New cases still hover over 6,000

Another 6,276 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 751,979.Selangor recorded 2,836 cases, Negeri Sembilan 644, Kuala Lumpur 625, Sarawak 376, Johor 299, Sabah 242, Kedah 226, Melaka 223, Pahang 210, Kelantan 159, Perak 137, Labuan 132 and Penang 131.Terengganu recorded 20 cases, Putrajaya 11 and Perlis five.Active cases stand at 64,129 with 905 in the ICU and 452 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 4,929 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 682,680.However, 62 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 5,170.


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Chengdu locks down 21.2 million as Chinese cities battle Covid

The southwestern Chinese metropolis of Chengdu announced a lockdown of its 21.2 million residents as it launched four days of citywide Covid-19 testing, as some of the country's most populous and economically important cities battle outbreaks.
Residents of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, were ordered to stay home from 6pm on Thursday, with households allowed to send one person per day to shop for necessities, the city government said in a statement.
Chengdu, which reported 157 domestically transmitted infections on Wednesday, is the largest Chinese city to be locked down since Shanghai in April and May. It remained unclear whether the lockdown would be lifted after the mass testing ends on Sunday.
Other major cities including Shenzhen in the south and Dalian in the northeast have also stepped up Covid restrictions this week, ranging from work-from-home requirements to the closure of entertainment businesses in some districts.
The moves curtail the activities of tens of millions of people, intensifying the challenges for China to minimise the economic impact of a "dynamic-zero" Covid policy that has kept China's borders mostly shut to international visitors and make it an outlier as other countries try to live with the coronavirus.
Most of the curbs are intended to last a few days for now, although two provincial cities in northern China have extended curbs slightly beyond initial promises.
Chengdu's lockdown sparked panic buying of essentials among residents.
"I am waiting in a very long queue to get in the grocery near my home," 28-year-old engineer Kya Zhang said, adding that she was worried about access to fresh food if the lockdown is extended.
Hwabao Trust economist Nie Wen said that because Chengdu acted quickly to lock down, it was unlikely to see a repeat of Shanghai's two-month ordeal.
Non-essential employees in Chengdu were asked to work from home and residents were urged not to leave the city unless needed. Residents who must leave their residential compounds for hospital visits or other special needs must obtain approval from neighbourhood staffers.
Industrial firms engaged in important manufacturing and able to manage on closed campuses were exempted from work-from-home requirements.
Sweden's Volvo Cars said it would temporarily close its Chengdu plant.
Flights to and from Chengdu were dramatically curtailed, according to Flight Master data. At 10am local time (0200 GMT) on Thursday, it showed 398 flights had been cancelled at Shuangliu Airport in Chengdu, with a cancellation rate of 62%. At Chengdu's Tianfu Airport, 79%, or 725 flights, were cancelled.
Shenzhen curbs
In Shenzhen, which has the third-highest economic output among Chinese cities, the most populous district Baoan and tech hub Nanshan suspended large events and indoor entertainment for a few days and ordered stricter checks of digital health credentials for people entering residential compounds.
Nanshan is home to internet giant Tencent and the world's biggest dronemaker, DJI, among other major Chinese companies.
More than half of Shenzhen's ten districts, home to over 15 million people, have ordered blanket closure of entertainment venues and halted or reduced restaurant dining for a few days, with curbs in two districts initially planned to be lifted by the end of Thursday.
Shenzhen authorities have largely avoided shutting down offices and factories as they did during a week-long lockdown in March.
Data on Thursday showed that Chinese factory activity contracted for the first time in three months in August amid weakening demand, while power shortages and fresh Covid-19 flare-ups disrupted production.
In Shanghai, schools reopened on Thursday after being closed for months.
Mainland China has reported no Covid death since May, leaving the death toll at 5,226.


Why the silence, Bersatu asks DAP after cops investigate woman for post critical of Kit Siang

Bersatu has criticised DAP leaders for failing to speak up following an investigation under the Sedition Act launched against a woman, reminding them of their past calls to abolish the law.
Bersatu's legal and constitution bureau also slammed the Pakatan Harapan-led government over the action taken against its activist in Penang, Norhanani Abu Hassan.
"For the whole time that PH was the opposition, the then government would be criticised again and again on the use of Sedition Act against the opposition and/or the public, and made numerous calls for the abolishment of the said act," the bureau's deputy chairman Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif said in a statement.
She recalled a statement by DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo in 2018 calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act.
"He even went on to say that 'the law was subject to abuse and had been used to stifle political dissent'.
"Why are he and his colleagues silent now?" she added.
It is understood that officers from Bukit Aman had attempted to arrest Norhanani but did not do so as she is seven months' pregnant. Instead, they confiscated her mobile phone and laptop.
The investigation is believed to be linked to Norhanani's re-posting of a social media post critical of DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang.
Sasha also cited a statement by Lim in 2015, in which he had questioned the use of the Sedition Act on government critics.
Among others, she said, Lim had spoken against the use of "tyrannical force in retaining power".
"We must never forget that Malaysia is a democracy, not a dictatorship," Lim was quoted as saying.
Sasha said Lim had remained silent now that the Sedition Act was being used to defend him.
"Has the position changed now that PH aka Kerajaan Madani is in power and in government and now using the Sedition Act against opposition leaders and party members and supporters?
"Isn’t this a classic case of hypocrisy at the highest level by Lim Kit Siang, DAP and PH?" she asked.


Najib’s SRC appeal hearing extended after lawyers rapped for repeating themselves

The Court of Appeal has extended the hearing of Najib Razak’s SRC International appeal by one day to May 6.The appeal was supposed to end today, but Najib’s defence team could not wrap up their reply to the prosecution’s case.Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil had rapped the former prime minister’s defence team for repeating themselves.“We are hearing the same points again and again and again. You are repeating yourselves. Most of the issues have been touched. Try to focus on something really substantive.“We don’t know whether this point is about the Anti-Money Laundering Act or criminal breach of trust charges. Go to the main one. The most important thing is to make it clear so we can see more clearly, or else it will confuse us all,” he said.When the judge asked whether the lawyer could finish his submissions by today, Harvinderjit Singh said he would need half a day to submit his part, following which Muhammad Shafee Abdullah would speak on the Arab donation.Here, ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram quipped that if the judge were not firm, “we will be here until Hari Raya Haji”.Abdul, who presided over the appeal with Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, then fixed May 6 for additional hearing of Najib’s appeal.Najib’s appeal was originally set for 12 days from April 5 until 22. Later, on the application of his defence team, the bench set additional hearing days on April 27 and 28.The Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28 last year sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.


The SRC verdict revisited as clock ticks in Najib’s second last countdown

Former prime minister Najib Razak may be staring at 12 years in jail if the Court of Appeal upholds his conviction for charges related to the misappropriation of millions of ringgit linked to SRC International.Najib’s defence team is challenging the verdict handed down last year by High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who explained the basis of the conviction in an elaborate 800-page judgment.Najib, the most senior Malaysian politician to ever be convicted of criminal charges, was found guilty of seven counts of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.His actual sentence is 72 years’ imprisonment, 10 years for each of the six charges related to CBT and money laundering, and 12 years for abuse of power for which he was also fined RM210 million or five times the amount in question. But judge Nazlan used his discretion to order for the sentences to run concurrently.At the heart of the case is RM42 million in two of Najib’s personal bank accounts, money that was part of a total of RM4 billion loaned to SRC – the 1MDB subsidiary of which he was the adviser – from the government’s pension fund Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP).Najib argued that he had no knowledge of the huge transactions made into his personal accounts between 2014 and 2015, claiming he was a victim of runaway businessman Low Taek Jho, and even invoking the name of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.His claim that he thought the amount was part of a personal donation to him by the late Saudi monarch was ripped apart by judge Nazlan.Nazlan said it was “too preposterous” for Najib as the prime minister and finance minister to claim ignorance of the funds in his own accounts, adding that “yet he had no qualms of spending on the said sum during the same period”.On his blaming of Low, or Jho Low, the court said the latter had only carried out the task required by Najib “with unmatched distinction”.“The accused, despite claims of being scammed, agreed that he did not lose any money. Instead he benefitted immensely by the remittances of huge sums of monies into his accounts,” according to the judgment.The four lettersNajib’s defence team has tendered four letters from a certain “Saudi royalty”, purportedly showing that a huge donation would be made to him.But the judge said the story of the letters was “an elaborate but weak fabrication”, giving “10 problems” with the documents which the prosecution suggested were forged and an afterthought.Among the “problems”, said the judge, was that one of the letters pledging a large sum of money for Najib was signed by one “Prince Saud”.The judge questioned how Najib, who admitted to not knowing this person, never took steps to make any verification of the letter writer’s claim.The judge also found holes in Najib’s claim, asking why he had not even mentioned a thanks to King Abdullah in two of his letters to the Saudi monarch for the alleged donation.“The accused’s defence that he honestly believed that the funds remitted into his accounts were donations from King Abdullah is nothing but an implausible concoction.”Najib’s private designsThe court agreed that SRC was created as a vehicle to divert public funds into Najib’s pocket.As the judgment said, it was part of Najib’s “private designs… to use SRC for his personal advantage”.In cases of CBT such as this, there are several key issues to determine the basis of finding an accused guilty.In Najib’s case, they include the extent of his control over SRC, from which the money was diverted into his accounts, and whether he had criminal intention in the offence.The court was satisfied that Najib not only had the final say in SRC, but also full control of its activities, which included putting down his signature in accepting the loan from KWAP to SRC.In addition, as the finance minister whose ministry owned 1MDB, Najib was the person to appoint the chairman, CEO and directors of SRC, and open SRC bank accounts.With these powers, he also registered an SRC subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, as well as opened bank accounts in Hong Kong and Dubai with more than RM2 billion in deposits.Najib, the court said, was the person entrenched with decision-making powers, and no evidence was found of directors questioning him.“The accused had overarching control of the company through its power of hire and fire over the directors (as the prime minister), its directions to the directors through the various shareholder minutes (as the finance minister), and its advice on strategic and important matters which must be sought by the directors.”The court was further satisfied with regard to criminal intention, as Najib had signed the cheques to transfer funds from SRC to his own bank accounts, as he had himself admitted.In CBT cases of this nature, Najib’s argument that he signed the transfers thinking they were for charity purposes could not exonerate him as the purpose of spending after a misappropriation is not relevant.Will he go to jail?Should Najib lose his appeal which is presided over by three judges, the former prime minister has one final chance in the Federal Court, where seven judges will decide on his case.As the final appeal with the Federal Court should be filed within four months of the Court of Appeal decision, Najib has until April 2022 to know whether he will end up behind bars or remain a free man.If the former takes place, he will be 80 before he can walk out of prison unless he receives a royal pardon as was the case with PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, when he was released from jail in 2018 before completing a sentence for sodomy.


High Court throws out bid for QC to represent Najib in final SRC appeal

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today rejected the application for UK Queen’s Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw to represent former prime minister Najib Razak in his final appeal against his conviction of misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid ruled that Laidlaw failed to show he has special qualifications and experience to handle the charges against Najib, in Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, Section 409 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001.
"It is my view that the mere fact that Laidlaw had conducted several cases involving business crimes and financial services, criminal defence, criminal regulatory, inquest and public inquiries, private prosecution, sports law and professional discipline in the UK, as well as in other jurisdictions (except for Malaysia), cannot be said to mean that there are no local advocates available in Malaysia who do not possess the same skills and success in conducting trials in respect of charges under AMLATFPUAA, MACC Act 2009 and Penal Code.
"I find that there is no single evidence to suggest that Laidlaw has much more experience than the local advocates and solicitors in Malaysia. I am of the considered view that the local advocates are well capable of handling such cases at all tiers of the court in Malaysia.
"This does not justify the need to have Laidlaw be admitted on an ad hoc basis as the lead counsel for the appeal before the Federal Court," said the judge in the online proceedings. Kamal also said that the application should be dismissed as there were no complex and novel issues that required the interim admission of Laidlaw.
"The applicant (Laidlaw) has failed to satisfy the requirements under Section 18(1) of the LPA (Legal Profession Act 1976) that for the SRC appeal and other related causes, he has special qualification or experience of a nature that is not available among advocates and solicitors in Malaysia.
"I agree with the submissions by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Malaysian Bar and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee that the appeal can quite competently be handled by local advocates and solicitors," he said.
The judge also stressed that Laidlaw had not shown that local advocates and solicitors lack the ability or special qualifications to conduct the said appeals.
"It is undeniable that Laidlaw is deemed as the ‘star skill in financial crimes’ but to me, that alone does not suffice as possessing special skills, expertise, qualifications and knowledge on the application of the MACC Act 2009 and AMLATFPUAA 2001, Penal Code and our sui generis Federal Constitution in our country which is relevant to the appeals before the apex court next month,” he said.
On May 31, Najib filed the application to allow the QC to represent him in the SRC International appeal on several grounds, one of which being that Laidlaw possessed special qualifications, experience and expertise which were not available among lawyers in Malaysia.
On April 29, the Federal Court set 10 days in August to hear Najib’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of the company’s funds.


Israel data shows Pfizer jab stops illness, effect on transmissions unclear

Initial data from Israel’s coronavirus vaccination campaign shows the Pfizer/BioNTech jab protects against serious illness, but it is not yet clear whether it slows transmissions or spells progress toward achieving herd immunity, experts say.The Jewish state is carrying out what is widely described as the world’s fastest vaccination campaign per capita, watched closely by experts worldwide.While many countries are struggling with procurement, Israel has made remarkable progress since launching inoculations in December.So far, it has given the first of the two recommended doses of Pfizer jabs to roughly 35% of its nine-million population.About 1.8 million have also received the second jab, mostly those over 60.The health ministry announced that beginning Thursday, all Israelis aged 16 and over would be able to set an appointment to be vaccinated, dropping the age limit from its previous minimum of 35.In a statement, the ministry stressed Wednesday that Israel’s four health service providers should still focus their efforts on inoculating people aged 50 and over, as well as housebound Israelis.Israel secured its substantial stock by paying above market price and by striking a data-sharing deal with Pfizer.The agreement stipulates that Israel, which has one of the world’s most sophisticated medical data systems, will share real-time information with Pfizer on the vaccine’s impact, including on progress towards herd immunity.Direct vs indirect protectionRan Balicer, chairman of Israel’s national expert panel on Covid-19, told AFP it was crucial to distinguish between the vaccine’s two impacts.The first is “the direct effect”, of vaccinated people becoming “protected against symptomatic illness and severe disease”, he said.The second, “indirect effect” refers to the vaccine providing enough immunity to enough people that it forms an “epidemiological barrier” against transmission, he said.Balicer, also the chief innovation officer at Clalit, Israel’s largest health maintenance organisation (HMO), said the data shows the vaccine reduces serious illness, but the transmission question remained open.Gabi Barbash, a prominent public health expert currently with the Weizmann Institute of Science, agreed.“We do know that vaccines are decreasing the incidence of severe disease. That’s it,” he told AFP.“We do not know whether the vaccines are minimising transmission.”Phase IVIn November, Pfizer announced that Phase III trials had showed its vaccine was 95% effective against the virus.Given the gravity of the pandemic, it received regulatory approval through an accelerated trial process, which has made Israel’s more comprehensive data even more valuable.The country’s Maccabi Institute of Innovation and Research, linked to a HMO of the same name, published a paper this week that it described as “the first and largest Phase IV study on the effectiveness of the (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine”.Clalit and Maccabi are two of Israel’s four HMOs, which collectively provide healthcare to the entire population.The HMOs are directly responsible for vaccinations and collecting data on their impact.Maccabi compared the incidence of Covid-19 in the 12 days after individuals receiving their first Pfizer shot against incidence 13 to 24 days after the jab.It found a 51% reduction in the incidence of lab confirmed infections in the latter period.“Two weeks after the first dose you see a significant reduction in infection but it is not complete,” Gabriel Chodick, co-author of the Maccabi report, told AFP.Moreover, Israel is only testing those who present coronavirus symptoms, not a randomised sample of the entire vaccinated population.It does not therefore have comprehensive data on the number of vaccinated people carrying the virus without symptoms.Two jabsPfizer recommends administering its vaccine in two doses, three weeks apart.Israel has enough stocks to follow these recommendations, meaning it does not have data on whether the protective effect from just one jab increases after 24 days in the absence of a second jab.Maccabi has also released preliminary data on the second jab’s impact.It showed that out of 248,000 people studied one week after receiving their second injection, only 66 mild coronavirus infections were registered.While those figures point towards near-total protection, Maccabi has stressed this data has not been fully analysed.Despite its vaccination campaign, Israel has continued to register daily caseloads above 5,000, despite a nationwide lockdown in place since Dec 27.But compliance with and enforcement of the lockdown has been uneven, notably among ultra-Orthodox Jews who have persistently flouted public safety rules throughout the pandemic.“If you look at the number of new identified positive corona cases per day, it has not decreased for the last month and half,” Barbash said.“So is it because the lockdown is not a (real) lockdown, or is it because the vaccine is not minimising transmission? No one can tell that.”


Bodies of two children found in suitcases bought at auction in NZ

New Zealand police are investigating the suspected murder of two children whose remains were found in suitcases bought at an online auction for an unclaimed locker last week.
Police launched a homicide inquiry in Auckland last week after the remains were found by a family going through the contents of a storage locker they had purchased unseen.
The two children were aged between five and 10 years and had been dead for some time, police said in a statement on Thursday. The suitcases had been in storage for some time, they added, without providing details.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua told reporters the children had yet to be formally identified, but they believed they had family in New Zealand.
It was possible their families were not aware the children were dead, he added.
Police did not give any details on how the children had died or whether there were any suspects.
The family who found the bodies were not connected to the deaths.


Education ministry denies SPM grading lowered for 2022 exam

The education ministry has refuted claims that the grading  for the 2022 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination was lowered.
Its minister Fadhlina Sidek said the rating of scores must be according to merit and the existing standards.
"We have our standards and it has been maintained... the grading system must be fair," she told reporters at the close of an event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
An analysis on the 2022 SPM examination results had been shared widely on social media while social media users had highlighted the shortcomings of the educational system with some arguing over the 2022 SPM grading.
When asked whether the ministry planned to include more compulsory SPM subjects in addition to the Malay language and history, Fadhlina said for now, only those two subjects would be maintained.
"The two subjects will be maintained as they have recorded an improved performance in the recent SPM examination, where the candidates did extremely well in history.
"This shows that the students had no problem learning history, maybe we just need aggressive intervention, especially in empowering the Malay language and history," she said.
Meanwhile, she said the level of Malay language proficiency at vernacular schools had seen a significant improvement in the 2022 SPM results and voiced hope that it would continue to improve.
On Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn’s claim that the education minister has refused to have a meeting with him to discuss the development of education in the state, Fadhlina said a meeting had been fixed on July 14.


No computer, no heat: UK’s poorest struggle with homeschooling

With schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, millions of children in Britain are struggling to learn remotely, because of a lack of computers, internet or quiet room to study.“At home, I have to share the computer with my big brother and sister,” said eight-year-old Kamaljit Sultana, who lives in Tower Hamlets in east London, one of the city’s poorest boroughs.Without her class teacher to help her, “it’s more difficult, I’m a bit lost!” she added.More than 93,000 people have died in Britain in the outbreak, and the country has been in a new lockdown since early this month, as a new variant of the virus has caused a worrying surge in cases.Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is hoping to reopen schools by Easter in April, leaving families several more months to struggle with homeschooling.James Turner, chief executive of educational charity the Sutton Trust, said the poorest children suffer the most.Some “either don’t have any devices in their home or they’re trying to learn online using a mobile phone”, he told AFP.And where a phone is available, it is sometimes shared between two or three siblings.Kate Anstey, of Child Poverty Action Group, says some parents were getting up early and writing out worksheets by hand because they do not have a printer.Her group found 40% of low-income families were missing at least one essential resource, such as a laptop, a device or internet.Harsh realityKamaljit spent the first lockdown at home. But unlike last year, youngsters classed as “vulnerable” can still attend school.She went back to school last week because of her situation at home.But many families – many of them from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups worst hit by the virus – are refusing to do so, despite their circumstances, out of fears they will catch it.According to official figures, more than four million or nearly a third of all children in Britain are living in poverty.The pandemic has highlighted deep inequalities and the Conservative government has been forced into providing free school meals, after a campaign by the Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.Over Christmas, Unicef even gave a grant to distribute food to children in London – the first time the UN children’s agency had ever done so in the UK.Last month, the government promised to distribute a million laptops to poorer families. It later pledged a further 300,000.But there have been delays in delivering the devices, which campaign groups call a “lifeline.”According to campaigners, the government initiative only tackles the tip of the iceberg.“We support families where there are six people living in one room. They don’t have a table, there’s no chairs… If they want to sit, they have to sit on the bed, or sit on the floor,” said Laurence Guinness, chief executive of the Childhood Trust, which helps children in the British capital.The son of one single mother with two children “sits in front of the toilet, and uses the toilet seat as his desk”, he added.Other children are forced to stay in houses without heating and cannot concentrate on lessons.“They get too cold, they have to keep moving,” he added.Another family had only one lightbulb, he said. They refused more, fearing not being able to pay the bill.For such children, the closure of schools deprives them of “an escape from the very harsh reality of their lives,” said Guinness.18-month delayCharities are concerned about the long-term impact of the school closures on children who may be more vulnerable to gang activity, crime and abuse, and were already lagging behind their peers educationally.“The last lockdown may have reversed as much as 10 years of progress in narrowing this gap,” said Turner of the Sutton Trust.Even before the pandemic, the attainment gap was around 18 months by the time children took GCSE state exams at 16, said Anstey.“The gap will continue to widen,” predicted Turner.“A few months of lost learning could have an impact on these children’s lives for forever,” he said.He praised a national programme of catch-up tutoring one-on-one or in small groups, and said it should continue.But Guinness of the Childhood Trust was less optimistic.He feared it was “too late” for tens of thousands who will have “disengaged from education” and “won’t be able to catch up.”


Pandemic slowing across the world but accelerating most in Malaysia

The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down for the third week in a row and new cases are now at their lowest level since the end of October, with new infections falling by half in South Africa, according to a specialised AFP database.Here is the state of play worldwide:Fewer than half a million per dayThe number of new daily cases dipped below the half-million mark for the first time since late October, standing at 493,000, according to an AFP tally to Thursday.New infections dropped by 13% over the week, after reaching a record 725,000 in mid-January.Nearly every area of the world saw a slackening off, with new cases decreasing in Africa by 27%, by 17% in the US and Canada, by 12% in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean and by 2% in Asia.The number of new cases picked up slightly by 4% in the Middle East, however, while there were only 14 cases per day (43% more) in Oceania.The number of confirmed cases only reflects a fraction of the actual number of infections, as different countries have different counting practices and levels of testing.Steepest fallsThe biggest decrease was in South Africa, the continent’s worst-hit country, where the number of new cases dropped by 49%, at 4,100 new cases per day, confirming a strong deceleration that started the previous week.The country, where a more contagious variant of the coronavirus has been detected, in late 2020 saw an upsurge in cases, which led it to impose a curfew in late December.Lithuania has the next big drop at -37%, (700 cases per day), Mexico (-35%, 10,600), Japan (31% fewer, 3,000), Panama (-31%, 1,100) and Portugal (30% fewer or 9,100 cases).Biggest spikesMalaysia is the country where the epidemic is picking up most speed, with 30% more, or 4,800 new cases per day, among the countries which have registered more than 1,000 daily cases over the past week.Jordan follows with 27% more, or 1,100 new cases, Peru (23%, 6,500), Iraq (21%, 1,000) and Turkey (16% more, or 7,400 cases).US still has most cases, deathsThe US again had by far the highest number of new cases, with 133,500 per day on average, a 17% decrease over the previous week.Brazil follows with 48,200, or -7% and Spain (29,800, -16%).Then come the UK with 21,200, or 26% fewer and France (20,600, 1% more).On a per-capita basis, Portugal remains the country with the highest number of infections, at 622 cases per 100,000 people.The US also again registered the most deaths over the past week, with 3,279 per day on average, followed by Mexico (1,111), Brazil (1,035), the UK (1,018), Germany (690), Russia (507) and France (450).


Khairy speaks the lingo to reach out to Kelantanese about booster jabs

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today revealed that the take-up rate for booster shots is the lowest in Kelantan, adopting the distinctive Kelantanese dialect to urge those in the state to go for a third jab.In a Twitter post, he experessed concern over the low booster rate and the high usage of ICU facilities in the state.“Loloni Kelate paling rendah skali ambik booster, ambo rusing, ICU sana koho penuh. Ambo mitok sangat puok kita di Kelate pakat cocok vaksin & booster. Pakat gi cocok deh,” he said.(“Right now, Kelantan is at the bottom in terms of taking a booster dose. I am worried as ICUs there are filling up.“I urge the people of Kelantan to take the vaccine as well as a booster shot. Ask everyone to go and get the vaccine jab.”)His post was accompanied by a chart showing booster dose coverage nationwide as of Feb 27.The Klang Valley recorded the highest coverage with 87.8% of adults having received a booster shot.This was followed by (78.8%), Melaka (74.2%), Negeri Sembilan (74.0%), Penang (71.5%), Johor (70.5%), Labuan (65.8%), Perak (56%) Pahang (47.5%), Kedah (43.4%) and Terengganu (39.5%).The bottom three states on the chart were erlis (36.1%), Sabah (24.8%) and Kelantan (22.7%).Last week, Khairy said the deadline for senior citizens and those who had been vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine to receive a booster jab would be extended to the end of March from the original date of Feb 28.“Beginning April 1, their vaccination status will change to incomplete if they have yet to receive a booster jab,” he said.


Over 9,200 undocumented migrants detained this year

A total of 9,241 undocumented immigrants were detained while 13,127 people were deported by the Immigration Department of Malaysia nationwide from early this year until July 8.Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said 53,195 individuals were questioned in 2,011 operations during this period.“A total of 99 employers were also detained during the period while those deported comprised 10,418 men, 2,276 women, 289 boys and 144 girls,” he said in a statement today.Based on the department’s statistics, he said, 80,865 people were repatriated through the recalibration programme implemented from Dec 21 to July 8.Khairul also said that 63 foreign workers comprising 35 Myanmarese and 14 people each from Indonesia and Bangladesh were detained in Ops Patuh at a foreign workers’ settlement at a construction project area in Yarra Park, Sungai Petani, Kedah early today.“In the operation which ended at 2.20am, all those detained were found to have committed offences under Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 15(1) of the same act,” he said.


Ismail’s Cabinet: Winners and losers

The announcement of the new Cabinet line-up by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has triggered condemnation from Pakatan Harapan (PH) with an air of silent disappointment descending on the “semi-opposition” camp led by Umno’s Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.MalaysiaNow takes a look at the winners and losers in the 31 ministerial appointments announced today.Winner: Perikatan NasionalIf there is one thing about the Cabinet line-up that everyone can agree on, it is the fact that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is still in power.The format of the Cabinet as drawn up by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, with its hierarchy of senior ministers leading the four clusters, has been maintained. It is perhaps Ismail’s way of saying that his government’s brand is PN, the same brand for which the pro-Najib Razak camp in Umno revoked its support.Loser: Pro-Najib campThe pro-Najib camp appears to be among the biggest losers. With the exception of Noh Omar and perhaps Noraini Ahmad, both of whom joined the former leader in revoking support for Muhyiddin, none of its other more vociferous leaders were selected as ministers.The open call by Najib’s loyalists for the finance portfolio to be held by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, for example, fell on deaf ears. Similarly, hopes were dashed for Azalina Othman Said to be made the law minister despite giving up her deputy speaker’s post, or for Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, the first to quit Muhyiddin’s Cabinet, to be restored as a minister.Winner: Anti-Najib campTo rub salt into the wound, some of Najib’s most vocal critics in Umno and Barisan Nasional such as Khairy Jamaluddin, Hishammuddin Hussein, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, M Saravanan, Shahidan Kassim and Annuar Musa were either maintained or promoted to head more high-profile ministries.Winner: BersatuWith one-third of the ministers coming from Bersatu, the Malay party has been given a new lease of life amid predictions of its doom in the aftermath of the resignation of its president as prime minister.Bersatu, whose men fill two of the four senior minister posts, also retained critical portfolios such as education, home affairs and foreign affairs as well as two critical positions in efforts to jumpstart the economy, the international trade and industry ministry led by Mohamed Azmin Ali and the economic portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Department held by Mustapa Mohamed.The party, originally made up of leaders who broke away from Najib at the peak of the 1MDB scandal, may now be on stronger footing to challenge Umno in the scramble for the crucial Malay vote bank.Loser: Anti-Azmin campThe anti-Azmin camp is largely made up of loyalists to Anwar Ibrahim in PKR, who recently went through yet another short-lived stage of euphoria in the period between Muhyiddin’s resignation and Ismail’s appointment.Many had hoped it would be the “ini kalilah” (this is it) moment, to use the famous general election tagline, for their president to become the prime minister. As the dust settled following Ismail’s appointment, the euphoria quickly turned into noisy social media calls on Ismail to deny Azmin any role in his government.A rare invitation to Anwar and PH leaders to a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday was also interpreted as a signal that Azmin’s political career was over, with many PKR supporters even claiming that a deal had been reached with Ismail that would see Azmin relegated to the political wilderness, in exchange for PH’s support for the new prime minister.Winner: Muhyiddin YassinMuhyiddin may be down, but he is not out, and judging by the return of his men (and women) to the Cabinet, the former prime minister could well spring back to power – but only on the condition that these ministers prove themselves efficient and capable on the job from now until the 15th general election.Loser: Umno’s court clusterThe composition of the Cabinet and the lingering influence of Muhyiddin in the present government mean that the court cluster group of MPs, about six of them led by Najib and Zahid, will have no choice but to continue their court battle without any political interference. Muhyiddin had said it was his refusal to entertain attempts by a group of “kleptocrats” to escape criminal charges that led to the rebellion which forced him to resign. MalaysiaNow previously detailed such an attempt by Zahid in an exclusive report.Winner: GPSAlthough the Sarawak coalition has largely attempted to portray itself as a mere observer of “peninsular” political fighting, it also strongly resisted successive attempts to overthrow Muhyiddin, up until the very end of his government. GPS feels grateful to the former prime minister as it benefited politically under Muhyiddin’s leadership, and would not want to be seen to be part of a new Cabinet dominated by the former prime minister’s enemies.After all, under him, GPS unlocked billions of ringgit in revenue that was denied to Sarawak for decades. With six Sarawakians heading key federal ministries including one retained as a senior minister, the coalition can also claim credit for managing to wrest back one of Sarawak’s rights under the federation, all because GPS picked the “right friends” in Putrajaya.Loser: Partisan activistsSome of the more prominent civil society activists may have lost their image of being non-partisan in urging for reforms when they openly campaigned for certain politicians to be appointed as ministers. They include Ambiga Sreenevasan, who once steered the Bersih 2.0 coalition as a successful civil society movement, obtaining the support of Malaysians from all parties including PAS. But Ambiga has made no secret of her political affiliation in the months leading to Muhyiddin’s downfall, from repeatedly calling for Amanah’s Dzulkefly Ahmad to be made the health minister to attacking PAS leaders with controversial suggestions. She summed up her loss well in a Twitter post: “Cabinet: Expected nothing. Got nothing. Moral of story: expect nothing.”


Mainland China to help overwhelmed Hong Kong with Covid fight

China will help Hong Kong to cope with an expanding Covid-19 outbreak by providing testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, Chief Secretary John Lee said on Saturday, adding that there were no plans for a mainland-style lockdown for now.Hong Kong and mainland China are among few places in the world still aiming to suppress every Covid-19 outbreak, but the Omicron variant has proven tough to keep under control.Lee, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Security Chief Chris Tang were part of a delegation who visited neighbouring Shenzhen on Friday and Saturday to discuss support measures with mainland Chinese officials.The measures will give Hong Kong a breathing space as medical capacity becomes stretched on all fronts, although there were no specific details of the plans and it was not clear how quickly they could be implemented.“At the meeting we were all on the same wavelength,” Lee told reporters on his return from Shenzhen. “All support will be provided. Rapid tests and help building isolation facilities are things we agreed on.”“There are no plans for a lockdown at this stage.”Lab personnel, hospital beds, protective equipment were included in the support potentially on offer, Lee said. Chinese officials have also promised to ensure supplies of vegetables and fresh produce to Hong Kong, after the city faced a shortage of such items earlier this week when truck drivers who tested positive for Covid-19 were unable to bring them in.Hong Kong reported a record 1,514 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, up from Friday’s 1,325 despite the most stringent social restrictions yet. Another 1,500 or so came out positive in preliminary tests which may be added to the count in the near future. Three more people died in the past 24 hours.“This is the toughest battle against the virus of the past two years,” Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, told reporters.“Please stay at home. We need your cooperation.”Hospital beds for Covid-19 patients are already at around 90% occupancy, while isolation facilities were also nearing their maximum, authorities said.Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to test every day, including the elderly and children, queuing for hours in tightly packed lines outside overwhelmed testing centres.University of Hong Kong epidemiologists say the number of infections could reach tens of thousands a day in a matter of weeks, posing a major risk for the city’s elderly, many of whom are not vaccinated after the city’s success at keeping the virus at bay for much of the pandemic led to a sense of complacency.Infections were recorded in some 42 elder care homes, Tsui said.Some epidemiologists say only a full mainland-style lockdown for around two months could bring the infection count back to zero, but warn this would not be a definitive fix as Omicron could find its way back into the city again soon after.In a pre-recorded interview with local broadcaster Now TV published late on Friday, Health Secretary Chan said she did not want to impose a lockdown and that it was preferable that residents “do it themselves” by staying at home.Hong Kong has recorded more than 20,000 infections and just over 200 deaths since the start of the pandemic, far fewer than in most other places, but at significant economic and psychological cost.Hong Kong is one of the world’s most isolated large cities, with flights 90% down, and hardly any allowed to transit.


PH, BN agree on 'parameters' for seat allocations in state polls

Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have agreed on several parameters for the allocation of seats in the six state polls to come, says PH secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
"Negotiations on the formula for seat distribution between PH and BN have started," he said at a dialogue with the media in Putrajaya yesterday, adding that negotiations have already been held but are not yet complete.
It was reported that six states – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – had reached an agreement to dissolve their state legislative assemblies two weeks before the end of June to pave the way for state elections.
On BN's decision that candidates representing the party will use the "dacing" logo in the state elections, Saifuddin said this had been communicated to PH.
He said BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had decided on this as the government which is a coalition of five parties does not have an official logo yet.
"PH and BN have their logos, so in that context the BN chairman who is also the Umno president made the decision because that is in BN's domain," he said.


Najib's 1MDB trial postponed as lawyer Shafee unwell

Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today was postponed to Oct 11 as his lead defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was taken ill.
Another of Najib's lawyers, Alaistair Brandah Norman, told presiding judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that Shafee has come down with a fever as well as a severe throat infection and was unable to address the court today.
"We have to inform that Shafee took ill this morning and was given medical leave for four days, from today until Oct 9. He is unable to attend the Court of Appeal matter this morning.
"For 1MDB trial arrangements next week on Oct 11, we ask for case management to be fixed at 2.30pm as Shafee has been instructed to attend another appeal case before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid.
"He is required to submit on six grounds for a case that has been going on since 1999 and will not be able to come for the morning trial session," he said.
The lawyer also requested for the trial scheduled on Oct 12 to start later in the day as Shafee would be in another High Court with judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid for Najib’s judicial review hearing to challenge the Prison Department’s decision disallowing the former prime minister's request to attend the current Dewan Rakyat sitting.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam raised no objection to today’s postponement but requested that previous witnesses, AmBank Private Banking Capital Market head Yap Wai Keat and former AmBank non-executive director Cheah Tek Kuang, who have yet to be cross-examined and re-examined, be disposed of before another witness is called.
Sequerah said these witnesses would be kept hanging if the situation continues, and asked for the prosecution to arrange for a new witness to ensure the continued flow of the trial.
"This (1MDB) case has been delayed for so long. We can’t be waiting for this court and that court, we also have a commitment to finish this trial. Please ensure that the new witnesses are available on those days (Oct 11 and 12)," the judge said.
The 1MDB trial today was supposed to continue with Shafee's cross-examination of Cheah, who is the 39th prosecution witness.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.


Over 95,000 vaccine jabs given in new daily record

A total of 95,009 people received a dose of Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, the most jabs administered so far in a single day.Of these, 69,112 were administered their first shot of vaccine while the remaining 25,887 received their second dose.The numbers were due in part to the launch of an AstraZeneca vaccination centre at the Ideal Convention Centre Shah Alam yesterday.Previously, the record for the most doses administered in a day was 83,648, on May 19.Authorities have said that the number of doses is expected to continue increasing as the country receives more shipments of vaccine.Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of the national immunisation programme, previously said the slow vaccination rate was due to a lack of vaccine supply.He said this would stabilise by June, at which point mass vaccination would be in “full swing”.“So while I know everyone is anxious about getting their Covid-19 vaccination, I would also like to manage expectations with the reality of vaccine availability,” he said, adding that he would continue to push for more supplies to arrive as soon as possible.The government is aiming to achieve herd immunity through the inoculation of 80% of the population by February next year.


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Sri Lanka's ousted president to seek temporary stay in Thailand

Sri Lanka's former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday and stay temporarily in a second Southeast Asian country since fleeing his island nation last month in the midst of mass protests.
Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14 and resigned from office shortly afterwards, following unprecedented unrest over his government's handling of the worst economic crisis in seven decades, and days after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence and office.
The former military officer, who is the first Sri Lankan head of state to quit mid-term, is expected to travel from Singapore to Thailand's capital of Bangkok on Thursday, two sources said. It was unclear what time he would arrive.
Thai authorities said Rajapaksa had no intention of seeking political asylum and would only stay temporarily.
"This is a humanitarian issue and there is an agreement that it's a temporary stay," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters on Wednesday.
Prayuth also said Rajapaksa could not participate in any political activities while in Thailand.
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the current Sri Lankan government supported Rajapaksa's trip to Thailand, adding that the former president's diplomatic passport would allow him to stay for 90 days.
Rajapaksa has made no public appearances or comment since leaving Sri Lanka, and Reuters was not able to immediately contact him.
Sri Lanka's economic crisis is a result of several factors including Covid-19, which battered its tourism-reliant economy and slashed remittances from workers overseas, rising oil prices, populist tax cuts and a seven-month ban on the import of chemical fertilisers last year that devastated agriculture.


Court throws out bid by ex-Umno members to dissolve party

Sixteen former Umno members today failed in their appeal at the Federal Court to obtain leave to commence their challenge to dissolve the party for not holding party elections within the prescribed time.A five-member bench led by Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed held that the relief sought by the former Umno members in their judicial review application had become academic as the party had completed its party elections at all levels.He said the status of the former Umno members was undisputed as they were no longer members of the political party by virtue of Clause 20.7 of the Umno Constitution.Clause 20.7 states that a member is deemed to have been automatically expelled if that member proceeds to file any action in relation to matters concerning the party.At the time the judicial review was filed, the appellants were still Umno members registered in various branches. Their memberships were terminated on April 21, 2018, a day after they filed the judicial review.Azahar said the arguments by lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun, appearing for Ab Rauf Yusoh, on the academic and locus standi (legal standing) points had merit.“Under the circumstances, based on these academic grounds, we see there is no necessity to answer the two leave questions posed,” he said in dismissing the appeal.He said the actual dispute in the case revolved around the issue pertaining to the extension of time to conduct the political party’s election, adding that it concerned the dispute between members of the political party whose relationship was contractual in nature.Azahar also said the general principle was that the court would not interfere in the internal affairs of political parties as this was a domestic concern.The other judges presiding on the bench were Federal Court judges Abdul Rahman Sebli, Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Rhodzariah Bujang. The proceeding was conducted online.The 16 former Umno members had filed for leave to commence a judicial review, naming the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and Ab Rauf, in his capacity as the party’s public officer, as respondents.They are Salihudin Ahmad Khalid, Noorhalimi Yahya, Mariam Mohd Ishak, Mohd Hafami Hanif, Saharudin Tukiman, Azaid Jani, Normalawati Hassan, Radiana Abd Manaf, Mohd Rafeek Rahim, Nurul Hanna Mohd Suhot, Kamarul Abd Wahid, Mohd Hikamal Md Hassim, Muzamzamir Abd Wahab, Norizam Jamaludin, Rohani Ahmad and Muhamad Hafizi Hashim.Among others, they sought a certiorari order to quash the RoS’ decision, as announced through a media statement dated March 5, 2018, granting Umno an extension for its party elections until April 19, 2019, which exceeded the maximum period.They further sought a mandamus to compel the RoS to provisionally dissolve Umno and for RoS to suspend all the party activities pending disposal of the judicial review.They also sought a declaration to cease the legality of Umno branches and the dissolution of Umno divisions and its Supreme Council.The High Court, on April 27, 2018, refused the group leave to commence the judicial review. They also lost their appeal in the Court of Appeal in November 2018.The Federal Court last year granted the group leave to pursue their appeal on two legal questions.The former Umno members were represented by lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla while senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan appeared for the RoS.


Another Malaysian loses last bid to escape the gallows in Singapore

A Malaysian prisoner on death row in Singapore has lost his final legal bid to avoid the gallows, as controversy continues over another Malaysian whose fight to escape the death penalty in the city-state has become the subject of international scrutiny.Pannir Selvam Pranthaman’s lawyer, Too Xing Ji, said the Singapore Court of Appeal today rejected Pannir’s bid to commute the death sentence handed to him four years ago.Pannir had argued that he should receive a certificate of substantive assistance under Section 33B of the republic’s Misuse of Drugs Act.The argument for the certificate, which would have given Pannir a chance of commuting his sentence to life imprisonment, was based on the fact that he had given the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) information which led to the arrest of another drug trafficker.But Too said the attorney-general had filed further affidavits after the oral hearing on March 9, saying that while the information given was true, it was not useful as the CNB was already aware of it.“After hearing further submissions, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal with brief oral grounds,” Too said.“In short, they said that the statute required that the information had to be used. Because the CNB had said on affidavit that they did not use Pannir’s information, he would not qualify for the certificate.”Pannir was found guilty of being a drug courier and sentenced to death in 2017.He was convicted on June 27, 2017 by the Singapore High Court of trafficking in 51.84g of diamorphine at the Woodlands Checkpoint in 2014.He received a stay of execution in 2019, hours before he was scheduled to be put to death on May 24, enabling him to dispute the Singapore president’s refusal to challenge the clemency process.He had written two songs from Changi prison, joining hands with popular local names in fighting against the death penalty.His first song, “Arah Tuju”, was performed by singer Santesh Kumar, best known for his 2014 Malay single “Amalina”.His second song, “Bukan Sekadar Hikayat”, sung by local Indian rapper Samson Thomas, was released in September.Today’s ruling comes hot on the heels of reports that a new date for appeal has been set for Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, another Malaysian prisoner on death row in Singapore.According to UK-based legal group Reprieve, the appeal had been scheduled for Nov 30 following the stay of execution granted after Nagaenthran’s Covid-19 diagnosis just before a last-ditch attempt in court to stop his execution on Nov 10.This comes amid concerns over the mental health of Nagaenthran, who had already been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.Rights groups had mounted a campaign seeking to save his life, with dozens of civil society activists gathering outside the Malaysian Parliament on Nov 3 to highlight his case to MPs.His case also gained the attention of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, both of whom wrote to the Singapore authorities asking for leniency towards Nagaenthran.Others including British aviation magnate Richard Branson have asked for Singapore to grant Nagaenthran a pardon.


Kremlin says Ukraine ‘lacks will’ to continue peace talks

The Kremlin on Wednesday accused Kyiv authorities of not wanting to continue talks to end hostilities that started after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine.“Talks are indeed not moving forward and we note the complete lack of will of Ukrainian negotiators to continue this process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.On Tuesday, Kyiv’s lead negotiator Mykhaylo Podolyak said that talks with Moscow were “on hold” after being held regularly in the earlier stages of the conflict but without substantial results.Peskov also said the Kremlin had no information about a Russian soldier accused of killing an unarmed civilian in Ukraine, the first war crimes trial since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine on Feb 24.“We still have no information. And the ability to provide assistance due to the lack of our diplomatic mission there is also very limited,” Peskov said.He claimed that many such cases reported by Ukraine are “simply fake or staged”.Vadim Shishimarin, 21, was on Wednesday set to appear at Kyiv’s Solomyansky district court over the death of a 62-year-old man in northeastern Ukraine on February 28.Charged with war crimes and premeditated murder, the soldier from Irkutsk in Siberia faces a possible life sentence.


PAS hails reappointment of Azam as MACC chief

PAS today welcomed the reappointment of Azam Baki as chief of the country's anti-graft agency, saying it had always believed his denials in the controversy over claims of conflict of interest in his ownership of shares.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said PAS had consistently trusted his word in the matter, and had prevented attempts by some to cast doubt on the dignity and integrity of both Azam and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as a whole.
"PAS believes that the extension of his service period also confirms that belief and rejects the negative perception that irresponsible parties are trying to throw at him and MACC to achieve certain goals," he added in a statement.
Azam, who came under scrutiny over the alleged purchase in 2015 and 2016 of shares and warrants at two public-listed companies, was reappointed as MACC chief commissioner for another year effective May 12.
Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali said Azam's reappointment had received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
The issue of shares was revealed by activist Lalitha Kunaratnam, against whom Azam filed a defamation suit which is slated for hearing in July.
He also said the shares had been purchased by his brother using his share trading account, maintaining that he had committed no wrongdoing.


No censorship, classification of social media content, says Fahmi

The government does not conduct censorship or the classification of content in allowing or disallowing any form of application or platform to be utilised by internet users, says Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He added that at present, the government issues no licence to social media platform providers including instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, WeChat and MiChat.
"However, for applications that clearly violate the provisions of the law such as through fraud and impersonation, appropriate action can be taken against them, including blocking the applications from being used by users in Malaysia.
"Enforcement actions taken by the government are based on public complaints or reports from affected parties, according to the existing laws," he said during question time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Fahmi said this in response to P Prabakaran (PH-Batu), who asked whether the government intended to review its permission for Telegram, WeChat, MiChat and several other chat applications which he said appeared to be having a negative impact on the younger generation.
Fahmi also said that if any party or individual commits an action or uploads content that violates existing laws, legal action can be taken against the party or individual concerned, not the platform used as the medium of content or information sharing.


Helicopter carrying medical team crashes near Brinchang

Five members of a medical team, including a doctor, were found safe with light injuries after the helicopter they were on crashed while attempting an emergency landing in a forested area near Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, early this afternoon.
A Pahang and Fire Rescue Department spokesman said the pilot of the private helicopter, known as "Capt Pedro", escaped injury.
He said following a search and rescue operation, the victims were found safe at 3.51pm.
"The victims have been given early treatment," the spokesman said, adding that one of them had suffered a broken leg.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) earlier said it had received word of an air crash in Cameron Highlands involving an Airbus AS 355 F2 helicopter with the registration number 9M-SSW at 1.03pm.
CAAM CEO Chester Voo said in a statement that the helicopter carrying a pilot and five passengers had taken off from Kampung Gawin in Kelantan for Tanjung Rambutan, Perak at 12.20pm.
The aircraft was operated by Layang Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd.
Voo said further investigations will be handled by the transport ministry’s Air Crash Investigation Bureau.


Rights group slams Singapore over looming execution of mentally disabled Malaysian

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today slammed the Singapore government over the impending execution of a Malaysian prisoner with an IQ of 69, saying no civilised nation should resort to hanging the mentally disabled.LFL adviser N Surendran said Nagaenthran a/l K Dharmalingam was convicted in 2011 of illegally importing 42.72g of diamorphine and sentenced to death under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act.He said Nagaenthran’s mother was informed in a letter from the Singapore Prison Service dated Oct 26 that her son would be executed on Nov 10.“Nagaenthran is no ordinary death row prisoner; he suffers from mental disability, with an IQ of 69. His condition is diagnosed and certified by a qualified Singapore-based psychiatrist,” he said in a statement.“Despite this, Singapore has over the years ignored all pleas that Nagaenthran be spared execution. That Singapore is determined now to go on with this execution is shocking and sickening.”Noting that Singapore is a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, he said the island republic was in “flagrant breach” of the prohibition under customary international law against the execution of persons with any form of mental impairment, as well as the UN General Assembly which called on member states not execute “persons with mental or intellectual impairment”.Calling for a halt to Nagaenthran’s execution, Surendran said it was a serious transgression of international law, which even entitles Malaysia to lodge a complaint with the International Court of Justice.“We hope good sense will prevail, and Singapore will step back from this scheduled execution of a mentally disabled person.“Going ahead with this hanging will only damage the reputation of the island state, and do nothing to stop the real kingpins of drug trafficking,” he said.


Nearly 33% of children fully vaccinated against Covid-19

A total of 1,166,385 children or 32.9% of those aged five to 11 had completed their vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 1,714,171 children or 48.3% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,913,093 or 93.6% have completed their vaccination while 3,009,604 or 96.7% have received at least one dose.A total of 16,094,258 individuals or 68.4% of the adult population have received a booster dose while 22,974,281 individuals or 97.6% have completed two doses of vaccine.A total of 23,250,933 individuals or 98.8% have received at least one dose.Yesterday, a total of 10,883 vaccine doses were dispensed, with 5,172 as first doses, 4,709 as second shots and 1,002 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 70,908,659.


Riots in France force Macron to postpone state visit to Germany

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a state visit to Germany that was to begin on Sunday after four days of nationwide riots since the police killing of a teen presented him with one of the biggest crises of his leadership.
It was the second time this year that unrest in France has forced Macron to postpone high-profile encounters with a head of state after Britain's King Charles cancelled a visit due to protests over pension legislation.
"A state visit is a visit of friendship, purely ceremonial, there will be a better time to do so," a Macron aide told Reuters, asking not to be named.
"The French would not have understood if he had gone to Germany. These days in Paris are important."
Macron spoke on the phone on Saturday with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and briefed him on the situation, a spokesman for the German president said.
The state visit was to see Macron cross Germany from west to east before giving a speech on bilateral relations.
However, for all the planned show of camaraderie, French and German officials had said the leaders would not publicly address simmering disputes over nuclear energy or air defence.
Yann Wernert, of the Jacques Delors Institute think tank in Berlin, said the postponed visit highlighted the unrest's impact on Macron's ability to conduct foreign policy.
"The state visit can be made up for later, but the violent protests and the reactions to them also show how charged the political mood in France is at the moment," he added.


Anything’s possible, says Umno’s Tajuddin on working with DAP

Umno election director Tajuddin Abdul Rahman today said he would not rule out the coming together of his party with DAP and PKR, amid growing calls from a group led by former leader Najib Razak to quit the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.“Anything is possible in politics,” he told reporters when asked whether Umno would be willing to form an alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition comprising DAP, PKR and Amanah.The Umno Supreme Council, of which Tajuddin is a member, is expected to meet this Wednesday to discuss repeated calls from party hawks to quit the government.Tajuddin also took potshots today at Barisan Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa for rejecting cooperation with PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and DAP.“He always says ‘No DAP, No Anwar’, it has become like a ratib (prayer utterance).”Tajuddin said Umno felt that it was being relegated to irrelevance in the current political setting, which he added was to favour Bersatu.“This is what we suspect. They want to become big and outsize Umno by giving it junior ministerial posts.”On Jan 2, Tajuddin, who is among the hawks in Umno who have aired reservations about supporting Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, ticked off PAS, accusing it of violating Muafakat Nasional, a charter signed by PAS and Umno in 2019.The Islamist party has since said it will not leave PN, renewing its commitment to support Muhyiddin.Tajuddin today said PAS should prioritise its cooperation with Umno, adding that it had resulted in many by-election victories when they were the opposition.“We are urging PAS to be faithful to us,” he added.Tajuddin said Umno had backed the PN government led by Bersatu last year as it wanted to have political stability.“We hoped our contributions would be recognised, but unfortunately (this did not happen).”When asked if all 39 Umno MPs would support a decision to quit the current government, Tajuddin said only several MPs were needed to switch sides and form the government with PH.


Transport ministry to consult Aussie safety bureau over claims of new leads on MH370

The transport ministry will consult with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on its review of documents produced by British aeronautical engineer Richard Godfrey, which asserts new leads in the search for the missing MH370 aircraft.The ministry in a statement today said it acknowledged that ATSB was currently reviewing the documents put forward by Godfrey but that it was unable to comment on the validity of his assessments without a third-party review and verification.“Any further discussions with the governments of China and Australia will be held based on credible evidence which can lead to results in any new search for the missing aircraft.“The ministry remains sympathetic to the family members of the victims and views that careful consideration and study should be given to any new credible evidence which may be put forth,” it said.ATSB previously released a statement saying that it had asked a third party to review the data it held from the search to re-validate that no items of interest had been detected in prior searches, in light of Godfrey’s “MH370 Flight Path” paper and workings.ATSB added that the findings of the review are expected to be released in the next few weeks while stating that any decision to conduct further searches for MH370 would be a matter for the Malaysian government.It said it was not aware of any requests to support a new search for the missing aircraft.


Cattle imports from Thailand suspended over lumpy skin disease

Malaysia has suspended with immediate effect all imports of cattle and buffaloes from Thailand, after assessing the risk of lumpy skin disease (LSD) transmission, reported to have spread to over 41 provinces in the neighbouring country.The Veterinary Services Department (JPV) in a statement today said the ruling was made to stop the disease from spreading and affecting the ruminants breeding industry nationwide.“The department urges all industry players such as importers, wholesalers and breeders to cooperate by cancelling orders (if any) with cattle and buffaloe suppliers in Thailand,” it said.The department also advised industry players to immediately report to the veterinary authority in the state or nearby districts any cattle and buffaloes showing symptoms LSD infection, for control and preventive measures.“Although LSD is a non-zoonatic disease that does not affect humans, it impacts the ruminants breeding industry and causes losses due to weight loss, drop in milk produce, miscarriage and infertility in infected livestocks,” it said.As part of efforts to prevent the smuggling of cows and buffaloes from Thailand, JPV will work with the Border Security Agency to step up monitoring at the Malaysia-Thailand border.The Royal Malaysian Customs Department and Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) will also tighten inspections at the country’s entry points to block cattle and buffaloes entering from Thailand.On June 2, Kedah Maqis reported that it had detected LSD in 42 cattle imported from Thailand at the quarantine station near Bukit Kayu Hitam.The cattle were among 1,434 imported on April 26 which were placed under quarantine before being brought into the country.


Suu Kyi forecast to triumph in virus-hit Myanmar election

Vote counting continued late into the night in Myanmar after an election Sunday that is expected to return to power the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains a hero at home in spite of a reputation abroad shattered by the Rohingya crisis.Several hundred ardent supporters ignored coronavirus warnings and gathered in a premature celebration, dancing, singing and waving flags outside the Yangon headquarters of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).Overall results, however, will not be clear for another few days.The election is just the second since the Southeast Asian nation emerged from nearly half a century of junta rule in 2011.Five years ago, the NLD won a landslide victory but was forced by the constitution into an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the still-mighty military.This time, the civilian leader – in a bid to maintain an absolute majority – implored citizens to overcome their coronavirus fears to turn out and cast their ballots.Millions lined up outside polling stations before the sun had even risen, while others waited for hours in the heat to enter temples, shopping centres and offices to vote.In Mandalay – Myanmar’s second-largest city and a hotspot for infections – people crowded into a polling station outside the city’s ancient palace.“I have my concerns” about the lack of social distancing, schoolteacher Hnin Wut Yee, 23, told AFP. “We’re all watching each other with suspicion.”Voters across the country wore compulsory face masks at polling stations, but many venues saw crowds bunching together in their eagerness to vote.Coronavirus cases have spiralled upwards in recent months, sending swathes of the country into lockdown and largely forcing campaigns online, where hate speech between rival factions has flourished.Suu Kyi refused to postpone the polls, however – a decision that could see “serious public health ramifications”, warned the International Crisis Group watchdog.“We’ll happily go to hospital for an NLD victory!” first-time voter Thazin Swe, 25, told AFP, as she danced into the evening with her family, all dressed in NLD red and waving party flags.‘Apartheid election’UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday called for a “peaceful, orderly and credible” election, although doubts about the vote’s credibility have already overshadowed the poll.Virtually all the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims remaining in the country – half of whom are of voting age – are stripped of citizenship and rights, including their chance to vote.“This is an apartheid election,” said rights group Burma Campaign UK, adding the polls were “less free and fair than the last”.Restrictions across many other ethnic minority areas – ostensibly for security concerns – mean nearly two million voters are disenfranchised from an electorate of 37 million.In Rakhine state, some people posted protest “can’t vote” selfies on Facebook with their little fingers coloured white – mimicking the purple ink to mark those who have cast their ballots.The NLD-appointed election commission has also been lambasted for lacking transparency and bungling logistics, from voter lists to alleged discrimination against Muslim candidates.‘Huge risk’ of violenceEven army chief Min Aung Hlaing chided the “weakness and deficiencies” in the vote’s organisation and ominously warned the government to “be careful” – although he told reporters Sunday he would have to accept the results.The military still wields huge power, retaining control of three key ministries and a quarter of all parliamentary seats.The comments signalled a “new low point in civilian-military relations” even if a coup or other power grab remained very unlikely, said Yangon-based analyst Richard Horsey, who predicted a landslide for the NLD.Suu Kyi’s defence of the country against genocide charges at the UN’s top court played well to the Bamar Buddhist majority, who widely view the Rohingya as illegal immigrants.The persecuted community garnered little sympathy when brutal military operations in 2017 forced about 750,000 to flee from Rakhine state over the border to Bangladesh.Myanmar is wracked by numerous other long-running conflicts in ethnic minority areas.Many of these minorities, already disadvantaged by the electoral system, are now deprived of their vote.This poses a “huge risk” of election or post-election violence, warned Horsey.“There’s a lot of guns, there’s a lot of armed groups, there’s a lot of division.”


Nearly 34% of children fully jabbed against Covid-19

A total of 1,202,212 or 33.9% of children aged five to 11 had completed their vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 1,733,437 or 48.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of teenagers aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,914,353 or 93.7% have completed their vaccination while 3,009,343 or 96.8% have received at least one dose.Meanwhile, a total of 16,106,736 individuals or 68.5% of adults have received a booster dose while 22,981,301 or 97.7% have completed two doses.A total of 23,258,115 or 98.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 1,904 vaccine doses were dispensed with 176 as first doses, 1,287 as second shots and 441 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine jabs administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 70,991,146.


US averts government shutdown one day ahead of deadline

The US Congress approved a stopgap funding bill Thursday in a rare show of cross-party unity to keep federal agencies running into 2022 and avert a costly holiday season government shutdown.With the clock ticking down to the 11.59pm Friday deadline, the Senate voted by 69 to 28 to keep the lights on until Feb 18 with a resolution that had already advanced from the House.The “continuing resolution” avoids millions of public workers being sent home unpaid with Christmas approaching, as parks, museums and other federal properties and services closed.“I am glad that, in the end, cooler heads prevailed – the government will stay open,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.“And I thank the members of this chamber for walking us back from the brink of an avoidable, needless and costly shutdown.”Congress watchers had expected to see the resolution getting a rough ride in the Senate, where a small group of hardline Republicans threatened to tank the measure in protest over the White House’s pandemic response.But Democrats agreed to allow a straight majority vote on defunding President Joe Biden’s vaccine-or-testing mandate for large companies, which promptly failed as expected.The right-wing Republican group, led by Utah’s senior senator Mike Lee, argues that the mandate is an assault on personal liberty.780,000 deadThe pandemic has killed more than 780,000 people in the US and the troubling new Omicron variant of the coronavirus has raised fears of a winter surge in cases.But legal challenges have mounted against Biden’s edict requiring vaccination or weekly tests for some sections of the US workforce, including companies with more than 100 employees.Lee had campaigned to remove federal funding to implement the mandate and was backed by right wingers in both chambers.“If the choice is between temporarily suspending non-essential functions on the one hand and, on the other hand, standing idle as up to 45 million Americans lose their jobs, their livelihoods and their ability to work, I’ll stand with American workers every time,” he said.The figure Lee cited would represent more than a quarter of the 157 million people that make up the US workforce, according to the Pew Research Center.Only 5% of unvaccinated adults say they have left a job due to a vaccine mandate, according to an October survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.In the evenly divided upper chamber, any single senator can torpedo any vote.But the majority of Senate Republicans – including their leader Mitch McConnell – were against the move, fearing they would be blamed for a shutdown.Ahead of the House vote McConnell had indicated that Republicans would support the continuing resolution, although he gave no indication that he bring Lee and the other hold-outs to heel.DeadlockedSpeaker Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, earlier hit out at Lee and his backers, accusing them of “defiance of science and public health.”If Congress had failed to keep the government open, the closures would have begun just after midnight on Saturday and would likely have bled into the following week.There has never been a shutdown during a national emergency such as the pandemic, but the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the 2018-19 stoppage wiped US$11 billion from the economy.The stopgap measure buys legislators time to negotiate full-year spending bills for the rest of fiscal 2022.And with the threat of a shutdown off the table, Democratic leadership is now free to focus on passing Biden’s domestic agenda – a US$1.8 trillion social welfare and climate spending plan.The bill is central to Biden’s legacy, but risks failing because of feuding between the Democrats’ progressive and centrist factions.Lawmakers are also deadlocked over the prospect of a first-ever US debt default that would erase an estimated six million jobs and wipe out US$15 trillion of household wealth, tanking the economy.The government is likely to run out of cash on or soon after Dec 15, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned, unless Congress raises the federal borrowing cap.But Republicans say they won’t help, despite having pressed for hikes under former president Donald Trump, because they want no part in the Democrats’ historically large package of social reforms.


Cops to investigate Hadi over remarks on toppling govt

Investigations against PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang regarding his claim that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is attempting to topple the government will be conducted by Bukit Aman's Classified Crime Investigation Unit.
Sentul district police chief Beh Eng Lai said the police had received reports lodged by Amanah and Selangor PKR Youth at the Dang Wangi police headquarters yesterday. "The case will be investigated by Bukit Aman's Classified Crime Investigation Unit," he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur when asked about developments in the case.
The reports were in connection with Hadi’s statement that PN and the opposition bloc were planning to topple the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Hadi told reporters in Parliament on Monday that based on Malaysia’s democratic system, no one had the right to stop PN’s efforts to topple the government of the day, and that such attempts could be made either through a vote of no confidence or through statutory declarations.


All jabbed up? Come right in! More countries dropping quarantine for vaccinated travellers

Earlier this month US health authorities said that vaccinated Americans no longer have to go into quarantine following international travel.Experts agreed this is an important step in recognising that people who are vaccinated constitute a lower risk both to themselves and others.Now the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has come out with similar guidelines.In its interim guidance report published on April 21, the ECDC said: “Requirements for testing and quarantine of travellers (if implemented) and regular testing at workplaces can be waived or modified for fully vaccinated individuals as long as there is no or very low-level circulation of immune escape variants (in the community in the country of origin, in the case of travellers).”This follows expert agreement that there should be a lighter touch for passengers who are vaccinated, especially those arriving from lower risk countries. But most countries are hesitating to follow suit.Bloomberg asked the question: why are so many countries hesitant of loosening restrictions for the vaccinated?Its report on April 17 addressed this, discussing how countries are “wary of a relapse”.Concern about mutated viruses like the South African and Indian double-mutant variants breaking through vaccine protection are at the root of much reluctance.Analysts at SimpliFlying also looked at the possibility that, as older age groups are generally being vaccinated first, there could be reluctance to give older people travel privileges while younger age groups are made to put up with stronger Covid suppression measures.Whatever the reason, more countries will have to eventually come on board with relaxed rules for the inoculated, even if only for economic reasons.There is a snag though: US authorities say travellers must be “fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine”.This means travellers vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna will be allowed entry to the US without quarantine. Anyone with a Chinese or Russian vaccine will not be.Many people in Europe and Canada have received the Astra-Zeneca/Oxford vaccine, raising questions about what happens when they try and enter the US.Analysts and economists say countries should start discussing mutual recognition of vaccines, with ideally any WHO-approved vaccine being valid for travel.TimeOut reports that several countries are considering allowing in vaccinated travellers, regardless of brand, but have not yet made it official.Thailand’s tourism minister has suggested that his country’s borders beyond just Phuket will reopen to all tourists who’ve had the jab, presumably any jab, from July.Singapore has said it is considering relaxing travel restrictions for those who’ve had the vaccine. However, it will only do this once vaccines have been proven to significantly curb the spread of the virus. But as the world is discovering, not all vaccines are the same.In the absence of a widely accepted “vaccine passport”, much is still unclear, including which vaccines are acceptable, and what exactly constitutes proof of vaccination.Although many governments are still resolutely keeping people from entering their countries, an ever-increasing list of tourism-dependent destinations sees in the vaccine rollout an opportunity to reopen borders and ease other travel restrictions over the coming months.More governments have already announced that they will allow proof of vaccination as an alternative to existing testing and quarantine requirements which deter travellers.But which vaccines will be acceptable? And what is considered to be guaranteed unforgeable proof?


Australia govt favours boosting temporary skilled migrants' pay

The Australian government favours lifting the income threshold for some temporary migrants, Skills and Training Minister Brendan O'Connor said on Sunday, as it works to tackle widespread shortages of workers.
The issue of skilled migration was a focus at this week's government jobs summit where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged compromises between employers and unions to tackle the country's key economic challenges.
The government announced on Friday it would lift its intake of permanent migrants to 195,000 this financial year, up by 35,000, to help businesses with staff shortfalls and ease reliance on short-term workers.
Staff shortages have been exacerbated recently by a blowout in visa processing times in Australia, which has left about a million prospective workers stuck in limbo.
Speaking on ABC television, O'Connor said the government would examine raising the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which has been at A$53,900 since 2013.
"I think there has to be a lifting of that measure," he said, without commenting on whether the cap should be hiked to A$65,000 in line with the centre-left Labor Party's policy before it took government following May's general election.
"These are complex issues and we need to work out how we deal with each sector," O'Connor added.
Staff shortages, in both high-skilled and lower pay industries like aged care, bit hard after Covid-19 pandemic closed Australia's borders for nearly two years, and a lot of holiday workers and foreign students left.
Australia's jobless rate now stands at a near 50-year-low of 3.4% and labour shortages have contributed to surging inflation that has reduced real wages.
Also on Sunday, O'Connor rejected claims that a move to so-called multi-employer industrial bargaining would lead to more strikes in Australia.
Labor has previously backed a union proposal to consider multi-employer bargaining, which could enable workers across sectors to band together to push for better pay and conditions.
"The breathless hysteria about massive disputation happening because we use a new vehicle to bargain is not borne out by the facts," O'Connor said. "That doesn’t happen where there’s sector bargaining or multi-employer bargain."
Australia is competing with other developed economies, like Germany and Canada, to attract more high-skilled immigrants, as the country's ageing population heightens demand.


Salman Rushdie attack suspect pleads not guilty as author remains hospitalised

Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie remained hospitalised on Saturday with serious injuries a day after he was repeatedly stabbed at a public appearance in New York state, while police sought to determine the motive behind an attack that drew international condemnation.
The accused attacker, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, entered a not guilty plea at a court appearance on Saturday, his court-appointed lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, told Reuters.
Rushdie, 75, was set to deliver a lecture on artistic freedom at Chautauqua Institution in western New York when police say Matar rushed the stage and stabbed the Indian-born writer, who has lived with a bounty on his head since his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses" prompted Iran to urge Muslims to kill him.
Following hours of surgery, Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak as of Friday evening, according to his agent, Andrew Wylie. The novelist was likely to lose an eye and had nerve damage in his arm and wounds to his liver, Wylie said in an email.
Wylie did not respond to messages requesting updates on Rushdie's condition on Saturday.
The stabbing was condemned by writers and politicians around the world as an assault on freedom of expression. In a statement on Saturday, President Joe Biden commended the "universal ideals" that Rushdie and his work embody.
"Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear," Biden said. "These are the building blocks of any free and open society."
Neither local nor federal authorities offered any additional details on the investigation on Saturday. Police said on Friday they had not established a motive for the attack.
An initial law enforcement review of Matar's social media accounts showed he was sympathetic to Shiite extremism and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), although no definitive links had been found, according to NBC New York.
The IRGC is a powerful faction that controls a business empire as well as elite armed and intelligence forces that Washington accuses of carrying out a global extremist campaign.
Asked to comment on the case, Matar's lawyer Barone said, "We're kind of in the early stages and, quite frankly, in cases like this, I think the important thing to remember is people need to keep an open mind. They need to look at everything. They can't just assume something happened for why they think something happened."
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday, he said.
Matar was born in California and recently moved to New Jersey, the NBC New York report said, adding that he had a fake driver's licence on him. He was arrested at the scene by a state trooper after being wrestled to the ground by audience members.
Witnesses said he did not speak as he attacked the author. Rushdie was stabbed 10 times, prosecutors said during Matar's arraignment, according to the New York Times.
The assault was premeditated; prosecutors said in court that Matar travelled by bus to Chautauqua Institution, an educational retreat about 19km from the shores of Lake Erie, and bought a pass that admitted him to Rushdie's talk, the Times reported. Attendees said there were no obvious security checks.
The county district attorney's office did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
FBI officials went to Matar's last listed address, in Fairview, a Bergen County borough just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, on Friday evening, NBC New York reported.
There was no visible police presence on Saturday at the house, a two-story brick-and-mortar home in a largely Spanish-speaking neighborhood. A woman who entered the house declined to speak to reporters gathered outside.
Bounty
Rushdie, who was born into a Muslim Kashmiri family in Bombay, now Mumbai, before moving to Britain, has long faced death threats for "The Satanic Verses," viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages. The book was banned in many countries with large Muslim populations.
In 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, pronounced a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to kill the author and anyone involved in the book's publication for blasphemy. Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of the novel, was stabbed to death in 1991 in a case that remains unsolved.
There has been no official government reaction in Iran to the attack on Rushdie, but several hardline Iranian newspapers praised his assailant.
Iranian organisations, some linked to the government, have raised a bounty worth millions of dollars for Rushdie's murder. Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said as recently as 2019 that the fatwa was "irrevocable."
Ali Tehfe, mayor of Yaroun in southern Lebanon, said Matar was the son of a man from the town. The suspect's parents emigrated to the US and he was born and raised there, the mayor added.
Asked whether Matar or his parents were affiliated with or supported the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon, Tehfe said he had "no information at all" on their political views.
A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Saturday that the group had no additional information on the attack on Rushdie.


Selangor MB to seek audience on state assembly dissolution in June

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari will be seeking an audience with the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in the third or fourth week of next month over the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly.
Amirudin said the audience request would be made before the state assembly automatically dissolves on June 25.
“This is the understanding among us menteris besar which is the third or fourth week of June,” he told reporters after a Malaysia Book of Records recognition ceremony in Shah Alam yesterday.
The six states which will be conducting their state polls are Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
In this regard, on the division of seats between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional in Selangor, he said seven out of the 56 seats are still in discussion.


3 athletes positive for Covid inside Beijing Olympic bubble

Three athletes attending training events for the Beijing Winter Olympics have tested positive for Covid-19, Chinese officials said Thursday, with the country on high alert against the coronavirus ahead of the Games.Beijing 2022 organisers have left nothing to chance with the games set to start in February, restricting entry to the capital and insisting on daily virus tests for thousands of athletes who will be kept within a “closed-loop” bubble.One of the athletes, a foreign luger, tested positive at the airport when entering the country and was sent to a quarantine hotel along with another infected teammate as they had no symptoms, officials said last week.But a third person has now tested positive – another luger and a close contact of the earlier cases, Zhao Weidong, an Olympics organising committee member, said on Thursday.The latest patient is asymptomatic and has also been transferred to a quarantine facility for “medical observation,” Zhao said at a press conference.Authorities are continuing to “test people, materials and the environment, as well as conducting health monitoring and disinfecting the environment,” Zhao added.China is gearing up to tackle one of the largest challenges to its zero-Covid strategy as thousands of athletes are expected to descend on Beijing for the games, which will be held from Feb 4 to 20.City authorities this week imposed strict new rules on inbound travellers, requiring all visitors to Beijing to show a negative Covid test result from the past 48 hours and cancelling flights from higher risk areas within the country.China has kept its domestic case numbers far lower than in most countries, through mass testing, aggressive lockdowns and border controls that left some families separated and many unable to return to work from outside the country.The Olympics will test the country’s ability to ward off the pandemic, with organisers promising nearly empty stadiums and banning spectators from outside China.All participating athletes and venue staff must be vaccinated, while tens of thousands of workers in higher-risk industries across the city are being tested multiple times a week.The Beijing Winter Games organisers have said the coronavirus is the biggest challenge in the lead-up.The event is also facing boycott calls from international campaigners over human rights concerns in China’s Xinjiang region as well as in Hong Kong and Tibet.