Johor crown prince appoints Khairy as state youth adviser

Former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin has been appointed as the Johor youth adviser and to the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) football club’s board of directors.
The Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, said today that he had held a meeting with Khairy and agreed to appoint the former youth and sports minister to the two posts.
"His vast experience in various fields in the country will provide added value to the development of the youth and progress of football in Johor," Tunku Ismail said in a Facebook post.
On Jan 28, Tunku Ismail, who is also the owner of the football club, hinted at the possibility of offering the posts of JDT FC CEO and Johor youth adviser to Khairy.
Meanwhile, Khairy thanked Tunku Ismail for appointing him, adding in a Facebook post that he was thrilled to join JDT FC, the biggest club in Southeast Asia which he said had performed well every season.
"I will give whatever little experience I have to assist the TMJ in his vision to make JDT FC the top football club in Asia.
"In addition, I will help realise the TMJ’s desire to empower the youth of Bangsa Johor through education, training, entrepreneurship, welfare and providing the appropriate protection to teenagers and children," he said.
Khairy, who formerly held the health and science, technology and innovation portfolios, also said he would repay the trust placed in him and strive for the continued excellence of JDT FC and the empowerment of youth in Johor.
State youth, sports, entrepreneur development, cooperatives and human resources committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said Khairy’s appointment was appropriate, given his experience in servnig as the youth and sports minister from 2013 to 2018.
"I welcome Khairy’s appointment and hope to cooperate with him to ensure the success of the youth development agenda, especially in Johor, can be achieved more effectively.
"I also hope that Khairy, equipped with his experience and capability, can provide new and more dynamic ideas to the Johor youth as well as for the development of Johor football," he said.
He also called on the youth in Johor to continue giving their support to enable Khairy to carry out his duties and trust to the best of his abilities.


WhatsApp debuts one-to-many broadcasting 'Channels'

WhatsApp on Thursday began letting select organisations try a new feature called "Channels" that lets them broadcast to followers on the popular, Meta-owned messaging service.
The debut comes as an array of agencies and organisations grow disenchanted with Elon Musk-owned Twitter in the face of fees, performance problems, and dramatically scaled-back content moderation.
Meta described Channels as "a simple, reliable, and private way to receive important updates from people and organisations, right within WhatsApp."
A video shared by Meta showed the potential for Channels to keep people up to date on  race results, soccer match outcomes, weather, and traffic, and even share cooking or home repair tips.
"We think the time is finally right to introduce a simple, reliable, and private broadcast tool," Meta said in a post.
Meta said WhatsApp's priority will continue to be private messaging, but that users have been asking for a feature like Channels for years.
WhatsApp is known for encryption that protects against snooping.
More than two billion people around the world use WhatsApp, according to the platform.
Meta said it is exploring the option of making encrypted channels available for groups such as nonprofits or health organisations where that level of security might be needed.
Channels was described as a one-way broadcast tool that lets account administrators sent text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls.
Global launch partners include the International Rescue Committee and the World Health Organization, as well as the FC Barcelona and Manchester City football clubs, according to Meta.
The Silicon Valley tech titan said it planned to gradually expand availability of Channels in the months ahead.


No more MCO, just stricter border controls, says Hishammuddin

The government will not reimpose the movement control order (MCO), but stricter control measures will be implemented at the country’s entry and exit points in a bid to curb Covid-19, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said today.Taking into account the latest developments involving the Omicron variant, he said, control measures would be improved, including by adding more countries to the high-risk list.“So far, 245 cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in Malaysia. The majority of the cases still involve those returning from overseas.“We will implement stricter controls, but a full-scale MCO will not be implemented again,” he told a press conference after the Covid-19 quartet ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur.Also present were Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong and National Unity Minister Halimah Mohamed Saddique.Hishammuddin said the government’s focus at the moment was on efforts to transition into the endemic phase which had been hampered by several issues.He said the government was also monitoring the status of the Malaysia-Singapore Vaccinated Travel Lane initiative and looking into the possibility of implementing it with other countries including Indonesia and Thailand.“However, this depends on the Covid-19 situation, not only in those countries but also in ours,” he said.Hishammuddin also said the health ministry and other stakeholders are in the midst of finalising the SOPs for Thaipusam and Chinese New Year, which he added would be announced soon by the relevant ministries.


Sri Lanka could exit bankruptcy by September, says president

Sri Lanka could exit bankruptcy by September, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Friday, signalling a turnaround for the country which is emerging from its worst financial crisis in decades.
Wickremesinghe "expressed confidence that Sri Lanka would overcome its bankruptcy status by September," his office said in the statement.
Sri Lanka launched a much-anticipated domestic debt restructuring framework on Thursday that seeks to rework part of its the island nation's US$42 billion (about RM195.7 billion) domestic debt.
The domestic debt plan is crucial for Sri Lanka, which defaulted on its foreign debt last May, to push forward negotiations with bondholders and key bilateral creditors China, Japan and India.
"This is about the best that we can achieve. With this comes the fact that our interest rates will come down. It’s a matter of months before it comes down. Secondly, the development assistance will start,” he said.
Sri Lanka's economy is expected to contract by 2% in 2023, the government estimates, after shrinking 7.8% last year.


Civil servants get windfall with RM2,500 cash aid

The government announced the allocation of funds for various types of cash assistance for target groups including civil servants in the 2023 budget presented by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz in the Dewan Rakyat today.
This includes one-off Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) aid of RM2,500, the most ever set aside for households with five children or more with a combined income of less than RM2,500 a month.
Zafrul said such individuals would comprise a new category of families with large numbers of children.
"Households with up to four children, meanwhile, will receive between RM1,000 and RM2,000," he said.
"For households with a combined income of RM2,500 to RM5,000, the BKM will range between RM500 and RM1,250 depending on the number of children."

Senior citizens and singles will continue receiving BKM of RM600 and RM350, depending on the income limit.
Civil servants meanwhile will receive special Aidilfitri aid of RM600, to be paid out in March 2023.
They will also receive a special additional salary increase of RM100 and financial assistance of RM600, bringing the total value of assistance next year to RM2,500 for eligible civil servants.
E-wallet credit of RM100 will be given to those in the M40 group with an annual income of less than RM100,000 under the e-Startup initiative which is expected to benefit eight million recipients.
Women from BKM households who give birth meanwhile will receive RM500 in cash while early schooling aid has been increased to RM100 per student regardless of their parents' income level.
This involves an allocation of RM825 million.


US lifting decades-old restrictions on contacts with Taiwan

The US has lifted long-standing restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced.The self-imposed restrictions were introduced decades ago to accommodate the mainland Chinese government, which lays claim to the island.In a statement on Saturday, Pompeo said, “Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions. The US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy. These rules are now null and void.”Following the announcement, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked Pompeo.“The closer partnership between Taiwan and the US is firmly based on our shared values, common interests and unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy,” he wrote in a tweet.The move is likely to anger Beijing and increase tensions with Washington.It comes as the Trump administration enters its final days ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on Jan 20.The Biden transition team have said the president-elect is committed to maintaining the previous US policy towards Taiwan.Analysts say the Biden team will be unhappy with such a policy decision being made in the final days of the Trump administration, but that the move could be reversed easily by Pompeo’s successor Antony Blinken.


45 reported deaths take Covid toll to 30,240

Another 45 Covid-related deaths were reported on Nov 26, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 30,240.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, 10 or 22.2% of these were brought-in-dead (BID) cases.Sabah and Perak had the highest number of reported deaths at eight or 17.8% each, followed by Johor at five or 11.1%.Kelantan, Pahang, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur reported four deaths each, Terengganu and Sarawak three deaths each, and Perlis and Negeri Sembilan one death each.No deaths were reported in Kedah, Melaka, Penang, Putrajaya and Labuan.As of yesterday, 76.8% of the country’s total population had been fully vaccinated while 78.8% had received at least one dose.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin recently said that no deaths have been directly linked to the Covid-19 vaccines or booster jabs.A total of 5,501 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,614,480.As of yesterday, there were 67,547 active Covid-19 cases reported and 6,664 recoveries.


Jury selection to begin in ex-Goldman banker’s 1MDB corruption trial

Jury selection is expected to begin on Monday in the US corruption trial of a former Goldman Sachs banker accused of involvement in the looting of billions of dollars from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.Roger Ng, Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to violate an anti-bribery law and launder money in connection with the alleged looting of billions of dollars from the fund.Goldman helped sell US$6.5 billion of bonds for 1MDB, a fund former prime minister Najib Razak launched to spur economic development. Authorities said fund officials and accomplices looted some of the money to spend on luxuries, while Goldman bankers paid more than US$1.6 billion in bribes to officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi for 1MDB business.Goldman in 2020 agreed to pay US$2.9 billion in penalties and have a Malaysian unit admit criminal wrongdoing to settle probes by the US Department of Justice and other authorities into its role in 1MDB.US district judge Margo Brodie is expected to question prospective jurors about whether they can be fair and impartial.Both prosecutors and defence lawyers have suggested Brodie quiz jurors about any work ties they have to Malaysia or Abu Dhabi, court records show. And Ng’s defence lawyers have proposed asking prospective jurors if they had any view about Goldman Sachs, and if that view was “favourable or unfavourable.”Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to begin next week in Brooklyn federal court.Ng was arrested in Malaysia in November 2018 and extradited six months later.Tim Leissner, another former Goldman banker, pleaded guilty in 2018 over his role in the scandal. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March.


Two police officers among six killed in gunfight in rural Australia

Six people were killed, including two police officers, at a remote property in Australia's Queensland state, authorities said on Tuesday, after police visited the place to investigate reports of a missing person.
Initial information indicated the officers were shot by two armed offenders on Monday evening when they approached the residence on the property in Wieambilla, about 300km (186 miles) northwest of Queensland capital Brisbane, state police said in a statement.
Three people, including a woman, were shot dead after specialist officers and air support responded to a siege situation at the property, the police said.
A member of the public was also killed while two other police officers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as "terrible and a heartbreaking day for the families and friends of the Queensland Police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty."
"My condolences to all who are grieving tonight - Australia mourns with you," Albanese said in a tweet.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the shooting was the largest loss of life the state police suffered in one incident in recent times.
Circumstances surrounding the incident, including the deaths, will be investigated, Carroll said.


Back-to-school announcement the right move, say experts

Educationists have welcomed the government’s decision to reopen schools in stages from October onwards, calling it an important step in helping children adjust, especially those from underprivileged homes who have been particularly affected by the many months of home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) due to the Covid-19 crisis.Despite the mixed reaction from parents and other stakeholders, former education director-general Abd Ghafar Mahmud said reopening schools was a justified move.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said it would allow students from the lower-income bracket to catch up on their studies, especially those from rural areas and special needs pupils.He said students from these groups have faced bigger challenges than others in following their classes through PdPR.“Students who want to study cannot fully do so due to issues over internet connection, gadgets and their abilities,” he added.“They have been left much further behind than pupils who have the necessary facilities.”Education Minister Radzi Jidin, in announcing the government’s decision to begin reopening schools for physical classes, said this would take place according to phases in the National Recovery Plan.Schools in Phase One states will remain closed, with pupils to continue learning through PdPR.In Phase Two states, only students sitting for examinations will be allowed to return to school for physical classes.Schools in Phase Three and Four states meanwhile will be allowed to reopen contingent on current risk assessments.Schools given the green light to reopen are allowed to operate at 50% capacity per class, whereas attendance at certain institutions will be based on a rotation system.Radzi said parents who do not wish to send their children to school will be allowed to keep them at home although they must write to the school to inform the management of their decision.Face masks will be supplied for children from B40 families while those who do not have school uniforms can attend classes in other, appropriate, clothing.Ghafar said the government could not push too far in reopening schools while daily cases remain at levels of 19,000 to 20,000.“Classes must be held with care, based on the number of cases,” he said.“The minister’s plan is actually quite conservative.”He added that the teachers, too, have been under pressure due to PdPR, saying the situation is further aggravated when parents accuse them of being paid for doing nothing.“We train all teachers for face-to-face classes,” he said. “When it comes to teaching online classes, teachers by and large must learn how to do this themselves.“With PdPR, the main issue is student assessment,” he added. “There are many shortcomings in assessing students when classes are held online.”Sukimin Juki, chairman of the Malaysian Federation of the Council of Headmasters, said parents have the flexibility to decide whether to send their children back to school or not.He said many had already begun holidaying in popular locations over the weekend.“No one talked about complying with SOPs even though there was no social distancing observed in those spots compared to in schools.“People like to sensationalise schools, but cannot be directly compared to other areas out there,” he told MalaysiaNow.He too agreed that the ministry had set safety measures and SOPs to ensure maximum protection for students.At his school in Kajang, Selangor, which will open to special needs students on Oct 3, preparations are underway to welcome back pupils.He said the government could not afford to waste anymore time for children with special needs.“At this age, it is important for them to continue receiving education, development and cognitive management,” he said.


PAS congratulates Anwar but says will refer to voters on offer to join govt

PAS today congratulated Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as prime minister but said it would refer his offer of joining his unity government to the people before making any decision.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan voiced gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his wisdom in settling the political impasse, and expressed confidence that Anwar would carry out his responsibilities in a fair and courteous manner.
"Regarding the prime minister's invitation to Perikatan Nasional to join the unity government under his leadership, PAS expresses its thanks and will discuss the matter with its fellow components in Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"It will also study this view as well as the readiness of the people, particularly the voters who gave their support to PAS and PN at the recent general election," he said in a statement.
Anwar was sworn in as prime minister yesterday.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Umno have said they will cooperate with the federal government led by Anwar, for the benefit of the country.


US backs Philippines in China fishing ban

The US on Thursday backed the Philippines in criticising a unilateral seasonal ban on fishing declared by Beijing in the dispute-rife South China Sea.The State Department pointed to a 2016 ruling by a court in The Hague that rejected Beijing’s claims, as well as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, ratified by China although not by the US.“The PRC’s unilateral fishing moratorium in the South China Sea is inconsistent with the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling and international law,” State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote on Twitter, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China.“We call upon the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law.”The Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the US, on Tuesday summoned a Chinese diplomat over the announcement of a unilateral fishing ban as well as alleged harassment of a marine research vessel by a Chinese coast guard ship.China has each year declared a fishing ban in the summer, pointing to the need to develop sustainable marine life due to overfishing in the major population hub.But its actions have been caught up in disputes over sovereignty, with Beijing insisting it has jurisdiction over a vast part of the South China Sea – a longstanding source of friction with the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations.


Court grants Rosmah's bid to postpone solar case appeal

The Court of Appeal today allowed Rosmah Mansor's application to postpone the appeal proceedings in her graft case involving a solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, which was scheduled to be heard on July 11.
Judge Azizah Nawawi, who led the three-member bench in a unanimous decision, said, this was the first time she asked for postponement due to her pending appeal to nullify the appointment of Gopal Sri Ram (now deceased) as the lead prosecutor in her case at the Federal Court.
"Since the public prosecutor has no objection, we are inclined to allow the adjournment," said justice Azizah who sat with justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and S M Komathy.
The court then fixed Sept 18 for case management.
Rosmah's appeal against her conviction, 10-year imprisonment and RM970 million fine for the corruption case was supposed to be heard for four days starting July 11.
Earlier, Rosmah's counsel Jagjit Singh submitted that the postponement was sought in good faith with no intent to delay the appeal.
He said the request for the postponement was to allow Rosmah's appeal at the Federal Court to be decided first.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor K Mangai informed the court that there was no instruction for the prosecution to object to the adjournment.
On June 22, Rosmah, 71, failed in her bid to challenge Sri Ram's appointment as lead prosecutor in her RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project graft case at the Court of Appeal.
On Sept 1 last year, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan found Rosmah guilty of three corruption charges involving RM1.25 billion in connection with a hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Rosmah was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each charge to be served concurrently, which means she will only serve 10 years in jail. She was also fined RM970 million, in default 30 years in jail.
The High Court, however, granted Rosmah a stay of execution of the imprisonment term and fine pending her appeal at the Court of Appeal.
She was accused of one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd former managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.


No more war but no peace either for veteran soldier

Every week without fail, A Arullapan brings his wife to a physiotherapy centre for treatment.At 74, this is no mean feat, but she suffered a stroke six years ago and depends on her weekly sessions in order to maintain the small steps in progress she has made.In order to do so, though, Arullapan must leave their son, Pius, alone at home. He is often torn inside as Pius, 51, is disabled and requires constant care.Things were not always like this for Arullapan. Once upon a time, he and his wife Annamary Sokkan lived a happy and relatively normal life.Now, though, he spends his days taking care of wife and son, both of whom are debilitated.A retired veteran, Arullapan is no stranger to hard work and stress. He served with the Semboyan Regiment of the armed forces for 22 years and saw action during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation of 1969.“I almost died on a mission in Taiping because we were ambushed,” he told MalaysiaNow. “I and eight others had climbed up a hill to deliver a generator. We were ambushed at the peak.”For his service, he was awarded the Malaysian Service Medal in 2019.Arullapan recalls his 2019 award of the Malaysian Service Medal, pictured here, for his bravery in the armed forces.But while he once saw active conflict for his country, his struggle is now at home where he strives to take care of his wife and son.“Every morning after I wake up, I help my wife bathe,” he said. “Then I go to the shop to buy thosai or mi goreng.“At noon, I cook rice and buy some curry from the shop. At night, I bathe my wife again.”Arullapan and Annamary have four other children but they all live far away. This leaves just the three of them in their small house in Taman Sri Nanding, Hulu Langat, Selangor.Pius, their oldest son, is unable to speak. “He can’t speak,” Arullapan said. “If he is in pain, he doesn’t know how to tell me. If he cries, I don’t understand why. That’s the big problem for me.”Annamary meanwhile is wheelchair-bound. Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said she had been unable to walk since suffering the stroke in 2015.“I was cooking. I felt dizzy and I fell down. When I awoke, the doctor said I had experienced a stroke.“I don’t remember anything,” she added. “In my head, everything is empty.”Sports championArullapan himself, although once active, is slowing down.In his youth, he was hailed as a sportsmans. He led his regiment’s football and basketball teams to victory and frequently represented the armed forces in hockey and athletics.He even played on the same field as sports legends Mokhtar Dahari and Zainal Abidin Hassan.“If you say my name to Zainal, he will remember me,” Arullapan said. “I represented Semboyan against the other teams in the Kajang League. At that time, Mokhtar and Zainal were there with their teams from the fire brigade.“That’s how I came to know them,” he said, smiling at the memory.After retiring from the military, Arullapan worked for a while as a supervisor at Universiti Perdana in Cheras. But after Annamary suffered her stroke, she was unable to take care of Pius by herself. Arullapan was forced to stop working in order to care for his family.Annamary once took care of matters around the house but she has been wheelchair-bound since suffering a stroke six years ago.The three of them depend on his monthly pension of RM1,300. Of this, RM460 goes towards repaying the study loan of Arullapan’s youngest son, James, who received a scholarship from SEGi College.James graduated in 2014 but has been unable to find a job that matches his degree as an engineer. Instead, he works at the People’s Volunteer Corps or Rela in order to make ends meet.“I depend on my pension,” Arullapan said, adding that he also receives some assistance as he and his wife are senior citizens and their son is disabled.“But that is not enough to live on. I spent over RM1,000 on my wife’s treatment, and I have no car.“If we need to go to the hospital, we take a Grab. Altogether it costs more than RM100 each time we go out.”Last year, Arullapan himself met with an accident, the consequences of which make it difficult for him to move about.He had been fixing a door in his house when he slipped and the machine he was using to saw fell on top of him.“There was no one to help me at that time,” he said. “I had to crawl to the front of the house and telephone my son.“I received eight stitches on my head and 16 on my leg. About 80% of my veins were damaged,” he said, indicating the bandage which until now remains around his right leg.Now, he can no longer walk or stand for long periods.“I can still stand but sometimes I am unstable,” he said. “But what can I do – this is my fate.”


Sorry.


WHO report plays down frozen food theory for Covid-19 origin

The chances that Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan because of imported frozen food are “very low”, international health experts said Monday, casting doubt on one of the main theories China has embraced for the cause of the first coronavirus outbreak in late 2019.China has questioned the initial assumption the virus originated in the central city as it tries to deflect claims it mishandled the early outbreak, instead focusing on other potential causes as the country began to recover.The “probability of a cold-chain contamination with the virus from a reservoir is very low”, a team of World Health Organization (WHO)-appointed and Chinese scientists said in a long-awaited report obtained by AFP before its official release.It also said the introduction of the virus into China through frozen food would have been “extraordinary” in December 2019, given the virus had not been detected elsewhere at that time.While there remained a “possible” chance of such a transmission, it said there was no conclusive evidence that frozen food played any role in the virus’ spread.The report instead concluded it is very likely Covid-19 first passed to humans from a bat through an intermediary animal, and all but ruled out a theory the virus could have leaked from a high-security lab in central China.After the outbreak, explanations floated by Chinese officials and state-media have ranged from a conspiracy theory that US soldiers imported the virus in the 2019 World Military Games in Wuhan, to the frozen food theory after a series of outbreaks linked to workers who handled frozen goods.Introducing doubtThe theory that the virus was originally imported into China could help Beijing in its battle against the criticism over the outbreak, experts say.“The goal is probably to introduce enough doubt to make people question the origin of the virus,” Adam Ni, analyst at the China Policy Centre in Canberra, Australia, told AFP.At the same time, “there is this dynamic where the harder political leaders in some countries try to blame China for Covid-19, the harder that Beijing tries to put up counter-narratives,” Ni said.The nationalist Global Times published a report in December that asked in its headline, “Could cold chain imports have sparked Wuhan early Covid-19 outbreak?”The newspaper drew a link between imported frozen and refrigerated food sold at the Huanan seafood market and the coronavirus, citing local scientists who called the theory “plausible” and “possible”.Meanwhile, local officials around the country have tested hundreds of thousands of imported food samples, publishing alerts whenever a sample tests positive for traces of the coronavirus.‘Bit of a leap’Despite reports in Chinese state media, there is still little evidence that coronavirus carried on cold-chain products can infect humans, scientists say.Chinese researchers have said outbreaks among Beijing market workers and dock workers in eastern China’s Qingdao were linked to virus particles on frozen fish.The WHO report also said the only epidemiological link which could be established in the Qingdao cases “was exposure to [the virus] on the surface of cold-chain packaging”.“There’s a remote possibility that something could happen,” Richard Sugrue, a virologist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore told AFP.But Sugrue said “it’s a bit of a leap to say that (as) this has been detected in frozen food that that could be a route of transmission.”Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease specialist at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, agreed that it was unlikely cold-chain imports could have sparked the initial outbreak in Wuhan.“Cold chain food is still being brought into China, Singapore, Taiwan and all other countries with a good control of the virus,” Leong told AFP.“And yet it happens only in two places in China.”


Vietnam probes Blackpink concert organiser over South China Sea map

Vietnam has launched an inspection into K-pop group Blackpink's tour organiser's website, ahead of its concert in Hanoi, over criticism from fans that it shows a map of the South China Sea with disputed boundaries.
The controversy follows Vietnam's decision to ban Warner Bros' highly-anticipated film "Barbie" over a scene allegedly featuring the "nine-dash line" used in Chinese maps to illustrate Beijing's claims over vast areas of the South China Sea, including swathes of what Vietnam considers its continental shelf.
Vietnam's culture ministry said late on Wednesday it had ordered an inspection of the website "to verify the suspicion that the company organising the Blackpink music night promoted the cow-tongue line", using the Vietnamese phrase to describe the U-shaped line.
The ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the possible outcome of the inspection. It was unclear when it would announce its findings.
Chinese organiser iME Entertainment and South Korean agency YG Entertainment, which manages Blackpink, had no immediate comment.
The organiser's website was inaccessible on Thursday but a cached version seen by Reuters and last updated on July 4, shows a vague nine-dash line that encompasses nearly the whole South China Sea.
Vietnam and China have long had overlapping territorial claims to a potentially energy-rich stretch in the waterway. The Southeast Asian country has repeatedly accused Chinese vessels of violating its sovereignty.
Blackpink, a cornerstone of South Korea's multi-billion dollar entertainment industry, is the latest to court trouble in Vietnam for depicting China's controversial nine-dash line, which was repudiated in an international arbitration ruling by a court in The Hague in 2016. China refuses to recognise the ruling.
The culture ministry's move followed complaints by Vietnamese internet users who noticed the nine-dash line on the organiser's website.
"Bought two tickets for me and my date. Then saw the cow-tongue, and quit. I am (a) patriot," Tu Anh Xinh, a Blackpink fan wrote on Facebook.
The world-famous K-pop girl group is due to perform in Vietnam for the first time ever on July 29-30, having been granted a government licence that requested the organiser to comply with the government's regulations on performing activities.


Trade pact, aid for disaster victims on the agenda in Dewan Rakyat

Issues concerning the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), aid for disaster victims, and offences involving Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act will be the focus of today's Dewan Rakyat sitting.
According to the order paper, there will be a question from Che Alias Hamid (PN-Kemaman) to the international trade and industry minister on the ministry's stance on the CPTPP and its impact on the country's agriculture sector.
Anyi Ngau (GPS-Baram) meanwhile will ask the prime minister about the current form and value of aid channelled to victims of natural disasters such as floods and residential fires.
Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) will ask the communications and digital minister about the statistics of individuals who have been investigated, charged and convicted under Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act for obscene, inappropriate, false, threatening or nasty online messages since 2009.
And Madius Tangau (PH-Tuaran) will ask the domestic trade and cost of living minister about the increase in price of meat such as chicken and pork and measures by the ministry to reduce it.
After the question-and-answer session, the Dewan Rakyat will resume the debate session on the Supply Bill 2023 at the policy level.


Court brings forward govt’s stay hearing in equal citizenship case

The Court of Appeal will hear on Dec 22 the government’s application to stay a High Court ruling that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers who are married to foreigners are entitled to citizenship, pending the disposal of an appeal.A three-member bench comprising Yaacob Md Sam, S Nantha Balan and Nordin Hassan brought forward the hearing date of the stay application from March 18 next year to Dec 22.Yaacob, who led the bench, told parties in the case that the court would not make any orders pertaining to the government’s application for an interim stay order pending the hearing of its stay application.The court was supposed to hear the interim stay application by the government, home minister and National Registration Department (JPN) director-general to preserve the status quo pending the hearing of their stay application which was initially fixed for March next year.The appellants filed a stay application pending the hearing of their appeal against the High Court’s decision declaring that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers who are married to foreigners are entitled by operation of law to be Malaysian citizens.The Court of Appeal had fixed March 23 next year to hear the appellants’ appeal against the High Court’s decision. The Court of Appeal will hear the appeal together with another citizenship case involving a woman born overseas to a Malaysian mother.On Sept 9 this year, a High Court allowed a legal suit brought by the Association of Family Support & Welfare Selangor & Kuala Lumpur (Family Frontiers) and six Malaysian women who are married to foreigners.In their originating summons, they sought six specific court orders including a declaration that Section 1(b) and Section 1(c) of the Second Schedule, Part II of the Federal Constitution be read harmoniously with Article 8 (2) to include Malaysian mothers as a condition for children born abroad to be given automatic Malaysian citizenship.They also sought, among others, a court order for all relevant government agencies, including JPN, immigration department and Malaysian embassies, to issue documents relating to citizenship including passports and identity cards to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses.Earlier, in today’s proceedings conducted online, senior federal counsel Liew Horng Bing, appearing for the appellants, told the court that in a letter, the mothers had asked the appellants to comply with the High Court order.He said he received strict instruction to proceed with the appeal because the questions of law involved more than the issues of citizenship.He also told the court that the appellants could not agree with the proposed terms set out by the mothers, adding that their appeal would be rendered academic if they complied with the mothers’ requests.Lawyer Gurdial Singh Nijar, representing the association and the women, said they wanted to wait for the government to carry out the process to grant citizenship for the children, but pointed out that the government could not agree with certain terms made by them.


11 more deaths as new cases top 4,000 again

Another 4,008 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 169,379.Selangor recorded 1,391 cases, of which 1,061 or 76.3% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Kuala Lumpur (513), Johor (470), Sabah (406) and Sarawak (203).Negeri Sembilan recorded 176 cases, Perak 170, Kedah 142, Melaka 132, Penang 124, Kelantan 121, Terengganu 81, Pahang 52, Putrajaya 23, Perlis three and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 41,087 with 246 in the ICU and 96 in need of respiratory assistance.Sixteen new clusters were detected:1. Tapak Bina Jalan Abdul Aziz (Petaling in Selangor; 56 cases)2. Bestari Rantau (Klang in Selangor; 16 cases)3. Jalan Sejahtera (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 15 cases)4. Tapak Bina Jalan Digital (Kulai in Johor and Hulu Terengganu in Terengganu; 48 cases)5. Jalan Niaga (Kota Tinggi and Kluang in Johor; 18 cases)6. Tampoi Lima (Johor Bahru in Johor; 26 cases)7. Jalan Seroja (Kulai in Johor; 10 cases)8. Jalan KKIP Selatan (Kota Kinabalu in Sabah; 14 cases)9. Kampung Balibata (Beaufort and Sandakan in Sabah; 35 cases)10. Sungai Ibor (Rembau in Negeri Sembilan; 12 cases)11. Batu Enam (Batang Padang, Perak; 12 cases)12. Persiaran Tasek (Batang Padang, Kinta and Kuala Kangsar in Perak; 20 cases)13. Tapak Bina Bukit Sebukor (Melaka Tengah in Melaka; 28 cases)14. Jalan Usaha (Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin in Melaka; 36 cases)15. Sawmill Luit (Maran and Kuantan in Pahang; 19 cases)16. Bukit Gelugor (Kuantan in Pahang; 22 cases)Three others ended, leaving 318 active clusters across the country.Another 2,374 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 127,662.However, 11 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 630.


Singapore teen given wrong Covid-19 jab

A 16-year-old boy was wrongly given the Moderna shot as his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, instead of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved for his age group, the Straits Times is reporting.Staff at Kolam Ayer Community Club vaccination centre discovered the error when they realised the boy was under 18 years of age during the post-vaccination observation period.The Moderna vaccine has not been authorised for use in Singapore for those under 18 but it is the only jab administered at that centre.Investigations found that the boy’s date of birth had been wrongly entered when booking his vaccination appointment, which meant he was categorised as being over 18, making it possible for a Moderna vaccination to be administered.In a joint statement, the health and education ministries said that vaccination centre staff should have checked his age during registration.Both ministries apologised and said that they took a serious view of the incident.“As an additional precaution, he was placed under a longer post-vaccination observation time of 50 minutes, and remains generally well,” the statement said. “The committee for Covid-19 vaccinations has reviewed this case and does not expect him to suffer any safety issues from this incident.”The medical team will consult with the committee on which vaccine should be administered as his second jab.The health ministry is conducting a thorough review of internal processes at vaccination centres to prevent a recurrence.This will include strengthening its online registration process to ensure individuals make appointments at suitable vaccination centres based on their eligibility as well as putting in place more stringent protocols at vaccination sites to verify eligibility.The ministries said they are in close contact with the boy and his family and will monitor his health closely.They also said that data from a trial involving more than 3,700 adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the US found that the Moderna vaccine is safe and effective for them, with no significant safety issues identified.


Don't attack civil servants, says union after Rafizi's threat to 'look for' MACC chief

The country's main civil service union Cuepacs has reminded politicians not to train their guns on government officers during the ongoing election period, in what appears to be a response to a PKR leader's attack on top graft buster Azam Baki.
Cuepacs, which brings together more than 100 civil service unions with some 1.2 million members, said there were some politicians who would become emotional when addressing their audiences.
"However, that does not justify open attacks or threats against civil servants," said Cuepacs president Adnan Mat.
Last night, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said a PH government would "look for" Azam if it won the general election this weekend.
"Saturday we vote. After we win the elections, we will look for Azam Baki," he said during a ceramah in Johor Bahru.
His remarks followed a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into allegations surrounding Invoke Solutions, a PKR-linked company headed by Rafizi.
Rafizi claimed that MACC had raided his office, although the anti-graft body said its officers were there to get documents related to the investigation.
Adnan said the investigation was not supposed to be public knowledge, as was the case with all probes conducted by MACC.
"The matter only became known when the politician involved disclosed it to the public," he said.
"All parties should understand that civil servants act based on the law and with a high spirit of professionalism without any consideration of party politics."


Endemic hope a light at the end of the tunnel for bus operators

Bus operators throughout the country are heaving a sigh of relief as the transition to endemicity continues, hopeful that the gradual easing of restrictions will breathe new life into a sector that has languished since the onset of Covid-19 more than two years ago.Many businesses had suffered under the movement restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus which took a concurrent toll on the economy as well.As borders closed and interstate travel became a thing of the past, bus operators found themselves at a loss over what to do next.With no further need of their services, many turned to alternative jobs in fields such as logistics and food delivery in order to continue earning a living.With any luck, though, things are beginning to turn around.Laili Ismail, president of the Malay Peninsular Malaysia Express Bus Operators Association (Pembawa), said operators were hopeful of a revival following the surge in demand for tickets ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.He said bus drivers who had been retrenched during the movement control order (MCO) period were also being recruited once more as the industry regains its footing.“We feel that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us to continue operating like we did before the MCO,” he told MalaysiaNow.In fact, he said, operators were now struggling to meet the demand for bus rides as a number of former drivers had turned down the offer of recruitment in order to continue with their current jobs.“I have a total of 100 buses ferry passengers from Kelantan to capital cities throughout the peninsula,” he said.“But 20 of them aren’t going anywhere right now because they have no drivers.”He estimates that about 20 operators registered with Pembawa are short of drivers, some of them by up to 15%.The Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) meanwhile said that the shortage of drivers was a long-standing problem in the industry.PMBOA president Mohamad Ashfar Ali said not many were interested in becoming bus drivers while the process of getting started in the industry could cost up to RM5,000 for a public service vehicle licence and a goods vehicle driving licence.“It’s not just the express bus industry that is experiencing this problem,” he told MalaysiaNow.“There is a shortage of drivers for lorries, tour buses, factory buses and hop-on, hop-off buses as well.”Ashfar believes that there are presently some 5,000 vacancies waiting to be filled.“While the transition to the endemic phase will help revive our business, it will not solve some of the other problems that we continue to face,” he said.He urged the government to help by providing courses for bus and lorry drivers, and by easing the burden on those looking to enter the industry.“The lack of drivers due to the MCO has been mostly resolved, and our buses are operating once more,” he said.“It’s the shortage of drivers as a whole that’s a problem, partly because there are no replacements for those who retire.”According to Ashfar, all 120 companies registered with PMBOA are struggling with this issue.They have tried to encourage young people to become drivers but response has been lacklustre.“We held roadshows but nothing worked,” he said.“This is why we suggest that the government provide free courses for the youth.”


Khairy to step aside for Tok Mat in Rembau

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin today confirmed that he will not be defending his parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
Khairy, who is health minister, said he had been asked to give way to Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, to allow him to contest the seat.
"Since he (Mohammad) is the Rembau Umno division leader and I am his deputy, he has requested that I find another place (to contest) as he wants to contest in Rembau.
"I have no objection," Khairy said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
When asked about which parliamentary seat he would contest in GE15, Khairy, who had held the Rembau seat since 2008, said he did not know yet.
"I have been in politics in Rembau for over 20 years, and for almost 15 years I have been the MP for Rembau. Now, I have to look for a constituency that is willing to accept me.
"Worst case scenario, I don't contest at all and I am fine," he added.
Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, said that as a Umno member, he would abide by the decision of party and Barisan Nasional leadership regarding his candidacy and which seat to contest in GE15.


Putrajaya maintains refusal to ratify Rome Statute

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government will maintain the decision of the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration to withdraw from ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).Deputy Foreign Minister Kamarudin Jaffar said Malaysia acceded to the Rome Statute on March 4, 2019 before retracting its position on April 5.He said the foreign ministry submitted Malaysia’s letter of participation to the United Nations (UN) secretary-general as the depository holder for the treaty on April 29.“On May 15, 2019, the UN confirmed Malaysia’s participation in the Rome Statute effective April 29, 2019, which was the date of Wisma Putra’s letter of retraction.“Malaysia was then officially removed from the list of signatory countries,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.“Until today, Malaysia maintains this decision made by the PH government to retract its participation in the Rome Statute.”He was responding to Maria Chin Abdullah (PKR-Petaling Jaya) who asked the foreign minister to state the government’s position on the Rome Statute and whether the country would agree to become a member of the ICC.On April 6 last year, the Cabinet decided to withdraw from the ICC, citing confusion among the people and attempts by certain quarters to pit the royal institution against the government.Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was prime minister at the time, was reported as saying that the country’s decision to accede to the statute had been made into a political issue to paint the government in a negative light.Kamarudin said the PN government had no intention of joining the ICC, in line with the sentiments of the majority.“We will ensure that our actions are guided by what the majority want,” he added.


Transport ministry reviewing 5 projects worth nearly RM650 million

The transport ministry has agreed to review five development projects with a total contract value of almost RM650 million so that they can be implemented via open or restricted tender.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, in a statement today, said these projects had been approved for procurement via direct negotiation but the letters of acceptance had not yet been issued.
The development projects include the Stabilisation and Slope Re-Profile Works along the Pahang Railway Tracks (Mentakab-Merapoh) and Kelantan Railway Tracks (Gua Musang-Tumpat).
Also involved are the Appointment of Independent Checking Consultant (ICC) for Klang Valley Double Tracking Upgrading Project (KVDT) Phase 2; East Coast Tracks – Rehabilitation of Gua Musang-Tumpat Tracks and Repairs for Flood Damage (Package C); East Coast Tracks – Gemas-Mentakab Track Repairs and Upgrading (Package A).
"The implementation of procurement by tender is also in line with the commitment of the new government to curb the practice of awarding tenders via direct negotiations," Loke said.


Selangor sultan unhappy over Malay disunity

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today voiced unhappiness over the lack of unity within the Malay community, saying the quarrels among the people and political leaders could threaten the unity and harmony of all ethnicities as well as the country’s political stability.In a statement, he said he had no desire to intervene in the politics and administration of the country.“Nevertheless, I feel it my duty to provide advice and views to correct the situation, as well as to call for a stop to the splits among the Malays and Malay political leaders,” he said.“This is to ensure that the interests of the Malay community are guarded without sidelining the rights and interest of the non-Malays in this country.”Sultan Sharafuddin said the Malay political leaders should realise that the development and progress of the country depends on a stable administration.“Suppose the Malay leaders fail to show good and responsible leadership,” he said. “The other races will lose respect for them and will not support their administration.”He also urged the Malay political leaders to work with those from non-Malay political parties to ensure that the country’s development is prioritised for the well-being of all races.“I invite all political leaders and people in this country to work for good and to practise a healthy culture in line with tolerance to achieve the aspirations of living in unity for the country’s prosperity.”


Sarawak company bosses arrested over RM800 million road projects

Two company directors in Sarawak have been arrested on suspicion of corruption and for submitting false claims worth tens of millions of ringgit in connection with the implementation of 10 road upgrading projects under the defence ministry in the state worth some RM800 million.A source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the two directors, both aged 44, were partners who owned three companies that monopolised the related projects. They were detained in a special operation in Kuching.“The road construction project which connects several small towns in Sarawak was called ‘Projek Jiwa Murni’ under the ministry concerned, and it was awarded to the company from 2010 to 2016.“Many complaints were received from the local community regarding the bad road conditions due to the quality of construction that did not meet specifications,” the source told Bernama.According to the source, some of the roads could not be used and were damaged several months after being built. The areas involved are Miri, Kapit, Ba’kelalan, Limbang and Belaga.“Technical studies found that these roads do not meet the road construction standards set by the Public Works Department (JKR) at all. In fact, these roads are only paved with a layer of tar which is estimated to be just two inches thick on the ground surface.“There is no layer of gravel and sand as stipulated in the terms of the contract. This causes the roads used by heavy vehicles including timber lorries to be easily damaged, and they cannot be used by light vehicles as a connecting road in the interior,” said the source.The source said the Sarawak government had instructed the state JKR to repair and upgrade the roads due to the contractor’s failure to carry out the project.“This has caused the cost of repairing the road to multiply, and the leakage has caused the state government to suffer hundreds of millions of ringgit in losses.”Even so, the source said, of the four new contractors appointed by Sarawak JKR, one was suspected to be owned by the directors in question.According to the source, companies under the purview of the ministry should be blacklisted from obtaining further projects after failing to implement the project given.“They should be held accountable and have action taken against them, but despite what happened, they were given another project using the name of a different company.“Both directors of this company will be brought before the Kuching Magistrate’s Court for a remand application under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” said the source.MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the arrest of the suspects.He said the investigation into the case was done in collaboration with the defence ministry after the ministry’s internal audit report showed the failure of the project.Khusairi said the investigation was conducted under Sections 16 (b), 17 (a) and 18 of the MACC Act 2009.


1,772 new cases, 40% in KL

Another 1,772 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 86,618.Kuala Lumpur recorded the most cases – 696 or 39.3% – of which 567 were from the Tapak Bina Damanlela cluster involving fifth and sixth generation infections.This was followed by Selangor with 503 cases and Sabah with 260.Perak recorded 110 cases, Negeri Sembilan 67, Johor 48, Penang 34, Kedah 20 and Labuan 11.Pahang recorded eight cases followed by Terengganu (seven), Melaka (five) and Kelantan (three).Active cases stand at 14,515 with 118 in the ICU and 56 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,084 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 71,681.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 422.


US health agency concerned over potential Novavax myocarditis risk

The Food and Drug Administration voiced concern Friday about myocarditis being potentially linked to the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine, just as experts are to weigh its use in the US.The Novavax vaccine is already authorised in other countries, particularly in Europe. In the US, an independent committee convened at the request of the FDA is to meet Tuesday to evaluate data from the clinical trials of Novavax and give its recommendation.In advance of that, the agency published a lengthy document on Friday analysing these results, as it had done for the three other vaccines already authorized in the country.Shortly afterwards, Novavax stock dropped 20% on the New York Stock Exchange.Novavax’s vaccine was found to be 90% effective against symptomatic cases of the disease, in trials conducted before the appearance of the Omicron variant, according to the FDA.But six cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, were detected in the group that received the vaccine, against one case in the placebo group, the agency pointed out.Five cases occurred within two weeks of vaccination.“Identification of multiple potential vaccine-associated cases” out of 40,000 clinical trial participants “raises concern that if causally associated, the risk of myocarditis following” the Novavax shot “could be higher than reported” on other vaccines such as Pfizer or Moderna, the FDA said.A small risk of myocarditis had in fact been identified after Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations, which are based on messenger-RNA, particularly in young men and adolescent boys.But the FDA noted that during clinical trials of these vaccines, no cases had yet been detected, and the agency appeared concerned that the risk is higher with Novavax.The company issued a statement in response to the FDA report on Friday, saying “we believe there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship”, adding that it was normal “to see natural background events of myocarditis in any sufficiently large database.”


Sarawak to implement full lockdown as Covid cases soar

Sarawak, the only state to remain under conditional movement control order, has agreed to implement a full lockdown beginning May 29 in order to curb its spike in Covid-19 cases.The lockdown will remain in place until June 11.Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embas said the decision was made following the dramatic increase in cases, due in part to Raya gatherings, which he said had put tremendous pressure on the state’s healthcare system.“I plead with Sarawakians to cooperate with the authorities and to understand that healthcare facilities are at a critical level,” he said at a press conference in Kuching.Sarawak logged 772 cases today, the second highest in the country after Selangor, pushing total cases in the state to 44,758.It has registered 97 deaths so far, recording an average of 625 cases per day.Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embas speaks at a press conference in Kuching to announce the implementation of movement control order in the state.According to Uggah, 81 patients are in critical condition in the ICU including 31 who are in need of respiratory assistance.“The capacity of ICU beds in Sarawak is at a critical level too,” he added.He said Sarawak had recorded an upward trend in number of Covid-19 fatalities since March, with 29 deaths logged that month – an average of one death per day.“The upward trend continued in April, which saw a total of 69 deaths recorded, equivalent to a daily average of two deaths.“As of May 27, a total of 91 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in Sarawak with a daily average of three deaths.”Asked about efforts to increase the number of ICU beds, Uggah who is also state disaster management committee chairman said the process of upgrading ICU facilities is underway.“For the last few months, we have already appealed to the federal government to help us improve our healthcare capacity to deal with the Covid-19 crisis,” he said.From May 9 to 15, a total of 3,272 cases were reported in Sarawak, a daily average of 467 cases.The trend increased with 520 cases per day recorded the following week.A total of 3,118 cases were reported as of today, with a daily average of 623 cases.


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Rosmah’s defence team scraps Najib as witness in graft case

The defence in the trial of Rosmah Mansor regarding a solar project in Sarawak has decided not to call her husband, former prime minister Najib Razak, to testify as the third defence witness.Rosmah’s counsel Jagjit Singh told the High Court that the defence would not be calling Najib, who was supposedly scheduled to give evidence today.“After a brainstorming session on Saturday to the late hours on Sunday evening, the defence has elected not to call Najib as the third defence witness.“We are also analysing the cross-examination (of Rosmah) by the prosecution and we believe the evidence from the third witness (Najib) is only corroborative in nature and the corroborative nature has already been established by the defence.“For this reason, we have to re-strategise and we made the decision not to call Najib. I apologise to your lordship. I know your lordship is conscious of the court’s time, I accept responsibility for this,” Jagjit said.Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said the decision to call a witness or not lies with the defence.“It is for the defence to decide, we have nothing to say,” he said.Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said he appreciated the apology from the defence.“No harm was done,” he added.Jagjit then applied for the court to vacate the hearing today as well as for this week as the second defence witness, who is also Najib’s former special officer, Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, is currently performing the umrah pilgrimage in Mecca and will only be available on Feb 4.Zaini then adjourned the proceedings to Feb 4.On Feb 18 last year, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on three charges after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.Rosmah faces a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two more of receiving RM6.5 million from the managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, Saidi Abang Samsudin, through her former aide Rizal Mansor as gratification to assist Jepak Holdings in securing the integrated hybrid solar photovoltaic system project as well as the genset/diesel maintenance and operation project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations from the education ministry.


1MDB management met in London to discuss additional RM1 billion funds, court told

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was told today that the 1MDB board of directors held a meeting in London on May 16, 2011 to discuss an agreement regarding the additional RM1 billion 1MDB-PetroSaudi investment joint venture under the Murabaha financing scheme.Former 1MDB company secretary, Goh Gaik Kim, 54, who was also present at the meeting, along with Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, Ismee Ismail, Jasmine Loo Ai Swan and Ashvin Jethanand, said arrangements to hold the meeting at Hilton Hotel, London, were made by the 1MDB management.The 17th prosecution witness was reading from her witness testimony at the trial of former prime minister Najib Razak for charges of embezzling 1MDB funds worth RM2.4 billion.Referring to the meeting’s minutes dated May 16, 2011, she said that before the meeting began, Loo who was the lawyer for 1MDB, handed three sets of documents to her for safekeeping: the Board of Directors’ Resolution, the Ordinary Shareholders’ Resolution and the Preferred Shareholders’ Resolution.“The documents related to the investment of an additional RM1 billion under the Murabaha Financing Agreement with 1MDB Petrosaudi. All the documents were already signed by the 1MDB board of directors and Najib. However, the matter (the documents) was not discussed during the meeting,” she said.She testified that at the meeting, several important matters were discussed including the presentation by Loo about the Murabaha financing scheme.Goh, who is now the company secretary for TRX City Sdn Bhd, said she returned to Malaysia the following day after the meeting.“I received the itinerary of the visit. As I recall, there were some events held before and after the board of directors’ meeting, but I only attended the board of directors’ meeting,” said Goh, who served as company secretary for 1MDB from March 31, 2011 before resigning on April 1, 2016.During proceedings in 2019, former 1MDB CEO Shahrol told the court that Najib had approved an additional RM1 billion in funds in 2011 under the 1MDB-PetroSaudi joint venture.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of illegal money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah will resume tomorrow.


Facebook encrypts Messenger calls in privacy move

Facebook on Friday began rolling out encryption for voice or video calls made through its Messenger texting app, ratcheting up privacy for users.The move comes as the sanctity of data on smartphones becomes an increasingly sensitive topic.Encrypting text chats on Messenger has been an option since 2016.The number of audio or video calls made on Messenger has surged since then to more than 150 million daily, prompting Facebook to add the option of scrambling exchanges from one end to the other to prevent snooping.“The content of your messages and calls in an end-to-end encrypted conversation is protected from the moment it leaves your device to the moment it reaches the receiver’s device,” Messenger director of product management Ruth Kricheli said in a blog post.“This means that nobody else, including Facebook, can see or listen to what’s sent or said.”End-to-end encryption is already widely used by apps including Facebook-owned WhatsApp and is becoming an industry standard.“People expect their messaging apps to be secure and private,” Kricheli said.Facebook disclosed that it is testing encrypting group chats and calls on Messenger, as well as direct messages at its image-centric Instagram social network.“We’ll also kick off a limited test with adults in certain countries that lets them opt in to end-to-end encrypted messages and calls for one-on-one conversations on Instagram,” Kricheli said.Apple’s recent announcement that it would scan encrypted messages for evidence of child sexual abuse has revived debate on online encryption and privacy, raising fears the same technology could be used for government surveillance.The move represents a major shift for Apple, which has until recently resisted efforts to weaken its encryption that prevents third parties from seeing private messages.Apple argued in a technical paper that the technology developed by cryptographic experts “is secure, and is expressly designed to preserve user privacy”.Nonetheless, encryption and private specialists warned the tool could be exploited for other purposes, potentially opening a door to mass surveillance.The Apple move comes following years of standoffs involving technology firms and law enforcement.FBI officials have warned that so-called “end to end encryption,” where only the user and recipient can read messages, can protect criminals, terrorists and pornographers even when authorities have a legal warrant for an investigation.


Govt declares extra holiday for Aidilfitri

The government has agreed to declare an additional day of public holiday in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the additional holiday would be declared on April 24 (Monday) if the first day of Hari Raya falls on April 21 (Friday).
If the first day of Hari Raya falls on April 22 (Saturday), meanwhile, the additional holiday will be declared on April 21 (Friday).
Speaking at a press conference in Putrajaya, he said this would make it easier for people to plan ahead of the celebration and make the journey back to their home towns.
Anwar also announced toll exemptions for all highway users from April 19 to 21, and April 24.
He said the toll exemptions would be applicable on 33 highways and for all classes of vehicles.
"This will reduce the cost of paying toll for those who are returning to their home towns to celebrate Aidilfitri, and make it easier for them to plan their journey," he said, adding that further details would be announced by Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He added that from April 21 to May 21, the police would offer a special rate of RM50 for members of the public to settle traffic summonses issued before 2023.


Crackdown on China’s wild animal farms needed to prevent more world pandemics, experts say

China and its neighbours must not only crack down on its wildlife trade but also shut legal loopholes that allow disease-prone species to be farmed, experts are saying after the World Health Organization (WHO) investigating team concluded that Covid-19 most likely originated in animals.The report, published on Tuesday, said it was “likely to very likely” that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the global pandemic, originated in bats but was introduced to humans through an intermediary species, with wildlife farming playing a critical role.Tong Yigang, a Chinese animal disease expert involved in the study, said the findings vindicated Beijing’s decision last year to ban the huge trade in wildlife for human consumption.But the report also highlighted the many wildlife farms still allowed to operate legally, serving the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry and the fur trade.“With wildlife farms you have a large pool of animals that are more or less genetically homogeneous, where a virus can easily evolve,” said Christian Walzer, chief veterinarian at New York’s Wildlife Preservation Society.China tested thousands of animal samples to trace the virus’ origins, but the study said more investigations are necessary. It also recommended surveying farms that breed mink and raccoon dogs – or mangut, a type of Asian fox, which China still allows even though the animals are prone to infection.“Cramming millions of animals together in these abusive industries creates a perfect petri dish for pandemics, and unless we ban farming for fur we will continue to play Russian roulette with global public safety,” warned Peter Li, China expert at Humane Society International.Experts say, regulatory gaps, lax enforcement and transnational trafficking gangs all allow the wildlife trade to continue.Pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammal, identified as a potential intermediary species for SARS-CoV-2, remain a major prize of wildlife traffickers.Pangolin scales were an officially recognised TCM ingredient used to treat conditions like arthritis until last year. Though China has now cracked down, activists complain that punishments remain uneven. In a recent case, traffickers caught on the island province of Hainan were given only relatively small fines.Foreign traffickers also remain in operation. A special economic zone in the border district of Mong La in Myanmar, owned by Chinese businesses, has long been a source of pangolin scales for China.“There’s no real government control in Mong La,” said Chris Shepherd, executive director of the Monitor Conservation Research Society, which studies illegal wildlife trafficking. “There’s no enforcement of any kind. In many places, wildlife trading isn’t seen as a priority or even as something that is necessarily wrong, and we are suffering a pandemic because of it.”China claims the original jump to humans could have occurred beyond its borders, but critics say wildlife trading networks in Myanmar, Laos and elsewhere would not exist without Chinese demand, and Chinese investment.Amanda Whitfort, an animal welfare law specialist at Hong Kong University, told Reuters, “The Chinese claim they are not responsible. I don’t buy it. They are driving the whole business.”


New Singapore plant part solution to water independence

Water security in Singapore has been boosted with the opening of the country’s fourth desalination plant – the latest part of plans to ensure that island taps never go dry whatever the weather.On Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially opened the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant which has actually been operating since June.It is the first plant in Singapore capable of treating both sea and reservoir water.Currently, the lion’s share of water is imported from Malaysia’s Sungai Johor. However, climate change could make water sources replenished by rainfall less resilient, reports the Straits Times.National water agency PUB chief executive Ng Joo Hee said that desalination is one of Singapore’s four national taps. “Unlike the other three taps – imported water, rainfall and recycled water – the sea is a practically limitless resource,” he said.Chew Chee Keong, PUB’s director for water supply told The Straits Times that the facility, located right by the sea and next to the Marina Reservoir, is in a good position to harness both sources of water. He added that with climate change, the city-state can expect more intense rainfall and more severe drought and the new plant will work effectively through both.Tan Boon Leng, of Keppel Infrastructure, the plant’s builder and operator, explained that Marina Barrage used to pump out excess water into the sea during periods of heavy rainfall, which was “a waste of rainwater”.The plant can treat about 30 million gallons a day (mgd), or up to 7% of Singapore’s daily water needs of about 430mgd.The city is also seeking to maximise the use of its water by recycling every drop to make Newater. With water consumption predicted to double by 2060, PUB said the plan is for Newater and desalination to meet up to 85% of Singapore’s future water demand.Cecilia Tortajada, of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s Institute of Water Policy, told The Straits Times that other than boosting water independence for the country, the new plant can also help Singapore use its energy resources more efficiently.“Energy use is related to how saline water is. During the times freshwater is used, the plant will use about a third of the energy required for it to operate on seawater mode,” said Tortajada.She added that despite the financial cost of desalination, it is imperative for Singapore to build up such capabilities to deal with the changing climatic and geopolitical situation.“Desalination costs are not economic only, but also social and environmental. We have to consider what would be the social costs for Singapore of not being able to provide clean water.”


A low interest rate environment is only natural

Some mainstream economists have been busy fanning the inflation hysteria that’s supposedly upon us now and a sign of things to come because of the sustained low interest rate environment.Thankfully, central bankers are more realistic and optimistic.There’s a difference, though, between low interest rates like 1.5% and zero interest rate. The latter is in a class of its own.Or even a negative interest rate policy (NIRP) with which Sweden’s Riksbank experimented for a while off and on, as the first central bank to do so.Zero interest rate happens hypothetically when excess reserves (i.e., cash in the accounts of the commercial banks with the central bank that exceeds statutory or regulatory requirement as a hangover from the gold standard days for withdrawal purposes) held by commercial banks results in intense lending activities – on the back of the submissions of bids or quotations – that ultimately drive the market interest rate down to near zero or zero.And this is critical – all the while without the intervention of the central bank.The excess reserves are caused by the deficit spending.In Malaysia, this can be currently represented by the budget and totality of the stimulus packages (with reference to direct fiscal injection), including the money provided for SME lending.In Malaysia, this interbank market lending and borrowing among commercial banks is known as the Kuala Lumpur Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Klibor).Bank Negara can intervene by:a) manipulating the statutory reserve requirement (SRR) which determines what constitutes excess reserves by increasing it; orb)issuing Bank Negara monetary notes (BNMN) as part of its liquidity management to absorb or drain the interbank system of excess reserves.The central bank could also manipulate the ceiling and floor rates of the corridor of the overnight policy rate (OPR) which currently is at 2% and 1.5%, respectively by widening the floor rate, e.g., from the current 0.25% to 0.5%.Should a central bank in any given scenario decide not to intervene, then as a matter of course, it would lose control over monetary policy and, by extension, the country would lose part of its monetary sovereignty.For the private sector post-Covid-19 to play the role “as significant drivers of nation’s economic growth” which is integral the long-term strategic objective of the government to drive the national recovery as envisioned by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in his inaugural speech on Aug 22, a sustained low interest rate environment is vital – and natural.As highlighted in an Emir Research article, “The Dynamic Tension Between Politics & Economics in Continuing to Steady the Economy Under the Covid-19 Era” (May 28), a higher interest rate would erode profitability because of its inclusion in the cost of production.It also thereby contributes to inflationary pressure – the contemporary paradox of the positive correlation between interest rate and inflation, as empirically proven in the cases of, for example, the US, UK, EU, and Japan.Core inflation in all of these countries as well as Malaysia remains low, indeed.The EU’s is at 1.6% (August 2021) with the UK’s declining to 1.8% (August 2021).Only in the US has inflation spiked up to 4.5% in June from 1.4% in January this year, which strongly suggests that the (sudden) impact of reopening or post-lockdown activities (see “Surging Inflation is a US Phenomenon, not a Global One”, Institutional Investor (August 30).To repeat, headline inflation rises are short-term and due to supply-side resumption, cost-push factors, supply-chain bottlenecks, pent-up demand, etc, as reminded by renowned economist Joseph Stiglitz in his Project Syndicate op-ed, “The Inflation Red Herring” (June 7).In Malaysia, it’s at a stable 0.7% according to Bank Negara’s “Economic and Financial Developments in Malaysia in the Second Quarter of 2021”. Only Japan is lower at 0.4% (as of July 2021), and this despite decades of zero interest rate policy (ZIRP).As argued in another Emir Research article, “OPR – Bank Negara’s MPC could have cut further by 250 bps” (May 7), there’s room for another round of cuts by Bank Negara to 1.5%.The same mainstream economists are also now shifting their argument towards asset bubbles caused by a low interest rate environment.Arguably, asset bubbles as embodied by the Great Financial Crisis/Great Recession/Great Crash (2008/09) weren’t caused by low interest rates but by de-regulation and lax/light touch approach of the authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – the body that oversees and regulate the securities and financial markets – in the US.The creation of new financial products such as mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) escaped the scrutiny of the SEC prior to the Great Crash.Whilst it’s true that low interest rates would compel investors to search for higher yields or returns, this hasn’t translated into inflation or a market bubble.Instead, quantitative easing (QE) as the other tool of the central bank to flatten the long-term yield curve (such as the 10-year US Treasury bonds) has in turn compelled investors to dump their holdings at the secondary market with the Federal Reserve, in what’s tantamount to back-door debt monetisation.In turn, the investors invested heavily in derivatives – another type of speculative finance (“riskier” class of assets).The derivatives manipulated the underlying stock and supply of commodities, for example, by taking advantage of the futures contracts that locked in their movement.And, critically, speculation in one commodity (i.e., oil) has an adverse impact on other commodities (crop/food, e.g., wheat). This is because there’s a positive correlation. Higher oil prices are transmitted or passed on as supply chain or logistical costs to the supply itself.That was then – in which QE exported inflation to the “rest of the world”, especially those heavily reliant on food imports on the back of balance of payment (BoP) deficits and weak currencies vis-à-vis the US dollar (except the developed countries).In a Covid-19 environment, and with the benefit of hindsight, there’s no danger of returning to the stagflation of the 1970s (caused by oil production shock) or the food price crisis succeeding the Great Crash propelled by QE.Our local economists are in agreement as reported in “Risk of asset price inflation low in Malaysia” (The Star, June 21). To quote from this article:“Asset price inflation, which is posing a threat in some Western economies, is unlikely to rear its ugly head in Malaysia amid the country’s low interest rates and massive stimulus packages. Even as the central bank has kept key benchmark interest rate at 1.75% for some time, coupled with a cumulative fiscal stimulus of RM380 billion since last year, economists agree that asset-price inflation risk is lower, thanks to the preemptive macro-prudential measures and responsible bank lending practices introduced in late 2010, following the 2008-2009 US subprime crisis.”With the latest announcement by our retained Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz that the government is seeking to increase our debt-to-GDP ceiling from 60% to 65% for fiscal policy purposes, no less, the monetary policy side can be coordinated by the lowering of our overnight policy rate (OPR) from 1.75% to 1.5% and to be left at that for the long-term.Such fiscal-monetary policy coordination should be deepened to extend to synchronisation between issuance of BNMN by Bank Negara and Malaysian Government Securities (MGS), for example, by the Treasury (Ministry of Finance/MOF).This envisages an expanded role of BNMN as “market-measuring instrument/device” of the magnitude of market sentiment and appetite for public sector bonds, playing a role in shaping the rate and yield by which the MGS coupon can be set/determined (prior to the fixing as well as the tendering and bidding or auction process) and the size of issuance.This indirectly plays a role of moderating and “regulating” the size of government debt – and by extension influences the government’s deficit decision – “reverse transmission mechanism”.It is also proposed that underpinning the OPR level within the operating corridors should be the magnitude of the BNMN alongside the size of the outstanding MGS, and perhaps even the level of the deficit, as corresponding to a specific set of “bands”, e.g., band 1 = deficit level of between 3%-5%; band 2 = deficit level of between 6%-9%, etc.Lastly, the pre-budget statement initiated by Zafrul could perhaps be accompanied by a “forward guidance policy note” by Bank Negara, setting out in advance the policy aims of the central bank, in what would be a form of nominal GDP targeting.Rais Hussin and Jason Loh Seong Wei are part of the research team at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Hundreds arrested globally in NZ-led online child abuse probe

A New Zealand-led global investigation into online child sexual abuse material identified more than 90,000 accounts, led to the arrest of hundreds of offenders worldwide and safeguarded 146 children, authorities said on Wednesday.The collection of of online imagery was discovered in late 2019 when a New Zealand-based internet service provider raised the alarm, sparking a two-year long investigation dubbed “Operation H.”New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Britain’s National Crime Agency, Europol and Interpol worked together to identify and investigate individuals tied to the accounts.“Many people who view material of this kind will go on to physically offend against children,” Tim Houston, manager of the digital child exploitation team at DIA and lead investigator for Operation H, said in a statement.“It is imperative that we are able to bring them to justice before they are able to do more damage.”About 836 cases were investigated internationally and 146 children safeguarded, the DIA said. Forty-six people were arrested in New Zealand and hundreds more overseas, including in Britain, Canada, Spain and Slovenia.Britain’s National Crime Agency said many of the 450 people it had arrested were working in positions of trust, including at primary schools and nurseries, law enforcement and medical industries, and some religious officials.“This is not a victimless crime, every time this material is viewed, that child is revictimised,” said DIA’s Houston.


Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano bursts to life

Thousands have fled the scene of a rumbling Indonesian volcano that burst to life for the first time in several years, belching a massive column of smoke and ash, the disaster agency said Monday.The evacuation of more than 4,400 residents came as Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted Sunday, spouting a thick tower of debris 4km into the sky, triggering a flight warning and the closure of a local airport.The crater’s last major eruption was in 2017.There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruption in a remote part of the Southeast Asian archipelago.But authorities advised residents to wear masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash spouting from the crater in East Nusa Tenggara – the southernmost province of Indonesia – and to be alert for possible lava flows.“To minimise the health impact from volcanic ash, it is recommended that people wear a mask or other equipment to protect their eyes and skin,” National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Raditya Jati said.A 2km no-go zone around the crater was also expanded to four kilometres after Sunday’s eruption, while flights were advised to steer clear of the area as volcanic ash rained down on the local Wunopitu airport, which was temporarily closed.Indonesia is home to about 130 active volcanoes due to its position on the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs.In late 2018, a volcano in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands erupted, causing an underwater landslide that unleashed a tsunami which killed more than 400 people.


Calls for transparency, ‘reasonable’ recruitment fee for domestic workers ahead of Malaysia-Indonesia deal

Associations and support organisations representing migrant and local domestic workers in the country have called for more transparency in the upcoming memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be inked between Malaysia and Indonesia next month, voicing particular concern over the recruitment fee for bringing in foreign workers.In a statement, umbrella body Kearah 189 described the stated fee per worker of RM10,000 to RM15,000 including levies and quarantine costs as “excessive”.“This cost was not even provided in a detailed cost structure, and it left the question of who is going to bear this amount,” it said.“The excessive fee for hiring domestic workers makes them more vulnerable to exploitative practices.”Calling for the recruitment fee to be set at a reasonable figure, it said both Malaysia and Indonesia must ensure that the cost does not fall on the workers themselves.An MoU between Malaysia and Indonesia was signed for the first time on May 13, 2006, with protocol to amend the agreement inked on May 31, 2011. This expired on May 30, 2016.Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said on Jan 10 that the ongoing talks between the two countries were, among others, to control the cost of bringing in domestic helpers.He denied that the cost of bringing in domestic workers would reach RM25,000, adding that the RM1,136 payment for the first-time recruitment of foreign domestic workers only involved the immigration cost.Kearah 189 said transparency was essential in the setting up of the recruitment fee under the new MoU.“Kearah 189 is well aware of the dangers of high recruitment fees and their effect on the amount of work that will be required of a worker,” it said.“Transparency will allow the governments to hear the views of the parties concerned. We believe that in this manner the interests of the workers can be heard.”


More flood victims evacuated in Pahang and Perak

The number of people affected by floods in Pahang and Perak has continued to rise while Selangor showed a downward trend as of 8am today.
In Johor, Kelantan and Sarawak, meanwhile, there was little change.
In Pahang, the Social Welfare Department's Disaster Info portal showed an increase in the number of evacuees to 347 people accommodated at 10 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) in Raub this morning.
The PPS at the Kemas Gali activity centre recorded the highest number of evacuees at 143, followed by the Kampung Pia multipurpose hall (77) and SK Tersang (36).
Meanwhile, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Info Banjir portal said that the water level in Sungai Tanum in Chegar Perah, Lipis, passed the danger mark this morning, while two other rivers, Sungai Kechau, also in Lipis, and Sungai Serting in Bera, are at the warning level.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasts thunderstorms in most districts in Pahang this evening, including Raub, Lipis and Bera.
In Perak, the number of flood evacuees increased to 868 people from 237 families as of 10am compared to 642 from 188 families reported last night.
They are being housed at 13 PPS including three newly-opened centres, namely the Kampung Padang Tembak multipurpose hall in Hilir Perak; SK Titi Gantong in Perak Tengah and the Kampung Piandang community hall in Kinta.
However, several districts continued to record a decrease in the number of evacuees, particularly at the SMK Abd Rahman Talib (SMART) Batu 4 PPS; SK Changkat Lobak; Sekolah Agama Rakyat Padang Serai; the SMK Raja Shahriman Beruas hall and SAR Shafie Batu Hampar.
In Selangor, the state civil defence force disaster management committee secretariat reported as of 8am that the number of evacuees had dropped to 1,625 individuals from 401 families compared to 1,905 from 471 families at midnight last night, involving seven districts.
Twenty-three PPS were opened: six in Sepang, four in Kuala Selangor, three each in Sabak Bernam, Klang and Petaling, and two each in Hulu Langat and Kuala Langat. In Johor, the district disaster management committee said the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 289 people from 72 families, housed at five PPS in Tangkak, Kluang and Segamat, as of 8am.
"A total of 39 people are at the Kampung Batu Badak hall and 14 people at the Tasek community hall, Segamat. Only six people are still at the Kampung Ithnin Maarof hall in Kluang.
"SK Simpang 5 Darat and Sekolah Agama Simpang 5 Darat in Tangkak are currently housing 122 and 108 evacuees respectively," the committee said in a statement today.
It also said that four rivers in the state were at the warning level, namely Sungai Lenik (Ladang Cha'ah) and Sungai Muar (Kampung Awat) in Segamat, Sungai Tangkak (Kampung Seri Makmur) in Tangkak, and Sungai Sembrong (Batu 2 Sembrong) in Batu Pahat.
In Kelantan, according to the Social Welfare Department’s disaster info portal, the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 1,053 people from 364 families. They are being accommodated at six PPS in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.
The PPS involved are SK Tok Deh, SK Kubang Kual, Putat Tujoh, Mukim Padang Licin Mosque, SK Gual Periok and SK Gual Tinggi.
In Sarawak, the number of flood evacuees remained unchanged at 123 as of 7am, involving 39 families from Jalan Medamit, Limbang.
According to the Sarawak disaster management committee, the evacuees have been placed at the Medamit community hall PPS.
In Melaka, 44 people from 10 families were still housed at one PPS this morning, according to the state disaster management committee secretariat.
The secretariat, in a statement, said the evacuees were from the Alor Gajah district and were being accommodated at the Durian Tunggal state constituency development and coordination committee office.


Locals nervous of infection spikes as UK students return ready to party

Residents of university cities are afraid the return of students soon will lead to coronavirus spikes in their area, a UK survey shows.In Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Carolyn Hodson of a neighbourhood residents group said, “There is a certain amount of fear. We have seen a lot of irresponsible groups of young people gathering in large numbers, having parties in the park and leaving a mess for others to clear up.”She added, “We have a very large Chinese student population who always tend to wear masks and work hard, keeping themselves to themselves. But the same can’t be said of our homegrown students who are more of a partying mentality and find it difficult to stick to the rules.”In the UK, students usually prefer to attend universities far from home, in a bid for freedom from parents for the first time in their lives.First-year students tend to live in university halls of residence rooms which are strictly monitored.Older students usually have to move out into rented accommodation spread around the town, and it is these suddenly unrestricted youngsters, and the high jinks they might get up to, who worry locals.Linda Lovell, of a residents’ association in Durham in the north of England, said, “The anxiety in Durham is that the university is very big for such a small city, so it’s a lot of excited young people suddenly landing in quite a small city centre.”She added, “I don’t think there’s any particular anti-student feeling. Most locals feel rather sorry for them because it’s not going to be great for them this year.”Polling organisation Survation surveyed the opinions of 1,000 people living in 25 towns and cities with large student populations. These included Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester, all cities where increased lockdown restrictions have been put in place.Half of those polled said it might be better if students stayed in their hometowns and attended online lectures until the country is out of the woods.However, it is unlikely that universities will opt for that approach.So residents of university towns up and down the country will be holding their breath as thousands of students arrive ready to party.


No decision yet on PAS using PN logo in GE15, says Tuan Ibrahim

PAS is still undecided on whether to use the Perikatan Nasional (PN) logo in the 15th general election (GE15), the party’s deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said yesterday.He said the use of the PN logo was just a suggestion by several quarters and that the matter had not been finalised by the party.“But the party will discuss (the use of the PN logo). PAS candidates used the PN logo in the Johor and Melaka state elections,” he told reporters in Pantai Marang.He was commenting on PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement on July 2 that Bersatu and PAS had decided to use the PN logo in GE15.Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, said the matter had been agreed to by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.


17 deaths reported as daily caseload hovers at 1,700

Another 1,737 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,992,168.
There were 3,338 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,930,524.
There are now 24,960 active cases, of which 23,018 or 92.2% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,848 (7.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 94 are in ICU with 57 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another 17 deaths were reported, including six who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,684.


Organiser of Perak DAP convention called in by cops over commotion

The police have called the organiser of the 19th Perak DAP convention for investigation over the commotion that occurred at the event at the Ipoh Convention Centre last Sunday.Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said based on investigations, the convention was attended by 1,731 delegates, which was less than the maximum capacity of 4,500 people allowed in the hall.“We are now analysing the videos and photographs taken at the scene to identify the individuals and offences for violation of the SOPs of the conditional movement control order,” he said in a statement today.He said an investigation paper had also been opened under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 which, once complete, would be referred to the deputy public prosecutor for further instruction.“The public should not make any speculations or irresponsible statements on the case for fear of disrupting the police investigation,” he added.The commotion broke out at the convention on March 14 following an allegation on the presence of phantom voters.


Oct 20 meeting for EC to set GE15, Bugaya by-election dates

A special meeting to discuss and set the important dates for the 15th general election (GE15) and the state by-election for Bugaya in Sabah will be held on Oct 20.
Election Commission (EC) secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak said the meeting, to be chaired by EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh, will be held at 10am at Menara SPR in Putrajaya.
"The EC chairman will chair the meeting on the important dates pertaining to GE15 and the Bugaya by-election, such as the writ of election, dates of nomination and polling, electoral roll to be used, and other preparations for the two elections," he said in a statement today.
He said a press conference will be held immediately after the meeting.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of Parliament to make way for GE15.
According to Article 55 (4) of the Federal Constitution, a general election must be held within 60 days of the date of Parliament dissolution.


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