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Samsung had recently announced the global launch of its Odyssey G7 gaming monitor, which wasinitially unveiledalongside the G9 model back in January. The G7 curved monitor is expected to arrive in stores across the globe sometime this month.
The company touts that the device will be the first 1000R gaming monitor, featuring a curvature radius of 1,000mm. It will be equipped with a QLED display with Wide Quad-High Definition (WQHD) at 2,560×1,440 resolution, an aspect ratio of 16:9, Quantum dot technology, and a 1ms response time with 240Hz refresh rate.
The Odyssey G7 sports a matte black exterior with a colour-changing rear core lightning system which can be customised based on the preferences of the user. Other than that, the monitor also supports NVIDIA G-SYNC and Adaptive Sync on DP1.4, and is also TÜV Rheinland certified. As previously reported, the G7 will arrive in two sizes: 27-inch and 32-inch.
Samsung Malaysia has confirmed with us that the Odyssey G7 will be released locally sometime soon. However, its launch date and pricing are yet to be revealed by the company.
Intel’s desktop graphics card, dubbed the Xe, is still miles away from having an exact launch date. That said, a recent finding on UL’s 3DMark benchmark database seems to point at a card with graphics prowess hovering within the entry-level prerequisite.
The discovery was made by the popular Thailand-based hardware performance seeker, APISAK (@TUM_APISAK), with the benchmark focused on the Fire Strike test. To be clear, APISAK simply mentioned the number 5960 and was initially ambiguous about its context. Then, after some back forth with the popular leakster site, Videocardz, APISAK somewhat came clean and said that it was score in reference to DG1. The GPU architecture that is being used in Xe.
Naturally, because the card isn’t out on the market yet, the benchmark simply lists the card as a Generic VGA, with the memory, core clock and memory bus all lists with the number zero. As for the number APISAK initially posted, that’s obviously the Fire Strike score of the alleged Xe. In comparison with other cards in the market, it’s an average score that is closer to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, which is more or less in the same region.
The performance metrics are a bit disappointing, especially since the new more recent entry-level are significantly more powerful; the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super on the same Fire Strike test has an average score of 13631. While a Radeon RX 5600 XT has a score of 17181.
Suffice to say, nothing is set in stone at this point in time, meaning that it’s possible that Intel could make further tweaks to the performance of its first discrete GPU. On that note, we’ll just have to adopt a “wait and see” stance until then.
Police move toward demonstrators gathered outside the White House. – AFP photo
Police fired tear gas outside the White House late Sunday as major US cities were put under curfew to suppress rioting as anti-racism protestors again took to the streets to voice fury at police brutality.
With the Trump administration branding instigators of six nights of rioting as domestic terrorists, there were more confrontations between protestors and police and fresh outbreaks of looting.
Violent clashes erupted repeatedly in a small park next to the White House, with authorities using tear gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades to disperse crowds who lit several large fires and damaged property.
Local US leaders appealed to citizens to give constructive outlet to their rage over the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, while night-time curfews were imposed in cities including Washington, Los Angeles and Houston.
One closely watched protest was outside the state capitol in Minneapolis’ twin city of St. Paul, where several thousand people gathered before marching down a highway.
“We have black sons, black brothers, black friends, we don’t want them to die. We are tired of this happening, this generation is not having it, we are tired of oppression,” said Muna Abdi, a 31-year-old black woman who joined the protest.
“I want to make sure he stays alive,” she added in reference to her son, aged three.
Hundreds of police and National Guard troops were deployed ahead of the protest.
At one point, some of the protestors who had reached a bridge were forced to scramble for cover when a truck drove at speed after having apparently breached a barricade.
The driver was later taken to hospital after the protestors hauled him from the vehicle, although there were no immediate reports of other casualties.
There were other large-scale protests in cities including New York and Miami.
Washington’s mayor ordered a curfew from 11:00 pm until 6:00 am, as a report in the New York Times said that President Donald Trump had been rushed by Secret Service agents into an underground bunker at the White House on Friday night during an earlier protest.
– Stores ransacked –
Large-scale violence has rocked many US cities in recent days, and looters ransacked stores in a neighborhood of Philadelphia on Sunday.
In the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica, looting was reported at stores in a popular beachside shopping center.
Officials in LA — a city scarred by the 1992 riots over the police beating of Rodney King, an African-American man — imposed a curfew from 4:00 pm Sunday until dawn.
“Please, use your discretion and go early, go home, stay home and help us make sure that those who want to change this conversation from being about racial justice to be about burning things and looting things, don’t win the day,” the city’s mayor Eric Garcetti said on CNN.
The shocking videotaped death last Monday of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis ignited the nationwide wave of outrage over law enforcement’s repeated use of lethal force against unarmed African Americans.
Floyd stopped breathing after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and is due to make his first appearance in court on Monday. Three other officers with him have been fired but for now face no charges.
Governor Tim Walz has mobilized all of Minnesota’s National Guard troops — the state guard’s biggest mobilization ever — to help restore order.
Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to clear streets of curfew violators Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Walz extended a curfew for a third night Sunday and praised police and guardsmen for holding down violence. “They did so in a professional manner. They did so without a single loss of life and minimal property damage,” he said.
“Congratulations to our National Guard for the great job they did immediately upon arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last night,” President Donald Trump tweeted, adding that they “should be used in other States before it is too late!”
The Department of Defense said that around 5,000 National Guard troops had been mobilized in 15 states as well as the capital Washington, with another 2,000 on standby.
The widespread resort to uniformed National Guards units is rare, and it evoked disturbing memories of the rioting in US cities in 1967 and 1968 in a turbulent time of protest over racial and economic disparities.
Trump blamed the extreme left for the violence, saying he planned to designate a group known as Antifa as a terrorist organization.
“The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” added Attorney General Bill Barr.
– ‘A nation in pain’ –
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Trump, who has often urged police to use tough tactics, was not helping matters.
“We are beyond a tipping point in this country, and his rhetoric only enflames that,” she said on CBS.
Joe Biden, Trump’s likely Democratic opponent in November’s presidential election, visited the scene of one anti-racism protest.
“We are a nation in pain right now, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us,” Biden tweeted, posting a picture of him speaking with an African-American family at the site where protesters had gathered in Delaware late Saturday.
Floyd’s death has triggered protests beyond the United States, with hundreds rallying outside the US embassy in London in solidarity.
“I’m here because I’m tired, I’m fed up with it. When does this stop?” Doreen Pierre told AFP at the protest.
In Germany, England football international Jadon Sancho marked one of his three goals for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn by lifting his jersey to reveal a T-shirt bearing the words “Justice for George Floyd”. – AFP
KUCHING: MASwings has clarified that flight MH3226 from Miri to Labuan late yesterday afternoon returned to base in Miri due to a technical issue on board.
In a statement yesterday, MASwings said the decision made by the operating crew was of precautionary action and in the interest of safety, based on standard operating procedure.
“No emergency call was made as claimed,” said MASwings in the statement.
The statement was issued after a MASwings flight was reported to have been forced to make an emergency landing at Miri Airport yesterday after smoke was detected in the cabin not long after take-off.
Upon landing at Miri Airport, all 25 passengers and four operating crew on board safely disembarked, said MASwings.
“The aircraft is currently being grounded for further checks. Safety is of utmost importance to the airline and we regret any inconvenience caused to our passengers,” the statement concluded.
KOTA KINABALU: There are only 12 Covid-19 cases being treated in six specialist hospitals in Sabah as of yesterday, said State Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
She said these cases are part of the 346 Covid-19 recorded in Sabah, while 329 cases had recovered and five died.
Dr Christina said although there were no new cases reported in the state for two consecutive days, the State Health Department (JKNS) reminded the public that although the number of Covid-19 cases was dropping, it did not mean that the outbreak had ended.
“The JKNS urges the public to continue practising the new normal, regardless if they are at home, in the shops or anywhere else. With only one case, if we are complacent and are not serious about this, it is not impossible that Covid-19 will spread again,” she said in a statement here today.
In a separate development, Dr Christina said Covid=19 infection could cause worse complications among smokers compared to non-smokers.
As such, she said, the JKNS hoped that the Covid-19 outbreak will create an awareness among smokers to stop the habit for the sake of their own health and that of their families.
She said the JKNS provided ‘Quit Smoking’ clinics in 23 government hospitals and 58 health clinics throughout the state.
Dr Christina also advised the public, especially the younger generation not to be fooled and exploited by the tobacco industry which used all sorts of tactics to influence them into smoking.
She said studies of smoking cigarettes and electronic cigarettes among Malaysian youths showed that many started the habit while still in school.
This trend was very worrying, and must be curbed, she said. – Bernama
Tech giant Microsoft is looking to lay off editorial workers at its Microsoft News and MSN services. This is part of the company’s move towards artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of news curation. As a result, about 50 people in the US, and around 27 people in the UK, will be let go .
These editorial staff are part of the company’s SANE (search, ads, News, Edge) division. They are tasked to pick up news storues to be displayed on the Microsoft News app, the MSN website, and the Edge browser. The company also says that the layoffs are not the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A company spokesperson said that the layoffs are a part of its regular business evaluation. “This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, re-deployment in others”.
When Microsoft News was first launched, the company said it had “more than 800 editors working from 50 locations around the world”. Granted, the number of staff shed this time around is small in comparison. But it still sends the message that AIs can do the jobs of editors.
Maybe it’s only a matter of time before machines can write the stories themselves too. Hopefully it at least turns out better than the company’s previous AI.
One of them is the Galaxy A21s which was originally scheduled for release in the UK later this month. Not only that Malaysia is receiving the Samsung Exynos 850-based phone much earlier, but our variant also carried more RAM and storage space at 6GB and 64GB respectively.
The Galaxy A21s also features a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-O TFT display, 48MP quad-camera module, 20MP selfie camera, and 5000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging. Pricewise, the phone goes for RM 939 according to DirectD which is remarkably close to the price in the UK.
Meanwhile, DirectD has also listed another new Galaxy A phone which a lower-end model called the Galaxy A11. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, the phone is also equipped with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.
Comes standard with a 6.4-inch HD+ PLS TFT display, the Galaxy A11 also features 13MP tri-camera setup, 8MP selfie camera, and 4000mAh battery. The phone is currently listed on DirectD storefront for RM 599 and just like the Galaxy A21s, expect it to be available in more stores very soon.
Back in March, Google announced that it will cancel its annual I/O physical event. The company was expected to reveal Android 11, as well as possibly the Google Pixel 4a during the event. An online event was planned for 3 June to replace it, but it looks like even that has been postponed.
The company made the announcement via its Android Developers Twitter account. But the tweet didn’t provide a new date for the event. It merely says that Google will provide more updates on Android 11 “soon”. The tweet also notes that “now is not the time to celebrate”, without explaining what it’s referring to.
We are excited to tell you more about Android 11, but now is not the time to celebrate. We are postponing the June 3rd event and beta release. We'll be back with more on Android 11, soon.
Previously, Jon Prosser claimed in a tweet that the Google Pixel 4a will be revealed on 13 July instead. It’s possible that this will also be the date when the company announces details on Android 11. But until the internet search giant makes an official announcement, it’s hard to say for sure if this is really the case.
KOTA KINABALU: The criticisms on the forum to find solutions to the issue of illegal immigrants (PTIs) in Sabah should not to be construed as protecting the PTIs but rather to point out that it is redundant, time-wasting and inefficient, said Pantau Penampang chairperson Jo Nandu.
It was a basic principle that unless such forum or engagement with the stakeholders had been tabled and approved during the Federal cabinet meeting, then it was useless, he opined. ”
What guarantee can Dr Jeffrey, who is a fringe player in the eyes of his Pakatan Nasional (PN) bosses, can give that what Sabahans have said during the forum will be taken into consideration by the Federal government,” he said.
Nandu was commenting on STAR Sabah president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s statement that a forum would be held to seek solutions to the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah at a point this year once the Covid-19 situation had improved.
The Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said this forum was aimed at engaging stakeholders and the public to gather feedback and find solutions to resolve the problem of illegal immigrants, particularly in Sabah. Dr Jeffrey said the time had come for concerted efforts by all stakeholders and connected parties to sit down and work out a holistic long-term plan to deal with illegal immigrants and undocumented persons in Malaysia.
He added now that STAR Sabah is in the Federal Government, it is appropriate that they initiate a forum to find the way forward for an all-encompassing solution for this issue in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah.
Nandu in a statement however questioned if Dr Jeffrey had discussed the matter (forum) with other KDM PN leaders who hold senior position in the Federal cabinet beforehand and asked them to table the same to the Prime Minister for deliberation during the cabinet meeting.
“Or is it a one-man show by Dr Jeffrey? In fact, the forum should be initiated by a Sabah PN leader who holds senior position in the Federal cabinet since it will be easier for that person to discuss with Prime Minister about it,” he claimed.
Nandu alleged that politically, Dr Jeffrey had lost all his credential when he betrayed the wish and hopes of Sabahans who for years yearned for the end of the corrupt and ineffective BN regime when he decided to switch sides right after the GE14.
“It is a known fact that he and the Bingkor Assemblyman can opt to continue to stand by their principle and continue fighting for Sabah’s rights honorably by becoming independent assemblymen and to let BN and Warisan PH Sabah to slug it out between themselves on 27-27 deadlock.
“This is more so when Musa (Aman) had in a few occasions humiliated Dr Jeffrey, a KDM leader from the interior who tried to raise the issues on Sabah’s rights at DUN. So it is truly despicable and ungentlemanly for Dr Jeffrey to continue blaming Warisan and more so Upko for his accusation that the State Government is invalid when he himself gambled in such maneuvering by supporting Musa but lost and once again this year when Azmin and the gang toppled the PH government,” claimed Nandu.
But while Dr Jeffrey did not bother to honour his principle by hiding under the cliche of ‘he is doing it for Sabah’, Warisan stood tall and decided to continue to stand with PH despite the fact that Tan Sri Muhyiddin did invite Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to join the PN block, Nandu alleged.
“So will any political leaders either from PN, PH or even Sabah based political party will still trust his politics? Or even the young KDM voters who now can see that Dr Jeffrey is nothing more than a politician who only wants to ensure his political survival and relevance?
“His political cliche of ‘he is doing it for Sabah’ bears no more weight because with regards to the PTIs, we would expect him to table a recommendation or proposal to PM or the Federal Cabinet in view that he is the ‘sole expert’ on the matter.”
Nandu called attention to Zainnal Ajaiman who was very passionate about MA63 and made countless researches and organized talks on the issue all over Sabah and even wrote two books about it.
“Did Zainnal call for another forum in Sabah on MA63 right after the Cabinet Committee on MA63 was formed and he being appointed to be sit in? No! What he did was he acted appropriately and got down to business in the committee because he now has the access and privileges that he needed previously and would not be bothered anymore to hold forum or whatsoever. He acted decisively, authoritatively and with accountability,” Nandu pointed out.
“But how about Dr Jeffrey? Despite having all the access and privilege, the best he could do is to initiate a forum when we expect a show of tabling of his own recommendation or proposal the way Upko did previously.
”Hence Terrence is correct when he said that Dr Jeffrey is no more than a fringe player, whose presence is actually negligible, in the eyes of his PN bosses,” he said.
KOTA KINABALU: The decreasing number of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases reported does not imply that the pandemic has come to an end, said State Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
“We should see this situation as the effect of the people practising new norms.
“If the people stop practising new norms, the Covid-19 infections will certainly spread again,” she said.
Dr Rundi cautioned that the virus remained present in the community as sporadic cases were still being reported by the Health Department.
As such, she urged the public to adopt the new norms as their new lifestyle practices.
“The people may find it difficult to adjust to the new norms at first, but we will get used to it eventually,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
On the other hand, she said 13 premises in Sandakan and Lahad Datu had been ordered to shut down for violating the social distancing rule and standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
The premises included one telecommunication outlet in Sandakan; four mini markets, three food and beverage (F&B) stalls, two restaurants, two departmental stores and one sundry shop in Lahad Datu.
The shops were among the 894 premises inspected by the Inspectorate and Legislative unit of the Sabah Health Department together with other agencies in an integrated operation on May 29.
Dr Rundi urged business operators and the public to abide by the SOP in effort to break the chain of Covid-19 infection not only among their employees, but also within the community.
On a separate note, she said a warning letter had been issued to an individual in Tuaran for violating the home quarantine order.
She said individuals who had been instructed to undergo home quarantine should comply with the order.
SANDAKAN: President of Sandakan Tourism Association, Teo Chee Kim, said urgent actions by the government was needed to prevent further collapse of the tourism industry amid the current Covid-19 pandemic.
“Tourism industry revival efforts begin with domestic tourism. Hence, our association welcomes all efforts by the Federal Government to revive the tourism industry,” he said.
Teo was responding to Federal Deputy Tourism, Art and Culture Minister Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, who said earlier this week that the Federal Government was doing what it could to assist the industry in Sabah as well as other parts of Malaysia.
“Without doubt, our tourism industry is the hardest hit sector during this crisis. It started back in late January this year, way before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was imposed in the country. As we can see around us in Sabah and Sandakan, souvenir shops, café, restaurants and even hotels are closing due to the impact of the pandemic.
“For an industry that brings in billions of revenue annually and provides millions of jobs, I think the industry merits every bit of immediate government intervention to keep it alive,” he added.
While agreeing with the deputy minister that tourism activities would be resumed in stages, Teo highlighted that the key to our tourism recovery had to begin with domestic tourism.
“With nearly all countries around the world having their borders closed for now, it will take some time before international travel can resume. Domestic tourism will be the key to cushion the collapse of the international tourist arrival in the next one to two years.
“Therefore, it is imperative that the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture in collaboration with Ministry of Health as well as relevant local authorities, draw up a blueprint to enable domestic tourism to flourish without compromising the health and safety of the locals.
“There is no point talking about domestic tourism if West Malaysians are not allowed to enter Sabah or anyone coming in from outside the district of Sandakan needs to undergo 14 days quarantine upon arrival here. The government needs to establish a workable ‘air bridge”’ between East and West Malaysia where people can travel freely between states without undermining efforts in combating the Covid-19 pandemic,” Teo said.
In addition, he said the Sandakan Tourism Association would also like to suggest that the government consider providing travel vouchers to all frontliners as a gesture of appreciation as well as to spur the recovery of the tourism industry.
“We need to refocus on our Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign with greater urgency and vigour. We need to entice and invite Malaysians to explore and discover our own backyard, not only to appreciate the beauty of our own country, but also to provide a beacon of light along the path of a long and winding road to tourism revival for the country,” he explained.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has reaffirmed its full support to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the party’s president.
Its chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, said Sabah Bersatu remained firm with its stand to fully support the leadership of Muhyiddin as the eighth Prime Minister and in leading the party amid the current political turmoil in the country.
He said this support is also in accordance to the voices of majority of the Bersatu Supreme Leadership Council (MPT) which held a meeting on February 23, 2020 for Bersatu to withdraw from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“It is obvious that Tan Sri Muhyiddin has made the right move, because it was based on the voices of majority of the Bersatu MPT,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Hajiji, who is also Sulaman State Assemblyman, said Sabah Bersatu’s stand is clear and based on the wishes of the majority of the MPT members.
“Sabah Bersatu also wants Tan Sri Muhyiddin to be given the opportunity and trust to lead the nation, and to continue striving to manage and stabilise the government as well as unite the people of this country.
“The people and the country also need Tan Sri Muhyiddin and his Cabinet team to manage the country in facing the threat of Covid-19 pandemic and the great challenges related to the economy and unity among the people.
“Sabah Bersatu also hopes that Tan Sri Muhyiddin and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will use their wisdom in finding a consensus and resolve the
political crisis for the sake of the interests of the country and the people,” he stressed.
KUCHING: The Ministry of Human Resources through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), will provide a subsidy to employers for Covid-19 tests conducted under the organisation’s Prihatin Screening Programme (PSP) Perkeso.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan said employers are allowed to claim a subsidy of RM150 for each of the Covid-19 screening undertaken by their workers who are Socso contributors.
“The Ministry of Human Resources, together with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Works have agreed that the scope of PSP Perkeso should be expanded by increasing the number of Covid-19 screening service providers.
“This subsidy programme will utilise the previously approved RM200 million allocation from the government,” he said in a statement today.
He said the expansion of the scope of PSP Perkeso through the Covid-19 screening subsidy will take effect from tomorrow (June 1).
“Employers can send their workers to undergo screening at any clinics or hospitals approved by the Ministry of Health.”
He also said under this subsidy programme, foreign workers in the construction and security services sectors in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will be prioritised for the Covid-19 screening.
“This is in line with the government’s recommendation to undertake targeted screening at high-risk workers to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
“For workers who are not in the target group, the cost of Covid-19 screening should be borne by the employer as a continuity to the efforts to prevent the outbreak among all workers in the country,” he said, adding that the procedure of the subsidy programme will be updated from time to time.
For more information on PSP Perkeso operations, please visit Socso’s Prihatin Portal at https://bit.ly/2XP2GEN.
KUCHING: Automated teller machines (ATMs) will be allowed to return to their normal operating hours starting June 1, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Ismail Sabri said it was made aware that ATMs had been operating limited hours, namely from 8am to 8pm, despite relaxation given to the banking sector to resume their normal activities.
The operating hours had been restricted to 8am to 8pm when the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) had been implemented.
“As such, the federal government has decided that the operating hours of ATMs can resume back to normal as stipulated by the respective bank”, said Ismail Sabri during a daily press conference at Putrajaya here today.
He was it was to provide greater convenience for the people to perform banking transactions through ATMs but he cautioned social distancing must be observed at all time.
As for exemptions for interstate travel ban effective June 1, Ismail Sabri said that it was compulsory to apply for police approvals for anyone travelling across state borders for work purpose, couples who lived apart or emergencies such as death or medical reasons.
“We are currently discussing further relaxations (for those who wants to travel across state) in our special ministerial meetings. Give us some time to discuss,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said that the Football Association Malaysia (FAM) could appeal to the National Security Council for approval on the resumption of football activities once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has ended.
He also urged members of the public to download ‘MySejahtera’ application in assisting the government’s efforts to curb the transmission of Covid-19 virus.
File photo of the vehicles moving along Jalan Tun Jugah in Kuching.
KUCHING: Traffic flow throughout Sarawak is relatively smooth on the eve of the Gawai Dayak celebration today, said Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail.
Aidi also said between 8am on May 30 to 8am today, police have also issued a total of six compounds to drivers who have failed to produce an inter-district permit.
The six are from Julau with three, Miri (one) and Sarikei (two).
“All of these six vehicles were also asked to turn back,” said Aidi when contacted today.
As of today, police have issued a total of 153 compounds and arrested a total of 29 individuals who defied the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) since May 19.
A quick check by The Borneo Post at Jalan Penrissen, where heavy volume of traffic can usually be seen on the eve of the Gawai Dayak celebration, found much less traffic volume compared to previous years.
Meanwhile, Sarawak police has received a total of 3,356 applications for the inter-district travel permit at all 28 district police headquarters today.
Since May 12, police have received a total of 91,713 applications out of which 83,583 were approved.
A total of 8,130 were however rejected due to various reasons that do not comply to the CMCO.
KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) is adamant in its stand that it will not work with any other political parties to contest in as many seats as possible in the next state election, which is due in July next year.
Its president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who gave this assurance today, dismissed recent news reports by Chinese dailies quoting him as saying that PSB would work with Democratic Action Party (DAP) in the 12th Sarawak state election.
Prior to this, PSB has made it clear that the party is local-based and independent, and will not collaborate with any other political parties in the coming polls.
“It was reported in the Chinese media today that I had said that PSB will work with DAP for the next Sarawak state election.
“I wish to clarify that is not correct. PSB is a fully independent Sarawak party with no affiliation to any other party including West Malaysian-based parties,” he said in a statement.
Wong stressed that PSB will contest in the next Sarawak state election on its own.
As of yesterday, he said the party had identified candidates for 65 state seats while there are 82 state seats in Sarawak.
“It is still open to PSB to contest (in) all 82 DUN (State Legislative Assembly) seats if we have the right candidate,” he added.
Among the state seats that PSB has announced to contest in are Opar, Tasik Biru, Balai Ringin, Marudi, Tamin, Dudong, Bawang Assan, Engkilili, Batang Ai, Lingga and Simanggang.
On March 14, PSB secretary-general George Lo said the party aimed at contesting in at least 70 seats in the next state election.
He said PSB will contest in both urban and rural constituencies and was still looking for suitable candidates for the remaining 12 state seats.
“We will disclose details later. We have no plans to work with anybody (other political parties). That’s why we contest in 70 and will find suitable candidate for the 12,” he told a press conference at the PSB headquarters here in the presence of Wong.
As the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) approaches its scheduled end date on 9 June 2020, the government has decided to loosen more rules as the country eventually returns to normalcy.
Today, senior minister Daruk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that automated teller machines (ATM) will resume regular operating hours starting tomorrow on 1 June.
“The government decided that the ATM operation hours, which previously operated from 8am till 8pm, can now operate just like before the time the Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced,” he said during the media briefing held earlier today.
Therefore, also meaning that the public are allowed use the machines around the clock as per usual. However, the defense minister added that social distancing guidelines are still in place and encouraged users to maintain practicing it for their safety.
Abang Johari and wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang wishing Sarawakians a Happy Gawai Dayak celebration.
KUCHING: Despite the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) not allowing the Gawai Dayak festivities to be celebrated as before due to a restriction on ‘ngabang’ (house-to-house visiting) and open houses, the Dayak community should be lauded for complying with the government’s directives in toning down the celebrations as the state continues the fight against Covid-19.
In his Gawai Dayak message today, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said that he was thankful for the local community for continuing to obey the government’s instructions, such as capping gatherings at no more than 20 people.
“The government does not have the ability to inspect every house and village, but I trust the respective village heads and ‘tuai rumah’ will monitor the compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and festival celebration protocol,” Abang Johari said.
He added that there were many Sarawakians who might not be able to return to their villages or longhouses to celebrate the festival this year due to restrictions on inter-state travel and that some workers from the Dayak community working in the oil and gas sector were not able to return to the state as well.
“However, it’s okay. The most important thing is for everyone to be safe during this Covid-19 outbreak. Once the situation returns to normal in the future, we can ‘ber-Gawai’ and celebrate like old times,” Abang Johari said.
As peace-loving residents of the ‘Bumi Kenyalang’ state, he added that people should cherish the fact that all quarters of the community in the state could celebrate festivals according to their religion and traditions in a peaceful environment despite coming from different backgrounds.
“To all our Dayak friends, I truly hope this year Gawai festival can be celebrated in a joyful environment despite the different circumstances. Selamat Gawai Dayak to all, no matter where you are,” he said.
Abang Johari also expressed his hopes that the cash and non-cash incentives rolled out by the state government would be able to lessen the financial burden of the public, where some had lost their source of income during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and the subsequent CMCO.
However, he believed that the state’s strong financial position due to its prudent spending over the past decades had allowed the state government to complement the federal government in providing assistance for the people to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the three versions of Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance packages, Abang Johari said the state government had provided cash aid to those from the bottom 40 per cent (B40) group, including those who are single who earn less than RM2,000 a month, and interest-free loans and loan repayment deferment to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The state government had also spent RM16.4 million to provide essential food supplies to half a million people in the state which was transported via land, air and water channels to all corners of the state.
“I hope that the qualified head of households, entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises have received the financial aids or have applied for the assistance given by the state government,” he said.
He also pointed out that under the special assistance packages, business owners were able to enjoy exemption from business license payments and discount on rental rates during this CMCO period.
“There are also monthly financial incentives for those stationed at the frontlines in containing the Covid-19 outbreak and also for those who lost their jobs due to outbreak,” he added.
Abang Johari also pointed out that an initiative of mobile automated teller machine (ATM) service had been rolled out at various locations that did not enjoy such services such as Pakan.
“Although the mobile ATM service will result in long queue for people to withdraw money, it will be able to prevent people from crossing districts without police permits for the sake of utilising the ATM service,” said Abang Johari.
He explained that the state government’s ability to afford all these financial assistance was a result of the state having strong financial position and prudent spending of the past decades.
“A stable political climate and peace among community of different races and religions have become the foundation for an orderly and good administration.”
Abang Johari pointed out the state government enjoyed a stronger financial standing compared with other states in the country.
“As the saying goes, we save for the rainy days. The funds that were saved over the past decades and that has continued to increase every year have allowed us to face the current difficulties from a stronger position.”
Furthermore, Abang Johari said the state government was well-aware of the difficulties faced by its people, in terms of food supply and employment.
“I know many who earned daily wage were forced to return to their village or longhouse as they are not being paid by their employers during MCO period and there are some who even lost their jobs,” he said.
KUCHING: Sarawak recorded no new Covid-19 positive cases today, maintaining the total number of positive cases in the state at 552, said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
According to a statement by SDMC secretariat, out of the 552 positive cases, 19 are those who were readmitted to the hospital because they have been tested positive of the virus again.
To date, there are 27 active cases in the state, with one of them being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The death toll remained at 17.
Meanwhile, SDMC also reported seven cases who have recovered and have been discharged from the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
All in all, 508 cases have recovered and have been discharged to date or 92.03 per cent out of the total of 552 positive cases.
SDMC also recorded 80 new person-under-investigation (PUI) cases today, making the total number of PUI to date at 7,363 with 22 still awaiting their lab test results.
The committee said during its active case detection operation, a total of 339 samples have been taken in Belawai, Tanjung Manis. Out of that, 242 of the samples returned negative for Covid-19 and 97 still waiting for their lab test results.
A total of five districts remained in the yellow as of today. They are Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Serian, Bintulu and Tanjung Manis. The other 35 districts are in the green zone. No red zones in the state.
Meanwhile, SDMC also recorded 214 new person-under-surveillance (PUS) cases in the state, making it a total of 995 PUS cases being quarantined in 38 hotels across the state.
Out of that, 208 are in Kuching, 292 in Sibu, 262 in Miri, 160 in Bintulu and 33 in Limbang.
