incomes.
"President Biden's student loan socialism is a slap in the face to every family who sacrificed to save for college, every graduate who paid their debt, and every American who chose a certain career path or volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces in order to avoid taking on debt," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday.
The administration has yet to determine the price tag for the package, which will depend on how many people apply for it, White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice told reporters. Student loans obtained after June 30 this year are not eligible, she said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the administration has legal authority to forgive the debt under a law allowing such action during a national emergency such as a pandemic. Earlier, Republican US Representative Elise Stefanik had called the plan "reckless and illegal."
American university tuition fees are substantially higher than in most other rich countries, and US consumers carry US$1.75 trillion in student loan debt, most of it held by the federal government. Biden said other countries could bypass the United States economically if students are not offered economic relief.
Pandemic pause, pell grants
The administration will extend a Covid-19 pandemic-linked pause on student loan repayment to year end, while forgiving US$10,000 in student debt for single borrowers with annual income under US$125,000 a year or married couples who earn less than US$250,000, the White House said.
Some 8 million borrowers will be affected automatically, the Department of Education said; others need to apply for forgiveness.
The government is also forgiving up to US$20,000 in debt for some 6 million students from low-income familieswho received federal Pell Grants, and proposing a new rule that protects some income from repayment plans and forgives some loan balances after 10 years of repayment, the Education Department said.
A New York Federal Reserve study shows that cutting US$10,000 in federal debt for every student would amount to US$321 billion and eliminate the entire balance for 11.8 million borrowers, or 31% of them.
Inflation impact
A senior Biden administration official told reporters the plan could benefit up to 43 million student borrowers, completely canceling the debt for some 20 million.
After Dec 31, the government will resume requiring payment on remaining student loans that were paused during the pandemic. The official said this would offset any inflationary effects of the forgiveness. Payment resumptions could even have a dampening effect on prices, the official said.
Former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers disagreed. He said on Twitter that debt relief "consumes resources that could be better used helping those who did not, for whatever reason, have the chance to attend college. It will also tend to be inflationary by raising tuitions."
Similarly Jason Furman, a Harvard professor who headed the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, said debt-cancellation would nullify the deflationary powers of the Inflation Reduction Act. "Pouring roughly half trillion dollars of gasoline on the inflationary fire that is already burning is reckless," he said.
Moody's analytics chief economist Mark Zandi sided with the White House, saying the resumption of billions of dollars per month in student loan payments "will restrain growth and is disinflationary."


Too much talk on GE15 will affect political stability, PM says

Engaging in extensive discussions on when the 15th general election (GE15) should be held will affect the country’s political stability, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.He said it would also affect the government’s focus on solving the people’s problems, including the price hikes influenced by the global economic outlook.“The country’s politics is still stable. We are now focusing on reviving the economy and tackling the general increase in prices, as well as supply issues which are now a global phenomenon.“If we talk too much about when GE15 will be held, it will somehow affect our political stability as we will be bogged down in discussions about this rather than managing the country,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.The prime minister said although the economic crisis was a global issue, the government still had to give proper attention to the matter to ensure that the impact would not be too detrimental to the country.Ismail also reiterated that no prime minister had ever discussed the possible date of a general election openly.In another development, he said he would meet with Zuraida Kamaruddin next week to discuss the status of the former Bersatu leader as the plantation industries and commodities minister.He said Zuraida’s position would remain intact until she herself confirmed her resignation or was sacked from the Cabinet.“So far, Zuraida is still a minister and comes to work as usual. Yesterday, she even attended the Cabinet meeting,” he said, adding that he had also notified Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin of the matter and would meet with him after meeting Zuraida.On Tuesday, Muhyiddin said he was waiting to meet with Ismail to discuss Zuraida’s position in the Cabinet after she announced on May 26 her decision to leave Bersatu to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia.Zuraida was appointed as housing and local government minister after Pakatan Harapan won the 14th general election in May 2018. She had retained the post under Muhyiddin’s administration, but was given a new portfolio as plantation industries and commodities minister in Ismail’s Cabinet.


PAS assures Muhyiddin of ‘undivided loyalty’

PAS has again renewed its commitment to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, amid grumbling from a section of Umno leaders calling for Muhyiddin Yassin to be replaced.The Islamist party also declared its “undivided loyalty” to the prime minister, adding that its 18 MPs would all remain with the PN government.“At the same time, PAS urges Barisan Nasional MPs to be steadfast in defending the leadership of the prime minister and the PN government that was built together on the rubble of the Pakatan Harapan government,” said PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan.This is the latest in a series of statements by PAS, breaking away from Umno’s call on the party to rethink its cooperation with Muhyiddin.Yesterday, former Umno president Najib Razak admitted that he had called on BN MPs to consider supporting Anwar Ibrahim in the PKR chief’s bid for the top post.The proposal was shot down, with the Umno Supreme Council deciding late last night that it would stick with the PN government.


Religious authorities losing grip on Islamic narrative as preachers go online

The popularity of Muslim preachers on social media is threatening a powerful tool long used by Malaysia’s religious authorities to ensure a certain uniformity in Islamic understanding, according to a new study on the rising trend of online preaching published by a Singapore institute.In a paper published by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a government-linked research body focusing on developments in Southeast Asia, academic Faizal Musa said many preachers have not only successfully bypassed the authorities’ requirement for a tauliah (teaching licence) to speak on Islamic fundamentals, they have also built up millions of followers who look to them for daily religious guidance.Faizal, better known by his pen-name Faisal Tehrani, said the use of online tools by preachers has made the tauliah irrelevant, with Islamic authorities finding it increasingly difficult to monitor and regulate them as they would in a physical setting.“With social media, the preaching licence becomes increasingly irrelevant; these preachers’ content is unregulated whereas in public spaces, they have to adhere to a list of criteria,” wrote Faisal, who is attached to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of the Malay World and Civilization.The “tauliah” is a form of teaching credentials issued by the religious department, with the objective of ensuring only those vetted by the authorities give public lectures on Islam, while prohibiting those who do not adhere to the strand of Islam officially sanctioned by the state.“With social media, the preaching licence becomes increasingly irrelevant.”Over the years, authorities have revoked tauliah issued to speakers for breaching conditions such as by touching on political subjects or making remarks that cause the displeasure of the Malay rulers.Critics of Malaysia’s Islamic bureaucracy have however said the tauliah is frequently used to dictate the Islamic narrative by keeping out those who question long-held conservative practices in the Muslim community.Islamic authorities have arrested individuals for speaking in public without tauliah, including prominent local and foreign Muslim scholars.In 2017, authorities in Kuala Lumpur arrested US-based Turkish intellectual Mustafa Akyol, for the offence of “teaching Islam without credentials” during a lecture tour on the theme of freedom of speech and Islam.Faisal said Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, Terengganu preacher Azhar Idrus, charity activist Ebit Liew and reality show celebrity Azman Syah Elias (PU Azman), each representing diverse and sometimes rival Islamic schools of thought, have all successfully made use of social media tools such as YouTube, reaching a nationwide audience which the state-bound tauliah cannot.“In tandem with the influence these preachers have on millions of followers, the various orientations and associations of these preachers are causing anxiety among the religious authorities,” said Faisal, who himself has had a thorny relationship with religious authorities whose influence on the government caused a ban on several of his books.In a survey carried out among fans of Ebit Liew and PU Azman, two personalities whom Faisal said represent almost opposite understandings of Islamic texts, a majority admitted to having changed the way they look at Islam after following these preachers.Faisal said while PU Azman is inclined to Wahhabism, a strand of Islam that is seen as restrictive and has influenced public life in Saudi Arabia for decades, Liew on the other hand represents a more traditional and softer version of Islam influenced by the Indian-based Tablighi Jamaat missionary movement.In some states, any inclination to Wahhabism and Tabligh would mean a preacher being denied the tauliah.But with the internet, that is no longer the case, as shown by the millions following Liew and Azman.“As such, one has to ask if a licence to preach is still relevant now that a religious preacher no longer needs physical space to give sermons and can instead use his personal YouTube account,” wrote Faisal.“Social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram have built-in functions that allow preachers to interact with their followers on live stream.”


Prioritise sustainable water management to avert disaster

Frequent water disruptions, pollution and floods may pose temporary inconvenience for the people but such issues, if prolonged and left unaddressed, can jeopardise not only our health but Malaysia’s economy and investments as a whole.
Degradation in water quality can cause adverse effects, a vicious cycle of sorts, to not only our environment but also our agricultural sector, to name a few, as water eutrophication poses significant threats to ubiquitous water quality.
The time has come for the government to address the urgent need for the sustainable management of water and the environment to help tackle these long-standing issues because the detriment of water-related issues goes beyond human life.
The temporary closure of four water treatment plants due to illegal discharge and odour pollution, affecting more than 1,300 areas and millions of consumers early this year, was not an isolated case in Selangor.
Consumers in the state have long faced rampant water cuts due to all kinds of factors, including pollution caused by illegal and contaminated discharge.
This situation is made worse by the increasing river water levels due to the heavy rain expected until May. Many areas in several states have been inundated with flood waters, with thousands of people evacuated to flood relief centres.
Danger warnings of continuous heavy rain, with rainfall exceeding 240 mm/day, were issued by the Meteorological Department for many areas in states such as Johor, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and the Klang Valley. As of March 6, a total of 98 areas were submerged, 21 landslides were reported while 10 roads and a bridge were reportedly damaged.
The recent World Water Day 2023 emphasises the needs for the government and the relevant authorities to accelerate changes to acknowledge the core of the water and sanitation crisis and make efforts to overcome these pertinent issues.
The national agenda to transform the water sector into a dynamic and vibrant economic sector that can contribute significantly to the national GDP and good water quality must be implemented without delay.
This is also in line with the commitment stipulated under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 for clean water and sanitation as part of the 2023 agenda to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Malaysia must provide an active response in its mitigation and adaptation efforts to safely manage water and sanitation to avert problems such as water cuts and odour issues as well as floods, so as to get in line with the 2030 agenda because right now, we are seriously off-track.
The government needs to revisit and make progressive mitigations on the implementation of the Water Sector Transformation 2040 to ensure that this country is ever prepared to face eventualities or disasters because prevention is better and cheaper than cure.
Stakeholders’ participation and support are critical to addressing related issues and they must be brave enough to transform to break the entrenched sectoral boundaries, to go beyond and integrate. It is time for full preparedness and progressive implementation, covering all aspects of water cycle – groundwater, wastewater, water supply, stormwater and the natural systems.
The measures taken must cover a wide range of institutional and community well-being and lifestyle situations from the socio-economic and environmental perspectives, from the household to city levels, to make water part of rural and urban planning, including built environment.
The Frangipani green sustainable resort in Langkawi is one example of a sustainable approach by the business community to build an organic farming system, construct wetlands and rainwater harvesting towards a better environmental management, along with a focus on low carbon emission to address climate change and water pollution.
Caring for our rivers, coastlines and other bodies of water is critical for biodiversity sustainability, ecosystem and the general quality of life. The people must be assured of the adequacy of water resources and clean water supply, and at the same time be prepared in facing disasters such as floods for their safety and interest.
Comprehensive policies, strategies and action plans that have been outlined by the relevant authorities must not remain on paper but be executed without delay for the well-being of all.
Nur Zalikhaa’ Zainal Abidin is a research analyst at Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA).
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Putrajaya shifts to austerity drive to cope with rising subsidies

With the cost of subsidies and assistance expected to reach RM77.7 billion – more than double the amount earmarked in the 2022 budget – Putrajaya is gearing up for a slew of austerity measures including cutbacks on government programmes and in the procurement of assets such as furniture and official vehicles.
In a circular dated July 14, issued to the heads of ministries and departments, Putrajaya said new limits would also be placed on civil service allowances and recruitment for government positions.
The finance ministry, in the circular signed by treasury secretary-general Asri Hamidon, listed out guidelines on expenditure and the financial conduct of government agencies, saying they were geared towards "optimising government spending".
It said the government had spent a total of RM530 billion in response to the economic impact of Covid-19, but that global uncertainty and geopolitical tension had pushed inflation and the prices of food and commodities.
It said this left the government with no choice but to implement subsidies and price controls for essential goods, including fuel, cooking oil, electricity and chicken.
"Expenditure for aid and subsidies is projected to reach RM77.7 billion, compared to the RM31 billion approved in Budget 2022. As such, the government should implement cost-saving measures to help fund part of the additional subsidy-related expenditure for the welfare of the people," the circular said.
The measures cover operation costs for ministries, departments, agencies, statutory bodies and government companies, which will require the relevant officers to reevaluate activities and programmes.
The guidelines also prohibit the creation of new job positions, unless they can be filled through the redeployment of staff "and without the implication of additional funds".
New positions in critical sectors such as education, health, security and revenue collection can only be created under tight supervision.
In the meantime, the government will also bar the formation of any new entities or companies.
Staff overtime pay will likewise be subjected to tighter scrutiny to ensure that the job in question is "really important".
The outstation transfer of officers and official travel within the country will be limited to essential tasks, while allowing officers to purchase the cheapest economy-class flight tickets available instead of the current requirements.
Several strict conditions have also been imposed for overseas travel, including the number of participants to foreign summits. In the event of such trips, officers are allowed to book accommodation based on the most affordable prices.
The launch of campaigns or promotions, meanwhile, must be appropriate to the target group and officials must ensure that these bring in returns for the government.
Ministries, departments and agencies are also encouraged to hold such events online to cut costs instead of organising performances or roadshows.
Sponsorship programmes and advertisements must likewise be reduced and reviewed once their contracts end.
To reduce development expenditure, projects for which the procurement process has yet to begin must be reevaluated in terms of priority, with non-priority projects postponed unless they will have a direct impact on public well-being.
Ministries, departments and agencies must also monitor the progress of projects to ensure that they are completed within the stipulated period.
The purchase and procurement of imported materials will not be allowed unless the items in question cannot be locally sourced and must be imported as a matter of urgency. In such cases, approval must be obtained from the finance ministry ahead of time.
All statutory bodies and subsidiaries meanwhile must prioritise domestic investments, with approval also required for investments that involve the outflow of money abroad.


The struggle of not knowing

A friend of mine once told me how he became aware of his HIV status, in an explanation that went beyond what I had expected.“Dia kata kalau buat ni (rapid test for HIV screening) kena bayar. Tapi kalau tak nak bayar, dia boleh tolong, dia suruh main. Aku mana ada duit.”In Malaysia, rapid tests for STD screening are available at all public health facilities. What should also be known is that they are free of charge.As someone from an underprivileged background, my friend had quit his secondary schooling and was forced to become a sex worker as he had no means of finding a job in the city without any qualifications. Living from hand to mouth through sex work meant that my friend was not given the opportunity to empower himself through education as his time was spent making sure he would not go hungry each day.I was shocked at his casual confession, but what saddened me was his remark – “Kau tahu orang bodoh memang macam ni lah, mana aku tahu” – when I told him he had been exploited.He knew it was important for him to be aware of his status, yet he was never told how to seek help.“Tapi kawan aku yang lain pun sama je, diorang pun kata kena main.”My friend was not alone in his exploitation; his acquaintances were also coerced into sex in exchange for a simple rapid test widely available at all public health care facilities. Such exploitation was seen as normal and unquestioned. There was no one to tell my friend or his acquaintances that it was an ethical violation, and that they should never have given in to such a proposition.They, the victims, had normalised the problem and internalised the perception that they are deserving of such exploitation. To whom can they turn to if they do not know? In what way can they file their complaints if they cannot find a way to put into words the discomfort of the exploitation they face? Their feelings are valid, yet to absolve their circumstances requires a way that is accessible only to communities other than theirs.We should not see these incidents as an isolated and simplistic form of exploitation. We need to ask how this matter was allowed to happen. The culprits target the vulnerable: the uneducated, the disempowered and the underprivileged. While the culprits can be identified as persons and punished for their actions, the system in which they and their victims must be reflected as well. We must be aware that such incidents are calculated moves allowed by the systematic oppression of the underprivileged.There has been active advocacy for sexual and reproductive health rights issues. Efforts in HIV and AIDS activism have been successful in that high-risk individuals are urged to know about their condition. But this success may only be those who are privileged enough to be empowered through these campaigns. Underprivileged people who do not have the opportunity to be actively included in these efforts will be left out and will face exploitation, as has happened. Would it be fair to question the whereabouts of social workers and activists then?Blame must not be placed on advocacy efforts alone. Where is the presence of authority figures in making sure that this form of exploitation does not happen in the first place? Are underprivileged individuals even a priority for them?The success of advocacy efforts cannot be guaranteed without the assistance of authorities. This issue cannot be tackled if there is no way of regulating social assistance that would prevent such negligence.Efforts to educate and advocate continue, but efforts to adjust to the needs of the underprivileged must also be present. We can tell these people to seek help and to know about their condition, but if we do not provide any means by which they can seek help, our contribution will stop there.“Susah jadi orang tak pandai ni. Kalau aku pergi sekolah, tak campur dengan orang jahat, mesti aku jadi macam kau. Tak apalah Sin, dah jadi.”These underprivileged individuals are bound to question their lives, and are filled with questions of what they could have been if they had taken a different path. But their condition is a bitter reality that they have to accept.It is disappointing to see them eventually blaming their struggle on their own powerlessness when they were simply not given the liberty and opportunity to empower themselves.Many of them will continue being underprivileged, with no chance of tasting freedom from exploitation or the hope that their lives could be a little bit different if they were just given a chance.


Mahathir apologises for breaching SOPs in Langkawi

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today offered an apology, saying he is also ready to face the music for defying the SOPs during a programme in Langkawi last week.The Langkawi MP said he was informed that he had violated the SOPs by not recording his body temperature when entering Surau Tsunami Batu Arang in Kuala Teriang, Kuah, for a Ramadan aid distribution programme on May 8.“This is an offence. It shouldn’t have been done. I am sorry for not complying with the SOP. I will face the music according to the relevant law,” he said in a Facebook post.He said the SOPs should be followed by everyone as they can help curb the spread of Covid-19.“We shouldn’t take this lightly. Again, I apologise for defying the rules,” he said.


What now for Ismail after GE defeat?

Analysts have played down the odds of a comeback for former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as a political leader in the wake of Barisan Nasional's (BN) unprecedented losses at the 15th general election (GE15) on Nov 19.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the Bera MP lacked solid support at the grassroots level.
"If he were someone charismatic or with strong grassroots support, he could perhaps attempt a political comeback," Oh said.
"But alas, that is not the case."
Ismail, an Umno vice-president, made history as the first opposition leader from the party in Parliament.
He was also the first prime minister who did not also hold the office of Umno president.
Ismail replaced Muhyiddin Yassin in 2021, after the court cluster led by Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi withdrew their support for the Pagoh MP, forcing him to step down.
Armed with his Keluarga Malaysia tagline, Ismail nevertheless became the country's shortest serving prime minister, spending just 14 months in office – two months short of Muhyiddin's tenure and far behind the 22 months of Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his second stint after the 2018 polls.
He was replaced with Anwar Ibrahim, who was sworn into office after Pakatan Harapan succeeded in forming a coalition government with the cooperation of other parties.
Ismail's administration was marked by the major floods which swept across the Klang Valley towards the end of December 2021.
The country also witnessed an increase in inflation rate and food prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
Analyst Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood said the former prime minister would need a new political strategy.
"He is still relevant in Umno and is working to contest the party elections to come," Nik Ahmad Kamal of the International Islamic University Malaysia said.
"Like Hishammuddin Hussein, he must move on to ensure his political survival. As the former prime minister, he still has some grassroots support to contest as vice-president or even president."
In the event that Ismail runs for president, Nik Ahmad Kamal added, there would be no major risk from a clash with Zahid.
"He will keep his head down," he added. "The alternative is not to contest, and to lower the political temperature. This, too, could be a strategy."
The Umno elections, which were already postponed, are expected to be held no later than six months after GE15.
The previous elections saw Zahid assuming responsibility as Umno president after Najib Razak's resignation in the wake of BN's historic election loss in 2018.
Rembau MP Mohamad Hasan won the post of deputy president while Ismail, Mahdzir Khalid and Mohamed Khaled Nordin became vice-presidents.
Oh said Ismail would do well to call an end to his political career.
"He could look forward to enjoying his supposedly rather comfortable life as a former prime minister," he said.
"It would be quite humiliating to be roundly crushed by Zahid in an Umno election."


Paving the way to greater ambitions through e-commerce

While some may use e-commerce as an avenue for a side income, others have bigger plans to turn their products into full-time ventures to conquer not just the local market, but the international as well.
Two sellers on Shopee are already looking at how to take advantage of the e-commerce platform and slowly expand their businesses nationwide and overseas, by selling books for children or sending out coffee beans to cafes and homes.
For Penangite Cheryl Ho, 35, starting up a business was something she had tried a few times but she was not successful due to the same business plan.
While still working as a marketing and public relations manager for a hospital, Ho decided to try yet another business: creating and selling handmade, customisable learning books for children aged two to eight through her online CeeTee store on Shopee.

For Penangite Cheryl Ho, 35, starting the CeeTee store on Shopee is her first venture on e-commerce.

“I heard a lot about e-commerce but never actually started it until August 2020 on Shopee. At that time, I didn’t even know how to do proper listings in my store. I only learned how to do that in June this year,” Ho said.
Since then, Ho’s CeeTee online store has observed a three-fold increase in sales compared to when she first started.
Ho’s best selling products on CeeTee are called Montessori Kids Learning Busy Books, which are customisable interactive books for kids. The product allows parents to pick content from 25 activities for their children to work on.

The Montessori Kids Learning Busy Books are customisable, providing parents the choice from among 25 activities.

When the revenue of her online store reached almost RM6,000 a month, Ho saw the potential of devoting her working hours to the CeeTee online store.
Ho also said that she has bigger plans with her Busy Books, including keeping her products handmade to gain the “Made in Malaysia” status from the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), which will then provide support in exporting her books overseas.
“Because of the #ShopeeSapotLokal campaign, I even blasted all my contacts and ex-colleagues to suggest that they put my Busy Books on sale, so we’re now working to supply retail pharmacies,” she said.
Ho added that she has been participating in the double digit shopping festivals on the platform, and the upcoming 12.12 Birthday Sale is no exception.
“I’m giving more discounts during the shopping festival, and there will be a surprise for my customers as well,” she said.
So, what is the former manager turned handmade children’s learning bookmaker looking forward to in 2022?
“First, I want to triple my monthly revenue. At the same time, I am also trying out packaging from Barber Miller with hopes to go towards 0% plastic on packaging. And finally, I hope that one day I can become a ShopeeXpert, a Shopee-certified seller who teaches others how best to sell on Shopee,” Ho said.
Gan Jun Qi, 36, said Drum Coffee Roasters started off in 2018 and was in the early stages of becoming a retail joint with wholesaling coffee as a venture when the pandemic hit.
While they decided to start taking orders manually in July the same year, it was a struggle to reach customers organically.
“We would have to take photos of the products for each customer, and then ask them if they wanted full beans or to have it ground down. We usually ask them if they would like the grind to be fine, medium or coarse, and then inform them about the cost. After that, we would wait for them to get back with a receipt and forward them a tracking number – it was a hassle,” Gan said.

For Gan Jun Qi, owner of Drum Coffee Roasters, Shopee has simplified doing business online.

For this move into e-commerce, Gan thanks Khaled Hamwi, 21, who convinced her to start on Shopee.
Starting from scratch, Khaled learned how to onboard Shopee by reading up articles and exploring how to work the platform on his own.
Khaled also recalled his joy when the company got an order from Singapore via the Shopee International Platform.
“It was a very smooth experience to ship our product to Singapore. When it comes to shipping overseas, a lot of businesses worry about the logistics and transit issues. All we had to do was print and attach the airway bill and pass it to the courier. Shopee does the rest of the shipping to the customer. As a way of expanding our market, it is a good idea,” he said.
For Gan, starting on Shopee has been an eye-opening experience, leading to the coffee roaster achieving five-figure sales in November – their highest so far.
“We sold about RM3,000 in January this year, but it has been gradually increasing every month since we started listing our wholesale products. Our customers now come from businesses including small cafes in Kemaman and Dungun from our neighbouring state Terengganu. We have also started getting orders from Sabah and Sarawak,” she said.
At the same time, the roastery is focused on being part of more offline events in order to promote their Shopee store, such as the Pesta Kopi in Central Market which took place on Dec 4 and 5.
“Customers who leave us good reviews on Shopee are really sweet. They are repeat customers and when we see their orders, we always forward them some new coffee blend to try out. People think that online stores are impersonal and the relationship ends when we ship the products to the customer, but it does not. We see these new virtual relationships coming alive, and look forward to meeting them in person when we attend events, hoping to meet some regular customers who turn up,” she said.
For the current 12.12 Birthday Sale on Shopee, Gan says Drum Coffee Roasters will be joining the Digital Malaysia Coffee Week which is ongoing till Dec 11. The company is offering vouchers of RM5 off with a minimum spend of RM20, as well as 15% off for timited Time deals for six products on Shopee.
For more information on Shopee’s 12.12 Birthday Sale, visit https://shopee.com.my/m/12-12.
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Flood victims on the rise in Kedah

The flood situation in Melaka and Perlis is improving with more evacuees returning to their homes.In Melaka, the number of flood victims in Alor Gajah dropped to 95 people from 26 families as of 8am today from 149 victims (38 families) at 4pm yesterday.Melaka Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Col (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said the flood evacuees were accommodated at three relief centres (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Durian Tunggal (26 people from 10 families), Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Sin Wah (49 victims from 12 families) and Dewan Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Penyelaras Dewan Undangan Negeri (Japerun) Durian Tunggal (20 people from four families).The evacuees were from six areas affected by the floods in the Durian Tunggal district, namely Kampung Padang Keladi, Bukit Balai, Kampung Bukit Tambun, Pekan Durian Tunggal, Taman Murai Jaya and Kampung Padang Kerbau, he said in a statement today.In Perlis, State Social Welfare Department director Mohammad Hazam Ismai said only one PPS was still open in Arau as of 8am today, at SK Arau, to accommodate 12 families of 42 people.The PPS at SK Arau was one of two that were opened yesterday. The other, at Masjid Kampung Banggol Sena, was closed after all of the evacuees returned home.However, the number of flood evacuees in Kedah increased to 754 people today from 665 yesterday.According to Kedah APM head Mohd Muaz Mohd Yusoff, as of 8am today, the evacuees who are from 205 families were at 13 PPS in five districts.He said another PPS, at SK Malau in the Kubang Pasu district, was opened at 11pm yesterday to accommodate 26 victims from four families.“A total of 141 victims involving 36 families were evacuated in Kubang Pasu to three PPS in the district, while Baling recorded 15 victims from five families at two PPS.“In the Kota Setar district, 272 victims from 79 families were evacuated to four PPS, while 10 families comprising 10 people were evacuated to two PPS in Pokok Sena, and in Pendang district, 292 victims from 72 families were evacuated to two PPS,” he said in a statement.In Johor, Kampung Paya Embun in Pontian district was hit by flash floods yesterday following a two-hour downpour.State Health and Environment Committee chairman R Vidyananthan said a PPS was opened at SK Melayu Raya at 9pm yesterday to accommodate 18 people from four families.


Without citizenship, youth dreams of musical career

Like most other 17-year-olds, Eugene (not his real name) will be sitting for his Form 5 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination this year.
Beyond that, though, nothing in his life is certain.
Eugene, who never knew his birth parents, was raised in a foster family.
His adoptive mother, who asked to be known as Mrs Low, took him in as a baby as his birth mother was unable to raise him on her own.
His first birth certificate categorised him as a citizen of Malaysia. When he turned 12, though, and went to apply for a MyKad, the National Registration Department refused to issue the document.
His status was also changed to "to be determined" due to a lack of information about his biological parents.
Mrs Low managed to send Eugene to a government school but had to pay a levy in order to do so.
She also continued trying to apply for Eugene's citizenship but to no avail.
"My son was raised in Malaysia and is fluent in Malay," she said in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow.
"He's also familiar with all of the customs and cultures in the country."
But none of this has brought Eugene any closer to his dream of becoming a Malaysian citizen.
Mrs Low is also struggling financially as she will have to pay more for Eugene's education once he leaves secondary school.
She and her husband divorced in 2013, and she is now raising Eugene as a single mother.
She is also trying to find a way for Eugene to attend driving school so that he can get a driving licence – a seemingly impossible task given his lack of official documents.
Eugene himself dreams of becoming a professional musician one day.
"I took acoustic guitar lessons until Grade 3 and am now at Grade 5 in electric guitar," he said.
But while he is part of a band and participates in group performances, his wider movements are limited.
Whenever his family goes on holiday overseas, he remains at home by himself.
Music aside, Eugene is also a good swimmer and has joined a large number of camps and programmes related to science and technology.
Mrs Low's greatest fear is what will happen to him as he continues to leave childhood behind.
"How will I send him to college?" she said.
"He wants to study music in the UK one day."


NZ’s daily cases cross 200 for first time

New Zealand’s 206 new daily community infections on Saturday carried it past the double-hundred mark for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, as the nation scrambles to vaccinate its population of five million.The most populous city of Auckland, which reported 200 of the new cases, has lived under Covid-19 curbs for nearly three months as it battles an outbreak of the infectious Delta variant, although restrictions are expected to ease on Monday.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she wanted Auckland residents to be able to travel for the southern hemisphere summer and Christmas.“We will not keep Aucklanders isolated to Auckland through that period – we simply cannot do that,” Ardern told a news conference at the national gathering of her Labour Party.Saturday’s cases served to remind people of the importance of vaccination as the number one protection against the virus, the health ministry said in a statement.It said 78% of New Zealanders aged 12 and above had been fully vaccinated, while 89% had a first dose by Friday.Once praised globally for stamping out Covid-19, New Zealand has been unable to vanquish the Delta outbreak in Auckland, forcing Ardern to abandon a strategy of eliminating the virus in favour of efforts to live with it.Still, it has fared far better than many other countries, with tough curbs that kept infections to just under 7,000 and a toll of 31 deaths.


4 directors, workshop manager charged over Sungai Gong pollution

Four company directors and a workshop manager were charged in the Selayang Sessions Court today in connection with the recent pollution of Sungai Gong which resulted in a disruption to water supply for more than 1.2 million people.They are brothers Yip Kok Wai, 53; Yip Kok Mun, 58; Yip Kok Kuin, 70; and Yip Kok Wong, 60, the board of directors of Yip Chee Seng & Sons Sdn Bhd, and Ho Voon Leong, 59, who is the manager of the company’s workshop.All five pleaded not guilty before judge Syafeera Mohd Said.On the first count, they were charged under Section 430 of the Penal Code with committing mischief by causing hazardous waste from the workshop to flow into Sungai Gong, causing a diminution of water supply for human consumption.They were charged with committing the act at a workshop at Kg Sungai Dua, Rawang between Sept 2 and 3.If found guilty, they face imprisonment of up to 30 years, a fine or both.They were also jointly charged with discharging environmentally hazardous substances from the workshop into a waterway, which then flowed into Sungai Gong, without a licence.The charge was made under Section 25 (1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 which provides for a maximum fine of RM100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both upon conviction.All five were denied bail. The court set Oct 27 for mention.


China's exports tumble in May as global demand falters

China's exports shrank much faster than expected in May while imports extended declines with a grim outlook for global demand, especially from developed markets, raising doubts about the fragile economic recovery.
The world's second-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter thanks to robust services consumption and a backlog of orders following years of Covid disruptions, but factory output has slowed as rising interest rates and inflation squeeze demand in the US and Europe.
Exports slumped 7.5% year-on-year in May, data from China's Customs Bureau showed on Wednesday, much larger than the forecast 0.4% fall and the biggest decline since January. Imports contracted 4.5%, slower than an expected 8.0% decline and April's 7.9% fall.
"The weak exports confirm that China needs to rely on domestic demand as the global economy slows," said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. "There is more pressure for the government to boost domestic consumption in the rest of the year, as global demand will likely weaken further in the second half."
Highlighting the extent of the weakness, the data shows trade was worse even than when the port of Shanghai, China's busiest, was shut down due to strict Covid curbs a year earlier.
The figures also add to a growing list of indicators that suggest China's post-Covid economic recovery is quickly losing steam, bolstering the case for more policy stimulus.
Demand squeeze
Asian stocks fell into the red after the data as did the yuan and the Australian dollar, a commodity currency that is highly sensitive to swings in Chinese demand.
China's post-pandemic stock rally has faded as small-time investors turn bearish on equities and double down instead on safer assets amid a stuttering economic recovery.
The economy has been hit by a double whammy of faltering demand at home and abroad with the ripple effects felt across the region.
South Korean data last week showed shipments to China slid 20.8% in May, marking a full year of monthly declines, with Korean semiconductor exports dropping 36.2%, suggesting weak demand for components for final manufacture.
Chinese imports of semiconductors fell 15.3%, as the market for the consumer electronics exports that include such parts softened.
Demand for raw materials broadly weakened with coal imports pulling back from the 15-month high hit in March, amid soft appetite from the power and steel sectors. Copper imports slid 4.6% in May from a year ago.
China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) released last week showed factory activity shrank faster than expected in May.
The PMI's subindexes also showed factory output swung to contraction from expansion while new orders, including new exports, fell for a second month.
While economic growth beat expectations in the first quarter, analysts are now downgrading their forecasts for the rest of the year, as factory output slows.
The government has set a modest GDP growth target of around 5% for this year, after badly missing the 2022 goal.
"Looking forward, we think exports will fall further before bottoming out later this year," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics. "Although interest rates outside of China are near a peak, the lagged impact from the sharp rate hikes is set to weaken activity in developed economies later this year, triggering mild recessions in most cases."


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New cases fall below 5,000

Another 4,949 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 662,457.Selangor reported 1,523 cases, Sarawak 744, Kuala Lumpur 503, Johor 430, Negeri Sembilan 323, Sabah 273, Penang and Kelantan 214 each, Kedah 199, Perak 136, Melaka 119 and Labuan 113.Terengganu recorded 86 cases, Pahang 61, Putrajaya 10 and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 71,625 with 921 in the ICU and 459 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 6,588 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 586,864.However, 60 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 3,968.


‘Allah’ ruling not a victory for Christians over Muslims, Sarawak bishop says

A church leader in Sarawak has sought to play down the religious overtones in a recent court ruling allowing Christians in the country to use the word “Allah”, saying the judgment should not be seen as a victory of one group over another, even as the federal government mounts a challenge to the decision at the appellate court.“It is certainly not a victory for Christians over Muslims,” Danald Jute, the bishop of the Anglican church in Sarawak and Brunei, told MalaysiaNow.“It is a fair and just judgment whereby the judge said that it cannot be disputed that the Christian community of Sabah and Sarawak have, for generations, been using the word ‘Allah’ in the practice of their religion.”The ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on March 10 stated that Christians could use “Allah” along with three other Arabic words – “Baitullah”, “Kaabah” and “solat” – in their religious publications for educational purposes.Court of Appeal judge Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as a High Court judge, allowed a judicial review application by Sarawak native Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, whose legal battle on the matter began 13 years ago.Nor Bee in her ruling held that the 1986 directive by the home ministry barring the use of the four words was filled with illegality and irrationality.She also said that the words could be used by the Christian community for teaching purposes as they had been in use for more than 400 years.“The use of the words would not disrupt public order,” she said.‘Not an issue’In Sarawak itself, Christians’ use of the word “Allah” was never much of an issue to begin with.Many within the community – the largest in the state – have always used the Malay language in church and for worship.Dayang Khamsiah Awang Omar, a Melanau from the coastal town of Oya, said use of the word “Allah” as the name of God within the Christian community had been passed down for generations.In fact, anyone in Sarawak is free to call their God by the name of “Allah”, she said.“For the Melanaus, the use of ‘Allah’ is not exclusively for a particular religion,” she told MalaysiaNow.“My Chinese friends also call their God ‘Tuhan Allah’. After all, it’s between you and God,” she added.She said even names like “bin” and “binti” do not necessarily identify them as Muslims as Melanau Christians also use these names.Putrajaya nonetheless lodged an appeal on March 15, saying it was “not satisfied” with the ruling.“The appellants are appealing to the Court of Appeal against the whole of the ruling,” the notice of appeal said.PAS and Umno had also called for the ruling to be referred to the appeals court, saying they view seriously the High Court’s decision to allow non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” in their publications.‘Don’t politicise’Danald said the “Allah” issue should not be politicised.He said the High Court ruling was “a victory for common sense”, where everyone should learn to accept and respect the backgrounds of others.“The decision was an unbiased opinion based on law,” he added. “This is a victory for common sense which should be accepted and respected by everyone, irrespective of background, for a better Malaysia.“We must not let divisive acts and language tear us apart as a nation. If we do not respect the court’s decision, our country will be destroyed.”


Weeks later, Indonesia quake death toll jumps to 602 after new count

The death toll from an earthquake that hit Indonesia's main island Java last month has jumped by hundreds to 602, a local administration official said Friday, after authorities verified unreported casualties across the worst-hit town.
The shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Cianjur in Indonesia's most populous province West Java on Nov 21, with most of the victims killed as buildings collapsed or landslides were triggered.
Cianjur local administration spokesman Adam, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP the new toll – up from a previously reported figure of 334 – was based on data collected from residents across the town.
He said many people had rushed to bury their relatives after the disaster without reporting their deaths to authorities.
"If someone dies, residents in Cianjur often immediately bury them. Because of the panicked situation, those who died were immediately buried by relatives without notifying the local health agency," he said.
"It was later revealed that around 600 people died, when it is officially counted," he added, citing the administration's new figure of 602.
The local rescue agency, known as the BPBD, posted the new death toll on social media. An official from the agency, Wawan Setiawan, confirmed the new toll to AFP.
State news agency Antara on Friday cited Cianjur district head Herman Suherman as giving a new death toll of 602.
'Need to verify'
National disaster mitigation agency spokesman Abdul Muhari told AFP it was still sticking with a lower death toll of 335 but was working to verify the new figure.
"Because they were immediately buried and were not reported, their names were not included in the missing people list," he said.
"The district head said they already have the data, regardless we still need to verify."
To claim government aid, relatives must remove victims from their family registry and receive a death cerificate from local authorities, he said.
The tremor was the deadliest in the archipelago nation since a 2018 quake and resulting tsunami killed more than 4,000 people on the island of Sulawesi.
Many were found buried under rubble in the days following the quake, with only several successful rescues reported, including an operation to free a six-year-old boy that was described as a "miracle" by emergency workers.
The quake damaged more than 62,000 houses and forced more than 73,000 people to evacuate to at least 325 shelters, officials said.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.
A 6.2-magnitude quake that shook Sulawesi island in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless.


Govt considering action against anti-vaxxers

The government is studying the possibility of taking action against anti-vaxxers in the country if the group is found to be inciting the public not to support the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.He said the government had also asked the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) to look into the implementation of a mandatory vaccination programme if the number of registrations is not enough to reach the target of herd immunity.“If we go according to plan, I hope we can speed up the vaccination rate,” he said after a visit to the Mitec vaccination centre in Kuala Lumpur with Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of PICK, and Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.“The important thing is, there shouldn’t be people saying don’t get vaccinated.“We don’t want some of our people to have received the jab while others do not because this will have consequences,” he added.Muhyiddin said almost 13 million people in Malaysia had registered for vaccination so far, but that this was only 50% of the total number expected to ensure the success of the national immunisation programme.He said the government would strive to expedite the vaccination process in its mission to achieve herd immunity more quickly, including through efforts to increase the number of PPVs both in urban and rural areas.“We also call on private clinics to help the government. There are approximately 8,000 private clinics in the country and if they are included in our programme, more people can get vaccinated,” he said.He also said there was no issue of vaccines being out of stock in the country as over 100% of the stock secured last year had arrived, with the numbers continuing to increase.The Mitec PPV began operations on May 13 and will embark on mega-scale operations with an increased capacity of 8,000 vaccine recipients per day from June 7.


Facebook extends its work-at-home policy to all employees who can do so

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg announced on Wednesday that the company will allow all full-time employees to work from home if their jobs can be done remotely.This is a change from plans Facebook announced in May 2020, when the company said it would allow certain employees, notably the most senior and experienced employees, to request permanent remote work.Zuckerberg made the new announcement in a memo to employees laying out the company’s plans for a hybrid office and remote setup, CNBC reports.“We’ve learned over the past year that good work can get done anywhere, and I’m even more optimistic that remote work at scale is possible, particularly as remote video presence and virtual reality continue to improve,” Zuckerberg wrote.Roles that cannot be done remotely typically include those working on hardware devices or on Facebook’s data centre setups.Zuckerberg also said Facebook will begin allowing employees to request remote work across international borders.After next Tuesday, the company will allow US employees to request remote work in Canada and those in Europe to request remote work in the UK, a Facebook spokesman said.From January 2022, the company will allow employees to permanently move between seven countries in Europe.Facebook, whose workforce totals about 60,000, plans to reopen most of its US offices at 50% capacity by early September and will likely reopen in full in October, the spokesman said.Zuckerberg said employees who want to work in an office will be asked to come in at least half the time. This is to ensure that the office remains vibrant and that employees who do come into the office make the most of being a part of that community.Additionally, he said Facebook plans to organise regular in-person gatherings for office and remote workers “to support relationship-building”.Facebook is part of a growing trend.On Monday, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that he expects half or more of his software and cloud computing company’s employees to continue working from home after the pandemic.Despite hefty real estate investments in recent years, including opening the 61-floor Salesforce Tower in San Francisco in 2018, Benioff said he has accepted that there’s no return to the pre-Covid days.In an interview with CNBC, he said up to 60% of staffers will likely work from home, up from about 20% before the pandemic hit.Salesforce is one of many billion-dollar tech companies trying to figure out how to make use of space that will no longer be occupied by staff. Others include Dropbox, Uber and Zendesk.“The past is gone,” Benioff said. “We’ve created a whole new world, a new digital future, and you can see it playing out today.”


PH urges MPs to rally behind Anwar

Top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders today urged MPs to rally behind PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as the prime ministerial candidate to form a new majority in Parliament, maintaining that Muhyiddin Yassin had lost the support of the majority.“For the sake of the future of the people and the nation, all parties who oppose Muhyiddin should come to the negotiating table to form a government that is inclusive, just and progressive where each party is treated fairly,” the top three leaders of the coalition said in a statement.Reiterating the support of the PH Presidential Council for Anwar as the candidate for prime minister, they said they were against the holding of any general election during the pandemic period.“Remember that the last session of the 14th Parliament will only end on July 16, 2023.“Therefore, we urge all MPs who oppose and reject Muhyiddin Yassin to together support Anwar as the prime ministerial candidate to prove their support and form a new majority,” they said in a statement issued by Anwar, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.Their statement came ahead of the confidence vote in Muhyiddin scheduled for Sept 7.Anwar, his Umno counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak have been at the forefront of efforts to topple Muhyiddin since last year.Their efforts gathered momentum recently with a call by Zahid on Cabinet ministers from his party to quit the government. Both Zahid and Najib say they have mustered the support of about 15 MPs from Umno.The PH leaders meanwhile said it was common knowledge that Muhyiddin only had the support of 100 MPs.“Yet he refuses to resign honourably in line with Article 43 (4) of the Federal Constitution,” they said.“It is crucial that all parties unite under a people-centred government that can correct all of the failures and shortcomings of Perikatan Nasional ahead of the confidence vote in the prime minister.”MalaysiaNow reported earlier this week that a plan by PKR leaders to submit Anwar to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as their prime ministerial candidate had to be shelved after they failed to show that he had the majority support of MPs.It was instead agreed that they would focus on MPs who were against Muhyiddin.This was because opposition blocs outside of the PH coalition which have also demanded for Muhyiddin’s resignation are against any attempt to name Anwar as prime minister.


99-year-old Croatian woman beats Covid-19

A 99-year-old Croatian woman gave the thumbs up on Thursday after she successfully beat the new coronavirus.Margareta Kranjcec, who lives in an old people’s home in the central city of Karlovac, was hospitalised in late October after testing positive for Covid-19 but released three weeks later.“It’s over, I feel fine now,” the Vecernji List newspaper quoted Kranjcec as saying.Kranjcec is bedridden due to her age and fragility but has no serious health conditions.She was among several residents who tested positive for the virus, although she was asymptomatic, the home’s director Stefica Ljubic Mlinac said.“With her fragility and old age it is really amazing how the coronavirus did not do her any harm,” Ljubic Mlinac told AFP.“It’s such nice news” amid the gloom of the pandemic, she added.Croatia, a country of 4.2 million people, has registered nearly 140,000 Covid-19 infections with nearly 2,000 deaths.


Brazil halts trials of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

Brazil’s health regulator said Monday it had suspended clinical trials of a Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine after an “adverse incident” involving a volunteer recipient, a blow for one of the most advanced vaccine candidates.The setback for CoronaVac, developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech, came on the same day US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said its own vaccine candidate had shown 90% effectiveness, sending global markets soaring and raising hopes of an end to the pandemic.The Brazilian regulator, Anvisa, said in a statement it had “ruled to interrupt the clinical study of the CoronaVac vaccine after a serious adverse incident” on Oct 29.It said it could not give details on what happened because of privacy regulations, but that such incidents included death, potentially fatal side effects, serious disability, hospitalisation, birth defects and other “clinically significant events.”Sinovac, however, said the incident was “not related to the vaccine”, adding that it will “continue to communicate with Brazil on this matter”.The public health centre coordinating the trials of the vaccine in Brazil, the Butantan Institute, said it was “surprised” by the decision.The institute “is investigating in detail what happened”, and “is at the Brazilian regulatory agency’s disposal to provide any clarification necessary on any adverse incident the clinical trials may have presented”, it said.It said it would hold a press conference on Tuesday at 11am (1400 GMT).CoronaVac has been caught up in a messy political battle in Brazil, where its most visible backer has been Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria, a top opponent of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.The Sao Paulo state government said in a statement it “regrets that it learned of the decision from the press, instead of directly from Anvisa”, and was waiting along with the Butantan Institute for more information on “the real reasons for the suspension”.Pandemic politicsBolsonaro has labelled CoronaVac the vaccine from “that other country”, and pushed instead for a rival vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.Last month, he shot down a plan by his own health minister to buy 46 million doses of CoronaVac, saying, “The Brazilian people will not be anyone’s guinea pig”, and referring to it as “Joao Doria’s Chinese vaccine”.Doria announced earlier Monday that the first 120,000 doses of CoronaVac would arrive in Sao Paulo on Nov 20.His state has a deal with Sinovac to buy a total of 46 million doses – six million produced in China and the rest produced in Sao Paulo, which broke ground last week on a factory to make the vaccine domestically.“Officials in the state government fear Bolsonaro will use technical decisions to delay the timeline of the vaccine for political reasons,” newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported, citing unnamed Doria allies.Anvisa told AFP it had no comment beyond its statement announcing the suspension, which said that halting trials was standard procedure in such cases.Bolsonaro faces criticism for his handling of the pandemic, which has included downplaying the virus, opposing lockdown measures and relentlessly promoting the drug hydroxychloroquine despite studies showing it is ineffective against Covid-19.The Sinovac, Pfizer and Oxford vaccines are all in Phase 3 trials, the final stage of testing before regulatory approval.All are being tested in Brazil, the country with the second-highest death toll in the pandemic after the US, with more than 162,000 people killed by the new coronavirus.


Israel approves Covid jabs for at-risk children aged 5-11

Children in Israel aged five to 11 at risk of serious health complications can be vaccinated against Covid-19 as of Aug 1, Israeli health officials said Wednesday.The Israeli health ministry gave the green light for the vaccinations to children who are “at significant risk of serious illness or death” from coronavirus.“This is a special authorisation, and each vaccination will be studied on a case-by-case basis,” a ministry spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.The health ministry on Tuesday issued a list of medical problems where a vaccination was advised.They include children with brain, heart or lung problems, severe immunosuppression, sickle cell anaemia, pulmonary hypertension and severe obesity.They will be offered a Pfizer-BioNTech dose of 0.1 millilitre, three times less than the standard vaccine.Last month, health officials extended vaccination to children aged 12 to 16.About 55% of Israel’s population has been double vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, thanks to a massive campaign launched in late December after an agreement with the pharmaceutical giant.Israel’s digitised medical databases allowed for rapid large-scale studies.Its initial vaccine rollout of the jab was among the world’s fastest, delivering two doses of the vaccine to more than 55% of the population.Case numbers dropped dramatically, and in early June Israel eased many restrictions.But soon after, as cases rose, the health ministry reimposed a requirement for masks to be worn in enclosed public places.The authorities have also announced a partial return to the “health pass” programme, where all events with more than 100 participants entry will be restricted to people who have been vaccinated, recovered from the virus or have had a recent negative test.


Foreign spouses, children of Malaysians can apply to enter country

Foreign spouses and the children of citizens who do not have a long-term visit pass can apply for permission to enter the country, immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said yesterday.However, he said in a statement that only applicants from countries allowed to enter Malaysia would be considered.“For countries that are subject to entry restrictions, applications will not be considered until there is a decision to lift the entry restrictions for these countries,” he said.Spouses seeking to enter the country must be legally married with their marriages registered with the National Registration Department or state Islamic religious department, or the Malaysian embassy or Malaysian high commission abroad.Applications can be sent through email to [email protected] for evaluation.Guidelines on the necessary procedures can be found at www.imi.gov.my.


Muhyiddin kept his word about refusing to help Najib escape charges, says Dr M

While Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reserved some of the strongest words in his newest memoir for Muhyiddin Yassin, he also acknowledges that his former party comrade who went on to succeed him as prime minister was steadfast against any attempt at having Najib Razak’s criminal charges dropped.“Muhyiddin assured me that he would not interfere with Najib’s trials and other court cases.“In this, at least, I believe Muhyiddin kept his word – he apparently declined to drop charges against Najib or obtain a pardon for his existing convictions,” the veteran leader wrote in his upcoming memoir “Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia”, a 304-page book covering his 15-year retirement before his return to the top office in 2018 and his resignation 22 months later.But Mahathir said it was also this principle that caused Muhyiddin’s downfall in August this year, when he was forced to resign after a string of defections involving Umno MPs engineered by Najib and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.“When Muhyiddin refused to stop the court proceedings against Najib, Najib threatened to pull out of the coalition, triggering the sequence of events that led to the rise of Ismail Sabri,” he said, adding that he had warned Muhyiddin against the risk of needing Najib’s support for his Perikatan Nasional government.Yesterday, the Court of Appeal threw out Najib’s attempt to overturn his conviction of seven charges of power abuse, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, for which he was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million in July last year, some four months after Muhyiddin came to office after taking Bersatu out of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.Mahathir and Muhyiddin helped found Bersatu in 2016 as a challenge to Najib during the peak of revelations surrounding the 1MDB scandal.Their party later teamed up with PH to end six decades of Barisan Nasional rule, and Mahathir became the oldest elected head of government in the world at the age of 93.But following controversies surrounding a promised transition of power that would see his former nemesis Anwar Ibrahim replacing him in the top post, cracks appeared in the PH government, and by early 2020, the coalition fell apart, triggering a split in PKR and Bersatu.During his 17 months in power, Muhyiddin repeatedly said he would not interfere in high-profile corruption charges involving Umno leaders, despite them forming part of the bloc that had backed him in 2020 to become prime minister.Muhyiddin had said he was forced out of office due to a group of “kleptocrats” scheming to escape corruption charges, a reference to Najib, Zahid and a group of Umno MPs facing criminal charges.In a final attempt at preventing the group from coming to power, Muhyiddin offered a cross-party agreement to PH MPs, but the coalition rejected the gesture, leading to his resignation days later.MalaysiaNow also reported in detail how Zahid had met Muhyiddin to get his backing to drop the multiple corruption charges against him.Mahathir meanwhile is convinced that Muhyiddin’s successor Ismail would feel the same pressure from Najib.“For Najib, all that matters is returning to power – and he is nearly there. He made remarkable progress after he lost the general election in 2018.”‘My extraordinary life’Looking back at the political crisis triggered by his shock resignation in February 2020, Mahathir suggested that it might not have been the right move.“I apologise if my decision to resign was wrong but I write this in truth: I could not have stayed on. I was stressed, kecil hati and feeling kecewa – discouraged and disappointed.“It is not an easy thing to accept that your party no longer has confidence in you. I also did not expect to be betrayed by a co-founder of my party,” he said in the book, which will be available in stores next week.But he said he was grateful for having led “an extraordinary life” as well as being blessed with good health.“I once thought 96 was terribly old but here I am at this grand age, working on the last chapter of this book,” he said in the concluding pages of his latest work.“I know that I have led an extraordinary life, for which I am most grateful to God. I have spent much of it serving the country.”


Don’t be fooled when buying gadgets

With the emergence of online businesses and students having to study online, there has been a spike in demand for laptops or computers. There is also pressure to have these to compete under the current challenging situation. However, the Consumers Association of Penang wants to caution people wanting to purchase such devices or equipment to be wary of (1) scams, (2) warranty, and (3) prices.Try not to purchase through social media such as FaceBook or WhatsApp because it is not possible to know the reliability of the seller. It might be argued that there is a valid bank account where the payment is deposited but the receiver (bank account holder) might be what is known as a “money mule”. A money mule is a person paid for services with a small amount of money transferred. The mule may not even realise that his account has been used for an illegal money transfer from the buyer to the scam operator. It is likely difficult or impossible to trace the scam operator who might be in another country.People can also check if their bank account or others has been used in scams or other fraudulent activities at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/.It would be advisable to acquire second-hand or refurbished equipment from someone you know and who is preferably known to be reliable. The reason is, if there is anything wrong, you can easily find the person as compared to one who lives far away. There have been cases of people buying electronic items from other states who found that the equipment is defective.Is there any warranty left when you purchase the device? Some manufacturers allow you to check the warranty online based on the serial number of the device. If you purchase from someone you know and lives nearby, it is possible to test it out before concluding the purchase.There was a case where a lady purchased a “deal of a lifetime” iPhone. She paid and she received a parcel. She opened it up to find a rusty lock (without any key) inside and her calls were blocked when she attempted to contact the seller.If it is a new product that you are buying, shop around for the specifications and price. Don’t rush into the purchase. Seek the advice of friends who are knowledgeable in the field if needed because you have to buy something suitable for your purpose.Most business transactions such as online payments and online education need internet connection. Again, you have to determine which internet service is best for you because the connectivity of some internet lines may not be good in your area. Ask your neighbours perhaps and get their feedback which may guide you in your decision.As for the government, online education is unavoidable during the pandemic, but it has to consider those from B40 families, most of whom cannot afford a laptop which also needs internet connection for online education. These are the people who will be left behind in their studies.We reiterate our call for consumers to be wary when buying laptops or computers (old, refurbished, or new) because they are targets of scammers or opportunists who prey on people making hasty decisions. We also call upon the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry to continue monitoring the sale of such equipment.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Automotive observers tell why disposing of old cars will be hard

Observers in the automotive industry caution that old cars in Malaysia will not be easily disposed of even with the implementation of an end-of-life vehicle (ELV) policy like the one targeted by the government within the next few years.
Hezeri Samsuri, who operates the Careta.my website, said most people were still unable to afford new cars, which are more expensive in Malaysia than in Europe or the US.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the government only needed to establish a system in which vehicles are inspected on an annual basis to ensure that they are road-worthy.
"They could check the brake system, suspension, engine and so on," he said, adding that older cars also have a higher emission rate than new vehicles.
In European countries, for instance, owners are charged high fees if they wish to keep older vehicles.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Adham Baba said earlier this month that the government was studying a suitable approach to implement an ELV management policy by 2025.
He said the policy was important to ensure that components and usable material from old vehicles could be of use and not simply thrown away.
According to him, the export potential for the industry was about RM10 billion.
He also said that no country mandates the disposal of old cars, including Singapore which is known for its strict policy on private vehicle ownership.
In Malaysia, Hezeri said, enforcement is one of the main problems.
In the US state of California, for example, pollution laws are stricter than in some other states.
"In Malaysia, though, state laws don't mention vehicles at all," Hezeri said.
"Maybe those living in Selangor can afford to keep old cars, but this is difficult for less developed states to follow. A blanket approval for the entire country would be unfair."
There are some 30 million vehicles registered in Malaysia, roughly equivalent to the number of people. Of these, more than 60,000 abandoned vehicles are still registered throughout the country, according to reports in 2019.
Several years ago, a proposal for the disposal of old vehicles was raised, but did not receive a positive reaction from the public.
In June, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the suggestion to dispose of cars older than 10 years was not yet appropriate for implementation in Malaysia.
Automotive analyst Chips Yap said the policy should also cover the use of electric vehicles, as the recycling and disposal of batteries will become an issue once the number of EVs on the roads go up.
"We should not wait until there are too many disused battery packs all over the country before we start developing a proper policy on what to do with them," he said.
The policy should also cover the deregistration of vehicles that have been disposed of from the records of the Road Transport Department (JPJ), as many such vehicles still remain on record.
Citing his personal experience, Yap said his own car had been involved in an accident, following which he had paid for the insurance, repaired it, and sold it for reuse.
He said an ELV policy could ensure that such things do not happen.
The Automotive Accessories Traders Association of Malaysia meanwhile welcomed the initiative which it said could resolve the issue of abandoned vehicles through recycling.
Its president Lim Bee Choo said statistics from May showed that 19 million of some 33 million registered were about 10 years old.
"This initiative will impact certain industry players who will have to find ways to dispose of their existing stock for old vehicles," Lim said.
"The repair, reuse and remanufacturing of automotive parts and components will be impacted as well."
Lim said even if the policy is not 100% implemented in the near future, it would be the first step for allowing safety checks before owners can renew their road tax for older vehicles.
Lim also voiced hope that the related government agencies could prepare platforms for discussion and engagement with stakeholders before the policy is formed.
Hezeri meanwhile said the measure should be taken as the government was in need of the true number of vehicles currently on the road.
He suggested that the provision of initiatives might help reduce the problem of old cars abandoned by the side of the road.
"Owners will have the option of disposing of old cars if there are incentives," he said.
He said this would also provide the automotive industry with a supply of used spare parts that could be processed and exported, in addition to increasing new vehicle sales.
Previous initiatives by the government include the Cash for Clunkers campaign, conducted with Perodua and Proton, through which incentives of RM5,000 were given to owners who disposed of their old vehicles.


Biden signs debt limit bill, avoiding US default

President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a bill that suspends the US government's US$31.4 trillion (RM143.73 trillion) debt ceiling, averting what would have been a first-ever default with just two days to spare.
The House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation this week after Biden and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an agreement following tense negotiations.
The Treasury Department had warned it would be unable to pay all its bills on Monday if Congress had failed to act by then.
Biden signed the bill at the White House a day after hailing it as a bipartisan triumph in his first-ever Oval Office address to the nation as president.
The bill signing, which was closed to the press, marked a low-key, symbolic end to a crisis that vexed Washington for months, forced Biden to cut short an international trip in Asia and threatened to push the US to the brink of an unprecedented economic crisis.
"Thank you to speaker McCarthy, leader Jeffries, leader Schumer, and leader McConnell for their partnership," the White House said in a statement announcing the bill's signing, naming the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate.
Officials later released a 10-second clip of Biden silently signing the document at the White House.
"It was critical to reach an agreement, and it's very good news for the American people," Biden said on Friday. "No one got everything they wanted. But the American people got what they needed."
The Republican-controlled House voted 314 to 117 to approve the bill, and the Democrat-controlled Senate voted 63 to 36.
Fitch Ratings said on Friday the US' "AAA" credit rating would remain on negative watch, despite the agreement that will allow the government to meet its obligations.


Facebook whistleblower boosts EU push for new tech laws

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen on Monday said the EU could set the global “gold standard” on curbing the power of big tech, lending a boost to a European push for new laws against US giants.The former Facebook engineer leaked a trove of internal documents that have sparked weeks of criticism of the social media giant and a major push worldwide to get tough on big tech.Haugen brought her arguments to key lawmakers in Brussels after giving testimony in Washington and London and ahead of a stop in Paris.The EU is currently pushing through new laws that could force the world’s biggest tech firms to rethink the way they do business.Haugen endorsed the plans, especially the Digital Services Act which would create much stricter oversight of harmful and illegal content on platforms like Facebook.“I am grateful that the European Union is taking this very seriously. The Digital Services Act that is now before this parliament has the potential to be a global gold standard,” she told MEPs at a hearing in Brussels.Describing it as having “huge potential”, she said EU rules “can inspire other countries, including my own.”In her testimony, Haugen said Facebook chooses profit over curtailing toxic content and insisted that the company could not be trusted to change its ways.“Facebook cannot remain the judge, jury, prosecutor and witness” of its widespread malpractice, Haugen told MEPs during more than two hours of testimony.“The decisions made by Facebook’s leadership are a big problem. For children, for public safety and for democracy,” Haugen said.Lobbying ‘in vain’The EU laws also include the Digital Markets Act, which creates a strict list of Do’s and Don’ts for big tech that could include a potential ban on buying certain companies.Both laws are currently inching their way through the European Parliament and meetings of EU national governments, with hopes that they can be finalised when France takes over the presidency of the bloc, between Jan 1 and June 30 next year.Backers of the laws want Haugen’s visit to jump-start a process that has become bogged down in details and a lobbying frenzy by the tech industry.Increased lobbying efforts by large tech firms “are in vain”, said EU commissioner Thierry Breton after meeting Haugen.“We need the DSA/DMA package adopted in the first half of 2022. We also need to remain extremely ambitious in our response,” Breton said.The toughest wrangling by lawmakers has been over the fate of targeted ads, as well as which tech companies would fall under the laws’ toughest rules.Facebook has said Haugen’s allegations distort reality and described her as a mid-level engineer with limited access to important decisions.At the heart of her claim “is a false premise”, said Monika Bickert, Vice President of content policy at Meta, Facebook’s parent company.“Yes, we’re a business and we make profit, but the idea that we do so at the expense of people’s safety or well-being misunderstands where our own commercial interests lie,” she said in a blog entry.Slovenia, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, is hoping the bloc’s 27 member states will clinch a common position on both laws at a meeting on Nov 25.The European Parliament would like its texts voted by January at the latest. Negotiators would then attempt to blend both versions in the six months of France’s presidency of the EU.German MEP Anna Cavazzini told AFP that Haugen’s testimony would allow parliament to make “informed decisions”.Facebook is “still a black box” whose inner workings are shielded from scrutiny, she said.


Canada police begin clearing protesters blocking key bridge with US

Canadian police began clearing protesters blocking a key bridge linking Canada and the US on Saturday, more than 12 hours after a court order came into effect that ended a blockade that had snarled international trade.The Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest land border crossing, had no traffic flowing for the fifth straight day on Saturday morning. About 15 trucks, cars and pick-up vans blocked traffic in both directions, choking the supply chain for Detroit’s carmakers.“We urge all demonstrators to act lawfully & peacefully,” Windsor Police said in a Twitter post, asking commuters to avoid the areas affected by the demonstrations.Police in black uniforms with yellow vests moved behind the protesters’ vehicles, forming a line across the bridge entrance and yelling at protesters to move. The number of demonstrators had thinned from about 200 on Friday night to roughly two dozen early Saturday.Protesters closest to the bridge were seen moving back peacefully.The “Freedom Convoy” protests, started in the capital Ottawa by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers, entered its 16th day on Saturday.The protests have inspired similar convoys and plans in the US, France, New Zealand and Australia.In Paris, French police fired tear gas at demonstrators on the Champs Elysees avenue on Saturday shortly after a convoy carrying protesters against Covid-19 restrictions made it into the capital.The protests in Canada have morphed into a wider protest against Covid restrictions and the Canadian government.Protests have spread to three border points: the Ambassador Bridge, strangling trade between the two countries, and two smaller crossings in Alberta and Manitoba.More protests are expected on Saturday. East of Ottawa, people were expected to gather in Fredericton in the province of New Brunswick for a weekend demonstration. Local police said officers were stationed at entrances to the city to ensure traffic can flow freely. The financial capital Toronto was also bracing for a second weekend of protests.A convoy of motorists in the US is planning to head to the waterfront in Port Huron, Michigan, in support of protesters in Canada. Another US group said two separate vehicle convoys will converge this weekend at the Peace Bridge, another US-Canadian border crossing in Buffalo, New York.Ford, the second-largest US automaker, said on Friday it had temporarily halted work at its assembly plant in Ohio. General Motors and Toyota Motor Co also announced new production cuts. Companies have diverted cargo to stem losses amid production cuts.The estimated loss from the blockades just to the automobile industry could be as high as US$700 million, based on IHS Markit’s data, which puts the daily flow in vehicles and parts at US$141.1 million day in 2021.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under pressure from opposition party leaders to intervene, while US President Joe Biden’s administration urged his government to use federal powers. Trudeau has promised Biden quick action to end the crisis.Trudeau is scheduled to chair a meeting of his top advisors on Saturday, called the Incident Response Group, to discuss the ongoing blockades, according to his office.


A pyrrhic victory at the end of Anwar's lifelong dream

Anwar Ibrahim is finally the prime minister, after spending four decades of his political career trying to get to the top office.
This followed a nail-biting wait as the Agong looked for clues to convince him of who had the majority.
In the end, it is up to the Agong to name anyone who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority, and his decision cannot be challenged, no matter what mathematical explanation is given to show that he has no majority support.
Anwar's road to premiership was perhaps the most eventful of all of his predecessors, with two stints in jail for sodomy and Anwar himself coming within arm's reach of the post time and time again.
Finally, it came to him but not in the way he dreamt of when he first set foot on this path in 1982, as a young Umno leader brought into the government by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the hope of countering the huge challenge posed by PAS to Umno's vote bank.
For a few general elections, it did give Mahathir and Umno the edge, pushing PAS to the periphery of Malay politics for the next two decades.
When he was sacked in 1998, his Islamic credentials and the impact on Umno were put to the test. True enough, a large section of Malays were disenchanted with the government, as shown in the election a year later, which marked the start of PAS' return to mainstream politics.
The next 20 years would show a gradual decline of Anwar's popularity among the Malays. A resurgent Umno cleverly exploited his alignment with a party that had long been an anathema to the Malays for various reasons that should be objectively studied.
As such, it is ironic that the man who was brought into the government to ramp up Malay support for the ruling party is now denied that from the very same community.
The outcome of the 15th general election – where Malay voters overwhelmingly backed a young coalition led by a man who had never publicly declared his ambition until recently – does not augur well for Anwar, as he becomes perhaps the first prime minister without the crucial ethnic majority by his side.
The aftermath of the election may be even more disastrous for Anwar's reputation.
The image of Anwar and other top Pakatan Harapan leaders going to Umno's backyard to offer a truce will be etched in the minds of millions of voters including young first-timers who watched as promises of not working with scandal-tainted leaders vanished even before the ink had worn off from their fingers.
Anwar's climb to premiership is at best a pyrrhic victory. It is definitely not how a lifelong dream should be achieved.
In the words of the Agong, the winners didn't win everything, and the losers didn't lose everything. That is putting mildly the fact that a large section of the masses are not with this new prime minister.
The events of the next few weeks and months will tell if Anwar can live out such a dream in a Malaysia that remembers every word and action of its politicians.