Daily caseload at 318, no new deaths reported

Another 318 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,033,943.
There were 331 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,986,643.
There are now 10,377 active cases, of which 9,960 or 96% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 398 (3.8%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 19 are in ICU with 15 in need of respiratory assistance.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the death toll unchanged at 36,923.


Nearly 4,000 evacuated in Johor as floods worsen

The flood situation in Johor has worsened with the number of evacuees rising to 3,967 people as of noon compared to 3,612 this morning.
The state disaster management committee said six more temporary relief centres (PPS) had been opened, bringing the total number of PPS to 41 in five districts.
"Segamat is the worst affected district, with 1,417 people from 399 families evacuated to 16 relief centres, followed by Kluang with 1,191 people from 341 families at 11 PPS," the committee said in a statement.
In Kota Tinggi, 568 people from 138 families are seeking shelter at six relief centres, while in Mersing, 640 people from 194 families are being housed at four PPS. In Batu Pahat, 151 people from 32 families are at two relief centres, while two PPS were opened in Muar in preparation for possible floods.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a danger-level continuous heavy rain warning for the Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Bahru districts.
The Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Pontian districts meanwhile are expected to receive heavy rainfall today.
Three rivers in Johor have passed the danger level with an upward trend: Sungai Muar (the river mouth of Sungai Gemas) which is at a 19.13m, Sungai Segamat (Segamat Kecil) at a level of 37.55m, and Sungai Kahang (Kampung Contoh) at 15.7m.


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Beijing sees record Covid cases as China outbreak spirals

China's capital Beijing posted a record number of new Covid cases on Tuesday, with the city hunkering down under a tightening chokehold of restrictions that have sent schools online, closed many restaurants and forced employees to work from home.
More than 28,000 new infections were reported nationwide – nearing the record high since the pandemic began – with Guangdong province and the city of Chongqing logging over 16,000 and 6,300 cases respectively, health authorities said.
New cases in Beijing have also jumped in recent days, more than doubling from 621 on Sunday to Tuesday's 1,438 – a pandemic record for the city.
The last major economy still welded to a zero-tolerance Covid policy, China enforced snap lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines to control outbreaks to great success in the earlier stages of the pandemic.
But the latest spiralling outbreak is testing the limits of that playbook, with officials keen to avoid citywide lockdowns like Shanghai's two-month ordeal in April, which marred the finance hub's economy and international image.
Three elderly Beijing residents with underlying diseases died from Covid over the weekend, authorities said, marking China's first Covid deaths since May.
While the capital has so far avoided a blanket shutdown, there have been widely enforced snap lockdowns of individual buildings and long PCR testing queues due to the requirement for a 24-hour negative test for entry to most public spaces.
Over the weekend, authorities advised residents to stay and home and not travel between districts. And on Monday required travellers to the city to test more times after they arrive.
Many tourist attractions, gyms and parks have been closed, with large-scale events such as concerts cancelled.
China declared its most significant easing of coronavirus measures to date on Nov 11, billed as an "optimisation" to limit the economic and social impact of zero-Covid measures.
Among the steps was a reduction of compulsory quarantine times for international arrivals.
Multiple Chinese cities cancelled mass Covid testing last week but some later reinstated them, underlining the difficulty of controlling the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
Shijiazhuang, which had previously cancelled mass testing, began a partial lockdown Monday after cases surged, while several districts of southern epicentre Guangzhou also locked down the same day.
The limited relaxation has not marked a reversal of zero-Covid, which has left China internationally isolated, wreaked havoc on the economy, and sparked protests in a country where dissent is routinely crushed.


North Korea's Kim demands more farmland to boost food production

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered improvements to infrastructure and expansion of farmland to ramp up food production, state media said on Thursday, amid warnings of an impending food crisis.
Kim gave instructions to revamp irrigation systems, build modern farming machines and create more arable land as he wrapped up the seventh enlarged plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Committee on Wednesday.
The meeting began on Sunday to discuss the "urgent" task of improving the agricultural sector.
South Korea has warned of an exacerbating food crisis in the isolated North, including a recent surge in deaths from hunger in some regions.
North Korea's economy has been battered by floods and typhoons, sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, and a sharp decline in trade with China amid border closures and Covid-19 lockdowns.
South Korea's rural development agency estimated the North's crop production fell nearly 4% last year from the year before, citing heavy summer rains and other economic conditions.
Kim laid out plans and specific tasks to build "rich and highly-civilised socialist rural communities with advanced technology and modern civilisation," the official KCNA news agency said.
He stressed the need to tighten discipline in implementing the national economic plan, warning against "practices of weakening the organisational and executive power of the cabinet," and ordered all party units to "get their working efficiency verified," KCNA said.
The Central Committee also discussed ways to improve the country's financial management, KCNA said, without elaborating.


We need our money back, say AirAsia passengers struggling with pandemic hardships

Two years ago, a number of passengers who had booked tickets with low-cost airline AirAsia had their flights cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak which saw domestic and international borders closed in an attempt to halt the virus’ spread.Now, mired in financial hardships due to the economic slump caused by the global pandemic, they are pleading for their refunds, asking AirAsia’s management to understand the difficulty of their situation.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said it seemed as though the airline did not care about their misfortunes or understand the plight of those who truly needed their money back to survive the lingering effects of the pandemic.Low Pui San, from Kuala Lumpur, spent more than RM4,000 in November 2019 on tickets to South Korea for a family vacation that never materialised.The flight, scheduled for Nov 1, 2020, was cancelled due to the movement restrictions and border closures that followed the onset of Covid-19.“For me, RM4,000 is a lot of money,” Low, 37, told MalaysiaNow.“I want to get my money back to keep in case of emergencies.”And she fears that such situations might occur sooner rather than later as her household income has been severely affected. Even now, she has been dipping into her savings in order to purchase basic necessities.Nicholas Chan, 32, paid RM2,000 for two tickets to Tokyo. Today, he is still waiting to get his money back.“This issue has dragged on for two years already,” he said. “Personally, I am upset. I don’t think I will choose this airline again even if it gives attractive offers.“I hope AirAsia X will be more responsible,” he added. “If it had refunded its passengers immediately, it wouldn’t have gotten this negative image.”Businessman Muhammad Zulfadli Mohd Noor spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to communicate with AVA – AirAsia’s AI-based chatbot.But his efforts ended in disappointment and he has yet to receive a refund for the RM3,036 he spent on tickets to South Korea.“After my flight scheduled for June 29, 2020 was cancelled, I kept trying to contact AVA but I was told that my case had been resolved,” the 33-year-old said.Zulfadli also lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) but was told to wait for the High Court decision on the company’s debt restructuring application.Eunice Lee from Melaka meanwhile bought tickets to Taipei, Taiwan, but was told in an email that the company could not refund her, provide credit or reschedule her flight as long as the court did not make a decision.The email also referred to the restructuring application made by AirAsia X, adding that passengers would be treated as creditors throughout the court process.“It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “We bought tickets from airasia.com not to become their creditors. We just wanted to use their flight services.“The management has been highly irresponsible. We bought tickets, our flights were cancelled, and then they brought up the restructuring and refused to return the money which we earned by our own hard work.”Low meanwhile said that although AirAsia could legally defer passenger refunds, this would be an unethical move.“Why should we pay for services that cannot be used?” Low, who had flown with AirAsia many times over the past 10 years, asked.“It doesn’t make any sense. AirAsia should prioritise the interests of its passengers because we are the company’s lifeblood.”MalaysiaNow has contacted AirAsia for a response.BoycottMeanwhile, other disgruntled passengers, fed up with waiting for their refunds, said they were ready to boycott the low-cost airline.Tommy Nagao, an English tuition teacher from Japan, said he had tried for two years to recover the 76,880 yen (RM2,623) which he had spent on flight tickets to Bangkok.After trying every available approach, he said, he had given up.He said many passengers felt cheated by the airline and had resolved not to use its services anymore.“It’s unacceptable for a company to take its customers’ money and then provide no explanation or reason,” he said.“I understand that many, including companies, have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but this sort of thing is unacceptable and I don’t understand how it has been able to avoid action against it.”Nagao said he had also applied for a refund from Lion Air Thailand.“I got that refund,” he said. “But I’m still waiting for AirAsia to give me back my money.”Karen Drummond, from Perth, Australia, said she had received an email from AirAsia informing her that the refund process would be resolved within 12 to 16 weeks.Drummond, 49, said AirAsia also encouraged her to accept payment in the form of account credit as this would be quicker. Nevertheless, she said, she insisted on receiving her money back.Today, she has yet to receive a single sen despite the constant emails and messages she sends through the airline’s social media.“I guarantee that I will never use this airline again, and I will advise my family and friends to do the same,” she said.“AirAsia wants its passengers to abide by its terms and conditions but it is the one breaking them.”Drummond said she had also lodged a complaint with Mavcom, to which she had received a response.“I will provide some additional information to help Mavcom process my complaint,” she said, adding nonetheless that AirAsia’s refusal to refund passengers’ money was an unethical move.Claire Harris, from the UK, said she had spent US$111.71 (RM486.89) on a ticket from Cebu to Boracay in the Philippines. The payment was made on Sept 8, 2019 for a flight scheduled on May 15, 2020.Acknowledging that this might not be a large sum, she nonetheless said that it was a matter of principles.“Of course, the refund process would take a long time because of the number of applications, but two years is unacceptable,” she said.


Israelis revive flashpoint West Bank settlement

Israelis started reviving a flashpoint outpost settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday, AFP journalists said, constructing a building at the site which has drawn international attention.
Using a truck, diggers and an earth roller, work got underway to erect a portable building at the northern West Bank site.
AFP journalists saw Israeli soldiers guarding around 20 people carrying out construction work at the Homesh site, which Israel evacuated nearly two decades ago.
The latest development comes weeks after the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged his government had no plans to reconstruct the site, after a parliamentary vote on the matter sparked ire abroad.
It was hailed as a "moving historic moment" by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – an extreme-right settler.
Lawmakers in March voted to annual part of a law which banned Israelis from living in areas of the West Bank which the state evacuated in 2005, the same year Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip.
"The government has no intention of establishing new communities in these areas," Netanyahu's office said in March.
Israel's military occupation of the West Bank has been in force since the 1967 Six-Day War.
Neither the army nor the defence ministry commented on their role in Monday's developments at Homesh when contacted by AFP.
The civilians at the site refused to discuss the matter when approached by AFP journalists.
The US, Israel's top ally, said this month it was "deeply troubled by the Israeli government's order that allows its citizens to establish a permanent presence in the Homesh outpost".
Washington and the wider international community view Israeli settlements build in the Palestinian territories as illegal and a barrier to peace.
The European Union last week pressed Israel to "cease the policy of settlement expansion" and condemned increased settler violence against Palestinians.


Increase in sporadic Covid cases, deaths, says Noor Hisham

Malaysia has been seeing a trend of sudden increases in Covid-19 cases and deaths, especially since April 1 this year, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.He said the situation was worrying as the majority of new infections and deaths were sporadic cases.He said sporadic cases are cases detected within communities which cannot be linked to any existing cases or clusters.“The health ministry is urging the public to take this situation seriously as the spread of Covid-19 is within communities including at shopping complexes, workplaces and so on.“They need to understand that anyone could be infected with Covid-19, wherever they are. As a result, we can see the increase in sporadic cases and fatalities within communities,” he said in a statement.Noor Hisham said based on analysis, the number of such cases remained high during the 22nd epidemiology week until June 5 with 52,040 new cases recorded, 84.3% of which were sporadic cases.“It shows a clear increase from the 8,968 new cases with 52% sporadic cases from the 13th epidemiology week or until April 3,” he added.Noor Hisham also noted that the cumulative fatalities from Covid-19 had risen from week to week, from the 22nd epidemiology week with 641 cases recorded including 559 sporadic cases compared to 35 fatalities including 26 sporadic ones in the 13th epidemiology week or until April 3.“One of the factors contributing to this situation was the emergence of new variants of the virus within communities with higher infectivity and fatality rates, besides the wider spread of Covid-19 within communities compared to the previous epidemiology week,” he said.Noor Hisham said the public should continue to be consistent in complying with the SOPs and the government’s call for them to stay at home and to only go out when necessary.“They are encouraged to wear double face masks, especially in crowded public places with poor ventilation, and also a face shield at high-risk public places like hospitals and clinics,” he added.


Pandemic prompts Canada to offer route to citizenship for more people

Canada has recently moved to offer permanent residency to more foreigners living and working in the country.It’s a short-term solution to the economic problems brought on by a pandemic-related immigration slowdown, analysts say.With travel restrictions in place, visa offices closed, and immigration applications piling up, the Canadian government will likely not be able to attract its target of a record 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021.Economists say the move will not have a noticeable impact on Canada’s economic growth and is not a fix to the country’s long-term demographic challenges, including an aging population.“In the short-term, it’s nice that they’re targeting these sorts of people. It’s really just a change of status  for them,” said Andrew Agopsowicz, a senior economist at the Royal Bank of Canada.Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told Reuters last week that the pandemic limitations mean “we need to look at the talent pool that is already within our borders”.In January, Canada welcomed 26,600 new permanent residents, most of whom were already in the country. That was 10% more than in the same period a year ago.Mendicino said January’s numbers indicate the country can meet its 2021 target, but others disagree.Canada has relied for decades on temporary workers to help meet the needs of its labour market, providing pathways for some of them to remain in the country.Mendicino argues the push to boost the numbers of permanent residents by drawing on temporary ones is more than cosmetic. “The real benefits are derived once they put roots down and become more established in these jobs,” he told Reuters.The emergence of Covid-19 revealed gaps in Canada’s immigration system when it comes to temporary residents who are exploitable but also essential, said Harald Bauder, a professor at Ryerson University in Toronto. A path to permanent residency for them is needed, he added.Mendicino said Canada may offer such a path for agricultural workers, who are frequently marginalised or excluded from such routes to immigration.Some critics argue the government’s actions don’t safeguard vulnerable workers who are often employed in high-risk, low-wage jobs with little protection from such things as a pandemic and who tend not to qualify for permanent residency programs.“The actual system, or the path to PR (permanent residency), hasn’t changed,” said Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.Canada will “certainly” rely on its current strategy through 2021 and 2022, said Mendicino, adding that the focus on turning temporary residents into permanent members of Canadian society could signal a long-term shift.Critics argue the strategy excludes too many vulnerable people.


At least 8 children, one teacher killed in mass shooting at Russia school

At least eight schoolchildren and a teacher have been killed in a shooting at a school in the Russian city of Kazan, says the BBC.Reports of the number of deaths varied, but officials have confirmed at least eight children were killed. Many more were wounded and taken to hospital.Witnesses told state media that there had been an explosion before the shooting began, although it was not immediately clear what caused the blast. “There is heavy smoke,” an emergency services source told TASS.A teenager was detained after the attack at the school, located 820km east of Moscow in the mainly Muslim republic of Tatarstan.Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov described the shooting as a “tragedy”.Responding to the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would review Russia’s gun control laws.The shooting happened at School No. 175 on Tuesday. Heavily armed police and emergency vehicles responded to the incident.Footage shared on social media showed some children jumping from windows to escape. Russian TV reported that two of the children died after jumping from a second-floor window.Reports initially said that there were two gunmen, one of whom had been killed, but officials later said there was only one suspect.Minnikhanov said the victims included four male and three female eighth-grade students. His press service later added that a teacher was also killed.He told reporters outside the school that in addition to the fatalities, 12 children and four adults were being treated in hospital.“The terrorist has been arrested. He’s 19. He’s a registered firearm owner,” he said.One video on social media captured a teenager lying on the ground apparently being detained outside the building.While school shootings are relatively rare in Russia, there have been several violent attacks on schools in recent years, mostly carried out by students, says the AP.


Backlash after Pakistan PM links rape to how women dress

Pakistan rights campaigners have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of “baffling ignorance” after the former playboy cricketer blamed how women dress for a rise in rape cases.In a weekend interview on live television, Oxford-educated Khan said an increase in rapes indicated the “consequences in any society where vulgarity is on the rise”.“The incidents of rape of women… (have) actually very rapidly increased in society,” he said.He advised women to cover up to prevent temptation.“This entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation, not everyone has the willpower to avoid it,” he said, using a term that can refer to modest dress or the segregation of the sexes.Hundreds have signed a statement circulating online Wednesday calling Khan’s comments “factually incorrect, insensitive and dangerous”.“Fault rests solely with the rapist and the system that enables the rapist, including a culture fostered by statements such as those made by (Khan),” the statement said.The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent rights watchdog, said Tuesday it was “appalled” by the comments.“Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes,” it said.Pakistan is a deeply conservative country where victims of sexual abuse are often viewed with suspicion and criminal complaints are rarely seriously investigated.Much of the country lives under an “honour” code where women who bring “shame” on the family can be subjected to violence or murder.It regularly ranks among the worst places in the world for gender equality.Nationwide protests erupted last year when a police chief admonished a gang-rape victim for driving at night without a male companion.The Franco-Pakistani mother was assaulted in front of her children on the side of a motorway after her car ran out of fuel.Last year, Khan was also criticised after another television appearance where he failed to challenge a Muslim cleric’s insistence that coronavirus had been unleashed because of the wrongdoings of women.The latest controversy comes as the organisers behind International Women’s Day marches battle what they have called a coordinated disinformation campaign against them, including doctored images and videos circulated online.It has led to blasphemy accusations – a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan where allegations have previously led mobs to attack people.The organisers of the annual rally have called for the prime minister to intervene.In his weekend TV appearance, Khan also blamed divorce rates in Britain on the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” culture that began in the 1970s, when the twice-divorced Khan was gaining a reputation in London as a playboy.


Mask violaters in Philippines face arrest after president’s order

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered police to arrest anyone not wearing a mask properly, including below the nose, as the country battles to contain surging coronavirus infections.Duterte issued the directive after a meeting with his Covid-19 task force – where everyone except him can be seen wearing the mandatory face covering – an official video released late Wednesday showed.Thousands of people have been punished for violating Covid-19 rules since the end of March, when restrictions were tightened in the capital and surrounding provinces after a spike in cases.The justice secretary and police chief have urged officers to fine offenders or make them do community service instead of arresting them, following the death of a man forced to do a hundred squats as punishment for breaking curfew.But Duterte said police should get tough on rule breakers and arrest those not wearing a mask properly – including those who leave their nose exposed.“My orders to the police are those who are not wearing their masks properly… arrest them and detain them, investigate why they are doing it,” Duterte said.“It’s not for me, it’s not for us. It’s for the interest of the country so you won’t infect and you won’t be infected.”Duterte last year told security forces to shoot dead anyone causing “trouble” in areas under lockdown, drawing condemnation from rights groups.Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque confirmed the arrest order on Thursday, saying violators could be held for up to 12 hours without charge.Rights group Karapatan slammed the latest directive as “brazenly unscientific and ineffective” as well as a “disproportionate use of force”.“Overcongestion and inhumane conditions in the country’s detention facilities already pose risks to the health of prisoners – and detaining hundreds of alleged violators in these cramped facilities where physical distancing is impossible to observe would only facilitate the rapid spread of infectious diseases such as Covid-19,” it said in a statement.Police and soldiers have played a key role in the country’s pandemic response, setting up checkpoints and deploying thousands of personnel to enforce stay-at-home orders.The Philippines’ caseload of more a million infections is the second-highest in Southeast Asia.


Children among 30% of population who won’t get vaccine

Children will not be vaccinated against Covid-19, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today in announcing the purchase of more vaccines from global pharmaceutical companies.Khairy said with the new supplies, the government would surpass its target to achieve 70% herd immunity in the population.He said children would be among the remaining 30% of the population who will not be administered the vaccine.“I would like to explain that most of the clinical tests were done only on adults. There have been no clinical trials on children for the vaccine,” said Khairy.He said Putrajaya’s Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee which he co-chairs does not recommend that children be given the vaccines.“So we can take out 20-30% of the population (who will be getting the vaccines). So we will have enough (vaccines) for all the adult population who are eligible.”Meanwhile, Khairy said the special committee will submit a National Vaccination Plan to the Cabinet early next month detailing how the Covid-19 vaccinations will be implemented nationwide.The plan, he said, will include details on the hospitals where the vaccines will be available as well as the registration process for the public.He said the government will announce its policy on vaccination for foreign workers and expatriates.“All this is being detailed and will be announced, including on logistics and storage,” said Khairy, adding that the government would make use of ultra-cold freezers to store the Pfizer vaccine which must be kept at -70 degrees Celsius.‘We did our best’Khairy said the government had to source its Covid-19 vaccine supply from multiple companies as no single one could meet the amount needed for the whole of Malaysia.He said more wealthy countries such as Canada and Singapore had already acquired their vaccines from a single company.“They can offer more and they can make decisions because their budgets are bigger than ours.“Canada purchased enough vaccine for a 500% coverage of its population. Our wallet is not that big. So I am forced to negotiate with prudence.“We are neither a rich nor a poor nation, but we have done our best.“We are not the fastest, but we won’t be the slowest,” Khairy added.


Indonesia dismisses concerns over US$32 billion capital city project

A top Indonesian official pledged on Wednesday that construction on a new capital city deep within the jungles of Borneo island would not stall when the presidency changes hands next year as new incentives were unveiled to encourage investment.
Southeast Asia's largest country will officially declare the city, called Nusantara, its new capital in the first half of 2024, the head of the Nusantara authority Bambang Susantono said during a visit to the site in Kalimantan in eastern Borneo.
He was speaking from Sepaku, a district within the capital where over 7,000 workers operating excavators and cranes were laying foundations for a new presidential palace in an area surrounded by eucalyptus forests for pulp and paper production.
Nusantara is President Joko Widodo's flagship project and is envisioned as a green, smart city spanning nearly 260,000 hectares (642,474 acres) to replace the current overcrowded and rapidly sinking capital of Jakarta on Java island.
However, with a US$32 billion (RM144.78 billion) price tag and the Covid-19 pandemic delaying progress, some investors have expressed concern that development may lose momentum after Widodo ends his second and final five-year term in office in 2024.
Asked whether the capital would continue under a new leader, Bambang told reporters: "My answer is yes, absolutely," as he cited the law backing the project.
Under an incentives' package announced on Wednesday, the government will remove corporate tax for companies investing at least 10 billion rupiah (US$647,660, RM2.93 million) in some sectors for 10 to 30 years, with the longest tax holiday applied to infrastructure and public services up until 2035.
Tax cuts will also be given to foreign companies moving their headquarters to Nusantara and financial firms setting up in its financial zone.
Research and development costs will be tax deductible, while import taxes on capital goods will be removed, among other incentives.
The government will also provide land rights for 95 years, extendable by the same period, far longer than elsewhere in Indonesia.
The capital's success hinges on private sector involvement, with only 20% of costs being shouldered by the state.
"I think that investors would love to see that the government goes first, so that's why most of the buildings and facilities in 2024 is being paid by the state budget," Bambang said.
While no private deals have been signed, there have been more than 100 letters of interest from domestic and foreign companies including from Malaysia, China and the US, said Agung Wicaksono, Nusantara's deputy chief for funding and investment.
A palace, a presidential office, a town square and four ministerial buildings would be ready by August, 2024, when Indonesia celebrates its 79th independence day, according to chief urban planner Vallin Tsarina.
There remains some way to go, however.
Budi Kurniawan, deputy project manager for construction at the palace, said progress at that site had so far reached just 8%.


Defence objects to Sri Ram arguing for himself against Rosmah’s disqualification bid

Rosmah Mansor’s defence team today objected to Gopal Sri Ram’s attempt to argue for himself in Rosmah’s application to disqualify him as the lead prosecutor in her money laundering and tax evasion trial.Rosmah’s counsel Mohamed Reza Rahim told High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan that it might involve a conflict of interest as Sri Ram was the subject matter in the case.“It also contravenes Rule 5 Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978. We were taken by complete surprise when my friend (Sri Ram) decided to make a U-turn,” he said, adding that the defence team had been unaware of the matter.Meanwhile, Sri Ram countered that he had received instruction from the attorney-general to submit in the case.“I received instructions from (deputy public prosecutor) Ahmad Akram this afternoon and the instructions came from the AG. He (Akram) said he would feel comfortable if I submited in my own case… However, I leave it to the court to decide,” said Sri Ram.Today was fixed for hearing of the prosecution’s preliminary objection against the disqualification application by Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak.The court will also hear Rosmah’s second application to recuse Zaini and stay the trial pending the outcome of her appeal in the Court of Appeal to disqualify the judge.The judge adjourned today’s proceedings and fixed tomorrow to hear the matters.This is the second time Rosmah has filed an application after Zaini – who also presided over her solar hybrid trial – rejected her application to recuse himself from hearing the trial on Dec 14 last year.Rosmah filed a notice of motion on Jan 27 this year to disqualify Sri Ram from leading the prosecution team in her money laundering and tax evasion trial.In her supporting affidavit, Rosmah claimed that Attorney-General Idrus Harun had acted beyond his jurisdiction when he appointed Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor to lead the investigations into the 1MDB scandal and the prosecution of those involved.Rosmah said after examining the former Federal Court judge’s letter of appointment as the senior deputy public prosecutor, dated May 21, 2021, under Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, she had found that the appointment did not refer to her case.She said if the court was of the view that Idrus had acted in an orderly manner in line with his statutory powers, then Sri Ram was not a “fit and proper” individual to prosecute the case.Rosmah, 70, is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, Jalan Ampang between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, and at LHDN at Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.


Opposition bench empty in Dewan as MPs head to Putrajaya in show of support for Muhyiddin

Nearly all of the seats at the opposition bench were empty during the morning session of today's Dewan Rakyat sitting as MPs made their way to Putrajaya in a show of support for Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin ahead of his questioning at the anti-graft agency.
The former prime minister is scheduled to meet with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at 11am.
This followed allegations of abuse in stimulus programmes launched under his leadership at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars approved by Muhyiddin, including Covid-19 relief programmes, alleging they did not follow proper procedures.
Muhyiddin himself denied the accusations, describing them as political vendetta.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that Muhyiddin could be arrested and brought to court as early as today, although the nature of the charge was not immediately clear.
MACC has so far arrested and charged former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan and another party leader.
It has also frozen Bersatu's accounts as part of its investigation into the alleged abuses.


Indonesia landslide death toll rises to 30

The death toll from a landslide on a remote Indonesian island rose to 30 after rescuers found more bodies on Thursday, an official said.
The landslide struck Monday on Serasan Island, located in the Natuna region between Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.
"As of 11.50am (0450 GMT) today, nine bodies have been found," local government spokesperson Patli Muhamad told AFP.
The bodies were found buried under the rubble and landslide debris at Pangkalan village, Muhamad said, adding that 24 people are still missing.
Muhamad said the poor weather that had previously hampered search and rescue efforts had improved and communication lines were also being gradually restored.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, aggravated in some places by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rain has caused flooding in different areas of the archipelago nation.
Experts say the country's weather-related disasters are likely being made worse by climate change.
The head of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto, who goes by one name, said the Natuna district government had agreed to relocate dozens of families away from the affected area to mitigate the risks from future disasters.
Meanwhile, floods further south in Banjar district, in the Indonesian part of Borneo, have inundated more than 17,000 houses and disrupted lives for a month.
Neighbouring Malaysia has also been hit with torrential rains and floods. Nearly 41,000 people were evacuated last week in several states of the country.


Militia plot to ‘kidnap and try’ Michigan governor busted by FBI

A plot to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state capitol and incite violence has been foiled by the FBI, who arrested 13 right-wing militia members.The Wolverine Watchmen militia group allegedly intended to take Governor Gretchen Whitmer hostage and try her for treason.On Thursday, they were charged with violating the state’s anti-terrorism act by conspiring to kidnap the governor and propagate violence.In a press conference on Thursday, the governor linked the plot against her to the rhetoric of President Donald Trump, saying he had spent the last several months “stoking distrust, fomenting anger and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division”.She accused Trump of encouraging extremist groups, saying, “When our leaders meet with, encourage and fraternise with domestic terrorists, they legitimise their actions”White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hit back, insisting that Trump condemns all forms of hate. “Governor Whitmer is sowing division by making these outlandish allegations,” she said.The Wolverine Watchmen militia group, which recruits through Facebook, is firearms-trained and ready to rise up against the government, according to the FBI.Numerous violent incidents have been linked to similar citizen militia groups across the US in recent years. The movement became prominent in the mid-1990s and surged again with the growth of social media, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow with the ADL, said militia movements generally support Trump and therefore they have shifted their anger away from the federal government, where it is traditionally aimed, now targeting state governments and leaders instead.“In that sense, it’s not surprising that a militia cell might decide to target a high-profile Democratic governor,” he said.Michigan is a key swing state in the 2020 presidential race.


Mexican cartel says sorry for attack on Americans, bodies return to US

Suspected drug cartel members on Thursday handed over five purported henchmen as a would-be apology for the abduction of four Americans in the border city of Matamoros, according to media and a source familiar with the investigation.
Two of the Americans and a Mexican woman died after gunmen opened fire on the US citizens shortly after their arrival in Matamoros on Friday. The four Americans were found on Monday on the edge of the city, by which time two of them were dead.
Mexican officials gave the bodies of the two dead men, identified as Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, to US officials in Matamoros on Thursday afternoon, and they were taken across the border into the US, a Reuters witness said.
An internal government document seen by Reuters indicated that a faction of Mexico's Gulf Cartel was likely responsible for the kidnappings and that the gunmen may have believed that the Americans were encroaching on the gang's turf.
Mexican newspapers and social media published photos of a letter attributed to a different faction of the cartel in which it apologised for the events in Matamoros, and said it was handing over five men who were involved in the kidnappings.
The letter was left alongside five men with their hands tied in Matamoros, the photos showed. The Mexican source familiar with the investigation confirmed the handover, expressing skepticism the five were the ones responsible for the attack.
The attorney general's office of Tamaulipas, the state where Matamoros lies, declined to comment on the reports.
Separately, the state attorney general's office said its investigation indicated that the Americans were taken by their kidnappers to a clinic where they were given medical attention.
The Mexican source said the evidence suggested Woodard and Brown had probably died from injuries they suffered during the attack by the gunmen in Matamoros on Friday. Their two surviving companions returned to the US earlier this week.
Tamaulipas' attorney general said on Monday the abduction of the four was likely a case of mistaken identity, but authorities have yet to clearly set out the reasons for the attack.


Indians among country's poorest, deputy minister reminds govt

Three Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have called on the government to provide fair and equitable attention to the issue of poverty among the Indian community in Malaysia.
They said the fate of the Indian poor must be defended, especially on issues concerning citizenship, education and the role of the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) in safeguarding their welfare.
Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Saraswathy Kandasami said that while the government's efforts to eradicate extreme poverty span across all communities, the Indian community must be given full attention.
She said that it is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's mandate that no one is sidelined in the nation's development, adding that statistics found Indians had the highest rate of poverty in the peninsula.
Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran meanwhile touched on the misappropriation of funds within Mitra, an issue that has garnered wide attention from various parties, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, over the past several years.
"Since 2016, hundreds of millions of ringgit have been allocated to Mitra.
"These funds were meant to help the Indian community, especially the B40 group, but they have been misused by certain politicians and government officials," he said during a press conference in the Parliament lobby.
He said he had discussed the matter in the meeting earlier and called for a comprehensive investigation into possible embezzlement within the agency, adding that an internal audit process is underway.
"We hope the investigation will be conducted thoroughly so that those who have misappropriated funds for personal gain will be brought to court and action is taken against them."
In April, the PH-Barisan Nasional coalition government announced the appointment of Sungai Buloh MP Ramanan Ramakrishnan as Mitra's new special committee chairman under the Prime Minister's Department.


Beijing tells importers to avoid frozen food from Covid-19 blackspots

Beijing has told frozen food importing companies to avoid purchasing pre-packaged foodstuff from countries that are Covid-19 blackspots.“Customs and local authorities across the country have repeatedly detected coronavirus on imported frozen foods,” said the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.The bureau maintains this proves that imported cold chain foods are at risk of contamination.On Saturday, China Customs said that samples taken from the outer packaging of imported Russian aquatic products had tested positive for coronavirus.A day earlier, they announced that the inner packaging of a batch of frozen fish from Brazil had also tested positive for the virus.China this month suspended imports from seafood producers in Brazil, Indonesia and Russia out of concerns over contamination.The World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme has said, “People should not fear food or food packaging or the processing or delivery of food. It is highly unlikely that people can contract Covid-19 from food or food packaging.”According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of infection by the virus from food products, food packaging, or bags is “thought to be very low”.


When school SOPs are breached – but not just by students

When Putrajaya announced that schools would be reopening in stages from March 1 despite daily Covid-19 cases remaining firmly in the four-figure zone, concerns were raised about compliance with health SOPs and whether the country would see a new spike in infections once tens of thousands of students started gathering for face-to-face classes once more.Two weeks after pupils began returning to the physical classroom, complaints are trickling in – but not about the students.It turns out that parents may be having a harder time complying with SOPs than their children.The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) says it has been receiving complaints about parents who do not maintain physical distancing in the school area.NUTP secretary-general Harry Tan Huat Hock told MalaysiaNow that many parents would crowd in front of the school gate when waiting to pick up their children after school.“Because these incidents happen outside the school gate, teachers no longer have control over them,” he said.His suggestion is for the police to patrol and monitor school areas.Pre-school and primary school students were allowed to return to school on March 1 following a protracted break from face-to-face classes due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“Because these incidents happen outside the school gate, teachers no longer have control over them.”Secondary school students will return to school on April 4 except for those in Form 5 who will return to the classroom on March 8.Nurul Mazlin Mohd Din, who teaches at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pilin in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, said she hoped parents would cooperate fully with school authorities.“From what we have observed for the past two weeks, there are some parents who view the SOPs as troublesome,” she said.She added that misunderstandings had occurred between parents and the school management over the dispersal of students from the morning session and religious classes in the afternoon session.She also said it was difficult to ensure that primary school students keep a safe distance between each other, especially those in Standard 1.But she is determined to find some sort of common ground between parents and students so that health SOPs are properly observed at school.Students and SOPsAt Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, students generally understand the SOPs and put them into practice, says mother Haryati Karim.She also appreciates the teachers’ efforts to implement the SOPs, including regular temperature checks for students.But while they obey their teachers’ instructions to wear face masks, use hand sanitiser, and maintain physical distancing in school, these SOPs often go out the window once they exit the school compound, she said.Haryati told MalaysiaNow that her daughter, Nur Hannah Hazrel Ezriq, doesn’t complain about the SOPs as she is eager to return to school.“As a mother, I always make sure Hannah has her face mask and hand sanitiser while she’s in school,” she added.As more and more students return to the classroom after months of online lessons, cooperation between teachers and parents will be more important than ever.Mohd Kamil Abdul Latiff, a spokesman for the Parent-Teacher Association at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kementah in Kuala Lumpur, said focus is being placed on SOP compliance on the school compound, especially for those in Standard 1 and 2 who are still new to the learning environment.“There is a lot that we can learn from this pandemic, especially in taking care of our health and adapting to societal norms,” he said.“It’s been a year since we’ve had to adapt to the new norm, so the vast majority of students are obeying instructions.”


'Close call' in shelling near nuclear reactor on Ukraine's frontline

Ukraine narrowly escaped disaster during fighting at the weekend that rocked Europe's largest atomic power plant with a barrage of shells, some falling near reactors and damaging a radioactive waste storage building, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
Russia and Ukraine on Monday traded blame for at least a dozen explosions at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which has been under Russian control since soon after it invaded the country on Feb 24 but is across the Dnipro river from areas controlled by Kyiv.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Nato members to guarantee protection from "Russian sabotage" at nuclear facilities. The head of Russia's state-run nuclear energy agency, Rosatom, said it had discussed Sunday's shelling with the IAEA, and said there was a risk of a nuclear accident.
The assault came as battles raged further east following Russian troop movements into the industrial Donbas region from around Ukraine's recently recaptured Kherson in the south.
Whoever fired on the plant was taking "huge risks and gambling with many people's lives", said Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Reuters could not immediately verify which side was responsible. The attacks also hit a cooling pond, a cable to one reactor and a bridge to another, according to an IAEA team on the ground citing information provided by plant management.
"We were fortunate a potentially serious nuclear incident did not happen. Next time, we may not be so lucky," Grossi said in a statement late on Sunday, describing the situation as a "close call".
"We are talking metres, not kilometres," he said.
Repeated shelling of the plant during the war has raised concern about a grave disaster in the country that suffered the world's worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chornobyl meltdown.
Radiation levels remained normal and there were no reports of casualties, the IAEA said. While there was no direct impact on nuclear safety and security systems, "the shelling came dangerously close", Grossi said.
Missile strikes
Russia's response to military setbacks in recent weeks has included a barrage of missile strikes, many on power facilities that have left much of the country without electricity as winter sets in and temperatures drop below freezing.
Zelensky said that half of the country's power capacity had been knocked out by Russian rockets.
Grossi spoke to world leaders and reiterated the need for a nuclear safety and security protection zone around Zaporizhzhia, the IAEA said.
CEO Alexei Likhachev said Rosatom been in negotiations with the IAEA "all night", Interfax reported.
Rosatom has controlled the facility through a subsidiary since President Vladimir Putin in October ordered Russia to formally seize the plant and transfer Ukrainian staff to a Russian entity. Kyiv says the transfer of assets amounts to theft.
Kyiv controls territory across the river from the power station, including the regional capital. The Zaporizhzhia plant itself and territory south of it fell to Russia in March.
The IAEA team plans to conduct an assessment on Monday, Grossi said.
The Zaporizhzhia plant provided about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity before Russia's invasion, and has been forced to operate on back-up generators a number of times. It has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235.
The reactors are shut down but there is a risk that nuclear fuel could overheat if the power driving the cooling systems is cut. Shelling has repeatedly cut power lines.
Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine fired at power lines supplying the plant. Ukraine's nuclear energy firm Energoatom said Russia's military shelled the site, accusing it of nuclear blackmail and actions that were "endangering the whole world".
'Fiercest battles'
In eastern Ukraine, Russian forces battered Ukrainian frontline positions with artillery fire, with the heaviest attacks in the Donetsk region, Zelensky said in a video address on Sunday evening.
Russia withdrew its forces from the southern city of Kherson this month and moved some of them to reinforce positions in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas.
"General Armageddon", as the commander who argued in favour of the withdrawal from Kherson is known, is now under growing pressure to prove it was worth it by making gains in the east.
Ukraine's military, in an early Monday update, confirmed heavy fighting over the previous 24 hours, saying its forces had repelled Russian attacks in the Donetsk region while Russian forces were shelling the Luhansk region and Kharkiv.
"The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there were fewer attacks today due to worsening weather, the amount of Russian shelling unfortunately remains extremely high," Zelensky said.
"In the Luhansk region, we are slowly moving forward while fighting. As of now, there have been almost 400 artillery attacks in the east since the start of the day," he said.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the battlefield reports.
In the south, Zelensky said troops were "consistently and very calculatedly destroying the potential of the occupiers" but gave no details.
Kherson city remains without electricity, running water or heating.
Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special operation" to demilitarise its neighbour. Kyiv and allies say the invasion is an unprovoked war of aggression.


Another Covid-19 case in White House

Another White House staffer has tested positive for coronavirus, US media reported Wednesday, the latest case among Donald Trump’s administration since last week’s election.Political director Brian Jack’s diagnosis came over the weekend, after he attended a Nov 3 election day event at the White House, CNN and the New York Times reported.Another advisor also tested positive, according to the newspaper, but was not identified nor was it stated if the person attended election night events at the president’s residence.These new cases come in addition to recent coronavirus-positive results for Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and aide David Bossie, who was tapped to lead the president’s legal challenges to the election results.In October, Trump himself tested positive for the virus, which has killed over 240,000 in the US, but quickly returned to the campaign trail after doctors gave him a battery of treatments, including an experimental antibody cocktail.Trump’s wife, son and multiple advisors and aides also have fallen ill with the virus since last month.The numbers of new infections, which topped 200,000 on Tuesday in the Johns Hopkins University tally, has smashed through records the past two weeks.


Indonesia rolls out tougher curbs as virus cases skyrocket

Indonesia imposed a partial lockdown Saturday in the capital Jakarta, across the main island of Java and on Bali as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections.Mosques, restaurants and shopping malls were shuttered in virus hotspots around the Muslim-majority country, which recorded more than 25,000 new cases and 539 deaths on Friday, both new daily records.Indonesia’s daily caseload has more than quadrupled in less than a month. But the country’s official tally to date, which stands at 2.2 million cases and 59,534 deaths, is widely believed to be a severe undercount due to low testing.The crisis has pushed Indonesia’s creaky healthcare system to the brink of collapse with makeshift tents set up outside jammed medical facilities.Hospital corridors are overflowing with the sick lying on gurneys, and infected patients have been turned away from hospitals unable to cope with the influx.The Delta variant of the virus, first identified in India and now present in at least 85 countries, has been driving the recent wave and accounted for more than 80% of new cases in some areas, the health ministry has said.The strain is the most contagious of any Covid-19 variant so far identified.“(The surge) is primarily because of the Delta variant,” health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Friday.“It is in every country – nobody is safe.”Experts previously warned that millions travelling nationwide at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in May would trigger an explosion of cases.The new measures announced by Indonesian President Joko Widodo this week are set to last until July 20 in hope of bringing daily infections below 10,000.Widodo, better known as Jokowi, had long resisted the strict lockdowns seen in other virus-wracked nations, saying they could tank Southeast Asia’s biggest economy where millions live hand-to-mouth.But all non-essential employees are now being ordered to work from home, while classes will only be held online.The curbs will also apply to holiday island Bali, hit by a recent jump in cases that has delayed plans to reopen to international tourists.Health experts warned that the tougher measures may not be enough.The restrictions still allow for often-jammed public transport to continue operating at a reduced capacity, while domestic sea, air and bus travel will be available for people who have received at least one vaccine dose.“How do you do physical distancing on public transportation?” said Indonesian epidemiologist Windhu Purnomo.“The government is still prioritising the economy by letting people move around.”


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Criminal court has no jurisdiction to nullify Rosmah’s corruption trial, says prosecution

A criminal court has no jurisdiction to grant the declaration order sought by Rosmah Mansor to nullify her corruption trial over a RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project, the Court of Appeal heard today.Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said Rosmah could only appeal against three types of decision by a criminal court: whether to quash a criminal charge for being groundless, acquit or convict the accused who is facing the criminal charge.“A criminal court is not empowered to issue declarations like those by a civil court. A criminal court cannot grant declarations and the appellant (Rosmah) should have filed a judicial review in a civil court for such a declaration,” he said before a three-member bench comprising Hanipah Farikullah, M Gunalan and Hashim Hamzah.Sri Ram raised this point in a preliminary objection on Rosmah’s appeal against the High Court’s decision on Sept 24 rejecting her application to nullify her corruption trial and to remove Sri Ram as the lead prosecutor in the case.Rosmah’s counsel Jagjit Singh countered that the issue of whether a criminal court could hear a declaratory order was being raised by the respondent (public prosecutor) for the first time, to which Sri Ram replied the issue could be brought at any time.Sri Ram said he was prepared to argue the matter by putting in written submissions, to which Jagjit had no objection.Hanipah then ordered both parties to file their written submissions by Nov 22 since the point raised by Sri Ram was critical and would have implications on the merit of Rosmah’s appeal.Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, is appealing against the High Court’s refusal to nullify her entire trial in an effort to be freed of all three charges and to remove Sri Ram as the lead prosecutor in the case.Rosmah is facing a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two charges of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through her former assistant Rizal Mansor as a reward for assisting Jepak Holdings to secure a RM1.25 billion project to equip 369 schools in rural Sarawak with solar hybrid power.On Oct 4, the Court of Appeal rejected Rosmah’s application to adjourn her corruption trial while waiting for the decision on the appeal.Rosmah, 69, then testified as a defence witness during the hearing held at the High Court on Oct 5. The trial is scheduled to resume on Dec 8.


No need for GE15 any time soon, says BN sec-gen

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa today said it was not necessary to hold the 15th general election (GE15) any time in the near future.He added that a lesson should be taken from the spread of Covid-19, which became more worrying after the Sabah state election.“When I was handling the election machinery in Sabah, non-compliance with SOPs did indeed take place, and when they returned to the peninsula, the spread of the plague occurred here.“This is proof which we cannot deny. So, given the experience of what took place in Sabah, an evaluation must be made by the National Security Council and National Disaster Management Agency,” he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.He was commenting on a study by Astro Awani which found that over 80% of internet users did not agree to GE15 being held in the near future.He also voiced hope that politicians would take measures to prioritise the safety and lives of the people.“Covid-19 is something that all countries are fighting against. Do not take this lightly, and let’s not prioritise the grabbing of political power,” he said.Annuar, who is federal territories minister, also said those living in Kuala Lumpur should practise voluntary movement control and travel only when necessary.“For example, I myself only go to the office for important matters and will reduce my movements if there is nothing else. It does not mean quarantine but control,” he said regarding the new Covid-19 cases yesterday.Two hundred and sixty new cases were recorded: 259 domestic infections involving 140 citizens and 129 non-citizens and one imported case.


Malaysia’s Covid cases on the downtrend as ICU usage, deaths decline

Malaysia has been recording a decline in Covid-19 cases with a decrease in number of new infections since the 34th epidemiology week (ME).Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in the 42nd ME (Oct 17 to Oct 23), new Covid-19 cases declined by 20.7% from 52,321 cases (41st ME) to 41,508 cases (42nd ME).“The average active cases also showed a decrease of 21% from 105,497 cases (41st ME) to 83,605 cases (42nd ME) while deaths dropped by 16.4% from 593 cases (41st ME) to 496 cases (42nd ME).“Cases requiring treatment in the ICU declined by 16.5%, that is 684 cases (41st ME) to 571 cases (42nd ME), while cases requiring respiratory assistance decreased by 14.4%, that is 292 cases (4st ME) to 250 cases (42nd ME) with the Covid-19 infectivity or R-naught (Rt) rate remaining stable at 0.88,” he said in a statement.He said a total of 56 clusters were reported for the 42nd ME involving workplaces (35), communities (nine), educational centres (seven), high-risk groups (three) and religious activities (two).Noor Hisham said most countries in Southeast Asia have recently shown a declining trend in COVID-19 cases although neighbouring Singapore and Brunei have shown an increase.He said the two countries have shown a higher case rate per million population than Malaysia (180.91 cases) at 584.86 cases (Singapore) and 499.88 cases (Brunei).“Therefore, although Malaysia shows a decline in cases, compliance with SOPs must continue to be practised to avoid a spike in cases such as in neighbouring countries after the reopening of education and economic sectors,” he said.Meanwhile, he said the health ministry had allocated 28,832 beds at Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centres (PKRCs), 15,241 regular ward beds, 1,374 ICU ward beds, and 2,861 breathing apparatus for suspected cases, probable cases and those under investigation.Noor Hisham said the use of beds in PKRCs and beds in regular wards and ICUs also showed a downward trend of around 4% to 8% in the 42nd ME compared to the 41st ME.


Setting an example or jumping vaccine queue? Rank-and-file lawmakers bashed in US

America’s political class are lining up to get the Covid-19 vaccine, taking the shot on television and social media as a way to build confidence among a sceptical public, but also raising the question: should all politicians really be given priority?Americans have seen White House officials, big names of the Senate and House of Representatives, and state governors get their coronavirus shots – some after spending much of the year disputing whether Covid-19 was even a real healthcare crisis.The injections delivered to top leadership such as president-elect Joe Biden, Vice-President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell send a message of confidence in the brand-new vaccines.More importantly, keeping them healthy is seen as a national security issue.But some say rank-and-file politicians could step aside for others more needy – over 20 million healthcare professionals, and millions of elderly in high-risk retirement homes, for example.“Congress has literally done nothing these last eight months,” said New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, where Covid-19 cases rocketed in December.“Now they are cutting the line and getting the vaccine ahead of residents in Long Term Care, nurses, and essential workers who stock our shelves. It’s outrageous. And insulting.”National securityTogether the House and Senate only have 535 voting members, just a small fraction of the millions of vaccine doses being released this month.The arguments for priority for the most senior politicians are undisputed. Biden, 78, is the next US president. Pence, 61, and then Pelosi, 80, are in line to succeed if President Donald Trump is incapacitated.That’s also why the relatively young next vice-president, 56-year-old Kamala Harris, will get her Covid-19 shot next week.McConnell, 78, meanwhile has to remain healthy to keep Congress running in case of a crisis, and his Senate number two, 87-year-old Republican Chuck Grassley, follows Pelosi in the line of presidential succession.But for others the argument for moving to the head of the queue is less clear, while the sight of several politicians who have downplayed the pandemic receiving their shots has generated rancor from critics.Among those lining up for their vaccination in Congress was Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who for months rejected warnings about the severity of the coronavirus and was often seen maskless in political rallies.On Sunday she posted on Twitter a photograph of herself receiving the vaccine.“Today, at the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician, I received the first dose of the #COVID19 vaccine,” she wrote.Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, 65, also got one, even after refusing to be tested for coronavirus earlier this year ahead of a debate with his election opponent, critics pointed out.Virtue signallingDemocratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, at 31 a star of the younger generation in Congress, was put on the defensive after she received her vaccine injection on Friday.She framed it as setting an example for the public, posting vaccine explainers and noting that if she declined, people would think she did not trust the vaccine.“I’d never, ever ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself,” she tweeted to constituents.But for some, holding off has become an act of political virtue-signalling.Republican Senator Rand Paul, 57, who declined a vaccine, took advantage to attack Ocasio-Cortez, known as “AOC”.“It is inappropriate for me – who has already gotten the virus/has immunity – to get in front of elderly/healthcare workers,” he said.“Same goes for AOC or any young healthy person. They should be among last, not first.”“This is immoral and bad health policy,” Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, 39, said of the programme to inoculate everyone in Congress.“I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can,” she said.


Meeting with Selangor sultan not on 'Allah' appeal withdrawal, says Anwar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said the government's decision to withdraw the appeal in the case of Jill Ireland against the home ministry and the government an the Court of Appeal was referred to the Council of Rulers.
Anwar, who is also the Tambun MP, said he had discussed a different matter with the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah recently, although it is also related to the "Allah" issue.
He added that the discussion with the sultan was on amendments to the home ministry policies and regulations in establishing rules for the import of prohibited goods.
"What I discussed with the Sultan of Selangor was not about the old decision (withdrawal of 'Allah' appeal)," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
"The Sultan of Selangor, in his statement, mentioned reaffirmation of the Cabinet's stance that the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims in the peninsula is prohibited, with restrictions for those in Sabah and Sarawak.
"Since there is an amendment, the Sultan of Selangor suggested that it be brought first to the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs and then to the Council of Rulers."
Earlier, Perikatan Nasional's Tanjong Karang MP Zulkafperi Hanapi raised Standing Order 36(12) and demanded that Anwar be referred to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee for allegedly making contradictory statements.
Zulkafperi referred to Anwar's statement at the Dewan Rakyat on May 23, denying the allegation that the government did not refer to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong before withdrawing its appeal on the High Court's decision concerning the use of the word "Allah".
On May 15, the home ministry and the government withdrew the appeal against the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which ruled that Christians can use the word "Allah" and three other Arabic words in their religious publications for educational purposes.
The notice of termination of the judicial review appeal filed on April 18 stated that both appellants did not wish to proceed with the appeal submitted on March 12 and dismissed the entire appeal at the Court of Appeal without an order as to costs.


May 23 hearing for Najib, Shafee’s leave to appeal bid to disqualify Sri Ram

The applications by Najib Razak and lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for leave to appeal against the dismissal of their judicial review challenge to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in their cases will be heard by the Federal Court on May 23.This was confirmed by the deputy head of the Civil Division in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Shamsul Bolhassan, when contacted by Bernama.Case management was conducted before Federal Court deputy registrar Fadzlin Abd Zawawi yesterday and attended by lawyer Sarah Abishegam representing Najib and Shafee. Federal counsel Nur Syazwani Abdul Aziz appeared for the government of Malaysia, the prosecution and Sri Ram.According to Shamsul, the deputy registrar had allowed an extension of time until May 17 for Najib and Shafee’s applications, for the filing of written submissions.On Nov 8 last year, the former prime minister and Shafee lost their appeals in the Court of Appeal to disqualify Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor in their respective cases.On Aug 28, 2020, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur dismissed the judicial review applications by Najib and Shafee to remove the former Federal Court judge as senior deputy public prosecutor in their cases.Najib filed the judicial review application to disqualify Sri Ram as the senior deputy public prosecutor in his 1MDB-linked cases in December 2018.Shafee, who is Najib’s lawyer, also filed for a judicial review as he too was seeking to recuse Sri Ram from his RM9.5 million money laundering trial.The duo sought a court order to revoke Sri Ram’s appointment or recuse him, saying that his letter of appointment was invalid.They also wanted a declaration that there was a conflict of interest in Sri Ram’s appointment, and an order to prohibit him from leading the prosecution team in all of their cases, including on corruption, abuse of power and money laundering.


Abang Johari to be Malaysia’s first ‘premier’ under proposed amendment to Sarawak constitution

Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg may become the country’s first premier if a proposed amendment to the state constitution is passed, in a symbolic move to show more clout for the Bornean state under the Malaysian federation.The Borneo Post, citing a bill to be tabled at the state assembly next week, said the amendment would see the title “chief minister” in Article 6(3) of the state constitution replaced with “premier”.Another proposal in the bill to be tabled by state tourism minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is for the post of “assistant minister” to be changed to “deputy minister”.According to the Borneo Post, the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022 is one of five bills to be tabled at the special sitting which starts tomorrow.The move comes two months after constitutional amendments were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 14, to reinstate the rights of Sabah and Sarawak in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).They were unanimously passed by all MPs present, the second time that MPs have put aside their party affilitions in support of a bill to amend the constitution since the bill to lower the voting age in 2019.Even before the bill was passed, the then Perikatan Nasional government had in 2019 issued a directive to replace all references to “state” with “region” for Sabah and Sarawak.Muhyiddin Yassin during his visit to Sarawak in April last year had said that Sarawak was a region or “wilayah”.“From now on, we should not forget that Sarawak is a ‘region’, ‘wilayah’. I feel like it is a great region. I can’t say it’s a state because it’s big though the population is not big,” he had said.Karim had then welcomed the remarks, saying the status of Sabah and Sarawak was not the same as that of the other states in the peninsula.“Their formation is different. They are included under what we call the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957,” he was quoted as saying.“We cannot be part of the smaller states. How can you put Perlis and Sarawak at the same level?”


Coastal areas of India's Gujarat state return to normalcy after cyclone

Some 1,500 villages were still without electricity in India's western state of Gujarat, officials said on Saturday, as coastal areas recovered from the impact of this week's cyclone Biparjoy.
That was down from initial outages in more than 4,600 villages in Saurashtra and Kutch, where the cyclone made landfall on Thursday night.
In many villages, power had been cut off as a precautionary measure to avert any dangerous incidents during the storm, Gujarat Energy Secretary Mamta Verma told Reuters.
Heavy rains forecast for Saturday continued to lash northern districts of the state, causing flooding.
However, ports along the coastline including Pipavav Port and Kandla Port said they had resumed operations, while the Adani owned Mundra Port was due to restart operations from Saturday evening.
The storm caused extensive damage, especially to power infrastructure, uprooting thousands of electricity poles and damaging overhead power lines.
"Our teams are working on the ground to restore electricity supply and supply of drinking water. Repairing of damaged roads and other physical infrastructure is also being undertaken on a priority basis," said Kamal Dayani, Gujarat's revenue secretary.
More than 700 homes in the eight coastal districts of Gujarat suffered full or partial damage, according to the state government.
However the only deaths recorded were those of two shepherds who died while trying to prevent their cattle being swept away during heavy rains and floods, hours before the cyclone made landfall.
Early warnings, accurate identification of vulnerable areas and timely evacuations helped India to avert major casualties. Authorities in India and neighbouring Pakistan evacuated more than 180,000 people from vulnerable areas as the cyclone approached.


Thailand includes foreigners in vaccine plans but availability is causing anxiety

Thailand confirmed on Thursday that it plans to include the three million foreigners living in the country in its mass vaccination programme to protect the entire population, Reuters is reporting.“Anybody living in Thailand, whether they be Thai or foreign, if they want the vaccine they can get it,” the head of the disease control department, Opas Kankawinpong told a briefing.“No one is safe until everyone is safe,” he added.Thailand needs to immunise about 50 million people, or 70% of the population, to achieve herd immunity, based on estimates of 67 million Thais plus three million foreign residents, he said.The government has repeatedly said foreigners would be offered vaccines but expatriates have been voicing concerns in recent weeks, with some venting frustrations and anxieties on social media about a lack of public information, problems registering, or confusion over private vaccine availability.The health ministry is working on other ways to include non-Thais in the vaccination programme, including via mobile applications or direct contact from hospitals, according to the foreign ministry.The country has yet to begin its mass immunisation programme but has administered shots to mostly frontline workers from its stock of 2.5 million doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.After June, the country’s main source of vaccines should be a local manufacturer set to produce AstraZeneca’s jab.Anxiety over vaccines has risen throughout Thailand as it deals with its biggest outbreak of the pandemic so far, with more than two-thirds of its total 336 fatalities recorded in the past month alone.New daily infections have been stable at around 2,000 since mid-April. Indeed, there were 1,911 new cases and 18 deaths announced on Thursday.The Thaiger reported on Thursday that the news for foreigners concerning receiving a vaccination keeps changing. The only constant is that Thailand’s foreign population are at the bottom of the list with no definite policy on how or when any of them may be vaccinated.In addition, foreign embassies are currently refusing to provide any assistance regarding helping with the vaccination of their citizens.Only a handful of expats have so far been vaccinated – mostly those working in the education sector.


Shafee allowed temporary use of passport to meet QC in Australia

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed an application by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for temporary access to his passport for travel to Australia for a meeting with a Queen’s Counsel from the UK.
Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin allowed the release of Shafee's passport from Sept 6 to 12 after deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz did not object to the application.
Shafee earlier told the court that there were some corrections in the supporting affidavit in his application for the passport, which had been submitted to the court as a bail condition.
"In the affidavit, I only stated that I’ll meet the Queen's Counsel, Geoffrey Robertson, in Melbourne. I ask Your Honour for permission to amend it by adding Sydney as the location of the meeting.
"This is because Robertson has a house in Melbourne, but he operates from his brother’s firm at Martin Place, Sydney, so I may have to go to both places," he said. His lawyer, Wee Yeong Kang, then requested the court to allow his client access to his passport for travel from Sept 6 to 12, and for it to be returned to the court on Sept 14.
Shafee, who was the lead counsel in former prime minister Najib Razak's cases relating to SRC International and 1MDB, was previously allowed to travel abroad on several occasions after he was charged in court.
The 70-year-old lawyer surrendered his passport to the court in September 2018 after he was charged with two counts of receiving money amounting to RM9.5 million, allegedly from illegal activities, through two cheques issued by Najib and deposited into his CIMB Bank account.
Shafee also faces two charges of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns in violation of Paragraph 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013, and Dec 31, 2014.
On May 12, the prosecution closed its case after calling eight witnesses. Oral submissions have been fixed for Sept 15 before judge Jamil.


Israel sends vaccine ‘gifts’ to friendly nations

Israel said Tuesday it was sending a “limited quantity” of unused coronavirus vaccines to Palestinians and several countries, including two that have announced plans to boost their diplomatic presence in Jerusalem.Honduras, which said last year that it would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, is on the list of recipients, according to Israeli media reports confirmed to AFP by a source familiar with the arrangement.The Czech Republic, which plans to open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem next month, said that it had received 5,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine from the Jewish state.“It’s a gift from Israel to the Czech Republic,” Tunde Bartha, who heads the office of billionaire Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, told AFP.A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel had “received many requests from countries for assistance in supplying vaccines”.Israel did not foresee offering “significant” help until its own inoculation drive had been completed, the statement said.“Nevertheless, over the past month, a limited quantity of unused vaccines was accumulated; therefore, it has been decided to assist Palestinian Authority medical teams and several of the countries that contacted Israel with a symbolic quantity of vaccines,” the statement added.Netanyahu’s spokesman declined to comment on which countries were included in the vaccine-sharing deal or the number of vaccine doses to be sent.But the right-wing premier, who describes Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s “undivided capital”, cheers nations that conduct diplomacy with Israel from the disputed city.Most countries maintain embassies in Tel Aviv, pending a resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians, who claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.‘Running a kingdom’Rights groups and the United Nations (UN) have said that Israel has an obligation under international law to vaccinate all Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and those in Gaza, where Israel maintains a tight blockade on the enclave, controlled by Hamas Islamists.Israel has already sent several thousand vaccine doses to the occupied West Bank to inoculate Palestinian Authority medical workers.It did not disclose how many additional doses would be sent.The Jewish state has administered the two recommended shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to more than three million people, roughly a third of its population.While many countries, including wealthy ones, are struggling with vaccine supply, Israel has avoided shortages since launching inoculations in December.That is in part thanks to a deal with Pfizer, which agreed to keep Israel stocked in exchange for data on the jab’s impact.Defence minister and Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz condemned the premier for exporting vaccines paid for by Israeli taxpayers without consultation.“He thinks he is running a kingdom, not a state,” Gantz charged.


Much of the furniture claimed to be Najib’s carried off from Seri Perdana, says Muhyiddin

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin today revealed he had been told that much of the furniture in Seri Perdana had been removed as it was claimed to be owned by Najib Razak.“Based on the report I received, the Prime Minister’s Department also recommended the purchase of furniture as much of the furniture assets in Seri Perdana which were claimed to be owned by the sixth prime minister had been removed,” Muhyiddin, who served 17 months at the top office, said in a statement calling for the details of repair works at the prime minister’s official residence to be made public.Yesterday, Najib questioned the RM38.5 million spent by the government to carry out repair and renovation works at the sprawling complex in Putrajaya.Taking a swipe at Muhyiddin, Najib also said the building was still in good condition when he left it in May 2018, adding that the RM38.5 million bill was not justified during the time of the pandemic.Muhyiddin today said he welcomed the relevant units at the Works Department and the Prime Minister’s Department with knowledge of the repairs at Seri Perdana to detail the works carried out.“In keeping with the principles of transparency and integrity practised by the government, the relevant departments can come forward to provide clarification to the public on this matter.“For the record, I never occupied Seri Perdana during my tenure as prime minister,” he added.Muhyiddin further said that the decision to renovate Seri Perdana was in order to restore the building which had become a symbol of the institution of government to its former condition.“If it was not immediately restored, this heritage building would have suffered more severe damage which would have cost even more to repair,” he said.He also said the restoration works had been closely monitored by a task force comprising officers from the Prime Minister’s Department and Works Department.Located in Precint 10 of Putrajaya, the Seri Perdana complex was built during the first term of Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1997, replacing the previous official residence of the prime minister in Kuala Lumpur.


Covid hospitalisations increasing among children 11 and below, says Khairy

Covid-19 hospitalisations among children below the age of 11 have increased, with new cases reported from the fifth to sixth epidemiological week this year up nearly 160%, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.Speaking at a press conference, he said a total of 6,524 cases were recorded among children from newborns to 11-year-olds.Of the total, he said, 2,282 cases were detected in children aged four and below, while 4,242 were reported among those aged five to 11.“During the sixth week, there were 16,959,” he added. “10,796 cases among children aged five to 11, and 6,163 cases among newborns to four-year-olds.“There has been a rise in the number of paediatric cases which includes admissions,” he said.Khairy also voiced concern over the registration for Covid-19 vaccination among children which he said remained low.“For five to 11-year-olds, there is already a vaccine approved and being implemented in Malaysia,” he said.“So far, we have seen a fairly good response but registration has not reached one million.”He urged parents to encourage their children to follow the SOPs, whether or not they have been vaccinated, and to cultivate a healthy lifestyle by staying active and eating nutritious food.“With the significant increase in cases among children, we hope that parents will come forward to give permission for their children to be vaccinated,” he said.


Trump’s doctor green-lights return to public events by Saturday

US President Donald Trump’s physician said Thursday that he fully anticipates the president’s safe return to public engagements by Saturday, reports Anadolu Agency.In a memo, White House physician Dr Sean Conley said Trump had completed his course of therapy for Covid-19 as prescribed by his team of doctors.“Saturday will be Day 10 since Thursday’s diagnosis, and based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team has been conducting, I fully anticipate the president’s safe return to public engagements at that time,” Conley said.Trump’s physical examination “has remained stable and devoid of any indications to suggest progression of illness”, he added.Trump, 74, confirmed last Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus, hours after one of his closest aides, Hope Hicks, who travelled with him as recently as last Wednesday, tested positive for Covid-19.He returned Monday to the White House after receiving three days of treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.


No more beds available for Covid-19 patients at private hospitals

Private hospitals in Malaysia have reached full Covid-19 occupancy and are no longer able to accept patients with the virus following the recent spike in cases.In a statement today, the president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, Dr Kuljit Singh, said beds in Covid-19 wards and isolated ICU beds at private hospitals are constantly being filled, reaching their maximum capacity.Due to this, he said most private hospitals are no longer able to accept Covid-19 patients, particularly in the Klang Valley.Private hospitals have been admitting Covid-19 patients since January following the request by the government for assistance in managing the pandemic.They have also assisted the government in co-managing the crisis by conducting private screenings, providing ventilators to government hospitals, offering dialysis slots and vaccinating private healthcare workers at their establishments.“We have provided beds, expertise based on capacity and capability and a few thousand patients have been treated up to today in these private settings,” Kuljit said.However, he said private hospitals are now facing constraints in the number of beds and ICU facilities that can accommodate Covid-19 patients and the availability of specialists and nurses.“Our priority is to treat patients with the best available care with the utmost concern for patient safety and treatment outcomes.“We understand the government facilities in the Klang Valley and maybe in Johor are fast filling up with the current increased number of patients,” he added.“The biggest fear would be if we face a healthcare shutdown because of non-availability of beds and oxygen treatment for our citizens.”He suggested that the government decant non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals as an immediate step to create space for Covid-19 patients in public hospitals at the agreed cost that was accepted last year and fully funded by the government.


Azmin applies to strike out suit by Gombak voters over ‘Sheraton Move’

Mohamed Azmin Ali today filed an application to strike out a suit filed by 10 Gombak voters against him for alleged deceit and breach of fiduciary duty as the MP of the parliamentary constituency.He filed the application through the legal firm of Messrs Zharif Nizamuddinon, on grounds that the suit did not disclose the reasonable cause of action, and was instead defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or had led to an abuse of the court process in addition to being ultra vires of the Federal Constitution.The application was made on grounds that the suit violates the defendant’s fundamental right to freedom of association as provided for under Article 10 Clause (1) (c) of the Federal Constitution.Azmin’s lawyer Nizamuddin Hamid, when contacted, said the court ordered his client to file a supporting affidavit before or on March 24.“The court also set the same date for further case management,” he said after case management, conducted through e-review before High Court deputy registrar Maslinda Selamat today.The 10 registered voters in the Gombak parliamentary constituency filed the suit on Nov 27 last year against Azmin for alleged deceit and breach of fiduciary duty through the “Sheraton Move” which caused the Pakatan Harapan government to collapse in February last year.In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs, aged between 36 and 64, sought, among others, a declaration that Azmin, as Gombak MP, had breached his fiduciary obligations, deceived them during the elections in the constituency as well as breached the representation made to them.The voters claimed that by breaching these representations, Azmin had violated constitutional rights, especially the principles of parliamentary democracy and representative democracy, which form part of the basic structure of the constitution.They are seeking damages, including aggravated or exemplary damages, interests, costs and other orders deemed fit by the court.


Continuous heavy rain warning for Johor, Pahang

The Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued an orange level bad weather warning with continuous heavy rain for Pahang and Johor until Jan 4.The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) today said the districts involved are Rompin in Pahang and Mersing in Johor.A yellow level continuous rain warning was also issued for Kemaman (Terengganu), Maran, Kuantan, Bera, Pekan (Pahang), Kuala Pilah, Rembau, Jempol, Tampin (Negeri Sembilan) and Melaka.An alert level warning was likewise issued for several areas namely Tangkak, Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Pontian, Kulai and Johor Bahru (Johor) and Sandakan, Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran (Sabah).Nadma urged state and district disaster management committees to be activated for high-risk areas and to raise their preparedness for the disaster.“The committees were also told to ensure each evacuation centre is complete with basic necessities and ready to be used,” it said.


Rights group warns against targeting LGBT after spectre of heavier punishments

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today hit out at deputy minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary over his recent remarks on the LGBT community, taking him to task for his statement that religious enforcers have been instructed to take action against those who cross-dress.LFL coordinator Zaid Malek said this indicates that such enforcers have been instructed to specifically target those from the transgender Muslim community, adding that this is in breach of Article 8 of the constitution which forbids discrimination on the basis of gender.“We urge the government to not take such a restrictive view of Islamic law and follow the footsteps of other Muslim-majority countries that have already recognised the legitimate rights of the transgender community,” he said, listing countries including Egypt and Iran which allow gender reassignment surgeries and Pakistan which has enacted laws to protect the rights of transgender persons.“It is obvious therefore that the recognition and protection of the transgender community is not contrary to the precepts of Islam and is in fact mandatory under our Federal Constitution,” he added.Yesterday, Marzuk who is deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs said the government had not ruled out the possibility of amending the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355 to provide for heavier punishments for the LGBT community.He said the current punishments under the act, which provides for imprisonment of three years, a fine of RM5,000 and six strokes of the cane, did not appear to be having much effect.He also spoke of stern action taken against those who cross-dress, saying all state religious agencies and enforcers have been instructed to take action against those from the LGBT community “who do not behave accordingly”.Calling this “targeted harassment by the government”, Zaid said it would also be in clear violation of Article 8 as LGBT Muslims are entitled to equality before the law and deserve protection from laws that target them solely due to their sexual orientation.“In a time when the country is in crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is disappointing that the deputy minister chooses to focus on the vilification of the LGBT community, which is nothing more than a tired and cheap political ploy to detract from the real issues currently affecting Malaysian citizens,” he said in a statement.“We strongly advise the authorities not to resort to periodically using the LGBT community as a convenient punching bag to create the illusion of rectitude and false piety in certain political parties that comprise the government.“The vilification of the LGBT/transgender community serves to help no one, and will only harm the very citizens that it is supposed to protect.”


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