The Star - Friday, 12 August 2022

Watch out tomorrow!

Mat rempit are under the spotlight again after an illegal motorcycle street race last month killed five people.

As authorities push for tougher laws to curb the problem, we explore what drives such deadly thrill-seeking behaviour.

Friday 12 august 2022 • PP19652/12/2020 (035234) (No. 22971) RM2.00 • 1300-88-7827 (Customer Service)

Show us

the money

The much-awaited political funding Bill is set to become law soon. It will be tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat in October and is likely to introduce funding transparency and accountability. It will also set limits on political donation, among others. > See reports on page 5 by MARTIN CARVALHO

Where is the island?

The 68-storey Komtar building and many parts of Penang island were just a blur after the state was blanketed by haze. However, the readings only showed moderate haze and the skies cleared up by late afternoon. > See report on page 11

Photo: LO TERN CHERN /The Star

Nation

The beauty of having a professional licence. >4

2 Nation

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

King tells graduates to appreciate independence history KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has called on graduates to always remember and appreciate the country’s independence history.

His Majesty said it was important for graduates to value the country’s history because it could help instil love for the nation and appreciate the prosperity enjoyed by the country today.

“As the heirs of the nation, the younger generation should always appreciate and learn from history so as not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

“That’s why many world scholars say that the national identity of a country is closely related to history,” Sultan Abdullah said in his royal address at the Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 17th and 18th convocation ceremony yesterday.

Also in attendance was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

UniKL pro-chancellor Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, who is also Rural Development Minister, and Majlis Amanah Rakyat chairman Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun were also present.

“The efforts to instill the spirit of nationalism and a sense of appreci-

ation of the country’s history should go hand in hand,” said His Majesty in a Bernama report.

Sultan Abdullah praised UniKL for being the pioneer in various new technologies such as sustainable energy, electric vehicles, big data, Internet of Things and aerospace.

As such, His Majesty wanted UniKL to continue to explore new fields of knowledge for community capacity building and to put the

country on par with other developed countries.

At the ceremony, Sultan Abdullah also proclaimed Mahdzir and Azizah as the new UniKL pro-chancellors and presented the instrument of appointment to both of them.

The 13-session convocation ceremony which began yesterday until Aug 17 saw a total of 10,547 graduates from the class of 2020 and 2021 receiving their scrolls.

M’sia to strengthen ties with Japan PM calls for both countries to work on Look East Policy via tech innovation

By ALIZA SHAH alizashah@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia wants to explore new cooperation on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework with Japan under the Look East Policy (LEP), says the Prime Minister.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022 stated that issues such as climate change, social impact due to an ageing population and social polarisation due to the Covid-19 pandemic were expected to adversely impact most countries over the next decade.

“I urge that new areas of cooperation related to ESG be explored by

both countries through projects and programmes implemented under the LEP. “This includes diversifying cooperation in the field of disaster crisis, ageing society, digital economy, science, technology and innovation as well as green growth,” he said in his speech read by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali in conjunction with the LEP’s 40th anniversary event held at a hotel here yesterday.

The Malaysian government adopted the LEP in 1982, and targeted social and economic development in the country through learning from Japan.

Ismail Sabri said four decades of successful cooperation between

Malaysia and Japan were now centred on new areas in line with the technological revolution that brought changes to the industrial and global economic landscape.

He said cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in which Japan has high expertise, needed to be improved to ensure the sustainability of the Look East Policy for the period ahead.

“I hope the Japanese government will provide continuous support to encourage more cooperation through the implementation of joint-venture projects under the LEP,” he added.

Ismail said as a pioneer in the

global halal industry, Malaysia can help Japan develop its halal industry.

“Malaysia as a pioneer in the global halal industry can certainly help Japan which has a high interest in developing its halal industry.”

Ismail Sabri also suggested that both countries explore cooperation to resolve problems related to supply chains, adding that during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in May, he called for regional supply chains to be strengthened with supporting investment in digital infrastructure.

He said simplifying capacity development would strengthen the resilience of local supply chains.

Later, Azmin told reporters that Malaysia had developed and imple-

mented an ESG-based investment policy to ensure sustainable economic development and supply chain resiliency, which had become an issue due to the pandemic.

He said Malaysia’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) could assist in capacity development and technical assistance needed to encourage the adaptation of automation and digitalisation.

“In addition to this, Miti has also introduced many incentives so that our SMEs can immediately switch to using green technology, and this will continue so that we can achieve the goal (net-zero Greenhouse Gas (GhG) emissions target) that has been set by 2050,” he said.

Enlivening Merdeka celebration by using recycled materials IPOH: A senior citizen created various replicas from used materials and decorated them with the Jalur Gemilang to show his love for the country this Merdeka.

Tazar Alang Ibrahim, 62, built the replicas of tanks, cannons and helicopters with used tyres, iron and plastic.

He placed them at his nasi lemak stall near the Muhammadiah Mosque in Tasek here.

The unique items caught the attention of passers-by, who took photos and shared them on their social media.

There were visitors who came all the way from Melaka and Penang just to see the replicas, Tazar said.

He said he felt compelled to use the discarded materials to create replicas to enliven the National Month celebration as recycling is almost forgotten these days.

“I have been doing this since 1998 because I enjoy seeing the vibrant colours of the Jalur Gemilang in each of my creations,” Tazar said.

“This year, I produced replicas of tanks, cannons and helicopters using my own money and some discarded materials such as old tyres, plastic and iron,” he told Bernama.

The father of two added that he would usually complete his creations in the first week of August.

“I took pictures and uploaded them on Facebook to create excitement for National Day. Some gave positive comments,” he added.

Tazar also encouraged the younger generations to show their patriotic spirit not only during National Month but also in their daily lives.

National pride: tazar

standing next to a tank he made using old tyres, recycled plastic and iron.

— Bernama

Nation 3

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Reports by MAZWIN NIK ANIS, GERARD GIMINO and RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM

MACC completes probe

investigation papers on LCs have been submitted to agC PUTRAJAYA: Graft investigators have submitted investigation papers to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), proposing for charges to be made against several individuals in connection with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) scandal.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said that it had completed investigation papers involving several individuals alleged to have committed misappropriation in handling the project.

“We have submitted investigation papers and have proposed that

charges against several individuals be considered by the AGC,” it said.

The MACC said it will take further instructions after the AGC reviews the investigation papers.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob told the MACC to expedite investigations into the LCS case, and should there be solid proof for the Attorney General to prosecute and bring those responsible to court.

The Cabinet has also decided for two high-level investigative reports, including one by the governance, procurement and finance investiga-

tion committee, be made public.

The committee, led by former Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, was set up in 2018 and its first task was to investigate procurements made by the Defence Ministry.

The other report is a forensic audit report on the project that was conducted in 2019, which will be declassified.

The Prime Minister also said a probe into the issue will be transparent and that the government would not protect anyone involved.

On July 19, The Star reported that

anti-graft investigators were convinced that they had enough evidence to bring charges against several individuals involved in the multibillion-ringgit LCS project.

On Aug 4, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that some RM1.4bil in government allocation for the LCS project had been used for other purposes, including cost overruns.

The two-year probe by PAC also revealed that the RM9bil project was done through direct negotiations with Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd and was inked in 2014.

Now, MMEA is left waiting for boats PETALING JAYA: After the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) scandal, a new controversy over the delivery of boats has broken out.

This time, it is over three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) which have yet to be delivered.

MMEA had been scheduled to receive at least one of them this month, after the government had previously given an 18-month extension to the company, TH Heavy Engineering, to complete all three vessels.

So far, none has been delivered, Sinar Harian reported. The company too is facing financial pressure.

In June, it had been reported that the Home Ministry had assured the MMEA that at least one of the vessels would be delivered this year.

The report stated that TH Heavy

Maritime necessities:

MMEa patrol vessels are essential for effective monitoring to safeguard the nation’s waters. was facing losses of up to RM628.9mil and debt amounting to RM165mil, while only having cash flow of RM27.5mil to complete the said vessels. This has raised questions on whether it will be able to complete the three vessels as promised.

Defence analyst Zaki Salleh was quoted as saying the delay in the arrival of the OPVs was detrimental towards the MMEA’s efforts to efficiently safeguard the

nation’s waters.

“Most MMEA ships are old and hand-me-downs from the Royal Malaysian Police and the Royal Malaysian Navy.

“An OPV can patrol for longer hours and improve efforts to prevent intrusions,” he said.

Existing patrol boats, he said, could only operate for up to four days in a row and would have to return to base on the fifth day to

obtain supplies, which would result in missed patrols.

“Although the MMEA can function with other assets like helicopters, OPVs are especially crucial now,” he said.

He said delay in OPV delivery should not have happened, as the contracted company had had ample time to build them.

“We do not want a repeat of the LCS issue,” he said.

Najib: Boustead was doing fine when I was PM PETALING JAYA: Boustead Holdings, whose subsidiary is in the centre of the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal, was profitable when he was prime minister, claims Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib claimed Boustead, owned by the Armed Forces Pension Fund (LTAT), only started suffering significant losses after Barisan Nasional fell in the 2018 General Election (GE14).

Uploading a graph of Boustead’s 2009-2017 net profit onto his Facebook post, he asked: “What did Pakatan Harapan (PH) do during the 22 months they were in power even if it is true that the LCS project was stopped in April 2018?”

“The project was stopped for 22 months, and (they) waited for two years to make it an issue in 2022 by asking where is the ship?” he said.

“If they want to make a propaganda of lies, they need to use the brain (sic),” he added.

He said that since Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) failed to pay, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) had to stop work.

“BNS’ financial situation was confirmed as weak and critical due to power abuse and financial mismanagement,” he said.

“When did they stop their work?

April 2018. PH won the election in May 2018,” the Muar MP pointed out.

Najib, however, posted screenshots of former Pakatan Harapan defence minister Mohamad Sabu’s tweet from 2019 when he visited the BNS Shipyard in Lumut, Perak, to inspect the LCS project.

Najib asked Mohamad and his then deputy Liew Chin Tong what they were doing visiting the site in 2018 and 2019 if the project had been stopped in April 2018.

He said the PH government could have resolved the problem immediately, and Boustead, an important asset of LTAT, could have been saved.

LCS scandal may be a non-issue in GE15, say analysts PETALING JAYA: The RM9bil Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) scandal that has surfaced recently may be a significant issue for some, but it is not likely to affect the support enjoyed by the Barisan Nasional-led administration, political analysts say.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement that a forensic report would be declassified, with a probe ordered has taken the wind out of the issue.

Given that there is no indication when the 15th General Election (GE15) will be held, it could also become a non-issue by the time the elections come around, they say.

Even the planned protest by some groups this Sunday is unlikely to sway the voters.

At worst, the controversy has only caused a slight dent in Barisan’s popularity, said Dr Azmi Hassan, senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for

Strategic Research (NASR).

“The current Barisan scapegoat is Datuk Seri Najib Razak, but he does not hold any position except as MP. Hence, it will not affect the political landscape,” he said.

He said Ismail Sabri’s call for a probe showed the government, now without Najib, would take action against those guilty.

“The problem is whether there was any mishandling in terms of corruption by the then defence minister,” he said, dismissing claims that it was akin to another 1MDB scandal.

Dr Azmi said that although the issue was positive for Pakatan Harapan, it did not give much mileage for Perikatan Nasional as many of its senior members, especially those from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, were part of the government.

“It leaves Perikatan in an awk-

ward position. Take, for example, how Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin lamented the issue although he was the prime minister at that time,” he said.

Dr Azmi, however, voiced concern over the LCS issue, especially as it is tied to security matters.

“These ships are crucial in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. “With this issue taking a political angle, it may cause a further delay in the arrival of the ships. What’s worse, other nations will know the technical specifications of our LCS,” he said.

Universiti Malaya’s Assoc Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi also said Ismail Sabri’s order for a probe could improve confidence among the people towards Barisan.

“This, however, depends on the findings and how the opposition uses this,” he said.

WEATHER GEORGE TOWN

Barisan could face a torrid time from Pakatan at GE15 if the issue is not tackled efficiently by the current Ismail Sabri-led government.

“I am, however, confident the Prime Minister will ensure the issue is at least pacified,” he said.

He said it was also difficult for the opposition to capitalise on this matter, especially in the rural and semi-urban communities.

“Although the opposition can campaign through social media, it would still be hard to sway Barisan and Umno strongholds,” he said.

“It all depends on how the opposition harps on this issue until Parliament is dissolved,” he said.

Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said managing perceptions is key to ensuring the issue does not become political baggage in GE15.

“Although the issue does give mileage for both Pakatan and Perikatan, transparency by the cur-

rent government in tackling it can help regain voters’ trust,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst. He added that voters now had the luxury of comparing three different administrations over the past few years.

“This will allow them to evaluate beyond the issues at hand.

Candidates and parties will have to build trust among the voters,” he said, adding that fence-sitters would be the real kingmakers.

Prof Sivamurugan, however, noted that the situation could spiral out of control if efforts were not made to calm the waters quickly.

“In the lead up to GE14, information on the 1MDB scandal reached rural and Felda areas due to the use of social media.

“To avoid a repeat, the government has to ensure the LCS probe is transparent, open and reflects good governance,” he said.

PRAYER TIMES K. LUMPUR

JOHOR BARU

KOTA BARU

K. KINABALU

KUCHING

AM

Rain

No rain

No rain

No rain

No rain

Isolated rain

PM

No rain

Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms

No rain

No rain

Isolated thunderstorms

ALOR SETAR 6:03 Subuh 1:26 Zohor 4:42 Asar Maghrib 7:35 8:47 Isyak

PENANG Subuh 6:04 1:26 Zohor 4:43 Asar Maghrib 7:34 8:46 Isyak

K. LUMPUR 6:01 Subuh 1:21 Zohor 4:39 Asar Maghrib 7:28 8:39 Isyak

JOHOR BARU 5:55 Subuh 1:13 Zohor 4:31 Asar Maghrib 7:17 8:28 Isyak

KUANTAN 5:56 Subuh 1:16 Zohor 4:34 Asar Maghrib 7:21 8:33 Isyak

KOTA BARU Subuh 5:56 1:19 Zohor 4:35 Asar Maghrib 7:28 8:35 Isyak

4 Nation

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Unmasking beauty quacks

Move to better regulate industry to ensure public’s safety

By ALIZA SHAH and IYLIA MARSYA ISKANDAR newsdesk@thestar.com.my PETALING JAYA: The government has initiated steps to better regulate the lucrative but poorly monitored beauty industry, which has indirectly caused the number of fake medical practitioners to increase.

Welcoming the move, medical groups and beauticians hope that beauticians who illegally provide dental and aesthetic procedures and courses can finally be reined in.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid told The Star that the ministry and the Health Ministry (MOH) are engaging with stakeholders to discuss the plan.

Rosol said that at the moment, both ministries are seeking a middle ground as to what procedures can and cannot be offered by beauticians.

“Currently, we don’t have a law to regulate the beauty industry when it is growing rapidly, and people are earning handsomely from it.

“We are discussing with MOH to see what procedures the beauty parlours can offer and what they can’t.

“MOH is looking at it based on a few things: whether the practitioners are using equipment registered under the Medical Devices Authority, possible effects of such procedures and whether they are invasive or non-invasive.

“If it is a non-invasive procedure, then it will fall under the purview of KPDNHEP,” Rosol said, adding that ascertaining whether a procedure is invasive or not is not an easy task.

Many have raised concerns over the abundance of beauty parlours and beauticians offering aesthetic and dental services such as braces and veneer procedures, whitening drip and platelet-rich plasma therapy.

A few botched cases have been reported where patients were either scarred for life or died.

Using “cosmetics or for beauty” to justify their offerings, some beauticians also conducted short courses

Botched aesthetic procedures by unlicensed beauty practitioners ■ 2022 > A transgender who identified as Loo was left with a crooked nose after a botched nose job of around RM 12,000 by a beauty centre in Kepong. > Salon owner Adam Hamil sued two aesthetic doctors for RM2.7mil after a procedure to fix his nose went wrong and left his nose deformed. > National Consumer Action Council (NCAC) in Penang received a complaint from a woman who claimed to suffer from extreme itching and rashes after she got a nose job at a beauty shop. > A woman named Nabela experienced severe allergies and numbness after a skin-whitening drip treatment by an ‘aesthetic therapist’.

■ 2020 > Coco Siew Zhi Shing, 23, died following a liposuction that went awry at a beauty salon in Kuala Lumpur.

■ 2019 > MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said 10 women had lost more than RM2mil due to botched cosmetic procedures since 2017. > Nanthini, 25, did a mesotherapy treatment by injection at an aesthetic clinic in KL Sentral to reduce fat on her arms which left them disfigured.

■ 2011 > Singaporean Ms Guo developed a nose infection after a rhinoplasty procedure in Kuala Lumpur and needed daily injections and medication.

Source: News reports

for those wanting to acquire such skills.

In July, The Star reported that from RM1,000 to RM3,000, anyone could participate in various short courses such as installing braces and veneers and performing whitening procedures with a certificate and starter kit at the end of the courses.

Commenting on this, Rosol said action could be taken against those who provide illegal short medical courses as the certificates issued are invalid.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Koh Kar Chai called for a full investigation into fake practitioners.

“The authorities should come downstronglyonthese(unqualified) practitioners and trainers,” he said.

Dr Koh said once the regulation is in place, the government should also organise public awareness programmes to educate the public, especially in identifying unlicensed or uncertified beauty centres.

Malaysian Dental Association president Dr Lim Chiew Wooi said going after the trainers of illegal practitioners is crucial in stamping out illegal dental practices.

“When unqualified trainers train the people, it is like the blind leading the blind. We should not allow people to provide training that can harm others,” he said, adding that there is also a need to empower the public with oral health knowledge.

Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine president Dr Chin Shih Choon said regulating the beauty industry is good. The practitioners

should never be allowed to infringe on medical procedures.

“Medical procedures can only be done by medical doctors.

“Unqualified practitioners cannot administer injections, perform thread lifting, laser treatments and what more, surgeries,” Dr Chin said.

“During the previous engagement between the stakeholders, some of them portrayed lasers as harmless but we told them no, they are dangerous and could harm others.”

Dr Chin said medical aesthetic practitioners took years to earn the licence needed to perform aesthetic procedures.

Only about 300 doctors in the field of aesthetics and beauty treatment are accredited under the MOH.

‘Procedures to be done only by qualified individuals’

By FAZLEENA AZIZ fazleena@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: Unqualified and unregistered individuals will not be allowed to carry out any beauty procedures, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

“We will not compromise on this matter because procedures involving dentists or orthodontists must be done by qualified doctors who are registered,” said Khairy.

“There is no other way around this unless they have formal training in the matter.

“We will be increasing our enforcement effort to ensure such practices by fake doctors are not carried out.”

He told reporters yesterday that such procedures are highly risky and must be done by qualified individuals.

Khairy was responding to The Star’s series of reports exposing syndicates in the beauty industry that allegedly offer short dentistry courses to anyone who wish to acquire the skills and set up their own business.

On this, he said his ministry and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry will have an engagement session with beauty industry representatives to work out considerations.

Khairy added that the meeting would be held as industry players had requested it.

On Wednesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry is coming down hard on illegal dental practitioners whose activities are harmful to the public.

Dr Noor Hisham said curbing rampant illegal dental activities is a shared responsibility between those who provide and receive treatments and those who conduct unauthorised training.

Call for licence to perform beauty procedures PETALING JAYA: Introduce professional licensing similar to the doctor’s annual practising certificate for beauty practitioners, industry players say.

Malaysian Association of Wellness and Spa president Dorothea Justin said there is a need for a proper regulatory body to offer and monitor professional programmes to allow beauty practitioners to seek proper accreditation and to ensure the programmes offered meet certain standards.

“We don’t want people to claim that they are beauticians after going for an overnight course, so that is why we are now working with the Human Resources Department of Skills Development to establish modules for beauticians and aestheticians.

“There are a few levels: beginners can start with Level 2 or 3, whereas those who wish to go beyond and become professionals must sit for certain specific certifications.

“These practitioners must also be

“We don’t want people to claim that they are beauticians after going for an overnight course.” dorothea Justin required to go for industrial training to get certified,” she added.

Dorothea said beauticians must keep themselves updated on the latest techniques, trends and products by attending seminars, beauty shows and training programmes to collect points for their continuous professional development.

“For example, under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775), those practising therapeutic Malay massage and chronic pain post-natal massage need to apply for the certificate of practice renewal every year.

“It would be good if we can apply this to beauticians who are doing more than basic facials,” she said.

She hopes the government would discuss with stakeholders on the types of procedures that beauty practitioners would be allowed to offer.

“Some of the cosmetic procedures will include injections; we hope they will guide us on what the requirements are or accreditation needs for us to perform such procedures and not just disallow us from doing it.

“Perhaps the revised beauty guidelines can use the word cosmetic procedure rather than a surgical or dental procedure to clearly demonstrate that it is being carried out for cosmetic purposes.

“The key aim of the regulation is to correct the public safety issue by

requiring all beauticians who perform the specified non-surgical cosmetic or aesthetic procedures to provide evidence that they meet a new and yet to be defined minimum standard of training, education and skill competence,” she said.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid told The Star that the ministry, together with the Health Ministry (MOH), are engaging with stakeholders to discuss the plan to better regulate the beauty industry and make necessary amendments to the Beauty Industry 2013 guidelines.

Dr Chong Clinic Group chief executive officer and consultant aesthetic physician Dr Chong Tze Sheng said the increase of unlicensed and unregulated procedures could be fuelled by a cross-jurisdictional situation as beauty centres and aesthetic clinics fall under the jurisdiction of different ministries.

“All aesthetics clinics are under the MOH care and regulations but

beauty centres are under KPDNHEP. “We are under different jurisdictions, so maybe that’s why there are many unlicensed and unregulated procedures,” he said.

He added that public education, too, is of importance as based on his personal observation, there has been an up to 50% increase of patients suffering side effects from injections and treatments from beauty centres.

Medical director of Alainn Clinic Dr Nurul Ain Abdullah said the government needs to push for public education as the public are not able to differentiate between healthcare centres with a licence to practise medical aesthetics procedures and beauty centres.

She said the public need to be made aware of the types of beauty services available and where they should seek treatment such as beauty salons/centres for non-invasive treatments, aesthetic clinics for minimally invasive treatments and plastic surgeons for medical procedures.

Nation 5

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Plans underway to improve rail industry, says Wee

By TARRENCE TAN and JUSTIN ZACK newsdesk@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: Plans are afoot to improve the rail industry, which will include a procurement policy that will prioritise qualified local companies to undertake projects, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

“This is timely because the development of rail projects in Asean is rapidly developing and we need to seize the opportunity to penetrate the Asean market,” said Dr Wee. The Cabinet, he added, has agreed to rebrand the National Rail Centre of Excellence (NRCOE) as an organisation known as the Malaysian Rail Development Corporation (MRDC).

The MRDC will fall under the purview of the Transport Ministry and will act as an integrated and planned coordinating body to develop the rail industry.

“The MRDC will be developing professional, skilled and semiskilled talent in the rail industry, improving standards, assuring quality as well as coordinating rail technology studies and research by higher learning institutions

Trial run: dr Wee flagging off the asean Express trend service at KtM station in Kuala Lumpur — sHaari CHEMat /the star through collaboration with local industry players in order to keep up with the needs of the industry,” said Dr Wee at the launch of the Rail Technology Expo (RTX) at KL Sentral yesterday.

MRDC will be a company limited by guarantee (CLBG), where it will function with the support of Putrajaya.

On another matter, noting that the international rail industry has begun implementing carbon footprint reduction measures, Dr Wee said it is time for local players to implement similar measures.

“It (carbon footprint reduction measures) will also help the country achieve an unconditional 45% reduction in carbon intensity of the

gross domestic product by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.

“I hope in future, local industry players will support the maintenance and repair of rail assets and increase the lifespan and operability of rail assets to up to 30 to 40 years, so we can reduce the outflow of money from the country and provide savings to the government,” he added.

On the RTX which will take place until Aug 14, it has the participation of 55 companies consisting of government agencies, local and international companies, as well as higher learning institutions.

There are also 12 companies involved in a mini career carnival in RTX. Dr Wee said the RTX event was to allow the public to better understand rail technology and to involve them in efforts to develop the rail transport sector through brainstorming sessions, businesses matching activities and various seminars.

The RTX is organised by the Transport Ministry in collaboration with the NRCOE, the Malaysia Rail Industry Corporation and the Technology Depository Agency (TDA).

From October, Keretapi Tanah

Funding Bill in October meet Parliament to discuss proposals to regulate political financing

By MARTIN CARVALHO mart3@thestar.com.my PETALING JAYA: The long-awaited law to regulate political funding will be tabled in Parliament this October.

“The Bill on political funding is in the pipeline and we are working to get it tabled during the Parliament meeting in October,” Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said when contacted yesterday.

The proposed political funding law will be among the main focus of Dewan Rakyat when it meets on Oct 26, apart from Budget 2023 and the generational endgame anti-smoking Bill.

The move to get the Bill ready before October comes after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to its tabling.

Ismail Sabri, however, said whether such laws could be ready before the 15th General Election (GE15) remains to be seen.

Calls by civil society for laws on political funding have grown louder in recent months, particularly in light of several high-profile court

“It is not related to the MOU, but it is an initiative by the government under the transparency programme.” datuk seri dr Wan Junaidi tuanku Jaafar cases linked to “political donations”.

Although political funding laws were first mooted in 2016 by the then National Consultative Committee on Political Financing, they received resistance from several quarters, including from Pakatan Harapan.

The Committee had come up with 32 recommendations to address the lack of laws on transparent political funding, including the creation of the office of the controller of political donations and a ban on cash donations from foreign sources.

However, the proposed Political Donations and Expenditure Act did not make it to Parliament before the 14th General Election in 2018.

In 2019, the Pakatan administration intended to table laws on political funding but could not do so after the government collapsed in February the following year.

In July, government backbencher Fadhil Shaari submitted a motion to Dewan Rakyat for a Private Members’ Bill on political funding.

Among the proposal by Fadhil include setting up a RM130mil Political Funding Fund, which political parties would be eligible for if they gained at least 2% of votes during an election.

Also included are provisions to cap political donations to RM50,000 from individuals, RM100,000 from companies and RM500,000 from groups of companies per year.

Government-linked companies, including certain foundations, would be prohibited from making political contributions.

The Pasir Mas member of Parliament (MP) heads the All Parliamentary Group on Political Financing (APPG), representing nine political parties in Dewan Rakyat.

Currently, there are no laws to

regulate and monitor political funds, although there are limits on campaign spending by candidates – RM200,000 for federal and RM100,000 for state elections.

Meanwhile, when asked whether the initiative to table political funding laws in Parliament in October formed part of the MOU between the government and opposition on political reforms, Wan Junaidi said “No”.

“It is not related to the MOU, but is an initiative by the government under the transparency, governance and accountability programme,” he said.

However, the minister did not divulge details of the proposed law, only saying that he would be issuing a press statement soon.

The government and the opposition signed an MOU on political transformation and stability last September, paving the way for historic bipartisanship.

Among the agreements under the MOU was that Parliament could not be dissolved before July 31 this year. Although no new MOU will be inked, Ismail Sabri was reported to have said the government would still work with the opposition for the sake of the rakyat.

Move to table political funding law praised PETALING JAYA: Moves by the government to push for greater political reforms through political funding laws were given the thumbs up by Parliament’s multiparty caucus and electoral watchdog Bersih.

“After the passing of the anti-hopping law, the political financing Bill would be the most significant reform the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob can deliver.

“It would go a long way to regulate the way politicians and parties raise funds and monitor their expenses,” Bersih chairman

Thomas Fann said yesterday.

The absence of such a law had led to numerous corruption scandals in the country, he said.

“This is because politicians siphon funds to themselves and call it political donations,” he added.

Fann noted that the proposed law must be effective and have strong oversight.

“We propose that a commission comprising independently appointed individuals from the judiciary, civil service, legal fraternity and civil society be empowered to enforce this law,” he suggested.

“We look forward to the tabling of the Bill, but the government must learn from the experience of the anti-hopping law and form a select committee to conduct public consultation before tabling it in Parliament for debate,” he added.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the government intends to table political funding laws in Parliament this October.

Parliamentary Caucus for Multi Party Democracy chief Maria Chin Abdullah lauded the move.

“This will strengthen the legal framework to allow for greater transparency and accountability.

“I believe we have enough cases, such as 1MDB and others, to show that we need more accountability from politicians and political parties,” the Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament said yesterday.

She said the caucus, representing nine political parties including an independent, suggested that the proposed law includes limits on sources of funds and expenses while encouraging public declaration of political parties’ finances.

Melayu Bhd (KTMB) Asean Express cargo train service will connect Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, providing a wider range of cargo transport options.

The first dry run yesterday was conducted after the train left Kuala Lumpur KTM station at 5pm.

Dr Wee flagged off the train, which is scheduled to complete its 2,206km trip from Malaysia to Laos within 72 hours.

In a statement, KTMB said the Asean Express is slated to be commercially operational in October.

“With the proposed two trips per week frequency, the Asean Express will offer a one-way cargo capacity of 80 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per week.

“From Tanaleng in Laos, the cargo brought by the Asean Express will have connections to Chinese provinces such as Kunming, Chengdu and also to Chongqing via Vientiane,” it said.

The Asean Express will offer an alternative transportation mode for Chinese exporters that have traditionally relied on sea routes.

“It will also make Malaysian ports in Penang, Klang and Tanjung Pelepas as entry and exit points for South China cargo,” it said.

‘Working abroad for better pay a global trend’ PETALING JAYA: Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has downplayed news reports that Malaysians are keen to work in Singapore due to better salary. Saravanan said working overseas for better pay and opportunities is a global trend.

“Some Malaysians work in Singapore because of the higher currency exchange, but there are also Indonesian workers who come to Malaysia because our pay is better.

“This is nothing new,” he told reporters after launching the mynext initiative yesterday.

A Malay daily recently reported that some 400,000 Malaysians are paid an average of RM6,095 to RM9,624 in Singapore just by doing odd jobs and working in the 3D (dangerous, dirty and difficult) sector.

Citing an example, Saravanan said Malaysia had attracted workers from various countries including Nepal to work in the security sector.

“This is because our people do not want to become security guards,” he added.

He also noted that the ministry would look into the issue of brain drain in a comprehensive manner, taking into consideration the minimum wage and economic growth.

Meanwhile, on the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association’s (Presma) call for an extension to the foreign workers’ recruitment period, Saravanan said he would discuss this with his ministry.

Presma had earlier expressed concern that over 3,000 mamak restaurants nationwide might end up closing their businesses due to a lack of workers, after the authorities announced the decision to suspend the intake of foreign workers between Aug 15 and 31.

On his predecessor M. Kulasegaran’s request for a detailed explanation on the spending of Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp), Saravanan did not want to comment.

6 Nation

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Covid-19 Current situation

as of Aug 10

New cases

Total cases

4,896 4,719,394

Perlis

Kedah

Penang

Perak

16

144

169

374

Home quarantine Hospitalised

42,942

1,577

(96.2%)

(3.5%)

TOTAL

Total recovered

Negri Melaka Selangor Kelantan Terengganu Pahang Sembilan

1,842

99

37

TOTAL

TOTAL

VACCINATED TWO DOSES 1st BOOSTERS 2nd BOOSTERS 4,638,716 IN MALAYSIA 27,468,521 16,197,694 402,116 (955) (4,767) (2,979 cases) (Daily figures in brackets) (957)

80

253

148

Johor

Sabah

Sarawak

120

369

89

FT FT FT K. Lumpur Putrajaya Labuan

1,046

83

27

‘No fear, campuses are safe’

Experts welcome universities say steps are in place to curb Covid-19 spread move to focus on severity of cases

By JUNAID IBRAHIM newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Students attending university orientations should not be unduly worried about Covid19 with the enrolment going back to physical mode after two years, say experts.

As the country is transitioning to the endemic phase, everyone is expected to live with the virus, including university students, said Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming of Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine.

Acknowledging the pros and cons of the move, she said a physical mode of orientation would provide better social connection among the students.

“We are aware of the risks of a

full physical orientation.

“However, a hybrid orientation will not provide the same effect for those going online mode. Students feel less connected and not involved with the activities.

“We can’t be holding hybrid activities forever, especially as we are moving towards an endemic phase,” she said when contacted, adding that universities should put in place clear guidelines.

The risk of infection could be lowered by instantly isolating students who show Covid-19 symptoms, Prof Moy added.

“If all incoming students are fully vaccinated and tested negative before entering the campus, students with flu-like symptoms, even though tested negative, should not join the orientation.

“Face masks should still be worn indoors.

“If these measures are enforced, the risk of infection will be lessened,” she said.

Some public and private universities will be handling their orientation, typically a one-week programme, physically again as more Covid-19 restrictions for mass gatherings have been lifted.

Over the past two years, universities have been exploring ways of conducting the programme which includes the use of online video platforms and social media.

Universiti Putra Malaysia epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said with the vaccines and current recommended standard operating procedure (SOP), there should be no problem for face to

face methods.

“I think they should proceed with face to face learning methods.

Online or hybrid can be reserved for other technical purposes.

“The situation now is safe for physical activities provided the students comply with the recommended SOP and are vaccinated,” she said.

Dr Malina also called for the community to be empowered when it comes to practicing public health advice while avoiding unnecessary worries pertaining to the virus.

“We have to understand that vaccines work and compliance with the SOP is important.

“As long as these two are followed strictly, the pattern of risk of infection remains the same,” she said.

KJ: Second booster take-up rate still low

By FAZLEENA AZIZ fazleena@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: Only 5% of Malaysians aged between 70 and 79 have taken their second booster shots, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

As for those 80 years old and above, only 4.5% have taken the second booster jab.

“It is still low, but we anticipated that the take-up for the second booster shot would not be high. So we will continue to assure those aged 50 and above, especially those with health issues, to take the second one.

“But for now, it is still at the encouragement level, and there will not be any compulsion. Many people are aware of Covid-19 and the benefits of vaccination,” he said yesterday.

He added that the ministry is not setting any targets, but they will continue to encourage people.

Khairy said the ministry was coming up with a yearly strategy for vaccination policy.

“We will refer to specialists on

Early detection is key: Khairy (centre) at the launch of the BEauty & HEaltH Programme in Kuala lumpur. — ONg sOON HiN/the star the stand we should take, like offering vaccination to those who are elderly and with illness.”

“It does not seem we will offer everyone. I don’t think that is very likely unless there is a new severe variant.

“But I will be announcing our policy once we have clarity on what

it is,” he said.

Earlier, Khairy launched BEAUTY (Bringing Education and Understanding to You) and HEALTH, a community-based digitally driven intervention for improving cancer-specific health knowledge, literacy, and risk-reduction practises based within community barber-

shops and beauty salons in Malaysia for screenable male and female cancers and other non-communicable diseases.

BEAUTY and HEALTH is a joint project by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and the Asia Cancer Forum (Japan).

The local barbershops and beauty salons will act as a health communication platforms for cancer prevention and screening.

In his speech, Khairy said that only 600,000 people of the 6 million who qualified for free screenings under the Health Care Scheme of the B40 Group (PeKa B40) in the last three years had used the service.

He said people’s reluctance stemmed from cultural norms, as some felt it unnecessary to do health screenings since they seemed and looked healthy and they fear bad news.

However, he said early detection provided a better outcome for the future.

Watch the video

TheStarTV.com

Reinfection cases up significantly, says Health DG

By RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM raga@thestar.com.my PETALING JAYA: Covid-19 reinfection cases were almost seven times higher during the Omicron wave than the Delta wave, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“The cumulative number of Covid-19 reinfection cases from Feb 18 to Aug 6 is about 18,799 cases,” he told The Star.

The first Omicron case was detected in Malaysia in December last year. In January, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Omicron wave had begun in Malaysia.

Citing the ministry’s data, Dr Noor Hisham said 64% of reinfections occurred after six months of

the first infection.

“Reinfection with the virus that causes Covid-19 means a person was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again.”

A second infection is considered “reinfection” when the duration between the first and second infection is more than three months.

“Research shows that recovered Covid-19 patients can be reinfected, as is common with other viruses too,” he added.

Dr Noor Hisham noted that the causes and risk factors of reinfection are not fully understood.

However, the waning of immunity that people gained through natural infection or vaccination and the emergence of the new variants may circumvent the immune protection,” he said.

“A previous SARS-CoV-2 infection provides high protection against reinfection with variants of concern (VOCs) such as Alpha and Delta, which have limited immune escape,” he added.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, Malaysia currently reports 3,000 to 5,000 Covid-19 cases. However, hospital admissions have remained stable with no significant increase.

He added that the health system’s capacity is sufficient to cope with the current situation of Covid-19.

He said the best way to fend off reinfection is the same way we avoid infection in the first place.

He reminded people to “wash their hands often, wear a mask indoors and in crowded places, avoid sick people and, most importantly, get vaccinated and boosted

even if you’ve already had Covid19,” he said.

On Wednesday, Malaysia recorded 4,896 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 4,719,394 infections since the pandemic began.

The Health Ministry’s CovidNow portal reported that 4,894 of Wednesday’s new Covid-19 cases were local transmissions, while two imported infections were logged.

There were 2,979 recoveries on Wednesday, bringing Malaysia’s cumulative number of recoveries to 4,638,716.

The portal reported there were 44,622 active cases in the country, with 42,942, or 96.2%, observing home quarantine and 35 individuals, or 0.1%, admitted to low-risk quarantine and treatment centres.

PETALING JAYA: The move to give more emphasis on the severity of Covid-19 cases instead of daily numbers has been welcomed by medical experts, who say that it is a way for Malaysians to learn to live with the disease.

However, they advised the public to continue adhering to self-precautionary measures such as isolating when infected to avoid causing a risk to vulnerable groups.

“Most Covid-19 patients have mild symptoms and they need to be socially responsible. They should quarantine themselves, inform their friends and colleagues who are their close contacts.

“If these measures are practised, we may be able to contain the infections, especially to the high risk groups,” said Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming of Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine.

She said the decision to monitor hospitalisation and death rates should be done as there were fewer people reporting their Covid-19 status.

At the same time, she also urged the government to issue constant reminders to the public to stay on alert although the national Covid-19 situation is now under control.

Universiti Putra Malaysia epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman welcomed the move to focus on mortality and hospital admissions.

Since a majority of Malaysians have been inoculated, she said medical consequences due to the virus have slowly become less serious compared to the early days of the pandemic.

“There is lesser (health) impact towards the public as the majority of our population have been vaccinated.

“The situation now is very much different than the earlier period during this pandemic,” she said.

She was commenting on Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who said on Tuesday that the government is phasing out the emphasis on daily infection numbers to be in line with the transition to endemicity.

He added that due to the relaxation of Covid-19 testing protocols, the number of actual cases is also bound to be more than reported.

According to CovidNow portal, as of Wednesday, the number of hospitalisations stood at 74.8% and intensive care unit utilisation was at 64.9%, which included non-Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the seven-day average death rate stands at 0.8% as of Aug 2.

Dr Malina said that the pattern of infection and risk of transmission indicated that the Covid-19 situation in the country is stable and well-controlled.

“In my opinion, with vaccines, the risk of Covid-19 infection and its severity is more or less now within manageable numbers.”

Nation 7

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

DoubleTree by Hilton welcomes business travellers to i-City SHAH ALAM: The newest addition to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel chain of luxury hotels here is expected to bring business travellers to i-City.

In a statement yesterday, I-Berhad chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong said the hotel, a component of i-City Finance Avenue, expects a monthly footfall of 30,000 business travellers by the end of 2022.

“The synergy between i-City Finance Avenue and DoubleTree by Hilton i-City is a perfect marriage that will positively impact the Selangor tourism industry,” he said.

He added that the 300-room luxu-

Royal opening:

the sultan of selangor signing a plaque to launch the hotel in shah alam as (from right) doubletree Hilton i-City general manager gagan talwar, Mead and Lim look on. — Bernama

ry hotel marks the expansion of Hilton’s award-winning brand into i-City Finance Avenue.

“This expansion underscores our commitment to continuously contribute to Selangor’s economy and further strengthen its tourism industry,” he said.

Yesterday’s hotel launch was officiated by Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, at i-City.

Also at the launch were Tengku Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and senior director of operations for Hilton South-East Asia Jamie Mead.

Mah: Better BM proficiency now

Mastering national language vital for future of vernacular school students

By VENESA DEVI venesa@thestar.com.my

JOHOR BARU: Improving the proficiency level of the Malay language among students from vernacular schools is important for their future success, says Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.

The Deputy Education Minister said there had been a significant improvement in the mastery of the Malay language among pupils from Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

“In general, the proficiency of the Malay language (among vernacular school students) has become much better.

“However, there is still room for improvement, and we need to continue assisting students to ensure that they can master the language further,” he added.

He spoke to the press after officiating at the closing ceremony of the 39th SJKT (Tamil primary) and SJKC (Chinese primary) Malay Language Public Speaking and Essay Writing Prime Minister Unity

Trophy competition at a hotel here in Senai.

He noted that such competitions were among efforts undertaken by the Education Ministry to further enhance the proficiency of the Malay language among pupils from the said schools.

“This national-level competition is important as it serves as a platform for pupils from SJKC and SJKT schools to further improve their command of the Malay language.

“We found that there are students

from vernacular schools who were doing well in other subjects but faced problems in their studies once they reached secondary schools because they had yet to master the Malay language.

“As such, it is important for us to continue carrying out initiatives and focus our efforts to help our students, including those from SJKC and SJKT schools, master the language,” he said.

He noted that parents also played an important role in ensuring that their children could improve their

command of the language.

“This (learning the Malay language) is a continuous process that should take place in schools, at home and among the community.

“We must encourage the culture of using the Malay language as this is a great way for students and the community to improve their proficiency.

“I also urge students to take up the habit of reading as this would be very beneficial for them to improve their skills in any language,” he added.

8

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Nation 9

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

UTAR strengthens partnership with varsities abroad UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) aspires to continue as a global university in the future by persevering and being relevant to the needs of the country, industries and community.

UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat said that as part of its ongoing globalisation efforts, the university is encouraging its partner universities all over the world to send more of their students here under exchange programmes and study tours.

“In terms of student population, the university is encouraging the intake of more foreign students to have an international community at both its campuses – the Kampar Campus in Perak and the UTAR Sungai Long Campus in the Klang Valley.

“Now that travel is open, the interest is returning and we have also started getting more physical exchange students from these partner universities while UTAR students are applying to study overseas under our Explore the World programme which enables them to study at these foreign universities.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we had about 1,000 foreign students from partner universities coming to UTAR each year on exchange and study tours programme, and the same number of our students studying at our partner universities each year.

“But during the pandemic, we went virtual,” he said when speaking on the university’s 20th anniversary.

Prof Ewe said UTAR always makes sure that its curriculum is connected to the world, and external examiners from top universities

universiti tunku abdul rahman celebrates 20th anniversary this year

‘We are doing more joint research with universities from different parts of the world,’ says Prof Ewe.

utar is encouraging the intake of more foreign students to have an international community at both its campuses – the Kampar Campus in Perak (left) and the utar sungai Long Campus in the Klang Valley.

in the world have been appointed for all its programmes, to give feedback and suggestions for improvements.

“Our staff are doing more joint research with universities from different parts of the world with international staff and students, as part of our continuing globalisation approach,” he said.

Prof Ewe noted that following the pandemic, UTAR continues to organise virtual programmes for students from UTAR as well as from partner universities.

“Such exposure is fruitful for the students as they get to exchange learning and cultural experiences beforehand,” he said.

On UTAR’s plans for the near future, Prof Ewe said there will be more collaboration with researchers from international universities and institutions, at the same time

the university will strive to extend further research activities with local companies especially SMIs and SMEs. “We are also looking at continuing to develop our facilities, not only at our physical campus but also our digital campus because now, especially after the pandemic, digital has become a way of life, to study.

“We want to develop our students beyond their normal curriculum with UTAR Soft Skills Development Competency (USSDC) programmes and the voluntary community service initiative called CARE programme, which encourage students to develop their soft skills and volunteer their time for community services, for them to experience holistic learning experience,” he said.

Prof Ewe noted that after the pan-

demic, overall the education sector has transformed with learning no longer being confined to classroom or campus.

“The curriculum today may not be valid in another five to 10 years.

Besides knowledge, developing soft skills, for example the four Cs – collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity – are equally important in expanding a student’s experience in this new era of learning.

“To cope with future needs, students need to develop themselves with high-order thinking and multiple intelligence whereby problems can be solved using cross-disciplinary approaches,” he said.

In the past 20 years, UTAR has given out more than RM180mil in scholarship and zero-interest loans to students.

Prof Ewe said that with the uni-

versity’s innovative and dynamic curriculum, about 95% of its students have gained employment within six months of graduating, while it took a bit longer during the pandemic.

He said the next 20 years will see the university focusing on the notfor-profit UTAR hospital to provide affordable and quality medical services as well as clinical training for medical students.

“We want to continue being relevant and want to provide highly competent and skilful graduates who have the human touch and are willing to contribute back to society,” he said, adding that the university is grateful to its stakeholders including the government, industries, community, alumni, staff, students and parents.

UTAR now has a total 21,000 students at both its campuses.

10

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Nation 11

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

End of prosecution case Court to hear submissions in Zahid’s graft trial in september

By WANI MUTHIAH wani@thestar.com.my SHAH ALAM: After tendering in 107 exhibits and calling 18 witnesses, the prosecution in the Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi graft trial at the High Court closed its case Thursday after the testimony of its final witness.

Ahmad Zahid is facing 33 charges of allegedly receiving bribes from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) during his tenure as Home Minister to extend the company’s contract to continue operating the one-stop

centre in China and the foreign visa (VLN) system.

The alleged graft also ensured the company’s contract agreement for the supply of the VLN integrated system was maintained.

While cross-examined by the defence counsel Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, the final witness, Malaysian Commission Anti-Corruption (MACC) investigating officer V. Mahendran, said he did not call former home minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to record the latter’s statement.

He added he had not done so

even though Hishammuddin’s name was in the MACC report, which initiated the investigation into the case.

Hishammuddin was the Home minister from 2009 to 2013 before Ahmad Zahid assumed the position.

“His statement was not recorded because his name did not appear in former UKSB administration manager David Tan’s ledger.

“My investigations included Hishammuddin, but I did not record his statement as there was no evidence of graft,” said Mahendran.

Ahmad Zaidi also said Ahmad Zahid had only received two payments of RM100,000 each from UKSB, to which Mahendran disagreed.

Meanwhile, DPP Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran told High Court judge Justice Mohd Yazid Mustafa that the prosecution would be calling in 27 witnesses if Ahmad Zahid was ordered to enter his defence.

The court fixed Sept 1 and 2 as well as Sept 5 to 8 for both the prosecution and defence to make their oral submissions.

The trial began in May 2021.

Penang island disappears – but only for a while

By IMRAN HILMY imran@thestar.com.my GEORGE TOWN: The 68-storey Komtar building was hardly visible, and all of Penang island was just a blur from the mainland, but Air Pollutant Index (API) readings were still at “moderate” levels at four stations in the state.

The Department of Environment’s (DOE) website showed that the reading at Seberang Jaya station increased slightly from 75 at 6am to 79 at 3pm. However, the API reading at Prai station was a little worse, rising from 80 at 6am to 86 in the afternoon.

On the island, Minden station showed 70, and Balik Pulau station recorded 75 as of 3pm.

Visibility, however, was poor in the morning, especially between the mainland and the island.

Civil servant Mohd Nasrul Hakim, 44, said he was shocked to see Penang island blanketed in a haze while he was on his way to work in Komtar.

“I was driving from my house in Seberang Jaya. When I reached Penang Bridge, I couldn’t see Komtar at all,” he said.

The father of three said he could only see part of the island from the bridge’s middle span.

Another motorist K. Muthu, 35, wondered if there had been a forest fire in Indonesia like in previous years.

He said there had been no rain for weeks, and air pollution could have caused the air quality to drop.

“I hope it won’t be too serious,” he said.

Barely visible: the haze clouding the view of the Penang Bridge in Batu uban at 9.30am in Penang.

It wasn’t. Visibility in Bayan Lepas had improved to 8km as of 4pm, compared with 5km at 11am.

According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, there are only about 30 hotspots throughout Sumatra island.

Although the southwest monsoon is steadily blowing the resulting

smoke to Penang, the number of hotspots is relatively low compared to western Kalimantan, where there are over 260 hotspots with winds blowing to the South China Sea. MetMalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said there was little possibility of a sig-

nificant haze event for the time being. Still, small-scale haze outbreaks could happen due to negligence or open burning.

He said Malaysia now faced a weak southwest monsoon coupled with the La Nina phenomenon, which is expected to continue until the end of this year.

Verdict soon on Rosmah’s bid to disqualify Sri Ram

By NURBAITI HAMDAN nurbaiti@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: A preliminary objection against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s second attempt to disqualify Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram from prosecuting her corruption case involving the RM1.25bil solar hybrid project will be decided on Aug 30.

Justice Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid set the date after hearing a lengthy submission from both parties for more than two hours yesterday.

If the objection raised by the prosecution were to be dismissed, Rosmah would have the chance to file for leave to initiate a judicial review to disqualify Sri Ram. Her first attempt had been denied by another High Court.

Earlier, the court heard from Sri Ram that his appointment as the ad hoc senior deputy public prosecutor was valid and affirmed by the Federal Court.

“Now they (the applicant) are asking your lordship to review that decision. We are saying that one High Court cannot review the decision of another High Court,” he said.

Sri Ram added that Rosmah’s application was scandalous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.

Meanwhile, Rosmah’s lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said Sri Ram’s submission “did not paint the whole picture” of the situation.

On Sept 24, 2021, High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, the presiding judge in Rosmah’s solar hybrid trial, dis-

missed Rosmah’s application to disqualify Sri Ram. He ruled that Sri Ram’s appointment by then Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas was valid under Section 376(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

Rosmah appealed the decision, but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Dec 6, 2021.

On May 27, the Federal Court ruled that Sri Ram was qualified to prosecute Rosmah in the solar hybrid project trial.

A three-member Bench led by Federal Court judge Justice Mohd Zawawi Salleh said the criminal court had no jurisdiction to grant declaratory relief sought by Rosmah to disqualify Sri Ram. On June 24, Rosmah, 70, tried again in her bid to remove Sri Ram

by filing a judicial review application. She named the Attorney General/Public Prosecutor, the government and Sri Ram respondents.

She is facing one charge of soliciting RM187.5mil and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5mil from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through her former special officer Datuk Rizal Mansor.

It was alleged to be an inducement to help the company (Jepak Holdings) secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth RM1.25bil.

The trial at the High Court has concluded, and the verdict is scheduled to be delivered on Sept 1.

Over 9,000 passports yet to be collected PUTRAJAYA: More than 9,000 Malaysian international passports applied and renewed online have yet to be collected, says Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

As such, the Immigration director-general urged those who had made the applications to collect them immediately at issuing offices nationwide to avoid cancellation of their passports.

Previously, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said Malaysians who had renewed their passports online must collect the document immediately. This is to avoid the passports from being disposed of within 90 days.

In a statement, Khairul Dzaimee also announced new operating hours for all issuing offices and Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Peninsular Malaysia, effective Aug 15.

Passport issuing offices in all states and branches will operate from 8am to 7pm on weekdays except for Perlis, Pahang, Terengganu and Kedah, which will run from 8am to 5pm.

On Saturdays, the issuing offices in all states and branches will operate from 8am to 12.30pm except for the four states.

UTC offices will operate from 8am to 9pm on weekdays except for Perlis, Pahang, Terengganu and Kedah, which will be open from 8am to 5pm.

All UTC offices, including the four states, will operate from 8am to 5pm on weekends. — Bernama

Anwar open to contesting Tambun seat IPOH: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is open to suggestions for him to contest the Tambun parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

The Port Dickson Member of Parliament said the proposal had been made to him but he has not decided on this yet as the party’s focus now is on the number of seats to be contested and the PKR election machinery.

“What do you think? If you say I can, I will think about it. That is a suggestion that I am considering.

“The PKR Tambun branch has suggested this, but I have not decided on it while my friends in Port Dickson are appealing for me to remain there,” he told a news conference after the Perak PKR Leadership Council (MPN) meeting.

It was previously reported that Tambun PKR branch chief Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad wanted to make way for Anwar to contest the Tambun parliamentary and this was agreed upon through the branch annual general meeting.

On the seats and candidates for Perak PKR in GE15, Anwar said this would be discussed at the party’s Presidential Council meeting.

Earlier, he said that today’s meeting also agreed to appoint Tanjung Malim MP and PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang as Perak MPN chairman. — Bernama

12 Nation

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Dragon ship set to depart Paper boat and King of Hades ready for final ritual

By BENJAMIN LEE newsdesk@thestar.com.my

By LIEW JIA XIAN jiaxian@thestar.com.my GEORGE TOWN: In a painstaking effort, a group of eight youths spent a whole month delicately putting together a dragon-shaped paper ship, made with bamboo, cardboard and 6,000 pieces of folded Ong Seng Jee (joss paper with sutras imprinted).

The finished ship, or Say Hong Chun, stands at 4.88m (16ft) high, 4.88m long and 1.83m (6ft) wide.

And it will all go up in smoke on Aug 20.

The Say Hong Chun and an effigy of the King of Hades (Tai Su Yeah) will be burnt in a final ritual to send off departed loved ones to mark the seventh lunar month celebration.

The ritual, which will take place on the night of Aug 20 at Sian Chye Tong Temple in Ayer Itam, is part of the Hungry Ghost Festival. The actual day of festivity, however, is today.

The temple’s youth section chairman, Loh Choon Teik, said that after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid19 pandemic, the temple was finally able to celebrate its Filial Piety Celebration (Cheow Thor), which began on July 29.

He said the celebration was carried out on a smaller scale the past two years and there was no burning of Say Hong Chun.

“The framework of the ship is made up of bamboo and cardboard, while the exterior is fully covered with more than 6,000 pieces of folded Ong Seng Jee. “The joss papers are folded in various designs, including the lotus leaf, roof tile, dragon scale, dragon tail and lotus flower,” he said.

Loh said the paper ship would be fully filled with folded Ong Seng Jee and other joss paper.

“The design, shape and structure of Say Hong Chun have been improvised with a dragon head and tail to

Dedicated work: temple caretakers Linda Ng (left) and Molin aw putting the final touches to the dragon-shaped paper boat and the tai su yeah effigy (inset) in conjunction with the Hungry ghost Festival in air itam, Penang. — LiM BENg tatt/the star

make it look more impressive and exclusive, like an emperor’s ship,” he said.

Loh explained that the Cheow Thor celebration was significant for all living descendants to show their gratitude as well as filial piety towards their departed ancestors and loved ones.

The temple’s religious adviser, Venerable Seck Chin Sooi, together with other monks and nuns, will conduct special day-long chanting and prayers on Aug 20, and all the paper tablets will be placed in the Say Hong Chun and burnt.

“The Say Hong Chun is symbolic for this festival as it represents Amitabha Buddha’s effort to ferry the deceased to Buddha’s Pure Land for repentance and rebirth,” he said.

Besides the Say Hong Chun, Loh said a Tai Su Yeah effigy designed using Ong Seng Jee was made by members of the temple’s youth section.

The effigy of Tai Su Yeah, measuring 3.66m tall and 1.52m wide, is also made using bamboo and cardboard, and covered by 2,000 pieces of Ong Seng Jee. Loh also explained that Tai Su Yeah was the transformation of the Buddhist Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy), who guards the visiting spirits of the departed ancestors during the celebration.

Temple caretaker Linda Ng, 72, said they had been making the paper ship for more than 20 years.

She added that paper tablets bearing the names of the deceased and the date on which they died would be placed in front of a beautifully decorated Amitabha Buddha altar during the Cheow Thor celebration for daily offerings and chanting.

Meanwhile, huat kuih (prosperity cakes) seller Goh Kai Loon, 38, is experiencing brisk business at the Batu Lanchang market during the Hungry Ghost month.

“My business has doubled over the past few weeks. My customers usually offer huat kuih to their ancestors as well as to Tai Su Yeah,” he added.

The Hungry Ghost Festival began on July 29 and will last 29 days, which is the number of days in the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar this year.

The festival peaks at midnight today, although temples and communities may hold their main celebrations a few days before or after.

Many still conned into becoming scammers

By IYLIA MARSYA ISKANDAR newsdesk@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: A woman “lost” her 26-year-old nephew for three years after he travelled to Laos for work but he has been conned and currently working as a phone call scammer.

The 48-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Yap, said her nephew had to work over 12 hours per day and an additional two hours if he failed to meet his target.

He would also be beaten if he did not reach his target, she said during a press conference hosted by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong yesterday.

For him to return, she said, his family had to pay a RM113,000 ransom.

Only 30 out of 114 human trafficking cases due to fake job scams reported to MCA were able to return to Malaysia, said Chong.

Increasing fines alone won’t protect forests, say activists

He said of the cases, 54 were reportedly trafficked to Cambodia, 29 were in Myanmar and 11 were trafficked to Laos, among others.

A total of 76 police reports have been made by the victim’s families.

He said the traffickers asked for a ransom of RM80,000 to RM100,000 from the victims to be released.

While some victims managed to return to the country after paying the ransom, some are still stuck in other countries and is believed to have paid ransom to other scammers.

Some were able to return after just a few weeks, he said, but one victim had been detained for over three years.

“We all at MCA feel very sad because despite our warnings and efforts along with the police, NGOs and opposition parties to educate the public on seeking jobs overseas, this is still happening.

“They even lied to their families

to work there but when they arrived there, they could not get out and had to pay ransom.

“Now they are not only targeting Chinese but also Malays,” Chong said.

Also present at the media conference in Wisma MCA were three other women whose family members fell prey to a fake job agency that has resulted in them being trafficked.

Azlinda, 50, from Johor Baru sent her son off to Dubai for a customer service job after hearing about it from an acquaintance on April 2.

“After three weeks in Dubai, my son told me the company went bankrupt and they were sent to Cambodia.

“While in transit in Singapore, two of his friends managed to run away but he failed.

“He’s working as a scammer with six others. One of them is a Malay girl from Kedah and five others are Chinese,” she said.

She added that she was trying to get in contact with an acquaintance, a local man who offered her 22-year-old son the job but to no avail.

Tiong, 48, said her son lied to her after she disallowed him to accept a job offer in Cambodia.

Her son told her that he would go for a holiday in Taiwan last Wednesday but she believed that he went to Cambodia as she had not heard from him since.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old woman received a message from her welder husband three days ago to ask for help from the embassy to save him in Cambodia.

The 35-year-old man left the country just two weeks ago.

Chong urged the public whose family members fell victims to the scam to lodge a police report.

“Please lodge a police report if your family members are victims because the police will take action,” Chong said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Increasing penalties alone is not enough to protect the forest reserves, which are shrinking due to logging, environmental groups say.

Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia president Damien Thanam Divean believes that all logging activities should be stopped to better preserve the forests to ensure a sustainable future over short-term gains.

“The Federal Government should actively look to retrain all logging industry workers to work in other environmentally friendly sectors such as renewable energy,” he said.

Sharing the same view is Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia president Andrew Sebastian, who said logging, be it legal or illegal, could cause a negative impact on the environment and wildlife.

He observed that forest reserves around Malaysia were shrinking.

“Buffer zones are being pushed further into forest reserves near the National Forest at Kuala Tahan as more areas of the original buffer zones are logged over,” he revealed.

Andrew said licensed and illegal loggers should have their penalties increased further for flaunting regulations as the potential ecological and environmental damage of these offences could cause severe consequences.

“These activities can disrupt the delicate forest ecosystems, leading to more animals and plants dying off,” he pointed out.

Last month, amendments to the National Forestry Act were passed in Parliament to better protect the forest.

Among the amendments were the increases in penalties for those convicted of offences involving primary forest produce, such as illegal logging, defacing trees and starting forest fires. Offenders could face jail sentences of between five and 20 years and fines of between RM100,000 and RM5mil.

Environmental Protection Society Malaysia vice-president Randolph Jeremiah said degradation of a forest lowers its ability to fight climate change and that more should be done towards forest management other than increasing penalties.

“There must be more detailed land-use planning discussions between federal and state officials that prioritise the protection, expansion and rehabilitation of existing forest reserves.,” he pointed out.

Malaysia Nature Society president Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail noted that all types of forests around the country were equally important and that they, too, needed to be protected.

“Mangrove forests around coastal areas are vital as they act as natural storm barriers against extreme weather events while also acting as a nursery for young fish as it makes it easier for them to escape predators,” Ahmad said.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman suggested that more qualified people should be brought in to provide better risk assessments and evaluation processes for logging projects.

Views 13

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

History lessons amid popular culture the younger generation should also be able to appreciate Malaysian-made popular music that invokes the past to tell stories of value to the present.

THE last local movie I reviewed in this column was Paskal (Calculating Paskal’s theorem, Oct 19, 2018).

I called it a “good and important” movie showcasing the multi-ethnic composition of the navy.

I commended its impact on young Malaysians who “re-enact Paskal’s most riveting scenes, spreading a notion that a future career in the military is a possibility. I wrote for a young person, there is no greater inspiration than seeing people like yourself do amazing things... you too can bring pride to your family and your country through righteous service”.

I also made a reference to our submarine KD Tunku Abdul Rahman functioning properly, since reports had revealed faults (such as being unable to submerge), with corruption being the likely cause. Sadly, corruption in the acquisition of naval assets seems ongoing, as the current Public Accounts Committee investigation suggests, and this is why public procurement reform is urgently needed.

In the meantime, I watched another locally produced film, of a different genre to Paskal for sure, but also containing a star-studded cast, exciting fight scenes, tastefully

Tunku ZAIn Al-’AbIDIn

#abidinideas shot scenery, notable musical highlights, and historical references that make one ponder about society.

Romantic comedy is not my preferred genre, but Gadis Jolobu was funny and apparently relatable to the diverse audience in the cinema hall in Seremban, comprising civil servants, Istana officials, young professionals and retirees of all races.

The theme of searching for love and navigating various obstacles along the way is something that cuts across all demographic indicators.

Told entirely in the Negri Sembilan dialect (and subtitled in standard Malay and English), the film follows the antics of three bachelors seeking romance amidst

lives straddling Seremban and the kampung. Comparisons with Tan Sri P. Ramlee’s films of the same premise are inevitable, and Gadis Jolobu embraces this by employing the same slapstick actions of the Bujang Lapok series and featuring Bunyi Gitar from Tiga Abdul.

A movie of such irreverence will no doubt portray certain attitudes in an imperfect way – which has attracted some candidly critical reviews – but at least this film isn’t pretending to be a serious political commentary, or offering a biopic of a famous Malay warrior.

Nonetheless, several scenes do showcase serious aspects of Negri Sembilan’s unique culture, evolved from Minangkabau antecedents.

One scene discusses the matrilineal inheritance of “tanah adat” – a relevant issue for those seeking to develop such land today, and another highlights the protagonists’ membership of their respective “suku”, or clans, for the purposes of marriage.

One musical interlude references the “adat berkodin”, a ceremony in which an individual is admitted into a “suku”: typically a man for the purposes of marrying a woman belonging to a different “suku”, or a

woman for the purposes of inheriting from a property-owning woman within that “suku”. Traditionally, blood was literally drawn symbolising the new membership of the “suku”, but that element no longer happens.

The most memorable song is the movie’s eponymous theme, sung by Seri Menanti native Dato’ Hattan (who plays the main character in the film) and W.A.R.I.S, which apart from including the story-specific lines: “Tales of gorgeous chicks in Jelebu / Outsiders come wanting to get hitched”, also laments “You don’t know what your suku is / Ask your folks / Or ask your mates / Old traditions have been forgotten”.

The rapper who is well-known for incorporating “adat” references in his repertoire also features in the Lagu Identiti Negeri Sembilan album which was launched in February (available on Spotify) which celebrates the historical and environmental heritage of the state.

Now, while local music has to compete with Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and BLACKPINK (all of whom are coming to Malaysia), it’s entirely possible to enjoy contrasting art forms. Eyelashes, Beliebers and Blinks should also be

able to appreciate Malaysian-made popular music that invokes the past to tell stories of value to the present.

Whether it is music or movies, what is important is that the content is properly researched and accurately depicted, regardless of the genre. Indeed, it is far more disturbing that content portrayed as serious is full of inaccuracies and lazy racial stereotypes, where history is so badly abused in order to serve a political purpose today. But perhaps, as happened with Braveheart, Gladiator, The Last Samurai or Kingdom of Heaven, such movies spur scholarship and documentaries that tell a more truthful story of what happened, and thus fiction and non-fiction can be better separated.

Academic freedom is a vital part of that, necessary to keep the realms of culture and history free from political monopolies. For if that happens, the actual history of local “adat” may disappear forever.

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas). The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

Other news & views

Compiled by raHiMy raHiM, C. aruNO and r. araViNtHaN

Nora: I keep thinking about death

POPULAR actress Nora Danish (pic) developed extreme anxiety during her 40th birthday this year, claiming that she kept thinking about death, reported Kosmo!.

“I had experienced extreme anxiety of late. This condition has caused me to think about death and the fear of going through it,” said the mother of two.

According to Nora, she does not know exactly when the extreme anxiety started, sharing that it occurred recently when she turned 40 in March.

“If you want to say that anxiety is due to work stress, I don’t think so.

“If it is caused by negative comments by netizens, I have never actually cared about any of it,” said Nora, who is married to businessman Nedim Nazri.

Fortunately, the actress said that she was lucky to have detected it at an early stage but

she has yet to seek professional help.

“Since I am getting older, honestly, I keep thinking about death. Can you imagine, it got to the point where I was afraid to fly due to the fear of death caused by anxiety,” she said.

“At one point, I even contacted my mum to take care of my children and even prepared a will,” she added. > Authorities have assured that action will be taken according to existing laws after a guest had turned up without a bra at the Kedah Fashion Week 2022, says Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman.

The Kedah Health and Local Government Committee chairman told Sinar Harian that based on the meeting with the event organiser, Alor Setar City Council and the Kota Setar district office, the guest was actually “a man

who dresses up and acts as a woman”.

“Based on our meeting, it has been confirmed that the individual is a man who acts like a woman and had acted as a model, wearing unsuitable clothing and took pictures, as well as videos and later uploaded it on social media,” he said.

He assured that action would be taken according to the law.

“The state government will also be studying and improving existing regulations regarding entertainment and performance to ensure that it is in line with the local culture,” he said.

Photographs of the guest, dressed in a green tailored suit sans blouse, began circulating on social media since Wednesday.

Dr Hayati reminded all parties including the organiser to follow all the rules and regulations issued by the Kota Setar district office.

Aman Central issued an apology over the matter, adding that it had applied for all the necessary permits to hold the event.

Fish Leong steals the thunder in Sing! China

MALAYSIAN singer Fish Leong’s debut on the reality TV series Sing! China became the show’s episode with the highest viewership of the day, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Dressed in a pink and red pleated gown, Leong performed two songs by Li Ronghao called Ear and I Know It’s You on the episode which aired on Aug 5.

Known as the Queen of Ballads, Leong was selected for the first time to be one of the show’s mentors for Season 2022 along with Li Ronghao, Hacken Lee and Liao Changyong.

The episode which kickstarted this year’s season had a clickthrough rate online of 21.6 billion times and was the show with the highest viewership on that segment that day.

Leong, who launched her career from singing competitions, said she understood what candidates on the show were going

through, adding that she hoped to help them achieve their dreams.

Sing! China began airing in 2016 and is based on the original The Voice of Holland.

It employs a panel of four mentors who critique the artists’ performances and guide their teams of selected artistes through the remainder of the season.

The winner is determined by live audience voting by SMS text and they will receive a record deal with various labels. > Hong Kong actor Moses Chan, who offered to tutor a child actor on set, was stumped by a question on Chinese history, reported China Press.

The child’s mother posted Chan’s heartwarming gesture on social media which took place on the set of the medical drama Big White Duel II. “Today is the final day of shooting before exams. To find time to prepare for them, (he)

has been revising using the phone while waiting on set.

“What was surprising was that his senior Moses Chan came over to ask what he was reading,” she wrote.

Chan, who has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, asked the boy if he was studying science.

He added that it was one of his best subjects at school and offered to tutor him.

However, Chan was stumped when the child revealed that he was studying Chinese history, which was not Chan’s forte.

Even so, the mother wrote that they were touched by Chan’s gesture and added that they were grateful to have such a positive role model in the entertainment industry.

Chan started his acting career in 2000 and managed to win TVB’s Best Actor award in 2007 and the Best Performance of the Year award in 2010.

Tamil writers body to celebrate 62nd anniversary THE Penang Tamil Ezhutthalar Sangam (Penang Tamil Writers Association) will celebrate the 62nd anniversary of its formation in November, Malaysia Nanban reported.

Sangam secretary SN Venugopal said the Association was formed in 1960 by giants of the local Tamil literary scene such as Nakkambady Kareem, CT Rmasamay, Sonai Muthu, K. Thiruvarasu, R. Karthikesu and Seeni Naina.

The 60th anniversary Mani Vizha (equivalent to Diamond Anniversary) celebration was slated for 2020 but it had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The celebration will be held this year on Nov 20 as a grand festival with literary events and competitions.

The festival will feature competitions on classical poetry, modern poetry, short stories and essay writing, among others.

Sangam president S. Gunalan will head the celebrations which will also feature mini stage plays, debates, forum discussions and seminars.

The complete itinerary and participation details will be announced soon, he confirmed. > A man in Delhi who was annoyed by kids playing loudly outside his friend’s house shot them with a gun, the daily also reported.

The man who was identified as Hamzah, 22, was attending his friend’s birthday party when a group of kids was playing outside near the house.

Annoyed by the noise, Hamzah retrieved his gun and threatened the kids with it.

This led to an argument which escalated into a fight and Hamzah shot at the kids, injuring three of them.

The kids have been hospitalised for treatment. Hamzah has been arrested.

14 Views

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

EMAIL editor@thestar.com.my or MAIL The Editor, Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11, Section 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya.

Letters must carry the sender’s full name, address and telephone number.

A pseudonym may be included.

If you want to have your say immediately, use your cellphone. SMS your comments to The Star on topics and issues related to general news, business and sports (include name/ pseudonym): Type STAR NW (or BZ or SP) followed by the message and send to 39993. This is a free service.

However, normal mobile operators’ network charges apply.

> Stiffer fines long overdue

The report “No more kid gloves for mat rempit” (The Star, Aug 10; online at https://bit.ly/3dhesTz) begs the question: “Why weren’t the strong deterrent penalties implemented earlier?” This long-running menace has seriously injured not only the illegal riders but the innocent public and law enforcement officers as well.

It is only now that amendments are being proposed to raise the penalty from a paltry RM300 to between RM5,000 and RM10,000 fine with jail time too. Our lawmakers must involve all the relevant stakeholders in framing strong laws right from the start. – Sze Loong Steve Ngeow, Kajang

> Pay according to productivity

Malaysians are not paid in tandem with their productivity. Recently, I visited a craft manufacturer and found out that the workers are being paid only the minimum wage of RM1,500. The craft industry is generally more labour-intensive and requires skilled workers. Some of the workers I saw that day have over 20 years’ experience doing their craft but are only receiving the minimum wage. Wages should be based on productivity. However, it seems that most employers only look at productivity as a means of enhancing profitability and not to improve the life of their workers.

Our labour legislation needs to be addressed with the possibility of allowing freedom of association and elimination of forced labour and discrimination. The last time the Industrial Relations Act was revised was in 1976. – Tanissha Rameswaran

> Timely advice for civil servants

Referring to “Code of conduct vital in civil service’ (The Star, Aug 11; online at https://bit.ly/3p9Tclg), I find the directive from Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shafiq Abdullah very timely indeed.

I urge civil servants to be wellmannered at all times and maintain the good name of the government.

Act with honesty and integrity and always safeguard the security and sovereignty of our country.

– Bulbir Singh, Seremban

> Spell it out to novice buyers

Many first-time homebuyers are novices. Developers should therefore make it clear to them that even when a project is supposed to be completed within a certain period, it may take months before the CF (certificate of fitness) is issued.

I know of one project in Ara Damansara that was completed in the first quarter of this year but buyers are still waiting for vacant possession. Meanwhile, they must service the interest on the loan while continuing to pay rent on their present accommodation.

This is unfair to young buyers who are so looking forward to settling in to their new home. Is this delay a norm here? If it is, then it should be highlighted upfront when the bookings are made. – Rajaratnam, Petaling Jaya

Bill fits way of life in Islam

ISLAM considers physical health as the greatest gift and the second greatest blessing after the blessing of faith (iman). This is because it enables Muslims to learn, practise alms-giving, make sacrifices, engage in jihad, defend their religion, acquire wealth and carry out their duties to their country in the best possible manner.

Islam emphasises the health aspect of people’s lives because in reality, life is not prosperous without good health. Healthcare is part of the purpose of the syariah (Maqasid Syariah). Scholars have stated that the whole of Islamic Syariah aims to achieve certain goals, which are to protect life, religion, dignity, intellect and wealth.

It is clear here that there is a direct relationship between health concerns in Islam and the princi-

ples of Maqasid Syariah.

Islam is a way of life that offers suggestions for both theoretical and practical ways to carry out the objectives of its teachings. In health-related matters, it proposes ways to care for, preserve and recover health in addition to emphasising its value.

The Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022, also known as the Tobacco Generational Endgame (GEG) Bill, is a strategic move by the Health Ministry to outlaw specific tobacco-related activities for those who were born on Jan 1, 2007 and thereafter.

This prohibition applies to the acquisition and possession of any smoking items or devices as well as the sale of any cigarette products and the use of tobacco products or smoking devices (vape,

e-cigarettes), whether chewing or sucking.

The proposed legislation intends to make Malaysia a smoke-free nation by 2040 and, among other things, improve the health of future generations by freeing them of diseases brought on by nicotine addiction.

Muslims should be aware of this health concern and the ban on smoking because both vaping and e-cigarettes have been prohibited by fatwa since 2015 while smoking itself has been outlawed by fatwa since 1995.

The fatwa is against smoking for a number of reasons, including the fact that it not only harms the smoker but also others around him and the environment.

It is also founded on Islamic principles, which state that it is

everyone’s responsibility to avoid doing damage in life, whether it takes the shape of behaviour, dialogue or speech.

We at Al-Islam Specialist Hospital strongly support the steps taken by the Health Ministry in coming up with the tobacco GEG Bill.

In collaboration with the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam), we are offering smoking cessation clinic services to individuals who wish to seek treatment to stop smoking.

In accordance with Maqasid Syariah, protecting one’s own as well as public health is a duty that must be upheld by all parties.

SURINA MOHAMAD SHAFI Research Officer Al-Islam Specialist Hospital Kuala Lumpur

Performance in Birmingham should have been better

Longer wait to close CPF account

THE 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England has concluded with our contingent bringing home seven gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.

They were marginally better this time around compared to the Brisbane Games of 2018 when they came back with seven gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals.

I managed to watch the weightlifting, badminton, athletics, aquatics, gymnastics and table tennis events live on both RTM and Astro.

I noticed that most of the fans cheering our athletes on were their own team mates, family members and sports officials as well as other Malaysians whom I assume are residing in the United Kingdom.

The two Ngs shone – Ng Joe Ee, who won two gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics, and badminton’s Ng Tze Yong, who won a gold in the team event and a men’s singles silver medal. I couldn’t help but notice that in both sports, many countries fielded naturalised athletes from post-Soviet states and China.

Despite Birmingham 2022 being their maiden outing, Joe Ee and Tze Yong surprised everybody with their outstanding performance.

The spirited Joe Ee was deprived of her two Russian coaches, who were barred from the Games, while Tze Yong was a last-minute replacement for Lee Zii Jia. The TnT duo – Tan Koong Le (Pearly) and M. Thinaah – also gave a gutsy display in the women’s badminton doubles finals to clinch our seventh gold medal, making badminton our top medal contributor in Birmingham.

The medal tally aside, I feel there has been a drop in the overall performance of our athletes in most of the sports in which Malaysia competed.

As an avid sports fan for the past 30 years, I felt sad when I watched youngsters from all over the British Commonwealth excel in aquatics, lawn bowl, netball, hockey and athletics, with Australia, England, Canada, India, New Zealand and Nigeria performing far better than us.

The current athletes sadly did not live up to the expectations of

Physical and Health Education (PHE) teachers in schools should conduct talent-spotting right from Year One to identify individuals who can excel in sport, as is happening in countries like Jamaica.

The sole focus of our sports associations should be to assist teachers at district, state and national levels by providing them with competent and self-motivated coaches and officials who in turn could instil positive values and mental endurance in upcoming athletes.

Parents would allow their children to participate in sports if the education authorities can allocate, say, three hours for sports practice three times a week.

Finally, selection of athletes must be based on merit and never on race, religion or favouritism by the sports associations.

I AM in the process of closing my Central Provident Fund (CPF) account after leaving Singapore for good recently. The standard processing period for Peninsular Malaysians is seven weeks for both withdrawals and closing of the account. This is too long when compared to withdrawals for other reasons/terms and for Sabahans and Sarawakians.

If I’m not mistaken, this issue was previously raised in the 1990s or early 2000s by the Malaysian government.

Payout of my money has been delayed for a further three weeks, as, according to the CPF Board, they have a load of Malaysian withdrawals to process. This, to me, is a farce considering the efficiency that Singapore is always proud of.

Many Malaysians, myself included, have left the city state for a number of reasons, including family commitments in Malaysia and even patriotism. We could have just stayed on in Singapore as permanent residents or even taken up citizenship there, knowing it would be more beneficial for us. But we came back. As of now, a quarter of Singapore’s population are Malaysians.

The CPF contributions by Malaysians is no mean amount.

The average CPF savings by Malaysians is S$100,000 per person after working between 10 and 20 years in Singapore.

If there are 100,000 Peninsular Malaysians closing their CPF accounts and withdrawing their monies, that will amount to S$10bil. Converted to the ringgit, this massive amount can make an enormous contribution to the Malaysian economy.

S$10bil is also a huge sum even

by Singapore’s standards, so the impact of our withdrawals would be quite massive on its financially driven economy.

I do hope this matter can be brought to the attention of the powers that be. There are thousands of Malaysians who are waiting for money that is rightfully theirs.

MICHAEL CHENG Seremban, Negri Sembilan

WS CHAN Muar, Johor

Sweet victory: Pearly tan and M. thinaah celebrate after clinching gold

in the mixed team gold medal badminton match between Malaysia and india on day five of the 2022 Commonwealth games. — aFP their fans due to their low level of fighting spirit and poor mental strength.

Gone are the days when our sportsmen competed tirelessly with commitment and love for the country. These include footballer Mokhtar Dahari, badminton ace Punch Gunalan, hurdler Isthiaq Mubarak and hockey brothers Peter and Lawrence Van Huizen, who received honours only after they retired.

During the golden era of our sports from the 1960s to 1980s, fans never heard of athletes depending on sports science, foreign coaches, overseas friendlies or stints or free perks to improve their performance, and yet they delivered the goods on the world stage.

I believe our sports can reach higher levels if the Education Ministry, sports associations and parents work together.

The Education Ministry through

15

THE STAR, FRidAy 12 AuguST 2022

Covid-19 current situation (as of Aug 10) Malaysia

+4,896

Brunei

+4,126*

Cambodia

+36

China

+2,053

India

+16,299

Indonesia

+5,926

Japan

+250,288

Laos

+85

Myanmar

+36

Singapore

+2,305

Note: * Aug 9 cases

South Korea

+137,196

Thailand

+2,316

The Philippines

+3,180

Vietnam

+2,010

Japan

In full bloom

Visitors posing for a selfie in a sunflower field in Hokuto city, Yamanashi prefecture. The city, known for its longest hours of sunshine per year in Japan, draws a lot of tourists during its sunflower summer festival. — AP

Rajapaksa leaves Singapore Thai govt confirms ex-Sri Lankan president’s visit, denies he’s seeking asylum Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya rajapaksa has left Singapore, the city-state’s immigration office said, after his social visit pass expired.

“The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority confirms that mr Gotabaya rajapaksa left Singapore on 11 August 2022,” the office said in reply to an AFP query yesterday.

It did not say where the former leader was headed to but the Thai foreign ministry, as well as a source in Colombo, said on Wednesday he was seeking a new safe haven in Thailand.

“His Singapore visa runs out on Thursday,” a close associate of rajapaksa said in Colombo.

“He had applied for an extension, but it had not come through as of Wednesday morning.”

The source said rajapaksa now

Thailand

Taking to the streets:

Protesters shouting slogans during a march in Colombo to mark one month since a massive protest forced Rajapaksa to flee the country and step down.

— Reuters planned to go to Thailand for a short stay and return to Singapore. on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said rajapaksa is set to visit Thailand temporarily and does not intend to seek political asylum in the country.

Thailand has received a request from the current Sri Lanka government for rajapaksa to enter the country, according to Tanee on Wednesday.

The former president holds a diplomatic passport, which allows him

entry into Thailand without a visa for 90 days.

“The stay is temporary in nature with the aim of onward travel. No political asylum has been sought,” Tanee said.

He said the ministry has no information on rajapaksa’s arrival date.

“The important thing is this doesn’t cause any problem for Thailand,” Foreign minister Don Pramudwinai told local media in response to a question about whether rajapaksa’s presence could cause tension with Sri Lanka’s government.

“The foreign ministry doesn’t see a problem and there is no objection from the government.”

The Sri Lankan government supports the visit, he added.

“His allies and many of his colleagues are in the government,” Pramudwinai said.

rajapaksa fled to Singapore via the maldives shortly after angry protesters stormed his official residence in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on July 9.

He formally resigned as president after arriving in Singapore on July 14.

There is no cause to believe that Sri Lankan people in Thailand will cause a problem for us,” Pramudwinai said.

“It’s normal to escape heat for a cooler place during tough times.” officials in Sri Lanka have said the ousted leader is expected to return to the country but have given few details on when that will happen.

“Former presidents are entitled to certain facilities from Sri Lanka’s government,” Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunewardana said yesterday. — AFP/Bloomberg

16 StarAsean+

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Two Rohingya chiefs killed

insurgent group may be behind shootings in refugee camp

TWo Rohingya community leaders were shot dead in one of Bangladesh’s refugee camps, police said, the latest in a string of killings in the settlements.

The sprawling camps house nearly one million Rohingya refugees that fled to Bangladesh after a military offensive in neighbouring myanmar five years ago.

Police spokesperson Kamran hossain said at least eight suspected Rohingya assailants shot Syed hossain, 40, and Abu Taleb, 35, at around midnight.

Myanmar

Cops seek man who stabbed own nephew The North Sumatra police are looking for a 32-year-old man, identified only by the initial R, for stabbing his 10-year-old nephew at a school in Sunggal district, Deli Serdang.

Sunggal police chief Comr Candra Yudha said they were investigating the motive for the stabbing that happened on Tuesday morning.

The incident happened in a sixthgrade classroom at the Baiti Jannati Foundation elementary school.

Waluyo, who chairs the educational foundation, said the victim had just entered the classroom with his friends after the morning roll call when the incident occurred.

“The perpetrator came into the classroom and went directly to the victim’s desk. he stabbed (the victim) in the chest with a kitchen knife,” Waluyo said.

The uncle exited the school by climbing over an external fence.

— The Jakarta Post/ANN

“Both were rushed to hospitals where they were declared dead,” he said, adding that a manhunt was launched and security stepped up in the camps.

Police have not named any suspects.

Rohingya sources said that the insurgent Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa), which operates both in myanmar’s western Rakhine state and in the Bangladesh camps, was behind the shootings.

In the last three months, Arsa has been blamed for at least five killings including three senior Rohingya

leaders, two Rohingya sources said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears for their security.

Bangladesh has launched a crackdown on Arsa, led by its elusive leader Ataullah, after prominent Rohingya community leader mohib Ullah – who had been received at the White house – was shot dead in September last year.

Police charged 29 Rohingya, including several Arsa cadres, for that murder.

The group was also blamed for killing six students and teachers at

an Islamic seminary controlled by a rival group.

Police last month said they had arrested more than 800 Rohingya with suspected links to the Arsa.

Community leaders said they were being urged by police to tip off officers if Arsa cadres were found in the camps. hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled their homeland in Rakhine in August 2017 after a myanmar military crackdown, which the United Nations is investigating over genocide charges.

— AFP

Indonesia

tHE country has recently designated two new protected public forest areas in the western state of Chin’s Paletwa township and in the westcentral region of Magway’s gangaw township. the designation of the protected areas was aimed at, among others, conserving watershed areas and fulfilling the needs of local residents.

— Xinhua

Fiery harvest

a farmer showing the chillies she has just harvested in Palu, Central sulawesi. these will appeal to foodies with a taste for spicy and hot dishes. — Xinhua

FRom Sept 5, backseat passengers of vehicles with not more than seven seats will be required to wear seat belts. metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol maj-General Jirasan KaewsaengAke said on Wednesday that the 13th amendment to the Land Traffic Act of 1879 will take effect next month, expanding the compulsory use of seat belts to include passengers in the front seats and backseats. he said old vehicles registered

Thailand

before Jan 1, 1988, will be exempted from the new rule as the backseats cannot be fitted with seat belts.

“In the early phase, police officers will focus on issuing a warning to those who are not yet aware of the new rules.

“Fining of violators (at a maximum 2,000 baht (Rm250) will be considered on a case-by-case basis,” said Jirasan.

The 13th amendment of the Act also added two new clauses: A) children under six years must use a car seat or a specialised seat to

prevent injuries in case of an accident, and; B) passengers who are under 135cm in height must wear a seat belt or use a specialised seat to prevent injuries in case of a mishap.

These two new rules are also scheduled to take effect on Sept 5. however, Jirasan said they could be postponed for a maximum of 90 days as the details and specifications of car seats have yet to be finalised and announced by the Royal Thai Police. — The Nation/ ANN

Man gets life sentence and cane for killing baby A 29-YeAR-oLD man who murdered his girlfriend’s nine-monthold son by pushing the baby’s head against the floorboard of his van was sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane. mohamed Aliff mohamed Yusoff was convicted of murder last month after the high Court rejected his claim that the baby, Izz Fayyaz Zayani Ahmad, had hit his head after accidentally falling from the accused’s arm.

Singapore

tHErE are now 16 deaths resulting from the fire that broke out in the early hours of Friday morning, ripping through the Mountain B club in Chonburi province’s sattahip district, roughly 150km southeast of Bangkok. dozens more are still in hospital. a 23-yearold man was the latest fatality. — aFP

Two new protected forests

Backseat passengers must wear seat belts from Sept 5

Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ake

Nightclub fire death toll rises to 16

Myanmar

Indonesia

“Fining of violators will be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

Thailand

The incident took place between 10pm on Nov 7, 2019 and 12.15am on Nov 8, 2019 in a carpark in Yishun Street 81.

Aliff had offered to take care of Izz that night.

In sentencing Aliff, high Court Judge mavis Chionh found that the circumstances of the case did not warrant the death penalty.

The prosecution sought life imprisonment and 15 to 18 strokes of the cane, while the defence sought life imprisonment and five

to six strokes of the cane.

Justice Chionh said the courts have taken a tough stance towards offenders who cause the deaths of defenceless young victims by violence.

The judge noted the physical disparity between Aliff, a full-grown adult man, and Izz, who was 71cm tall and weighed 8.3kg.

She said the baby’s total inability to defend himself rendered him an especially vulnerable victim.

Justice Chionh said Aliff’s actions

after causing the baby’s death showed a “disturbing lack of remorse”.

Instead of seeking medical attention, Aliff suggested to his girlfriend Nadiah Abdul Jalil that they should pay someone to bury Izz and report him as missing a year later.

Aliff told Nadiah they should tell the same story of an accidental fall and delayed taking her and Izz to the National University hospital’s accident and emergency department. — The Straits Times/ANN

Vietnam

Noodles to be inspected CaMBodian authorities will conduct an inspection and then prevent imports of Vietnamese instant noodles containing banned ethylene oxide, according to Vietnam’s trade office in Cambodia. this move follows the Eu’s warning to recall or return Vietnamese instant noodles including this substance. — Vietnam news/ann

Laos

Laos on alert as Mulan nears tHE typhoon will pass over Laos until tomorrow, bringing thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds, putting some provinces at risk of flooding and landslides, the weather bureau of Laos has warned. — Xinhua

StarAsean+ 17

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Taiwan holds drill amid tensions Move a ‘scheduled exercise’ but comes after China ends patrols

TAipei: Taiwan’s army held another live-fire drill after Beijing ended its largest-ever military exercises around the island and repeated threats to bring the self-ruled democracy under its control.

Beijing has raged at a trip to Taiwan last week by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – the highestranking elected American official to visit in decades – staging days of air and sea drills that raised tensions to their highest level in years.

Taiwan has accused China of using the Pelosi visit as an excuse to kickstart drills that would allow it to rehearse for an invasion. lou woei-jye, spokesperson for Taiwan’s eighth Army Corps, said its forces fired howitzers and target flares as part of the defensive drill yesterday.

The exercise in Taiwan’s southernmost county Pingtung began at 8.30am and lasted about an hour,

Maintenance move: soldiers firing 155mm howitzers during the annual live fire military exercise in Pingtung county. — reuters he said.

Artillery tucked in from the coast was lined up side by side, with armed soldiers in units firing the howitzers out to sea one after the

other, a live stream showed.

Taiwan held a similar drill on Tuesday in Pingtung.

Both involved hundreds of troops, the military said.

The military has played down the exercises’ significance, saying they were already scheduled and were not in response to China’s war games. “we have two goals for the drills, the first is to certify the proper condition of the artillery and their maintenance condition and the second is to confirm the results of last year,” lou said, referring to annual drills.

Taiwan routinely stages military drills simulating defence against a Chinese invasion.

The latest exercise came after China’s military indicated its own drills had come to an end on wednesday, saying its forces “successfully completed various tasks” in the Taiwan Strait while vowing to continue patrolling its waters.

But in the same announcement, China said that it would “continue to carry out military training and

A group of leading Asian newspapers working toward improving coverage of Asian affairs.

Fishermen left in the lurch after Pelosi visit piNGTUNG: even before last week’s visit to Taiwan by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, fish farmer Chen Sheng-You was on the lookout for new business, with trade curbs cutting him off from his major source of revenue – China.

Amid simmering tension between China and self-ruled Taiwan, Beijing suspended purchases of grouper fish, Chen’s main product, in June after repeatedly detecting banned chemicals.

But the geopolitical storm that followed Pelosi’s visit on Aug 2 is likely to put the livelihoods of Chen and other farmers and fishermen in the island’s southern Pingtung county at further risk.

“Our job is to do fish farming,”

www.asianewsnet.net

Officers held over death in custody Grouping for groupers: Fishermen collecting grouper fish from the farm to be processed in Pingtung,

taiwan. — reuters

Chen said. “we only hope that once the fish grow bigger, we will sell them.

“Because of political issues and our government not having a communication channel, the Chinese government is blocking our economy,” he said.

Beijing extended its ban on Taiwan’s seafood a day after Pelosi’s arrival, blocking shipments of chilled white striped hairtail and frozen horse mackerel, saying it

had found traces of the coronavirus on the packaging of some products.

The bans were widely seen as retaliation against Taiwan for allowing the visit, which prompted China to launch unprecedented military exercises around the island.

China described Pelosi’s visit as a provocation that undermines its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only its 23.5 million people can decide their future.

“I personally don’t think it helped Taiwan whatsoever,” Chen said of Pelosi’s visit.

“It creates some economic loss for the Taiwanese people instead. I don’t know why she came.”

“People need to live. we don’t understand too much about politics but we only need a kind and peaceful relationship between China and Taiwan and also to co-exist,” said Zheng Rui-long, the owner of a fish processing factory. — Reuters

China’s Covid-19 cases hit three-month high SANYA: Covid-19 cases in China jumped to a three-month high, with almost half of the 1,993 infections reported nationally coming from Hainan island where tourists had thronged in search of respite.

Sanya, a beach resort town in Hainan, saw infections triple in a day to 1,254 for wednesday.

It’s the first time the daily number of cases in any Chinese province or city has exceeded 1,000 since May, when an outbreak shut down Shanghai for two months.

The fast-growing infection rate casts doubt on the Hainan govern-

prepare for war”.

In a white paper published the same day, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing would “not renounce the use of force” against its neighbour and reserved “the option of taking all necessary measures”. “we are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” it said in the paper.

China last issued a white paper on Taiwan in 2000.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the island’s top policymaking body on China, rejected the paper and said the document was “full of lies that are ‘wishful thinking and disregarding the facts’”.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry yesterday joined the council in rebuffing the “one country, two systems” model that Beijing has proposed for the island. — AFP

ment’s goal of achieving zero community transmission by Friday.

Almost the entire island is locked down, with National Health Commission officials saying the virus appears to have been silently spreading for some time.

People in Sanya are struggling to get basic necessities like food, just like those in Shanghai did months ago, as online grocery apps lack enough delivery capacity to meet demand.

Among the stranded foreign tourists, there’s a sense of confusion and shock as they wait on updates from

hotel management.

But the rules from the government on when or how they can leave keep changing, according to Jason Rogers, a Bloomberg News journalist who’s on vacation in the city.

The food, which guests are paying for, is plentiful and of good quality. while hotel facilities like pools and gyms are closed, the grounds are available for walks, he said.

Meanwhile, Sanya officials stepped up control measures yesterday, asking workers to strictly

enforce stay-at-home orders for those in high risk areas, with residents in lower risk areas only allowed to go out for essentials.

“Sanya is such a small city, so I still believe it’ll control the virus much better than Shanghai,” a resident said, pointing to the normal availability of medical services.

For visitors, however, leaving won’t resolve the problems.

One concern for Rogers is that places like Shanghai, where he resides, have changed their quarantine rules for those returning from Sanya. — Bloomberg

T w e l v e Military Police officers were detained in Kampong Thom province, pending further investigations into the death of a man during an operation against an online cockfighting ring in Baray district.

As of wednesday, no further action had been taken against the 12 officers.

According to National Military Police spokesperson eng Hy, on Sunday, four suspects involved in online cockfighting gambling were arrested, including the deceased man identified as Suong Doan. while the four were en route to the Military Police base, Doan became short of breath and complained that he was feeling unwell.

Officers then performed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation test, but Doan was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

On Tuesday, National Military Police commander General Sao Sokha ordered the arrest of the officers allegedly involved in Doan’s death.

“If it is determined that the man’s death was the result of brutality by Military Police officers, all of those involved will face the law without exception,” he added. “we cannot allow any members of law enforcement to think that they are above the law.” — The Phnom Penh Post/ANN

Cambodia

18

THE STAR, FRidAy 12 AuguST 2022

Trump declines to answer questions Ex-president pleads the fifth, denies wrongdoing at NY attorney-general’s office NEW YORK: Former US President Donald Trump said he declined to answer questions during an appearance before New York state’s attorney general in a civil investigation into his family’s business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr and daughter Ivanka Trump had fought unsuccessfully to avoid appearing for testimony in state Attorney General Letitia James’s probe into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to obtain loans and understated asset values to get tax breaks.

“I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” Trump said in a statement issued roughly an hour after he arrived in a motorcade at the attorney gener-

Orange man:

A man wearing a Trump mask and prison inmate uniform at Trump Tower in New York after the former president’s home in Florida was raided by the FBI. — Reuters al’s office in lower Manhattan for the deposition behind closed doors.

The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination.

Trump’s decision not to answer questions still could carry consequences. Should the investigation lead to a trial, jurors could take his silence into account.

Politically, it also could give adversaries ammunition about whether Trump has something to hide as he mulls another presidential run in 2024.

James has said her investigation has uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, gave banks and tax authorities misleading financial information to obtain benefits.

In a social media post after the deposition, Trump called it a “very professional meeting,” while boasting about his company.

A spokesperson for the New York attorney general’s office said in a statement that James participated in the deposition and confirmed that Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.

Trump, in his statement again denied wrongdoing and sought to

Male birthrate minister tries ‘pregnancy belly’ in Japan

France battles ‘monster’ wildfire near Bordeaux HOSTENS: More than 1,000 firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft battled a “monster” wildfire near France’s wine-growing heartland of Bordeaux for a third day, with no let-up in blistering temperatures seen before the weekend.

The fire in the Gironde region, one of several major blazes burning in France, has forced thousands of people from their homes, destroyed more than a dozen properties and scorched more than 6,800ha of forest.

“It’s an ogre, it’s a monster,” Gregory Allione from the French firefighters body FNSPF told RTL radio yesterday.

The Gironde wildfire is one of many that have broken out across Europe this summer, triggered by heatwaves that have baked the continent and brought record temperatures.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was due to visit the area later.

Local temperatures reached 40ºC yesterday and are set to stay high until Saturday, authorities warned.

The Gironde was hit by major wildfires in July which destroyed

Raging inferno: The sky turning an angry reddish-orange as firefighters battle a blaze near Saint-Magne, south of Bordeaux. — AP more than 20,000 hectares of forest and temporarily forced almost 40,000 people from their homes.

“It’s a disaster, economically, ecologically, it’s awful,” Jean-Louis Dartiailh, the mayor of Hostens, a small town close to the fire, told

Radio Classique.

“The area is totally disfigured.

We’re heartbroken, we’re exhausted.”

France is in the grip of its worst drought on record, with a fourth heatwave of the summer sweeping

across the country this week.

More than 57,200ha have gone up in flames so far in France this year, nearly six times the full-year average for 2006-2021, data from the European Forest Fire Information System shows. — Reuters

Lankan minister introduces Bill to clip presidential powers COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s justice minister submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Parliament that would clip the powers of the president, a key demand of protesters calling for reforms and solutions to the economic crisis.

The action came as former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled anti-government protests last month, was reportedly seeking to enter Thailand from Singapore yesterday.

He fled Sri Lanka last month after thousands of angry protesters stormed his official residence, hold-

portray the investigation by James, a Democrat, as part of a years-long vendetta against him by her and others including the news media.

He also attempted to link James’s investigation to Monday’s FBI search of his Florida home Mar-aLago, which represented an escalation of a federal probe into whether he illegally removed records from the White House as he left office in January 2021.

“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’” Trump said.

“Now I know the answer to that question.”

Trump added, “When your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of a politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.” — Reuters

ing him responsible for the country’s economic woes.

A Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Rajapaksa would be allowed entry but had not asked for political asylum.

In Colombo, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe presented a Bill that would transfer some presidential powers – including those to appoint independent election commission members, police and public officials, and corruption investigators – to a constitutional council comprising lawmakers and respected non-politicians.

The council would then recommend candidates for appointments that the president could choose from.

Under the proposed amendments, presidents would only be able to appoint chief justices, other senior judges, attorney generals and central bank governors on the recommendation of the council.

The prime minister would recommend appointments to the Cabinet and the president would not be allowed to hold any ministry positions except defence.

The Bill, which will undergo

debate, must be approved by twothirds of Sri Lanka’s 225-member Parliament to become law.

If passed into law, the amendments would reinstate democratic reforms made in 2015.

Rajapaksa reversed those reforms and concentrated power in himself after being elected in 2019.

Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who succeeded Rajapaksa, has promised to limit the powers of the presidency and strengthen Parliament in response to the protesters’ demands. — AP

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replaced the female minister in charge of tackling the country’s falling birthrate and installed a man who sought to deepen his understanding of the issue by trying out a “pregnancy belly”.

Kishida reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday and named former Bank of Japan official Masanobu Ogura, 41, to take over the post from ruling party veteran Seiko Noda, a mother of one.

In an interview last month, she blamed a male-dominated political world for “indifference and ignorance” towards a plunging birthrate.

Ogura, who is married with no children, tried out a “pregnancy belly” in a project organised by the youth division of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in April last year.

He said after being named to the post that the enhancement of policies helping families raise children is an urgent task, the Kyoiku newspaper reported.

Ogura and two other male lawmakers were to keep the 7.3kg pregnancy bellies on while going about their daily routines, in order to understand the burden on the body of carrying a child, the Sankei newspaper reported at the time.

The suit, strapped to the torso, is meant to simulate the weight gain at the seven-month point of a pregnancy, according to Ogura’s blog.

He explained in the blog that he had experienced back pain while wearing the jacket and found himself worrying about other passengers on a crowded train bumping up against him.

“This doesn’t mean I have more meaningful opinions about policy than other people,” he said.

“But I now feel I want to dedicate more of my time as a lawmaker to supporting pregnant women.” — Bloomberg

StarWorld 19

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

North Korea ‘defeats’ virus Kim: Covid-19 victory would be recognised as a global miracle SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory over Covid-19 and ordered preventive measures eased just three months after acknowledging an outbreak, claiming the country’s widely disputed success would be recognised as a global health miracle.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency also reported yesterday that Kim’s sister said her brother had suffered a fever and blamed the North Korean outbreak on leaflets flown from across the border from South Korea, while warning of deadly retaliation.

Some experts believe North Korea has manipulated the scale of

the outbreak to help Kim maintain absolute control of the country amid mounting economic difficulties.

They believe the victory statement signals Kim’s aim to move to other priorities but are concerned his sister’s remarks portend a provocation.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, issued a statement expressing strong regret over North Korea’s “extremely disrespectful and threatening comments” that were based on “ridiculous claims” about the source of its infections.

Since North Korea admitted to an

Well done:

Kim shaking hands with health officials in Pyongyang after declaring victory over the virus.

— aP omicron outbreak of the virus in May, it has reported about 4.8 million “fever cases” in its population of 26 million but only identified a

fraction of them as Covid-19.

It has claimed the outbreak has been slowing for weeks and just 74 people have died. — AP

Ailing beluga put down as last-ditch rescue bid fails OUiStrEham: An ailing beluga whale that strayed into France’s Seine river was put down by vets after a last-ditch rescue attempt failed because of its rapidly deteriorating health, local officials said.

The fate of the whale captured the hearts of people across the world since it was first spotted in the highly unusual habitat of the river that flows through Paris, far from its usual Arctic waters.

Rescuers had worked overnight to lift the male out of the Seine by crane for transfer to a saltwater pen, to save the life of the mammal, which was no longer eating.

It was then driven north to the Normandy port of Ouistreham, where vets hoped to release the animal into a harbourside pen and then possibly into the wild.

But the six vets unanimously decided after examining the beluga on arrival in Ouistreham that there was no other option than to put it down, the local authority of the Calvados region said.

“Despite the logistical efforts, the condition of the cetacean deteriorated during the trip,” it said.

“The beluga was in a state of great weakness and its respiratory activity failing. The decision was therefore taken collectively, with the veterinarians, to euthanise it,” it added. — AF

Rolling rally: indian Border security Force soldiers riding in a motorbike rally to mark the 75th anniversary of country’s independence in srinagar. — aFP

Five killed in attack on Indian Kashmir base Srinagar: Suspected rebels attacked an army camp in Indianadministered Kashmir and killing three soldiers before being shot dead themselves, police said, four days ahead of the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.

Officials say at least 130 militants and scores of police and soldiers have been killed this year in battles

with rebels fighting for Kashmir’s independence or its merger with Pakistan.

Two militants using automatic rifles and grenades “entered the army camp in the dark and there was an exchange of fire. Army suffered three fatalities and the two attackers were also killed,” Mukesh Singh, a top police officer, said.

The incident, in the southern Rajouri area near the border dividing Kashmir from Pakistan, also injured two other soldiers.

On Wednesday hundreds of Indian soldiers on motorbikes paraded through Srinagar, waving the national flag as part of independence-day celebrations culminating on Aug 15. — AFP

‘Parasite’-type basement homes to be banned SEOUL: After at least four people drowned in basement homes during the worst storm to lash Seoul in more than a century, South Korea’s capital city is planning to phase out such dwellings that came to symbolise yawning inequality in the Oscarwinning film Parasite.

Seoul is considering banning construction of underground and semiunderground houses after coordination with the government, according to a statement on Wednesday.

Landlords will be given 10 to 20 years to remove such structures known as “banjiha” homes from existing buildings.

As of 2020, about 5% or 200,000

homes in the city were basement or half-basement flats, according to theSeoulMetropolitanGovernment.

The announcement came after the worst rainstorm in 115 years dumped 525mm of rain in parts of Seoul earlier this week and killed at least 11 people.

Among them were three family members – a woman in her 40s, her sister and the sibling’s teenage daughter – who were found dead after being trapped in a submerged semi-basement home in Sillim-dong.

Another woman in her 50s who lived in a similar residence also drowned, according to DongA Ilbo newspaper.

Death trap: soldiers cleaning up debris from a ‘banjiha’ house that had been submerged by torrential rain in seoul. — reuters The central characters of Parasite, the Korean-language film that won the Oscar for best picture in 2020, are portrayed as those living in such

basement houses, struggling to make ends meet, largely out of sight and ignored by the wealthy. — Bloomberg

Ukraine: Nine Russian warplanes destroyed in Crimea blasts KYiV: Ukraine said that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in a deadly string of explosions at an air base in Crimea that appeared to be the result of a Ukrainian attack, which would represent a significant escalation in the war.

Russia denied any aircraft were damaged in Tuesday’s blasts – or that any attack took place.

But satellite photos clearly showed at least seven fighter planes at the base had been blown up.

Ukrainian officials stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility for the explosions, while mocking Russia’s explanation that a careless smoker might have caused ammunition at the Saki air base to catch fire and blow up.

Analysts also said that explanation doesn’t make sense and that the Ukrainians could have used anti-ship missiles to strike the base.

If Ukrainian forces were, in fact, responsible for the blasts, it would be the first known major attack on a Russian military site on the Crimean Peninsula, which was seized from Ukraine by the Kremlin in 2014.

Russian warplanes have used Saki to strike areas in Ukraine’s south.

Crimea holds huge strategic and symbolic significance for both sides.

The Kremlin’s demand that Ukraine recognise Crimea as part of Russia has been one of its key conditions for ending the fighting, while Ukraine has vowed to drive the Russians from the peninsula and all other occupied territories.

The explosions, which killed one person and wounded 14, sent tourists fleeing in panic as plumes of smoke rose over the coastline nearby. Video showed shattered windows and holes in the brickwork of some buildings.

One tourist, Natalia Lipovaya, said “the earth was gone from under my feet” after the powerful blasts. “I was so scared,” she said.

Sergey Milochinsky, a local resident, recalled hearing a roar and seeing a mushroom cloud from his window. “Everything began to fall around, collapse,” he said.

Russian authorities sought to downplay the explosions, saying on Wednesday that hotels and beaches were unaffected on the peninsula, which is a popular tourist destination for many Russians.

But video posted on social media showed long lines of cars on the road to Russia as tourists headed home.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, cryptically said the blasts were either caused by Ukrainian-made long-range weapons or the work of Ukrainian guerrillas operating in Crimea.

A Ukrainian parliament member, Oleksandr Zavitnevich, said the airfield was rendered unusable.

He reported on Facebook that it housed fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft and military transport planes.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken on Wednesday showed some 2sq km of grassland burned at the Saki base.

The two runways bore no apparent damage and appeared to still be operational.

Some of the fighter jets on the flight line had been moved farther down the runway, compared to images taken Tuesday before the blast. — AP

20

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

No words can express the feeling of the dearly missed presence of a departed one.

Memories live on in a photograph, a poem, a loving memory, and/or a joyful moment.

And we treasure them and hold them close to our hearts.

Always beloved and dearly missed.

Forever in our hearts.

Sport 21

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Living up to their billings Fraser-Pryce, Lyles shine in Monaco, Kipyegon just misses world record MONACO: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Noah Lyles underlined their dominant sprint seasons with victories at the Monaco Diamond League on Wednesday, as Faith Kipyegon narrowly missed a sensational world record in the 1500m.

Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce, fresh from a fifth world 100m title in Eugene last month, clocked a world leading 10.62 seconds for the win, the sixth fastest time ever run over the blue riband event.

The Jamaican’s victory at the Stade Louis II was her third sub-10.70 run within a week and saw her become the first woman in history to break 10.70 six times in the same season.

Her time also smashed the previous meet best of 10.72sec set by disgraced American Marion Jones in 1998.

“I did what I needed to do and we had fun and let the clock do the talking,” said Fraser-Pryce.

Lyles, who won the world 200m title last month in a blistering 19.31sec, also set a meet record, clocking 19.46sec – the ninth fastest time ever run over the distance – to improve on his own previous mark of 19.65 set back in 2018.

The American ran a powerful bend in a US clean sweep, getting the better of teenager Erriyon Knighton and world 400m champion Michael Norman.

“It’s my second best time ever tonight so I consider that a great race,” said Lyles.

“Every time I come here I expect to run very fast and, if not a personal best, something close to it.”

World and Olympic 1500m champion Kipyegon arguably produced the standout performance of an amazing night of track and field in balmy conditions in front of a big crowd.

The Kenyan ran the second fastest ever time over the distance as she won in 3:50.37, falling just half a second short of Ethiopian Genezebe Dibaba’s world record set in 2015, also in Monaco.

“I have been chasing the time for quite some time but I am happy with the personal best,” said Kipyegon, who was left to bolt home alone after both pacesetters had done their jobs.

“I knew this was the best place to get the world record but I am so disappointed I lost it in the last metres.”

The first world champions’ duel of the night saw Briton Jake Wightman obliterate the meet record for a comfortable victory in the 1000m in 2:13.88.

Wightman, a shock winner of the world 1500m title in Eugene, kicked with 150 metres to go to reel in Canada’s world 800m bronze medallist Marco Arop.

The world 800m champion, Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir, ran out of steam and eased up to cross the line in last position.

“I did not really know I was in shape to do this today,” said Wightman.

“It was just very, very hard,” he added. “I had to stay strong to be able to catch him. This is a really nice step towards the European championships in Munich where I will run the 800m.”

The five other world gold medallists on show all produced the goods.

Two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won the women’s 400m in 49.28sec while American Grant Holloway claimed victory in 12.99sec in the men’s 110m hurdles

despite arriving in Monaco with no luggage, lost en route from a meet in Hungary.

Australian Kelsey-Lee Barber threw a best of 64.50m to win the women’s javelin, but Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas made hard work for the triumph in the women’s triple jump, eventually producing a winning effort of 15.01m after unusually opening with three no-marks.

Qatari Mutaz Barshim, whose gold in Eugene was his third world title, famously shared Olympic gold in Tokyo with Gianmarco Tamberi, but the Italian bailed out after just one successful jump, at the opening height of 2.20m, to finish eighth.

It looked for a moment like Barshim might have to share first place with South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok after both cleared 2.30m but failed at 2.32m with the same jump countback.

Barshim promptly won a golden jumpoff at 2.30 for victory.

“Today felt like a marathon with too many jumps. I’m tired,” said the Qatari.

— AFP

A class show: Noah Lyles en route to the 200m gold medal in a new meet record at the diamond League athletics meeting in Monaco. — aP

• Ob it u a ry • Co n do le n ce • Ac k n ow led g e m e nt • R eq u ie m • M e m ori a m HQ (Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan) 010-823 2377 | Bureaus (other states) 016-728 2377 | starcherish@thestar.com.my

Scan now to advertise

bit.ly/StarCherish

22 Sport

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Serena says goodbye to Canada after defeat by Bencic ‘Tough night’ TORONTO: Serena Williams, who said this week she will soon call time on her storied tennis career, departed the WTA Toronto Masters for the last time on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.

The second-round defeat by Switzerland’s reigning Olympic gold medallist was hardly unexpected, with the 40-year-old Williams competing in only her third match of 2022.

Bencic fired eight aces and broke Williams twice in the first set and once in the second, advancing on her first match point after 78 minutes.

But as Bencic herself said in the postmatch interview on court: “Tonight is about her.”

Williams’s farewell on-court interview was threaded with emotion.

“I love playing here, I’ve always loved playing here,” she said, choking up as fans who cheered her throughout the match called out their appreciation.

“I wish I could have played better tonight, but Belinda was playing so well.”

Williams, who turns 41 next month, had beaten Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday for her first singles victory since the 2021 French Open, 14 months ago.

But it sent shockwaves through the sport when she revealed in an essay in Vogue magazine and an Instagram post on Tuesday that “the countdown has begun” to her retirement from the sport.

Williams didn’t specify an actual retirement date but is expected to compete next week in Cincinnati before travelling to the US Open, which starts on Aug 29.

She has lifted the US Open title six times, including her first Grand Slam triumph at the age of 17 in 1999.

“It’s been a pretty interesting 24 hours,” said Williams, who remains one shy of the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles won by Margaret Court.

“Like I said in my article, I’m terrible at goodbyes,” she said, her voice breaking.

“But, goodbye,” she said, then adding with a laugh “Toronto.”

“It’s been a joy playing here all of those years.”

Bencic said the occasion was “Overwhelming.”

Williams’ match was preceded by a video tribute played for fans. Before she left the court she was presented with jerseys from the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs – and with a child’s version of the same for daughter Olympia.

In explaining that she was “evolving away” from tennis in the Vogue article, Williams said she wanted to focus on family life and new business ventures.

Bencic said the occasion was “really overwhelming.”

“It definitely felt very special to be on court with her today again,” she said “For me it was great, great, opportunity.” — AFP

Upsets galore Medvedev, rublev, tsitsipas and alcaraz fall MONTREAL: Nick Kyrgios produced a serve-and-volley masterclass to topple world number one Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2 for his eighth straight win on a day of upsets at the Montreal Open on Wednesday.

Britain’s Dan Evans stunned fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 at the ATP 1000 event, while the day kicked off with American Tommy Paul rallying to beat Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Jack Draper, ranked number 82 in the world, scored arguably the biggest upset, the Briton rounding off the day with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win over Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

It appeared that top-seeded Russian Medvedev had all the momentum when he eased through the first set tie breaker and the temperamental Kyrgios smashed a ball into the stratosphere in frustration.

But the Australian regrouped and broke Medvedev’s serve to begin the second set and served his way out of trouble in the following game for a 2-0 lead that he would not relinquish.

The match’s pivotal moment came in the fourth game of the third set when Kyrgios raced from corner to corner to deliver a backhand that the charging Medvedev could not handle, putting the Australian up a service break that sent the sunsoaked fans to their feet.

Kyrgios, who won 82% of his first serves, held at love in the final

Giantkillers: Jack draper hits a return in his 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win over third

seed stefanos tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios (right) in action against daniil Medvedev in the Montreal Open. – aFP game to seal a place in the last 16.

“I knew he was feeling confident so I had to come out there with a game style that wasn’t going to give him too much rhythm,” Kyrgios told reporters. “I served and volleyed pretty much every point.”

World number four Alcaraz looked to be heading for victory when he bagged the first-set tiebreak before opening up a 4-1 lead in the second when his game inexplicably unravelled.

Alcaraz earned a match point

during the second set tie break but once Paul saved it, the 19-year-old Spaniard’s challenge faded.

“Right now all I can say, it was the first time that I couldn’t handle the pressure,” said Alcaraz.

“I felt the pressure to be the number two seed in this kind of tournaments, number four in the world. It was the first time that I felt that pressure, and I couldn’t handle it.”

Fourth seed Casper Ruud, who lost to Rafa Nadal in this year’s French Open final, is the highest seed remaining in the tournament and advanced to the third round with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 win over Alex Molcan.

Also advancing in Montreal were Australia’s Alex de Minaur, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, Croatia’s Marin Cilic, Frenchman Gael Monfils and Spaniards Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta. — Reuters

Gauff packs off Wimbledon champion Rybakina TORONTO: Coco Gauff overcame 13 double-faults on Wednesday as she battled past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and into the third round of the WTA Toronto Masters, where top-ranked Iga Swiatek also sailed through.

Gauff, the US teenager who fell to Swiatek in the French Open final this year, held on to beat Rybakina 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-3).

Gauff lost out on four chances to close out a straight-sets victory as a

quartet of match points came and went.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, aided by Gauff’s service struggles, had looked as if she might pull off another marathon victory. She had needed three hours to get past Marie Bouzkova in the first round.

But Gauff finally prevailed, 70 minutes after her first opportunities, claiming victory on her fifth match point.

Both players were appearing for

the first time in Francophone Montreal after making Canadian debuts a year ago in Toronto.

World number 11 Gauff lost serve three times against Rybakina but broke on four occasions.

Meanwhile, Swiatek glided through untroubled in her second-round match, defeating Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-2 in 55 minutes.

The top-seeded Pole with six titles this season faced nine break points,

saving six.

“From the first practice I played here I felt really good,” Swiatek said.

“Even though there was jet lag and I was coming from clay I felt like I was in a good place.

Defending champion Camila Giorgi made it to the third round with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Belgian Elise Mertens.

Simona Halep beat Zhang Shuai of China 6-4, 6-2. — AFP

(Fra) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Pablo Carreno Busta (Spa) bt Holger Rune (Den) 6-0, 6-3; Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Maxime Cressy (US) 7-6 (12-10), 7-6 (8-6); Jack Draper (Bri) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); Daniel Evans (Bri) bt Andrey Rublev (Rus) 6-4, 6-4; Taylor Fritz (US) bt Frances Tiafoe (US) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4; Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Karen Khachanov (Rus) 6-3, 6-2; Tommy Paul (US) bt Carlos Alcaraz (Spa) 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Bonaventure (Bel) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; Magdalena Frech (Pol) bt Caty McNally (US) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Bernarda Pera (US) bt Anna Blinkova Rus) 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; CoCo Vandeweghe (US) bt Eva Lys (Ger) 6-1, 6-1.

Amanda Anisimova (US) 6-1, 6-1; Bianca Andreescu (Can) bt Alize Cornet (Fra) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Zheng Qinwen (Chn) bt Ons Jabeur (Tun) 6-1, 2-1 (rtd); Jessica Pegula (US) bt Asia Muhammed (US) 6-2, 7-5; Camila Giorgi (Ita) bt Elise Mertens (Bel) 6-3, 7-5; Alison Riske (US) bt Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) 7-6 (7-2), 0-6, 7-5; Yulia Putintseva (Kaz) bt Paula Badosa (Spa) 7-5, 1-0 (rtd); Aryna Sabalenka (Blr) bt Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spa) 6-4, 6-3; Coco Gauff (US) bt Elena Rybakina (Kaz) 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-3); Simona Halep (Rom) bt Zhang Shuai (Chn) 6-4, 6-2; Jil Teichmann (Swi) bt Anett Kontaveit (Est) 6-4, 6-4.

RESULTS WORLDWIDE TENNIS MONTREAL OPEN Second round: Nick Kyrgios (Aus) bt Daniil Medvedev (Rus) 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2; Alex De Minaur (Aus) bt Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5; Albert Ramos (Spa) bt Diego Schwartzman (Arg) 6-4, 6-2; Casper Ruud (Nor) bt Alex Molcan (Svk) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Roberto Bautista (Spa) bt Jenson Brooksby (US) 7-5, 6-1; Cameron Norrie (Bri) bt Botic van de Zandschulp (Ned) 6-1, 6-2; Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (Jpn) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4; Jannik Sinner (Ita) bt Adrian Mannarino

THOREAU OPEN Second round:Taylor Townsend US) bt Ysaline

TORONTO OPEN Second round: Iga Swiatek (Pol) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (Aus) 6-1, 6-2; Beatriz Haddad Maia (Bra) bt Leylah Fernandez (Can) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; Belinda Bencic (Swi) bt Serena Williams (US) 6-2, 6-4; Garbine Muguruza (Spa) bt Kaia Kanepi (Est) 6-4, 6-4; Karolina Pliskova (Cze) bt

for McIlroy after Open setback

WASHINGTON: Rory McIlroy endured a “tough night” after an agonizing Open Championship defeat extended his major drought, but the Northern Ireland star said the misery didn’t linger.

McIlroy held a share of the 54-hole lead at St Andrews last month and was two up through nine holes in the final round before Australian Cameron Smith surged away with a 64 to take the Claret Jug with a 20-under total.

“That night was tough,” McIlroy, a four-time Major winner, said on Wednesday as he prepared for the US PGA Tour St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee.

“The few days after it were OK, I guess. It probably took me three or four days to sort of get back to myself again. But I think what softened the blow a little bit, I felt – I should have got the ball up and down on 9, 12 and 14.

“But apart from that, I didn’t lose it. I think that’s what made it a little easier to get over. The fact that Cam went out and shot 30 on the back nine ... It’s not as if I went out there, shot 75,” said McIlroy, who was 18-under for the tournament.

“I think because of how I played, it made it I guess just a little easier to get over.”

McIlroy said he spent two weeks on holiday in Britain after the final Major of the year, not touching a club.

“It was nice to take that little break,” he said. “I felt like I needed it. I feel refreshed and ready to go for the playoffs.”

McIlroy said the fact that he did little wrong at St. Andrews and still couldn’t bag a fifth Major was less frustrating than encouraging.

“I think it’s more, if I keep playing like that in Major championships, the law of averages suggests that I’m going to get myself back in the winner’s circle eventually,” he said.

— Reuters

Two Pakistan boxers missing after Games

KARACHI: Two Pakistani boxers have gone missing in Britain after the end of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, a team official told local media.

Suleman Baloch and Nazeerullah Khan failed to show up for the team’s scheduled departure, Pakistan Boxing Federation secretary Nasir Tang said.

“Later we got to know that they had left the athletes’ village without taking their passports from us,” he said.

Pakistan sports officials say they will investigate the boxers’ disappearance and had alerted British police.

Seven-time national championSuleman competed in the welterweight category, where he lost to Shiva Thapa of India in the first round, while Nazeerullah received a bye before losing to Lewis Williams of England in the round of 16.

Pakistan won two golds, three silvers and as many bronze medals at the Birmingham Games. — AFP

Sport 23

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Ajax star Tadic robbed at home in Amsterdam

All eyes on the biggie

Early casualty: Juventus’ midfielder Paul Pogba will be out until september with a knee injury.

— aFP

No clear favourites as rivals jostle for Milan’s serie a crown MILAN: AC Milan have their Serie A rivals snapping at their heels ahead of their title defence, with the big boys bolstering their squads over an eventful summer which has left the league with no clear Scudetto favourite.

Stefano Pioli’s side kick off the new season against Udinese at the San Siro tomorrow as teams gear up for a 15-match sprint between now and the World Cup in Qatar.

Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Lazio have all made interesting moves, meaning that the race is likely to be as open as last year’s, which went down to the wire.

Milan have lost Franck Kessie to

Barcelona but brought in free-agent striker Divock Origi and spent 35mil (RM161mil) on promising but unproven forward Charles De Ketelaere.

Inter, meanwhile, started the summer with a bang by bringing back Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea but were beaten to the punch by Roma and Juve respectively for key targets Paulo Dybala and last season’s best defender, Gleison Bremer.

The loss of Bremer to their biggest rivals was a blow for Inter, the inability to strike a deal with Paris St Germain for the sale of Milan Skriniar holding up the purchase of

the Brazilian from Torino and allowing Juve to bring in a sound replacement for Matthijs de Ligt and Giorgio Chiellini.

It dented the enthusiasm among fans who had thought Simone Inzaghi’s team would strengthen to the point of being hot favourites to retake the title but are newly worried about the financial stability of the club’s Chinese owners Suning.

Juve have also brought in star names Paul Pogba – now out until September with a knee injury – and Angel Di Maria, and are going after Leandro Paredes, Filip Kostic and mercurial attacker Memphis Depay.

However, Sunday’s 4-0 friendly thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid was exacerbated by old boy Alvaro Morata’s hattrick and has caused murmurings about the future of coach Massimiliano Allegri, who needs a big campaign after finishing 16 points behind Milan last time out.

There has been some worry among Milan fans over the low-key nature of their team’s transfer moves, as well as the fact that the club didn’t renew the contracts of directors Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara – the architects of Milan’s recent revival – until the last minute. — AFP

Sanchez joins Marseille after leaving Inter MARSEILLE: Marseille have signed former Arsenal and Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer following his departure from Inter Milan, the French club announced.

Marseille said the forward, with 143 caps for Chile, had signed a deal at the Velodrome after passing a medical. A club official told AFP he had agreed a one-year contract.

“I hope to be able to deliver for the fans on the pitch,” 33-year-old Sanchez told journalists, saying it was “a personal objective” and “challenge” to achieve something with the club, referring in particular to the Champions League.

His arrival is a major boost for Marseille ahead of their return to the elite European competition.

They qualified for this season’s group stage after finishing as runners-up in Ligue 1 but then saw coach Jorge Sampaoli – who used to coach Chile – depart with ex-Croatia defender Igor Tudor replacing him.

Marseille will be Sanchez’s sixth club in Europe after Udinese, Barcelona,

Arsenal, Manchester United and Inter.

He spent three years at Inter, helping them win the Serie A title in 2021.

However, he started just nine games at the San Siro last season.

Club president Pablo Longoria said his arrival would help Marseille to bring about a “leap in level” and “change dimension” to be more competitive.

Longoria did not rule out “continuing the adventure” with the player beyond this season if he holds “the competitive level that everyone wants”.

“Sanchez embodies a player who can play in the different offensive positions with the current system of coach Igor Tudor,” he added.

Sanchez’s impressive resume includes nearly 250 career goals, more than 140 caps and two Copa Americas with Chile, where he played under two former Marseille coaches Marcelo Bielsa and Sampaoli.

He becomes the ninth recruit in the frenetic Marseille summer transfer window. — AFP

New kid on the block: Marseille’s alexis sanchez (right) poses next to sports director Javier ribalta. — aFP

THE HAGUE: Top Ajax attacking midfielder Dusan Tadic was wounded when robbers ambushed him outside his Amsterdam home, Dutch news reports said.

The apparently targeted attack on the star Serbian player in late July was the latest in a spate of robberies on Dutch celebrities, national broadcaster NOS said.

Two men wearing motorbike helmets accosted Tadic as he stepped out of his car outside his home in the Dutch capital’s south two weeks ago, the daily tabloid De Telegraaf said.

“It seems they wanted to rob him of his valuable wrist-watch,” the paper said.

“After a short pursuit Tadic was involved in a scuffle in which he managed to open the visor of one of the helmets and hit the robber, the paper said.

Tadic then ran into a nearby cafe and called the police.

The robbers got away and no arrests have been made, the paper added.

A few days later the Ajax footballer was seen with plasters on his hand during a season opener against PSV, Amsterdam daily Het Parool reported.

The assault on Tadic is the latest in a spate of such attacks on celebrities and sports stars.

Last year former PSV attacker Eran Zahavi and his family were tied up and robbed of money and possessions. — AFP

Zamalek president jailed for insulting rival CAIRO: An Egyptian appeals court has sentenced the president of Zamalek football club to a month in prison for insulting the president of bitter rivals Al-Ahly, a judicial source told AFP. Al-Ahly and Zamalek, the country’s two biggest clubs and among the continent’s most successful, are historic rivals whose fans regularly clash after matches.

The 70-year-old Zamalek boss, Mortada Mansour, was initially sentenced to one year in prison for insulting Mahmoud al-Khatib, president of Al-Ahly and a former star player, and his family in a video posted on social networks and on Zamalek’s club channel.

On Wednesday, Mansour’s sentence was reduced to one month in prison and a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (RM2,294).

A former magistrate and member of parliament, Mansour is regularly in the news. He has had a long-running battle with Al-Ahly and has physically attacked his counterparts.

His parliamentary immunity had for a while enabled him to avoid legal proceedings after complaints of insults and defamation.

In 2007, he was sentenced to three years in jail by a criminal court in Cairo for “insulting” court officials and levelling accusations of corruption against them. — AFP

24 Sport

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

A league of their own

With Kostic set to depart, Hertha fancy their chances

real equal Milan and Barca’s feat of five super Cups Close tussle: real

Madrid’s dani Carvajal (right) and Frankfurt’s Christopher Lenz jump for the ball.

— aP

Superb start: real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (left) and Federico Valverde celebrate after winning the uEFa super Cup. — aFP

HELSINKI: Champions League winners Real Madrid outclassed Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 to clinch the UEFA Super Cup for a record-equalling fifth time and kick off their season with a trophy.

A first half goal from David Alaba and another from Karim Benzema in the 65th that lifted him to second in Real’s all-time scoring list with 324 goals, wrapped up the title for the Spaniards.

Europa League winners Eintracht had offered some resistance in the first half and had chances to score but were eventually overrun by the Spaniards.

The win also means Real’s Carlo Ancelotti becomes the first coach to lift the trophy four times.

“Eintracht were very closed and

we found it difficult to find our rhythm, but we did it well then,” the Real coach said.

“It’s difficult at the beginning of the season to be in top form but we now have won to start the season well.”

The Italian, who had named the same starting 11 that began their winning Champions League final in Paris in May, had special praise for captain Benzema, last season’s top scorer in the Champions League.

“He’s a very important player, a team leader,” he said.

“If we’re here it’s largely due to his merits, he scored a lot of goals, he finished the season well, he scored a goal today and now he’s going for the Ballon d’Or award,” said Ancelotti.

Eintracht were without playmaker Filip Kostic who is close to a move to Juventus, but looked more disciplined than in their 6-1 loss to Bayern Munich last week in their Bundesliga season opener.

They also carved out the first chance of the game when Daichi Kamada broke clear but could not beat Real keeper Thibaut Courtois with his low drive in the 14th minute.

Real responded three minutes later but Vinicius Jr’s effort was cleared on the line by Tuta.

Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp did well to palm another Vinicius Jr effort wide.

The keeper, however, misjudged a cross in the 37th and was well out of position when Casemiro headed

on for Alaba and the Austrian tapped in from close range for the lead.

Real stayed in control after the break, forcing another good save from Trapp in the 55th, knocking away a deflected Vinicius Jr shot before Casemiro rattled the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box two minutes later.

The pressure eventually paid off when Vinicius Jr combined with Benzema – the pair scored a combined 111 club goals last season – and the French forward slotted in to kill off any lingering Eintracht hopes of a first ever Super Cup title.

The win brought Real level with AC Milan and Barcelona who have also five Super Cup wins. — Reuters

BERLIN: Hertha Berlin got their Bundesliga campaign off to the worst possible start with a 3-1 defeat to city rivals Union but will look to make amends tomorrow against Eintracht Frankfurt, who they have beaten more times than any other team in the league.

Hertha have won 30 league meetings with Eintracht, losing 20, and will be hopeful of scoring another victory with their opponents set to be without playmaker Filip Kostic.

The Serbian did not play in Eintracht’s 2-0 UEFA Super Cup loss to Real Madrid in Helsinki on Wednesday and is reportedly set to join Italy’s Juventus in the coming days.

Eintracht have confirmed the player is in talks with another club, and Hertha midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng said this was a bonus for the Berliners.

Kostic was a key player in Eintracht’s unbeaten run to the Europa League title last season.

“For us it is positive that Kostic will be gone,” Boateng, who played for Eintracht in 2017/18, told a news conference.

“This is at least what I have heard and if he does not land here on Friday then we can say that it’s a good thing for us.”

Boateng said tomorrow’s match offered them the chance to make up for their derby disappointment.

“It is always difficult to lose a derby,” he added.

“Obviously we are disappointed and angry but it’s good that we have a chance to make amends on Saturday.”

The pressure is already on new coach Sandro Schwarz after losing their opener and crashing out of the German Cup first round to second-tier Eintracht Braunschweig. — Reuters

Barcelona sell off assets to make signings in bid to restore glory days MADRID: Barcelona’s attempts to establish themselves once again as a force in La Liga and the Champions League this season have seen the heavily-indebted Catalans gamble with their future to enable a striking summer spending spree.

A year after being forced to let Lionel Messi go as eye-watering reported debts of 1.35bil (RM6.2bil) crippled the club, Barcelona have spent 153mil (RM703mil) on transfer fees alone to strengthen their squad, with Robert Lewandowski the most notable new arrival.

“This is a really exciting season.

Nothing would give me more pleasure than to make all the fans happy,” coach Xavi Hernandez said before last weekend’s 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Pumas UNAM. “That means winning trophies.

That is our main objective.”

After three years of struggles, on and off the field, the summer has seen hope return to the Nou Camp, with president Joan Laporta talking of an exciting “new era” when the club unveiled

Lewandowski as a Barcelona player.

“Euphoria” was the headline on the cover of local daily Sport the same day.

Even partisan Madrid-based sports daily Marca admitted that Barca were “frightening” in the wake of their drubbing of Pumas UNAM last weekend, when Lewandowski scored his first goal since his arrival from Bayern Munich.

Yet how Barcelona have gone about raising the funds to sign Lewandowski, as well as centrebacks Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen, AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, and Leeds United’s Brazilian winger Raphinha has raised eyebrows.

Faced with severe limits on spending in order to comply with La Liga’s financial controls, Barcelona knew they needed to raise money quickly to be able to invest in any signings and, crucially, to register any new players.

They quickly set about selling off assets to bring in money by activating a series of what have been called economic “levers”.

And so Barcelona look well placed to become serious title contenders again as they prepare to host Rayo Vallecano this weekend.

Yet, Barcelona are still waiting for La Liga to allow them to register their new signings, although they hope to be able to do so in time for the season.

They are also hoping to further ease their financial problems by reducing their wage bill.

The Catalans have been trying to persuade Frenkie de Jong to leave, with suggestions even made that a contract he signed in 2020 was not legal. The Dutch midfielder says he wants to stay.

Martin Braithwaite, Samuel Umtiti and Memphis Depay are also candidates to depart the Nou Camp, with the latter reportedly a target for Juventus.

On top of that, efforts have been made to persuade certain players, including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, to accept wage reductions.

Barca’s “economic miracle”, as the press have called it, still has to be transformed into a footballing miracle. — AFP

Good job: Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick aubameyang (right) celebrates after scoring with Franck Kessie during the friendly. — aP

Sport 25

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

So long, Lydia – the Asian track queen of the 80s

Legendary: Lydia de Vega during the opening ceremony of the Manila sEa games in 2019.

PETALING JAYA: The Asian track queen of the 1980s Lydia de Vega-Mercado of the Philippines passed away on Wednesday after battling cancer for four years. She was 57.

The darling of the Philippines athletics scene, Lydia became the fastest woman in Asia when she stunned India’s P.T. Usha in the New Delhi Asian Games in 1982 and repeated the feat in Seoul four years later.

A product of the famous Gintong Alay project, Lydia was peerless at the SEA Games where she won nine golds, including three 100m-200m doubles

(1987, 1991, 1993).

She was also a double gold winner (100m-200m) at the 1983 and 1987 Asian Track and Field Championships.

Lydia’s athletics career took off at the 1981 Manila SEA Games where she won the 200m-400m double at the age of 16 before her reign in the 100m sprint started.

After her retirement in 1994, she worked with the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) briefly and later as an athletics coach in Singapore for 10 years, mostly with the junior athletes.

Lydia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and has been battling it

silently, and her daughter Stephanie (Paneng) Mercado-de Koenigswarter had revealed last month that her mother was in critical condition.

PSC commissioner Bong Coo, one of the Philippines’ bowling superstars in the 80s, said the country is mourning an irreplaceable loss to the sports community.

“A sad day for Philippines sports,” said Bong Coo in a statement.

“I grieve as an athlete and friend.

Lydia is my contemporary. It is such a big loss to Philippine sports.

“I was even counting on her to help me in my tasks as Commissioner since

she was a PSC consultant for a long time.”

Former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also paid tribute to the country’s most decorated sportswoman.

“Lydia ‘Diay’ de Vega-Mercado’s demise is a big loss to us ... She will long be remembered by the nation.

May her achievements motivate other Filipino athletes to aspire to excellence in their chosen sport,” Arroyo told the Philippines News Agency.

Lydia was honoured during the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines as one of the flag bearers, which was one of her last public appearances.

Don’t lose control

Our juniors march into second round of world meet

Coach wants azeem to stay grounded in journey to be top sprinter

By T. AVINESHWARAN PETALING JAYA: The man who has played a key role in young sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi’s rise has some sound advice for the ‘Usain Bolt of Malaysia’ to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

SMK Gunung Rapat athletics coach Mohd Amir Izwan Tan Abdullah has reminded the 18-year-old to remain humble every step of the way in his journey to be a top athlete.

“Always remember not to get carried away by praises, as it can destroy what you have created now. Just continue working hard in your journey and don’t be engrossed with the attention you get,’’ he said.

“And keep improving yourself as a sprinter and a person.’’

Amir added that he was impressed with Azeem’s discipline and maturity after having coached him. ‘’He’s meticulous with whatever he does. He always researches everything. Azeem is also humble, which is important for his growth.

I’m sure that if he maintains his ways, he will get to where he wants

Dash for finish line: Mohd azeem Fahmi (left) running with Botswana’s Letsile tabogo (centre) and Croatia’s roko Farkas in the 200m heats at the World athletics under-20 Championship in Cali, Colombia. — aFP

to go.’’

Azeem will most likely head to the United States to further his studies in Sports Science at the University of Houston.

Nine-time Olympics gold medallist Carl Lewis coaches the university’s athletics team, known as the Coogs.

Another university that Azeem is considering is Auburn University, known for their Auburn Tigers, who compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Azeem is also likely to be trained by a new coach in the future.

Amir said his likely move to the US would be the right step for him in terms of his development and his

quest to hit sub-10 seconds in the 100m event.

Meanwhile, Azeem’s parents, Fahmi Tajuid and Norazah Ibrahim, said they are happy with the progress he has made over the years and hope that he will get even better in the years to come.

Norazah said Azeem, who’s the youngest in the family, is kind of pampered but is serious when it comes to his studies and sport.

“It’s that desire that has brought him here today. I remember when he left Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Star) when he was in Form One and insisted on joining sports school SMK Gunung Rapat,’’ she said.

“He said there were facilities there and felt it was the right place to achieve his dreams as an athlete. We were surprised because Star was a great school, but he was always steadfast with what he wanted.”

She added Azeem would decide on going to either Auburn or Houston.

“We’ll guide him, chat with him but at the end of the day, he’ll decide.”

The Perak-born Azeem recently broke the national record for the 100m when he sprinted to a time of 10.09s in the heats of the World Junior Championship in Cali, Colombia.

In the final of the 100m, he finished fifth with a time of 10.14s.

PETALING JAYA: C. Ameeshanraj, Harith Daniel Jefri and Hi Jia Rong survived the first test at the World Junior Squash Championships as they stormed into the second round in Nancy, France yesterday.

Ameeshanraj, the British Junior Under-17 champion in 2019, defeated Nathan Masset of Belgium 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 in the first round.

Prior to the World Junior Championships, the Serembanborn Ameeshanraj reached the semi-finals of the British Junior Open in Nottingham last month.

“Ameeshanraj played well to win in three games. Harith and Jia Rong have also advanced to the second,” said national assistant head coach Andrew Cross.

“There are a lot of good players from different countries this time. It’s very hard to say how well our boys will fare.

We will have to take one match at a time.”

Harith, 16, also had a 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 win over Archie Turnbull of Wales in the opening round.

Jia Rong, however, was pushed to the limit by Dimitriy Scherbakov of Ukraine before the Malaysian prevailed with a 11-13, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 win.

Hungrier Rachel wants gold at next year’s Asian Games

By K.M. BOOPATHY PETALING JAYA: Rachel Arnold, after a medal-winning performance in Birmingham, has set a new target of winning gold in the Asian Games but it will not be in the women’s doubles.

Winning a medal in the Commonwealth Games has been a long-term goal for Rachel and she achieved it with Aifa Azman on Monday but the women’s doubles event will not be contested at next year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou (Sept 23-Oct 8).

The women’s doubles would have given Malaysia the chance to assert their authority at the continental Games as Rachel-Aifa and Chan Yiwen-Ainaa Amani

Ampandi reached the last four at the Commonwealth Games.

However, Rachel is not disheartened by the setback as she will shift her attention to the mixed doubles where she will partner Syafiq Kamal.

The Asian Games has introduced an unusual format where a player can compete in the team event and choose either the singles or the mixed doubles.

With S. Sivasangari, the world No. 16, and Aifa, world No. 24, ranked ahead of her in the singles, Rachel believes the mixed doubles can bring her the desired result.

The Asian Games was supposed to be held next month but was postponed due to a new Covid-19 outbreak.

However, Rachel feels the postponement is a blessing in disguise as Malaysia have sufficient time to prepare for the Games and things could get tougher for an ageing Indian team who appear to be favourites to win a lion’s share of the golds at stake.

Five gold medals – men and women’s team and singles as well as the mixed doubles – are up for grabs in Hangzhou.

“It was a great outing for us in the Commonwealth Games. We were close to beating the English pair (Sarah-Jane Perry-Alison Waters) in the last four but a few errors cost us,” said Rachel.

“It was still fantastic to win a medal and the next aim is the Asian Games where I want to go

for gold in the mixed doubles and probably get another fighting chance in the team event.

“It’s a pity Aifa and me won’t be able to go for gold as there will be no women’s doubles but there is a good chance in the mixed doubles with Syafiq.

“Since we have to either choose singles or the mixed doubles, I will be focusing on the doubles.

“I will be making my debut in the Games and looking forward to a golden outing.”

India will be banking on Saurav Ghosal, 36, for the men’s singles while another veteran Joshna Chinappa, 35, would be focusing on the women’s singles.

Thirty-year-old Dipika PallikalKarthik, who won the world dou-

bles with Saurav, is expected to partner a new player.

Dipika may partner Vikram Malhotra or Abhay Singh this time.

In the women’s team event, Malaysia have to topple India and Hong Kong to clinch gold while the men will be face a tough task against Pakistan.

“Our team are young and we have an advantage this time. We have 13 months to prepare for the Games and Sangari should also be back.”

A serious car accident a few weeks before the Commonwealth Games forced Sivasangari out of the action but she should be available for selection for the Asian Games.

26 Sport

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

Wait for new mixed doubles coach continues

By K.M. BOOPATHY PETALING JAYA: It has been more than four months since Paulus Firman left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) as the mixed doubles coach but a replacement is only expected after the World Championships (Aug 21-28).

BAM high performance director Dr. Tim Jones said the search for a mixed doubles coach was ongoing but any formal approach can only be made based on the available funding from the association.

So far, it is understood that doubles coach Rexy Mainaky has verbally spoken to independent coach Chin Eei Hui

and also Singapore mixed doubles coach Lim Pek Siah.

Eei Hui, a former national mixed doubles coach (2013-2019), is seen as the best possible candidate as former international Pek Siah may be in demand to continue her duties across the Causeway after Singapore pair Terry Hee-Jessica Tan won the Commonwealth Games gold.

The decision on funding to hire the new coach should be available after the BAM council meeting tomorrow (Saturday).

“Our main focus has been on the Commonwealth Games and there has not been much development on the coaching. Rexy will be back tomorrow

(today), it (mixed doubles coach) will be one of the key things in my list to complete,” said Jones.

“With the council meeting due on Saturday, I’ll find out how much budget I have got to spend (for the mixed doubles coach).”

“Eei Hui and Pek Siah have good knowledge about players. Eei Hui has a good track record while Pek Siah would get to the chance to prove her worth as a coach.”

Jones said there haven’t been any formal approach to either of the two, or other candidates.

If everything goes well, a new mixed doubles coach is expected to take charge next month.

Back with BAM?: independent doubles coach Chin Eei Hui may be returning to the national team in the near future.

Bold veterans

More time in training may benefit Pang Ron-Ee Wei after tight schedule

Wee Kiong eyes podium finish with V shem at world meet

By R. KIRUBASHINI

PETALING JAYA: They are one of the veteran pairs but Goh V ShemTan Wee Kiong may just spring a surprise in the World Championships in Tokyo from Aug 21-28.

Wee Kiong is feeling optimistic about their medal chances despite being handed a challenging draw.

Wee Kiong and V Shem, who made the cut as the country’s fourth ranked pair at No. 15 in the world, are slated to meet newly crowned Birmingham Commonwealth Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India in the third round.

If they can pull it off, the independent pair could be up against Japan’s defending champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi in the quarter-finals.

The Malaysian pair have received a first-round bye and will likely play Denmark’s Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede in the second round.

Wee Kiong feels he and V Shem have an opportunity to secure a podium finish.

“Winning a medal here has always been my target. I think everyone stands a chance to win,” said Wee Kiong whose best performance was in last year’s edition in Huelva, Spain, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual runners-up He Jiting-Tan Qiang of China.

Meanwhile, the other national

Good vibes: Malaysia’s goh V shem (left) and tan Wee Kiong fancy their chances for a medal at the World Championships in tokyo. pairs looking to make a good impression are Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (No. 6), Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (No. 10) and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (No. 12).

All three pairs also received firstround byes.

Aaron-Wooi Yik and Sze FeiIzzuddin are headed for a third-

round clash barring any upsets.

The former are likely to play Taiwan’s world No. 24 Lu Ching Yao-Yang Po Han in the second round while the latter should have little trouble overcoming unheralded Irish pair Joshua Magee-Paul Reynolds.

Yew Sin-Ee Yi, who won bronze in

last year’s edition, will face either Singapore’s Terry Hee-Loh Kean Hean (No. 41) or Christo PopovToma Junior Popov of France (No. 29).

A win could pit them against Denmark’s world No. 8 Kim AstrupAnders Skaarup Rasmussen in the third round.

Justin looking forward to unfamiliar role in Sukma PETALING JAYA: Playing in an unfamiliar event could be daunting for any athlete but Justin Hoh (pic) is not one of them.

Instead, the men’s singles shuttler is looking forward to playing in the mixed doubles at the Malaysian Games (Sukma) from Sept 16-24.

Justin will be making his debut in Sukma next month and will partner Wong Kha Yan. “I will be playing in the mixed doubles and I’m feeling excited as this is my first time doing so in a

tournament,” said Justin.

The 18-year-old said he will not be seeing action in men’s singles as Leong Jun Hao and Lim Chong King have been chosen instead.

Only two players are allowed to play in each event.

The Sukma will serve as a warm-up for Justin ahead of the back-to-back World Junior Mixed Team Championships (Oct 17-22) and World Junior Championships (Oct 24-30) in Santander, Spain.

In the world junior mixed team

meet, Malaysia have been drawn with Indonesia, Sweden and Latvia in Group A. The junior tournaments will be Justin’s first and last and he hopes to win medals in both.

“I hope to win a medal in both the tournaments as it will be my last year participatng in the juniors,” said Justin.

The coaches will finalise the selection of the other players for the world junior mixed team meet next month.

PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Toh Ee Wei could benefit from more time in training after a tight schedule of back-to-back tournaments in the past two months.

Pang Ron-Ee Wei, currently ranked No. 67 in the world, were only paired together in early June.

After two months of almost non-stop action in tournaments, they have a month to prepare for their next outing at the Japan Open in Osaka from Aug 30-Sept 5.

And Ee Wei is glad to have more time in training.

“We have about a month since our last tournament – the Taiwan Open – ended. We are really focusing in training and giving 100%. I think having more time to train will benefit us,” said Ee Wei. She and Pang Ron have been showing steady improvement in their partnership and reached their first semi-final in the Taiwan Open.

The pair had also caught the eye after two quarter-final finishes at the Singapore Open before that and Indonesian Open in June.

Pang Ron-Ee Wei are hoping to continue their upward trajectory in the Japan Open where they will open their campaign against compatriots Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei. On the match against their own teammates, Ee Wei said: “We are not thinking too much about who we will face, but we will fight and give our all.”

Their tie will not be the only all-Malaysian first-round clash as world No. 11 Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing are set to take on veteran Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See. Both the pairs will be looking to bounce back after missing out on the individual gold at the Commonwealth Games.

In Birmingham, independent pair Kian Meng-Pei Jing won bronze after beating Adam HallJulie Macpherson of Scotland 21-15, 21-17.

Fellow independent pair and world No. 14 Goh Soon HuatShevon Lai Jemie will also be in the fray and will play unheralded Indonesians Rehan Naufal-Lisa Ayu in the first round.

Sport 27

THE STAR, Friday 12 august 2022

a big hand to azri

Keeper slays sEa games ghost with heroic feat for KL in aFC Cup

By T. AVINESHWARAN PETALING JAYA: It was only fitting that goalkeeper Azri Ghani became the hero for Kuala Lumpur in the 6-5 penalty shootout win over Vietnamese club Viettel in their AFC Cup Asean zone semi-final on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old was a man seeking redemption as it was his error of judgement that cost Malaysia a place in the SEA Games final in May. In the semi-final against host Vietnam, Azri misjudged the direction of the ball during a setpiece which resulted in the Harimau Muda losing 1-0 in extra time.

That blunder was still fresh in Azri’s mind as KL took on Viettel at the Thong Nat Stadium in Ho Chin Minh City.

Eerily, the game also ended 0-0 after full time – just like in the SEA Games semi-final. But a more confident Azri gave an immaculate display, catching the eye with some superb saves before stopping a crucial spot-kick by Bui Duy Thuong to help the City Boys reach the final.

redemption: Kuala Lumpur goalkeeper azri ghani (in green jersey, No. 44) celebrating with teammates after they reached the aFC Cup asean zone final. — aFC

KL will take on PSM Makassar in the AFC Cup Asean zone final at the Cheras Football Stadium on Aug 24 for a place in the Inter-Zone semi-finals against India’s ATK Mohun Bagan on Sept 7.

A thrilled Azri chose to play down his heroics and saluted his teammates for the hard-earned win.

“My save alone didn’t get the team to the final. We all worked our socks off to frustrate Viettel, who dominated the game,’’ said the former Kedah and Perak custodian.

“In the SEA Games, Malaysia lost because of my mistake. And I haven’t stopped thinking about how I can make up for that. When I got the chance to play in the AFC Cup, especially against a side from Vietnam, I knew I had to do well.

“I must thank coach Bojan (Hodak), who

believed in me. A penalty shootout is tough because it’s nerve-wracking for anyone. So I’m thrilled to make the crucial save.

“For someone who doesn’t get to play regularly in the league but is thrust into such a big game, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. But my mates were always there to keep me calm.’’

Hodak made a bold move by picking Azri to start instead of first-choice keeper Kevin Mendoza.

The Croatain admitted that Azri was nervous before the match but grew in confidence and showed his qualities as the game progressed.

“I know many people will question me on picking Azri over Kevin for the job but I have my reasons,’’ said Hodak. ‘‘I could only field four foreigners and kept

Kevin on the bench to suit my match strategies.

It was a tough match but Azri stood tall on the night.

“I had trust and faith in him as he was with me for two years in the Under-19 national team. ‘‘He has the capabilities and qualities to make a difference.’’

“This is a great result for KL. Over the two years KL have been creating history and now another piece of history has been added.’’

Meanwhile, captain Paulo Josue said KL’s final against Makassar would be tricky despite the home ground advantage.

“It wasn’t our best performance against Viettel, but we were disciplined and worked hard for 120 minutes to hold them.

“As for the final, playing in Cheras will be an advantage but we can’t take that for granted.’’

Four-team tourney JDT just can’t go slow against Turtles to whet Harimau Malaya’s appetite PETALING JAYA: The Harimau Malaya will sink their teeth into a four-team international tournament in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from Sept 20 to 26.

Malaysia have Thailand, Tajikistan and Trinidad and Tobago for company - three nations that are ranked higher than Kim Pan-gon’s men in the FIFA rankings.

Malaysia are now ranked 147th while Thailand are 111th, Tajikistan 108th and Trinidad and Tobago 101st.

Pan-gon is looking forward to the tourney, as taking on higher-ranked teams is the best way for his charges to improve their performance and quality.

“After qualifying for the 2023 Asian Cup last June, we need to continue to focus and look ahead. This will be a useful tournament for us before the 2022 Mitsubishi Electric AFF Cup in December as we prepare for the Asian Cup next year,” he said.

“Apart from getting good results in Chiang Mai, I also want to use this opportunity to refine the pattern and philosophy of our game.’’

The four-team international tournament is organised by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and will be held at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai.

PETALING JAYA: They may not admit it but Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) hard-earned 2-1 win over Terengganu in the Super League is a worthy dress rehearsal for their FA Cup final.

The Southern Tigers were made to sweat against the determined Turtles at the Sultan Mizan Stadium in Gong Badak on Wednesday.

JDT had to thank the clinical finishing of Brazilian striker Bergson Da Silva and Argentinian winger Fernando Forestieri, who scored in the 32nd and 47th minutes, for the three points.

Terengganu replied through Hakimi Abdullah in the 51st minute and could have scored more but their finishing left much to be desired.

JDT coach Hector Bidoglio wasn’t surprised they faced such strong resistance from Terengganu, especially in front of their home crowd.

“I knew it was going to be tough because Terengganu can play quality football and were eager to keep their unbeaten home record.

“There were times when we struggled to maintain long spells of possession.

argentine assassin: Johor darul ta’zim’s Fernando Forestieri

(second from right) celebrating after scoring the second goal against terengganu. — Bernama “But the most important thing is to get the win. Moving forward, I’ve seen some things we need to work on from the games we’ve played to keep our winning momentum.”

JDT remain top of the league with 38 points from 14 games.

Before the loss to JDT, Terengganu were unbeaten in six games at home.

Terengganu coach Nafuzi Zain was proud of his charges’ display as they were missing some key players.

“Playing 120 minutes against Selangor in the FA Cup semi-final took a bit of a toll on us.

We lost some key players due to sickness and injuries,’’ he said. ‘’Against JDT, Petrus (Shitembi) had to be taken off in the firsthalf because of injury. But whoever was on the field, they fought and impressed.

“We will look to bounce back when we face Sarawak United at Gong Badak on Aug 13.”

Terengganu are sixth with 17 points from 13 matches.

super league

results & standings T’GANU

1

P JDT 14 SABAH 15 N. SEMBILAN 15 K. LUMPUR 14 PAHANG 14 T’GANU 13 KEDAH 13 SELANGOR 13 MELAKA 13 S’WAK UNITED 15 PJ CITY 14 PENANG 15

JDT W 12 11 8 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 2 1

D 2 1 5 3 2 2 2 4 4 1 6 4

2 L 0 3 2 6 7 6 6 5 5 10 6 10

F 39 25 22 19 20 15 18 26 18 15 15 17

A Pts 7 38 13 34 13 29 25 18 20 17 15 17 24 17 23 16 17 16 36 13 25 12 31 7

premier league

results & standings KELANTAN UiTM

1 4

P KELANTAN 14 JDT II 11 T’GANU II 13 KUCHING CITY 12 K’TAN UTD 13 POLICE 13 UITM 14 SELANGOR II 12 PERAK* 14 FAM-MSN 13

PERAK FAM-MSN W 10 8 7 6 4 5 4 3 5 0

D 2 1 2 2 6 3 2 4 1 2

L 2 2 4 4 3 5 8 5 8 10

F 21 27 20 21 12 18 13 12 13 5

2 1 A Pts 8 32 12 25 11 23 17 20 12 18 21 18 19 14 5 13 23 7 21 2

*Perak were deducted nine points for failure to settle arrears

THE STAR, FRidAy 12 AuguST 2022

Super start: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema lifting the Super Cup after they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium in Finland. —AP >24

Wee Kiong dreams big with V Shem on biggest stage. >26

Sprinter Azeem gets sound advice from coach. >25

Philippines sprint legend Lydia passes on. >25

Keeper for keeps

We’re in the final!:

Kuala Lumpur goalkeeper Azri ghani celebrating with teammates after saving the crucial penalty in the 6-5 shootout win over Vietnam’s Viettel in their AFC Cup Asean zone semi-final.

— AFC

IT was a classic tale of redemption for goalkeeper Azri Ghani as his crucial save in a penalty shootout sent Kuala Lumpur into the AFC Cup Asean zone final. In May, the 23-year-old had cost Malaysia a place in the SEA Games final due to his blunder against Vietnam.

And how fitting it was for him to turn hero as the City Boys edged Vietnamese club Viettel in Ho Chi Minh City for a showdown with Indonesia’s PSM Makassar. >By T. AViNESHWARAN on Pg 27

Published by Star Publications Sdn Bhd (202001037064) (1393385-K), Menara Star, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Printed by Star Media Group Berhad (197101000523) (10894-D), 2 Jalan Astaka U8/88, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Copyright ©