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Muhyiddin taking a ‘wefie’ with a civil servant during a meet-the-civil servants session this morning. Also seen are Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (fourth left) and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (third left). – Photo by Ukas
KUCHING (April 1): Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Sarawak has the greatest potential of growth compared to other states in the country.
When speaking at the meet-the-civil servants session this morning, Muhyddin said Sarawak had the capacity to generate big income as it had oil resources.
“Sarawak’s position to move forward is better than other states. The federal government is committed to work together with the state to ensure that national aspiration and objectives are achieved in 2030,’ he said.
Muhyiddin said he was impressed with the direction which the state was taking in terms of development within 10 years’ time as it was also in line with the national’s vision.
“The state and federal government are very much in mind together. Our vision is the same. The steps taken by Sarawak are systematic. Its way forward is very promising. I am impressed with Sarawak’s way forward. I will fully support the state to realise its vision,” he added.
He said Sarawak had all the resources, including natural resources that it needed to grow and become a rich state.
He was also impressed with the state’s focus on agriculture with an aim of providing food security to the nation, now that the issue was critical at the global level.
“The issue (food security) at the global level is critical especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore we must make sure that we have enough food for our people. The state has great potential in that term.”
MIRI: East Malaysia based property listing portal https://bit.ly/2PmLJRC officially establishes its presence in Sarawak through a partnership with MKT360 Sdn Bhd as the exclusive agency for the portal.
PropertyHunter.com.my is an online property listing platform that empowers users to search for their dream home. The appointment of MKT360 Sdn Bhd comes as part of Property Hunter’s 2021 expansion plan to provide East Malaysian with a good variety of property options.
MKT360 is a Miri-based marketing agency. Their focus will be to promote the portal to Sarawakian users, as well as to provide online marketing solution to developers and property agents from Sarawak.
“Property searching can be a tedious experience in Sarawak. We hope to consolidate all the properties in Sarawak onto the Property Hunter platform, be it a newly launched project or sub-sale home for sale or rent. In that way, the public can go to just one place to browse for the properties they want to buy or rent,” said Director of MKT360 Wong Shin Kah.
“Having previously hosted property exhibitions in Kuching, Sibu and Miri, we are excited to finally introduce our property listing portal to our friends in Sarawak. Through the partnership with MKT360, we can serve the Sarawak developers and property agents better,” said Director of Property Hunter Victor Yong.
Pejuang today obtained leave from the High Court to challenge the action of the Home Minister and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) for having yet to decide on its appeal to register the party. – File photo
KUALA LUMPUR (April 1): Parti Pejuang Tanahair (Pejuang) today obtained leave from the High Court to challenge the action of the Home Minister and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) for having yet to decide on its appeal to register the party.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid granted the leave after senior federal counsel Mohd Sabri Othman, representing the two respondents (Home Minister and RoS), informed the court that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) did not object to the application by Pejuang.
“I record no objection from the AGC regarding the application for leave for judicial review and there is no order of cost for this case,” said the judge.
He then set April 15 for further case management, whereby a date will be fixed to hear the merits of the judicial review application.
Pejuang, through its secretary-general Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah, filed the leave application last March 1, naming the Home Minister and RoS as the first and second respondent, respectively.
Today was set to hear the matter.
In the application, Amiruddin is seeking a declaration that the first respondent’s failure to decide on the party’s appeal, made via a letter dated Jan 8, against the second respondent’s decision that rejected its application to be registered, have violated its statutory obligations under Section 18 of the Societies Act 1966.
The application also seeks a declaration that the violation of the first respondent’s statutory obligation to decide on the party’s appeal was unreasonable, malicious and an improper attempt to deny the applicant’s constitutional right to freedom of association and contest in the general election using its own logo.
Amiruddin said a mandamus order was also requested for the first respondent to decide on the party’s appeal and to order RoS to finalise Pejuang’s registration seven days after a court ruling.
On Feb 2, Pejuang, which was founded by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, submitted an appeal after its application to register as a political party was rejected.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the application was rejected on Jan 6 based on the provisions stipulated under Section 7 (3) (e) of the Societies Act 1966 (Act 335) and they can file an appeal to the Home Minister within the next 30 days. – Bernama
Muhyiddin (centre) arrives at the special meeting with civil servants today. Also present was Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (right).
KUCHING (April 1): Empowering the public sector is an important agenda that is often stressed in the Perikatan Nasional government, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said this enabled messages and assistance to be channeled effectively to the affected target groups.
As such, he said the focus should be on efforts to reduce bureaucratic constraints in order to help all levels of society, especially in rural areas.
“Simplify the application process for assistance to the people. Similarly, applications from traders, entrepreneurs and investors. Each application should be considered as best as possible,” he said when addressing a special meeting with civil servants at a leading hotel here today.
Muhyiddin said the government had also set up the Digital Economy and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (4IR) Council which aimed to set policies, implement and monitor strategies as well as come up with digital economy and 4IR initiatives in Malaysia.
He said the establishment of the council was in line with the government’s awareness of the importance of the public service sector as a catalyst in the field of digitalisation and driving transformation towards 4IR.
“The government has also introduced the MyDigital plan and the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint to drive the digital transformation of the public sector.
“This includes efforts to produce 100 per cent digitally literate civil servants and 80 per cent online government services right from the beginning to the end, by 2025,” he said.
According to him, the widespread use of technology post-Covid-19 in the civil service can definitely add value to the delivery of government services.
KUCHING (April 1): A 38-year-old banker from Kuala Lumpur has turned into a multi-millionaire overnight when he won the RM14.4 million Power Toto 6/55 jackpot on March 21.
When collecting his winnings at Sports Toto’s head office in Kuala Lumpur, he said he would always play the Lotto games whenever the jackpot amount is large.
“I would spend RM10 to RM100 to play the games during weekends. On March 21, I actually planned to spend RM10 for 10 sets of Lucky Pick numbers on Power Toto 6/55.
“However, I did not have small notes so I handed over a RM50 note to the customer service assistant and she offered me to buy 50 sets of Lucky Pick numbers.
“Luckily, I had agreed to take the offer which won me the jackpot,” he said.
Lucky Pick numbers are numbers randomly generated by the computer system and his set of Lucky Pick numbers – 4, 18, 19, 35, 45 & 49 has won him a whopping RM14,407,021.20.
The winner said he is always confident that he could become rich one day and that his dream has come true.
“I come from a poor family but that has never stopped me from helping others who are in need. So do good and good will come to you,” he added.
He said he planned to use the winnings to settle all his debts including housing loans and start investing.
A protester holds a sign outside the US Embassy in Yangon, during a demonstration against the military coup on February 21, 2021. – AFP photo
NEW YORK (April 1): UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener said on Wednesday that ethnic armed groups are increasing the possibility of civil war at a level not seen before as the violence in the country continues following the military coup in February, reported Sputnik.
“Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) on the eastern and western borders have been increasingly speaking out against the brutality of the military,” Schraner Burgener said during a closed-door UN Security Council meeting.
“The military’s cruelty is too severe and many EAOs are taking clear stances of opposition, increasing the possibility of civil war at an unprecedented scale.
Schraner Burgener on Wednesday said the UN Security Council must consider taking significant action to reverse the military coup and put an end to the violence in Myanmar,
“While I welcome important steps taken so far by this Council as well as clear and strong bilateral measures including by members here today, I urge you once again to heed the Secretary-General’s call for a firm, unified and resolute international response,” she said during closed emergency consultations.
“This Council must consider potentially significant action that can reverse the course of events in Myanmar.”
Myanmar’s military launched a coup on the morning of Feb 1, hours before the Parliament was set to sit, and had detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), triggering anti-coup protests across the country.
At least 141 people, including children, were shot dead by Myanmar’s ruling military regime on Saturday in a violent crackdown against pro-democracy protests that erupted after the junta’s seizure of power. The mass killings marked the country’s bloodiest since the coup took place.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said the killing of eight protesters by police and security forces on Tuesday brought the total number of demonstrators killed to at least 521. – BERNAMA
The Prime Minister said RTM should be prepared to change in line with the current development and advancement of technology while creating more success stories to bring the Malaysian Broadcasting Department to greater heights. – Bernama file photo
KUALA LUMPUR (April 1): Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), which has operated for over seven decades, to continue creating milestones in the national broadcasting and media production industry and being bold in making changes so that its services will remain fresh and relevant.
The Prime Minister said RTM should be prepared to change in line with the current development and advancement of technology while creating more success stories to bring the Malaysian Broadcasting Department to greater heights.
“The slogan RTM – Teman Setia Anda (your faithful companion) is indeed synonymous and reflects the services that it provides to the people. However, RTM must also be bold in making changes so that its services will remain fresh and relevant,” he said in his speech delivered virtually in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of RTM and 60th anniversary of RTM Orchestra today.
The anniversary celebration held at Angkasapuri here was attended by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, Secretary-General Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek and Broadcasting director-general Datuk Ruzain Idris.
In his speech, Muhyiddin also expressed hope that RTM would not be afraid to make necessary changes in the era of the fourth Industrial Revolution and to use its expertise and experiences to always improve, sustain and further develop its services.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the project to upgrade Angkasapuri Broadcasting Complex into a Media City is in line with the rapid advancement of the broadcasting technology and the international digital broadcasting standards.
He said once completed, the project, which is being implemented as a joint venture between the government and the private sector, will provide a high-tech, state-of-the-art broadcasting infrastructure in accordance with the government’s aspiration to develop digital television broadcasting services.
Muhyiddin said the development of the Media City is also consistent with the RTM Transformation Plan which focuses on the development and optimal utilisation of RTM media platforms to effectively achieve the department’s mission and vision.
“I believe that the plan will give great benefits not only to the organisation but also to the local creative industry.
“Among others, it will also offer the enhancement of television content, refreshment of radio presenting, and empowerment of new media to attract and increase audience loyalty,” he said. – Bernama
Japan’s sakura or cherry blossom season is feverishly anticipated by locals and visitors alike. – AFP file photo
Japan’s cherry trees are reaching full bloom in record time this year, the national weather agency has said, linking the early sakura season to the world’s warming climate.
In the ancient capital of Kyoto, cherry blossoms hit their peak on March 26 — 10 days sooner than average and the earliest since the government started taking records in 1953.
“Our studies have shown that the start of cherry blossom season is closely linked with the average temperature in February and March,” Shunji Ambe, a Japan Meteorological Agency official, told AFP.
“Our observations of plant life show that spring phenomena (such as cherry and plum blossoms) tend to take place earlier, while autumn phenomena are delayed,” he said in an email on Wednesday.
“It is our belief that these phenomena reflect a rising temperature trend.”
On average, Tokyo’s cherry trees reach full bloom on April 2. This year the capital’s cherry blossom peaked on March 22, a day slower than the earliest logged in 2002.
Of the 58 officially designated “observation cherry trees” across Japan, 24 began to flower at the earliest date on record, the agency said. 14 also reached full bloom in record time.
Most of these designated trees are of the best-known and beloved yoshino variety — known for its white-pink flowers that bloom for about two weeks then fall in showers of small confetti-like petals.
Scholars who have studied ancient Japanese poems and historic records say cherry blossoms of other wild varieties have also appeared earlier over centuries.
Japan’s sakura or cherry blossom season is feverishly anticipated by locals and visitors alike, although this year foreign tourists have been kept away by virus border restrictions.
It is traditionally celebrated with hanami, or viewing parties, with picnics — and sometimes boozy festivities — organised beneath the trees.
But this year gatherings have been discouraged to reduce the spread of coronavirus cases. – AFP
Research on how stress affects fur growth in mice might one day help tackle stress-related hair loss in humans. – AFP photo
Stressed mice shed fur because a hormone produced when they are under pressure interrupts normal growth cycles, according to a new study that could offer hope for treating humans.
The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, sheds light for the first time on why stressful situations can result in hair loss.
And it finds a way to reverse the shedding, though the researchers caution more work is needed to determine if the results apply to humans.
Hair growth follows three main phases: the anagen cycle of growth, the catagen cycle of degeneration and the telogen cycle of rest.
In the anagen phase, a hair follicle grows continuously, but that stops in the catagen phase, and the dormant hair eventually falls out during the telogen phase.
Researchers led by Ya-Chieh Hsu, associate professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University, wondered if hormones produced during stressful situations were having a direct effect on hair.
Stressed humans produce a hormone called cortisol, while in mice the equivalent is called corticosterone, which is produced by the adrenal gland.
To test corticosterone’s role, they removed the adrenal gland from a group of test mice and compared their hair cycles with those of control mice.
Those with the gland removed — dubbed ADX mice — had significantly shorter telogen rest cycles, and their hair grew more and for longer periods during the anagen phase.
The ADX mice also went into hair growth cycles repeatedly: 10 times over 16 months, compared to just three for the control mice.
The study then looked at the effect of elevated corticosterone levels, examining both mice fed the hormone and those subjected to external stressors.
In both groups, the mice experienced extended rest cycles, meaning it took longer for new fur to come in.
– Of mice and men? –
But how exactly does corticosterone do this?
Through a series of experiments, the researchers honed in on a protein called Gas6, which is key to stimulating normal hair growth.
They found increased corticosterone was effectively stifling Gas6 production and slowing down growth cycles.
And by injecting Gas6 into the skin of mice with elevated corticosterone, the researchers found they could counteract that effect.
But the findings are far from an immediate miracle cure for humans, cautioned Hsu.
“Our discovery is only the first key step, and more work still needs to be done before it can be applied to humans,” she told AFP.
There are several promising research avenues though.
“Given the potent effect of Gas6 on promoting hair follicle stem cell activity, it might be interesting to see if Gas6 might be helpful for promoting hair growth in general, beyond stress,” she said.
There are also important differences between mice and humans that mean the results might not translate directly, added Rui Yi, a professor of pathology and dermatology at Northwestern University.
“Although corticosterone is considered to be the rodent equivalent of human cortisol, we do not yet know whether cortisol signals in a similar fashion in humans,” he wrote in a review commissioned by Nature.
Hair cycle phases are also different in mice than in humans: most of an adult mouse’s hair is in the resting phase at any given time, compared to just 10 percent of a human’s hair follicles.
Additional research is needed on any potentially dangerous side effects of Gas6 use, but the work does show promise, Yi added.
“Modern life for humans is inevitably stressful,” he wrote.
“But perhaps, one day, it will prove possible to combat the negative impact of chronic stress on our hair at least — by adding some Gas6.” – AFP
Tiger mosquitoes can carry diseases like chikungunya, dengue and zika. – AFP photo
Disease-carrying mosquitoes, crop-ravaging rodents, forest-eating insects and even the domestic cat are all “exotic” intruders whose cost to humanity and the environment is vast and growing, according to a sweeping study published Wednesday.
Researchers in France estimate that invasive species have cost nearly $1.3 trillion dollars to the global economy since 1970, an average of $26.8 billion per year.
And they warn that this is likely an underestimate.
In a study published in the journal Nature, scientists totted up the dizzying array of harmful effects from species carried between habitats, whether plants, insects, reptiles, birds, fish, molluscs, micro-organisms or mammals.
Beyond the “phenomenal magnitude” of these costs, there is also sign of a steady upward trend since 1970, said lead author Christophe Diagne, of the Ecology, Systematics and Evolution laboratory at the University of Paris-Saclay.
Most of the price tag is associated with the damage to ecosystems, crops or fisheries, although pest-control measures were also included in the research, an analysis of hundreds of studies that are part of a new invasive species database.
A preliminary roundup of the top ten invasive pests includes crop-eating rats and the Asian gypsy moth, which is attacking trees throughout the northern hemisphere.
It also included the tiger mosquito, native to Southeast Asia, which has become one of the worst invasive species in the world, carrying diseases like chikungunya, dengue and zika.
Average annual costs triple every decade, researchers said, in part because of an increase in scientific studies on this subject.
But there is also evidence of an “exponential increase in introduced species, due to growing international trade,” said Franck Courchamp, director of the same Paris-Saclay laboratory.
“We import lots of species, voluntarily or involuntarily,” he said.
– Musseling in –
It is a problem with a long history, linked to human trade, travel and colonialism.
In Australia, feral European rabbit populations were first reported in the early 1800s and their population exploded, reaching such proportions that they ravaged native species and caused billions of dollars of damage to crops.
In 1950, the government released the disease myxomatosis, which only affects rabbits, killing over 90 percent of the wild bunnies. But some have since built up immunity.
The brown tree snake has eaten nearly all of the native birds and lizards of Guam since it was accidentally introduced in the mid-twentieth century from its South Pacific habitat, as well as causing power outages by infiltrating electrical installations and menacing people in their homes.
In the 1980s and 90s the zebra mussel, which originated in the waterways of the former Soviet Union, invaded North America’s Great Lakes, blocking pipes, threatening native species and causing billions in damages.
On land, American forests — and more recently those in Europe — have been devastated by the Asian long-horned beetle.
While in Hawaii, the Puerto Rican coqui frog has found a new home with no natural predators — except local homeowners whose property values have tumbled thanks to its ear-splitting croak, which can reach 100 decibels.
– ‘Incalculable’ –
Researchers hope that by putting a number on the cost of invasive species they can raise awareness of the enormity of the problem and push it higher on humanity’s daunting list of environmental challenges.
But beyond the monetary estimate, the study said the “ecological and health impacts of invasions are at least as significant, yet often incalculable”.
The UN’s science advisory panel for biodiversity, called IPBES, has said invasive species are among the top five culprits — all human-driven — of environmental destruction worldwide, along with changes to land use, resource exploitation, pollution and climate change.
In 2019, IPBES estimated there had been a 70 percent increase in invasive species since 1970, in the 21 countries studied.
And the worst could be to come, said Courchamp, who is taking part in upcoming IPBES research.
“International trade will cause more and more species to be introduced, while climate change will cause more and more of these introduced species to survive and become established,” he said.
Early detection, better data and preventative measures could reduce costs considerably, the study said.
Courchamp said the domestic cat also has a lot to answer for — among the worst, in fact, in the researchers’ top ten.
The animal, which has been taken across the world for hundreds of years, is now “invasive in almost all the islands of the world”, he said.
Domestic cats have been responsible for “the most killings in the world of birds, reptiles and amphibians, which are not prepared for this type of predator”, he added. – AFP
Tiger Woods’ SUV lies on its side after the accident involving the golfer on February 23. – AFP photo
Police in Los Angeles said Wednesday investigators have identified the cause of the crash which left Tiger Woods seriously injured last month but did not release further details, citing concerns about the golf star’s privacy.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the probe into the one-vehicle accident on February 23, which left Woods with a shattered right leg, was now complete.
However, Villanueva said no information about the cause of the accident would be released unless Woods waived his right to privacy.
“A cause has been determined, the investigation has concluded,” Villanueva said. “However, we have reached out to Tiger Woods and his personnel.
“There’s some privacy issues on releasing information on the investigation, and we’re going to ask them if they waive the privacy.
“Then we’ll be able to do a full release on all the information regarding the accident.”
Woods suffered serious injuries when his SUV flew off the road and flipped several times during last month’s accident in Ranchos Palos Verdes.
The 45-year-old, 15-time major champion later underwent hours of surgery to repair his shattered lower right leg and ankle, which included the insertion of a rod into his tibia and screws and pins to stabilize the joint.
Woods left hospital earlier this month and is now recovering at his home in Florida.
Investigators had earlier said Woods does not face charges of reckless driving over the crash, describing it as “purely an accident” and adding there was no evidence of impairment. – AFP
KUCHING (April 1): The second phase of Sarawak’s Covid-19 vaccination programme will commence on April 19, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said.
He said this in a post on his Facebook page last night, while urging Sarawakians not to be complacent in curbing the spread of the virus which had claimed 108 lives in the state so far.
“Not long to go, hang in there, don’t give up as our target is August. Phase 2 starts on 19 April,” said Dr Sim, who is a key member of the state disaster management committee (SDMC).
He emphasised that Sarawakians must remain alert, abide by the standard operating procedures (SOP) and live by the new norms until a minimum of 70 per cent of Sarawakians are vaccinated.
“No one is immune from Covid-19. Even if after two doses of vaccination, if variants keep on emerging. But without vaccination, you will have more serious infections and higher risk of deaths.
“Let’s continue to play our role and do our part seriously. Let’s pray that we will complete our vaccination by August, beating the emerging Covid-19 variants in USA, Europe and UK,” he said.
Sarawak aims to complete its vaccination programme for more than two million people in August, some four months ahead of the national target and is ready to purchase its own vaccines to achieve the target.
The vaccination programme is separated into three phases with the first phase for frontliners. The second phase if for the elderly and people with comordities and the third phase are generally for adults above 18 years old. The state aims to launch the second and third phases at the same time.
Dr Sim also revealed today that the three new clusters announced in Sarawak yesterday were believed to be from overcrowding of rental accommodations of rural to urban migrations and a police station.
“The Health Dept had been told to investigate and appropriate actions including compounds if any breach of SOP or PKPB terms and conditions,” he said, using the Malay acronym for Conditional Movement Control Order.
SDMC said in a statement yesterday that the new clusters are the Jalan Baji Cluster in Sarikei which was traced to a housing area with a 16-year-old boy as the index case, the Jalan Kingsway Cluster in Miri involving a government office and the Bulatan Aman Cluster in Sibu involving a factory at Jalan Upper Lanang.
Sarawak yesterday recorded 176 new cases for a total of 16,390 cases and one more fatality, bringing the state’s death toll to 108.
Organisers claimed 1.7 million people turned out for the rally. – AFP photo
Nine veteran Hong Kong activists face jail after they were convicted Thursday on unlawful assembly charges for their role in organising one of the biggest democracy protests to engulf the city in 2019.
The defendants include some of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy campaigners, many of whom are non-violence advocates who have spent decades campaigning in vain for universal suffrage.
They are the latest group of democracy figures to be prosecuted as China oversees a sweeping crackdown on dissent in the restless financial hub.
Among them are Martin Lee, an 82-year-old barrister who was once chosen by Beijing to help write Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, and Margaret Ng, a 73-year-old barrister and former opposition lawmaker.
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, currently in custody after his arrest under Beijing’s new national security law, was among those convicted.
Leung Kwok-hung, an opposition politician known by his sobriquet “Longhair” who has also been detained on national security charges, was also sent down.
Others are leading members of the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), the coalition that organised a series of huge rallies throughout 2019.
Seven were found guilty by Hong Kong District Court on Thursday of organising and knowingly participating in an unauthorised assembly.
Two others had previously pleaded guilty. They face up to five years in jail.
– Massive rally –
The group was prosecuted for organising an unauthorised assembly on August 18, 2019 — one of the biggest in Hong Kong that year as people took to the streets for seven straight months calling for democracy and greater police accountability.
Organisers claimed 1.7 million people turned out — almost one in four Hong Kong residents — though that number was difficult to independently verify.
It was easily one of the biggest rallies that year, with dense crowds marching peacefully for hours under a sea of umbrellas and thundery skies.
Protests in Hong Kong can only go ahead with the permission of authorities and rights groups have long criticised the use of unauthorised assembly prosecutions.
Prosecutors accused the group of defying police instructions that day and encouraging crowds to march across Hong Kong’s main island, bringing traffic disruption.
This trial caused controversy before it began.
British lawyer David Perry, hired by the Hong Kong government to be the lead prosecutor, stepped down following withering criticism from both the UK government and British legal bodies over his decision to take the job.
Since 2019, protests have been all but outlawed with authorities either refusing permission on security grounds or later because of the pandemic.
The rallies in 2019 often descended into clashes between riot police and a knot of hardcore participants, and posed the most concerted challenge to China’s rule since the former British colony’s 1997 handover.
The movement eventually fizzled out under the combined weight of exhaustion, some 10,000 arrests and the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities have since unleashed a broad crackdown and Beijing has imposed a new security law which criminalises much dissent.
China and Hong Kong’s leaders say the law is needed to restore stability to the finance hub.
Critics counter that Beijing has shredded the liberties and autonomy it promised Hong Kong could maintain after the handover. – AFP
This picture taken on March 22, 2021 shows a set of face masks, goggles, hand sanitiser and thermometer, all made of paper, for sale ahead of the Qingming festival in Rawang. – Photo by AFP
RAWANG (April 1): Paper masks and goggles are among offerings that ethnic Chinese in Malaysia will burn to mark “Tomb Sweeping Day”, hoping their ancestors can use them to fight the coronavirus in the afterlife.
Qingming is one of the most important dates for Chinese communities, and is observed across East and Southeast Asia.
During the festival, which this year falls on Sunday, it is customary for Chinese to offer prayers, sweep their loved ones’ graves and burn paper models of items that could be useful in the afterlife.
These can range from money and shoes to yachts and planes — but the pandemic has led to the addition of virus-themed offerings.
A shop in the town of Rawang, just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, is selling a set of paper masks with small boxes carrying pictures of goggles, a bottle of hand sanitiser and a thermometer.
“We want our ancestors to realise the importance of wearing a mask during the pandemic, so we introduced this,” store owner Jacky Hoi told AFP, holding a packet containing the items.
He believes the set will prove popular in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where about a quarter of the country’s 32 million inhabitants are ethnic Chinese, as it “will let our ancestors have a chance to fight the pandemic”.
Hoi is missing one important thing — a paper vaccine — something he says that he is yet to come across when ordering the items from China.
Chinese in Malaysia will be observing “Tomb Sweeping Day” for the first time since 2019, as activities related to the festival were cancelled last year due to a virus lockdown.
Rules will be implemented to prevent infections, including a cap on the number of people allowed to take part and a time limit on prayers.
Malaysia was hit by a new Covid-19 wave in recent months. The number of cases has started to decline, although health authorities are still reporting around 1,000 infections and several deaths every day. – AFP
The incident happened around 12.58pm when the police conducted a raid at the suspect’s home.
KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 1 — An Indonesian man suspected of being involved in drug trafficking died after falling from the seventh floor of his residence trying to escape from the police in Jalan Ipoh yesterday afternoon.
Sentul district police chief ACP Beh Eng Lai said the incident happened around 12.58pm at Flat Batu Permai, Jinjang when the police conducted a raid at his home.
He said the police were raiding the man’s home on the seventh floor and found his door locked. The man was seen running from the living room to the bedroom.
“After several minutes, an Indonesian woman (the man’s wife) came out and handed the bedroom key to the police.
“Checks revealed the man was not in the bedroom and three window panels of the bedroom had been removed. The police did not find any drugs in the bedroom,” he said in a statement.
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Beh said further checks in the living room revealed a small plastic packet believed to be filled with methamphetamine weighing an estimated 0.27 grammes.
“The police continued their search for the individual and found him on the floor at the back of the building in a supine position and the police believed he had died after falling from the seventh floor,” he said.
He added that checks revealed the man was an Indonesian national around 36 years of age.
Police also found drug paraphernalia and a packet of drugs in his pants pocket, he said. — Bernama
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is on his first official visit to Sarawak since becoming prime minister.
KUCHING (April 1): Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman arrived at the Kuching International Airport here this morning for a two-day working visit to Sarawak.
The aircraft carrying the prime minister’s delegation touched down at 9.37 am. Among those at the airport to receive them were Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and his wife Datin Patinggi Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and his wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud.
Today, Muhyiddin is scheduled to attend a special meeting with civil servants at the Hotel Waterfront, visit the vaccination centre at Stadium Perpaduan Petra Jaya, call on Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud at his official residence, and hold a townhall session on “Shared Prosperity Vision 2030” at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
In the evening, he is scheduled to meet Abang Johari and other leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak at the State Legislative Assembly building and then attend a dinner. — BERNAMA
KUCHING (April 1): A husband and wife perished after a head-on traffic collision at Jalan Kampung Bokah, Lundu around 1.15pm yesterday.
Sarawak Traffic Investigation and Enforcement chief Supt Alexson Naga Chabu said the deceased was riding a motorcycle from Raso to Lundu town when a car entered their lane which allegedly led to the crash.
“The male fatality has been identified as Diser Migon, 59, and his wife, Biti Mindot, 49, from Kampung Bokah, Lundu,” said Alexson in a statement today.
He added that the car which landed on its roof after the accident was driven by a 30-year-old woman.
Also inside the car was a 55-year-old woman and a three year old girl.
“All three car passengers suffered light injuries and were given out patient treatment at the Stungkor Lundu health clinic,” he added.
The body of the deceased has been transferred to the Lundu Hospital for further treatment and the case is being investigated under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.
In a separate incident, a 44-year-old motorcyclist was in an accident with a lorry at KM134, Sibu-Bintulu road yesterday.
The victim was identified as Adam Abdullah, from Rh Gansau, Sg Arip, Balingian, in Mukah.
Alexson said the accident occurred at around 11.30am.
He said prior to the accident, both vehicles were heading in the same direction from Selangau to Tatau.
“At the location of the crash, the lorry driver turned right into a junction before the motorcyclist rammed his machine to the right side of the lorry,” he said in a statement.
According to Alexson, it was believed that the motorcyclist was trying to overtake the lorry.
He said the victim died at the scene and the body was sent to Mukah Hospital for further action.
He said the case will be investigated under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.
KUCHING (March 31): The police are currently tracking down a male suspect who allegedly broke into a house in Kampung Tanjung Bako and caused injuries to two of the house occupants.
Kuching district police chief ACP Awang Din Awang Gani in a statement said the suspect had allegedly broke into the house around 4.30am on March 29.
“The victims, a 51-year-old father and his 18-year-old son are currently being treated at the Sarawak Heart Centre and Sarawak General Hospital,” said Awang Din.
He added that the suspect allegedly attacked the duo with a sharp object believed to be a knife after he was caught red handed inside the house.
According to Awang Din, the family was preparing breakfast when the suspect entered the house.
After the attack, the suspect managed to escape from where he entered.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and Section 448 of the Penal Code for house trespass.
