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A nurse administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine. — Bernama file photo
KUALA LUMPUR (August 1): Malaysia administered 519,111 doses of Covid-19 vaccines yesterday to keep the country on track for its target of vaccinating the entire adult population by October.
Of these, 237,657 doses were administered in the Klang Valley alone as part of Operation Surge Capacity, the government’s initiative to accelerate vaccination in the heart of the country’s industry that was also the main source of new infections.
The operation is on the cusp of achieving its target of giving all adults in the Klang Valley at least one dose of vaccine by the end of today, with 92.7 per cent already partially vaccinated as of yesterday.
According to the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Supply (JKJAV), Malaysia has now given out a total of 20.5 million doses across the country.
The number includes 13.8 million doses going towards those receiving their first dose of the vaccines and another 6.7 million as the second doses for full vaccination.
Jumlah pemberian dos bagi Ops Lonjakan Kapasiti di Lembah Klang pada 31 Julai 2021.
This meant that over 40 per cent of the country’s adult population have partial protection Covid-19 from receiving their first dose while another 20.6 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
The government is now aiming to vaccinate the country’s entire adult population by October, having brought this forward twice from the original target to do so by the first quarter of 2022.
Vaccination has become the foundation of the government’s Covid-19 response as existing lockdowns have been shown to provide diminishing returns in breaking the chain of infection.
Yesterday, Malaysia reported a new all-time high of 17,786 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the country’s total to 1.1 million cases.
The country’s death toll from Covid-19 rose to 9,024 yesterday after another 165 Covid-19 patients died. – Malay Mail
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We expect two inflation scenarios moving forward and caution investors against both scenarios given the consequent implications on asset classes.
For the central case, our higher probability scenario, we see hot inflation prints in 2H21 before cooling off in 2022 and 2023. In this scenario, core PCE will likely settle between 2 – 3 per cent over the next two years.
Core PCE inflation decomposed by Covid sensitive and insensitive components
For the hawkish case, our lower probability scenario, we see hot inflation prints extending beyond 2021 and core PCE to remain above 3 per cent over the next two years, reflecting our view of a high level of persistent inflation.
Both our central and hawkish case points to a reversal in the interest rate cycle in late 2022. For the former, we anticipate one rate hike around end-2022 and up to two hikes in 2023. For the latter, we anticipate two rate hikes in 2022 and up to two – three hikes in 2023.
With the higher inflation backdrop presented in both cases, we believe inflation risk is currently underpriced. For our central case, we expect yields to reach 2-3 per cent over the next two years.
If our hawkish case materialises instead, yields may surge even higher to 3-4 per cent in the same timeframe.
For our hawkish case, we expect equities to struggle if the 10-year yield climbs to 3-4 per cent within the next two years.
Core PCE inflation adjusted for base effect
An earnings yield of 6.1 per cent for global equities and a 3-4 per cent yield would imply an excess yield of 2.1 to 3.1 per cent, which is below the 10-year historical average of 3.5 per cent. This implies that bonds should be relatively more attractive than equities.
For our central case – we expect equities to be able to digest a 10-year yield of below 2.7 per cent. An earnings yield of 6.1 per cent and 10-year yield of 2 per cent – 2.6 per cent would imply an excess yield of 3.5 per cent to 4.1 per cent, which is above the 10-year historical average.
This implies that equities should be relatively more attractive than bonds.
Rising home sales price implies higher housing-related inflation (19 per cent of Core PCE) to come
Our US inflation outlook
The US inflation debate remains top of mind for many investors right now. At the moment, US inflation prints (core PCE of 3.4 per cent in May ’21) are at the highest since the early 1990s, with many pondering will such hot prints will be ‘transitory’.
To determine our inflation outlook, we examine the core PCE inflation, the Fed’s primary measurement of inflation which excludes food and energy prices.
A breakdown of core PCE inflation shows that Covid-sensitive categories (likely transitory) have been the predominant driver of inflation). These are categories where either prices or quantities were significantly influenced by the pandemic.
In fact, over the past two months, these categories contributed to more than 75 per cent of the inflation reading. On the other hand, Covid-insensitive categories have just rebounded to their pre-pandemic rate.
Base effect is also a major transitory factor contributing to higher inflation prints as lower comps in 2Q/3Q resulted in a significant skew in prints. Adjusting for base effect (after Feb ’20), the core PCE ends up 30 per cent lower than reported.
As data suggests, a big part of inflation can indeed be attributed to transitory factors, captured by both Covid-sensitive categories and base effect.
We believe this pressure may gradually fade as supply constrain eases, which will take time, likely over the next 2-3 quarters as the global re-opening sequence play out.
However, as these factors fade, it is likely to unveil a certain level of persistent inflation, underpinned by housing-related and monetary inflation Red flags are showing up in housing-related inflation, which represents around an outsized 19 per cent of core PCE.
Over the past year, US median home sales price growth has skyrocketed catalysed by the combination of base effect, higher material cost, and lower mortgage rates.
With rising home prices often portending higher housing inflation (former leads the latter by approximately 13 months), we expect housing-related inflation to bottom and turn higher soon.
A run-up in housing-related inflation towards pre-Covid levels may keep core PCE likely elevated over the next 1-2 years.
The impending reversal in interest rate cycle
We expect a reversal in the interest rate cycle in late-2022
Through our observations from the Fed’s meeting minutes thus far, we believe the cue for a rate hike is likely the product of 3 considerations: core PCE at 2 per cent and above; core PCE exceeding 2 per cent for some time; and maximum employment.
Our current inflation outlook – both central and hawkish case – implies that the first and second criteria can be met by end-2022, leaving the Fed’s employment target as a wildcard to watch in our opinion.
Firstly, payroll gains will have to impress to the tune of 530,000 jobs added monthly on average to close the existing unemployment gap of an estimated nine million jobs between now and pre-pandemic trend. Thus far, payroll gains have averaged at a positive monthly rate of 540,000 in the year-to-date.
While it is still pre-mature to expect gains at such level to continue, the employment recovery seems to be on track based on payroll data.
Secondly, other indicators such as unemployment claims and participation rate have also improved in the last few months, painting the same picture.
Therefore, what is left now is for unemployment rate (which remain stubborn) to dip, thereby confirming an improving labor market.
That said, we opine that the US economy could be on-trend to achieving maximum employment by 2023, prompting an earlier rate hike in 2022. Any upside to inflation risk (our hawkish case) can certainly bring forward rate hikes as well, even before maximum employment is achieved.
Thus, both our central and hawkish case points to a reversal in the interest rate cycle in late 2022, invoking an end to the low interest rate environment.
For our central case, we are anticipating one rate hike around end-2022 and up to two hikes in 2023. For our hawkish case, we see two rate hikes in 2022, and up to two – three hikes in 2023.
Inflation over the next 1-2 years may settle at a higher level as compared to post-GFC
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A rickshaw puller walks past a whirlpool from an open manhole in floodwaters following rain in Kolkata on July 30, 2021. . – AFP photo
Eleven people were killed in eastern India after torrential rains swept away homes and triggered landslides, officials said Saturday, taking the country’s monsoon death toll above 230.
Rainstorms that have swept across the nation lashed the eastern state of West Bengal causing widespread destruction.
Four people were electrocuted after rain gushed into their homes in Howrah and North 24 Parganas district, state disaster management minister Javed Khan told AFP.
Seven people died when their houses were washed away by downpours, he said, with several still missing.
In neighbouring Jharkhand state, scores of cars remain submerged in floodwaters after five days of heavy rain.
Experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of annual monsoon storms between June and September.
Western Maharashtra state has been hit by severe rainstorms, with landslides sending torrents of mud onto villages and killing at least 200 people.
The northern Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have also been badly hit.
Seven people were killed in a landslide in Himachal Pradesh this week and another seven people died in an intense storm that hit the remote village of Honzar in Indian Kashmir.
Several tourists remain stranded in the two states, with debris blocking key routes. – AFP
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The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second largest mass of freshwater ice on the planet, second only to Antarctica. – AFP photo
Greenland’s ice sheet has experienced a “massive melting event” during a heatwave that has seen temperatures more than 10 degrees above seasonal norms, according to Danish researchers.
Since Wednesday the ice sheet covering the vast Arctic territory, has melted by around eight billion tonnes a day, twice its normal average rate during summer, reported the Polar Portal website, which is run by Danish researchers.
The Danish Meteorological Institute reported temperatures of more than 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), more than twice the normal average summer temperature, in northern Greenland.
And Nerlerit Inaat airport in the northeast of the territory recorded 23.4 degrees on Thursday, the highest recorded there since records began.
With the heatwave affecting most of Greenland that day, the Polar Portal website reported a “massive melting event” involving enough water “to cover Florida with two inches of water” (five centimetres).
The largest melt of the Greenland ice sheet still dates back to the summer of 2019.
But the area where the melting took place this time is larger than two years ago, the website added.
The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest mass of freshwater ice on the planet with nearly 1.8 million square kilometres (695,000 square miles), second only to Antarctica.
The melting of the ice sheets started in 1990 and has accelerated since 2000. The mass loss in recent years is approximately four times greater than it was before 2000, say the researchers at Polar Portal.
One European study published in January said that ocean levels would rise between 10 and 18 centimetres by 2100 — or 60 percent faster than previously estimated — at the rate which the Greenland ice sheet was now melting.
The Greenland ice sheet, if completely melted, would raise the ocean levels by six to seven metres.
But with a relatively cool start to the Greenland summer, with snowfalls and rains, the retreat of the ice sheet so far for 2021 remains within the historical norm, according to Polar Portal. The melting period extends from June to early September. – AFP
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China and Australia ramped up Covid-19 curbs Saturday as Delta variant cases surged and tens of thousands rallied in France against restrictions designed to stop the pandemic.
The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is forcing governments to reimpose tough measures, while other nations are reconsidering plans to open their economies.
“Delta is a warning: it’s a warning that the virus is evolving but it is also a call to action that we need to move now before more dangerous variants emerge,” the World Health Organization’s emergencies director Michael Ryan told journalists.
China has put more than one million people under lockdown and reinstituted mass testing campaigns.
In Australia, where only about 14 percent of the population has been vaccinated, the third-largest city of Brisbane and other parts of Queensland entered a snap lockdown Saturday after six new cases were detected.
– ‘Crippling the economy’ –
“This government is… crippling the economy and also destroying our country’s democracy,” Karmun Loh, taking part in a protest in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, told AFP.
More than 200,000 people protested across France Saturday for a third straight week, with angry confrontations.
“Macron resign”, demonstrators shouted in the southern city of Marseille, referring to President Emmanuel Macron.
The French authorities meanwhile have reimposed restrictions in some of its overseas territories, where cases are surging, most recently in Martinique, La Reunion and French Polynesia.
“Police stopped us at many checkpoints and the ferry was packed,” said factory worker Mohammad Masum, 25, who left his village before dawn and walked more than 30 kilometres to get to the ferry port.
In Africa, official figures put the daily death toll at 1,000 a day on average over the last seven days: 17 percent up on the previous week and the highest recorded since the pandemic began.
Rwanda however ordered the lifting of a lockdown on the capital Kigali and eight other districts even though Covid cases are still on the rise with the new measures running from August 1-15.
‘The war has changed’
President Joe Biden this week urged Congress to extend the 11-month-old moratorium, after a recent Supreme Court ruling meant the White House could not do so.
The latest analysis from the US Centers for Disease Control found that fully immunised people with so-called breakthrough infections of the Delta variant can spread the disease as easily as unvaccinated people. – AFP
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Slick new Shanghai facility showcasing the nation’s recent extra-terrestrial exploits. – AFP photo
China has opened the doors on what it bills as the world’s largest planetarium, a slick new Shanghai facility showcasing the nation’s recent extra-terrestrial exploits while notably downplaying those of space pioneers like the United States.
Beijing has spent much of this year bombarding the public with news of the country’s rising space prowess, part of a larger propaganda blitz highlighting Chinese achievements under the ruling Communists to mark the party’s 100th anniversary.
In recent months, China has landed a spacecraft on Mars, set loose a rover to explore it, and sent the first astronauts to a Chinese space station.
Scale-model replicas of spaceships from these and other missions figure prominently at the new Shanghai Planetarium, along with paeons to China’s rapid scientific advancement, and clips of President Xi Jinping addressing the nation’s taikonauts.
“This year we had several astronauts go to space, which is a source of pride for China,” said a woman surnamed Zhou, who brought her young daughter.
“I wanted my child to have some knowledge about space from a young age.”
#photo1By contrast, the pioneering space-travel efforts of the then-Soviet Union and China’s geopolitical rival the United States get only passing mention, if at all.
The 1969 US landing on the moon is referenced only briefly in a small, dryly-worded display, and a section entitled “Space Heroes” lists only two Russian cosmonauts along with Yang Liwei, the first person sent into space by the Chinese space programme.
The planetarium features working telescopes and a range of interactive exhibits on the origins of the universe and history of astronomy, including Chinese-speaking versions of Copernicus and other luminaries explaining their theoretical breakthroughs.
The building was designed by New York’s Ennead Architects and resembles a union of swirling galaxies.
It covers 38,000 square metres, (420,000-square feet) of floor space — roughly equal to five football fields — and cost 600 million yuan ($93 million), according to Chinese media. – AFP
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As emerging markets around the world continue their recovery from Covid-19, remittances are playing a key role in supporting the economic rebound.
In mid-May the World Bank upgraded its forecast for remittances to low- and middle-income countries for 2021, predicting flows of US$553 billion over the course of the year, reflecting a growth rate of 2.6 per cent.
This is to be led by Latin America and the Caribbean, with a predicted increase of 4.9 per cent, followed by South Asia (3.5 per cent), the Middle East and North Africa (2.6 per cent), sub-Saharan Africa (2.6 per cent), and East Asia and the Pacific (2.1 per cent). Remittances to Europe and Central Asia are projected to fall by 3.2 per cent.
While many of these figures may seem moderate, some individual countries have experienced dramatic spikes in the amount of money transferred home by expats abroad.
For example, remittances grew by 50.2 per cent year-on-year in Morocco between January and May, by 21.8 per cent in Mexico (January-May), by 20.8 per cent in Sri Lanka (January-April) and by 19.7 per cent in Kenya (January-June).
Conversely, remittance flows to Indonesia and Nigeria during the first half of the year have experienced double-digit contractions, of 13 and 24 per cent, respectively.
These regional and national discrepancies are attributable to various factors. For example, while a majority of Moroccan and Mexican expats live in the EU and the US, respectively, which are moving ahead with their economic recoveries, Indonesia sources a large proportion of its remittances from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, both of which were significantly impacted by pandemic-related lockdowns.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria’s case, many analysts believe that a dysfunctional foreign exchange market has resulted in remittances being pushed towards informal, undocumented channels.
Resilient remittances
The largely positive outlook comes on the back of a better-than-expected year for remittances in 2020.
Despite the World Bank’s forecast in April last year that low- and middle-income countries would see a 19.7 per cent decline in remittances in 2020, flows proved to be remarkably consistent, with the bank currently estimating that the drop reached just 1.6 per cent.
In fact, remittances actually increased in Latin America and the Caribbean (6.5 per cent), South Asia (5.2 per cent), and the Middle East and North Africa (2.3 per cent).
It was only sharper falls in flows to sub-Saharan Africa (drop by 12.5 per cent), Europe and Central Asia (minus 9.7 per cent), and East Asia and the Pacific (minus 7.9 per cent) that brought the overall growth rate into negative territory.
Further highlighting the diverse nature of remittance flows and their resilience throughout 2020, sub-Saharan Africa’s fall was largely due to a dramatic drop of 28 per cent in Nigeria. Excluding Nigeria, the region’s remittances increased by 2.3 per cent that year.
The main reasons behind the stronger-than-expected flows include substantial fiscal stimulus packages that resulted in more positive economic conditions in host countries, many of which are developed nations; a shift in flows from cash to digital, and from informal to formal channels; and movements in oil prices and foreign exchange rates.
Increased importance
The strong flow of remittances underscores their importance to many emerging market economies.
For example, the World Bank estimates that remittances make up 38 per cent of GDP in Tonga, 33 per cent in Lebanon, 27 per cent in Kyrgyzstan, and 24 per cent in both El Salvador and Honduras. Other countries in the “yellow slice” – the portfolio of markets that OBG covers – that derive significant portions of GDP from remittances include the Philippines (9.6 per cent), Sri Lanka (8.8 per cent), Egypt (8.2 per cent) and Morocco (6.5 per cent).
As further evidence of their importance, remittances to low- and middle-income countries last year (US$540 billion) surpassed the equiavlent value of foreign direct investment (US$259 billion) and overseas development assistance (US$179 billion) combined.
With remittances expected to increase by another 2.2% to $565bn in 2022, there are concerted efforts under way to reduce the cost of transfers.
One such initiative is the Remittance Community Task Force, launched at the outset of the pandemic by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development. In November the group published a series of policy recommendations calling for increased transparency on the costs involved in transferring money, as well as suggested requirements for governments.
Despite these efforts, however, costs remain high. In the fourth quarter of last year the average global cost of sending US$200 was 6.5 per cent, more than double the UN Sustainable Development Goal of three per cent. While the figure was lowest in South Asia, at 4.9 per cent, it rose to 8.2 per cent in less developed regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.
This column was produced by the Oxford Business Group.
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SIBU (August 1): The Proclamation of Emergency for Sarawak from Aug 2, 2021 to Feb 2, 2022 has received overwhelming support from opposition lawmakers and a businessman here.
Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was right to declare Emergency in Sarawak as the state is still not out of the woods yet with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging on.
She said six months is just about right to achieve herd immunity in the state against Covid-19 and by then, it will be safer for the election to be held.
“However, the state government should during these six months urge the Election Commission (EC) to put in more electoral reforms to ensure that elections can be held safely even if the pandemic is still with us on Feb 1, 2022 which is most likely,” she said.
She also suggested postal votes or advance voting should be made available to every Sarawakian living outside Sarawak so that they do not have to return to their home town to vote.
“Online campaigns should be given equal airtime for both the government and opposition in national television and radio,” she added.
Chang said Bersih Sarawak had recently proposed bold changes to the electoral system.
“I think they are good and workable proposals and the government should urge EC to look into that.”
Sibu MP Oscar Ling welcomed the decision with open arms, saying it was just to delay the state election which was good for the state to head in the right direction.
Oscar Ling
“With the Delta variant of Covid-19 getting more widespread in Sarawak and the number of cases keep rising in other states, we need to delay the state election or limit any big scale social activities and inter-district travel in order to contain this spread,” he said.
Moreover, Ling said the electoral roll was yet to be ready and special voting arrangement or some kind of electrical reform was needed in order for people to exercise their democratic rights and enable them to vote outside their voting areas.
In view that the Covid-19 pandemic had brought about dire impacts, he said everybody should be happy now that the state election had been postponed.
“With the Covid-19 situation in the state showing signs of recovery, we should not do anything rash that would only aggravate the situation,” he said, recalling the Sabah state election last year which literally caused the outbreak of Covid-19 nationwide.
Former president of Sibu Chinese Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Dr Gregory Hii, also applauded the move, saying it was not appropriate to hold the state polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, he opined that the six-months Emergency was a long period and hoped the government would come up with some strategy to govern the state.
“As we may not be allowed to do a lot of things during the Emergency, it will have serious impact on the lives of the ordinary people and business community.
“Hopefully, the government can come up with some details on its agenda during this six-month period to help alleviate the burden of the ordinary people.”
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had decreed that Sarawak be placed under a Proclamation of Emergency from Aug 2, 2021 to Feb 2, 2022.
The proclamation prevents the state election from being held within 60 days from the expiry of the current nationwide Emergency on Monday.
The current State Legislative Assembly would be automatically dissolved after the Emergency ends on Aug 1. After that, the Election Commission would have to decide on when to hold the Sarawak election.
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Dr Abdul Rahman (centre) after distributing fresh food to residents of Kampung Telaga Air.
KUCHING (August 1): The six-month extension of Emergency for Sarawak will not give Gabungan Parti Sarawak an advantage in the next state election, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.
He said this was because GPS elected representatives had already been on the move at the grassroot level.
“For example, in Pantai Damai constituency, GPS and PBB machineries have held various activities at the grassroot level since the 2018 general election (GE),” said Dr Abdul Rahaman, who is the Pantai Damai assemblyman.
He was met after distributing fresh food to residents of Kampung Telaga Air who were placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from July 28 to Aug 10.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had decreed that Sarawak be placed under a Proclamation of Emergencyfrom August 2, 2021, to February 2, 2022. The proclamation has prevented the state election from being held within 60 days from the expiry of the current nationwide Emergency on Monday.
At the same time, Dr Abdul Rahman said that with the declaration, the term of the Sarawak State Assembly (DUN) was automatically extended for another six months.
“The Chief Minister had informed that the state election could not be held if two conditions are not met.
“One, if Covid-19 cases are reported to be still high today around 400 cases and it is not suitable for us to hold elections and two, if we have not achieved herd immunity as targeted,” he said.
Dr Abdul Rahman said the state government was working to ensure that 2.2 million people in Sarawak, including non-citizens, completed two doses of Covid-19 vaccine before August 31.
He pointed out that in European countries, cases of Covid-19 infections were found to have decreased after achieving herd immunity.
If Covid-19 cases decreased, then the state would be able to hold state elections as planned, he said.
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Ensuring those eligible undergo vaccination remains the most crucial measure – it falls under collective responsibility of all, says medical expert
Vaccine recipients awaiting their turns at the vaccination centre of Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
IT has been more than a year since Covid-19 hit Sarawak.
On March 13 last year, the state recorded three Covid-19 cases, two of which were linked to the Sri Petaling Tabligh Cluster, which had then grown to become one of the largest Covid-19 clusters in the country.
Since then, positive cases have continued to persist with the state’s highest number of daily new infections reported on April 16 this year, at 960 cases.
As at yesterday, Sarawak’s cumulative number of Covid-19 cases reached 76,728, with the death toll standing at 462. Its daily cases numbered at 485, with Kuching reporting more than half of the cases – at 274.
Of the 40 districts in Sarawak, Kuching has recorded the highest number of cases since the first case were reported, with a total of 13,357 cumulative cases, while the lowest number of cases were registered in Daro, which has registered only 51 cumulative cases thus far.
The deluge of Covid-19 cases hitting the state has also resulted in the emergence of numerous clusters, with the latest figure of active clusters now at 84, including two that were just declared yesterday: the Kampung Git Cluster in Kuching, and Jambatan Lemua Cluster in Beluru.
The number of cases in Sarawak also culminated in the formation of the Pasai Cluster in Sibu, said to be the largest Covid-19 cluster in Sarawak and the second deadliest Covid-19 cluster in the country to date.
Named after Pasai Siong, this cluster was declared closed by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on April 13 – almost four months since it was confirmed on Jan 9.
The cluster’s index case had led to a total of 2,693 infections, infected 58 longhouses and caused 29 deaths.
Vaccination drive
Abang Johari chatting with a vaccinee during his visit to the vaccination centre run by Jalan Masjid Health Clinic at Majma Hall in Kuching. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
When Sarawak received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines back in February this year, it marked a major step towards the state’s fight against this deadly virus.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who was the first to be inoculated at Petra Jaya Health Clinic in Kuching, had announced at a press conference on July 1 this year that the state was moving on the right track towards achieving 80 per cent herd immunity by the end of August.
He said Sarawak had so far vaccinated more than 50 per cent of eligible recipients of the vaccines, namely of Pfizer-BioNtech, Sinovac and AstraZeneca brands.
According to the website of the Special Committee of Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), a total of 1,788,664 people in Sarawak had registered for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) as at July 28, with 1,685,974 having been given the first dose of the vaccine.
As Sarawak continued forward in its fight against Covid-19, Malaysia Medical Association (MMA) president Prof Dato Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said the most crucial measure right now would be to ensure that all Malaysians would undergo vaccination.
Prof Dato Dr Subramaniam Muniandy
“The most important of all is for the unvaccinated to get vaccinated if they are eligible – and to do so as soon as possible.
“The fight against Covid-19 is a collective responsibility. All must do their part; only then can we see a drop in infections, hospitalisation and deaths, as well as the reopening of our country’s economic sectors,” he told thesundaypost.
According to him, public hospitals across the country are still overwhelmed at the moment.
“We need to see a significant reduction in admissions and the only way is through ramped-up vaccinations and strict adherence to all standard operating procedures (SOP),” he said.
Dr Subramaniam pointed out that once the admissions at hospitals’ intensive care units (ICUs) had been significantly reduced, then the other sectors could begin to reopen in stages.
“By then, hopefully, at least 70 to 80 per cent of Malaysia’s population would have been vaccinated,” he said.
Dr Subramaniam said the government should allow non-essential sectors with a fully vaccinated workforce to reopen in stages and subject to strict SOP.
“This can encourage others to get the vaccine jab. Comprehensive, updated SOP should be provided to all businesses, schools, universities, retails and so on ahead of the opening up of these sectors,” he said.
Still much to be improved
Meanwhile, Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) Combat Medic Vaccination Team medical officer Capt Dr Zane Azraai Mohd Suhaimi said new strategies should be taken as the measures implemented so far had proven to be insufficient in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
Capt Dr Zane Azraai Mohd Suhaimi
“In my opinion, several measures should be implemented such as speeding up the vaccination progress.
“We need to reach 80 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity, but certain areas such as the interiors of Sabah, for instance, have only had 30 per cent registered for the vaccination programme.
“To depend solely on the MySejahtera app is not feasible, as many of those living in the interiors have no Internet coverage, with some of them not being IT-literate,” he said.
Dr Zane also said the vaccination programme should include foreign workers as based on statistics of daily Covid-19 cases, around 20 to 25 per cent of new cases involved non-citizens.
“Many countries including Singapore, the United States and a majority of European countries have fairly been successful in containing the spread of the virus as their vaccination strategies include vaccinating non-citizens who are living and working in their countries.
“The public may demand that priority be given to citizens, but if we sincerely want to contain the spread, vaccination should also be extended to non-citizens.
“Perhaps, the private healthcare sectors could lend a hand in implementing vaccination to non-citizens by charging them a reasonable cost for the jab – in the name of humanitarian cause,” he suggested.
(From right) Minister for Local Government and Housing Sarawak Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin having a chat with a senior citizen who is about to receive his vaccine jab at the vaccination centre in Stadium Perpaduan in Kuching. — Photo by Chimon Upon
Dr Zane also reminded all that although more people were getting vaccinated, this did not mean that they would be safe from Covid-19.
“Vaccination alone would not guarantee that the spread of the virus could be controlled, as those who have been vaccinated could still be infected even though their symptoms would usually be milder those who are not vaccinated.
“They also might not be protected from certain Covid-19 variants brought in earlier by import cases, such as the Delta variant or even the Lambda and Omega variants,” he said.
Dr Zane urged those who had been fully vaccinated to not be complacent, as they must continue to wear masks and practise Covid-19 SOP to protect themselves.
Adding on, Dr Subramaniam called upon all Malaysians not to take the Covid-19 pandemic lightly.
“Over and over again, whenever the restrictions were relaxed, people would let their guard down and this had led to months of being under the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“It didn’t help that the government had made a few bad calls like refusing to conduct mass community screenings much earlier as well as allowing the Sabah state election to proceed without proper control,” he added.
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Fatimah hands over a mock cheque for RM10,000 to Pawe Song chairman TR Sylvester Panan Ragai, witnessed by (from left) Women and Family Department Sarawak director Noriah Ahmad, Kapit Welfare officer Dariel Thiong and Blikau.
KAPIT (August 1): The committee members of all Senior Citizens Activities Centres (Pawe) and Senior Citizens Service Centres (PPWE) must be pro-active in planning the activities for the elderly folk.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said it is understandable that senior citizens are highly prone to feeling lonely and experiencing depression.
“Those who run the Pawe and the PPWE must make sure that they would at least run activities one a month for the members.
“It is very important that every programme highlights socialising among one another and also for the activities to create a harmonious environment.
“I also believe that Pawe and PPWE should promote the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) to those aged 60 and above as there are many benefits that come with the membership,” said the minister in her speech during the launch of Pawe for Song District on Friday.
Fatimah also launched the KGC programme for the district, hosted an appreciation ceremony for the local KGC strategic partners, handed over the funeral expenditure assistance under Tabung Ikhsan, and also presented funds to Pawe Song.
According to Fatimah, Pawe Song has registered some 200 members – the majority of whom are women.
Pawe Kapit, on the other hand, has registered some 300 members who are mostly men.
At state level, there are 13 Pawe with 18,000 members, while for PPWE, there are 30,000 members in Sarawak.
For the record, Pawe is run under the federal government while PPWE is under the state government.
At the Friday event, Fatimah presented KGCs to local residents including Katibas assemblyman Dato Sri Ambrose Blikau Enturan and his wife, as well as local community leaders, longhouse chieftains and residents.
She also handed over the RM3,000 funeral aid under KGC to the next-of-kin of the late Lam Yieng, late Melampen Gang, late Anan Endau, late Jan Serumbang and late Pasang Tabah.
The minister also gave away tokens of appreciation to KGC strategic partners in Kapit and Song districts, namely Goodness Groceries, Kedai Hock Lai, Borneo and Co, Kooperasi Song-Kapit Bhd, All Care Pharmacy and PMG Pharmacy Sdn Bhd.
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SIBU (August 1): Locals who aid in the smuggling in of illegal immigrants without quarantine and adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in fact contributing to more Covid-19 outbreaks, Bintulu MP Dato Seri Tiong King Sing said.
He said based on Bintulu Health Department confirmed case data, no fewer than five Indonesian workers had entered Bintulu district illegally without being tested properly first in recent days.
“There are no official entry and exit records for migrant workers who enter Sarawak through illegal means, via ‘jalan tikus’. This makes it difficult for the Health Department to conduct contact tracing and arrange for isolation and testing of close contacts. This is a huge time bomb waiting to explode into more outbreaks,” he said in a media statement..
Tiong expressed alarm over some locals who would stoop to collude with migrant workers and their intermediaries by smuggling them in through various means like hiding in lorries, cold storage trucks, container lorries, and others to enter the oil palm estates.
“It is known that the fees charged by these local intermediaries can run up to more than RM2,000 per head. Huge profits but suffice to say that, myself, and other responsible people, are extremely disappointed with these local intermediaries and employers who could bargain away the health and pandemic prevention of their country for selfish gains.”
Besides failing to conduct two-week entry quarantine with two tests in accordance with the SOPs, he said their acts also violated the immigration laws by illegally crossing the national border and so many districts all the way to Bintulu.
Although the employers of these illegal workers have arranged for them to undergo Covid-19 screening before formally reporting for work, Tiong said these employers failed to consider the number of people that their illegal workers could potentially have been in close contact with throughout the smuggling process.
“This is incredibly irresponsible and short sighted. It would guarantee that Bintulu will not achieve the zero-confirmed-case goal.
“In the absence of official records, it is very difficult to determine how long these foreign workers have stayed in various places prior to Bintulu.
“We know that a few of the confirmed cases among the Indonesian migrant workers have spent a month in various districts before entering Bintulu, just imagine how many people they have met during that time. How many of such illegal migrant workers are actually hiding in our communities and potentially causing silent outbreaks?”
Tiong said once any oil palm estate was detected with a confirmed case, it must be closed for 14 days or longer if needed at the company’s or owner’s cost in order to contain further outbreaks.
“Lack of border controls creates loopholes that endanger the community.”
Commenting further, Tiong also called on the Immigration Department to tighten the controls at the border by increasing enforcement officers at key points to detect and prevent migrant workers from illegally entering the country.
“Police must help Immigration by coordinating their efforts in this mission. They must take the control of the borders seriously and ensure that our public are not indirectly harmed by the entry of undocumented workers who could also worsen the pandemic in Sarawak.”
Tiong said nobody should be complacent as the Health Department starts to vaccinate foreign workers by thinking that it is alright to also start bringing in more workers.
He said any party suspected of smuggling in illegal workers is subjected to Article 15 of the Anti-trafficking In Persons and Anti-smuggling Of Migrants Act 2007 while Article 6(1) of the Immigration Act 1959 provides for fines and imprisonment.
He said the drivers with a role in transporting smuggled migrant workers into the country must be reminded that vaccination does not mean immunity against any risk of infection.
“Infected vaccinated people can still transmit the virus to their wives, children and other people around them.
“Locals who help in bringing in migrant workers can read the news of what happens with victims of Covid-19. Even shipping containers are being turned into morgues. Do they want to be the next victims?”
He said it was reported that even after receiving their two doses, seven people were still confirmed to be positive with Covid-19.
“Therefore, the public must again be reminded that the vaccines are not ‘magic bullets’ that can guarantee total immunity from the coronavirus. They must still exercise caution from being infected and to prevent transmissions from occurring.
“Some areas in Bintulu have also begun to show signs of another outbreak, which include factories, construction sites, and workshops which have been difficult to monitor and ensure compliance with the SOPs. Longhouses along Jalan Bintulu-Miri and Kuala Tatau also show sporadic confirmed cases.”
Tiong also appealed to the tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs) to increase their vigilance and remind their residents to take the SOPs seriously and not to hold any gatherings or festivities for now.
“The Health Department and law enforcement agencies must continue to heighten their monitoring by organising surprise inspections of factories and businesses to check on compliance.
“Violators must be fined and their workers reminded to comply with the SOPs. Although it is the people’s choice to follow the SOPs, they have no ground to complain about the government or authorities enforcing the compliance for the greater good of everyone’s health and safety.
“With Bintulu’s increasing vaccination numbers and the gradual relaxation of various Covid-19 prevention SOPs, the private sector has not learnt the value of prudent caution against the pandemic.
“No matter – in factories, workplaces, shopping centres – there is no proper control of the SOPs.
“The flow of people without compliance with the SOPs have become even more lax. Patrolling police can see people having barbeque gatherings in the open even when confirmed cases have been detected in the housing areas.”
He said 27 new confirmed cases in Bintulu reported on July 30 was the true picture that nobody should be complacent.
“There should be no confusion: outbreaks of confirmed cases are never far away. To start to take it for granted and prematurely relax our compliance with the SOPs could wipe away all the efforts and sacrifice we have made so far, especially the work of our frontline personnel.”
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KUCHING (August 1): All Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) members should not be paid their salaries and allowances from Aug 2 in line with the extension of the Emergency in the state until Feb 2 next year, said Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan.
He argued that yesterday’s proclamation of the six-month emergency by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to suspend the Sarawak election due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns made no mention about the term of the state assemblymen being extended until February 2022.
“Therefore, all the assemblymen in Sarawak should not be paid their salaries and allowances during the period of emergency. There is no provision in the Sarawak Constitution for the (DUN) Speaker or Sarawak Cabinet to order state assemblymen to be paid their salaries and allowances during the emergency.
“The lacuna in the law should be resolved in favour of the public, that no monies should be spent anymore on the state assemblymen in Sarawak,” he said, in response to the Agong’s proclamation of the localised emergency for Sarawak.
Voon pointed out that the salaries and allowances of all 82 Sarawak DUN members amount to about RM2 million each month, or RM12 million over the next six months of the extended emergency.
Such sum of monies should instead be used in the fight against the pandemic, which is consistent with the decree of the King, he added.
“The Sarawak Constitution also gives no provision to the King to allow salaries and allowances to be paid to the assemblymen during the emergency,” he said.
He also said PBK fully supports the continuation of the Emergency in Sarawak in order to fight the ‘unseen enemy’ that is Covid-19.
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KUCHING (August 1): Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng has appealed to dog owners to vaccinate their pets against rabies as there had been 27 cases of dog bites reported to the council in just one week from July 18.
He also revealed that during that period, Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Padawan Municipal Council had reported six and 25 cases respectively.
The mayor also warned dog owners not to bring their pets to a public garden as they risk being fined.
“With rabies outbreak still happening in the state, I would like to warn the community again to keep your dogs indoors for the safety of the community,” he told a Facebook Live discussion.
Since the rabies outbreak was declared in Sarawak on July 1, 2017, the number of cases have reached 35, with 33 fatalities.
Those wanting to get their pet dogs vaccinated against rabies can contact Kuching office at 082-628248/082-628250/082-628255, Serian (019-2045829), Kota Samarahan (082-671221), Sarikei (084-658129), Sri Aman (083-322106), Betong (083-471622), Sibu (084-330224), Mukah (084-871050), Bintulu (086-335770), Miri (085-411866), Limbang (085-212177) and Lawas (085-285085) for an appointment.
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Zin Azman (left) delivering a food basket to a fisherman who was out at sea yesterday.
KUCHING (August 1): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak has delivered 80 food baskets to the families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic at Kampung Selabat, Bako.
Its director First Admiral (Maritime) Zin Azman Md Yunus, said the initiative was part of the agency’s corporate social responsibility programme.
“This programme is aimed at easing the burden of the families as well as to show our appreciation to the families who have been working closely with MMEA by channeling information to us,” said Zin Azman in a statement.
On Friday, the food baskets were handed out to families at Kampung Selabat, and yesterday, the food baskets were delivered to those who are out at sea.
Inside the food baskets are basic necessities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, wheat, flour, eggs and biscuits.
Besides the distribution of food baskets, safety stickers containing the contact numbers of MMEA were also distributed to the boat owners.
The food baskets were sponsored by the MMEA headquarters in Putrajaya.
It was also stated that the programme was carried out strictly in compliance with the standard operating procedures to break the infection chain of the Covid-19 virus.
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Blind tutor respects and cherishes the sure blessings of never losing sight of God
Ruth with her parents after her graduation ceremony in 2018.
GARBED in her academic gown and square hat, Ruth Yong strode confidently as the usher led her up the stage to receive her scroll from the Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia on her graduation day.
The year was 2018 — it was the happiest moment of her life.
The Degree in Communication and Psychology was hard-earned. Ruth was different from her other university mates, as she was totally blind.
It was a visual handicap, due to premature birth. Ruth admitted that, like any other visually-impaired or blind students, she had to work at least three times harder than sighted students both in school and university in order to excel in her studies.
Ruth’s academic achievements could be interpreted as an expression of her sheer grit and determination.
After passing her Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination at SMK Batu Lintang in Kuching, she wanted to further her studies.
Subsequently her father, a former government officer, helped her apply for a Shell scholarship. For Ruth, it was like a dream come true when Shell Malaysia awarded her the scholarship. She entered Monash University in Kuala Lumpur in 2014 as the only blind student there.
Being her first time away from home, Ruth was ready to take on new challenges.
“The university went the extra mile to help me. I was given additional time to complete assignments and exams, and provided with Braille question papers and a computer screen reader programme, JAWS (Job Access with Speech) that came with a laptop.
“Throughout each semester, I was also supplied with reading materials in a format that enabled me to learn through hearing,” she explained.
The university’s Disability Support Services made efforts to convert scanned PDF copies of the reading materials into Word-format ones.
The conversion process would take weeks or months to prepare due to formatting and editing issues.
“I had to wait patiently as the materials were indispensable. Likewise, soft copies of textbooks normally came a month or two after a semester began. As a result, I was always left behind in my studies and had to catch up,” she continued.
Ruth’s first year in university was the toughest. Apart from having to adjust herself to the new environment, she found that the classes were not blind-friendly.
During communications classes, for instance, the students had to watch movies every week and write their reviews while her psychology class activities could not be processed through the JAWS software.
Determination and positive outlook
On the keyboard entertaining friends during a casual dinner party. Ruth passed her Grade 8 piano examination with distinction when she was 19.
“I remember crying almost every week over the difficulties that I faced as a blind student that I felt like giving up on my studies altogether,” she recalled.
Yet, she never gave up – she decided to take all the impediments with greater determination. Whilst doing her utmost in catching up with her studies, she came to know many beautiful souls.
“One of them, for instance, was an Australian exchange student who would spend about four hours every week to read out and explain to me lecture notes. I also had supportive lecturers who understood my needs.”
With her pleasant demeanour, courage and optimism, and not considering blindness as a hindrance, Ruth had created for herself a world of durability.
She developed a close circle of friends from the university as well as her church.
At the university, she also had the opportunity to know students from other parts of the world. To be exposed to the outside world was a liberating experience for Ruth. Her resilience as a blind student away from home must be attributed to all these, notably her positive outlook in life.
“Moving around the university was one big challenge for me, but thanks to my friends who helped me to get to classes, the library and so on. They also eased my trouble of getting essential stuff such as food and personal items. I also had my moments such as going to the malls and eating out with them, or just enjoying each other’s company, especially during short breaks,” she reminisced.
There were inevitable drawbacks, nonetheless. Sometimes, she had to miss classes when her friends were not available. Many times, she was late for the lectures. There were times she fell sick in the dark alone. She felt she had come to another phase of her life where she learned more about the bitter truths of being totally blind.
Faith in God gives clear vision
At the same time, she also learned about the sure blessings of never losing sight of God.
“My faith in God gives me a clear vision of His invisible hand in my life. He makes me strong to face all the hard truths about being totally blind. He is my ever present help,” she said.
After graduation, Ruth was enthusiastic in looking for a job, but each application was met with disappointment. She found that seeking employment as a blind graduate was very frustrating.
“One of the main problems was the lack of response from employers. Out of the over 60 job applications that I sent out, only a few responded albeit with regret,” she disclosed.
“It seems that most employers lack confidence in accepting blind people into their corporations. They probably think that we are not capable of working in higher positions.
“I have to admit that we need assistance for tasks that involve visuals such as reading out physical papers, paper work and moving around. Probably because of that they’re reluctant to take us in as it may incur cost.”
Still, Ruth refused to remain a victim of the consequences. Even before she left for her tertiary education, she took up a temporary job at the Kuching Blind Centre where she taught blind students, on a low pay. Not being able to secure a job with the government or private firms did not dampen her spirit.
She then created a job for herself as an English tutor to some blind individuals.
She took the job seriously, displaying competence in teaching and in the English language.
Her sincere effort served as a stepping stone to her present job as an online tutor.
A friend had introduced her to a refugee centre and an orphanage in Kuala Lumpur needing a tutor to teach students from their respective homes.
Today, she is not only tutoring normally-sighted students from the homes, but also students from the Pertubuhan Komuniti Orang Asli.
“It is a joy to be able to teach the underprivileged, although it can be quite challenging at times as some of the students are not quite disciplined,” said a beaming Ruth, who receives her monthly salary from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Kuala Lumpur.
“As the classes progress, I’m expected to look for new students on my own, which I’m in the process of doing.
“I’m currently looking for new students from within and outside Malaysia who are interested in learning English online,” she said.
Aspiring to be a teacher
Ruth Yong: ‘Despite my visual disability, I’m thankful for what I have and for who I am’.
At 29, Ruth now aspires to be a professional teacher. Having found her niche in teaching, she has enrolled in a local university to pursue a Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
“We should never stop learning. I will still be tutoring online whilst pursuing my studies.”
Clearly, Ruth’s life is not subject to the limitation of her visual disability.
“I look at things on the bright side and also encourage others to do the same. I would like to use my skills and talent to contribute to society, be a role model and motivate people to move forward no matter what their circumstances are.”
The only daughter and the youngest child besides two brothers, Ruth considers herself blessed to be having a supportive family. Her parents have always believed in her, sending her to school up to Form 6 and at the same time, seeing her through her piano lessons till she completed Grade 8 with distinction at the age of 19.
They gave her their full support when she wanted to go to university. It must be one of the proudest moments of their lives to see their girl receiving her scroll from Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia on that momentous day when she graduated.
There are many things that make her life bearable – particularly, her love for reading.
Thanks to modern technology, she can now read through listening via online.
She still reads Braille although, according to her, books in Braille are now limited in this digital era.
Knowing how to play the piano is one of the best gifts that she is blessed with.
“It’s calming; it’s liberating. I find solace in playing the piano.”
Yes, there are times Ruth would feel sad, though rarely, about being blind, but she never once blames God or her parents.
In her world of darkness, she easily trips and falls even over little things in her way.
Simple things such as finding something she has dropped on the floor could take a long time for her to do.
“Sometimes, it makes me feel a bit angry. It’s hard to be blind,” she admitted.
Learning to appreciate life
Still, she exudes hope – one that shines forth and brings light to her life that she is able to say: “Despite my visual disability, I’m thankful for what I have and for who I am. Instead of regretting over what I don’t have, I learn to appreciate life.
“I’m thankful that I was able to further my education in Monash. There are people who are physically able but do not have the means or opportunity to pursue higher learning.
“There are also those who lack the confidence or moral support to do so.
“There are people who are in more difficult situations than I am.”
Ruth being escorted to the stage to receive her scroll from the Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia on her graduation day.
Ruth’s story brings to light the thoughts, struggles and aspiration of a young blind woman, who rose from the aches and discomfort of darkness with courage and resolve to pursue her education up to university and engage on an online teaching profession.
Her trust in God gives her the light of hope that points to the direction and purpose of her life that no darkness can overpower.
Her story challenges us to rediscover our sense of compassion and humanity in a world where people with disability are often deprived of opportunities for employment or social participation.
We are guilty of allowing them to suffer in quiet isolation because of their handicap.
We must take appropriate steps and collective efforts to change the mindsets of many who have not been properly enlightened on the plight of the handicapped folk.
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(@JKJAVMY) August 1, 2021
As emerging markets around the world continue their recovery from Covid-19, remittances are playing a key role in supporting the economic rebound.
