Not true, Khairy says on claims of expired vaccines

Preliminary investigations have found claims that Covid-19 vaccines given had passed their expiry date are untrue, says National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.Khairy, who is science, technology and innovation minister, said the expiry date of the second dose of vaccine shown on the individuals’ MySejahtera application were actually for the first vaccine shot received.“A data recording error caused this to happen and the actual expiry date of the vaccine will be updated in MySejahtera for the individuals involved,” he said in a statement.As for claims on the sale of vaccine appointment slots, Khairy said an integrity and investigation committee had been established under the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) comprising representatives from CITF, the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.“In addition, a guideline on vaccine monitoring and standby list preparation has been established for vaccination centres (PPVs) to ensure there is no abuse of power,” he said.He added that the CITF had been working with the police to investigate the matter since last month, saying the public would be informed of any developments.Khairy said the capacity system at PPVs would be upgraded with the introduction of two factors for the validation of every appointment scheduled and increase in number of vaccine recipients.On the SOPs in place, should there be Covid-19 positive individuals present at the vaccination centres, Khairy said several immediate measures would be taken including sanitation, close contact tracing, and conducting Covid-19 tests on staff.“I have also instructed every PPV to conduct a more thorough inspection at every entrance so that people with certain risk status are not allowed to enter,” he said.He also reminded those who have undergone Covid-19 screening to be responsible and not to come to PPVs either for their vaccination appointment or as an escort as long as they have not received their test results.


China condemns Australia’s ‘provocative’ cancellation of state Belt and Road deals

Australia has pulled out of two deals agreed between the state of Victoria and Beijing as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.The move has drawn heavy criticism from the Chinese embassy in Canberra.Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced on Wednesday that she had halted the deals, including a Victoria-Beijing agreement designed to underpin the expansion of Chinese infrastructure in the south-eastern state.The decision was branded “unreasonable and provocative” in a statement by the Chinese embassy.“It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations. It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself,” the delegation added.The two Australian deals are part of the Belt and Road Initiative – China’s global infrastructure project that aims to build a trans-continental energy and transport network between Asia, Europe and other regions.Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews had signed a 2018 memorandum of understanding with the National Development and Reform Commission of China, as well as a 2019 framework agreement.Payne’s announcement marks her first use of new powers granted by the federal parliament in December, which allow the Commonwealth to veto any deals between state administrations and foreign governments.The powers came in amid a period of frosty relations between Canberra and Beijing due to disputes over the Covid-19 pandemic and Australia’s exclusion of Chinese tech company Huawei from its 5G cellular network.In response, China – Australia’s largest trading partner – slapped tariffs on a number of Australian imports, including wine, beef, barley and lobster.The effects on other Australian exports have been wide ranging.In March, 28 Australian hay exporters to China failed to get their expired permits renewed, ABC News reported, threatening the nation’s US$121 million hay export market to China.According to the Global Times, China consumes about a million tonnes of hay a year, with 300,000 tons coming from Australia, which is its sole source of hay imports. The rest is provided by Chinese domestic producers.The report said that Beijing is looking at other options for this feed material, including increasing domestic production and looking at new sources of imports.Economic tensions between China and Australia have escalated in recent years, after Australia began cracking down on Chinese investment in the country.Tensions were raised again last year, when Australia called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak, prompting accusations from Beijing that Australian lawmakers were acting on orders from Washington.


Rosmah loses bid to nullify solar graft trial

The Court of Appeal today dismissed the appeal by Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, to nullify the corruption trial linked to a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project and to challenge the appointment of the late Gopal Sri Ram as lead prosecutor in the case.
A three-man bench led by Court of Appeal judge Hanipah Farikullah ruled that there was no merit to Rosmah's appeal.
The other judges on the bench were Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and See Mee Chun.
See, who delivered the court's decision, also ordered Rosmah to pay costs of RM10,000.
Rosmah previously failed to obtain leave for a judicial review to challenge Sri Ram's appointment as lead prosecutor in her case, when the Kuala Lumpur High Court turned down her bid on Aug 30, 2022.
Rosmah, 71, filed the application for leave to initiate a judicial review in the High Court on June 24, 2022, naming the attorney-general or public prosecutor, the government, and Sri Ram as respondents.
See said the panel agreed that Rosmah's application for leave to initiate the judicial review at the High Court was out of time, as it should have been filed within three months of the first sighting of the fiat or authorisation letter.
She said the application should have been filed within that time frame where the appellant would have been aware that the fiat was, in her own words, invalid, thus rendering the appointment of Sri Ram illegal, irregular and defective, and the proceedings of the solar hybrid case a nullity, void and a mistrial.
She also said there were no good grounds for the court to exercise its discretion to grant an extension of time to file the judicial review.
Rosmah had sought a declaration that Sri Ram's appointment as senior deputy public prosecutor through three letters of appointment (fiat) dated July 8, 2020, May 11 and May 21, 2021, respectively was unlawful.
She also sought a declaration that the entire prosecution proceedings and full trial for her solar case which took place from Nov 15, 2018 until the defence closed the case were invalid and void, and that she must be acquitted of all charges under Section 16 (a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009.
Rosmah's previous attempt to disqualify Sri Ram was dismissed by justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who presided over her solar hybrid corruption trial. Her appeals to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court were also dismissed.
On Sept 1, 2022, Zaini found Rosmah guilty of the corruption charges, sentenced her to 10 years in jail, and fined her RM970 million. She then filed an appeal against her conviction and sentence and the Court of Appeal set four days, from July 11 to 14 to hear her appeal.
According to Bernama, Rosmah's counsel Akberdin Abdul Kader told reporters that they would file an appeal against today's decision to the Federal Court.
Rosmah is also represented by counsel Jagjit Singh while senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan and Liew Horng Bin acted for the respondents.


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No racial quotas in recruitment, says armed forces chief

Armed forces chief Affendi Buang today said that no racial quota is set for the recruitment of soldiers.He said the notion that only a particular race was favoured to join the armed forces (MAF) was a misconception as the recruitment of personnel was subject to applicants meeting the stipulated conditions.“MAF has never set quotas for any races when conducting its selection and recruitment process, so there should not arise any notion that MAF is only for a particular race.“Selection is done in a fair and transparent manner without taking into consideration any differences in race or religion,” he said in a special interview in conjunction with the 88th MAF Day at Wisma Perwira ATM.Affendi said an analysis of recruitment exercises for young army personnel between 2017 and 2020 showed that non-Malays constitute 20 to 25% of the intake every year.“For young recruits in the Royal Malaysian Navy, the recruitment (of non-Malays) showed an increase to 18% between 2016 and 2020.“For the Royal Malaysian Air Force, in 2019 the applications (of non-Malays) made up 19.5% of the overall applications and last year the figure was 24% of the total,” he added.Affendi said non-Malays currently make up 14.49% of MAF personnel.“Although the number of non-Malays in the service may seem low, they are playing a very meaningful and commendable role in ensuring the country’s peace, security and sovereignty,” he said.He also said MAF was committed to continuing with efforts to attract youths of all races and religions.“This includes undertaking online promotions and widening announcements on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as the website of every service.“Apart from this, promotional activities will also be held through exhibitions and career talks at national-type Chinese and Tamil schools, universities under the defence ministry, and public and private agencies,” Affendi said.He added that brochures and pamphlets will be distributed to schools and other relevant organisations to enlighten the people on career opportunities in MAF.MAF works closely with government agencies, elected representatives and NGOs to create awareness about its recruitment exercises, he added.


Pakistan says 102 in military court over ex-PM Khan arrest violence

More than 100 people are being tried in Pakistan military courts over violence that erupted after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested last month, the army said Monday, adding that three officers had been dismissed.
Khan's arrest on graft charges at the Islamabad High Court on May 9 sparked deadly street violence, with thousands of supporters clashing with police and some setting fire to military buildings.
He was released three days later when the Supreme Court declared the detention illegal.
But his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been the subject of a crackdown since – with thousands of supporters arrested, press freedoms muted and reports of intimidation tactics.
Military spokesman Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Monday that "102 miscreants are being tried in the already established military courts" in connection with attacks on more than 200 army sites.
"This was a huge heinous conspiracy against Pakistan," Chaudhry told reporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. "People were instigated and provoked against the army."
Elections are due by October and Khan has said the ongoing crackdown is a bid to prevent the massively popular politician's party from success at the polls.
Rights monitors have criticised Pakistan's use of opaque military trials for civilians, with Amnesty International previously saying they result in "a catalogue of human rights violations".
Strict discipline
Chaudhry said three officers, including a lieutenant general, were dismissed after they "failed to maintain the security and sanctity" of army properties during the unrest.
"Strict disciplinary action" has been taken against a further 15 people, including three major generals and seven brigadiers, he said.
Pakistan's generals hold undue influence over the country's politics, having staged at least three successful coups leading to decades of martial law.
Since being ousted by a no-confidence vote in April last year, Khan has challenged their authority with a series of allegations considered incendiary in Pakistan.
His arrest last month came just hours after he repeated accusations a senior army officer was behind an assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg.
"In Pakistan, the military is rarely subject to accountability. For the military leadership to publicly announce the firing of senior officers – that's nothing to sneeze at," said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center.
"Clearly the military wants to stress that this is a full-on crackdown that will target anyone remotely connected to the violence – even those that weren't involved in it directly," he told AFP.
Politics on trial
Islamabad has accused PTI protestors of committing anti-state terrorism, and this month the army's publicity wing vowed to tighten "the noose of law" around those involved in violence.
Prior to his arrest Khan was staging regular mass rallies, pressuring Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's fragile government coalition to hold snap polls.
But in the aftermath, many grassroots supporters have been arrested and numerous top aides have quit, some after repeated detentions.
Khan, who came into office in 2018 with the backing of the nation's military before falling out with the top brass, seems an increasingly isolated figure.
The 70-year-old has said the violence on May 9 was staged to justify the crackdown on his party.
His only public appearances are now via regular livestreamed speeches and weekly court appearances in a slew of cases which have tangled him since he left office.


Homemade and fabric masks no longer good enough in Europe

Several European countries have announced new mask recommendations and requirements, pushing aside fabric masks in favour of surgical masks or medical-grade respirators.The types of specialist mask involved are surgical masks or KN95 or FFP2 masks.In Germany, the government last week made medical masks mandatory in shops and on public transport. It also recommends wearing them whenever there is close or prolonged contact with other people, particularly in enclosed spaces.The government said that medical masks “offer greater protection from the new coronavirus variants than normal cloth masks, which are not subject to any standards with regard to their effectiveness”.The government earlier announced it would distribute millions of FFP2 masks to people over 60 and those with chronic conditions.Austria put similar rules into effect on this week, now requiring FFP2 masks or the equivalent in settings including businesses open to the public and indoor and outdoor markets.To ensure wide adoption of the new regulations, Austria is distributing over a million free masks. Large supermarket chains will also hand out free approved masks.France’s High Council for Public Health announced last Thursday that it is now recommending people wear surgical masks in public.French Health Minister Olivier Veran told France Inter that industrially made masks are preferable. “With the best will in the world, homemade masks do not necessarily offer all the necessary guarantees.”However, Didier Lepelletier, co-president of the Covid-19 council working group, discouraged the general public from using FFP2 filter masks, warning that they are difficult to wear correctly, according to The Local France.In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend that the public use fabric masks, provided that they have at least two layers.The CDC discourages the public from using medical masks or N95 respirators, saying they should be reserved for healthcare workers. “Nonmedical disposable masks are fine for the general public to use,” the CDC says.The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends medical masks for certain groups of people in addition to healthcare workers.Among those groups are people over 60 and people with underlying health conditions, including chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes, as well as people with compromised immune systems.WHO says fabric masks are suitable for members of the general public who are under 60 and don’t have underlying health conditions.


Former Pakistan PM Khan says govt's YouTube block aims to censor him

Pakistan's former premier Imran Khan, who was facing charges on Sunday under an anti-terror act for threats to police and a magistrate, accused the government of temporarily blocking YouTube to deny live access to his speech at a political rally.
Khan has been making fiery speeches to gatherings across the South Asian nation as he pushes for new elections after being ousted from power in April through a parliamentary vote.
The YouTube blocking accusation followed a ban on Saturday by the electronic media regulator on the live broadcast of Khan's speeches, citing what it called his "hate speech" against state institutions.
"Imported government blocked YouTube midway through my speech," Khan said on Twitter.
A spokesman for internet regulator the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters could not immediately reach Khan to seek comment.
'Provocative statements'
Khan's speeches were "prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order and likely to disturb public peace and tranquility", the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said in a statement on Saturday.
It accused Khan of "continuously... levelling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions".
It prohibited live broadcasts of his speeches by news channels, with immediate effect, but made an exception for recorded speech.
Pakistan's government, police and its powerful army have been among the targets of Khan's remarks.
Soon after Saturday's television ban, Khan's party vowed to go live on "500+ YouTube and Facebook channels".
However, many Pakistani users of social media reported problems in accessing YouTube on Sunday, just as Khan was about to address a gathering in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
In those comments, Khan said he was being censored for not accepting the current coalition government, which had voted him out of power.
The television ban came a day after Khan's threats to Islamabad's police chief and a female judge over what he called the arrest and alleged torture of a close aide who faces sedition charges for urging the military's lower ranks to defy the orders of the superiors.


Despite election pledges, PH still vague on tackling cost of living

The cost of living problem – a bread-and-butter issue for many in the country – appears to be dragging on despite previous statements made by politicians in Pakatan Harapan (PH).
PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim, upon his appointment as prime minister, had ordered the National Action Council on Cost of Living to examine the issue which has long plagued those in the B40 and M40 groups.
Two weeks later, however, there have yet to be any concrete proposals by the top government leaders.
Anwar said earlier this week that the country should channel bulk subsidies to help the B40 and M40 groups as well as small traders. He also instructed government departments to develop the appropriate methods for the implementation of targeted subsidies.
Political observer Azizi Safar said the statement meant that Anwar still lacked the means to carry out subsidies of this nature.
"He is depending on government officials to come up with ideas on how to do this," he said.
"After years of saying the government has failed to implement the correct distribution of subsidies to the people, you'd think that he would have an answer to the problem.
"Apparently he, too, has no concrete proposal."
The cost of living was a major part of PH's election manifesto, which also pledged to eliminate cartels, ensure sufficient supplies, provide incentives to boost production, and review highway concessions.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who is now Anwar's economic affairs minister, was known for his suggestions for dealing with these issues. After his appointment to the Cabinet, he said it was time for the country to make a decision regarding the possibility of powering the retail price of fuel.
Economist Geoffrey Williams said the bulk subsidies currently in place include some RM4 billion in subsidies for cooking oil, for producers, processors, distributors and middlemen.
"It does not go to the people," he added. "The RM4 billion cooking oil subsidies are equivalent to a RM115 basic monthly income uplift for the B40, low-income household group."
He said Anwar's request for the civil servants to think of a solution could be seen as polite, but added that they would fail as there are not many effective methods for targeted subsidies.  Williams, a lecturer at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said targeted subsidies for a specific product would not work, with the exception of utilities and petrol for which prices can be set in stages.
"Continuing with subsidies is now distorting the market," he said.
"We must move to subsidies on income, not products."
Meanwhile Azizi, who is also the former executive secretary for Barisan Nasional (BN) in Penang, said the government should have had a plan for targeted subsidies before setting foot in Putrajaya.
"PH was the government for 22 months after the 2018 general election," he said.
"They already know about the implementation of subsidy distributions, which was said to involve a lot of leakage and misdirection."
Williams, on the other hand, acknowledged that PH's manifesto on the cost of living had no specific solution. However, he said the coalition could obtain a clearer picture of the issue now that it had formed the government.
"The BN manifesto was specific about helping people with the cost of living through the assistive basic income scheme," he said.
"This is a great idea and can be more ambitious to cover all of the B40 or even the B50. Within the new government, combining good ideas from everyone will make the policy agenda stronger and more inclusive."


US warns firms over incognito North Koreans seeking tech jobs

The US government warned Monday that North Koreans are hiding their identities to try to get contract jobs in the global technology sector, and said such workers pose major security risks.The FBI, Treasury Department and State Department issued a joint advisory saying that North Korean information technology workers were posing as nationals of China, South Korea, Japan, Eastern Europe, and the US to seek jobs.The North Koreans “target freelance contracts from employers located in wealthier nations, including those in North America, Europe, and East Asia,” they said in the statement.And at times they do deals with others, not from North Korea, to act as go-betweens who help arrange and complete the contracts for the North Korean workers.The North Korean managers “use their outsourced employees to make software purchases and interact with customers in situations that might otherwise expose” them, it said.The ruse helps companies get around the hefty sanctions placed on Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons programme to acquire goods and services from abroad.The advisory says that while much of the surreptitious job-seeking is to earn foreign exchange or to access virtual currency exchanges, some of the workers have helped Pyongyang’s government-backed hacking operations.The workers also “may steal the customer account information of US or international banks to verify their identities with freelance platforms, payment providers, and companies employing” contract workers, it said.Hiring the North Koreans “poses many risks, ranging from theft of intellectual property, data, and funds to reputational harm and legal consequences, including sanctions under both US and United Nations authorities,” it said.


Australia agrees payout, ending France submarine spat

Australia unveiled a substantial compensation deal with French submarine maker Naval Group Saturday, ending a contract dispute that soured relations between Canberra and Paris for almost a year.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the French firm had agreed to a “fair and an equitable settlement” of 555 million euros (US$584 million) for Australia ending a decade-old multi-billion-dollar submarine contract.The agreement drew a line under a spat that caused leader-level recriminations and threatened to torpedo talks on an EU-Australia trade agreement.“It permits us to turn a page in our bilateral relations with Australia and look to the future,” said French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.Albanese said he would travel to France soon to “reset” a relationship beset by “pretty obvious” tensions.The tussle began in September 2021, when Australia’s then-prime minister Scott Morrison abruptly ripped up a long-standing contact with the French state-backed Naval to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines.He also stunned Paris by revealing secret talks to buy US or British nuclear-powered submarines, a major shift for a country with little domestic nuclear capability.The decision drew fury from French President Emmanuel Macron, who publicly accused Morrison of lying and recalled his ambassador from Australia in protest.Relations were on ice until this May when Australia elected centre-left leader Albanese.Since coming to office, he has rushed to fix strained relations with France, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations, who objected to the previous conservative government’s foot-dragging on climate change.“We are re-establishing a better relationship between Australia and France,” Albanese said, after speaking to Macron about the settlement.“I’m looking forward to taking up President Macron’s invitation to me to visit Paris at the earliest opportunity.”Speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, Lecornu said France valued its “friendship” with Australia.“Just because a government in the past did not keep its word, it does not mean we have to forget our strategic relationship,” he said.“Australia has a new team in power, we are happy to be able to work with them.”Arms raceThe submarine contract had been the centrepiece of Australia’s race to develop its military capabilities, as it fears the threat from a more bellicose China under President Xi Jinping.In total, the failed French submarine contract will have cost Australian taxpayers US$2.4 billion, Albanese said, with almost nothing to show for it.The promised nuclear-powered submarines are likely to cost many billions more, but would give Australia the ability to operate more stealthily and – armed with sophisticated cruise missile capabilities – pose much more of a deterrent to Beijing.But there remains deep uncertainty about how quickly they can be built.The first US or British submarines likely will not be in the water for decades, leaving a long capability gap as Australia’s existing fleet ages.The choice of contractor will have a significant economic impact and strategic implications, closely enmeshing the Australian navy with that of the chosen nation.Former defence minister and now opposition leader Peter Dutton said this week that he had decided to source the submarines from the US, an unusual revelation given the sensitivity of ongoing talks.The current government has insisted no decision has yet been reached and has vowed to remain a close partner of the US.Meanwhile, Albanese has also made tentative steps to conduct the first ministerial-level talks with China in more than two years, after a range of bitter political and trade disputes.Defence Minister Richard Marles said in Singapore Saturday said Australia wanted “respectful” relations with all countries in the region, adding: “This includes China.”“Australia values a productive relationship with China. China is not going anywhere. And we all need to live together and, hopefully, prosper together,” he said.Marles, however, rejected a pointed question from a Chinese military official who asked if the so-called AUKUS deal with the United States and Britain to supply submarine technology was a new defence alliance.“Aukus is not a mini-Nato,” Marles said. “It’s not an alliance.”


Getting on in years: Behind Malaysia’s tendency towards older politicians

At the 14th general election in 2018, Malaysia made history when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was elected as prime minister for a second time at the grand old age of 93.Although he was the country’s oldest leader by far, he was hardly the only one long in the tooth – Malaysia has had many elderly leaders since achieving independence.A political analyst to whom MalaysiaNow spoke referred to the concept of “gerontocracy”, meaning a state, society or group governed by old people.Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said all of Malaysia’s prime ministers, from Tunku Abdul Rahman to Muhyiddin Yassin, had taken up the position at over 50 years of age.“The four senior ministers in the Cabinet are also from 50 to 70 years old,” he said, referring to the ministers holding the economy, security, infrastructure development, and education and social portfolios.Shamsul’s comments come in the wake of a debate on social media on Muhyiddin’s government, the majority of which comprises older leaders.In politics, Shamsul said, age is not a big problem as the power to govern is distributed according to maturity and political experience.He said there is a naturally occurring line between the two which emerges due to the process of political succession.“It’s not a question of old or young. Age is not important.”“Those who join politics in Malaysia need to enter into specific wings to gain exposure to the political pattern from the lowest rung to the highest level of leadership,” he added.“It is no surprise that nearly all local political parties have youth and women’s wings. This is the way the parties have been structured, to train up young leaders.”When it comes time to take on government positions, he said, the individuals would have gained enough experience.“But yes, they will also be old,” said.He gave the example of former prime minister Najib Razak, who held various positions before being elected as the country’s sixth leader including the post of Pahang menteri besar.Problems arise when individuals join politics at the federal level without going through this process, he said.He referred to former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and former education minister Maszlee Malik whom he labelled as “problematic” young leaders.“Imagine – to the point where he was stopped from being a minister,” he added.“So it’s not a question of old or young. Age is not important. It’s the experience that will mature them.”Australia-based analyst James Chin sees two main reasons why veteran politicians continue to hold positions in government.The first, he told MalaysiaNow, is due to a system of “patronage” through which individuals are raised to high positions thanks to a combination of factors including money.Younger politicians who lack the resources are left behind, he said.“The second reason Malaysia still has a lot of old leader is because many Asian countries have a conservative attitude which links age with wisdom.”For Shamsul, education also plays a role. He said other countries are able to have young leaders because their education system gives them the experience needed at an early stage, especially at school and university.He spoke of Finland, which saw Sanna Marin become prime minister at the age of 33, saying this was not strange as she had gained the necessary experience as a student leader at university.


No rush for booster shot to ward off Delta, say health experts

Health experts say there is no need to rush into giving booster shots to ward off the more transmissible Delta strain amid concerns over the mutation which has been categorised as a variant of concern.Yahya Mat Arip, a virologist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said changes known as protein spikes occur which result in the effectiveness of antibodies.“Say before this, antibody effectiveness was at 90%. With this mutation, it may decrease to 75%.“A person would still have some level of protection, but third doses are recommended to provide the maximum protection,” he told MalaysiaNow.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Delta variant has been reported in 96 countries so far and is expected to continue spreading.Pfizer and BioNTech recently announced that they would seek regulatory authorisation for a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine.They cited data from an ongoing trial which showed that a third shot pushed antibody levels five to 10 times higher against the original coronavirus strain and the Beta variant, compared to the first two doses alone, saying a third dose was expected to perform similarly well against the Delta strain.They are also developing a Delta-specific vaccine, clinical trials for which are expected to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals.Yahya said the present vaccine was based on the original virus first detected in Wuhan, while the vaccine to come would be based on the new variants.He said protection of about 50% is achieved once a person has been given two doses of vaccine.“There is no need for the government to rush to obtain vaccines for a third shot,” he said. “We need to focus on the first two doses, to provide protection for those with none.“I am sure that the government is studying the matter and making early plans to order vaccines for a third dose.”Azrul Mohd Khalib, chief executive of think tank Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said it was still too early to determine if a booster shot is needed.“Data shows that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are effective in fighting the Delta variant once a person has been fully inoculated,” he said, adding however that there is a lack of data on how other vaccines perform in this area.Public health expert Dr Sanjay Rampal also cited data from a study in the UK which showed that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are 96% and 92% effective respectively at preventing hospitalisations due to the Delta strain once an individual has received both doses of vaccine.He said a booster shot should only be considered once the current immunisation programme is complete.“High-risk groups such as those over the age of 50 should be considered for booster distress,” he told MalaysiaNow.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah previously pinpointed the Delta variant as one of the factors behind the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country.He also said that the Delta strain is capable of causing infection within 15 seconds through airborne transmission.Other factors identified by WHO as contributing to the spread of Covid-19 throughout the world include increased social movements which raise the number of close contacts, the inappropriate use of health resources, and the inequitable distribution of vaccines.


4-day smartphone battery life on the way after chip breakthrough

IBM has engineered a computer chip it claims significantly improves performance while using much less energy.It claims the chip could reduce the need to charge phones to just once every four days.The new chip uses 75% less energy and increases performance by 45% over currently available 7nm or nanometres commercial products.IBM says its significant breakthrough in computer processor manufacturing has come after it created a 2nm chip, the BBC reports.The process used to make computer chips is measured in nm – one billionth of a metre – with a lower number usually signifying a leap forward.IBM says its new 2nm process can fit 50 billion transistors onto “a chip the size of a fingernail” – up from 30 billion when it announced its 5nm breakthrough in 2017.“This can be considered as a breakthrough,” said Peter Rudden, research director at market intelligence firm IDC. “We have seen semiconductor manufacturers moving from 14nm to 10nm to 7nm, with 7nm being a real challenge for some.”He said IBM’s new process could be used for AI uses that today need a second piece of tech – such as a powerful graphics card – to handle some tasks. The increased power efficiency could be useful in personal devices, while increased performance would benefit huge datacentres, he added.The test chip for IBM’s 2nm process was built at its Albany research lab in the US, and shows that the giant legacy company is still a force to be reckoned with.The news comes amid an international shortage of computer chips and a bid to shake up chip manufacturing to rely less on major foundries in China and Taiwan.Some car manufacturers have been forced to suspend production due to the lack of computer parts; smartphone makers have warned product releases could be affected; and high-end computer components such as graphics cards are becoming difficult to find and selling for high prices.On Thursday, Nintendo joined the chorus of concerned companies, saying the chip shortage was affecting production of its hugely popular Nintendo Switch console.The worldwide shortage has led US President Joe Biden to convene a special industry summit on the shortage.And Intel’s chief executive has announced a US$20 billion investment in two new plants in the US, telling the BBC that having 80% of the world chip supply in Asia is not a good idea.


Seven killed after fire engulfs Philippine ferry

At least seven people were killed and scores plucked to safety in the Philippines Monday after a fire ripped through a ferry and forced passengers to jump overboard, coast guard and witnesses said.The blaze broke out on the Mercraft 2 at around 6.30am (2230 GMT Sunday) as it carried 134 passengers and crew from Polillo Island to Real in Quezon province on the main island of Luzon.Seven people died and 120 have been rescued so far, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armando Balilo said.Another seven were missing and a search operation was ongoing.The boat had a 186-person capacity.Thick black smoke billowed from the boat as flames engulfed the entire vessel, photos shared by the coast guard showed.People with life rings and life vests were in the water. Some were rescued by other ferries or clambered into inflatable boats.The fire appears to have started in the engine room, Balilo said.“We were able to rescue 40 survivors. We have two fatalities,” said Captain Brunette Azagra, whose passenger vessel was 500 metres from the Mercraft when the fire broke out.“They were lucky because we also came from Polillo. They overtook us, but we were just nearby,” Azagra told a local radio station, describing sea conditions as “quite good”.At least 23 people were injured, according to the coast guard.The ship was around 7km away (four miles) from port, Real town disaster officer Ricky Poblete said.Speaking from the hospital where the injured were being treated, Poblete said the seven dead had drowned.Photos posted on the coast guard’s Facebook page showed a survivor laying on a stretcher being carried off a ferry.The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is plagued by poor sea transport, with its badly regulated boats and ships prone to overcrowding and accidents.The Mercraft has been towed to shore, Balilo said.


Group blasts chaining of migrants in pre-dawn swoop, deputy minister’s uniform in breach of SOPs

Rights lawyers are alarmed at the manner in which authorities conducted a raid against migrant workers under the cover of the so-called Ops Patuh, criticising the treatment of those suspected of visa offences as hardened criminals and questioning a deputy minister for himself breaching immigration department SOPs.Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said the pre-dawn crackdown on foreign workers in Selayang today, in which dozens were seen chained to each other while being led into a truck, showed a worrying trend in the wake of controversial remarks by the home ministry against migrants.LFL also questioned the need for such measures when the investigation was over an administrative matter to check the authenticity of their documents.“If the sole purpose of the raid was to check the authenticity of their work documents, then their subsequent arrest is unnecessary as matters could be resolved without resorting to prolonged detention,” LFL coordinator Zaid Malek told MalaysiaNow.Among the 72 foreigners who were arrested, 39 were UNHCR cardholders.Zaid said the arrest of those issued with the UN refugee status card was worrying, and showed a trend of the authorities’ “disdain against UNHCR’s operation in Malaysia”.“The fact that they are detained for ‘further investigation’ on their documents is extremely dubious,” he added.He said Ops Patuh, which the home ministry claims is to ensure SOP compliance among migrants during the movement control order, is a “thinly veiled cover” to put migrants in detention centres.Zaid also questioned Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said who was present during the raid for wearing the uniform of an immigration enforcement officer.“If adherence to SOPs is truly paramount, then the immigration department should have acted against the deputy home minister, who for some unknown reason decided to dress himself up as an immigration officer during the raid, in clear breach of immigration department SOPs,” he added.Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said oversees the early morning raid against migrant workers at the Selangor wholesale market in Selayang today. Photo: BernamaAttempts to obtain a response from Ismail and immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud have been in vain.Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin had in recent weeks stepped up his attacks against UNHCR and NGOs for criticising his resolve to launch a crackdown on migrant workers.Activists and medical experts have warned that such a move could undermine the government’s vaccination drive despite assurances given to the migrant community that they would not be arrested.Last year, Putrajaya assured that it would suspend immigration crackdowns as a humanitarian gesture during the Covid-19 crisis. The government had also pledged to extend its free vaccination drive to include all foreigners including those without legal papers.Hamzah’s anti-migrant stand was made worse by a poster shared on the immigration department’s Twitter account on June 11, which was condemned as xenophobic by rights group Amnesty International over its messages against Rohingya refugees.


Over 4,000 in Sarawak jobless due to Covid pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a total of 4,037 people in Sarawak to lose their jobs, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Gerawat Gala said today.He said as a form of immediate relief, the Sarawak government had implemented eight Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) packages amounting to RM5.7 billion to alleviate the burden of the people affected, including those who lost their jobs.“To reduce unemployment, the Graduate Enhancement Training Sarawak and Industry Workforce Development programmes were among the measures taken to help graduates and allow them to undergo industrial training.“The BKSS package also includes the provision of cash to the B40 group, cash assistance for SMEs, as well as rental deferment,” he said in reply to a question from Safiee Ahmad (GPS-Daro) during the question-and-answer session at the state assembly sitting in Kuching.Gerawat said the Social Security Organisation (Soco) had also held programmes such as the Go Rural Area Programme and career carnivals to provide information on job opportunities.“With the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more companies such as Sarawak Oil Palms and Sarawak Petchem are also actively holding job fairs,” he said.Over the long term, he said the Sarawak government would continue introducing initiatives under the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategic Plan 2030 (PCDS 2030) to create more high productivity economic activities as well as employment and business opportunities.“It is expected that about 200,000 high paying jobs will be created by 2030,” he added.


Covid-19 vaccine scheme for poorest has US$2.6 billion left to spend as pandemic recedes

Several billions of dollars left in a scheme to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to the world’s poorest could be diverted to prepare for other pandemics or to support vaccine manufacturing in Africa, the scheme's partners said.
The Covax initiative, run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), has US$2.6 billion (about RM12.1 billion) left in its coffers as the emergency phase of the pandemic draws to a close, according to documents seen by Reuters and two sources close to the scheme.
The initiative is set to wind up at the end of this year, although some of its work will continue. With demand for Covid-19 vaccines dwindling, the partners are now working out how best to use the remaining cash – a significant sum in global health – alongside the donors who originally pledged it.
Around US$600 million was given as part of a “contingency” fund in case the pandemic escalated again. The remaining US$2 billion has come back to Covax after drugmakers agreed to refund deals agreed for vaccines at the height of the pandemic.
“This money was designed as an instrument of contingency, so we could respond to the twists and turns of the pandemic,” said Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, Gavi’s head of resource mobilization. “We don’t want the money to be idle.”
Around US$700 million is likely to be used for an ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme in countries supported by Gavi, for 2024 and 2025. This option will be discussed by Gavi’s board this week. Another portion of the money will be used for booster shots this year and next.
Saraka-Yao said the donors, including rich countries like the US and Germany as well as philanthropic organisations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, had all been asked if they wanted the rest of the money back at a meeting in March. None did. The donors, and the WHO, were not immediately available for comment.
A CEPI spokesperson said that while no decision had been made on the funds, it was "prudent to remain prepared" both in case the Covid-19 situation changes, and for future pandemics.
“They [donors] want to keep the spirit of the political intent when the money was given… to help protect the rest of the world,” Saraka-Yao said.
One option is to invest in wider pandemic preparedness initiatives, Gavi said. Another idea that has gained traction is to use some of the money to boost vaccine manufacturing in Africa, Saraka-Yao said.
Gavi is proposing a financial support system which would help new manufacturers bring products to market competitively, particularly for diseases like cholera or yellow fever, where there are shortages of vaccine for diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people in Africa every year.
Separately, Gavi announced on Monday that its incoming chief executive, Muhammad Ali Pate, would no longer be joining the organisation as he was returning to his home country of Nigeria. Instead, chief operating officer David Marlow will become interim chief executive after Seth Berkley steps down in August.


Hackers return portion of record crypto heist haul

A firm specialising in transferring cryptocurrency said that hackers have given back US$260 million worth of digital loot from a record haul.Poly Network fired off a tweet Wednesday saying hackers had returned US$260 million worth of the digital assets taken in a heist a day earlier valued at US$613 million.Polygon had urged the thieves to return the stolen fortune and provided online addresses for transfers.“Seven minutes prior to sending the first transaction returning some of the funds, the hacker created a token called ‘The hacker is ready to surrender’ and sent this token to the designated Polygon address,” digital asset research firm The Block said in a post at its website.One of the touted features of cryptocurrency is that blockchain transactions are public, even if the people behind them are not.Poly Network had put out a plea for the stolen Ethereum, BinanceChain and OxPolygon tokens to be shunned by traders running “wallets” for storing cryptocurrency.“The amount of money you hacked is the biggest one in the defi history,” Poly Network said in a tweeted message to the thieves, using a reference to decentralised finance involving cryptocurrency.“The money you stole are from tens of thousands of crypto community members.”Bounty due?The return of some of the digital loot came as the thieves were tracked by “white hat hackers” who use their software skills for good.The heist also sparked debate about whether it would be fair to let the hackers keep some of the loot as reward for uncovering a Poly Network weakness that could have been even more costly.Open source developers alliance BinomialPool in a tweeted exchange proposed a bounty of 5% to 10% for pulling off such crypto-hacks.“This could be a win-win,” tweeted @BinomialPool.“Hackers don’t go into jail. The community faces acceptable losses. Code gets better.”Paying hackers bounties for uncovering and reporting bugs in software is common practice in the tech world.Blockchain system defence firm SlowMist put out word it is on the trail of the cyber crooks who pulled the Poly Network heist.“The SlowMist security team has grasped the attacker’s mailbox, IP, and device fingerprints through on-chain and off-chain tracking, and is tracking possible identity clues related to the Poly Network attacker,” the company said in a blog post.Poly Network threatened police involvement, but also offered the hackers the chance to “work out a solution”.The US Department of Justice and FBI did not respond to requests for comment.Poly Network posted online addresses used by the hackers, and called on “miners of affected blockchain and crypto exchanges to blacklist tokens” coming from them.Poly Network did not reply to an AFP request for comment, but Twitter users echoed calculations valuing the hackers’ haul at some US$600 million.As of the end of April, cryptocurrency thefts, hacks and fraud so far this year totalled US$432 million, according to an analysis by CipherTrace.That compares to 2019, when defi hacks were virtually non-existent, according to CipherTrace.


Searchers detect undersea sounds in hunt for missing Titanic sub

Search teams detected underwater sounds while scanning the North Atlantic for a tourist submersible that vanished with five people aboard during a deep-sea voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, the US Coast Guard said early on Wednesday.
The detection of the sounds by Canadian aircraft was reported by the Coast Guard as the clock ticked down to the last 24 hours of the craft's presumed oxygen supply.
Robotic undersea search operations were diverted to the area but there was still no tangible sign of the missing vessel, the Coast Guard said on Twitter.
The 21-foot-long pilot-driven submersible Titan, operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with its parent surface vessel on Sunday morning about one hour, 45 minutes into what should have been a two-hour dive to the site of the world's most famous shipwreck.
The mini-sub was designed to remain underwater for 96 hours, according to its specifications, giving its occupants until Thursday morning before their air tanks would run out, assuming that the Titan was still intact.
The fate of the submersible and those aboard remained a mystery as search teams from the US, Canada and France mounted an intensifying search in an area of open sea larger than the state of Connecticut.
The wreck of the Titanic, a British ocean liner that struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage on the night of April 14, 1912, and sank the next morning, lies some 3,810m beneath the surface – about 1,450km east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 644km south of St John's, Newfoundland.
As of Tuesday, aircraft and ships from the US Coast Guard, US Navy and Canadian armed forces had combed more than 7,600 square miles of the North Atlantic, US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters at a press conference on day three of the search.
Those aboard Titan for a tourist expedition that costs US$250,000 per person included British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are both British citizens.
French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, were also reported to be on board. Authorities have not confirmed the identity of any passenger.
Robotic search redirected
The search effort included Lockheed P-3 Orion turboprop airplanes designed with sub-surface surveillance gear to detect submarines, Frederick said.
The Canadian military also dropped sonar buoys to listen for any sounds that might come from the Titan, and a commercial pipeline-laying vessel with a remote-controlled deepwater submersible was also searching near the site, he said.
Separately, a French research ship carrying its own deep-sea diving robot submersible was dispatched to the search area at the request of the US Navy and was expected to arrive Wednesday night local time, the Ifremer research institute said.
Canada's P-3 aircraft ended up detecting underwater noises in the search area on Tuesday, after which "ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises," according to the Coast Guard tweets.
"The ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue," the Coast Guard said, adding, that the P-3 data was shared with US Navy experts for "further analysis which will be considered in future search plans."
The Coast Guard did not detail the nature or extent of the sounds.
But CNN and Rolling Stone magazine, citing internal US government communications, independently reported late on Tuesday that banging sounds were detected by Canadian aircraft at 30-minute intervals in the search area.
Rolling Stone, the first to report the news, said the sounds were picked up by sonar buoys and that additional sonar picked up more banging four hours later.
CNN cited a US government memo as saying that additional sounds were heard about four hours after initial banging was detected, although the news channel said the second occurrence was not described as banging.
Bolted from outside
Rescuers face major obstacles both in finding the Titan and in saving the people aboard, according to experts.
In the event of a mid-dive emergency, the Titan's pilot would likely have released weights to float back to the surface, according to Alistair Greig, a marine engineering professor at University College London. But absent communication, locating a van-sized submersible in the vast Atlantic would prove challenging, he said.
The submersible is sealed with bolts from the outside, preventing occupants from escaping without assistance even if it surfaces.
If the Titan were stuck on the ocean floor, a rescue effort would face even greater challenges due to extreme hydrostatic pressure and total darkness on the sea floor more than two miles deep. Titanic expert Tim Matlin said it would be "almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue" on the seabed.
The sinking of the Titanic, which killed more than 1,500 people, has been immortalised in books and films, including the 1997 blockbuster movie "Titanic," which renewed popular interest in the wreck.


Sorry.


Don't get trapped in party loyalty, Mahathir tells Malays

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today cautioned the Malays against being overly loyal towards political parties to the point where they cannot distinguish between good and bad.
The former prime minister said the democratic system with its numerous political parties, while effective in other countries, appeared less so in Malaysia due to such attitudes of loyalty towards a single political group.
"This party system is effective in other countries, but the bond among their supporters is not as strong as it is in Malaysia.
"We don't care what we are fighting for as long as it's our party," he said at a forum in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
The forum, titled Penjenamaan Naratif Politik Melayu, was organised by a group of Malay scholars to discuss the issues faced by the community today.
Mahathir, the Pejuang chairman, said the Malays were currently divided according to political parties, unlike the situation before Malaysia achieved its independence, when they united to oppose the British rule.
"After independence, the focus was not on developing the nation to bring it on par with others, but party interests," he said.
"Parties were formed to get things for themselves. And the loyalty to parties is very strong."
Mahathir joined hands with Muhyiddin Yassin to form Bersatu during the administrative era of Najib Razak.
He and a number of other former Bersatu leaders then formed Pejuang after the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
In general, the support of the Malays is split between parties such as Umno, PAS and Bersatu.
A large chunk of support is held by Umno and PAS, the two largest Malay parties in the country.
PH components PKR and Amanah wield less influence among the Malays and rely on the non-Malay vote with the help of DAP.
Mahathir said this when commenting that the Malay community appeared to still support parties embroiled in issues of corruption and abuse of power, such as Umno.
This was seen at the recent Johor election where Umno, through Barisan Nasional, secured a landslide victory while Pejuang failed to win even a single seat.
In an earlier question-and-answer session, Mahathir said money politics was one of the reasons why some parties could still rally support.
"When we ask them to vote for us, they ask what's in it for them," he said.
Mahathir's Pejuang has said that it will contest the 15th general election, although it is expected to go solo after rejecting the "big tent" proposal by PH.


Daily caseload drops to 24,400 with another 40 deaths logged

Another 24,466 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,419,636.Of the total number of cases recorded yesterday, 105 (0.43%) were in Category Three and above. The remaining 24,361 (99.57%) were in Category One and Two.There were 22,710 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,086,270.A total of 1,559 cases were admitted to hospital yesterday, with 569 (36.5%) in Category Three and above and 990 (63.5%) in Category One and Two.Of the 105 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 25 (23.81%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 56 (53.33%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 24 (22.86%) had received a booster jab;* 53 (50.48%) were aged 60 and above; and* 36 (34.29%) had comorbidities.There are now 300,692 active cases, of which 288,980 or 96.1% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 3,495 (1.2%) are at quarantine centres while 7,864 (2.6%) have been hospitalised.A total of 353 are in ICU with 193 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 41.2%.Another 40 deaths were reported, including 17 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 32,674.The country’s infectivity rate as of Feb 27 was 1.05.


Zahid ready to testify on no-show for RM9 bil combat ships

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said he is ready to testify at the bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which is investigating the non-delivery of six littoral combatant ships (LCS) worth RM9 billion.But Zahid, who served as defence minister under the Najib Razak administration between April 2009 and May 2013, said he should not be blamed as he had already left the ministry.The project to build the combat ships was awarded in 2014 to Boustead Naval Shipyard, a company owned by armed forces fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera.The company was to deliver the first ship in April 2019, but none has been built although the government has paid the company RM6 billion.“Boustead’s failure to deliver only surfaced in 2019, when I was no longer the defence minister,” Zahid said, adding that he had no control over decisions made by the ministry on the payments.In August, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said action would be taken against the company for the delay in delivering the LCS.This followed the Auditor-General’s Report which found that the ministry failed to impose a late fine of RM116.54 million on the company despite the delay.Zahid however said he would cooperate fully with PAC.“Whichever party caused the construction delay should explain to PAC,” he said.“I fully support the revelation by PAC and hope its investigation will be transparent and made public.”Yesterday, PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh announced that Zahid, as well as former Royal Malaysian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar and Boustead Naval Shipyard, would be called to testify at the hearing.Wong said some RM6 billion had been paid so far although not one LCS was built.“If according to the schedule, two LCS should have been built by now,” he said, adding that PAC’s findings will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in March next year.


Taiwan visit will stoke tensions, Beijing warns US

A high-ranking US State Department official will arrive in Taiwan today for a three-day visit that has already drawn a warning from China.US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach is scheduled to meet Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior officials, the Taipei foreign ministry said on Thursday.Krach is the highest-level State Department official to visit Taiwan in decades.The US is the island’s most important ally and provider of defence equipment.The visit signifies a further step in the Trump administration’s campaign to strengthen relations with the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory.Krach is expected to attend a banquet hosted by Tsai on Friday and hold discussions on a new policy for economic and commercial dialogue, reports AP.He will also attend a memorial service for Lee Teng-hui, the former president who led the island’s transition to democracy and who died at age 97 in July.Krach’s visit has already been condemned by Beijing, which opposes official interactions of any sort between other countries and Taiwan.On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged the US to “stop all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, so as to avoid serious damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.Krach’s visit is certain to worsen mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing over the Covid-19 pandemic, trade, technology, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.


Dear PH, a tiger cannot change its stripes

When I became eligible to vote in 1995, I remember seeing the likes of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Today, years later, these names are still actively involved in politics. While we have managed to dethrone Barisan Nasional, its component parties, save for Gerakan, have somehow managed to creep back into the government.
I would think that parties like DAP would have learnt from the past what those in Umno are capable of and that joining forces with them is akin to opening yourself up to the unknown, but the opposite is true.
The fiasco in our local politics today reminds me of the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology. That is exactly what is happening today: Umno sitting comfortably on a wooden horse, while others like DAP and PKR blindly open their doors to them.
How is it that those like Anthony Loke and Teo Nie Ching do not realise what is going on? Umno is never going to be contented with being given the deputy prime minister's post and will certainly be looking for a larger piece of the cake.
While Loke and his pack try to paint a rosy picture at the top, the same does not resonate among those at the grassroots.
Umno grassroots do not understand and seem confused, while those in DAP are disillusioned over this sudden "unholy alliance" between two parties who were bitter rivals not so long ago.
Voters like me, and I am sure many others, do not have faith in this "unity government" arrangement and believe it is just a matter of time before Umno shows its true colours.
The only reason this "unholy alliance" was formed is that Umno was desperate and at the deep end of the pool, willing to grab any hand that offered it a lifeline.
The party has begun crumbling from within with several key members riddled with allegations of corruption and abuse of power already having left the party.
Others were smart enough to steer clear of Umno, but unfortunately, Pakatan Harapan (PH) was not wise enough and took the bait.
As for me, I must say I am both surprised and greatly disappointed. PH leaders just do not seem to learn. Look at what happened in 2018 when they went ahead and trusted Mahathir, a former Umno leader, to become the prime minister.
And now, despite having been given a second chance, they are once again allowing the enemy into their homes. On my end, I have simply given up on PH and will not allow myself to be hoodwinked again.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Hadi blasts 'Islamophobic' DAP over post-GE15 narrative to stop PAS

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has launched a scathing attack on DAP, saying the Pakatan Harapan (PH) partner has been promoting an Islamophobic narrative in its efforts to prevent PAS from being in a position of power following its major gains at the polls.
Hadi, in a strongly worded statement, described DAP as a party without morals, adding that it had "shown its fangs blatantly and greedily".
"The most hostile views against Islam spread in the West by the orientalists and Western media have been imported to Malaysia by DAP, so that false information is spread against PAS," he said.
The recent election saw PAS winning 49 federal seats, its biggest gain in a general election. This was followed by DAP which won 40 seats, making it the biggest partner in PH.
Hadi's statement came four days after a political stalemate ended with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong naming Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister.
Political leaders said that the Agong had urged all parties to form a "unity government", although this was not mentioned in the palace's official statement naming Anwar as the 10th prime minister.
Hadi's ally Muhyiddin Yassin, who heads Perikatan Nasional, had rejected the palace proposal, and said he did not understand why 115 statutory declarations in support of him were ignored despite being submitted before the end of a 24-hour deadline.
Hadi in his statement today said DAP never learnt any lesson from its previous alliance with PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, where he said leaders from both parties had held dialogues to clear confusion on Islam.
He said among DAP's narratives was to paint anyone who spoke in defence of Malays and Muslims as "racists".
"This strategy is promoted with DAP as its mastermind.
"Non-Muslim rights spelt out in the Federal Constitution are considered insufficient and oppressive. It's like give them an inch, they'll take a mile.
"In fact, the constitutional right to language and culture has been considered insufficient. DAP continues to be extreme towards the culture of Muslims which it wants to subtly and systematically destroy," Hadi added.
Hadi also said DAP's use of Malay Muslims as spokesmen would fail.
"Such is a rotting carcass, that it cannot be covered by DAP's hands wallowing with excrement, even if they masquerade as Malays whom they have purified with ablution."


Malaysian satellite to fall from space after mystery incident, says report

A Malaysian communications satellite launched into space some 15 years ago will be de-orbited after suffering an unexplained issue in June which left it out of commission.Space.com reported that Measat-3 was put under ground control on June 24 after an unknown incident three days earlier which left it “playing dead”.Space tracking company ExoAnalytic Solutions meanwhile estimated in the report that the satellite had been “tumbling in its orbit since at least July 1”.“Further testing and recovery efforts found that the satellite could not re-enter service,” the report quoted Measat as saying in an update from the company.Measat-3 was launched on Dec 11, 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was ordered by Measat Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd in March 2003.An investigation into the cause of its inoperability is underway by Measat and Boeing, with ExoAnalytic Solutions noting no evidence of an in-space collision or near-term collision risk with other objects in space.No details are yet available on Measat’s plan to de-orbit the satellite, which will see it fall from space to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.TV operator Astro was among the customers affected by the satellite’s service problem, although the report said that most clients were transferred to back-up satellites by mid-July.


Fire in Italy retirement home kills 6 people, injures more than 60

Six people have died and at least 68 have been injured following an overnight fire in a retirement home in Milan, Italian emergency services said on Friday.
Luca Cari, spokesman for the national firefighters' service, confirmed the death toll to Reuters, saying that the fire had been put out and that its causes were under investigation.
He said three people were hospitalised in a critical condition, 15 with serious but not life-threatening injuries and about 50 with light injuries.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, speaking to reporters on the scene, said the fire was extinguished very quickly but produced fumes that intoxicated a lot of residents.
Italian news agencies, citing regional emergency services, had previously reported that 81 people had been hospitalised, including two in a critical state.
According to media reports, the fire broke out at 1120 GMT on Thursday in a facility in the south-eastern Corvetto neighbourhood.


1MDB probe into Zeti’s husband referred to AGC

The investigation into Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who has been linked to 1MDB, has been referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for further action, including from the aspect of mutual legal assistance (MLA).Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) director Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said the MLA process is necessary so that documents and statements obtained by the police with the assistance of the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) can be accepted in court.He said a police investigation team had held discussions with the Singapore CAD from March 29 to 31 and the CAD had provided good assistance.“We have also identified the documents and statements needed for investigation purposes,” he said in a statement today.On March 16, the police issued a statement saying that an investigation team would be sent to Singapore to gather information and statements linked to Tawfiq.Tawfiq is being investigated under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 for allegedly receiving funds linked to 1MDB through his account in Singapore.


36 more deaths as total cases cross 470,000

The nationwide Covid-19 death toll rose by 36 in the past 24 hours, while another 3,780 new cases took the total confirmed infections in the country to 470,110.Selangor recorded 1,275 cases, Sarawak 405, Kedah 363, Kelantan 357, Kuala Lumpur 342, Johor 224, Penang 187, Pahang 159, Melaka 122 and Perak 115.Sabah recorded 87 cases, Negeri Sembilan 70, Terengganu 58, Labuan and Putrajaya seven each, and Perlis two.


Singapore court dismisses unfair work practice claims by ex-bus driver

The Singapore High Court today dismissed all claims by a former SBS Transit bus driver who had sued the public transport company for unfair work practices including long working hours and unpaid overtime.
Chua Qwong Meng, the main plaintiff, had made the claims against the company along with 12 other drivers.
It is understood that of the 13 drivers, nine were Malaysians.
Chua, who was employed by the transit company from April 2017 to February 2020 at a basic salary rate of S$2,110, had accused SBS Transit of failing to roster one rest day per week for him, citing instances in which he said he had worked for seven or more consecutive days before having a day off.
He also claimed he was underpaid for overtime work and that there were discrepancies in the calculations of his total working hours.
But High Court judge Audrey Lim who dismissed Chua's claims said they were without merit and not made out.
For example, she said, Chua had recorded the start and end times of his working hours each day and the calculation sheets were handed to an industrial relations officer which the officer did not independently verify.
"But the calculation sheets were inaccurate and unreliable.
"Chua admitted he did not exclude the break times from the number of hours he worked," Lim said.


Some attempts by kids to visit porn, online gambling sites last year, says cybersecurity provider

Some Malaysian children attempted to visit websites with dangerous content last year on the back of the movement control order which saw a shift towards digital learning through online platforms, data from cybersecurity provider Kaspersky reveals.Kaspersky’s general manager for Southeast Asia, Yeo Siang Tiong, said while these formed only a small number, the company nonetheless blocked attempts to visit websites for pornography (0.10%), weapons (0.06%), internet gambling (0.03%) and drugs (0.02%).“The children of today started interacting with technology at an early age, and do not know a world without the internet, computers and mobile devices.“With the onset of the pandemic, their exposure and intertwinement of technology in their lives is now more so than ever – be it for learning or leisure. As they live in the age of the internet, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide a safe space for them to learn and grow, and to protect them from exposure to negative content and vices that are rampant on the Web,” he said in a statement today.Data compiled by Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) also revealed that 42.5% of the time children spent online in 2020 was used watching videos and listening to music.“KSN also showed that kids spent 23% of their time communicating with their peers using online messaging and email services while 22% were on computer games,” Yeo said.The data was taken from computers running on Windows and MacOS, while no mobile statistics were given.Yeo said the company scans the contents of websites which children attempt to access through Kaspersky Safe Kids.“If the site falls into one of 14 undesirable categories, the module sends an alert to KSN,” he said, adding that no uder information is transmitted, neither is privacy compromised.“It is up to the parent to decide which contents to block by tweaking the protective solution’s preferences. But anonymous statistics are collected for all 14 categories.”The categories include adult content, alcohol, violence, gambling and profanity.


41 reported Covid deaths take toll to 30,787

Another 41 Covid-related deaths were reported on Dec 9, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 30,787.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, six or 14.6% of these were brought-in-dead (BID) cases.Selangor had the highest number of reported deaths at six or 14.6% followed by Perak and Sarawak at five or 12.2%.Johor, Kelantan, and Penang reported four deaths each while Kedah, Sabah and Terengganu reported three deaths each.Melaka, Pahang, Perlis and Kuala Lumpur reported one death each.No deaths were reported in Negeri Sembilan, Labuan and Putrajaya.A total of 5,446 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,678,465.As of yesterday, there were 60,856 active Covid-19 cases reported and 5,427 recoveries.


Appeals court dismisses businessman’s bid to reinstate suit against Najib, Rosmah and Baling MP

Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd director JR Deepak Jaikishan and two others today failed to reinstate a suit against former prime minister Najib Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor, and Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim over taxes incurred for allegedly acting as proxies for the couple.This was after the Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal to quash the High Court’s decision in allowing an application by Najib, Rosmah and Azeez to strike out the suit.Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, who led a three-man bench in a unanimous decision, said the suit brought by Deepak, Carpet Raya and Deepak’s younger brother J Rajesh, who is also a director of the company, was obviously unsustainable and bound to fail if it were to proceed to trial.“We find that the High Court judicial commissioner was correct in finding that the suit was a plain and obvious case for striking out.“Hence, we find no merit in the appeal and the appeal is hereby dismissed with costs of RM10,000 for Najib and Rosmah and RM10,000 for Azeez,” Zabidin said.The other two judges were Azizah Nawawi and S Nantha Balan.The panel made the ruling after hearing submissions from counsel Daniel Annamalai, representing the appellants, David Mathews, who appeared for Najib and Rosmah, and Prem Ramchandran for Azeez.On July 16 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed an application by Najib, Rosmah and Azeez to strike out the suit after finding that the statement of claim did not disclose a reasonable cause of action as the essential elements to sustain the claims for conspiracy to injure, misfeasance in public office and breach of duty of care.The trio filed the application on Sept 24, 2019, on grounds that the suit was vexatious and the plaintiffs had no cause to sue them.In the suit filed on Nov 15, 2018, Deepak claimed that between 2004 and 2010, he and the company had acted as an agent and proxy for Najib and Rosmah in land transactions and business deals as instructed by the couple.He also claimed that Azeez had acted as an agent for Najib and Rosmah in carrying out transactions and had acted as an intermediary between the couple and Carpet Raya.Deepak claimed that as a result of the transactions, he received a letter from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) dated March 2, 2018, to settle arrears in taxes owed by Carpet Raya, as well as his income tax, totalling more than RM6 million, excluding penalty charges and interests.Deepak claimed that he received the letter from LHDN after his relations with the couple soured in 2012 following his refusal to follow their instructions in a civil case involving private investigator P Balasubramaniam, claiming also that Azeez had knowledge of the matter.They contended that Najib and Rosmah also ordered legal action to be taken by LHDN against Carpet Raya, and a winding-up petition was filed against the company on March 22, 2017, by the LHDN and published in newspapers.They claimed that as a result of the petition, the business and reputation of the plaintiffs were affected and that Deepak was also banned from leaving the country, while their business facilities were withdrawn by MayBank and the company’s contract with Ikea was cancelled.They sought a court declaration that Najib and Rosmah were responsible for paying the tax arrears owed by the company and damages of RM500,000 to MayBank, RM47 million for the company’s inability to fulfil its contract and sales, RM74 million for cancellation of the company’s contract with Ikea, RM200 million for alleged defamation and RM37 million in losses caused by Najib’s alleged misconduct.They also sought RM100 million in aggravated and exemplary damages.


US investigates Chinese companies over export sanction issues

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Tuesday the Biden administration is actively considering adding new Chinese companies to the government’s economic blacklist as it investigates what it calls efforts by China to evade US sanctions.The Commerce Department’s Entity List restricts access to US exports.Raimondo told reporters the administration was working to “get information around bad actors in China and adding those companies to the Entity List… We are in the middle of a number of investigations.”She added: “I don’t see us relaxing sanctions any time soon.”China is not standing still, she said. “They are coming up with we know new ways to evade our sanctions, setting up new (companies) and the like. We have a very aggressive and vigilant effort under way.”She said when possible she wants to work with US allies to align their trade restrictions with US export controls.The Trump administration aggressively used the Entity List, adding dozens of Chinese companies including Huawei in 2019. It also added chipmaker SMIC and Chinese drone manufacturer DJI in 2020.The Biden administration has extended that policy and in November put a dozen Chinese companies on the Entity List over national security and foreign policy concerns, in some cases citing their help in developing the Chinese military’s quantum computing efforts.In December, Commerce added China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and its 11 research institutes to the Entity List.Raimondo cited a recent report that Apple Inc was considering moving some production out of China. “I’ve heard that same thing from numerous other American manufacturing companies, many of whom have been manufacturing in China for decades,” she said.In February, the Commerce Department added 33 Chinese entities to its “unverified list” which requires US exporters to go through more procedures before shipping goods to the entities.China’s embassy in Washington said last year the US “uses the catch-all concept of national security and abuses state power to suppress and restrict Chinese enterprises in all possible means.”


Talks on Johor seat distribution with PKR have failed, says Muda

Official seat negotiations between Muda and PKR for the Johor state election have ended after both parties failed to find a consensus.This follows PKR’s decision to field candidates in 20 seats in next month’s election.Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abd Rahman said the party had been committed to ensuring that there would be no overlapping contests among the opposition parties as Musa’s focus was on bringing about positive changes in Johor.He added that in its talks with DAP and Amanah, Muda had managed to prevent a clash of seats.“Muda also held a series of discussions with the PKR leadership but they have decided to announce candidates in 20 seats which essentially ends official negotiations with Muda.“Nevertheless, Muda has given notification of our wish and intention to avoid overlapping contests between Muda and PKR to DAP and Amanah. Muda is also ever ready to continue negotiations with PKR,” he said in a statement today.Syed Saddiq said if the situation remained at status quo, a special meeting would be held this weekend to decide how the party could move forward.“If the (Muda-PKR) clash of seats cannot be avoided, then the party leaves it to the people of Johor to decide,” he said.Amanah and DAP previously offered Muda six seats in the state election, namely Tenang, Bukit Kepong, Parit Raja, Machap, Puteri Wangsa and Bukit Permai.PKR was also reported to have offered Muda three seats.So far, Muda has named its secretary-general, Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, as its candidate for Puteri Wangsa.The Johor state election, with 56 state seats up for grabs, will be held on March 12.


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Biden, EU chief signal thaw on trade tensions

President Joe Biden and top EU official Ursula von der Leyen announced progress in defusing a transatlantic trade dispute Friday and renewed their commitment to back Ukraine against Russia.
In a limited, but concrete step, the two leaders announced after Oval Office talks that negotiations will begin on giving EU producers of critical minerals access to the US market under Biden's signature programme to encourage climate friendly industries.
They also pledged to coordinate generally as both US and EU economies pivot to the booming electric vehicle and other green sectors.
Von der Leyen, president of the European Union Commission, has worked closely with Biden in forging an unprecedented response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine over the last year.
Biden told von der Leyen that the alliance to support Ukraine marked "a new era."
And in their joint statement later, they said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "thought that he would divide us, and yet we are more united than ever. We stand together in our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes."
Electric vehicle tensions
However, tensions are swirling in Europe over the Biden administration's landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a government spending spree championing US manufacturing in climate-friendly technologies.
Amid EU alarm that the subsidies' "made in America" requirement will hurt European-based energy and auto sectors, the EU is working on its own sets of incentives, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan, to promote the emerging sector.
The joint statement indicated that Biden and von der Leyen made progress with a deal to start talks on an exemption for European producers seeking to export critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries.
"Today we agreed that we will work on critical raw materials that have been sourced or processed in the European Union and to give them access to the American market as if they were sourced in the American market. We will work on an agreement," von der Leyen told reporters after meeting Biden.
Their statement said more broadly that "both sides will take steps to avoid any disruptions in transatlantic trade and investment flows that could arise from their respective incentives. We are working against zero-sum competition so that our incentives maximize clean energy deployment and jobs."
China differences
Another difficult area is how to respond to China's increasingly muscular foreign and trade policies.
The White House said that "challenges posed by the People's Republic of China" featured prominently in the talks.
Washington has been urging European capitals to take a firmer stand against Beijing – not just diplomatically, but also economically. However, the EU is keen to avoid rupture with China, leaving the transatlantic allies somewhat divided on how to move forward.
Elvire Fabry, an analyst at the Institut Jacques Delors, a Paris-based think tank, told AFP that the White House session was a chance for von der Leyen to show EU desire to work with Washington, "but not in the position of follower, especially when it comes to China."
"The European position is based on wanting to maintain its own line concerning Beijing."
However, the US official stressed the cohesion between Brussels and Washington on the overall view of the China challenge.
"There is unprecedented alignment between the US and Europe," he said, predicting the two leaders will express "a focus on the need to strengthen our economic security, to respond to concrete threats to economic security" from China.
In their joint statement, Biden and von der Leyen made only fleeting mention of China.


Daily caseload still below 1,800 as death toll up by 3

Another 1,788 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,851,896.
There were 1,509 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,791,625.
There are now 23,877 active cases, of which 22,859 or 95.7% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 980 (4.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 38 are in ICU with 24 in need of respiratory assistance.
Three more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,394.


Don't bring 'PKR-style nepotism' into govt, opposition leader tells Anwar

Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to revoke the appointment of his daughter as his senior economic adviser, with opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin saying it smacks of what he describes as the nepotism present in the political party led by the prime minister.
"The prime minister needs to revoke this appointment. Don't drag PKR's nepotism into the administration.
"Walk the talk, please," Hamzah said in a statement, adding to the chorus of condemnation that has greeted news of Nurul Izzah Anwar being made a senior economic and financial adviser to her father.
Hamzah also told Anwar that Nurul's lack of salary for her new role did not justify the practice of nepotism, saying the prime minister's defence of his daughter's appointment was shameful.

Hamzah Zainudin.

"Clearly the slogan of Malaysia Madani (Civil Malaysia) is just empty rhetoric because the prime minister's priorities seem to be focused on his family members, rather than the cost of living, economic challenges and exploring new markets for Malaysia," he added.
He also reminded Anwar that Hassan Marican, the former Petronas boss, had already been named to head a team of advisers to the prime minister.
Nurul, who lost her Permatang Pauh seat in the recent polls, revealed her appointment in an interview with The Star, saying it took effect on Jan 3.
She said her experience as an MP would come in handy when engaging with "experts in navigating economic governance, accountability and evidence-based policies".
She also said she had been busy meeting with business groups and stakeholders as part of the preparations for the upcoming budget to be tabled by her father.
Anwar later defended the appointment, saying Nurul was qualified for the role despite not having a suitable economics background.
"Even I don't have a finance-related degree or certificate, but I was the minister of finance for eight years (in the 1990s)," he said.


Rosmah fails to disqualify judge in solar case from hearing her money laundering trial

Rosmah Mansor’s money laundering and tax evasion case will be heard before the same judge who is hearing her ongoing graft trial over the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan today dismissed Rosmah’s application to recuse him from presiding over the money laundering and tax evasion trial and set the trial to begin on Jan 12, 2022.The judge said he took great care to ensure that the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak would not be prejudiced in the money laundering case when references are made to the statement in the solar case as a judge os required to consider separately and independently the evidence against the accused.“Any findings that I make in the solar case remain there. It is after all my solemn duty or that of any judge to ensure that the accused, or any accused for that matter, is tried fairly as enshrined under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution,” he said.Zaini also cited a decision by the Federal Court in the case of Public Prosecutor versus Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor which had held that a judge, unlike jurors, is trained in law to remain impartial despite reading the facts relating to a case.The judge said Rosmah’s contention that she might be greatly prejudiced as he might make a comparison between the statement and her defence in this case was unfounded.“I had in the solar case, when allowing the prosecution’s application to admit the statement for the purpose of impeaching the accused, ruled that no questions were to be asked pertaining to the facts of the anti money laundering case here.“In making the ruling, I held that the probative value of the issues that the prosecution intends to bring up does not outweigh the prejudicial effect that the accused may suffer.“In any event, the learned counsel for the respondent (Rosmah) had during the course of submissions convinced me that the issues that the prosecution intends to adduce in relation to the statement in the solar case have no bearing on the issues in this case,” he said.The prosecution was conducted by senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram while Rosmah who was not present in court today was represented by lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent.On Nov 2, Rosmah filed the application to recuse Zaini from presiding over her money laundering and tax evasion trial on the grounds that the statements and exhibits that had been tendered before the court in the solar case could directly or indirectly influence the judge if he were to preside over the money laundering case.Rosmah, 70, is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, ground floor, 148, Jalan Ampang between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017, and the Inland Revenue Board, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.The charges of money laundering were framed under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4(1) of the same act, which provides for imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of unlawful activity, or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.With regard to the tax evasion charges, made under Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967, Rosmah is accused of failing to furnish the returns of her income for the assessment years 2013 to 2017 to the LHDN director-general on or before April 30, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 without reasonable excuse, contrary to Section 112 of the law.


Covid-19 the leading cause of death in 2021

Covid-19 infection was the principal cause of death in Malaysia in 2021, at 31,063 deaths from the total of 157,251 medically certified deaths reported, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
DOSM said ischaemic heart disease was the second highest cause of deaths at 13.7% followed by pneumonia (11.1%), cerebrovascular disease (6.5%) and transport accidents (1.9%).
"Covid-19 infection was the main cause of death for males and females with 17,708 and 13,355 deaths respectively," it added in a statement today.
DOSM said the principal cause of death for major ethnic groups in Malaysia in 2021 was also Covid-19 infection with Malays accounting for 17.9%; other Bumiputeras, 18.5%; Chinese, 16.3%; and Indians, 19.5%.
All age groups recorded Covid-19 infection as the leading cause of death except for 0-14 years, where transport accidents was the main cause.
"Nine states recorded Covid-19 infection as the principal cause of death in 2021 except for Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis and Terengganu. These states reported ischaemic heart disease as the principal cause of deaths.
"Meanwhile, only Putrajaya recorded pneumonia as the principal cause of death at 12.4%," DOSM said.


Witness in 1MDB trial admits statement drafted by her officers

A former official of the finance ministry admitted at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that her witness statement for Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial was drafted by two of her officers at the time without her presence.
Siti Zauyah Mohd Desa, 63, who was the ministry’s deputy secretary-general, said it was drafted by two individuals who were handling the loan.
"It was drafted by my officers but it was never in my presence. I was just given the documents," she said.
The 26th prosecution witness said this when cross-examined by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Najib at the former prime minister's trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB.
She said this when asked if she had prepared the statement or not.  Shafee: You don’t know who drafted it?
Siti Zauyah: I know a few names, namely Afidah and Azmida. They were handling the loan part.
She also admitted that the statement was given to her at the last minute to be signed, and that she did not have enough time to peruse it beforehand.
Shafee: Everything stated in the statement was within your knowledge?
Siti Zauyah: I do not know whether it was within my knowledge. Shafee then said it was good that the witness was "telling the truth" about who drafted the witness statement.
Shafee then read the final page of Siti Zauyah's 40-page witness statement which was previously tendered in court as evidence, specifically the line where she said the witness statement was true based on her knowledge.
"But in truth, the details that were put in your statement, you do not know the whole lot to be true, to be accurate from your personal knowledge?" he said.
To this, Siti Zauyah said "Yes."
The lawyer then requested a short break to discuss this development with the prosecution.
Earlier, when the proceedings started at 10.42am, Najib who is currently serving a 12-year jail term was seen sitting in the dock without handcuffs.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.


Selangor sultan orders Islamic teaching credentials for political activists revoked

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has decreed that the credentials to teach Islam in the state given to political activists be revoked effective Dec 31.Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said in line with the sultan’s decree, the Mais credentials committee would review and revoke Islamic teaching credentials given to any political activist in the state.However, Aziz said the state executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs can still deliver Islamic teachings provided that he does not touch on political matters.He said the sultan had decreed that Islam must not be used as a political tool by any party in the state, especially in suraus and mosques.“To protect the sanctity of Islam in Selangor, the sultan does not consent to accrediting political activists to teach Islam because it is feared that it could be misused for the benefit of political parties which would eventually lead to slander, discord and division among Muslims,” he said in a statement today.Aziz said teaching Islam without credentials issued under Section 118 of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 was an offence under Section 119 of the same enactment.“If convicted, the person can be fined RM3,000 or jailed two years or both,” he said.Any person who acts in contempt of the lawful authority, or defies, disobeys or disputes the lawful orders of directions of the sultan in his capacity as the head of the religion of Islam is committing an offence under Section 12(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor) Enactment 1995 and will be liable to a fine not exceeding RM3,000, imprisonment for a maximum of two years, or both.