Asia must not become arena for 'big power contest', says China's Xi

The Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena of big power rivalry, China's President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, warning against Cold War tensions in a region that is a flashpoint of competition between Beijing and Washington.
Xi's remarks ahead of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok were an apparent reference to US efforts with regional allies and partners to blunt what they see as China's growing coercive economic and military influence.
"No attempt to wage a new cold war will ever be allowed by the people or by our times," Xi said in written remarks prepared for a business event linked to the summit.
"We should follow a path of openness and inclusiveness," he said in the speech, which was provided by organisers, adding the region should not turn into "an arena for big power contest."
"Unilateralism and protectionism should be rejected by all; any attempt to politicise and weaponise economic and trade relations should also be rejected by all."
Relations between the world's two largest economies have grown strained in recent years over issues like tariffs, Taiwan, intellectual property, the removal of Hong Kong's autonomy and disputes over the South China Sea, among others.
In a move that may be seen by Beijing as a rebuke, a senior administration official said US Vice-President Kamala Harris will on Tuesday visit the Philippine islands of Palawan on the edge of the disputed South China Sea.
The trip will make Harris the highest-ranking US official to visit the island chain adjacent to the Spratly Islands. China has dredged the sea floor to build harbors and airstrips on the Spratlys, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Xi told Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr at a meeting in Bangkok that the strength of bilateral ties hinged on stable relations at sea, China's CCTV state broadcaster said, referring to disputes over areas of the South China Sea.
Harris will visit Palawan after attending the APEC meeting, which follows a series of regional summits so far dominated by geopolitical tension over the war in Ukraine.
At G20 meeting in Bali, countries unanimously adopted a declaration saying most members condemned the Ukraine war, but that also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently. Host Indonesia said the war was the most contentious issue.
Russia is a member of both G20 and Apec but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov will represent him at Apec.
'Pivotal juncture'
Host Thailand on Thursday said leaders gathering for the Apec forum should "rise above differences".
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the meeting of the 21-member bloc, which starts on Friday, "takes place at a pivotal juncture" with the world facing multiple risks.
"Cancel mentality... permeates every conversation and action, (and) makes any compromise appear impossible," he said in a statement after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers ahead of the main summit.
"That's why Apec this year must rise above these challenges and deliver hope to the world at large."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among those also attending the main meeting, while French President Emmanuel Macron is a special guest.
Xi held a rare summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while in Bangkok, the first leadership-level meeting between the two countries in nearly three years, after which Kishida said he conveyed concerns about peace in the Taiwan Strait.
He reaffirmed with Xi that they would reopen dialogue between diplomatic officials and communicate closely, and said both leaders agreed Russia must not use the nuclear option in Ukraine. He declined to say what Xi said on the issue.
China's CCTV reported that Xi told Kishida the Taiwan issue involved the political foundation of ties between their two countries, and territorial disputes should be properly managed. The meeting came a day after tensions simmered in Bali, where Xi criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in person over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting, a rare public display of annoyance by Xi. Trudeau is also in Bangkok.
On Thursday, as leaders prepared for the Apec meeting, the junta in neighbouring Myanmar announced an amnesty for 5,774 prisoners, among them a Japanese filmmaker, a former British ambassador and an Australian economist and former adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. State media said 700 of those released were political prisoners.
Activists and the military's opponents welcomed the amnesty, but warned the world not to be tricked by the junta, which they said was using people as bargaining chips.
At a news conference in Bangkok, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the release as "one bright spot in what is otherwise an incredibly dark time."


New cases dip back under 20,000

Another 19,550 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,960,500.Sarawak recorded 3,743 cases, Selangor 2,416, Johor 2,282, Sabah 2,163, Penang 1,865, Kedah 1,390, Perak 1,354 and Kelantan 1,320.Terengganu recorded 953 cases, Pahang 722, Kuala Lumpur 555, Melaka 490 and Negeri Sembilan 198.Perlis recorded 73 cases, Putrajaya 24 and Labuan two.Another 21,771 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,700,733.


Malaysia to get 10,000 more spots in haj quota

The Saudi Arabian government has agreed to increase Malaysia’s haj quota by 10,000.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he made the request during his audience with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is also the kingdom’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, at the Al-Yamamah Palace on Tuesday (Wednesday MYT).“When the haj situation returns to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic, we will get the additional quota for our pilgrims,” he told Malaysian media at the end of his four-day official visit to the kingdom.Muhyiddin also said the crown prince had given a positive answer to the request as Saudi Arabia has always welcomed Malaysian pilgrims who are known to be well-behaved, well-disciplined and less problematic.Mecca and Madinah are also undergoing expansion in order to cater to more pilgrims in future, the prime minister said.According to Tabung Haji’s website, the Saudi Arabian government has set the haj quota for every country at 0.1% of the total population. The quota for Malaysia is currently at 31,600.However, Muhyiddin said Malaysians need to be patient as a very limited number of pilgrims were allowed to perform the haj last year due to the global pandemic.He said other good news arising from the meeting includes the formalisation of the Mecca Road Service initiative with the signing of a memorandum of understanding which would ease the pre-clearance process for Malaysian haj and umrah pilgrims.This includes airport arrangements, visa and passport checks, customs procedures and other logistical arrangements.“Malaysian pilgrims no longer need to wait for hours for immigration checks in this country. They can go straight to their waiting buses,” he said.


Court pauses release of Trump White House documents

A US court Thursday granted former president Donald Trump’s request to temporarily halt release of White House documents that could implicate him in the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.The documents have been sought by the House Select Committee investigating the riot, and had been ordered released Tuesday by a US district judge.The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said Thursday, however, that it had granted what it called an administrative injunction and scheduled arguments for Nov 30.The three-judge panel specified that the move “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the case.On Jan 6, hundreds of Trump supporters overran Congress and delayed a joint session to confirm that Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election and would become president.Biden has already approved release of the records, which are held by the National Archives. The House panel was to receive its first batch on Friday.Overall the House has requested more than 770 pages of documents including records from Trump’s top aides and memos to his press secretary.Among the records are documents from Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former senior advisor Stephen Miller and his former deputy counsel Patrick Philbin.Trump had also hoped to block the release of the White House Daily Diary – a record of his activities, trips, briefings and phone calls.Another trove of documents Trump does not want Congress to see includes memos to his former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, a handwritten note on the Jan 6 events and a draft text of his speech at the “Save America” rally. Delivered just prior to the attack, Trump in that address urged followers to “fight like hell” in defence of his false claim that the election was stolen from him.Earlier this week, the House committee issued subpoenas to top Trump aides who allegedly plotted to overturn his defeat in a “war room” at a luxury Washington hotel as well as for some of his most senior lieutenants, including McEnany and Miller.


A quarter of the population fully vaccinated

A total of 23,608,290 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) as of yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said of the total, 15,350,180 doses were administered to first-dose recipients and 8,258,110 as second doses.“According to percentage, 47% of the country’s population have received a first dose of vaccine while 25.3% have completed both doses,” he said.In terms of daily vaccination rate, a total of 447,035 doses were administered yesterday, 187,756 as first doses and 259,279 to second-dose recipients.PICK was launched on Feb 24.


Amazon unstoppable in Brazil as profits flood in during pandemic

Brazil’s first Covid-19 case was confirmed on Feb 26 this year, one day after its world-famous Carnival ended.Since then, the country’s infection numbers have spiralled out of control and the authorities have cancelled next year’s Carnival. This is the first time in over a century the world’s biggest party has been called off.The notorious knees-up was planned for February 2021. Months of preparation are needed every year as samba schools nationwide practise for massive, noisy parades through the streets of Rio de Janeiro.The national tourism promotion agency said in a September statement that without a coronavirus vaccine, it is uncertain when such large public events will be able to resume.With nothing to prepare for, and as Covid-19 tightened its stranglehold on the brick-and-mortar economy, Brazil’s population of well over 200 million has been stuck at home doing what people the world over have been doing in 2020: buying stuff online.MercadoLibre, Latin America’s online shopping giant has seen profits at its Brazilian arm, one of its most important markets, more than double.But it seems only right that the home of the Amazon, the world’s largest river and steaming rain forest, is also the hottest market on the planet for Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer.Its profits make MercadoLibre seem like a callow newcomer. In this year’s third quarter, Amazon tripled its profits from a year ago, from US$2.1 billion to US$6.3 billion.As Covid-19 continues to cut a swathe through Brazil’s population, the digital sales behemoth plans to expand its business there, in a move which will generate yet more billions of dollars’ worth of sales for the world’s richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.In Amazon’s biggest expansion in Brazil since it set up shop there in 2012, the company announced this week it is opening three more logistics centres which will create 1,500 more jobs in South America’s largest economy.The new centres mean Amazon will be able to increase the number of cities where Amazon Prime services, such as two-day delivery, are available.“Brazil is the country with the fastest growth in Amazon Prime subscriptions,” Alex Szapiro, Amazon’s chief executive in Brazil, told Reuters.That will be yet more music to Jeff Bezos’ ears. Only this time it should really be a noisy local samba, featuring fancy footwork and flowing hip swings to the thunderous beat of massed steel drums.Whenever Carnival returns to the streets of Rio de Janeiro, it might behoove Bezos to at least bang a drum for his Brazilian customers.


EU warns antibody drugs poor against new Covid strains

The EU's drug watchdog warned on Friday that antibody treatments for Covid are ineffective against the newest and increasingly dominant strains of the disease.
Numerous monoclonal antibodies, which are given by injection or infusion in hospital, have helped blunt the worst of the disease for at-risk or hospitalised patients.
They work by targeting the spike protein of the virus.
But the European Medicines Agency (EMA) "cautioned (they) are unlikely to be effective against emerging strains".
Lab tests showed they "are poorly effective at neutralising Omicron strains BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2 and XBB," the Amsterdam-based regulator said in a statement.
They also "do not significantly neutralise BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, which are expected to become the dominant strains in the EU in the coming weeks".
The main antibody treatments include AstraZeneca's Evusheld, Roche's Ronapreve, and GSK and Vir's Xevudy.
Antiviral treatments such as Pfizer's Paxlovid are expected to remain effective and so EU states should stock up on them for high-risk patients, the EMA said.
Monoclonal antibodies had been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by up to 80%, but they have lost their edge as the virus has mutated.
The World Health Organization in September recommended against using Xevudy and Ronapreve because they had stopped being effective against new variants.
Covid has kept evolving since it emerged in China at the end of 2019 to cause a global pandemic that is now waning.
While previous "variants of concern" like Alpha and Delta eventually petered out, Omicron and its sub-lineages have dominated throughout 2022 and look set to continue into 2023.


Over 86,000 metric tonnes of garbage removed from Klang River since 2016

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says the amount of garbage removed from the Klang River since 2016 annually continues to decline while the water quality of the river has slowly improved.
He said the water quality was previously in Class Four and Five, but has improved to Class Two and even reached Class One during the rainy season. Odour issues have been less frequent as well, he added.
"Two river-cleaning machines dubbed the Interceptors have been used since 2019 and they have been very instrumental in collecting rubbish, including plastic waste, and shows how the state government, Menteri Besar Incorporated and Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) have achieved success," he told reporters after visiting Mangrove Point recreational park at Port Klang yesterday.
He had earlier witnessed a signing of a collaboration between LLSB and the United Nations for Malaysia and Brunei network.
LLSB said in a statement that under the Selangor Maritime Gateway, 86,021 metric tonnes of floating rubbish, the equivalent of 470 Boeing 747 aircraft, had been removed from the Klang River.
"The reduction of annual rubbish by 63% between 2016 and 2022 far exceeded the Phase 1 key performance indicators set at 40%.
"Last year, the project saw 6,117 metric tonnes of trash removed monthly compared to a baseline in 2016 of 16,408 metric tonnes a month," the company said.


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PM to table mini budget in Dewan Rakyat

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to table a special allocation or mini budget involving a total of RM107,718,676,650 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
According to the order paper, Anwar who is also the finance minister will table the provision under the Consolidated Fund (Expenditure Into Account) Act 2022 which will come into force on Jan 1, 2023.
The act will allow the expenditure to be issued from the consolidated fund for the service of that part of the year, including for the purpose of paying emoluments for civil servants.
As the Supply Bill for 2023 (Budget 2023) will not be passed by Parliament before Jan 1, 2023, it is necessary to make provision for expenditure in 2023 for the period of Jan 1, 2023 until the date that the Supply Bill for 2023 becomes law and comes into operation.
Budget 2023, which was prepared by the previous government led by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was not approved or debated in the Dewan Rakyat following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10. During today's session, Anwar will also propose that a sum of RM55,959,213,200 be issued from the development fund in respect of the financial year 2023 to meet urgent expenditure, pending the approval of the development expenditure for 2023.
He will also propose that a total of RM31,834 million from the balance of proceeds of the Malaysian Government Investment Issue (MGII) as well as the balance of proceeds of the Malaysian Islamic Treasury Bills of RM3,211 million for 2022 be transferred into the development fund.
Anwar is also scheduled to propose that a total of RM16,200 million, the balance of proceeds of MGII for 2022, be transferred to the Covid-19 fund in accordance with Section 3(1) of the Government Funding Act 1983 and Section 4(2) of the Temporary Measures for Government Funding (Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19)) 2020 Act.


1,472 new cases, more than half in Selangor

Another 1,472 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 67,169.Of these, 891 or 52.9% were recorded in Selangor, 788 or 87.3% of which were from the Teratai cluster.A total of 6,603 individuals from the Teratai cluster have been screened for Covid-19, 5,056 of whom have tested positive.Of these, 331 or 6.5% are Malaysians while 4,725 or 93.5% are foreigners.Sabah meanwhile recorded 267 new cases.Negeri Sembilan recorded 146 new cases, Johor 68, Penang 29, Kuala Lumpur 26, Kedah 21, Perak 13, Kelantan 10 and Sarawak one.Active cases stand at 10,495 with 120 in the ICU and 44 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,552 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 56,311.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 363.


Zizie Izette admitted receiving RM2.8 million as introduction fee, MACC officer tells court

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court was told yesterday that Zizie Izette Abdul Samad had admitted to receiving an introduction fee of RM2.8 million from a unit trust consultant for recommending that her husband, Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin, get Felcra to invest in Public Mutual Berhad unit trusts.Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Haris Ibrahim, 42, said Zizie stated that she had received the sum from Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar while MACC was recording her statement on July 27, 2016.“I do not remember how many times Zizie Izette stated the matter (RM2.8 million introduction fee), but it was in the recording,” he said when cross-examined by Zizie’s lawyer, K Kumaraendran, in the hearing of the corruption case involving Bung and Zizie over a Felcra investment in Public Mutual Berhad unit trusts.In previous proceedings, Norhaili told the court that Zizie was eligible to receive an introduction fee of RM2.8 million because she had managed to get her husband to obtain Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.Haris, the 27th prosecution witness, said Zizie’s recorded statements were handed over to him by another MACC officer.The MACC senior superintendent also agreed with the suggestion by Bung’s lawyer M Athimulan that Zizie’s statements were recorded according to Section 30 (3)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, and that the introduction fee was mentioned in the recording.When re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How about why the couple’s statements were recorded under Section 30 (3)(b) of the MACC Act 2009, Haris said the statements were recorded as witness statements because no arrests were made against them.According to Haris, he completed the investigation paper and submitted the recommendation to the prosecution to charge Bung and Zizie in court.On May 3, 2019, Bung, 64, pleaded not guilty to two charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra’s approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.Bung, who was the non-executive chairman of Felcra at the time, was accused of accepting bribes from an investment agent, Madhi Abdul Hamid, through Zizie at Public Bank’s Taman Melawati branch between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.He also pleaded not guilty to accepting an RM335,500 cash bribe from Norhaili under the name of Zizie for similar reasons, at the same place on June 19, 2015, while Zizie, 44, pleaded not guilty to three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date and time.The hearing before judge Rozina Ayob continues on May 17.


Search operation continues for 9 remaining landslide victims

The search and rescue operation for the remaining nine victims of the landslide at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite in Gohtong Raya, Batang Kali, resumed at 8.30am today.
The operation, which has entered its fifth day, involved personnel and assets from various agencies including sniffer dogs from the K9 dog detection unit.
The search operation was suspended at about midnight.
The landslide tragedy that struck at 2.42am last Friday has so far left 24 people dead, nine victims still missing and 61 survivors out of a total of 94 people involved.


Shafee used RM9.5 million from Najib to buy bungalow in Bukit Tunku, MACC officer tells court

The RM9.5 million received by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from Najib Razak in 2013 and 2014 was used to purchase a bungalow in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer told the High Court today.MACC assistant commissioner Mohd Nasharudin Amir said Shafee admitted this when giving his statement to the anti-graft agency on July 28, 2017.“Based on his answers when recording the statement, two cheques valued at RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million received from Najib as fees for legal counsel provided to the former prime minister and party were used to purchase a house valued at RM9.5 million,” he said.Nasharudin, who was then head of the MACC Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Illicit Activities Investigations Unit, said Shafee also told him that the RM9.5 million had no links with his appointment as deputy public prosecutor in Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy II appeal case.Nasharudin said this when reading his witness statement on the third day of Shafee’s trial, in which the senior lawyer is facing money laundering charges involving RM9.5 million allegedly received from Najib and two charges of making false statements to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).Nasharudin said Shafee also told him that he had no knowledge of the source of the money he received and that he had never asked Najib where it came from.As for Shafee’s statement to MACC, Nasharudin said it was recorded at his office, Messrs Shafee & Co, adding that the lawyer was not handcuffed at the time as he was involved in the investigations in which Najib was accused of diverting RM2.6 billion to private accounts.Cross-examined by lawyer Harvinderjit Singh, Nasharudin said he could not recall if he had requested from Shafee documents pertaining to the purchase of the bungalow when the statement was recorded.Meanwhile, MACC Headquarters Investigations Unit officer Zulfaqar Mohd Khalil told the court that when recording his statement at the MACC headquarters on Sept 11, 2018, Shafee, when referred to a sales and purchase agreement dated Feb 21, 2014, said the money had been used to purchase land and a three-storey bungalow.Zulfaqar said Shafee also informed him that he had provided legal services to clients from Barisan Nasional over election petitions from 2004 to 2006, in which 46 files were opened.“Shafee also explained that he had met Najib on Sept 5, 2013, and stated that the total cost of the legal services provided was about RM12 million. He suggested to Najib that if payment were to be made, the actual amount would be RM11.5 million.“During the meeting, Shafee confirmed that he had informed Najib that he needed money to buy a house worth RM9.5 million and Najib told him to take RM9.5 million first before issuing two checks worth RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million respectively.“According to Shafee, Najib agreed that the RM9.5 million would be a loan until Najib came up with a rationalisation (for the payment),” the witness said.On Sept 13, 2018, Shafee pleaded not guilty to two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through two cheques issued by Najib and deposited into his CIMB Bank account.He was also charged with two counts of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns, which is in violation of Paragraph 113 (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013, and Dec 31, 2014.Shafee also faces two charges of being involved in transactions involving proceeds from unlawful activities, namely submitting incorrect returns, which contravenes Paragraph 113 (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013 and Dec 31, 2014.The trial before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues tomorrow.


An earlier election could trap Umno, say analysts

While Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) are fresh from their victory in the Melaka state election, analysts warn that pushing forward the next general election could end up trapping the Malay party.Yusri Ibrahim of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu said the Melaka election on Nov 20 may have provided an early glimpse of what might come at the 15th general election (GE15) but should not be taken as the same thing.“The Melaka election cannot be used to anticipate the results of GE15,” he said at a discourse on the state polls in Kuala Lumpur today.“Any haste in calling a general election could risk trapping Umno.”Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament to pave the way for GE15 to be held earlier following BN’s victory in the Melaka polls.Zahid, who leads a group of Umno leaders known as the court cluster had said that the memorandum of understanding inked between the government and Pakatan Harapan (PH) did not preclude the holding of an early election.Yusri said the three-way fights and above in Melaka had given BN the edge as Perikatan Nasional (PN) did not have a core of voters in the state.But he said the same would not be the case in states with different demographics such as Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Kedah and Perlis.He said if the percentage of voter turnout is even slightly higher than the 65% seen in Melaka, PN might be able to win more seats.“PN gained momentum at the last minute which, if it had continued, could have allowed it to add to its support in Malay-majority areas,” he said.The Melaka election had seen three-way fights between BN, PN and PH. BN eventually won 21 of the 28 seats in the legislative assembly, obtaining a two-thirds majority.Concern has however been expressed over calls for GE15 to be held earlier than July 2022, the timeline proposed by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin when offering to cooperate with the opposition before his resignation in August.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Nov 26 that holding an election at this point in time would be “utterly irresponsible” given the Covid-19 situation.He said this followed the increase in Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions as well as the emergence of new variants in the country.Hamidin Abd Hamid, a lecturer at Universiti Malaya, said Umno should not be too comfortable with its victory, citing internal conflict between the court cluster and another group dubbed the ministers’ cluster following the Melaka election.“In Melaka, there is conflict between factions which will affect Umno elections in the time to come,” he said.Adding that the court cluster appeared to have dominated after the state election, he said the response of the ministers’ cluster remains to be seen.Hamidin said while Umno might wish to strike while the iron is still hot, Ismail’s political career lies in the balance in the face of such internal conflict.“The court cluster wants GE15 to be held before any decisions by the courts which could threaten their positions in the party,” he said.“They can act in the party’s name but not the name of the government.”He said if an Umno election is held before GE15, it could benefit Ismail and the ministers’ cluster in the context of party leadership.


Malaysia remains among freest economies, improves in integrity, says US index

Malaysia’s economy is among the freest in the Asia Pacific region, ranking fifth among 40 countries and 22nd globally, according to the latest annual index of economic freedom published by a US think tank.The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom also gave Malaysia a better score in terms of government integrity, with 53.2 compared to 49.4 in 2020.“The law strongly protects owners of real property. Established protocols ensure the integrity of the property registration and titling systems,” it said, noting the National Anti-Corruption Plan and the action taken over the 1MDB scandal under the Najib Razak administration.“It remains to be seen how robustly the plan will be implemented,” it added.The index meanwhile shows Malaysia scoring slightly lower in terms of labour and business freedoms as well as tax burden, while improving in scores for monetary and trade freedoms.“The government has taken steps to liberalise foreign investment policies, but there still are local equity participation requirements in some sectors. Regulatory adjustments in the financial sector include the easing of limits on foreign ownership in financial subsectors,” it said.Since coming to power a year ago, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration has pledged no interference in corruption cases involving politicians.Last year, Najib was found guilty of all seven charges related to some RM42 million misappropriated from SRC International.Putrajaya today said there would be no let-up in the government’s efforts to bring those involved in the 1MDB scandal to justice.The government has reached settlements totalling some RM19 billion from Goldman Sachs, Ambank and Deloitte, entities involved in the 1MDB scandal.The Index of Economic Freedom is based on 12 indicators under four categories: rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and open markets.Although Malaysia’s overall score dropped by 0.3 of a point, its global ranking improved by two spots from 24th last year.The index, which covers more than 180 countries, also placed Malaysia in the “Mostly Free” category alongside 33 others including major economies such as Britain, the US, Canada, Sweden, South Korea and Japan.Topping the index for the second time this year is Singapore, with a score of 89.7 points, followed by New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and Ireland.


Public health group blasts immigration boss, home ministry on planned anti-migrant raids

The Galen Centre for Health and Public Policy today reminded authorities of the repercussions of last year’s crackdown on undocumented migrants at the height of the first movement control order, in the wake of a recent announcement by Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin of more immigration enforcement operations to be conducted during the upcoming lockdown period.“Last year’s enforcement activities which resulted in thousands of people from the migrant communities being vulnerable, at risk of infection and becoming infected in detention due to those operations, should have guided the government’s decision on this issue,” Galen chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said in a statement.He also cited a Twitter post by immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud, who had vowed to go after “illegal immigrants who live and work in this beloved country without any documents, not paying tax and levy but reap all the benefits”.“We are protecting the rights of local people,” Khairul had said.But Azrul warned that this would be a “major mistake”.“Just as it was done before in 2020, this would be a major mistake. You do not conduct such operations during a public health emergency, especially a pandemic. It is self-defeating.”Last year’s raids came despite Putrajaya’s assurances that refugees and migrants need not worry about their status in coming forward to be tested for Covid-19.Reports of one raid on the Selayang wholesale market in May 2020 said 1,368 migrants were detained including 98 children.Azrul said these acts had contributed to a trust deficit that discouraged those from such communities from coming forward to be screened, diagnosed and treated for Covid-19.“It will now threaten the government’s hard work to urgently vaccinate the population and achieve herd immunity,” he added.“Such actions are contrary to public health objectives.”Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, has repeatedly assured that migrants who come forward to be vaccinated will not be arrested.“The position of the government is we will be providing vaccination free for all in Malaysia, including undocumented migrants and asylum seekers with the assurance that they will not be detained or reported.“We will likely be working with NGOs in order to facilitate vaccinations,” he said at a press conference in March.Azrul said it was “baffling” that the immigration department would decide to undertake such an exercise during a public health emergency which has seen thousands of new Covid-19 cases reported each day.“The Covid-19 epidemic in Malaysia today is not where it was in 2020. We are in the fourth wave where the situation is more grim, tenuous and teetering on the brink.“If permitted to proceed, immigration enforcement operations could result in multiple spreader events and massive spikes of infection among migrants, before and during detention, adding new cases where there were few or none,” he said.“It has happened before. Why should we allow history to repeat itself, and cause harm to our Covid-19 response?”


Umno shelves general assembly due to MCO

Umno has postponed its general assembly initially scheduled for the end of this month in keeping with the movement control order (MCO), the party announced today.Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said a new date would be announced, adding that all divisional elections would be carried out this year at a more suitable date.“Members are also urged to maintain their unity so that we can focus on helping and defending the people duirng these challenging times,” Ahmad added.The general assembly on Jan 30 and 31 was to have seen debates on three motions critical to Umno’s future political cooperation, following calls by a section of leaders to work with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.They comprise a motion on whether the party should work with Bersatu at the next polls, on strengthening its cooperation with PAS, and on calling for a general election in the first quarter of this year.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has come under pressure from senior Youth leaders in several states, who urged the party’s top line-up to make way for reforms and younger leaders.


Pua's jibe shows MCA's role as 'opposition' in BN, says analyst

A recent jibe against MCA by a DAP leader despite the participation of both parties in the present coalition government appears to be an indication of the former's informal position as an opposition voice, even as its leaders hunker down in the wake of their initial resistance to cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
MCA president Wee Ka Siong, one of only two party members to win a seat at the Nov 19 general election, had said that MCA would fight against corruption and abuse of power in Barisan Nasional (BN) as one of 18 resolutions passed at the annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 18.
His statement was mocked by former Damansara MP Tony Pua, who said the BN component had for a long time kow-towed to the "king of kleptocrats", a reference to former prime minister Najib Razak who is currently serving a 12-year jail term at Kajang Prison.
"LoL. For a party that worships Najib Razak. That never once reproached the King of Kleptocrats. Never even took responsibility and sought forgiveness from Malaysians even after the crrlook was jailed. Cis," Pua had said in a Facebook post later that day.
His post was met with mixed reactions, including from some users who urged him not to make comments that could risk the stability of the coalition government.
"You should keep your mouth shut... If you are keep on bringing the past therefore the current unity government also will fall soon because of your arrogance.... You can see DSN fb page as he also mention that... Mind your words," said user JB Suren.
Others asked why Pua was only responding to Wee and not to Umno leaders.
"How about for a party that worship Zahid and Umno... look at PH now," said Joshua Lau.
An analyst said MCA's position as an "opposition bloc" in BN opened it up to criticism from other parties.
Liew Wui Chern of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman said this could be seen even at earlier stages, when MCA refused to join the government led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim in the aftermath of the general election.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said MCA was in the government now only to ensure enough support for Anwar as prime minister.
He compared this to DAP's position as a ruling party, with a number of its MPs appointed as ministers and deputy ministers in the Cabinet.
"So theoretically, we can consider MCA as an opposition party within BN," he said.
"MCA is the opposition party in the ruling coalition. This is MCA's position in BN."
Wee had said in the days immediately following the election that MCA was ready to play the role of the opposition, "to provide checks and balances for the government to come".
He was one of several BN leaders who had said that the coalition as a whole should accept its losses. Others included former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
He also objected to the move led by Umno president and BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to work with PH and support Anwar as the next prime minister.
The same leaders were likewise vocal in their disapproval of Zahid's submission of a letter to the palace, unilaterally expressing the support of all 30 MPs from BN for Anwar.
BN eventually agreed to join the coalition government, with Zahid returned to the second highest office in the country as one of Anwar's two deputies.
But unlike Umno, from which six ministers and five deputy ministers were appointed, neither MIC nor MCA received any Cabinet portfolios.
On Pua's remarks about MCA, Liew said they were his personal opinion and did not represent DAP's stand on the matter.
"I don't think it will become an issue that will affect the cooperation between PH and BN," he said.
"What we can say, at least, is that DAP now does not criticise anything regarding Umno. Only MCA."


Businessman charged over Facebook post on Najib-Rosmah

A businessman pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today to the improper use of network services after putting up an offensive post on former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor eight years ago.
Syed Ahmad Saifullah Hashim, 33, was charged with uploading a Facebook post which read “the plane boarded by the PM and his wife on their way home from Perth disappeared from the radar and was found crashed in the South Sumatra Sea. Al-Fatihah” under the profile name “Syed Saifullah”.
He was charged with committing the act with the intent of offending others between April 2 and 4, 2014, with the posting read 11.35pm at a premises in Plaza Pekeliling Jalan Kampar, off Jalan Ipoh, Sentul on April 4, 2014.
The charge, under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, is punishable under Section 233 (3) of the same law which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to one year.
If convicted, he could also be fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after his conviction.
Judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak allowed him bail of RM4,000 with one surety and prohibited him from making any posts on social media pending the disposal of the case.
She set Aug 15 for mention.
Deputy public prosecutor Najihah Farhana Che Awang prosecuted, while Syed Ahmad Saifullah was unrepresented.


Germany set to ban China's Huawei, ZTE from parts of 5G networks, source says

Germany plans to ban telecoms operators from using certain components made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks, a government source said, in a potentially significant move to address security concerns.
The German ban could include components already built into the networks, requiring operators to remove and replace them, German media had reported on Monday, citing sources.
A spokesperson for the interior ministry confirmed that the German government, which is in the midst of a broader re-evaluation of its relationship with top trade partner China, was carrying out a general review of telecoms tech suppliers.
No operators had however yet been banned from using certain components from Chinese companies in their 5G networks, the spokesperson said.
"The main change is that these strict checks for potential security risks now also apply to the existing components in telecommunications networks," the spokesperson said, adding that operators would not be compensated for parts that needed to be ripped out of the network and replaced.
An interior ministry paper on the review obtained by Reuters said that a specific supplier could be banned from providing critical components if it were deemed to be directly or indirectly controlled by the government of another state.
"This is a sign that the German government may finally be taking China-related risks to national security seriously" said Noah Barkin, managing editor with research firm Rhodium Group's China practice who specialises in German-Chinese relations.
"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. It will take many years to unwind this," Barkin added.
Critics of Huawei and ZTE say that their close links to Beijing's security services mean that embedding them in the ubiquitous mobile networks of the future could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to essential infrastructure.
Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals.
A Huawei spokesperson said it did not comment on speculation and said it had a "very good security record" during its 20 years of delivering technology to Germany and the rest of the world. A ZTE spokesperson said no evidence had been produced to suggest its produced were insecure but it welcomed external scrutiny.
Asked about the potential ban, two of Germany's top telecoms operators, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone Germany, said they fully complied with current regulations but did not respond to political speculation.
Germany lagging
While several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment.
"The devil is in the details, it would be a major step forward if this included all access network components where operators have made excessive use of Huawei in recent years," said Thorsten Benner, China expert and director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin.
Germany passed an IT security law in 2021 setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for next-generation networks, but stopping short of banning Huawei and ZTE as some other countries have done.
A new report shows that Germany has actually become even more dependent on Huawei for its 5G radio access network equipment (Ran) than in its 4G network, even though operators have avoided using the firm's technology for the core networks.
The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report.
"It's disconcerting that the government only right now starts to do a thorough mapping of where operators use Huawei and ZTE components and that they don't have that information in real time," said Benner.
Sweden's telecom regulator PTS, which in 2020 banned Chinese companies from rolling out 5G, gave telecom operators taking part in 5G auctions until Jan 1, 2025 to remove gear from China from their infrastructure and core functions.
Britain, meanwhile, wants telecom firms to remove equipment and services from Huawei in core network functions by Dec 31, 2023, from an original target of Jan 28, 2023.
The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.


Hong Kong teen gets 4 months jail for defiling China flag

Hong Kong teenage activist Tony Chung has been sentenced to four months in prison for insulting the Chinese flag during a protest in May last year.The 19-year-old student had been threatened with a sentence of up to three years in jail after he was found guilty earlier this month.The court heard Chung had undermined the dignity of the Chinese flag by breaking the flagpole and throwing the flag in the air.Chung, the former leader of pro-independence group Studentlocalism, was convicted on charges of desecrating the flag and unlawful assembly, reports the BBC.The teenager was already awaiting trial on a separate national security charge.The protest that led to Tuesday’s sentence was among the earliest against a controversial extradition bill put forward by the Hong Kong government.The bill was eventually withdrawn in the face of a mass demonstration movement.China is increasingly cracking down on prominent pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, causing many to flee the city.While serving his sentence, Chung will await trial on separate charges filed under a new national security law imposed by China in July, which criminalises subversion, secession and collusion with foreign forces, says the South China Morning Post.The new law has drawn global criticism and accusations that it ends freedoms guaranteed for 50 years after British rule ended in Hong Kong in 1997.The Chinese government has dismissed the criticism, saying the law is necessary to prevent the kind of pro-democracy protests seen in Hong Kong throughout 2019.Chung was among the first to be arrested under the new law, in July, and he was the first to be prosecuted, on a charge of “inciting secession”.He was arrested again in October by plainclothes police officers near the US consulate in Hong Kong. The UK-based activist group Friends of Hong Kong said he had been planning to enter the consulate to claim asylum.He is also facing separate charges of money laundering and conspiring to publish seditious content.In a separate case, 10 Hong Kong activists went on trial in mainland China on Monday. They were arrested at sea as they tried to flee to Taiwan by speedboat – most were already facing charges related to protests.


Interstate travel once 90% of adults fully jabbed, PM assures again

The long-awaited green light for interstate travel is in sight, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said yesterday, citing the increase in Covid-19 vaccination rate among adults in the country.He said he understood the feelings of the people who wanted to return to their hometowns to visit their parents, and that the good news would be announced once the vaccination rate reaches 90% for adults.“I believe many people want to return to their kampungs… some have not seen their parents for more than a year, some parents are not healthy. My late mother, if I didn’t come back every week or two weeks once, she would cry when I phoned her.“Many I believe are in a situation like I faced before. We understand but because of the pandemic, we have to restrict our movements, but I have said we will not restrict the movement of the people forever,” he said in an exclusive interview aired on local television stations last night.He said he was confident that unrestricted interstate travel is fast approaching as the percentage of fully vaccinated adults is increasing and has reached over 86%.He also explained that the government’s move to increase the adult vaccination rate from 80% to 90% before allowing unrestricted interstate travel was to ensure that no state is left behind once approval is announced.“I just want to explain why the 80% suddenly became 90%. It is because there were still states where the percentage was lower when others had reached 80%.“So to open up the whole of Malaysia, we do not want to leave behind the states that still have a lower percentage of their (adult) people (fully) vaccinated. That’s why we are waiting for 90% because we believe when it is 90%, each state’s average will be more than 80%. Thus once we reach 90%, we’ll announce. This will be good news for all Malaysians,” he said.Ismail said that since the movement control order (MCO) was implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19, the tourism sector had been among the most heavily affected.“It depends on interstate travel… as long as it is not allowed, tourism cannot be restarted and the tourism sector cannot be reopened,” he said.On the MyTravelPass, the prime minister said the government would allow people to go abroad without having to apply for it once the 90% threshold is reached.“In the past, we imposed flight restrictions because we did not allow our people to travel abroad, that is why we filtered as to who can leave the country, although for business we allow it and for students pursuing their studies or entering private universities overseas, we are allowing without MyTravelPass.“But for tourism, we still don’t allow it. For husbands to meet their wives, we do allow but they must make an application but I want to say that when the vaccination rate has reached 90% for two doses, we will allow our people to go abroad without applying for the MyTravelPass again,” he said.


Daily cases hit new high as death toll passes 6,000

Another 9,353 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 827,191.Selangor recorded 4,277 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,398, Melaka 835, Negeri Sembilan 638, Johor 399, Kedah 364, Sarawak 352, Sabah 251, Pahang 247, Penang 180 and Perak 145.Kelantan recorded 89 cases, Labuan 85, Terengganu 50, Putrajaya 39 and Perlis four.Active cases stand at 84,021 with 959 in the ICU and 451 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 5,910 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 737,103.However, 87 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 6,067.


Banker confirms over RM45 million transferred to Najib’s personal account in 2014

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today heard that over RM45.8 million was transferred into Najib Razak’s personal AmBank account via Vista Equity International Partners Ltd (Barbados) between October and December 2014.Ambank (M) Bhd treasury operations department vice-president, Salmah Daman Huri, 50, in her witness statement, said the funds totalling £8,706,021.92 (RM45,837,485.70 according to the conversion rate at the material time) were transferred into the former prime minister’s account ending with 880 in five transactions.Vista Equity is a shell company owned and controlled by Eric Tan, a trusted associate of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.“A sum of RM30,032,250 was transferred on Oct 23, 2014, and RM3,624,473.70 and RM 11,567.57 on Nov 24 and 26 respectively.“Two other transactions of RM5,360,065 and RM6,809,129.43 took place on Dec 10 and 18,” Salmah, the 23rd prosecution witness, said at the former prime minister’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.Salmah also confirmed five documents, all showing transfers from Vista Equity through Amicorp Bank and Trust Ltd, Barbados via Standard Chartered Bank, London before they reached the same “AmPrivate Banking-1MY” account ending with 880.On the first day of the trial, the prosecution said it would show that 1MDB funds were transferred in multiple transactions to Najib’s accounts, namely US$20 million, equivalent to RM60,629,839.43 or over RM60 million from the first phase; US$30 million, equivalent to RM90,899,927.28 or over RM90 million in the second phase; US$681 million, equivalent to RM2,081,476,926 or over RM2 billion in the third phase; and transactions in British pounds equivalent to RM4,093,500 and RM45,837,485.70 or a combined total of RM49,930,985.70 million or over RM49 million in the fourth phase.During cross-examination by Najib’s counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed, Salmah admitted that no red flags were raised by Bank Negara or AmBank when the transactions took place.She added that she was unaware that the account ending with 880 belonged to Najib at the time and that she only knew about it during the investigation.Salmah also testified that she could not confirm that the foreign exchange transactions came from Najib as her department dealt with the account holder’s relationship manager in these transactions.When re-examined by senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, Salmah said usually the bank would send bank statements to customers at the end of the month to notify them of the balance amount in their account.To another question by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, she said Najib never raised any reports about the said transactions to the bank.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues tomorrow.


Thailand’s ethnic Malays long for border reopening

After graduating from secondary school two years ago, Nurhalisa Jehawee left her hometown in Patani, Thailand, to look for a job in Malaysia where she found work at a tomyam restaurant in Kajang, Selangor.But the 19-year-old was forced to return to her village after the government closed the border due to the Covid-19 crisis in March last year.This meant an end to the livelihood she and her husband had been making at the Kajang restaurant.Two years later, the border is still closed and Nurhaliza’s savings are running low.“I have been unable to work for two years now,” she told MalaysiaNow in a recent interview.“I have only been able to stay with my father as he does work around the village because I cannot find a job anywhere else.”Nurhalisa’s siblings are also back in the village with their father, and while they still have jobs, the little they earn is not enough to support the entire family.Fresh from a divorce, Nurhalisa also has two young children to raise on her own. She said many of her friends in the village have faced huge challenges finding a job in their hometown.Nurhalisa, who made headlines last year after being separated from her youngest child, a baby, for five months due to the border closure, is among some 100,000 ethnic Malays in southern Thailand who turn instead to Malaysia.Many of them work at restaurants as waiters, chefs or managers.Ahmad Ibrahim who has driven a tourist van in Songkhla for 13 years said it is difficult for those who live in villages and the interior to find jobs.Those who do find work are often employed at low-paying jobs at factories and eateries, or part-time positions.Ahmad Ibrahim who drives a tourist van has been heavily affected by the loss of Malaysian and Thai visitors.“Some go to look for work outside of the southern district, in Bangkok for example. They become security guards or delivery riders,” Ibrahim said.“Such work is not fixed, and they do it to support their families while waiting for the borders to reopen.”The majority of the ethnic Malay workers who move to Malaysia for work come from three southern districts: Patani, Yala and Narathiwat.For Ibrahim, still in Thailand, business has been bad as he normally drives tourists to and fro across the border.“I have had to do other work on the side to cover my daily expenses,” he said. “Now no one can go anywhere and passengers are still afraid of Covid-19.”Aida Oujeh, vice-president of the Songkhla Province Tourism Industry Council, said business in the country had been affected by the pandemic, which made it difficult for local companies to absorb the surplus manpower.“Everyone had to come back when the Malaysian government announced the border closure,” she said.“No permits, no red ICs – everyone had to come back.”She said many had gone to Malaysia straight out of school and had no idea how to find work in Thailand.“Before Covid-19 there were job opportunities but after the borders closed, the hotels and other shops closed too, and it’s hard for them to make a living,” she added.Those living along the border have also suffered from the loss of Malaysian tourists.In 2019, about four million Malaysians visited Thailand through the border – about 10% of total foreign tourist arrivals.“In Betong, the people depend heavily on tourists from Malaysia to keep the economy going,” Aida said.“Villagers in Tak Bai and Sungai Golok have also been badly affected.”Aida, who operates a tourism agency in Danok, said borders there are expected to reopen on Dec 16 while Malaysia will take similar steps in January.She said this had been the outcome of a meeting she had attended together with representatives of both countries.For Nurhalisa and thousands of other workers at tomyam restaurants, this is the day that they await, when they can re-enter Malaysia to once more begin the search for work.


Arul Kanda’s cross-examination postponed after Najib’s lawyer Shafee loses his voice

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today postponed the cross-examination of former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy in the 1MDB audit tampering trial as Najib Razak’s lead counsel was unwell.Another of Najib’s lawyers, Rahmat Hazlan, when contacted said today’s proceedings were vacated to to Aug 12 because Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had developed laryngitis, which made him lose his voice.Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam confirmed the matter and said the trial would resume on Aug 12 before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.Today was initially scheduled for the cross-examination of Arul Kanda, 45, who was charged together with Najib in the 1MDB audit tampering trial.On June 24, Zaini allowed the prosecution’s application to call Arul Kanda as a witness in the trial, under Section 63 of the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.Arul Kanda is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report to protect Najib from being subjected to action.The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.They were charged under Section 23 (1) of the MACC Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.


We only act en bloc, says Najib on support for Muhyiddin

Umno MPs will only decide en bloc on the party’s position in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, former president Najib Razak said today.“We must act as a single bloc. This is among the views agreed on by everyone,” he told reporters after attending a three-hour meeting with Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders.Najib is the chairman of BN’s advisory board.Today’s meeting was called following the Agong’s decision yesterday not to invoke his constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency as proposed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.BN MPs who met today, however, made no decision on the future of the coalition’s participation in the current government.Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday said there was no pressing need for a state of emergency, but warned MPs against politicking which could disrupt the government’s war against Covid-19.It is learnt that BN leaders today also discussed their support for Muhyiddin.Padang Besar MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the majority of leaders were against any move to cooperate with PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim or DAP.“Many BN MPs still hold to the ‘No Anwar, no DAP’ rule,” the deputy communications and multimedia minister added.He said the people were also to blame for the state of politicking, adding that they had been “tricked” when they cast their ballots in the 2018 election.Umno adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah meanwhile hinted that the party’s support for Muhyiddin would be decided by its Supreme Council tonight.


Peru president ousted and arrested after bid to dissolve Congress

Peru's leftist president Pedro Castillo was ousted by lawmakers and arrested Wednesday in a dizzying series of events in a country long prone to political upheaval.
Dina Boluarte, a 60-year-old lawyer, was sworn in as Peru's first female president just hours after Castillo tried to dissolve Congress in a move criticised as an attempted coup.
The day of high drama began with Castillo facing his third impeachment attempt since the former rural school teacher unexpectedly won power from Peru's traditional political elite in an election 18 months ago.
In a televised address to the nation, the 53-year-old announced that he was dissolving the opposition-dominated Congress, installing a curfew, and would rule by decree.
As criticism poured in over the address, lawmakers defiantly gathered earlier than planned to debate the impeachment motion and approved it, with 101 votes out of a total of 130 lawmakers.
Castillo was impeached for his "moral incapacity" to exercise power, after a litany of crises including six investigations against him, five cabinet reshuffles and large protests.
The constitution allows impeachment proceedings to be brought against a president based on alleged political rather than legal wrongdoing – making impeachments commonplace in Peru.
Castillo was arrested on Wednesday evening, said Marita Barreto, coordinator of a team of prosecutors who deal with government corruption.
A source in the attorney-general's office told AFP he was being investigated for rebellion.
Castillo became the third president since 2018 to be sacked under the "moral incapacity" provision in the constitution.
Within two hours, Boluarte took the oath of office in front of Congress to serve out the rest of Castillo's term, until July 2026.
Peru is no stranger to political instability: it had three different presidents in five days in 2020, and is now on its sixth president since 2016.
Political outsider
After the impeachment vote, Castillo had left the presidential palace with a bodyguard, heading to the Lima police headquarters before his arrest was officially announced.
His supporters criticised their leader's ousting.
"I want to denounce the fact that our president has been kidnapped by the national police, that he has been detained with premeditation and treachery by Congress," said retired soldier Manuel Gaviria, 59.
Castillo came out of seemingly nowhere to win 50.12% of votes in a June 2021 runoff election against rightwing Keiko Fujimori, the corruption-charged daughter of graft-convicted ex-president Alberto Fujimori.
He was born in a small village where he worked as a teacher for 24 years, and was largely unknown until he led a national strike in 2017 that forced the then-government to agree to pay rise demands.
Castillo sought to portray himself as a humble servant of the people, travelling on horseback for much of his presidential campaign, and promising to end to corruption.
However allegations against him quickly flooded in.
The investigations he is facing range from alleged graft and obstruction of justice to plagiarising his university thesis.
In October Peru's attorney-general also filed a constitutional complaint accusing Castillo of heading a criminal organization involving his family and allies.
Castillo and his lawyers long argued the investigations against him were part of a plot to unseat him.
"This intolerable situation cannot continue," he said earlier Wednesday as he announced he planned to convene a new congress to draft a new constitution within nine months.
'Now former president'
Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of Congress ahead of the vote.
"We are tired of this corrupt government that was stealing from day one," said 51-year-old Johana Salazar.
Ricardo Palomino, 50, a systems engineer, said Castillo's attempt to dissolve parliament was "totally unacceptable and unconstitutional. It went against everything and these are the consequences."
Ahead of the impeachment, the United States demanded Castillo "reverse his decision", before saying it no longer considered him to be the president.
"My understanding is that, given the action of the Congress, he is now former president Castillo," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, saying lawmakers took "corrective action" in line with democratic rules.
Latin American governments voiced deep concern and appealed for respect for democracy, but there were also hints of support for Castillo from fellow leftist leaders.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, one of Castillo's staunchest allies, blamed "economic and political elites" for a hostile environment since the beginning of his "legitimate presidency."
The government of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president, called for dialogue involving "all political actors," adding that "democracy requires the recognition of the popular will expressed both in the elections for president and for Congress."
Brazil was more critical of Castillo's actions, calling his attempt to dissolve Congress a "violation" of democracy and the rule of law.


Indonesia to start human trials of home-grown Covid jab

Indonesia will soon start human clinical trials of its home-grown Covid-19 vaccine Merah Putih, Vietnam News Agency reported according to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).Jointly developed by Airlangga University (Unair) and PT Biotis Pharmaceutical Indonesia, the vaccine has been given the go-ahead by BPOM for further development and clinical trials.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, BPOM head Penny K Lukito said of the six domestic institutions and universities participating in developing the Merah Putih vaccine, Airlangga University (Unair) had made the most progress.After undergoing pre-clinical testing on genetically modified mice, the inactivated virus vaccine is now being tested on monkeys.Penny pledged that BPOM would continue to support and monitor Unair and PT Biotis Pharmaceuticals Indonesia so that the vaccine is produced in accordance with international standards.Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Makarim meanwhile said re-opening schools to students after a year and a half of online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic was the government’s top priority at the moment.In a speech at an online meeting, Nadiem said the effort aims to reduce the educational lag caused by online learning, noting that online learning has affected the capacity and psychology of students.The ministry has called on localities that have been allowed to reopen schools to boldly organise small-scale face-to-face teaching sessions.Previously, the Indonesian government allowed schools in areas imposing public activity restrictions at Levels One, Two and Three to organise face-to-face teaching and learning sessions.


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Sending in the cavalry to vaccinate rural Sarawak

Like any other armed forces personnel, army medical officers Dr Ahmad Fairuz Ishak and Dr Davendran Naidu trained hard to ensure that they would be combat-ready in the event that they were needed to defend the country from enemy forces.This year, the call came.For two months now, they have been on the go as part of the front line in a different sort of war against an invisible foe which has been wreaking havoc across the country for the better part of two years.As part of the Malaysian Armed Forces Combat Medic Vaccination Team (CMVT), they have been travelling to remote areas in rural Sarawak to ensure that no one is left out of the state’s vaccination drive against Covid-19.The CMVT consists of four medical outreach teams comprising four medical officers and 16 medical battalion members from the Ninth Brigade Infantry.Their journeys off the beaten track deep into Sarawak’s interior mean that villagers from remote settlements that lack medical facilities do not have to travel to the nearest town to get jabbed.Dr Ahmad Fairuz Ishak vaccinates a villager in rural Sarawak against Covid-19.For the villagers, this is a huge load off their shoulders as making the trip to town would require money for transportation, food and accommodation – money that they can ill afford to spend.But for Fairuz and Devandran, their task means many long and weary hours spent on the road – or, in rural areas, the lack thereof.Fairuz, who holds the rank of captain, said the limited access to remote areas in the state was one of the obstacles to reaching villagers with the much needed vaccines.Apart from the sheer size of the state, there is also the wide range of landscapes to deal with, from swamplands around the coast to riverine plains and mountain ranges covered by dense rainforests.The army medic team spends much of its time in four-wheel drives and speedboats, especially when attempting to reach villages that are only accessible by water.If it takes more than a day to vaccinate everyone in the village, the team must also set up camp there and stay put for as long as it takes.There is also the challenge of transporting the vaccines across the state.“The communities are mostly scattered along the tributaries of the river,” Fairuz told MalaysiaNow. “Their main form of transportation is by water.”Members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Combat Medic Vaccination Team give out doses of Covid-19 vaccine to villagers in Sarawak.He gave the example of Long Singut in Kapit, a settlement near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.“To get there, you have to drive about eight hours and then travel another four hours by boat.“Usually we travel by boat, but there were a few trips where we used a helicopter,” he said.Then, there’s the issue of communicating with the villagers. In Sarawak, most remote settlements are home to the Iban, Kenyah, Kayan, Punan, Penan, Kajang, Lun Bawang and Kelabit, all of whom speak their own language. Not many are fluent in Malay or the Sarawak variant of it, especially the elderly.This means that for outsiders, things can get lost in translation very quickly.Fairuz and Davendran agreed that delivering information about the vaccines to these communities has been a major hurdle.Davendran, a lieutenant, said the team had spent days looking for translators to help them communicate with the villagers and convince them to accept the vaccines.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he recalled a trip the tea made to Long Unai, which is home to the Penan Muslims.“We had to ask the district officer to come to the village to tell them why they needed the jab.”Fighting a different sort of war: the Malaysian Armed Forces Combat Medic Vaccination Team take the struggle against Covid-19 into the remote areas of Sarawak.On their own, it was slow going persuading the villagers to roll up their sleeves, especially those among them who were older.“Only 30 people wanted to be vaccinated at that time,” Davendran said.“But after the district officer came and briefed them, 151 people were vaccinated.”There is also the problem of internet access, a matter of course for those living in city areas but a luxury for residents in the interior.In many villages, there is zero connectivity which means registering for vaccination through MySejahtera is not an option. Instead, registration must be done manually with pen and paper.Meanwhile, those who are stateless face a host of other complications in registering for vaccination.In Sarawak, stateless people are allowed to receive the jab provided that their status is verified by community leaders. But their lack of documentation means that many crucial details are unknown.Villagers wait to be vaccinated against Covid-19.“Many stateless people do not know their date of birth,” Fairuz said.He spoke of an occasion on which he had vaccinated a stateless person.“When I asked him about his date of birth, he said he did not know when he was born. But because he had a tattoo that had numbers that looked something like a date, I just used that.“People need to understand that stateless people are not well educated,” he added.“They cannot read or write because they did not attend school. They don’t have the opportunity or privilege to go to school because they don’t have ICs like we do.”But he is determined to continue doing the best he can with what little information he can glean.“There’s no point if we don’t vaccinate them, especially those who are not privileged.“How can we achieve herd immunity if there are people who want to be vaccinated but can’t get the jab just because of their status?”


New cases jump to 5,500

Another 5,566 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,876,324.Another 3,187 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,787,190.Meanwhile 113 are in the ICU, including 90 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 59 are in need of respiratory assistance including 40 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,566 cases reported today, 51 (0.9%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,515 (99.1%) are in Category One and Two.


Protesters face off with police at Israeli airport in judicial crisis

Thousands of anti-government protesters converged on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, some scuffling with police who sought to keep them from blocking access to the terminal for most flights in and out of the country.
Protesting against a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to overhaul the judiciary, dozens in the crowd entered the arrivals hall dancing and with megaphones chanted, "Democracy!" Police officers eventually escorted them out.
Outside, the sidewalk overflowed with protesters carrying flags, blowing horns and banging drums. A cordon of police lined the road as vehicles slowly drove past. Horse-mounted police were called in to stand guard. At one point they parted the mass of people so an airport bus could complete its route.
Earlier in the day, demonstrators briefly shut off access to a major Israeli seaport.
The legislative push, unveiled after Netanyahu regained power in late December atop a hard-right coalition, has set off unprecedented protests, stirred concerns for Israel's democratic health and dented the economy.
Police have pledged to keep Ben Gurion operating and an airports authority spokesman said so far there had been no unusual flight delays. Thirty-seven protesters were arrested.
One notice circulated online called on demonstrators to arrive at Ben Gurion with suitcases and passports, suggesting a ruse for bypassing hundreds of police deployed as reinforcements.
Netanyahu doused some of the furore in March by pausing the legislation and holding compromise talks with the opposition. Those negotiations proved fruitless, and he is now pursuing what he deems a scaled-back version of the overhaul. The opposition says the changes remain dangerous.
Netanyahu has defended the reforms as restoring balance between the various branches of government and redressing what he and his coalition allies see as judicial overreach. Critics fear a bid by Netanyahu to curb court independence even as he argues his innocence in a long-running corruption trial.
The mid-sized Ben Gurion handles 90,000 passengers a day in July, an airport spokesman said. Minister for police Itamar Ben-Gvir had said that any attempt to paralyse it would constitute "harm to national security".
Protesters had previously flocked to Ben Gurion in March, attempting to disrupt a visit by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and preventing Netanyahu from taking off for talks in Italy. Austin ended up cutting his visit short while Netanyahu flew to Rome after reaching Ben Gurion by helicopter.


Ex-staff seeks to strike out 6 allegations by Anwar in sexual assault suit

A former staff member of Anwar Ibrahim who filed a sexual assault suit against the PKR chief is seeking to strike out six accusations against him, including those in which the veteran politician mentioned two individuals who are now deceased.Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, in filing to strike out several paragraphs from Anwar’s defence in September, said the counter-claims were “unsubstantiated, irrelevant and contrary to the principles of law”.“The defendant’s counter-claim is speculative in nature; is vague, lacks clarity and particulars; does not identify any cause of action let alone any reasonable cause of action,” Yusoff said in an affidavit filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday.The accusations include one in which Anwar claimed that Yusoff’s grandfather, the late prominent consumer rights activist SM Mohamed Idris, had said that his grandson had disciplinary issues and had sought Anwar’s favour to give him a job in the hope of “Yusoff turning over a new leaf”.Yusoff is also seeking for the court to expunge a paragraph suggesting that he had misappropriated funds belonging to a senior staff at Anwar’s office who is now deceased, as well as another claim that he is “pro-Israel”.He said the contents of Anwar’s counter-claims not only failed to answer the sexual assault claim but “are also irrelevant”, adding that they were an attempt to confuse the court and prevent the suit from moving forward.He also questioned the lack of details in Anwar’s claim that Yusoff had “acted in connivance with” several individuals.“This is coupled with the fact that the identity and the roles of the alleged person or persons are not even pleaded.”On July 15, Yusoff, 28, filed a suit containing shocking and explicit details of an alleged incident at Anwar’s home in Bukit Segambut.He said the incident took place about 10 days before Anwar won the Port Dickson by-election on Oct 13, 2018.He is seeking a court declaration that Anwar had committed the sexual assault, as well as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for suffering trauma as well as physical, psychological and sociological disturbances as a result of the alleged incident.Yusoff first made the allegation against Anwar in a statutory declaration in November 2019, followed by a police report.During an investigation by Bukit Aman under Section 354 of the Penal Code which deals with criminal force to outrage modesty, police subjected Yusoff to a four-hour polygraph test at Bukit Aman. Anwar meanwhile refused to take the test.On Jan 14, 2020, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, then under Tommy Thomas, said it would not press charges against Anwar due to “insufficient evidence” and “contradictions” in facts.


Daily caseload drops to 1,990 as 4 more deaths logged

Another 1,990 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,801,653.
There were 2,016 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,738,009.
There are now 27,370 active cases, of which 26,007 or 95.0% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, nine (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,287 (4.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 67 are in ICU with 46 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 58.6%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 18.3%.
Four more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,274.


New cases bounce back over 14,000

Another 14,554 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,171,232.Sarawak recorded 2,825 cases, Selangor 2,244, Johor 1,807, Perak 1,144, Sabah 1,273 and Penang 1,231.Kelantan recorded 910 cases, Kedah 908, Terengganu 690, Pahang 598, Melaka 401, Kuala Lumpur 271 and Negeri Sembilan 157.Perlis recorded 65 cases and Putrajaya 30. No new cases were reported in Labuan.Another 16,751 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,950,467.Of the 14,554 cases reported today, 163 (1.1%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 14,391 (98.9%) are in Category One and Two.


Oct 21 hearing for stay of execution bid by Najib and son in tax arrears suit

The Court of Appeal has fixed Oct 21 to hear the stay of execution applications by Najib Razak and his son Mohd Nazifuddin on the summary judgment obtained against them by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) over unpaid income tax arrears pending the hearing of their bid for leave to appeal.Lawyer Wee Yeong Kang, representing the former prime minister and his son, in a text message to Bernama said the hearing of the stay applications would be conducted via Zoom.“We are seeking a stay of execution of the Kuala Lumpur High Court order pending leave to appeal to the Federal Court,” he said.The case came up for case management today before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mariam Hasanah Othman. Wee attended the case management proceedings while senior revenue counsels Muhammad Nabil Abdul Halim and Siti Aisyah Yusoff @ Md Nasir appeared for LHDN.On Sept 9, the Court of Appeal affirmed the High Court’s decision to allow LHDN’s applications to enter a summary judgment to recover tax arrears of RM1.69 billion from Najib and RM37.6 million from Nazifuddin.On the same day, a three-member Court of Appeal panel led by justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil allowed an interim stay application brought by Najib and Nazifuddin on condition that they file their notice of motion and stay application by that week.A summary judgment is when the court decides a particular case summarily, without calling witnesses to testify in a trial.The duo had appealed to the Court of Appeal against two previous High Court rulings.On July 22, last year, High Court judge Ahmad Bache allowed LHDN’s application for a summary judgement to be entered against Najib in its suit to recover the RM1.69 billion in taxes from the latter for the period between 2011 and 2017.As for Nazifuddin, High Court judge Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim on July 6 last year ordered him to pay LHDN RM37.6 million in unpaid taxes after allowing the board’s application to enter a summary judgment against him in its tax arrears suit seeking to recover the unpaid amount from between 2011 and 2017.On Feb 4 this year, LHDN issued a bankruptcy notice against Najib for his failure to pay the amount as the summary judgment was not stayed. Nazifuddin was also served with a bankruptcy notice on April 30 this year over failure to pay the amount as ordered by the High Court.Najib and Nazifuddin subsequently filed separate notices of motion on Sept 14 this year to the Federal Court seeking leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision in dismissing their appeals and asking the Federal Court to determine nine legal questions.


Nasa confirms Perseverance rover has landed on Mars

Nasa said Thursday that the Perseverance rover has touched down on the surface of Mars after successfully overcoming a risky landing phase known as the “seven minutes of terror”.“Touchdown confirmed,” said operations lead Swati Mohan at around 3.55pm Eastern Time as mission control at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory headquarters erupted in cheers.The autonomously-guided procedure was completed more than 11 minutes earlier, which is how long it takes for radio signals to return to Earth.“WOW!!” tweeted Nasa associate administrator Thomas Zurburchen as he posted the Perseverance’s first black and white image from the Jezero Crater in Mars’ northern hemisphere.The rover is only the fifth ever to set its wheels down on Mars. The feat was first accomplished in 1997 and all so far have been American.About the size of an SUV, it weighs a tonne, is equipped with a 2m long robotic arm, has 19 cameras, two microphones, and a suite of cutting-edge instruments to assist in its scientific goals.Perseverance now embarks on a multi-year mission to search for the biosignatures of microbes that might have existed there billions of years ago, when conditions were warmer and wetter than they are today.Starting from summer, it will attempt to collect 30 rock and soil samples in sealed tubes, to be eventually sent back to Earth sometime in the 2030s for lab analysis.“The question of whether there’s life beyond Earth is one of the most fundamental and essential questions we can ask,” said Nasa geologist Katie Stack Morgan.“Our ability to ask this question and develop the scientific investigations and technology to answer it is one of the things that make us as a species so unique.”Nasa also wants to run several eye-catching experiments – including attempting the first powered flight on another planet, with a helicopter drone called Ingenuity that will have to achieve lift in an atmosphere that’s one percent the density of Earth’s.


Over 61,000 flood victims evacuated in Selangor, Pahang

The number of flood victims in Selangor and Pahang is still on the rise despite the lull in rain, with more than 61,000 evacuated to relief centres (PPS).Perak and Negeri Sembilan also recorded an increase in the number of evacuees although the figures did not hit the 1,000 mark.The situation in Kelantan, Terengganu and Melaka meanwhile is improving with a drop in the number of flood victims recorded.In Selangor, a total of 32,044 evacuees had been placed in 162 PPS in nine districts as of 10am.Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said in a Twitter post that the Klang district recorded the highest number of evacuees with 18,858 people.In Pahang, the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) InfoBencana application said 29,181 people from 7,738 families were currently seeking shelter at 242 PPS, with the affected districts comprising Bentong, Raub, Lipis, Jerantut, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan and Pekan.Lebuh Raya Pantai Timur said on Facebook that food was being delivered to victims stranded in areas along the East Coast Expressway while the stretch at KM76-KM126 Karak-Temerloh was still closed on both sides.The number of flood victims in Perak increased to 254 people as of 1.30pm, compared to 242 people this morning, all of whom are being housed at three PPS, according to a spokesman for the state civil defence force (APM) and the state disaster management secretariat.A Bernama check in Teluk Intan found that the flood waters in several affected villages had not receded and residents were seen returning to their homes to take their personal documents to be brought to the PPS.In Negeri Sembilan, state APM director Mohd Syukri Madnor said the number flood victims, including in Seremban and Port Dickson, had risen to 605 individuals from 145 families with 10 PPS opened as of noon.Meanwhile, Kelantan saw a drop in the number of evacuees, to 3,659 people from 1,079 families from 3,801 people involving 1,098 families this morning.Kelantan state APM disaster management and operation secretariat Zainuddin Hussin said 40 PPS have been opened in Kuala Krai (24), Pasir Mas (8), Gua Musang (5), Tanah Merah (2) and Jeli (1).The number of flood victims in Terengganu dropped to 158 people from 38 families this afternoon compared to 288 people from 68 families in the morning.The state disaster management committee secretariat, in a statement, said Kemaman was the only district currently hit by floods with six PPS operating after the two centres in Dungun were closed.In Melaka, state APM director Cuthbert John Martin said the number of flood victims had dropped to 718 people from 158 families compared to 826 people from 183 families this morning.


Hindus take to Twitter to protest over Netflix ‘love jihad’ kissing scenes

Many Indians have taken to Twitter demanding a boycott of Netflix, which sees India as one of its most promising growth markets, but where its shows have faced legal challenges.The latest problem for the streaming giant are scenes in its Netflix series “A Suitable Boy”, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy in front of a Hindu temple.The scenes have gone viral on social media and the Twitterati are hitting their keyboards in indignation.“It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt the feelings of a particular religion,” Narottam Mishra, the interior minister of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said on Twitter. “A man kissing in a temple while a bhajan is sung in the background hurts religious sentiments.“I’ve directed police officers to get this controversial content tested to determine what legal action can be taken against the producer-director of the film for hurting religious sentiments.”The six-part series is based on a popular novel by one of India’s leading writers, Vikram Seth, and follows a young girl’s quest for a husband. It is directed by celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.Gaurav Tiwari, a leader of the youth wing of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which also governs Madhya Pradesh, has filed a separate complaint against Netflix and warned of street protests by Hindus if the series is not taken off the platform, Reuters reports.In his complaint, Tiwari highlighted several kissing scenes in the series, including one with a shiva linga in the backdrop.Tiwari also linked the kissing scenes between the Hindu girl and Muslim boy to the alleged phenomenon of “love jihad”. He said these scenes will encourage other people and worsen an already disturbed atmosphere in the country.“Our government is bringing a strict law against love jihad,” Tiwari said in his complaint, referring to the state government’s decision to table a bill against “love jihad” in the next assembly session.A Netflix India spokesman declined to comment on the police complaint.Media commentators say the scope for creative freedom is narrowing in India, especially when it involves any depiction of Hindu-Muslim relations.Last month, a unit of India’s Tata conglomerate withdrew a jewellery advertisement featuring a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating a baby shower, following threats to its stores and a deluge of criticism on social media.


Ukraine nuclear plant shelled, UN warns: 'You're playing with fire!'

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, was rocked by shelling on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the UN nuclear watchdog which said such attacks risked a major nuclear disaster.
More than a dozen blasts shook Europe's biggest nuclear power plant on Saturday evening and Sunday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Moscow and Kyiv both blamed the other for the shelling of the facility.
"The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing," said IAEA head Rafael Grossi. "Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately. As I have said many times before, you're playing with fire!"
Citing information provided by plant management, the IAEA team on the ground said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the site, but none of them critical for nuclear safety and security so far.
Repeated shelling of the plant in southern Ukraine, which Russia took control of shortly after its February invasion, has raised concern about the potential for a grave accident just 500km (300 miles) from the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant provided about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity before Russia's Feb 24 invasion, and has been forced to operate on back-up generators a number of times. It has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235.
The reactors are shut down but there is a risk that nuclear fuel could overheat if the power that drives the cooling systems was cut. Shelling has repeatedly cut power lines.
Sides swap blame
Both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of attacking the plant on several occasions during the conflict and risking a nuclear accident, and they again exchanged blame on Sunday.
Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine fired shells at power lines supplying the plant, while Tass reported some of the site's storage facilities had been hit by Ukrainian shelling, quoting an official from Russian nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom.
"They shelled not only yesterday, but also today, they are shelling right now," said Renat Karchaa, an adviser to Rosenergoatom's CEO, adding that any artillery attack at the site posed a threat to nuclear safety.
Karchaa said the shells had been fired near a dry nuclear waste storage facility and a building that houses fresh spent nuclear fuel, but that no radioactive emissions had currently been detected, according to Tass.
Ukraine's nuclear energy firm Energoatom accused the Russian military of shelling the site and said there were at least 12 hits on plant infrastructure.
It said that Russia had targeted the infrastructure necessary to restart parts of the plant in an attempt to further limit Ukraine's power supply.


10 missing in Pahang, over 41,000 evacuated countrywide as Selangor reels from floods

Ten people have been reported missing after they were believed to have been swept away by floods in Pahang, with eight of them resulting from two water surge incidents in Bentong.Pahang Fire and Rescue Department operations deputy director Ismail Abdul Ghani said three people, including a six-year old child, were reported missing in an incident at a chalet last night, while five others went missing in an incident in Telemong.The remaining two missing are Mohd Halmi Nazlan, 34, who was believed to have been swept away by currents while crossing Jalan Pintasan Kampung Cempaka-Sungai Soi in Kuantan, and Mohd Firdaus Supiardi, 26, who is believed to be suffering from mental issues and was said to have jumped into Sungai Belat.The floods that hit eight states during this year’s monsoon period have caused over 41,000 people to be evacuated to relief shelters, with Selangor being the worst-hit state.Photos shared on social media revealed the extent of the devastation wrought by the raging floods, with vehicles submerged and houses swept away in Hulu Langat and Kampung Bandar Tinggi, Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan.The body of a drowned man was found at the main entrance leading to Alam Idaman Apartments, Section 22, Shah Alam after floodwaters receded in the area last night.The authorities, including the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), the police, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) are still conducting rescue operations and channelling aid to flood victims.Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a Facebook post that 4th Division personnel have been mobilised and are on the ground to assist operations in Kuala Langat, focusing on delivering daily necessities to relief centres.The home ministry meanwhile announced on Facebook that the 4th Battallion of the General Operations Force (GOF) in Semenyih are continuing efforts to evacuate flood victims in the Batu 14 Hulu Langat area while the 6th Battallion of the GOF in Muar would conduct rescue and evacuation operations in Shah Alam.Around 450 motorists who were stranded along a stretch of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway were brought out in stages using boats belonging to the East Coast Expressway.A spokesman of highway concessionaire Anih said that tow trucks would be used to remove stranded vehicles in the area.Meanwhile, the number of flood evacuees in seven states as well as Kuala Lumpur continued to rise, passing the 41,000 mark compared to over 34,000 yesterday evening. They are being housed at 417 relief centres, with Pahang having the highest number of victims at 19,344.The road from Kilometre (KM) 76 to KM126 of the Karak-Temerloh stretch was still closed on both sides as of 8pm last night, while at water was still flooding the road at KM114.8 of the Lanchang-Temerloh stretch although this was still accessible to all vehicles.In Selangor, the police contingent headquarters announced that 71 roads were closed to vehicles in some areas due to floods as of 10pm, including the U-turn from Subang Air Port heading to the Airport Roundabout; Shahpadu Highway; Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong Batu 13; and Jalan Kota Kemuning Kesas Highway.In Negeri Sembilan, checks by Bernama in Pekan Linggi, Port Dickson, located some 37km from Seremban, revealed that the road heading to the town was still inaccessible to light vehicles as of 7pm.According to Kelantan’s eBanjir portal, five main rivers in the state are at danger levels: Sungai Lebir in Tualang, Kuala Krai with a reading of 36.57m; Sungai Kelantan in Tangga Krai (27.26m); Sungai Kelantan in Jambatan Guillemard (17.23m); Sungai Galas in Dabong, Kuala Krai (38.58m) and Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas (10.30m).The latest weather forecast by the Malaysian Meteorlogical Department (MetMalaysia) last night ended the continuous downpour warning in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.


Malaysia ready to negotiate, PM says on South China Sea dispute

Malaysia is prepared to negotiate with China over the South China Sea dispute, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the issue was raised at his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his official visit to China as national oil and gas company Petronas has the largest platform for oil exploration in the area.
"China is also staking claim to the area. I said as a small country that needs oil and gas resources, we have to continue, but if the condition is that there must be negotiations, then we are ready to negotiate," he said at the monthly assembly with staff at the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya today.
Anwar said he also touched on the issue of Myanmar and Rohingya refugees, despite knowing that China practises a policy of non-interference.
"China is close to Myanmar, but its policy is not to interfere. I said we do not intend to interfere in their affairs, but there are almost 200,000 Rohingya refugees here.
"So whether we like it or not, what is happening in Myanmar in denying the rights of Myanmar's own people, including the Rohingya, affects us," he said.