'Enough is enough': UK PM announces crackdown on illegal immigration

Britain on Tuesday said it planned to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants who cross the English Channel from remaining in the country, as the government tries to control a surge in people arriving in small boats on its southern coast.
The number of people arriving in England across the Channel has more than doubled in the last two years, with government figures showing Albanians account for the highest number of people arriving by this route.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new five-point strategy for dealing with illegal immigration, including plans to fast-track the return of Albanian asylum seekers, and clearing the initial backlog of almost 150,000 asylum cases by the end of next year by doubling the number of caseworkers.
"If you enter the UK illegally you should not be able to remain here," Sunak told parliament. "Instead, you will be detained and swiftly returned either to your home country or to a safe country where your asylum claim will be considered."
Migrants arriving on small boats has become a major political issue for the Conservative government, particularly in working-class areas in the north and central England, where migrants are blamed for making it harder to find work and stretching public services.
Sunak said a new unit would be created to tackle crossings, and that in future migrants would be housed in disused holiday parks, former student accommodation and surplus military sites rather than hotels.
Britain's interior minister, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, recently called the wave of arrivals an "invasion" and described many of the migrants as "criminals", leading to an angry response from Albanian prime minister Edi Rama.
Sunak said that over the coming months thousands of Albanians would be returned home.
'Right to be angry'
Successive British governments have promised to stop the arrival of small boats. Despite that, a record 44,867 people have crossed the Channel on small boats to enter Britain this year.
Concerns over the level of immigration were a driving force the vote for Brexit in a 2016 referendum, with supporters calling for Britain to "take back control" of its borders.
Sunak said the public are "right to be angry" and said the current system was unfair on those with a genuine case for asylum.
"It is not cruel or unkind to want to break the stranglehold of criminal gangs who trade in human misery," he said. "Enough is enough."
The announcement was strongly welcomed by most Conservative members of parliament, who fear they will face defeat at the next election if the government fails to resolve the issue.
Some Conservative lawmakers, like the former minister Simon Clarke, wanted the government to go further and consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights next year to make it easier to design new policies if the government's latest strategy failed to deter the crossings.
Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said the last time the government changed the immigration system they made it worse, while some charities said the problem would continue until the government allowed asylum claims outside Britain.
Britain's government earlier this year announced plans to deport migrants to Rwanda alongside other efforts, hoping it would act as a deterrent to those arriving in small boats.
The policy was the subject of a legal challenge in London's High Court in early September when a coalition of human rights groups and a trade union argued the Rwanda policy was unworkable and unethical. A decision is expected on Monday.
Sunak said the government would be restarting flights to Rwanda and announced parliament would be asked to set quotas for how many can be admitted for humanitarian reasons.
Although Britain's asylum system is often slow to process claims, about two-thirds of small-boat arrivals whose cases have been examined have been found to be genuine refugees.


Hong Kong and Singapore virus response, a tale of two very different cities

Rivals Singapore and Hong Kong have become pandemic polar opposites, the former opting to live with the coronavirus and reopen to the world while the latter doubles down on zero-Covid and its international isolation.For decades the two cities have jostled to be Asia’s premier international business hub, offering low taxes, dependable legal systems and seamless global connections.Both adopted strict suppression tactics when the pandemic emerged, closing borders to keep infections low within their densely populated territories.Now they present competing visions as they manage the highly transmissible Omicron variant – with Hong Kong floundering under soaring infections while Singapore offers a pandemic exit strategy.In the heart of Singapore’s financial district, analyst Camille Chautard sipped a coffee on a bench at Raffles Place during the busy lunchtime rush hour.“Now that it seems the new variant is less deadly, or at least the infections are less severe, it’s probably a good time for Singapore to lead the way in the region and open up,” she told AFP.Earlier this week, health minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore was moving closer towards normalcy, noting that “Omicron poses less of a risk”.Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam had a starkly different message.Announcing compulsory testing for all 7.4 million residents, the tightest social distancing rules to date and plans to isolate all those infected, she said the city must “win the war”.“(Singapore) is miles ahead of Hong Kong in terms of dealing with these waves and especially mitigating the impact of the pandemic,” Karen Grepin, a public health expert at the University of Hong Kong, told AFP.Openings vs closuresThe differences were clear on the streets this week.In Singapore, children are back in class, residents are free to gather in hawker centres or enjoy post-work drinks, and people fly in and out for business or pleasure.For Hong Kongers, in-person classes are suspended, businesses like bars and gyms remain closed, restaurants are only allowed to serve takeout in the evening, and international travel is increasingly impossible and involves lengthy quarantines.“Zoom calls cannot replace the people-to-people connection… so (easing workplace restrictions) definitely helps,” Singaporean businessman Vaibhav Dabhade told AFP.“I believe that we still have an opportunity to open more, but so far the approach has been fantastic.”Such upbeat commentary is hard to come by in Hong Kong.“The government’s current zero-Covid policy seems to go against the trend,” lamented a 39-year-old telecommunications worker surnamed Wong as he finished submitting to a Covid test outside a shopping mall in Sha Tin district.“Every country around the world is living with the virus,” he added, describing the mass testing orders as a “waste”.Politics vs healthHong Kong and Singapore are currently reporting thousands of infections per day and experts say the outbreak in both cities won’t peak until sometime in March.But as Hong Kong’s healthcare and isolation system collapses, Singapore has so far avoided such a fate.The city decided last fall to transition away from zero-Covid after realising it was not sustainable to isolate and hospitalise all the infected, Grepin said.“We can’t constantly live in that sphere, and I think Singapore is much better off because they recognised this early on,” she said.One key difference is the vaccination rate among the elderly.Around 95% of Singaporeans aged 70 or above have received at least one dose of vaccine, while the figure in Hong Kong is 61% despite ample supplies.That severely limits Hong Kong’s ability to transition to living with the virus.But there is another reason the city’s hands are tied – China.Over the last six months Beijing has increasingly called the shots, ordering Hong Kong to stick to zero-Covid and decrying mitigation as a failed “Western” strategy.Last week Chinese president Xi Jinping ordered Hong Kong to take “all necessary measures” to get the epidemic under control, reinforcing the reality that Hong Kong’s post-pandemic future depends on Beijing.“The decision to maintain a zero-Covid strategy after the advent of safe, effective vaccines is primarily a political decision as opposed to a public health decision,” Grepin said.Travel vs isolationSingapore’s approach has also come in for criticism, with some complaining about ever-changing, confusing restrictions.And while the city’s borders are slowly opening through quarantine-free travel with a number of countries, curbs are still tighter than in most Western countries, causing frustration for some foreign residents.But compared to Hong Kong, which dubs itself “Asia’s World City”, travel ease is night and day.Singapore’s most recent data showed around 400,000 air passenger arrivals in December, while Hong Kong saw just 27,000 passengers in that same period.“The longer (Hong Kong) endures the relatively restrictive mobility patterns compared to other hubs, the harder it will be to maintain its dominant position,” Standard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters warned in a Financial Times report.Even established mega-chains headquartered in Hong Kong are feeling the sting – James Riley, chief executive of the Mandarin Oriental hotel giant, told the FT most of their executive team were now working outside the city.“As a base from which to run a business, it’s very, very poor today,” Riley said.In a January survey, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong asked member companies which city represented the “greatest competitive threat”.Eighty percent answered Singapore.


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AstraZeneca recipients must be shown syringe before and after jab, says health ministry

Health workers administering the AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 must now show recipients the syringe before and after giving the jabs in the wake of several claims of people having received less than the required dose.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said his ministry took a serious view of the claims which were said to have occurred at the World Trade Centre vaccination centre in Kuala Lumpur.“The health ministry and ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd is investigating the issue,” he said in a statement yesterday.He said the ministry had set additional directive in the SOPs for all health workers administering the AstraZeneca jab.“They also need to show recipients the empty syringe after the dose has been given,” he said, adding that the new SOP is to ensure that the quality of AstraZeneca vaccination is at the optimum level.He said the additional SOP would be expanded to all other vaccination centres and that monitoring activities would be stepped up in order to ensure that all measures are followed.“The ministry will always strive to make sure that the AstraZeneca vaccination programme is carried out successfully and safely for the people,” he said.The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force said earlier this week it was investigating claims that AstraZeneca vaccine doses administered were less than required, which is under 0.5ml.It said in a statement that two incidents had supposedly occurred at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur AstraZeneca vaccination centre on May 19.The AstraZeneca vaccine currently forms the backbone of the Covax scheme, which ensures that poorer countries can access doses, with donors covering the cost.It was hailed as a game-changer in January when it was first rolled out due to its affordability and the fact that it does not require very cold temperatures for storage like the ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.However, it experienced a slew of bad publicity following cases of blood clots reported in countries including the UK and Europe among patients given the jab, some of whom died.It is currently being administered on a voluntary basis to people in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, with the second phase involving those in Johor, Penang and Sarawak as well to roll out next month.


Over 29% of children given first vaccine jab, 64% of adults boosted

A total of 1,041,733 children or 29.3% of those aged five to 11 had received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 15,064,528 individuals or 64% of the adult population have received a booster dose.A total of 22,928,999 or 97.5% have completed their vaccination while 23,205,772 or 98.7% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,832,044 or 91% have been fully vaccinated while 2,932,526 or 94.2% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 63,739 vaccine doses were dispensed yesterday, with 15,935 as first doses, 1,766 as second shots and 46,038 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 67,797,494.


Govt considering giving green light for interstate tourism

The government is discussing the possibility of allowing interstate tourism and will announce a decision soon, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri said today.She said the move was to expedite the recovery of the country’s tourism industry which has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.“So far, besides Langkawi, we only allow intrastate tourism and we are aware that we cannot depend solely on this to assist the recovery of the tourism industry.“Therefore, we are looking into allowing interstate tourism to boost the country’s tourism activities,” she said during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.She was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Independent-Muar) who asked the government to open up more domestic travel bubbles and not only focus on resort islands to assist industry players affected by Covid-19.Nancy said several locations have been identified for this purpose, including Fraser’s Hill and Genting Highlands.On plans to open Langkawi to international tourists, Nancy said the matter is also being discussed with the relevant agencies.“We are setting the criteria for international tourists to come other than having completed their vaccination. Once decided, we will open Langkawi to international tourists,” she said.So far, the government has allowed intrastate tourism activities for states under Phase Two and above of the National Recovery Plan for fully vaccinated individuals, while the Langkawi domestic tourism bubble pilot project started on Sept 16.


A tale of two classes in Lumut tourist haven

Off the coastal town of Lumut in Perak, Malaysia’s first man-made island – Pulau Marina – sparkles in the sunlight and shines with the glow of hundreds of lights at night – a haven for tourists in an area already known for the holiday destination of Pulau Pangkor just west of the smaller isle.Not far from the glitter and bustle of tourist activity, though, a small fishing village tells the story of a very different side of life.While Pulau Marina is home to huge hotels where guests are waited on hand and foot, at Kampung Teluk Muroh, there is only squalor and poverty.Here, Ramlah Ahmad and her family have lived for the past 15 years in a small wooden house roofed over with corrugated zinc.Ramlah was born in Beruas and grew up in Pantai Remis. She spends her days taking care of the children at home while her husband goes out to sea.Zarifah Ahamad helps her mother, Ramlah Ahmad, walk in the living room of their house.They have seven children in all, some of whom have grown up and gotten married, and some who still live in the same village although they have moved out of the family home.Now 62, Ramlah is beginning to feel her age. These days, she sleeps on a mattress on the floor as she cannot climb in and out of bed anymore.She also has boils on several parts of her body that need to be removed through surgery.But the biggest problem is her nerves, especially at her feet. Day and night, she rubs her legs with oil in an attempt to lessen the pain.“I used to get medication from the hospital but these days I use what I can get at the pharmacy,” she told MalaysiaNow.“It costs money to go to the hospital, and it costs even more to go for surgery.”Most days, it falls on her daughter, Zarifah Ahamad, and one of her daughters-in-law to take care of her.As she is no longer mobile, it is easier for everyone if she wears adult diapers. On the few occasions when she must move about, she clings on to someone else for support.Zarifah Ahamad sits lost in thought outside her small house near her mother’s in Teluk Muroh, Lumut.Like Ramlah, the house the family lives in is also showing its age.The few comforts they have such as the fridge and the sofa were given to them by kind-hearted donors. They also received assistance during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.Outside, they have a panoramic view of the ocean but even this is slowly disappearing.Over the past few years, much of the area outside their home has been reclaimed for a development project.Ramlah’s husband was forced to store his boat further away from the house, which made it difficult to keep an eye out for thieves who eventually made off with the engine.Now, he hitches a ride on one of his friend’s boats whenever he goes out to sea. Between the uncertain weather and the increasing development, his income has been on the decline.One of Ramlah’s children works at a nearby factory and contributes enough each month to pay the bills and cover basic necessities. Another recently had his appendix removed and is still recovering from the procedure.In addition to taking care of her mother, Zarifah also has her own children to look after.She has been a housewife ever since she stopped school. Her husband also goes down to sea with his friends but the money is never enough.“Some months, he only makes a few hundred ringgit,” she said. “Sometimes there is only enough money to pay for petrol.”Ramlah Ahmad waits at the kitchen table while her daughter looks for food in their small fridge.Zarifah and her husband stay in a tiny house next to Ramlah’s, paying rent of RM100 a month. It’s not much to look at, and at high tide it always floods, sometimes to the point where sea creatures are swept in with the water and Zarifah finds fish, crabs and even snakes swimming in her kitchen.Even for this house, though, they have been lagging in rent and can only depend on the kindness of their landlord to escape eviction.“The landlord wants to sell this house for RM2,000 but we can’t afford this yet,” Zarifah said.Her husband used to work as a security guard but eventually his contract was terminated.“He used to be able to make RM1,000 a month. But as a fisherman now, his income is never sure,” she said.With Hari Raya around the corner, there’s not much they can do in order to celebrate. There will be no new clothes, no kuih, and no feast to share with the family.“Our priority is to cover the basic necessities,” Zarifah said.Ramlah meanwhile said donations were not as plentiful as they had been in other years.She had tried applying for aid from various agencies but was met with rejection as they said she did not meet the criteria.But while she cannot afford very many things, she is determined not to give up.“I still want the best for my children,” she said.


Listen up, y’all, Japan Airlines is now gender-neutral

“Ladies and gentlemen” will no longer be heard on Japan Airlines (JAL) as the airline is dropping the traditional salutation in favour of gender-neutral expressions.From October, cabin crew must begin their announcements with phrases along the lines of “Attention all passengers” and “Hello everyone”.Being Japanese, the announcements will of course still be exquisitely polite.However, the new policy will only affect announcements given in English, as in Japanese the expressions used for such announcements are already gender-neutral, AFP reports.JAL’s new policy is unlikely to create any turbulence among Japanese passengers.Professor Kazuya Kawaguchi, a sociologist at Hiroshima Shudo University, told the BBC that the new policy is not a big deal as most Japanese passengers cannot understand English and so will not notice any changes.“However, as one of the leading LGBT-friendly enterprises in Japan this is a significant step forward because other medium or small-sized companies will probably follow,” he said.JAL told Reuters it wanted to “create a positive atmosphere and treat everyone with respect”.“We have committed to not discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes,” spokesman Mark Morimoto said.CNN reports that before this, the Tokyo-based airline’s most recent move for gender equality came in March 2020, when it announced it would give female flight attendants the option to wear trousers instead of skirts in order to be more comfortable on board.


Rental freeze for PPR flats extended to end-2022 as PM launches new housing scheme

The moratorium programme on rental payments for residents of People’s Housing Projects or PPRs will continue until the end of 2022, the government announced today.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the extension would apply to all existing PPR residents under the regulation and management of the housing and local government ministry.“This measure is expected to benefit some 10,000 heads of households or 50,000 PPR residents,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Malaysian Family Housing Initiative, adding that it would involve some RM18.84 million on the part of the government.He said the Malaysian Family Housing Initiative or Rumah Ikram Keluarga Malaysia was intended to help those who had suffered a loss or reduction of income or job loss and could no longer afford to pay high rental.He said 1,000 units of housing have been provided as a starting point in PPR areas around Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan and Johor at a minimum rental rate of RM124 per month for a maximum of two years.He added that this would be increased to 2,000 units in a move expected to benefit at least 10,000 households in need.Ismail said beneficiaries of the initiative would also be given a six-month exemption from payment in a move involving some RM3 million to be borne by the government.


New cases continue to hover at 5,500

Another 5,516 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,407,382.Another 9,401 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,297,289.Meanwhile 669 are in the ICU, including 572 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 333 are in need of respiratory assistance including 241 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,516 cases reported today, 102 (1.8%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,414 (98.2%) are in Category One and Two.


Pandemic turns ‘auntie-uncle’ hawkers into e-commerce pros

The Covid-19 pandemic which destroyed economies and livelihoods across the globe has had an unexpected silver lining for Malaysians, accelerating the digital transformation of even the most unlikely of candidates.What experts predicted would take five years has taken less than a year as the stress of pandemic job-losses has forced ordinary people to grasp internet selling with both hands on their keyboards.From uncles and aunties in their 70s hosting Zoom conferences, to nasi lemak hawkers taking orders on WhatsApp, Malaysians are showing a surprising new-found agility in transforming into a tech-savvy bunch.A study by Facebook reports that Malaysia has the highest number of digital consumers in Southeast Asia. Digital Malaysians aged 15 and above make up a staggering 83% of the population.What experts predicted would take five years has taken less than a year.Technology guru Lilyana Latiff, however, contests the five-year estimate. “I think what was expected to take more like 15 years in Malaysia has actually taken six months because of the pandemic,” the CEO of Beta Foundation tells MalaysiaNow.Lilyana, who has spent 23 years in high tech, clearly remembers the high hopes of Malaysia’s Mahathir-led administration in the late 90s which led to the creation of the Multimedia Super Corridor, which turned out to be a corridor to nowhere for millions of ordinary citizens.She began as an entrepreneur trying to promote e-learning in the early 2000s, so she understands well the Malaysian sluggishness to embrace technology.However, the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns have changed the nation’s relationship with tech in just six months, from indifference to complete dependence.“It wasn’t until Facebook landed in Malaysia in 2007 that people started to realise how much they could do with online consumer technology,” she says.“They started selling baby clothes and such to each other, and that’s when you saw bank clerks and hospital nurses beginning to have secondary incomes.”Traditional Malaysian businesses are now having to rethink after their leisurely approach to adapting their brick-and-mortar operations to digital storefronts left them lagging behind the uncle and auntie entrepreneurs.“Malaysians of all ages are realising that selling on Facebook or Instagram is cheap and we don’t need to pay for payment gateways or form a company. All we need is a bank account.”As people lost their jobs or had their salaries cut, many were quick to realise that online platforms are their big business opportunities. Social media is allowing enterprising Malaysians to bypass the need to build a website to market their goods.In 2015, online marketplace Lazada opened its office in Malaysia as a testbed, thanks to the country’s 30 million-plus educated and diverse multilingual population.Lazada’s rapid success inspired others such as FashionValet and Shopee to follow suit, Lilyana says.“This year, these companies have found their fortunes boosted by the pandemic which has shuttered malls, hypermarkets and boutiques across the region.”Social media is allowing enterprising Malaysians to bypass the need to build a website to market their goods.However, Lilyana points out that the most dramatic change is that of Malaysian micro-enterprises: traders and sellers who originally built and plied their modest businesses on the busy streets of Malaysian cities – the rendang seller, the makcik selling kuih, the father and son hawking lauk off the back of their pickup.These Malaysians, says Lilyana, are the ones who were least expected to take advantage of the power of social media, but the pandemic has inspired them to confound expert expectations, with a little help from their grandchildren.“What we saw between 2015 and 2019 was Malaysians growing more comfortable with buying online,” Lilyana explains. “But what we are seeing in 2020 because of the pandemic is Malaysians selling online.”Competing delivery services such as Grab, Foodpanda and Lalamove are helping these new e-sellers enormously at a time when consumers are not allowed to or don’t want to step out of their houses to go to the shops.This shift to e-selling is being encouraged by the government’s second Penjana programme thrust, designed to provide financial support for small and emerging businesses.Highlights of Penjana include a provision for eligible micro-enterprises to evolve into e-commerce by providing subsidies and incentives.Is this explosion of digital micro-enterprises expected to last beyond the pandemic?“Oh, yes,” Lilyana tells MalaysiaNow. “Once e-sellers get a taste of how easy it is, they aren’t in any hurry to stop. Especially those who are doing it to survive.”


Prasarana officer gives up personal phone number to hear out LRT victims

An officer from Prasarana Malaysia Bhd decided to give up her personal phone number to allow victims of the recent LRT collision to contact her directly, in a crisis management move that has earned praise, a far cry from the public outrage over the conduct of the company chairman.Rafizah Amran, Prasarana’s deputy chief communications and marketing officer, said the company was aware of the losses suffered by passengers affected by the accident on Monday night which left 213 people injured, more than 40 critically.“And yes, passengers involved have the right to use legal means to get additional damages and so on. We will assist and we have come forward openly.“That is why we have a crisis hotline just for them. That phone? That’s my personal number and phone that I gave up to use to communicate directly with them so that we can manage this in a sensitive and respectful manner,” she wrote in her LinkedIn page, earning praise from the public.The accident saw two LRT trains on the Kelana Jaya line colliding in the tunnel area between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations in Kuala Lumpur.One had been carrying passengers while the other, which was empty, was being test-driven.Rafizah’s move contrasts with the conduct of Prasarana’s chairman Tajuddin Abdul Rahman during a press conference to announce measures to support victims of the LRT collision.Yesterday, the finance ministry which owns Prasarana sacked Tajuddin with immediate effect, following anger over insensitive remarks about the incident.Meanwhile, in her post, Rafizah acknowledged the intense social media debate in the aftermath the LRT collision, saying everyone has the right to speak up.“We also respect how they want to express it. I have always reiterated that we take brickbats. Working in public transport, this is a given.”However, she urged members of the public to stop speculating and sharing fake news on the situation.She said many fake photos and videos had been circulated, claiming a lack of social distancing on trains, among others.She said most, if not all of the photos and videos were from 2020 after the economy reopened and 100% passenger capacity was allowed.Rafizah said the company’s ops team takes photos to monitor the situation each day during peak hour period.“Sometimes we have more passengers, sometimes we have less. A four-car train fits 800 pax, so 50% capacity is 400 pax.”“We have critical patients in hospital. If you have nothing good at all to say about RapidKL or the PR team, please spare some thought and show kindness to the patients and passengers involved and their loved ones.“That’s our priority right now.”


GPS pleads for unity amid calls for PM to step down

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) today urged politicians to remain united in the face of the pandemic and to stop politicking, saying the focus should be on handling the Covid-19 crisis.“In a situation where the country is facing the Covid-19 crisis and is working to revive the economy, political stability is essential,” GPS secretary-general Alexander Nanta Linggi said in a statement.“We need to focus on ensuring the success of the National Recovery Plan for the well-being and health of the people as well as the economy,” he added.His remarks followed calls by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to step down, in the wake of a statement by Istana Negara saying that Putrajaya had not followed the constitution in announcing the repeal of the emergency ordinances.Zahid also urged MPs from Umno to revoke support for Muhyiddin which he said would be in line with an earlier decision by the party.Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim meanwhile submitted a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin, saying the Dewan Rakyat had lost confidence in the prime minister.


Tajuddin sacked after outrage over LRT collision gaffe

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has been sacked as chairman of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd following a press conference he held in the wake of an accident involving two LRT trains which left over 200 passengers injured, many critically.In a letter to Tajuddin, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the sacking would take place with immediate effect.“I would like to express my highest appreciation and thank you for your service and contributions to Prasarana throughout your appointment as non-executive chairman,” he said.Tajuddin had sparked outrage over remarks made at a press conference where he had mocked a foreign journalist and joked about “two trains kissing”.An online petition calling for his resignation had collected over 100,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.He also became the subject of a police investigation for wearing only a face shield and not the mandatory face mask at the press conference.The accident on Monday night saw two LRT trains on the Kelana Jaya line colliding in the tunnel area between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations in Kuala Lumpur.One had been carrying passengers while the other, which was empty, was being test-driven.A total of 213 passengers were injured, 47 critically.The transport ministry has formed a special task force to investigate the incident.


India chip plan stalls after Tower-Intel deal in setback to Modi

A planned US$3 billion (about RM13.8 billion) semiconductor facility in India by a consortium that counted Israeli chipmaker Tower as a tech partner has been stalled due to the company's ongoing takeover by Intel, three sources said, dashing India's chip making plans.
A second mega US$19.5 billion plan to build chips locally by a joint venture between India's Vedanta and Taiwan's Foxconn is also proceeding slowly as their talks to rope in European chipmaker STMicroelectronics as a partner are deadlocked, a fourth source with direct knowledge said.
The challenges faced by the companies deal a major setback to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has made chipmaking a top priority as he wants to "usher in a new era in electronics manufacturing" by luring global companies.
India, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth US$63 billion by 2026, last year received three applications to set up plants under a US$10 billion incentive scheme. They were from the Vedanta-Foxconn JV; a global consortium ISMC which counts Tower Semiconductor as a tech partner; and from Singapore-based IGSS Ventures.
The Vedanta JV plant is to come up in Modi's home state of Gujarat, while ISMC and IGSS each committed US$3 billion for plants in two separate southern states.
Three sources with direct knowledge of the strategy said ISMC's US$3 billion chipmaking facility plans are currently on hold as Tower could not proceed to sign binding agreements as things remain under review after Intel acquired it for US$5.4 billion last year. The deal is pending regulatory approvals.
Talking about India's semiconductor ambitions, India's deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Reuters in a May 19 interview ISMC "could not proceed" due to Intel acquiring Tower, and IGSS "wanted to re-submit (the application)" for incentives. The "two of them had to drop out," he said, without elaborating.
Tower is likely to reevaluate taking part in the venture based on how its deal talks with Intel pan out, two of the sources said.
ISMC consortium partners Next Orbit Ventures did not respond to a request for comment and Tower declined comment. Intel also declined comment.
Singapore-based IGSS did not respond, and neither did India's federal IT ministry.
STMicro declined comment.
In a statement, Vedanta-Foxconn JV CEO, David Reed, said they have an agreement with a technology partner to transfer technology with licenses, but declined to comment further.


Survey puts Muhyiddin in the lead, with Anwar close behind

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin is the most trusted leader in the country ahead of the 15th general election (GE15), followed closely by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, a new survey by Universiti Utara Malaysia has found.
The survey, conducted among 2,716 respondents from Sept 6 to Nov 5, found that Muhyiddin was chosen by 20%, followed by Anwar (19.2%).
Muhyiddin came to power in March 2021, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the implementation of several measures to contain the virus including a lockdown and the release of billions of ringgit to the public.
He served at the top office for some 17 months, before he was dislodged in August 2021 after coming under pressure from a group of Umno leaders aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak.
Meanwhile, the survey found that current prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was chosen by just 9.5% – less than Gerakan Tanah Air chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad (10.2%) and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (10.3%)
Former prime minister Najib Razak, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in jail, got 11.3%.
Nearly 37% of respondents chose political party as the most important factor in casting their votes, while 34.3% indicated election manifesto and 28.8% chose candidate.
However, when asked which party was the best suited to rule Malaysia at this point, the majority of participants chose Umno (32.7%) followed by PKR (26.1%) and Bersatu (15%).
PAS was chosen by 17.9% while DAP was picked by 6.9%, behind Amanah with 8.7%.
On their perception of the country's political scenario, 34.7% described the situation as "not stable" while 21.7% said it was hard to tell.
Some 16.12% said it was "complex" while 16.1% said it was "confusing".
In terms of young leaders for the country's future, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin came in first (24.9%), followed by PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli (15.7%) and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (15.2%).
When asked what issues should be prioritised by political parties at the upcoming election, 45.1% said the cost of living and 37.2% said the economy.
Only 5.3% chose job opportunities for the youth while 4.4% indicated sports and recreation.
Just over 49% said more women should be fielded as candidates at the Nov 19 polls while 29.7% did not agree and 21.1% said they were unsure.
Of the total number of respondents polled, 2,344 were Malays, 122 Chinese and 77 Indians. The rest comprised other Bumiputeras (134) and others (39).
Just over 52% said interracial ties between Malaysians were "good" while 31.6% said they were not good and 16.1% said they were unsure.


Nashville blast probed as governor seeks emergency declaration

Authorities in Nashville on Saturday probed an explosion that ripped through part of the US city on Christmas morning after a chilling bomb warning while the governor requested an emergency declaration from the White House.The explosion of a motorhome at 6.30am (1230 GMT) on Friday in historic downtown Nashville, the US’ country music capital, damaged dozens of businesses and injured at least three people, with the streets largely abandoned at that hour.No deaths have been confirmed but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains.“This morning I toured the site of the bombing,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter on Saturday.“The damage is shocking and it is a miracle that no residents were killed.”He asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage.At least 41 businesses were damaged, he said.“These buildings, many of which are historic, and others will need to be assessed by an engineer for structural integrity and safety,” Lee said in his request.The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky.AT&T said Saturday that two portable cell sites were operating in downtown Nashville and additional portable sites were being deployed in the region to restore service.Nashville’s international airport had temporarily halted flights on Friday due to “telecommunications issues” associated with the blast.Federal and local law enforcement were investigating the explosion and the motive remained unclear.According to a timeline provided by the governor, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5.30am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6am.Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb and the need to evacuate, followed by the blast at 6.30am.Police have not determined if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time.Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said “we do believe that the explosion was an intentional act,” while adding that it was unclear if the AT&T building was the target.Police published a photo of the motorhome on Twitter before it exploded and asked the public for information on it.


Mount Everest: Covid-19 scales world’s tallest peak

At least one climber on Mount Everest has tested positive for Covid-19, just weeks after the world’s tallest peak reopened to climbers following a year of closure.Norwegian climber Erlend Ness was isolated in hospital for eight nights after contracting the virus, he told the BBC.He had been feeling sick for about six days in the mountains before being evacuated on April 15 by helicopter.He was taken to two different hospitals in the Nepali capital Kathmandu and tested positive for the virus three times.A sherpa local guide in his party also tested positive for the virus but there are no reports on his current condition or whether he joined Ness on the helicopter.The outbreak is a blow to Nepal, which relies heavily on income generated from expeditions paying hefty fees to scale its 8,849m Himalayan treasure. The 2021 cost of a place on one of the many commercial expeditions is at least US$45,000.Aside from wider tourism revenue, Nepal earns US$4 million by issuing Everest climbing permits every year, according to the Kathmandu Post.Ness is unsure where he caught the virus, but raised the possibility of catching it while in one of the tea houses in the Khumbu Valley, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal, with great views of Everest,He admitted that he could have “done more” to protect himself, such as being more diligent with handwashing, and wearing a mask all day but said few of the adventurers he met along the way took such precautions.“Not many people used masks on the trek,” he recalled.He has since recovered – testing negative on April 22 – and is now staying with friends in Kathmandu.Hundreds of foreign climbers are expected to attempt the ascent this spring season, which began in April.All travellers entering Nepal must present a negative Covid report, taken within 72 hours of their first flight, according to Nepal’s Department of Immigration.Passengers from countries with new Covid variants will be subject to an additional 10 days of hotel quarantine. If a test comes back negative after five days, they will be allowed to spend their remaining five days in home quarantine and then proceed to the mountain.


18,000 new teachers to address nationwide shortage in mass recruitment drive

Education Minister Radzi Jidin today announced that the Public Service Department has approved the mass recruitment of over 18,000 teachers as part of efforts to address the shortage of educators in the country.Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, he said the ministry would collaborate with the Education Service Commission in the administration of the special recruitment programme.“The special recruitment of teachers on this one-off basis is important to reduce the burden of teachers, especially in schools facing a critical shortage,” he said.He added that it was also to ensure a sufficient number of teachers especially in Sarawak and Sabah.He said it was also common that teachers were not assigned to teach the subjects for which they were trained.“To rectify the mismatch problem, we will look at the candidates based on subject option cluster so that there will be no more mismatch of jobs against qualifications as the state moved towards industrialisation,” he said.He also said the posting of teachers would be based on requirements for subjects that have fewer eligible teachers.“The special intake will be advertised starting on July 7. The posting of the new teachers at schools will be conducted in phases starting in October this year.”


66.2% of adults given booster shot

A total of 15,574,997 adults or 66.2% had received a Covid-19 booster dose as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 22,947,183 adults or 97.5% have completed their vaccination while 23,223,301 or 98.7% have received at least one dose.As for teenagers aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,846,984 or 91.5% have completed their vaccination while 2,944,079 or 94.6% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 1,282,478 children or 36.1% of those aged five to 11 have received a first dose of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids).Yesterday, a total of 27,812 vaccine doses were given, comprising 5,900 first doses, 1,680 second shots and 20,232 booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 68,607,824.


Moderna’s new booster produces stronger response against Omicron

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday an upgraded version of its coronavirus vaccine produced a better immune response as a booster dose against the Omicron variant than the original shot in a study.The trial results raised the company’s hopes that the vaccine will be used in an inoculation drive in the fall season. Moderna will submit the data to regulators “in the coming weeks”, and expects it to get clearance in late summer.As the overall demand for vaccinations declines, companies have shifted gears and are targeting a more competitive booster dose market.In the study, which did not measure vaccine effectiveness, the booster, mRNA-1273.214, raised virus-neutralising antibodies by eight-fold against Omicron.Moderna has been studying the so-called bivalent vaccine, which targets both Omicron and the original coronavirus strain to determine if it works better against the variant.Several studies have shown that vaccine immunity starts to wane over time, and the Omicron variant partially evades some protection from two doses.“We anticipate more durable protection against variants of concern with mRNA-1273.214, making it our lead candidate for a fall 2022 booster,” said CEO Stephane Bancel in a statement.


No outbound travel from Sabah as new restrictions announced

Travel from Sabah to the peninsula, Sarawak and Labuan will be restricted from Oct 7 to 20 in light of the spike in Covid-19 cases in the state, the government announced today.This follows the announcement just yesterday that only Sabahans and those who possess passes issued by the Sabah immigration department would be allowed to enter the state beginning Oct 7.In a statement, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said exceptions would be made for certain cases such as those involving emergencies, deaths, essential services and any others with permission from the health ministry.Those who are given permission will be required to undergo Covid-19 screening upon arrival at the entry point of their destination.


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Ex-Twitter worker gets 3.5-year US prison term for spying for Saudi Arabia

A former Twitter Inc manager convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia by sharing user data several years ago and potentially exposing users to persecution was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday, US prosecutors said.
Ahmad Abouammo had been found guilty by a jury in August following a trial in federal court in San Francisco.
Prosecutors had sought a prison term of just over seven years, saying they wanted a "sentence strong enough to deter others in the technology and social media industry from selling out the data of vulnerable users." Abouammo faced a maximum penalty of decades in prison.
Abouammo's attorneys had asked US District Judge Edward Chen for a probationary sentence at his home in Seattle with no prison time. They cited Abouammo's ongoing health problems, lack of other convictions and family issues that had affected him during his time at Twitter, which spanned 2013 to 2015.
The case focused on Abouammo's efforts to look up information on two Twitter users, a US$42,000 (about RM185,000) watch he received from a Saudi official and a pair of US$100,000 wire transfers.
Prosecutors said Abouammo, who oversaw Twitter's relationships with journalists and celebrities in the Middle East and North Africa, conveyed sensitive information from the company's systems to help Saudi officials identify and locate Twitter users of interest, potentially exposing them to persecution.
Federal public defenders representing Abouammo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitter, recently acquired by Elon Musk, and the Saudi Embassy in Washington also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In their sentencing ask, attorneys for Abouammo said that while at Twitter, his family had been "struggling to pay for and deal with serious upheavals in his sister’s life," including specialized medical care for her newborn daughter.
The attorneys also said Abouammo's actions paled in comparison to those of Ali Alzabarah, another ex-Twitter employee, who was accused of accessing thousands of Twitter accounts on behalf of Saudi Arabia. Alzabarah left the US before being charged.


Discounts for vaccinated people are not discriminatory, say Singapore companies

Businesses in Singapore that have rolled out discounts for customers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 say it’s to encourage more people to get jabbed and is not discrimination.Retailers, food and beverage outlets, and other services are among the businesses offering discounts, vouchers and freebies to those who can prove they have had the jab.Companies CNA spoke to said these perks were meant as “additional encouragement” to reward those who have been partially or fully vaccinated.As of July 28, more than 3.2 million people in Singapore have completed the full vaccination regimen, according to the health ministry, which is encouraging the rest to come forward.Those jabbed can receive promo codes from the iamvaccinated.sg website run by healthcare provider Minmed Group, which aggregates deals and offers from companies targeted at those who have been vaccinated.The site has been up since February, when Minmed started setting up its vaccination centres.“At that time, there was a lot of talk about side effects and apprehension about receiving the vaccine,” said Minmed’s executive director Sharmaine Chng.“We really felt that the vaccination is an important part of the war against Covid-19, so that’s why we wanted to do something that’s a bit more fun and take away the negative perspective or the heavy discussions,” she said.The other reason for aggregating the perks and discounts available to vaccinated people was to boost business for F&B outlets and retailers negatively affected by the pandemic. Many of the merchants on the site are local businesses, she noted.Part-time cleaning service Helpling launched a discount voucher for the vaccinated on the website. They have seen 23 redemptions so far, said the company’s head of operations Zhong Jingjing.“We think most people are unaware of this, therefore not many people have taken up the deal yet. We wanted to support the vaccination effort,” she told CNA.This week, co-chair of the multi-ministry task force Lawrence Wong said it will review some Covid-19 restrictions early next month, but any easing of measures will be only for vaccinated people who are “much better protected” against the virus.When asked if these offers for vaccinated customers could be perceived as discriminatory, companies were quick to stress that they were meant as tokens of appreciation or support for the vaccination roll-out.Helpling’s Zhong said it is meant to support the government’s vaccination initiatives and that customers who are unvaccinated can still book its services.At restaurant group Peach Garden, customers can get S$5.60 off their total bill for each fully vaccinated diner.“We came up with the vaccination promotion to encourage more Singapore residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible. By getting their vaccinations, they are not only protecting themselves but protecting the people around them as well, making Singapore a safer place,” said general manager Darren Yew.He said the promotions are meant to encourage and reward as many eligible individuals as possible to complete their vaccinations.“When more eligible individuals are vaccinated, it in turn protects those who are unable to be vaccinated as well. Regardless of the vaccination status of an individual, we welcome him or her at our restaurants all the same,” he said.


Think tank questions PM's 'strange' trip to Saudi Arabia

Questions continue to be raised about Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Saudi Arabia last month, with think tank Iris Institute calling it strange that the prime minister was not greeted by the kingdom's highest leaders.
Ahmad Israa Syed Ibrahim, whose organisation brings together researchers in the field of international relations, said Malaysia and Saudi Arabia had always enjoyed good bilateral ties.
As Malaysia's top leader, he said, Anwar should have been welcomed by his counterparts instead of officials of lower rank.
"When Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister in 2019, even Maszlee Malik, who was the education minister at the time, was able to meet with King Salman to discuss relationships in the field of education," he said.
"Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have many strategic ties in matters such as oil, the management of haj pilgrims and so on.
"But when Anwar went, he didn't seem to discuss many of these matters and he didn't meet with the king."
Questions were raised after Anwar returned from his official visit to Saudi Arabia without meeting either King Salman Abdul Aziz or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A Bernama report said the meeting could not take place because the crown prince had a change of plans ahead of the Ramadan month.
Anwar himself expressed regret that he had been unable to meet Mohammed, but was said to have turned down a request by Saudi officials to extend his stay so that a meeting with the crown prince could take place.
Wisma Putra later said that it had received diplomatic notes confirming Anwar's visit as well as a meeting with the two leaders.
"They clearly stated that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the visit, including the performance of the umrah in Mecca and the pilgrimage in Madinah," it said.
Syed Ahmad said while Anwar's subsequent visits to other countries were seen as a success, the prime minister should still explain his trip to Saudi Arabia.
"When such a thing happens, it means there were problems so there should be a good explanation," he said.
"This is what many find confusing. It's impossible that Wisma Putra did not know the schedule of the leaders in the country of visit. It's a matter of protocol and duty to have all of the details ironed out before the prime minister set foot in that country."


May 26 hearing for Najib's bid to lift 1MDB freeze order

Najib Razak’s application to set aside the Mareva injunction obtained by 1MDB and one of its subsidiaries to stop the former prime minister from disposing of or dissipating its assets in Malaysia worth US$681 million will be heard on May 26 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
On Feb 8 last year, the court allowed the ex-parte application for a Mareva injunction by 1MDB and Global Diversified Investment Company Limited (formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited), as first and second plaintiffs, in the 1MDB lawsuit against Najib and several other individuals.
1MDB counsel Wong Chee Lin, when contacted, said that judge Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad had set the same date for the hearing of the inter-parte application for the Mareva injunction at today’s online proceedings.
"The court also extended the ad interim injunction obtained by Najib until the Mareva injunction is heard and decided," he said.
A Mareva injunction is an order stopping a party from disposing of property while waiting for the resolution of legal action. The injunction limits Najib to withdrawals of not more than RM100,000 a month for his living expenses and legal fees, with written permission needed from 1MDB and Global Diversified counsels if he needs funds in excess of the total.
The order also states that Najib will need to file a written disclosure to 1MDB and Global Diversified regarding his assets of up to US$681 million, whether in Malaysia or abroad, in his own name or not, and solely or jointly owned by other defendants.
Plaintiffs 1MDB, 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited, 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited and Global Diversified filed a suit against Najib, Terrence Geh Choh Heng (former 1MDB financial director), Jasmine Loo Ai Swan (former 1MDB counsel), Casey Tang Keng Chee (former 1MDB executive director), Vincent Beng, Radhi Mohamad (former 1MDB chief operating officer).
Kelvin Tan Kay Jim (former 1MDB investment director) and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (former SRC International CEO) are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.


Controversial highway project set to go ahead despite growing protests?

A controversial highway project seen as a revival of a project axed following protests from residents in Petaling Jaya is set to go ahead, MalaysiaNow has learnt.It is understood that the Malaysian Highway Authority will convene for two days next week to discuss a proposal on the privatisation of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link), a 34km highway seen as a minor variation from the controversial Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) that was cancelled in 2015 amid strong public opposition.Pressure has been growing on the Selangor government to prevent the construction of the highway, although Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari is seen as supportive of the project.The PJD Link is a four-lane dual expressway to commence after the NKVE toll plaza on the Sprint Highway, ending at Bukit Jalil Highway Interchange.It will link Petaling Jaya North, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, the Petaling Jaya city centre, Taman Dato Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.Critics say the routes are almost identical to those of the Kidex project cancelled by Mohamed Azmin Ali in February 2015, some five months after he replaced Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the state menteri besar.Kidex was planned as a 26km highway, starting from the NKVE toll and ending at Bandar Kinrara Section 2.The state government said then that Kidex, which would have taken over land and properties, violated Petaling Jaya’s local draft plan.Critics now question the inclusion of the PJD Link in the Selangor Structural Plan 2035.“The state government has taken the rakyat for a ride. Multiple articles have debunked PJD Link’s claims,” said a petition to oppose the project posted on Change.org.It said going by the Kidex project, some 3,700 houses will be affected.“Why are our local council reps and politicians silent on this?” it asked.


UK PM Johnson vows to ‘get on with the job’ after surviving confidence vote

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will seek to shore up his position on Tuesday by setting out a raft of new policies to senior ministers after he survived a confidence vote that revealed the scale of the threat to his position.Johnson won the vote late on Monday by 211 votes to 148 – enough to avoid having to immediately resign but a larger than anticipated rebellion within his party that leaves him politically wounded and battling to win back the confidence of his colleagues and the general public.His first challenge will be to convince his most senior allies, some of whom would have likely run to replace him if he had been forced out, that he will be able to move on from questions about his leadership.Johnson’s office issued a statement saying he would use the meeting to set out his vision for the coming weeks, including new policies to reduce the cost of childcare and to help more people buy their own homes.“This is a government that delivers on what the people of this country care about most,” Johnson said in the statement.“We are on the side of hard-working British people, and we are going to get on with the job.”Lawmakers in Johnson’s party called the confidence vote after months of scandal over lockdown-breaking parties at the heart of government and criticism of his response to an inflation-fuelled surge in the cost of living.The front pages of British newspapers offered little comfort that the vote was, as Johnson described it in the aftermath on Monday, a decisive result that allows him to refocus on his political priorities.The Daily Telegraph called the result a “hollow victory”. The Sun tabloid declared “PM survives… Just”.Calling the result a “pyrrhic victory”, the Times leader column said the narrow win left Johnson’s political authority badly dented and his party even more divided.“If Mr Johnson is to avoid leading the Tories (Conservatives) to a calamitous defeat in the next election, he will need to show a degree of grip and focus that has been largely absent so far in his premiership…” it said.The rules of Johnson’s Conservative Party mean he is safe from another confidence vote for the next 12 months, but those rules could technically be changed if there is enough political will to do so.In 2018, Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May won a larger percentage of a similar confidence vote only to resign six months later.


Up to RM100,000 fine for fake news on Covid-19, emergency

Those who create, publish or disseminate fake news on Covid-19 or the proclamation of emergency could now face a fine of up to RM100,000, three years in jail or both.This is according to the new Emergency (Essential Powers) (No 2) Ordinance 2021 through a Federal Government Gazette published by the Attorney-General’s Chambers yesterday.The ordinance was promulgated by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah pursuant to Clause (2B) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.According to the gazette, “fake news” includes any news, information, data and reports, which is or are wholly or partly false relating to Covid-19 or the emergency, whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words.“Any person who, by any means, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, creates, offers, publishes, prints, distributes, circulates or disseminates any fake news or publication containing fake news commits an offence, and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.“And in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding RM1,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction,” it said.It also stated that any person who directly or indirectly provides or makes available financial assistance intending that the financial assistance be used, or knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the financial assistance will be used, in whole or in part, for the purpose of committing or facilitating the commission of an offence under this section could be liable to a fine not exceeding RM500,000, a jail term of six years, or both.In addition, the court may order those convicted of an offence to apologise to those affected by their actions. Failure to do so may result in another fine of up to RM50,000, a jail term not exceeding one year, or both.Those in control or in possession of material deemed to be fake news will have 24 hours to remove the offending publication from the time the direction is given by the police or an authorised officer.“Those who fail to do so will face a fine not exceeding RM100,000 and in the case of continuing offence, a further fine not exceeding RM3,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction,” it said.Any person affected by the publication or distribution of the fake news may make an ex parte application to the court for an order to remove such publications.It also stated that the police or authorised officer may arrest any person whom he reasonably believes has committed or is attempting to commit an offence under this ordinance.“The officer shall have all the powers in relation to enforcement, investigation and inspection.“The officer conducting a search shall be given access to computerised data whether stored in a computer or otherwise include being provided with the necessary passwords, encryption codes, decryption codes, software or hardware and any other means required to enable comprehension of the computerised data.“Any person who fails to comply with the request by the police or authorised officer commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both,” it said.It also stated that no action, suit, prosecution or any other proceeding shall be brought, instituted or maintained in any court against the government of Malaysia, or any police officer or authorised officer, in respect of any act, neglect or default done or omitted by it or him in good faith, in carrying out the provision of the ordinance.


Owner, insurers of grounded Suez ship face millions in claims

The owner and insurers of one of the world’s largest container ships currently stuck in the Suez Canal face claims of millions of dollars even if the ship is refloated quickly, industry sources said on Wednesday.The 400m, 224,000-tonne Ever Given ran aground on Tuesday morning after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust storm, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.The grounded ship threatens to disrupt global shipping for days with dozens of ships waiting at both ends of the canal.GAC, a Dubai-based marine services company, said authorities were still working to free the ship on Wednesday afternoon, and that earlier claims that the vessel was partially refloated were inaccurate.The ship’s owner, Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, and its insurers could face claims from the SCA for loss of revenue and from other ships whose passage has been disrupted, insurers and brokers said.Container ships of this size are usually insured for hull and machinery damage of US$100-140 million, insurers told Reuters. The cost of the salvage operation is also borne by the hull and machinery insurer.“It is potentially the world’s biggest ever container ship disaster without a ship going bang,” one shipping lawyer said.Martijn Schuttevaer, a spokesman for Dutch marine services company Boskalis, told Reuters its subsidiary Smit Salvage had been hired to help with the operation. A team of around 10 people is heading to Egypt.In addition, owners of the cargo onboard the ship and on other ships stuck in the canal will likely claim from the ship’s liability insurer for losses to perishable goods or missed delivery deadlines, the sources said.“If you have a constant build-up of ships, there are massive supply chain issues,” said Marcus Baker, global head of marine and cargo at insurance broker Marsh.


Rosmah to know fate in graft case on Feb 18

Rosmah Mansor will know on Feb 18 whether she will be called to enter her defence or walk free on three corruption charges relating to the solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan fixed the date after hearing submissions from senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram and lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader and Jagjit Singh representing Rosmah, who was in court today.The judge also expressed his gratitude to the prosecution and defence for their comprehensive oral submissions.“Thank you to both parties for the very well written submissions. My decision will be on Feb 18 at 2.30pm,” he said.The prosecution closed its case on Dec 11 last year after calling 23 witnesses including Rosmah’s former special officer, Rizal Mansor, former education minister Mahdzir Khalid and the ministry’s then secretary-general Madinah Mohamed. The trial began on Feb 5 last year.Rosmah is facing one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings’ former managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.Earlier, Sri Ram submitted that there was evidence from Rizal, the 21st prosecution witness (PW21), that the accused had instructed him to solicit the bribe.“The defence submitted that the accused did not solicit any money from Saidi (PW17) and the prosecution’s answer to this point is this… the charge against the accused is not that she personally solicited the bribe in question. The prosecution’s case is that she did it through PW21. That is what the charge says. The defence addressed the wrong target.“With respect, it is irrelevant that the accused did not solicit the bribe personally from Saidi,” he said, adding that Rosmah was a clever person as she had used Rizal as her agent.Sri Ram said the defence had submitted that an adverse inference should be drawn against the prosecution for failing to call the butlers, who took the bags before the money was delivered to Rosmah’s official residence in Putrajaya.“The unchallenged evidence of a businessman who was also Rizal’s friend, Ahmed Farriq Zainul Abidin (PW9), corroborates PW21’s evidence as to the delivery of the money. PW9 said that two butlers took the bags and PW21 followed them into the official residence. When PW21 emerged about 30 minutes later, he came with empty hands. PW9 and PW21 then went to Segambut.“This evidence sufficiently proves the delivery of the money to the accused’s official residence and PW21’s evidence confirms that the accused took possession of the money. The butlers, therefore, are not material witnesses and would have merely further corroboration (if corroboration is required). There was already ample corroboration to show that PW21’s evidence was true and therefore, the failure to call the butlers is of no consequence.“Hence, the invitation to draw an adverse inference in these circumstances is without merit,” he added.Sri Ram also said it had been repeatedly emphasised by the defence that RM1.5 million was not personally handed to the accused because the bags were not opened in her presence for her to see the cash.“There is no dispute that the RM1.5 million was encashed by PW17 and placed in the very bags that were delivered to the accused’s private residence. As has already been submitted, it may be proven by circumstantial evidence. Further, the exchange between PW17 and the accused confirmed that she was fully aware of the contents of the bags,” he said.Sri Ram added that the main target of the defence was Rizal who was said to have solicited the money for himself, and that when the money was delivered, he appropriated it for his use without the knowledge of the accused.However, Sri Ram submitted that it was highly improbable that Rizal would have acted of his own accord without the accused’s knowledge.Akberdin countered that the offer to give a political donation was the original idea of Saidi and his former business partner, Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, as it was meant for Najib Razak as a “gesture of gratitude” for supporting the application by Jepak Holdings, and to ensure the victory of Barisan Nasional during the 14th general election, and not for the accused.The lawyer said there was no conclusive evidence that Rosmah had solicited and directly received the money.“In fact, the butlers who carried the bags that allegedly contained money to a room were not called to give evidence by the prosecution,” he said, adding that an adverse inference in favour of Rosmah should be drawn.Rosmah’s other counsel, Jagjit, said the evidence of Rizal should be rejected as he was an accomplice together with Saidi and Rayyan Radzwill.“He was initially charged together with Rosmah but the prosecution dropped the charges against him to give evidence against the accused,” he said.Rosmah was charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project, as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets, for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, which was worth RM1.25 billion, from the education ministry through direct negotiation.


Ex-Najib aide heaps praise on Anwar as PM material, ‘national icon’

A former aide of Najib Razak has described Anwar Ibrahim as a politician with the leadership traits needed in a “healthy democracy”, fresh from the PKR leader’s failed bid to form a government through the defection of MPs.Oh Ei Sun.Oh Ei Sun, Najib’s former political secretary, also praised Anwar as inclusive and progressive which he said could bring together both liberals and conservatives.“Anwar can win both camps over. He is a charismatic, national icon,” Oh said in a commentary published by Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia.He also said he was impressed listening to Anwar who was able to “quote abundantly from important liberal thinkers of our time”.“I could not help but remark to my friend next to me that with such progressive ideals, Anwar would make a fine prime minister,” Oh said.He added that Anwar’s policies would “usher in greater communal harmony”.“Anwar has also espoused a progressive streak over his long years in politics.”Revealed: Najib, Zahid jointly wrote to palace in support of AnwarSo what if we support Anwar, says Najib in tell-all postHis comments followed a recent admission by his former boss that he had asked Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs to back Anwar’s bid to replace Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.Najib and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wrote a joint letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong expressing support for Anwar, who had earlier claimed he had the majority support of MPs to bring down the Perikatan Nasional government.Anwar however failed to furnish proof of his claim during a royal audience granted to him by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Oct 13.Oh, in his commentary, said Anwar’s fallout with former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 was due to their differences over a loan package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rescue the Malaysian economy ravaged by the Asian Financial Crisis.He further claimed that the IMF plan would have allowed “strict measures against corruption and cronyism” to make the economy “market-friendly”.


Anti-hopping law to benefit court cluster in quest to dissolve Parliament?

A provision in the much talked about anti-hopping bill is set to benefit a group of Umno leaders facing corruption charges who have been pressuring Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to call for early polls, MalaysiaNow has learnt from several MPs from the Malay party opposed to the group of politicians known as the court cluster.The bill, aside from causing elected representatives to lose their seats if they switch party loyalties after being elected, could see those sacked from their parties losing their seats as well, even if the sackings were wrongful, unfair or done under controversial circumstances.This is because a separate law gives political parties a blanket right when it comes to the expulsion of members.Under the Societies Act 1966, any decision by a political party relating to its affairs cannot be challenged in court.This means that sacked MPs who may have spoken out against party policies will lose their seats without any legal recourse.“So, read together with the anti-hopping bill, this is almost a godsend for the court cluster group in Umno, which everyone knows is in authority and has control over the party’s disciplinary process,” an Umno MP who declined to be identified told MalaysiaNow.The court cluster, a euphemism for a group of former government leaders and MPs facing criminal charges, is led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak.Late last year, Najib lost his appeal to overturn his corruption conviction over RM42 million in his personal accounts. He is currently awaiting his final bid at the Federal Court to avoid his 12-year jail term.Meanwhile, the corruption trial of Zahid, who has been told to enter his defence for 47 charges involving millions of ringgit from a charity foundation, is due to start late this month.Last month, Najib and Zahid led a campaign at the party’s general assembly to have the election called earlier, hoping that its recent victories in the Melaka and Johor state elections could be replicated at the national level, restoring the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government which was toppled in 2018.Observers agree that a general apathy among voters in the post-pandemic era had contributed to some of the lowest voter turnouts in Malaysian electoral history, allowing Umno to cash in on its hardcore supporters and return to power.Many have also linked Najib and Zahid’s fervour for elections to a strategy to escape their criminal charges through the restoration of the federal power enjoyed by Umno before the 14th general election.But the pair face stiff resistance not only from Ismail, whose support for the top post also depends on Umno’s nemesis Perikatan Nasional (PN), but from Umno and BN Cabinet members opposed to the court cluster as well.“If this anti-hopping bill becomes a law and is gazetted, Zahid and Najib could kill two birds with one stone: first, cleansing the party of these anti-court cluster MPs and ministers, and as a result of that, causing Ismail’s government to fall due to these MPs losing their status,” said a source close to Johor Umno.Zahid’s support for the anti-hopping law is uncharacteristic of Umno’s stand over the past few decades, when the party had attracted opposition representatives into its fold to boost its numbers.In the 1990s, the absence of an anti-hopping law favoured Umno in its bid to bring down the PAS-led Kelantan government. The same occurred in 2009 when it engineered the fall of the DAP-led Perak administration.While full details of the proposed anti-hopping law have yet to emerge, Zahid has been among its biggest supporters, alongside several leaders from PKR.When asked whether the bill took into account the wide powers given to political parties under the Societies Act, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar avoided giving details.“We are still in the process of drafting the bill and I am not going to discuss it in public yet,” he told MalaysiaNow.On April 7, Wan Junaidi, who is the co-chair of a steering committee on the government’s MoU with PH, said plans for the anti-hopping law were still on, with an early draft of the act to be distributed before the April 11 parliamentary sitting.He said amendments would also be tabled to introduce an enabling clause under Article 10 of the constitution, for a new act that would bar MPs from switching camps. The amendments, however, would need a two-thirds majority support from MPs.Unstable parties could destablise government?Apart from benefitting Umno leaders eager for early polls, questions have also been raised about whether the anti-hopping law in its present draft would be abused by political parties with a long history of turmoil.“It will be much easier to change government leaders only because a political party wants it so.“And there will be no more need for all the political manoeuvring that we witnessed some time back in Kajang,” said one PKR insider, referring to the 2014 Kajang Move, a failed bid by Anwar Ibrahim to instal his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the Selangor menteri besar by forcing a by-election in the Kajang state constituency.The plan drew stiff resistance from PAS, then part of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Selangor.A power vacuum ensued following the resignation of then MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, with the Selangor ruler refusing Wan Azizah’s nomination.The PKR source said the anti-hopping law’s inclusion of sacking within the scope of party hopping would make it easier to oust government leaders who are not in sync with the party’s top brass.“And when seen in the context of an unstable and ever bickering political party such as PKR, it means by-elections will be held more often, whenever an elected representive is expelled,” it added.When contacted by MalaysiaNow, a spokesman from the Election Commission said such a scenario was possible, adding however that it was too early to comment.“It (the anti-hopping bill) has not yet been tabled. So we have no idea about its contents. It’s not even tabled and far from being gazetted,” he added.


Najib to leave for Singapore a day after Melaka polls

The High Court judges presiding over Najib Razak’s court cases today allowed the former prime minister’s application to amend the dates for the temporary release of his passport, which would allow him to travel to Singapore after the Melaka state election on Nov 20.Judges Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Muhammad Jamil Hussin granted the application as there was no objection from the prosecution.Najib originally applied for the release of his passport from Oct 20 to Nov 22, to visit his daughter Nooryana Najwa who was expecting her second child.However he later asked for an amendment to the dates, to Oct 25 and Dec 6, saying he is needed to help the Umno election machinery in the Melaka polls.According to The Malaysian Insight, he will now depart for Singapore the day after the polls and return on Dec 5.Najib was convicted in July last year of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.The case is currently under appeal at the Court of Appeal.He is also being tried for using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.


Daily US Covid cases below 40,000 for first time in months

The US recorded fewer than 40,000 new cases of Covid-19 in one day for the first time in five months on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University pandemic tracker.This number peaked at nearly 300,000 new cases on Jan 8 in the country hardest hit by the pandemic, with more than half a million fatalities.But now it is back down to the levels of before Thanksgiving and Christmas, when holiday travel and gatherings in defiance of safety warnings were blamed for spreading the virus further in the US.Another encouraging sign as the US presses on with its vaccination drive is that daily deaths and hospitalisations from Covid are also way down.Three vaccines are currently being administered in the country and the Biden administration says the campaign to jab 100 million people in his first 100 days in office is ahead of schedule.The number of people vaccinated is now close to surpassing the number of cases detected in the US since the global pandemic began a year ago.But amid the stream of good news, some states are lifting Covid restrictions such as mask wearing mandates.Biden has called such steps premature and dangerous.


Najib seeks Federal Court hearing of appeal on fresh evidence in SRC case

Former prime minister Najib Razak is seeking for the Federal Court to first hear his appeal to adduce new evidence in his RM42 million SRC International case.Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who confirmed the matter said this was because the outcome of the fresh evidence may have a critical bearing on Najib’s main appeal to quash his conviction and 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine.Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Andrin Kamarul also confirmed the matter while adding that the Federal Court has set Jan 24 for further case management of the main appeal.He said Federal Court registrar Siti Hajar Mustaffa fixed the date during online proceedings today.On Dec 7 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s application to adduce fresh evidence in his appeal against the RM42 million SRC International case.The next day, the same court upheld the conviction and 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine on Najib for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member bench comprising justices Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, dismissed Najib’s appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on July 28, 2020.Najib, 69, filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court that same day.


Beware of China using trade as a weapon, ex-Aussie PM warns UK businesses, universities

British universities have been warned against “selling your soul” to China as Beijing embarks on a “new Cold War” which weaponises trade.UK government trade adviser Tony Abbott also urged British businesses to minimise the use of Chinese products in key supply chains in case “they are denied just when they are needed the most”.Abbott said he had a “hell of a wake-up call” after signing a trade deal with China when he was Australian prime minister in 2014, warning that Beijing “sees trade as a strategic weapon to be turned on and off like a tap to reward friends and to punish foes”.He said deals such as the Chinese firm Nexperia’s current attempted takeover of the UK’s largest computer chip plant, Newport Wafer Fab, “would not go ahead if it were happening in Australia”.That takeover is now being reviewed by Boris Johnson’s national security adviser Stephen Lovegrove, and Abbott urged the UK to be much more careful about becoming dependent on China through such deals.“It would be most unwise to sell technology businesses to Chinese interests,” he told a policy exchange event on Tuesday.“China is asserting itself aggressively in what is at best a Cold Peace and more likely a new Cold War, only we are facing a strategic competitor that’s far more formidable than the old Soviet Union ever was because it’s been increasingly embedded inside the global economy, and can bring economic as well as military pressure to bear against its targets.”Abbott, who sits on the UK Board of Trade, said that as well as governments guarding against Chinese economic power, “It should be every business’s concern to minimise the critical place that Chinese intermediate goods might have in our supply chains.”Regarding the growing influence of Beijing in British universities, he acknowledged that university vice-chancellors are right to want to raise cash but not if it involves “selling your soul and corrupting your overall purpose”.He said UK universities should still admit Chinese students but that they “should be careful that this is not an intellectual one-way street where they walk away with all sorts of technical knowledge that they wouldn’t otherwise have”.He accused businesses and universities of being naive and greedy.“Whether you are running a business or a university you have to have a conception of your duty as a citizen as well as your obligation as a stakeholder in that particular business entity,” he said.“And this is where we need character not just in our national leaders but in all our leaders. We need people with the character to say no, to put the long-term interests of the country ahead of what might be their short-term economic self interest.”Asked about the Newport Wafer Fab takeover, he said: “In Australia we have this thing called the foreign investment review board which has a pretty wide remit to examine all significant foreign investments from a national interest perspective.“Pretty clearly the sort of purchase that is currently contemplated here in Britain would not go ahead were it happening in Australia.“But I also think now that the PM’s national security adviser is looking at it here, obviously Britain is moving in a comparable direction.”


Agong can allow Parliament to convene during emergency, says palace

The palace today refuted the notion that the declaration of emergency bars Parliament from convening, saying the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can allow Parliament to convene at a suitable date during the state of emergency on the advice of the prime minister.It said this is provided for in sub-paragraph 14(1)(b) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 which states that Parliament is called, discontinued and dissolved at such times considered suitable by the Agong on the advice of the prime minister.“Therefore, the response of some that the proclamation of emergency stops Parliament from convening is not correct,” it said in a statement by Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.It said Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had consented to an audience with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun at the palace today.“At the audience, His Majesty stressed that for Malaysia as a country that practises a democratic system based on the supremacy of the constitution, every branch of government whether the executive, the judiciary or Parliament must always hold fast to that principle.“In connection with that, the Agong put forth his view that Parliament can convene during the emergency period at a date considered suitable by His Majesty on the advice of the prime minister.”The state of emergency, which is expected to continue until August, was implemented in mid-January under Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said then that the civilian government would continue to function with no interruption to either economic activities or the judicial system.“The judiciary will continue to be the beacon of justice in our country and I will never interfere in the business of the courts,” he said.The palace today said that the move to declare a state of emergency was a proactive step to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has so far claimed more than 1,000 lives in the country.It also conveyed the king’s appreciation to the government, in particular the ministries of health and science, technology and innovation as well as the relevant agencies, for their efforts to bring about the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.“His Majesty expresses his thanks to the frontline heroes for the sacrifices they have made without considering time or effort in the fight against Covid-19.”


Shanghai’s Minhang district announces new lockdown

The sprawling district of Minhang in central Shanghai has implemented new lockdown measures to detect and control Covid-19 transmission risks, the district government said on Thursday.The district, home to more than 2 million people, will conduct nucleic acid tests for all of its residents on June 11, and restrictions will be lifted once the testing is completed, the government said on its WeChat account.Shanghai reported four new confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, all in zones already under quarantine. None of the new cases were in Minhang district.Shanghai emerged from a strict two-month lockdown last week, though some residential compounds have been sealed off again as authorities continue to pursue a “dynamic zero-Covid” policy aimed at shutting down transmission chains as soon as possible.


No pressure in decision to maintain OPR, says Fahmi

The decision to maintain the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 3.0% was made without pressure from the government or any party, says Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said it was based on several factors including the country’s good economic growth, the inflation rate which showed a declining trend, as well as almost full employment rate.
"In addition, the country is in a highly competitive state, the second best after Singapore in the Southeast Asian region.
"So when we look at Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) statement, these are among the factors that made the monetary policy committee (MPC) maintain the OPR," he told reporters in Seremban yesterday.
The MPC had earlier decided to keep the OPR at 3.00%, in line with the global economic development and the inflation rate in Malaysia which showed a declining trend.
The finance ministry said although the global economic outlook was affected by the risk of global growth slowing down, the government was confident that the Malaysian economy would continue to grow in 2023.
Meanwhile, Fahmi who is the government spokesman, said the ministry was always in touch with the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM), to be more proactive in engaging the public to explain the impact of any decision involving the OPR.
"I have asked ABM and AIBIM to provide a proper explanation if the people face problems, for example, as a result of the increase in OPR... we have just come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and I believe the banks understand.
"During the previous moratorium period and then post-pandemic, there were still many who were affected economically and, of course, the banks are ready to help. We also welcome the banks' proactive efforts to help the people," he added.


9 trapped Chinese miners confirmed dead, one still missing

Nine more Chinese miners trapped underground for over two weeks have been confirmed dead, local government officials said Monday, leaving one unaccounted for after a blast at the site.A group of 22 were trapped hundreds of metres underground by an explosion at the Hushan mine in eastern Shandong province on Jan 10, with some relying on food and medicine delivered through long shafts drilled by rescue teams.Eleven survivors were finally brought to the surface on Sunday in a major breakthrough for a rescue operation that has captivated the nation.“From Sunday afternoon to this afternoon, rescue workers have not stopped searching, and found a further nine trapped miners who unfortunately all died,” the mayor of Yantai city, Chen Fei, said at a briefing Monday.“Along with one miner who died on Thursday, the bodies of the nine deceased miners were all lifted out of the mine.”Rescue teams will not stop searching until the last remaining miner is found, Chen said, adding that high underground water levels in a section of the mine had complicated rescue operations.The initial explosion occurred in the mine’s ventilator shaft, causing a blockage that damaged the cable car.Chen said that all nine miners had been killed by the impact of a secondary explosion in the mine on Jan 10 as they were trying to escape, judging from their positions.Rescue operations sped up dramatically on Sunday as a blockage in the ventilator shaft was cleared.Contact was first established a week ago with a group of 11 miners trapped in a section of the mine around 580m (1,900 feet) below the surface.One of them was seriously injured in the initial explosion and died after falling into a coma.Another miner was found alive by rescuers as they attempted to reach the group.Mining accidents are common in China’s dangerous and poorly regulated sector.


Nazri named US ambassador in U-turn on policy against politicians in diplomatic roles

Former Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz has been named the new Malaysian ambassador to the US, becoming the only politician out of several newly appointed heads of diplomatic missions abroad announced by Wisma Putra today.
Nazri, who did not contest the last general election, had been considered for an ambassador's post for the last two years, although talk that he would be sent to a European capital did not materialise.
The decision to give Nazri the post is seen as a reversal of the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) government's pledge to appoint only diplomats to represent the country's foreign missions abroad.
Other new ambassadors presented with letters of credence were former ambassador to the UAE, Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin (Indonesia); former Malaysian ambassador to Italy, Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino Anthony (Philippines); former ambassador to Uzbekistan Hendy Assan (Vatican City); former consul-general in Australia Hafizah Abdullah (Sweden); former high commissioner to Nigeria Gloria Corina Peter Tiwet (Brazil); as well as diplomats Ruzaimi Mohamad (Kenya), Suzilah Mohd Sidek (Czech Republic), Amarjit Singh Sarjit Singh (Timor-Leste) and ‘Alauddin Mohd Nor (Kuwait).
The appointment of Syed Hasrin fills the diplomatic void in Jakarta, considered one of Malaysia’s most important overseas missions.
The post was last filled by a politician ambassador under the Najib Razak administration, Zahrain Mohd Hashim, who defected from PKR.
Zahrain was terminated by the PH government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2018, and replaced with diplomat Zainal Abidin Bakar, fulfilling the coalition's promise to the diplomatic community to end the practice of appointing politicians to head Malaysian foreign missions.
Last year, the government was said to have revoked the appointment of former Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as ambassador to Indonesia.
Tajuddin's appointment was reported not long after he fell out with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
But the move was condemned by the diplomatic community, who criticised the then government for reversing its policy of only appointing diplomats to such posts.
Nazri himself previously criticised the policy barring politicians from being posted as ambassadors overseas, saying it was more harmful to appoint politicians to positions in government-linked companies.
"But you know, PH was playing to the gallery. So this became a low hanging fruit, and they came up with a charter that diplomats should not be chosen from among MPs," Nazri told MalaysiaNow’s talk show programme Talk, Now in 2021.