Biden calls Chinese President Xi a dictator

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator and said Xi was very embarrassed when a Chinese balloon was blown off course over the United States earlier this year.
Biden made the remarks a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi on a trip to China that was aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.
"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there," Biden said at a fundraiser in California.
"That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Biden added.
A suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over US airspace in February. That incident and exchanges of visits by US and Taiwanese officials have recently magnified US-China tensions.
In March, Xi secured a precedent-breaking third term as president after clinching in October another five years as chief of the ruling Communist Party, making him China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Biden also said that China "has real economic difficulties."
China's economy stumbled in May with industrial output and retail sales growth missing forecasts, adding to expectations that Beijing will need to do more to shore up a shaky post-pandemic recovery.
The World Bank earlier this month forecast US growth for 2023 at 1.1%, more than double the 0.5% forecast in January, while China's growth is expected to climb to 5.6%, compared to a 4.3% forecast in January.
Blinken and Xi agreed in their Monday meeting to stabilise the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary of state.
They did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months. Biden said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.
Biden said on Monday he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Blinken's trip.
Biden said on Tuesday that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the US. The US president said he previously told Xi the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad.
"He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind," Biden said.
Later this week, Biden will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.


Court throws out Zahid's bid for interim injunction against Muhyiddin

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s application for an interim injunction to prevent Muhyiddin Yassin from issuing statements on the allegation that he had sought the latter's help to solve or postpone the trial of his criminal cases.
Judge Rozana Ali Yusoff made the decision during online proceedings.
Zahid’s counsel, Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, when contacted, said the judge dismissed the application on the grounds that the issues raised, such as whether Muhyiddin's statements were defamatory or not, must be decided at a trial.
"The case will now proceed to trial. The court fixed Oct 3 for next case management," he said.
The court also awarded Muhyiddin costs of RM5,000. This was confirmed by his lawyer, Rosli Dahlan. In the suit filed on April 4, the Bagan Datuk MP sought an ex-parte injunction for Muhyiddin or his representatives to withdraw the statements or similar statements against him.
He also sought an interim injunction for the defendant to delete, edit and stop the publication of the part of the video footage containing the allegedly defamatory statements in online news portals and on social media, including Perikatan Nasional’s Facebook page, Astro Aawani’s YouTube channel and KiniTV.
In his statement of claim, Zahid, 69, said that on Feb 16, while on the campaign trail for the 15th Johor state election in Mersing, at the compound of the Learning Centre Sentuhan Kasih Felda Tenggaroh 3, Muhyiddin had made a defamatory statement with ill intent and malice against him.
He claimed that video footage of the statement was also published on Astro Awani’s YouTube channel that same day.
According to Zahid, the statement by Muhyiddin implied that he had used a shortcut to settle and postpone his ongoing court cases, and that he had asked for Muhyiddin’s help to intervene in the court cases and the judiciary system and to order the dissolution of the Johor state assembly.  He said it also implied that he was not a respectable and exemplary leader.
Zahid claimed that the allegation was false and aimed at tarnishing his name and reputation.
He had sought general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an order for Muhyiddin to publish a public apology in newspapers, and other reliefs and costs deemed fit by the court.


Internet package for B40 still too pricey, govt told

The government has been urged to review its fixed line internet package for those in the B40 group which some say is still too expensive for those in the target income bracket to afford.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said the offer price of RM69 was in fact more suited to those in the middle-income or M40 group.
Fomca CEO Saravanan Thambirajah also said that the figure had yet to take into account the sales and services tax (SST), which would push the amount to more than RM70 per month.
"This reduction is only 20% as the market price is now RM89," he said to MalaysiaNow.
"I think the telecommunications companies can go lower. It depends on their corporate social responsibility."
The Fixed Internet Broadband Unity Package was announced by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Jan 31.
It was aimed at assisting the B40 group, veterans, and those with disabilities through the provision of 30Mbps internet speed on a subscription contract for 24 months.
While the initiative was hailed as an effort to help those in the low-income bracket, Saravanan said the idea of setting contract terms could end up burdening them instead.
He said many in the B40 group did not earn a fixed income, which made it difficult for them to commit to such an expenditure.
"What will happen in one or two months when their income is threatened and they can no longer afford to keep paying?" he said.
"If they are penalised, where will they find the money to pay the penalty?"
Saravanan also urged the government to focus on expanding internet access throughout the country, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
He said many places in the interior were still without fibre connection internet access, resulting in internet speeds much lower than those in the developing parts of the peninsula.
"The cost of internet in Malaysia as a whole is also still quite expensive compared to that of neighbouring countries according to speed," he said.
"I think we could lower the price some more, from 20% to 30% compared to other countries."


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Bersatu condemns media war against Azam, says unfair to civil servants

Bersatu has warned against any attempt to use the media to accuse civil servants, saying the recent attacks by politicians on top graft-buster Azam Baki have undermined the legal process.“This is because civil servants, in discharging their duties, will occasionally become targets due to their firmness,” the party’s deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said in a statement, in the wake of attacks against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief.“Civil servants, especially MACC, must continue to bravely discharge their duties and not be fearful in carrying out their trust, just because there are those conspiring to tarnish the image of civil servants before there is solid evidence and court proceedings.”Azam has come under attack over a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center, claiming conflict of interest in the ownership of company shares.He has since issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.Top Pakatan Harapan leaders have meanwhile urged for Azam to go on leave, and called for Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to be investigated after the latter cleared Azam of allegations of conflict of interest.Bersatu said all parties must allow space for a fair investigation by the police and the Securities Commission.It also welcomed Azam’s explanation in response to the allegations against him, saying it showed a high level of integrity as demanded of civil servants.“His willingness to be investigated by the authorities should be commended and there should not be any question about his accountability as the MACC chief commissioner,” said Faizal.He said “loud voices” in the media calling for Azam’s resignation pointed to other intentions of certain quarters who were willing to ignore the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”.“It is apparent that they want to pass judgment on Azam Baki before any trial or solid evidence in accordance with the country’s laws.“The MACC is a crucial agency in the fight against corruption, and a media war against Azam Baki by highlighting these issues seems aimed at giving a negative perception of the reputation of MACC and its chief commissioner.”


Umno to continue working with PAS for Melaka polls

Umno has decided to continue its cooperation with PAS for the Melaka state election on Nov 20.Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the stand was in line with the resolutions of the party’s general assembly last year, including to strengthen Muafakat Nasional (MN) which was formed by the two parties.“The basis of the cooperation with PAS was guided by the principle that PAS would use its own party symbol in line with the spirit and resolution of the MN main committee in a meeting on Oct 19, 2020.“It is also to avoid clashes between the two parties and at the same time maintain the use of the respective party’s symbol in elections,” he told reporters after an Umno Supreme Council meeting chaired by president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Kuala Lumpur last night.He said the meeting also agreed to appoint Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan as Melaka state election director apart from giving mandate to Zahid and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to finalise any decision relating to the state election.He said the meeting did not finalise the names of candidates and division of seats for the Melaka state election.On the issue of the compound on Barisan Nasional (BN) for violating the SOPs of Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan by holding the launch of the Melaka state election machinery at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Ahmad said the party would be appealing to the health ministry for the compound to be reduced.“Our understanding is that when the health ministry issued the new statement on new SOPs, it referred to campaign activities in Melaka. We did not deliberately breach the stipulated SOPs and that is why the launch of the machinery was not held at one hall… because we wanted to comply with SOPs, we held it in two halls,” he said.He said Umno hoped the Election Commission and the National Security Council would allow political parties to campaign from house to house with limited participants for the Melaka state election.“We hope they will allow the setting up of operation rooms with the presence of limited individuals as they are assisting the machinery to disseminate announcements.“Such a move does not mean Umno and BN are not sensitive to the health of the people,” he said.


Nasa’s Moxie shows moxie, makes oxygen on Mars

Nasa’s Perseverance Mars rover just successfully notched up another first on Mars, one that may help pave the way for astronauts to explore the Red Planet someday, reports space.com.The rover successfully used its Moxie instrument to generate oxygen from the thin, carbon dioxide-dominated Martian atmosphere for the first time, so demonstrating technology that could both help astronauts breathe and help propel the rockets that get them back home to Earth.Moxie is short for “Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment”, and the word moxie also means the ability to face difficulty with skill, spirit and courage.The toaster-sized instrument produces oxygen from carbon dioxide, expelling carbon monoxide as a waste product.The Moxie milestone occurred just one Earth day after Perseverance watched over another epic Martian first – the first Mars flight of Nasa’s Ingenuity helicopter, which rode to the Red Planet on the rover’s belly.“This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars,” Jim Reuter, associate administrator of Nasa’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement on Wednesday.“Moxie has more work to do, but the results from this technology demonstration are full of promise as we move toward our goal of one day seeing humans on Mars.”The Moxie conversion process occurs at temperatures around 800 degrees Celsius, so Moxie is made of heat-tolerant materials and features a thin gold coating to keep potentially damaging heat from radiating outward into Perseverance’s body.The Moxie team warmed the instrument up for two hours yesterday, then had it produce oxygen for an hour.In that time, it produced 5.4g of oxygen, about enough to keep an astronaut breathing easily for 10 minutes, Nasa officials said.That first effort didn’t max Moxie out; it can generate about 10g of oxygen per hour.The team plans to conduct about nine more runs over the course of one Mars year (about 687 Earth days).Moxie itself cannot produce enough oxygen to make a difference for future exploration efforts, but much larger Moxie successors could potentially be great exploration enablers, allowing Mars astronauts to “live off the land” rather than depend on costly and infrequent oxygen resupply from Earth.


Sarawak passes bill on airspace control

A bill to boost Sarawak’s control over its airspace through amendments to the Land Code was unanimously passed after its third reading in the state legislative assembly today.The Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2022 was tabled by Sarawak deputy minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, whose portfolio covers law, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and state-federal relations.Speaking during the debate on the proposed amendments, she said they would ensure that the spectrum of airspace is used in accordance with Sarawak’s plans, especially for the establishment and improvement of Sarawak’s telecommunications infrastructure.“The bill will provide the state with regulatory rights over the spectrum, to ensure that service provider companies extend telecommunication coverage to the rural areas,” she said.“This is important so that the people in rural areas are not left behind.”She said the amendments would also regulate the use of land for carbon storage by oil and gas companies.“Seeking the right to regulate the spectrum (by passing this bill) does not conflict with the Federal Constitution.”She was responding to Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, who had argued in his debate that the legislation on the use of the spectrum in Sarawak’s airspace might be invalid as it contradicted the right of the state assembly to legislate matters provided for in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution with the state list, federal list and concurrent list.“I have no objection to the state government trying to secure extra revenue, but we are bound by the Federal Constitution, and any law that is contrary to the Federal Constitution will be deemed invalid,” he said.“If you look at the federal list, the power under federal jurisdiction for spectrum, I believe falls under Item 10 concerning telecommunication and transportation.”He suggested that the state government instead push for an amendment to the constitution itself.“If the state government really wants to legislate and obtain the right over the spectrum passing the airspace of Sarawak, then the proper way to do it is to table an amendment to the constitution in Parliament before legislating a bill and claiming that we have a right over the spectrum,” he said.“At present, the way I see it, the tabling of this amendment bill and claiming that we have the right to legislate is more like a ‘kampung’ way of seeking power.”


Notifications for Phase 2 jabs to be sent out, attendance compulsory, says Khairy

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said that notifications for appointments under the second phase of the national vaccination programme will be sent out beginning today through the MySejahtera app, phone calls and text messages.Speaking at a press conference, he said recipients would be given the option to agree to the appointment date, following which attendance would be compulsory.“Attendance is compulsory as we have made detailed plans for the delivery of vaccines to each vaccination centre.“We hope they will come if they agree to the date, otherwise the vaccine will be wasted as it cannot be put back in the freezer once it has been taken out,” he said.He said recipients would be notified 14 days before the date of their appointment with two reminders sent three days and a day before the date through phone calls and text messages.He added that employers might be asked to give their employees leave in order to receive their jabs.“Family members might also be allowed to travel interstate to bring their dependents to the appointments,” he said, adding however that both suggestions would need the approval of the human resources ministry and National Security Council.Eight states – Kedah, Melaka, Pahang, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Labuan – will begin Phase Two of the vaccination programme on April 19, followed by the rest of the states.Speaking today, Khairy said the vaccination rate remains on target.“We have not received the full bulk of our deliveries, and I made this very clear from the start of announcing our procurement, that it will be coming throughout this year.“I think there is a perception that our vaccination rate is slow. But our vaccination rate is based on the delivery schedule given by the manufacturer,” he said.He added that much of Malaysia’s vaccine supply will only start arriving in July.“That is when we will see a significant increase in the number of doses that are going to be delivered from Pfizer as well as from other manufacturers.”A total of 514,036 recipients have received their first jab so far, with 287,737 having completed both doses.


Health DG briefs Dr M’s recovery council in first meeting

Pejuang’s Covid-19 recovery council met today for the first time, with health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah invited to listen to views by its members.Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said council members had listened to a briefing by Noor Hisham, adding that they hoped to submit recommendations and proposals through him to the government on fighting the pandemic.“We can send to various personalities in the government, maybe even to the prime minister, the health minister, and the other ministers involved,” he told a press conference today.The former prime minister said although the body is not officially recognised, he believed that the government had followed many of the proposals he had previously made, including on forming the National Recovery Council.“Some of the ideas that we enunciated were taken up by the government,” he said, citing the government’s move to start mobile vaccination units in villages.“Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the government has already initiated mobile units.”He said the council was ready to give other suggestions that the government might implement, including on delivering aid to those under lockdown, and the treatment of Covid-19 patients with light symptoms.“I hope we can inform the government. Whether they accept or not, is not our concern.”


Indonesia hits 2 million virus cases as crisis deepens

Indonesia passed two million coronavirus cases Monday as infection rates soar and hospitals are flooded with new patients, prompting warnings that the Southeast Asian nation’s health crisis could spiral out of control.The unwanted milestone comes after daily case rates more than doubled in recent weeks and authorities identified the presence of highly infectious Covid-19 variants.On Monday, official figures showed that Indonesia had recorded a daily record high of 14,536 cases, taking the total to just over two million with nearly 55,000 deaths, among a population of nearly 270 million.But those figures are widely thought to be a severe undercount, due to low testing and contact tracing – some experts have said that official cases may only be about 10% of the real number.“It’s starting to bubble up to the surface, like a time bomb,” said Windhu Purnomo, an epidemiologist at Indonesia’s Airlangga University.“This is just the beginning. Depending on how things are handled, we could end up with a major explosion like in India.”Case numbers are spiking as Indonesia grapples with new virus strains, including the highly infectious Delta variant first identified in India.The rise has also been blamed on millions travelling across the Muslim-majority nation at the end of Ramadan, despite an official ban on the annual migration.Hospital occupancy rates have soared to over 75% in Jakarta and other hard-hit areas, while funerals for Covid-19 victims have also reportedly jumped.“It’s worrying,” Jakarta resident Rahmani told AFP at a cemetery where he attended the funeral of a relative who died of the virus.“As good citizens we have to follow government orders to obey health protocols.”Widespread rule-breaking on mask wearing and other health protocols, as well as vaccine scepticism, are among factors cited for the worsening situation.The World Health Organization has called for tougher movement restrictions.Indonesia’s government, widely criticised for a weak pandemic response, said Monday it would temporarily beef up restrictions in the capital Jakarta and other hot spots – but enforcement has been lacklustre.While Indonesia has not put major cities under the kind of strict measures rolled out in some virus-hit nations, dozens of communities in Central Java’s Kudus regency were put into lockdown after the Delta variant was spotted in local testing samples.And a rash of severe cases in inoculated medical workers has raised questions about the China-produced Sinovac jab, which Indonesia is heavily relying on to vaccinate more than 180 million people by early next year.This month, more than 300 vaccinated doctors and healthcare workers in Central Java were found to have been infected with Covid-19, with about a dozen hospitalised.Nearly 1,000 Indonesian health workers have died from the virus since the pandemic started.


Ukrainians face homelessness, disease risk as floods crest from breached dam

Ukrainians abandoned inundated homes as floodwaters crested across a swathe of the south on Wednesday after the destruction of a vast hydro-electric dam on the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces that each blamed on the other.
Residents waded through flooded streets carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters reached above head height.
Ukraine said the flood would leave hundreds of thousands of people without access to drinking water, swamp tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land and turn at least 500,000 hectares deprived of irrigation into "deserts".
"If the water rises for another metre, we will lose our house," said Oleksandr Reva, in a village on the bank, who was moving family belongings into the abandoned home of a neighbour on higher ground. A roof of a house could be seen being swept down the swollen Dnipro River.
The Nova Kakhovka dam disaster coincides with a looming, long-vaunted counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces against Russia's invasion, seen as the next major phase of the war. The sides traded blame for continued shelling across the flood zone and warned of drifting landmines unearthed by the flooding.
Kyiv said on Wednesday its troops in the east had advanced by more than a kilometre around the ruined city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, its most explicit claim of progress since Russia reported the start of the Ukrainian offensive this week. Russia said it had fought off the attack.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's national security council, said assaults under way were still localised, and the full-scale offensive had yet to begin. "When we start (it), everyone will know about it, they will see it," he told Reuters.
Kyiv said several months ago the dam had been mined by Russian forces that have controlled it since early in the 15-month-old invasion, and has suggested Moscow blew it up to try to prevent Ukrainian forces crossing the Dnipro in their counteroffensive.
Residents in the flood zone in Ukraine's south, a fertile, marshy region stretching to the Dnipro estuary on the Black Sea, blamed the bursting of the dam on Russian troops who controlled it from their positions on the opposite bank.
"They hate us," Reva said. "They want to destroy a Ukrainian nation and Ukraine itself. And they don't care by what means because nothing is sacred for them."
Russia imposed a state of emergency in the parts of Kherson province it controls, where many towns and villages lie in lowlands below the dam.
In the town of Nova Kakhovka right next to the dam, brown water submerged main streets largely empty of residents.
Valery Melnik, 53, said he had hoped for help from local authorities to pump out the water from his swamped home, but so far "they are not doing anything".
Over 30,000 cubic metres of water were gushing out of the dam's reservoir every second and the town was at risk of contamination from the torrent, Russia's Tass news agency quoted the Russian-installed mayor, Vladimir Leontyev, as saying.
Ukraine expects the floodwaters will stop rising by the end of Wednesday after reaching around five metres overnight, presidential deputy chief Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Two thousand people have been evacuated from the Ukrainian-controlled part of the flood zone and waters had reached their highest level in 17 settlements with a combined population of 16,000 people.
Tass said water levels could remain elevated in places for up to 10 days.
Counterattack
The mighty Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine forms the front line across the south. The huge reservoir behind the dam was one of Ukraine's main geographic features, and its waters irrigated large areas of one of the world's biggest grain-exporting nations, including Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014.
"The sheer magnitude of the catastrophe will only become fully realised in the coming days," United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council.
Targeting dams in war is explicitly banned by the Geneva Conventions. Neither side has presented public evidence demonstrating who was responsible.
"The whole world will know about this Russian war crime," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, calling it "an environmental bomb of mass destruction". Earlier he said Russia blew up the dam power plant from within.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the dam's destruction an "environmental and humanitarian catastrophe" during a call with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine on Tuesday of sabotaging the dam to distract attention from the counteroffensive he said was "faltering".
The US said it was still gathering evidence about who was to blame, but that Ukraine would have had no reason to inflict such devastation on itself.
Even with the evacuation under way, Russia shelled Ukrainian-held territory across the river. Crumps of incoming artillery sent people trying to flee running for cover in Kherson. Reuters reporters heard four incoming artillery blasts near a residential neighbourhood that civilians were vacating on Tuesday evening. The governor said one person was killed.
For its part, Russia said a Ukrainian drone had struck a town on the opposite bank during evacuations there and accused the Ukrainian side of continuing shelling despite the flooding.


Britain's new PM faces recession, unrest and runaway prices

Britain's prime minister in waiting Liz Truss models herself on Margaret Thatcher, judging by her photo ops echoing famous images of the country's first female premier.
If Truss becomes leader of the ruling party on Monday as is widely expected, she'll need all the grit and guile of the Iron Lady as she walks into a scene straight out of the 1980s: a looming recession, industrial unrest and urban decay.
In a sign of the times, an area straddling the River Mersey near Liverpool that was once an industrial heartland now has a less illustrious claim to fame: families there are seeking protection from creditors at the fastest rate in the country.
South of the river in Runcorn, where business parks and logistics centres stand alongside boarded up shops and churches asking for donations for desperate families, ex-soldier Eddie Thompson is taken aback by what has become of his hometown.
Returning after 38 years in the military, Thompson quickly volunteered to manage food banks as the sight of so many people sliding into destitution, unable to cope with soaring food and energy prices, took him back to the bitter days of the 1980s.
"I think it's shocking," the 57-year-old told Reuters.
When Thatcher came to power in 1979, she inherited a stagnant economy, surging inflation and waves of industrial unrest that she crushed in the following years, bringing in the free-market policies that defined her legacy and endure today.
Rising through the party ranks, Truss has been photographed in a tank, wearing a Russian hat in Red Square and sitting astride a Triumph motorcycle, all resembling photos of Thatcher.
If Truss beats former finance minister Rishi Sunak in an election to lead the ruling Conservative Party and becomes prime minister, she will face similar strife.
Surging wholesale gas prices, driven higher by the Ukraine war, are hitting countries across Europe but Britain is particularly dependent on gas for electricity and heating, pushing its inflation rate above all other major economies.
Growth is stalling and workers smarting from years of non-existent real wage growth - from train drivers to barristers to nurses - are spoiling for a fight for higher salaries to compensate for inflation running at 10%.
On the campaign trail, Truss has said she will provide help but has not given details, beyond saying she prefers tax cuts to "handouts", while Sunak says support should be more targeted.
'They will be prayed for'
The cost of the turbulence is evident in places such as Runcorn, where former soldier Thompson distributes emergency parcels to six food banks in the town helping those who cannot make ends meet - many of whom are in full-time employment.
"I have witnessed people who haven't eaten for days on end and the only reason they've crossed that threshold is because it's starting to affect their dependents," he said.
Runcorn's food banks catered for 3,295 people in 2017/18 but four years later that figure hit 5,881 - similar to the workforce once employed locally by Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI), which dominated the area through the 20th Century.
The St Michaels and All Angels Church in Runcorn urges its congregation to buy one extra item in the weekly shop for donations - deodorants, shower gels, period products, baby food.
Bethesda Church offers tea and prayer to those collecting emergency food parcels. "Not everyone will accept the offer, but that's ok. They will be prayed for anyway after they have left," it says on its website.
Food bank staff say many people arrive in tears. One hospital worker wore sunglasses to hide her eyes.
"She was in work," said Anne McPoland, chair of the food bank's board of trustees. "But she was like, 'I'm so ashamed, I don't want anyone to see me.'"
Usually visits to food banks reduce in summer as people spend less on energy, but this year demand has stayed high.
The biggest threat to households now comes from the surging price of energy. Average annual bills are set to jump by 80% in October to 3,549 pounds (US$4,130), before an expected rise to 6,000 pounds in 2023, decimating personal finances.
The Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of food banks, says it sees a spike in applicants every time the price cap on energy bills rises. The removal of a 20-pound weekly boost to welfare benefits, introduced during the pandemic and scrapped last October, led to a similar jump.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research think-tank, meanwhile, estimates that one in five British households will have no savings left by 2024.
Finance minister Nadhim Zahawi has warned that people earning 45,000 pounds (US$52,000) a year - well above the median of 31,285 pounds for full-time workers - may struggle to pay their bills.
Breathing space needed
Thompson's efforts at food banks in Runcorn are being replicated throughout Britain amid the biggest hit to livelihoods since records began in the 1950s, threatening low- and middle-income families alike.
According to the Resolution Foundation think-tank, the top 10% of households in Britain are richer than those in many European countries, but middle-income homes are not.
They're 9% poorer than their counterparts in France and the poorest fifth of households in Britain are now more than 20% worse off than their peers in France and Germany.
While millions of people in Britain have benefitted from rising house and stock market prices, driven higher by rock-bottom interest rates, those without such assets are going into the downturn with little financial protection.
That 15-year change in fortunes has also combined with a global financial crash, four British elections, highly charged referendums on Scottish independence and the European Union, and a global pandemic, to create a sense of near-constant crisis.
In Runcorn, the downturn is likely to hit hard. The local authority of Halton, which includes both the port town and Widnes across the River Mersey, was already ranked as the 13th most deprived in Britain in 2019.
In recent months, the council has seen an increase in demand for a scheme that provides breakfast at schools so children don't go hungry. And debts are rising.
Halton has the highest rate of applications in England and Wales for a new "breathing space" scheme that gives debtors up to 60 days of protection from creditors.
The two lawmakers representing Runcorn and nearby areas in parliament say they are getting more and more messages from families and businesses who can no longer pay their bills.
"I'm getting more emails in capital letters, which is always a bad sign," Mike Amesbury of the opposition Labour Party said.
'Fractures in society'
Derek Twigg, who has represented Halton for Labour for 25 years, said the difference between now and the 1980s, when he worked for the local council, was the number of middle-income families approaching him for help.
"I can't recall, apart from that time in the 80s, that there has been such a traumatic period, from the pandemic onwards," he said. "Inflation is causing real financial hardship. It feels like those fractures in society are happening again."
Halton's ability to respond is limited by a 31% cut to the borough council's budget over the last decade, imposed as part of national austerity measures in the wake of the fallout from the global financial crisis.
And more cuts are on the way, forcing a greater reliance on charities. FareShare, which distributes surplus food from retailers and farmers, has handed out 40,000 meals in Halton so far this year.
So far, the government has responded to the energy crisis with a 37 billion pound package in May, which included a 400 pound credit for energy bills from October and a one-off payment of 650 pounds for 8 million low-income households.
Since then, energy costs have more than trebled.
The gap between people's wages and their cost of living has already led to widespread industrial action nationwide and Runcorn was hit by the fallout when bus strikes made it harder for people to get to food banks.
Thompson said local businesses were hugely supportive but he still felt the country was heading back to the 1980s.
"From the litter on the streets to the strikes, to the unrest and to the suffering of people in food poverty and fuel crisis: they cannot keep up with the cost of living," he said.


China’s Geely launches first nine low-orbit satellites for autonomous cars

China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group conducted its first successful satellite launch on Wednesday, sending nine into low earth orbit as it builds out a satellite network to provide more accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles.The self-designed and manufactured GeeSAT-1 satellites were launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Geely said it expects another 63 to be in orbit by 2025 and eventually plans to have a constellation of 240.With the launch, Geely becomes the second major automaker to have an allied space business. SpaceX, owned by Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk, has more than 2,000 satellites in orbit for its Starlink network that offers commercial internet services. Starlink plans to have a first-generation network of 4,408 satellites.While SpaceX uses its own rockets to launch its satellites, Geely used a Long March 2C rocket developed and operated by a Chinese state-owned entity to launch the nine.In addition to providing high-precision positioning support to self-driving cars, Geely said its network will also serve other commercial functions such as providing communication services at the Asian Games in September.The satellites have an operating lifespan of five years and will disintegrate in earth’s atmosphere without leaving any space debris, the company added.China’s satellite networks are dominated by its military but the government began to allow private investment in the country’s space industry in 2014. Since then, commercial companies, some backed by local governments, have rushed into the sector, with the majority focusing on making satellites and the rest attempting to build small launch vehicles including reusable rockets.In its latest five-year plan for 2021-2025, Beijing has called for an integrated network of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation. China currently has more than 400 satellites deployed in space, including commercially owned satellites, according to state media.


Selangor sultan tells Anwar to bring 'Allah' issue to national Islamic council

The Sultan of Selangor has requested Anwar Ibrahim to wait for the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) to deliberate on Putrajaya's move to revoke the appeal in the "Allah" case, following an audience by the prime minister today.
In a statement, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said this was because the council is tasked with the role of advising the Malay rulers on the administration of Islam at the federal level.
"I believe that it is important that MKI's views be forwarded to the Council of Rulers in coming up with a conclusive policy on the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims in Malaysia," he said, adding that Anwar has agreed to consult the MKI on the issue in August before bringing it up to the Malay rulers in October.
The sultan urged all quarters to respect the constitutional provisions on the powers of the Malay rulers in matters of Islam.
He also urged for the matter not to be politicised and to wait for a decision by the Council of Rulers.
On March 10, 2021, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in favour of an application filed by Jill Ireland, who sought a declaration that her constitutional rights were violated when the home ministry in 2008 seized Christian religious CDs and books using the term "Allah" under Section 9(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The court decision was followed by an appeal filed by Putrajaya, then under the Perikatan Nasional government headed by Muhyiddin Yassin.
On May 15, Putrajaya that it was dropping its appeal to challenge a High Court decision in 2021 allowing Christians to use the word "Allah" in their religious publications, sparking a flurry of criticism from Muslim groups, lawyers as well as top Perikatan Nasional leaders.
Anwar meanwhile defended the decision, saying the prohibition on non-Muslims using the term "Allah" in their religious materials remained.
He said in the Dewan Rakyat on May 23 that the move to drop the appeal was made after consultation with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that the Agong had said that any decision must be in line with the Malay rulers council, which prohibits the word from being used by Christians in the peninsula, while giving leeway for those in the two Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak.


No one is above the law, says PM on RM10,000 compounds

No political party or person is above the law, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.He said even when the country is under Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan, the clear SOPs announced based on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) must be complied with at all times.“We won’t compromise. There’s no difference between commoners and VVIPs, both will have to face the compound. No one is above the law, so I hope everyone will comply with the SOPs,” he told a press conference after launching the National Vaccine Development Roadmap and Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute in Bangi today.Ismail said this in response to media reports on the RM10,000 compound issued to several political parties for defying the SOPs, including to Barisan National for launching its election machinery and to Melaka PKR for holding a social event, both relating to the Melaka polls.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said that all activities, gatherings or social events related to the Melaka polls are prohibited from Oct 25 to Nov 27 to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.


95.8% of adults fully jabbed as total shots given top 50 million

A total of 22,417,059 individuals or 95.8% of the adult population had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on the health ministry’s data on the CovidNow portal, 97.8% of the adult population, or 22,893,173 individuals, have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 41,391 doses of vaccine were given yesterday, with 18,162 as second doses, 2,864 to first-dose recipients and 20,365 as booster dose, bringing the total number of doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 50,463,307.As for teenagers aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,208,399 or 70.2% had completed their vaccination as of yesterday, while 83.4% or 2,623,303 had received at least a first dose.On the administration of the booster dose, a total of 492,054 jabs had been administered as of yesterday.


Singapore denies entry to Indonesian cleric, cites extremism concerns

Singapore said late on Tuesday border officials in the city-state had denied entry to an Indonesian Muslim cleric, citing what it said were Abdul Somad Batubara’s “extremist and segregationist teachings”.The cleric, who had travelled by ferry from the Indonesian port of Batam to Singapore on Monday, has a large online following in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.“Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore’s multiracial and multi-religious society,” Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.Somad, along with six companions, was denied entry after being interviewed by border officials at a ferry terminal in Singapore.“Somad has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered ‘martyrdom’ operations,” MHA said.“He has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an ‘infidel jinn (spirit/demon)’. In addition, Somad has publicly referred to non-Muslims as ‘kafirs’ (infidels),” it said.Somad did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Indonesia’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the incident.In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Somad said immigration officials had not given him an explanation for preventing him entering Singapore.“They need to explain to our community, why did your country, your government reject us, why did your government deport us. Why? Because of terrorism, ISIS, narcotics?”On Somad’s Instagram page, which has 6.5 million followers, the cleric posted a photograph of himself before leaving Singapore in a room with a caged top that he likened to a “prison”.The Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), the country’s highest Muslim clerical council, criticised the move to block Somad and disputed Singapore’s claim he was extremist, according to a report by CNN Indonesia.


Cops record statements from 22 witnesses over KLIA incident

Police have taken statements from 22 witnesses in connection with the recent commotion involving a minister at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the witnesses comprised 12 immigration officers, four auxiliary police officers, four complainants and two employees of a travel company.
"The police inquiry paper will be referred to the Attorney-General Chambers for further action," he told Bernama today.
He said police received four reports from members of the public regarding the commotion.
The media previously reported that a commotion occurred at KLIA when a VIP allegedly attempted to "rescue" a female Chinese national who was denied entry into the country.
The incident also went viral on social media when the VIP was said to have barged into the arrival hall without applying for a security pass.


34 sub-districts in Selangor, 14 localities in KL to come under EMCO

A number of areas in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur including the sub-district of Petaling, will be placed under enhanced movement control order for 14 days beginning July 3 in order to address the continued trend of high cases in these two states.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said all access to these areas will be sealed off.Residents will be barred from leaving their homes, and only one household representative will be allowed to venture out to buy basic necessities within a radius of 10km.Those who need to cross district and state lines to be vaccinated will also be allowed to travel, with proof of their appointments.Meanwhile, the health ministry will perform targeted screening on residents in these areas.Residents will not be allowed to leave their homes after 8pm except in emergency cases or with police permission, and only essential services will be allowed to remain open, from 8am to 8pm.Only those in essential services or on official government business with letters of confirmation from their workers or a valid employee pass will be allowed to go to work. All others are prohibited from leaving the EMCO area.Airports and ports will operate as usual while public transportation such as trains, buses, taxis and e-hailing vehicles will be limited to 50% capacity.For taxis and e-hailing rides, a maximum of two people are allowed per vehicle including the driver.Restaurants, food stalls, food trucks and roadside hawkers are allowed to operate from 8am to 8pm. Only takeaway, drive-thru and delivery services will be permitted.Sundry shops and those selling daily necessities are likewise allowed to open from 8am to 8pm.Hospitals, clinics and medical labs are allowed to operate 24 hours or according to their operating licence, while pharmacies, vets and shops selling pet food are allowed to open from 8am to 8pm.Petrol stations are allowed to open from 6am to 8pm, with the exception of those on tolled highways which are allowed to remain open 24 hours.Wholesale markets are allowed to open from 12am to 6am while public markets, permanent farmers’ markets and MyFarm Outlets can open from 6am to 2pm.All sports, social, recreational and cultural activities are prohibited.More details can be found on the website of the National Security Council.Below is a list of the affected areas:Petaling Sub-districts:PetalingDamansaraSungai BulohBukit RajaHulu LangatSub-districts:Hulu LangatAmpangCherasKajangSemenyihBeranangSepangSub-districts:DengkilLabuSepangGombakSub-districts:BatuRawangSetapakHulu KelangKuangKuala LangatSub-districts:Tanjung 12 (1)Tanjung 12 (2)Teluk Panglima GarangMoribBandarJugraBatuKlangSub-districts:KaparKlangKuala SelangorSub-districts:IjokBestari JayaJeramHulu SelangorSub-districts:SerendahRasaUlu YamBatang KaliLocalities in Kuala Lumpur under EMCOPPR Sri SemarakPPR Batu MudaFlat Seksyen 2 Wangsa MajuFlat Seksyen 1 Wangsa MajuKampung Padang BalangTaman Koperasi Polis (Fasa 1 & 2)Flat Sri SabahKampung PuahPPR Kampung Baru Air PanasFlat Desa Pandan (including Baiduri and Delima)Kampung Batu MudaPPR KerinchiBandar Baru SentulTaman Ikan Emas


Ex-Goldman banker wasn’t at meetings with key 1MDB players, dinner with Najib, US court hears

The defence for former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng told his ongoing trial in the US that he had not been present at a number of meetings and events linked to the 1MDB scandal including a 2013 dinner with former prime minister Najib Razak.While Tim Leissner, Ng’s former supervisor turned star witness against him, had met multiple times with Low and other key players in the 1MDB affair, his lawyers said that Ng himself had not always been included.According to Bloomberg, they presented, among others, a text message Leissner had sent to another Goldman banker in 2012 when he, Ng and Low had been in Hong Kong after the closure of one of the 1MDB bond transactions.“Please don’t tell Roger about our meeting with the friend,” Leissner was quoted as saying in the text sent shortly before an offshore account in the name of his wife transferred a bribe of US$2 million to one of Najib’s advisers, the report said citing records.Leissner previously testified that he and Ng had concocted a scheme involving their wives to conceal kickbacks they received for helping to loot 1MDB.Ng’s lawyer however said that the men’s wives had had a legitimate business together.Ng is charged with receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for helping embezzle funds from 1MDB. He has claimed trial to conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law.The charges stem from one of the biggest financial scandals in history, in which US prosecutors say US$4.5 billion of the US$6.5 billion Goldman raised for 1MDB was diverted to government officials, bankers and their associates through bribes and kickbacks.Leissner claimed he collected more than US$60 million in kickbacks from Low, also known as Jho Low, and that he paid Ng more than US$$35.1 million, Bloomberg said.The report also cited the testimony of Katelyn Giesler, an assistant at the law firm of defence lawyer Teny Geragos, who said that Low and Leissner had flown to Las Vegas for a birthday bash hosted by the businessman.According to Giesler, Ng was not on the list of Malaysian guests for the event, neither was he present at an occasion in July 2013 when Low presented Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor with a 22-carat pink diamond necklace said to have been bought with 1MDB money.When Leissner and Najib had dinner in San Tropez several days later, she said, Ng was not present either.Reuters reported last month that Ng’s defence is expected to argue that he had no role in the scheme perpetrated by Low and Leissner, and that he even warned Goldman management not to trust Low.Ng’s defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo has said Leissner falsely implicated Ng in the scheme in an effort to minimise his punishment.


‘Unprovoked and unjustified’: world reacts to attack on Ukraine

World leaders on Thursday swiftly condemned Russia’s military attack on Ukraine, with Western capitals vowing to escalate sanctions against Moscow while the head of the United Nations demanded the conflict end immediately.Key reactions:US President Joe Biden“The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,” the US president said shortly after the operation began.He warned “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring.”“The world will hold Russia accountable,” he declared.UN chief Antonio GuterresGuterres made a direct and personal plea to Russian President Vladimir Putin after an emergency Security Council session, urging him to stop the attack “in the name of humanity.”“In the name of humanity, do not allow to start in Europe what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century,” he said.“The conflict must stop now,” added the UN chief, who said it was the “saddest day” of his tenure.Nato head Jens StoltenbergThe Atlantic alliance’s secretary-general said Russia had “chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country.”The attack “puts at risk countless civilian lives,” Stoltenberg said in a statement, describing it as a “grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security.”Nato ambassadors are to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday morning European time to discuss the attack.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson“I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President (Volodymyr) Zelensky to discuss next steps,” the British leader tweeted.“President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The UK and our allies will respond decisively.”EU chiefs“In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives,” EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel said on Twitter.“We will hold the Kremlin accountable.”German Chancellor Olaf ScholzThe German leader lashed out at an “unscrupulous act” by Putin and spoke to Zelensky to express his country’s “full solidarity.”Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned the world “will not forget this day of shame.”“This attack will have severe political and economic consequences for Russia,” Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said.French President Emmanuel Macron“Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations,” Macron wrote on Twitter, saying Russia had made the decision to “wage war” on Ukraine.“France stands in solidarity with Ukraine. It stands by Ukrainians and is working with its partners and allies to end the war,” he added.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau“These unprovoked actions are a clear further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and of Russia’s obligations under international law and the Charter of the UN,” Trudeau said in a statement.He said he would meet with partners from the Group of Seven to shape a collective response, “including by imposing sanctions additional to those announced earlier this week.”“These reckless and dangerous acts will not go unpunished.”Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida“The latest Russian invasion shakes the foundation of the international order, which does not permit unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” Japan’s leader said after a meeting of his national security council.OSCEThe Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Russia is a member, said “this attack on Ukraine puts the lives of millions of people at grave risk and is a gross breach of international law and Russia’s commitments.”The statement was issued by the OSCE’s current chairman, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and the organisation’s secretary-general, Helga Maria Schmid.Ukraine’s UN ambassadorDuring the charged UN emergency meeting, the Ukraine’s ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya implored the council, chaired by Russia to “do everything possible to stop the war”.He demanded that Russia’s ambassador relinquish his duties as chair.“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, ambassador,” the visibly emotional Kyslytsya said.


Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, returns from space station

An all-private astronaut team of two Americans and two Saudis, including the first Arab woman sent into orbit, splashed down safely off Florida on Tuesday night, capping an eight-day research mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and blazing re-entry plunge through Earth's atmosphere.
The splashdown was carried live by a joint webcast presented by SpaceX and the company behind the mission, Axiom Space.
It concluded the second space station mission organized, equipped and trained entirely at private expense by Axiom, a 7-year-old Houston-based venture headed by Nasa's former ISS program manager.
The Axiom 2 crew was led by retired Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, 63, who holds the US record for most time spent in orbit with 665 days in space over three long-duration missions to the ISS, including 10 spacewalks. She now serves as Axiom's director of human spaceflight.
"That was a phenomenal ride. We really enjoyed all of it," Whitson radioed to mission controllers moments after splashdown.
Ax-2's designated pilot was John Shoffner, 67, an aviator, race car driver and investor from Alaska.
Rounding out the crew as mission specialists were the first two astronauts from Saudi Arabia to fly aboard a private spacecraft - Ali Alqarni, 31, a fighter pilot for the Royal Saudi Air Force; and Rayyanah Barnawi, 34, a biomedical scientist in cancer stem-cell research.
Barnawi is the first woman from the Arab world ever launched into Earth orbit and the first Saudi woman to fly in space, an achievement that came barely five years after women in the Gulf kingdom gained the right to drive in June 2018.
In August 2022, Sara Sabry became the first Arab woman and the first Egyptian to fly to space on a brief suborbital ride operated by the Blue Origin astro-tourist venture of Jeff Bezos.
The ISS stay of Alqarni and Barnawi was also notable for overlapping with that of Sultan Alneyadi, an ISS Expedition-69 crew member from the United Arab Emirates, marking the first time three astronauts from the Arab world were aboard the space station together.
The Axiom 2 mission, which launched on May 21, was the latest in a series of space expeditions bankrolled by private investment capital and wealthy passengers rather than by taxpayer dollars as Nasa seeks to expand commercial access to low-Earth orbit.
Axiom, which sent its first four-member astronaut team to ISS in April 2022, also has signed a contract with the US space agency to build the first commercial addition to the orbiting laboratory.
California-based SpaceX, founded by Twitter owner and Tesla Inc electric carmaker CEO Elon Musk, supplied the Falcon 9 rocket and crew capsule that ferried Axiom's team to and from orbit and controlled the flight.
Nasa furnished the launch site at its Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and assumed responsibility for the Axiom crew during their stay aboard the space station, orbiting some 400km above Earth.


Communications ministry budget passed after debate on rebranded Jasa

The budget for the communications and multimedia ministry was passed by bloc vote after the committee-level debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.A total of 107 MPs voted in support of the allocation while 100 were against it and 13 absent.This makes the 22nd ministry budget to be passed so far, and the eighth to be passed by bloc vote.The communications and multimedia ministry, under the leadership of Saifuddin Abdullah, was allocated RM2.347 billion following the deduction of RM45 million from the allotment for the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa), now known as the Community Communications Department or J-KOM.The opposition had earlier brought a motion for J-KOM’s allocation to be entirely cut.The motion was brought by Wilfred Madius Tangau (Warisan-Tuaran), Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya), Ahmad Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai), Fuziah Salleh (PH-Kuantan) and Mukhriz Mahathir (Independent-Jerlun).They said among others that the allocation should be given to other ministries and departments such as the health ministry to aid in the fight against Covid-19.The motion was opposed by Nazri Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) and Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan).The decision was made by majority vote for the allocation to be maintained.The budget for 2021 – RM322.5 billion, the country’s largest ever – was passed at the policy stage on Nov 26 in what was seen as a crucial test of support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.It was passed by voice vote after the opposition failed to garner enough support to force a bloc vote.


Azmin rubbishes Amirudin on claim of increased investments for Selangor

Former menteri besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has challenged claims by his successor on Selangor's economic development, saying the state was in third place behind the federal territories and Johor in terms of investment as of the first quarter of 2023.
He also questioned Amirudin Shari's claim of being more successful in bringing in investors.
Azmin, who headed the state government from 2014 to 2018, said Amirudin's comparison was misplaced, and that the amount of investments brought in to Selangor could not be compared to those brought in when Selangor was still considered an "opposition state".
He also referred to the RM25 billion investment in Selangor by US giant Amazon Web Services (AWS), which he announced when leading a high-powered delegation from the international trade and industry ministry to the US in May 2022.
"Does he want to claim that this was the fruit of his efforts?" Azmin asked in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow.
"AWS at the time was looking to invest in Melaka, but I gave my own reasons for saying that it should be in Selangor."
Selangor has been Malaysia's most developed state since the era of Barisan Nasional, when the country's economy was geared towards attracting global industrial giants.
Azmin was reappointed as menteri besar in 2018 but vacated his seat after being named as economic affairs minister by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when the latter was prime minister under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
Following this, PKR nominated Ijok assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad as Azmin's replacement for the top post, but the sultan of Selangor eventually chose Azmin's nominee.
Recalling his decision at the time, Azmin said he might have made a mistake in choosing Amirudin as his replacement.
"Perhaps I made the wrong choice at the time, but basically I thought that Selangor needed a young and progressive menteri besar who could continue the policies that had succeeded so far.
"Sadly, I was mistaken. He failed to continue the agenda of caring for the people, and Selangor's economic performance is going down," he said.
Azmin was sworn in as Selangor menteri besar in 2014, following a power vacuum in the aftermath of Khalid Ibrahim's ouster.
Khalid was sacked by PKR as part of the Kajang Move, a plan aimed at installing party leader Anwar Ibrahim's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as menteri besar.
The sacking led to a fallout between DAP and PAS, and the coalition eventually split up before returning in the form of PH.
PH at the time comprised PKR, DAP, and Amanah, a PAS splinter party formed by a group of leaders who had lost the party election.
Azmin remained menteri besar of Selangor until 2018, when he was appointed to the first PH Cabinet.
'People-friendly policies ended'
Azmin meanwhile said many of the policies he had introduced as menteri besar were discontinued by Amirudin.
These include the Skim Mesra Usia Emas for senior citizens, under which the state government gave up to RM2,500 to families who experienced the death of a member. It was later revamped to provide payments of less than RM500.
Azmin also questioned the move to stop Selangor's policy of free water supply to all households for the first 20 cubic metres.
"In the name of realignment, Amirudin supposedly gives free water to the B40. But he forgets that after the pandemic, even those in the M40 group have become B40," he said.
Azmin also addressed an argument by PH supporters that the state's reserves had increased under Amirudin.
"What is the meaning of the huge reserves that are being hyped up? I used these for development expenditure. It is not the government's job to keep these away."
Azmin added that leadership was an important factor in determining the performance of any state government, regardless of party.
"Right now, Amirudin is still with PKR and PH, but his reputation is not like mine was during my time in PH.
"It's not a question of coalition or party. It's a question of how a menteri besar can present economic policies.
"Whether the people want to credit PH or me is up to them," he added.


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US daily virus toll below 1,000 for first time in months

For the first time in nearly three and a half months, the US recorded fewer than 1,000 deaths in a day from Covid-19 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.In 24 hours, 749 people died from the coronavirus, far below the peak of 4,473 deaths recorded on Jan 12.The daily US death toll has not been below the thousand mark since Nov 29, when 822 people died in a 24-hour period.That indicates that the slowdown in the epidemic is continuing in the US, where infection rates and deaths have fallen to similar levels as before Halloween, Thanksgiving and other end-of-year holidays that were marked by travel and larger gatherings that boosted the spread of the virus.The slowdown is good news for President Joe Biden, whose colossal US$1.9 trillion aid plan successfully passed the Senate on Saturday, and will bolster his large-scale vaccination strategy.The US vaccine campaign launched in December is now in full swing, with nearly 10% of the American population – about 31.5 million people – having received either the two shots necessary for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or the single shot in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.Health authorities added to the cautious optimism Monday when they announced that vaccinated people could meet together in small groups indoors without wearing masks or the need for social distancing.However, they must continue to respect these precautionary measures in the presence of unvaccinated people and in public spaces.


Malaysia remain at 7th spot with 4 more gold medals at SEA Games

Malaysia remained seventh in the medal tally after the end of the third day of the 2023 SEA Games, with the national contingent only able to add four more gold medals yesterday.
The latest medal haul sees the national camp raking in 10 golds, 13 silvers and 25 bronzes.
In yesterday’s action, sailing emerged as the best team performance when it contributed two gold medals through Muhammad Hafizin Mansor in the RS:X class and Izry Hafiezy Fitri Azri in the RS:One category.
The two golds on the final day of sailing action at the Sihanoukville Boulevard in the Sihanoukville region mean the sailing squad has achieved their two-gold target.
Diving, which began at the Morodok Techo National Aquatic Centre, also did not disappoint when young Kimberly Bong delivered one gold in the women's 3m springboard individual. That is Kimberly's first SEA Games gold since making her debut in the biennial games in the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
Athletics also began yesterday and national woman hammer thrower Grace Wong clinched the gold medal by breaking the games' record with a throw of 61.87m to erase her old mark of 59.24m set at the 2017 KL games.
However, Jackie Wong failed to defend the men's hammer throw gold medal and had to be contented with silver.
Over at the Chroy Changvar Convention Centre, the national karate exponents also failed to defend the men's kumite team gold medal, having to settle for silver instead.
The national men's football team also produced a dismal performance en route to losing 2-1 to Vietnam in their third Group B match last night, thus missing out on the last four and failing to achieve their target of reaching the final.
At the end of the third day of competition, hosts Cambodia continue to lead the medal standings after raking in 37 golds, 31 silvers and 32 bronzes, followed by Vietnam (28-29-35) and Thailand (28-21-32).


Bella was kicked in the stomach and fed rotten fried chicken, welfare home resident tells court

The Sessions Court was today told that Bella, a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome, was fed rice mixed with vinegar, turmeric, salt, soy sauce, chilli and chilli flakes as well as rotten fried chicken during the fasting month by Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali.Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, 18, a resident of Rumah Bonda, said Bella was told by Siti Bainun to finish the rice even though the teenager was already full because she had eaten in secret during Siti Bainun’s absence at the welfare home.“It was during the fasting month, when Siti Bainun came back that night and she found out that Bella had eaten in secret. Siti Bainun told her to finish a pot of rice poured over with vinegar, turmeric, salt, soy sauce, chilli and chilli flakes,” she said when cross-examined by Siti Bainun’s lawyer Asiah Jalil at the trial of Siti Bainun who is accused of neglecting and abusing Bella.The fifth prosecution witness said Siti Bainun had also instructed her to fry rotten chicken and told Bella to eat five pieces of chicken.Yasmin said Siti Bainun also fed Bella 20 cili padi (bird’s eye chillies) and had asked the witness or another resident of Rumah Bonda known as Aida to count the chillies.Asked by another lawyer, Farhan Maaruf, how many times the incident happened and whether Siti Bainun specifically asked for 20 chillies, the witness replied: “Many times and Siti Bainun wanted 20 chillies”.The witness also agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion that such incidents had happened several times a week.Farhan: Can you say four times a week?Yasmin: Okay.Farhan: So, if Bella had eaten 80 chillies a week, wouldn’t Bella’s mouth have been bruised or turned red?Yasmin: Her mouth was red.Farhan: During yesterday’s proceedings, you said Bella was abused every day for four months, so if we count, about 1,280 chillies were given to Bella (within four months), wouldn’t Bella’s mouth have been bruised?Yasmin: She (Bella) ate them, then spat them out.According to Yasmin, Siti Bainun also kicked the teenager in the stomach for not listening to her instructions.“When Bella didn’t listen and didn’t finish the chillies, Siti Bainun would threaten to pour hot water on Bella. Siti Bainun would instruct me and Aida to hold Bella and force her to kneel.“At that time, Siti Bainun kicked Bella in the stomach,” she said, adding that Siti Bainun did not allow Bella to drink water or sweet drinks.Siti Bainun, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of neglecting and abusing the teenager to the point of the victim suffering injuries and emotional distress.The offences were allegedly committed at a condominium in Wangsa Maju, between February and June 2021.The charges were brought under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of RM50,000 or both, upon conviction.The trial continues tomorrow before judge Izralizam Sanusi tomorrow.


Taliban race closer to complete Afghan takeover

The Taliban raced closer to a complete military takeover of Afghanistan on Sunday after capturing more major cities, leaving only the isolated capital Kabul for them to conquer.The insurgents took control of the key eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday, just hours after the seizing the northern anti-Taliban bastion of Mazar-i-Sharif – furthering an astonishing rout of government forces and warlord militias achieved in just 10 days.“We woke up this morning to the Taliban white flags all over the city. They entered without fighting,” said Jalalabad resident Ahmad Wali, confirming a claim on social media made by the Taliban.President Ashraf Ghani’s government appeared to be left with few options as the Taliban effectively surrounded Kabul – either prepare for a bloody fight for the capital or capitulate.On Saturday Ghani sought to project a semblance of authority with a national address in which he spoke of “re-mobilising” the military while seeking a “political solution” to the crisis.But the loss of Mazar-i-Sharif and Jalalabad are huge back-to-back blows for Ghani and his government.It left the Taliban – who have fighters less than an hour’s drive from Kabul – holding all the cards in any negotiated surrender of the capital.President Joe Biden ordered the deployment of an additional 1,000 US troops to help secure the emergency evacuation from Kabul of embassy employees and thousands of Afghans who worked for American forces and now fear Taliban reprisals.That was on top of the 3,000 American soldiers deployed in recent days, and 1,000 left in-country after Biden announced in May that the final withdrawal of the 20-year military presence in Afghanistan would be completed by Sept 11.That decision has come under increased scrutiny given the collapse of the Afghan armed forces, but he insisted Saturday there was no choice.“I was the fourth president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan – two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth,” Biden said.Heavy fightingIn Mazar-i-Sharif, Taliban fighters quickly took charge.“They are parading on their vehicles and motorbikes, firing into the air in celebration,” said Atiqullah Ghayor, who lives near the city’s famed blue mosque.Warlords Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor, who had led a militia resistance in the city to support government forces, had fled to Uzbekistan, about 30 kilometres to the north, an aide to Noor said.Noor later tweeted that they had been betrayed by the military and were in a “safe place”, adding: “I have a lot of untold stories that I will share in due course.”As the Taliban closed in on the capital, panicked residents formed long lines outside banks, hoping to withdraw their savings. Some branches appeared to have already run out of cash.Residents near Pul-e-Charkhi prison outside Kabul told AFP they heard gunfire coming from the facility – possibly the result of an inmate uprising.In his first address to the nation since the Taliban launched their sweeping offensive, which was recorded, Ghani said he wanted to stop the violence.“I will not let the imposed war on people cause more deaths,” he said, appearing sombre and sitting before an Afghan flag.Ghani said the armed forces could be “remobilised” and consultations were taking place to try to help end the fighting, but offered few specifics on what his administration was planning.The presidential palace later said: “A delegation with authority should soon be appointed by the government and be ready for negotiation.”Further details were not immediately available.‘Crying night and day’For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of apprehension and fear.Muzhda, 35, a single woman who arrived in the capital with her two sisters after fleeing nearby Parwan, said she was terrified.“I am crying day and night,” she told AFP. “If the Taliban come and force me to marry, I will commit suicide.”The Taliban imposed an ultra-austere brand of Islam on Afghanistan during their 1996-2001 rule.The scale and speed of their advance have shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country after toppling the insurgents in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.Individual Afghan soldiers, units and even whole divisions have surrendered – handing the Taliban even more vehicles and military hardware for their lightning advance.


New concept on Malay-Islamic agenda to come, says Mahathir

A new concept based on the Malay and Islamic agenda led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be established.
At a "solat hajat and doa selamat" prayer ceremony in Putrajaya last night, Mahathir who is also Pejuang chairman, hinted at the establishment of the idea in an effort to reunite the Malays in the struggle to defend Malaysia.
"This is a Muslim Malay group. The move is necessary if we want to save our country, our nation, our religion," he said.
The prayer ceremony was attended by leaders and members of the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party, Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se Malaysia.
Putra president Ibrahim Ali said Mahathir was expected to announce the establishment of the idea at Yayasan Al-Bukhary, Kuala Lumpur on Aug 4.
Ibrahim said the idea would involve several Malay political parties as well as NGOs.


50,000 phone numbers worldwide on list linked to Israeli spyware, reports say

An Israeli firm accused of supplying spyware to governments has been linked to a list of 50,000 smartphone numbers, including those of activists, journalists, business executives and politicians around the world, according to reports Sunday.Israel’s NSO Group and its Pegasus malware has been in the headlines since at least 2016 when researchers accused it of helping spy on a dissident in the United Arab Emirates.Sunday’s revelations raise privacy and rights concerns and reveal the far-reaching extent to which the private Israeli company’s software may be being used by its clients internationally.The extent of the use of Pegasus was reported by The Washington Post, the Guardian, Le Monde and other news outlets who collaborated on an investigation into a data leak.The leak was of a list of more than 50,000 smartphone numbers believed to have been identified as people of interest by clients of NSO since 2016, the media outlets said.The Post said the list was shared with the news organisations by Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based journalism nonprofit, and Amnesty International. The newspaper said the total number of phones on the list that were actually targeted or surveilled is unknown.The Post said 15,000 of the numbers on the list were in Mexico and included those of politicians, union representatives, journalists and government critics.The list reportedly included the number of a Mexican freelance journalist who was murdered at a carwash. His phone was never found and it was not clear if it had been hacked.Indian investigative news website The Wire reported that 300 mobile phone numbers used in India – including those of government ministers, opposition politicians, journalists, scientists and rights activists – were on the list.The numbers included those of more than 40 Indian journalists from major publications such as the Hindustan Times, The Hindu and the Indian Express as well as two founding editors of The Wire, it said.The Indian government denied in 2019 that it had used the malware to spy on its citizens after WhatsApp filed a lawsuit in the US against NSO, accusing it of using the messaging platform to conduct cyber espionage.The Post said a forensic analysis of 37 of the smartphones on the list showed there had been “attempted and successful” hacks of the devices, including those of two women close to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018 by a Saudi hit squad.Among the numbers on the list are those of journalists for Agence France-Presse, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, France 24, Radio Free Europe, Mediapart, El Pais, the Associated Press, Le Monde, Bloomberg, the Economist, Reuters and Voice of America, the Guardian said.The use of the Pegasus software to hack the phones of Al-Jazeera reporters and a Moroccan journalist has been reported previously by Citizen Lab, a research centre at the University of Toronto, and Amnesty International.Pocket spyThe Post said the numbers on the list are unattributed but the media outlets participating in the project were able to identify more than 1,000 people in more than 50 countries.They included several members of Arab royal families, at least 65 business executives, 85 human rights activists, 189 journalists, and more than 600 politicians and government officials including heads of state and prime ministers and cabinet ministers.The reports said many numbers on the list were clustered in 10 countries – Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Pegasus is reportedly a highly invasive tool that can switch on a target’s phone camera and microphone as well as access data on the device, effectively turning a phone into a pocket spy.In some cases it can be installed without the need to trick a user into initiating a download.NSO issued a denial on Sunday that focused on the report by Forbidden Stories, calling it “full of wrong assumptions and uncorroborated theories,” and threatened a defamation lawsuit.“We firmly deny the false allegations made in their report,” NSO said.“As NSO has previously stated, our technology was not associated in any way with the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi,” the company said.“We would like to emphasise that NSO sells it technologies solely to law enforcement and intelligence agencies of vetted governments for the sole purpose of saving lives through preventing crime and terror acts,” it said.Citizen Lab reported in December that about three dozen journalists at Qatar’s Al-Jazeera network had their mobile devices targeted by Pegasus malware.Amnesty International reported in June of last year that Moroccan authorities used NSO’s Pegasus software to insert spyware onto the cellphone of Omar Radi, a journalist convicted over a social media post.At the time, NSO told AFP that it was “deeply troubled by the allegations” and was reviewing the information.Founded in 2010 by Israelis Shalev Hulio and Omri Lavie, NSO Group is based in the Israeli hi-tech hub of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv. It says it employs hundreds of people in Israel and around the world.


Selangor strips Najib and Rosmah of titles

The Selangor palace today stripped former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor of their titles following the recent court decisions upholding the former's conviction and sentence in his SRC International case and finding the latter guilty of corruption and bribery.
In a statement, it said the titles would be revoked effective today, Sept 12.
Najib was bestowed with the Order of His Majesty the Crown Prince of Selangor or Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) First Class in 2004 and the Order of His Majesty the Crown Prince of Selangor (DPMS) Second Class in 1992.
The awards carried the titles of Datuk Seri and Datuk respectively.
Rosmah meanwhile was awarded the First Class Membership of SPMS, which carries the Datin Paduka Seri title, in 2005.
The statement noted that Najib had been charged in the High Court with abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in relation to SRC International funds, and his conviction and sentence upheld by the Federal Court on Aug 23.
Rosmah meanwhile was charged with three counts of soliciting and receiving bribes and found guilty by the High Court on Sept 1.


Muslim Bidayuh village rejoices in multicultural Raya once more

At a longhouse in Padawan, about 70km southwest of Sarawak’s capital Kuching, a small community gears up for Hari Raya celebrations after two years of pandemic restrictions.For the residents of Kampung Darul Islam Belimbing, the celebration is doubly meaningful as it bears witness to their strong interfaith relations with the larger community around them.Tucked in the heart of a Christian-majority area, they are the only Muslim Bidayuh group in Sarawak that celebrates Hari Raya.They normally begin their festivities by making their way to the village mosque to perform their Eid prayers.After that, they gather at the village ceremonial house, known as the baruk. This marks the start of the “marhaban”, the highlight of the day in which they go from door to door, visiting friends and relatives in the 150-door longhouse.Villagers enjoy meeting up once more as Covid-19 restrictions are eased.“When performing the marhaban, we seek forgiveness from our relatives,” villager Nur Ashah Hussein told MalaysiaNow.For the past two years, this festive procession lived only in memory as Covid-19 restrictions kept visits and gatherings out of bounds.This year, though, the villagers are looking forward to celebrating once more, albeit on a smaller scale and in keeping with the SOPs.Some 600 families live in the village which was founded in 1968 as a resettlement area for Muslim residents from the nearby Kampung Kawa Belimbing.While it began as a 40-door longhouse to accommodate seven families, it gradually expanded to 150 doors.Each year, the villagers would invite their non-Muslim relatives and friends to visit their longhouse during festive seasons including Christmas and Gawai Dayak.Women prepare food to be distributed for the breaking of fast in the village.This year, they hope to revive what they can of their collaborative celebrations, welcoming family and friends to the longhouse once more.They have planned a moderate gathering and a football tournament to welcome their relatives who are expected to come from other parts of Sarawak such as Kuching, Sri Aman, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu, and even as far off as Johor and Kuala Lumpur.“We are excited to celebrate it with our families and close friends, but still adhering to the SOPs,” Nur Ashah said.“For my family, we will celebrate it moderately,” she said, adding that she was glad to be able to celebrate Hari Raya once more.Village chief Durrani Bahrum meanwhile said that they still maintain their Bidayuh culture even as they observe Ramadan and Hari Raya.“We are still Bidayuh,” he told MalaysiaNow.“When our relatives visit us during festive seasons, we do not need to worry because they understand us.”


Could Najib be freed by Raya?

Former prime minister Najib Razak could be released from jail before the Hari Raya celebration, going by the most recent experience of securing royal pardons for politicians aligned with ruling parties, at least two lawyers involved in the process have said.
This comes as a debate ensues over the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the wake of strong indication by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that he is on the Pardons Board, the same body that cut short his jail sentence less than a week after his coalition came to power in 2018.
A lawyer familiar with the "lengthy and tedious" application process told MalaysiaNow that the "political repercussions" following any failure to secure a royal pardon for Najib would ultimately become a critical factor, recalling a similar situation five years ago after Pakatan Harapan (PH) agreed to make Dr Mahathir Mohamad the prime minister.
"That agreement (to appoint Mahathir) naturally came with the promise to ensure a royal pardon for Anwar, knowing well the immense powers and influence that the office of the prime minister wields in such matters," said a PKR source who was familiar with discussions involving Bersatu and PKR leaders in the run-up to the 2018 polls.
He said the consequences of not freeing Anwar then would not be dissimilar to what might happen in the event that Najib is not granted a pardon once a formal application is directly filed.
"It would have meant the collapse of the week-old government. So despite the vague composition of the Pardons Board in May 2018, Anwar's pardon was approved with record speed," he added.
Anwar walked out of jail on May 15, 2018, just five days after Mahathir was sworn in as prime minister of the new PH government which comprised his party Bersatu at the time.
The PKR leader was serving a five-year jail sentence for a sodomy conviction involving an aide in the party's office.
Following the inconclusive results which resulted in a hung parliament after the general election last year, Umno committed its MPs in support of Anwar, allowing him to fulfil his long-held ambition of taking the top office.
"Any negative response to this single request by Umno would mean the fall of Anwar's government, as it would be disastrous for Umno grassroots whose sympathy remains with Najib," said a source in Umno privy to the sudden interest in seeking a pardon for Najib.
Analysts recently said that Umno was working to rebuild its support ahead of the six state elections to come this year. Of the six, five will be held in states with the party's traditional vote bank.
Umno suffered its worst defeat ever at last year's polls which saw the bulk of its Malay base switching camp to Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"Umno must prove to its grassroots that its cooperation with PH and Anwar is worth it. If it cannot get Najib out, it is no longer tenable for it to be part of the coalition government," the source added.
Outcome to show 'in days'
Meanwhile, a former PKR MP said the likelihood of Najib getting a pardon was "very strong", and could happen in a matter of days once Umno has had its audience with the Agong.
"Like in 2018, the outcome will be seen in days. The publicity surrounding the audience with the Agong is part of the pressure on the Pardons Board. No surprise if he walks out in time to spend Hari Raya in Pekan," she told MalaysiaNow, referring to Najib's home town and former constituency.
She also said the silence of top PH leaders in the face of criticism from civil society and activists over the movement to free Najib was "a sign of what is to come".
"Apart from Muhyiddin and PN leaders, no one has joined the protest. And Anwar himself didn’t express concern that a man who is guilty of a scandal that made headlines worldwide could be freed after serving less than 10% of his sentence, except to say that it’s up to the Agong," she added, referring to PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.


‘Everything will be ok’: Myanmar mourns teen killed protesting

Kyal Sin always let her clothes do the talking – at one Myanmar anti-coup rally, she taped a sign onto the back of her black jacket: “We need democracy. Justice for Myanmar. Respect our votes.”Weeks later, when the 19-year-old was gunned down Wednesday at a protest on the streets of Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay, her T-shirt read: “Everything will be ok”.The slogan has become a poignant refrain echoing across social media, and thousands turned out for her funeral in Mandalay on Thursday.For Kyal Sin, nicknamed “Angel”, restoring her country’s fragile democracy trumped concerns about her own safety as she protested for an end to military rule.The young dance enthusiast joined hundreds of thousands across the country calling for the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the military took over on Feb 1.Before going to a demonstration this week, she listed her blood type on her Facebook page, her phone number, and said her organs were available for donation if anything were to happen to her.“If you need, you can contact me freely at this phone number any time,” she wrote.“I could donate (my organs) if I died. If someone needs urgent help, I can donate even if it causes my death.”She was one of at least 38 people the United Nations said were killed on Wednesday, Myanmar’s deadliest day since the coup.Footage posted on social media shows Kyal Sin’s final moments during a demonstration that turned violent – crawling along the road and running for cover amid the sounds of gunfire and a plume of tear gas.A doctor confirmed to AFP she had been shot in the head.‘One vote from the heart’In the hours following news of Kyal Sin’s death, tributes flooded online, with artwork created of her striking a crouching pose on the day of her death.On her Facebook page, she showed a different side – posting videos of her dance moves, selfies of her outfits, and showcasing her close relationship with her father.In a tender moment last month, he tied a red ribbon symbolising bravery around her wrist, according to photos she posted.“I don’t want to post too much about this – just thank you, daddy,” Kyal Sin wrote, along with the hashtag “Justice for Myanmar”.Late last year, father and daughter took photographs of their purple ink-stained fingers after casting their votes at Myanmar’s second democratic election, which Suu Kyi’s party went on to win in a landslide.“For the first time in my life, I have undertaken my responsibility as a citizen… one vote from the heart,” Kyal Sin wrote on Facebook, posting a picture of her kissing her inked finger.On Thursday morning, mourners sang popular revolutionary song “We Won’t Forget Until the End of the World” as they filed past her coffin carrying bouquets and floral wreaths.Leading the funeral procession to the cemetery was a truck covered in flowers with a “hero” poster on the front followed by an elaborate black and gold hearse.The outpouring of grief extended online with many calling her a martyr.“My heart feels so much hurt,” one of her friends posted on Facebook.“Rest in peace my friend,” another male friend wrote. “We will fight this revolution until the end.”


Sabah election crystallises Zahid’s place in Umno

The outcome of the Sabah election is as much a referendum on the Warisan-led government as it was on Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Umno insiders in the state say.This comes hours after Hajiji Noor, Bersatu’s choice for Sabah chief minister, was sworn in despite protests from Zahid and a section of Umno leaders in the peninsula.Zahid was among key federal Umno figures who had been campaigning hard for Barisan Nasional.“But in the end, Sabah Umno was not excited about pressing for the party’s Bung Moktar Radin to head the state government.“What this shows is that Zahid and Umno leaders from the peninsula no longer have sway in Sabah politics,” an Umno source told MalaysiaNow.Zahid’s failure to push Bung as CM is being increasingly seen as a sign that he has lost control of Sabah Umno.Sabah Umno was largely unaffected by the massive allegations of corruption involving the party’s federal leadership in the run-up to the 2018 election, with then-chief minister Musa Aman performing better than most of his counterparts in other states.But the eventual fall of Sabah Umno in the state through defections in May 2018, as well as the exodus led by Hajiji months later, have often been blamed on Zahid.For years, grassroots party leaders had called for greater autonomy for state Umno leaders in what was seen as a bid to calm the increasing sentiments of nationalism in Sabah, among both the opposition as well as Umno members.Those sentiments were among the factors which swept Warisan to power, as the party formed by Shafie Apdal successfully exploited the anti-peninsula sentiments to work against Umno.In September 2018, it was Hajiji himself, as state Umno chief, who raised the issue of greater autonomy during a meeting with Zahid.Zahid had then assured Sabah Umno of more autonomy.But two months later, Hajiji led massive defections from Umno in preparation for the party’s arch-rival at the time, Bersatu, to gain a foothold in Sabah.“So it deals a blow to Zahid when the same person who engineered the exodus from Umno now becomes the chief minister,” a former assemblyman told MalaysiaNow.Persistent calls from Umno leaders in Kuala Lumpur to appoint their man as CM failed to rile up even Bung, who publicly declared his support for Hajiji.Bung, who is now Hajiji’s deputy, also rejected suggestions of a rift within the new government comprising Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, the coalition under which Bersatu, Umno and PBS took on Shafie’s Warisan and its allies.“I am confident that we will be working together for the long term,” Bung told newsmen at his home.“Our focus is to help the state government with economic growth and to defend the people and implement the promises in the manifesto we have offered to the people,” he added.Some have also compared Zahid’s failure to get an “Umno CM” with PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim’s failure to secure 14 candidates from his party to contest under the Warisan Plus coalition.“The only difference is while Anwar was snubbed in Sabah before the election, Zahid was snubbed after,” said a Sabah Umno member.