Sabah facing shortage of Covid-19 reagents to carry out tests

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah recorded a new positive Covid-19 case but health officials explained that it is not reflective of the overall situation as their testing was affected by the shortage of the virus reagent.

Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said the Kota Kinabalu Health Laboratory could not carry out more tests because of a shortage of Covid-19 reagents.

Dr Rundi said the shortage was not faced by the Sabah lab but also others nationwide.

350 Tabligh members in Tawau undergo screening

TAWAU - Some of the estimated 350 members of the Muslim missionary group Tabligh from here who attended a gathering in Selangor last week that was also participated by Brunei’s first Covid-19 case turned up for screening at the Health Clinic, here, Wednesday.

This followed the issuance of a circular to those who attended the gathering at the Sri Petaling Grand Mosque. A check by Daily Express at about 6.30pm showed some of the Tabligh still queuing up for the screening with some wearing face masks.

Landmark decision on land tenure, back to 999

KOTA KINABALU - The High Court here, in a landmark decision, has declared that conditions set by the Lands and Surveys Department to reduce the leasehold tenure from 999 years to 99 years for approval of the development and subdivision of land to be ultra vires, unlawful and null and void.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Wong Siong Tung on Feb 27 granted the plaintiff a declaration that the condition imposed by the Director of Lands and Surveys to surrender the three original subdivided titles with leasehold tenure of 999 years in exchange for a reduced leasehold tenure of 99 years for the further subdivided lots as a condition for the approval of the development and further subdivision of the original subdivided title was ultra vires and unlawful, and was therefore invalid.

Just fancy that! Chinese woman microwaves money to disinfect them amid Covid-19 outbreak

BEIJING (ANN) - A Chinese woman ended up burning 3,125 yuan (RM1,883) when she microwaved the bills to disinfect them as a precaution against Covid-19.

The woman, from the Chinese province of Jiangsu, heated the money so she would be sure they were not harboring the novel coronavirus, AsiaOne reported last Wednesday, March 4.

Immediately after turning the microwave on, a burnt smell started coming from the appliance. When the woman stopped the heating and opened the microwave, the bills were already scorched.

Following the incident, she brought the notes to a local bank for help, the report stated. However, the blackened notes were too damaged for a machine counter to recognise them.

Lawyers tell what voters unhappy with frogging MPs can do

PETALING JAYA - A lawyer has suggested that voters collectively engage with MPs whose crossovers led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

Constitutional lawyer GK Ganesan said voters have legitimate expectations when they cast their ballots for candidates running under a particular party or coalition, and display trust in those for whom they vote.

He spoke of a breach of trust when MPs defect to set up a government which the people did not elect to run the country.

“Voters have every right to demand that MPs return to the party or coalition that they stood under to secure the valuable asset in the form of the seat,” he added.

King to give political parties opportunity to nominate PM

KUALA LUMPUR - Following the political turmoil in the country, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will give party leaders who have MPs in the Dewan Rakyat the opportunity to nominate a prime minister.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said in a statement that this was because the King has yet to determine which MPs command the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat to form a new government.

Malaysia and the threat of an Unholy Alliance

By Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
To say that our country, Malaysia, has gone to the dogs as in the English expression goes would be doing dogs a great dishonor.

Dogs are loyal animals, work hard for their masters and can become a friend for life.

f course, as a Muslim I have very little experience with dogs but reading and watching television gives me some idea about their worth.

Yong urges trade associations to help businesses obtain benefits of package

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) said the RM20 billion stimulus package unveiled today will have no effect if the benefits do not reach the business community in a timely manner.

Its president Datuk Seri Yong Teck lee said based on his experience, he knows that many small and medium business people have difficulties overcoming the bureaucratic hurdles in order to access the many types of grants and assistance provided by the government.

Dewan Speaker: No special sitting on next PM, cites standing order

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof added another twist to the ongoing political saga with his announcement that there would be no special sitting on March 2.

Mohamad Ariff said he received a letter calling for the special sitting from interim Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"However, I found that the letter does not fulfil Standing Order 11(3) because it was not accompanied by a complete notice for the motion (to be debated).

The most selfish man

COMMENT | Politics is the art of making selfish desires seem like national interests. Thomas Sowell wrote this many years ago, but it is so true as we have witnessed with the political drama in the last week. From what has happened, it is my considered opinion that Dr Mahathir Mohamed is indeed a selfish man, unmatched in the history of the country.

Why did he resign as prime minister? Not because he has decided, at long last, that he no longer wants to be a prime minister, but because that's the way to remove all the ministers in the cabinet in one swoop.

The Grand Master of Malaysia

WE KNOW PH(DAP, AMANAH AND PKR) ARE NOW ASKING MAHATHIR TO RETURN AS PH'S PM CANDIDATE. But do you remember how they whacked Mahathir left right centre front back for the past 22 months? Take a look and don't be shocked. This compilation puts things into context.

1. ANWAR TELLS BLOOMBERG HE WILL BE PM BY MAY 2020 (September 2019)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-18/anwar-says-he-will-take-over-as-leader-from-mahathir-around-2020

2. RAFIZI WARNS MAHATHIR TO SET A RETIREMENT DATE OR IT WILL BE DONE FOR HIM
(Jan 2020) https://amp.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3045423/mahathir-set-retirement-date-or-well-do-it-you-anwar-ally-rafizi

PPBM quits Pakatan Harapan

PETALING JAYA - PPBM has announced it is quitting the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition, just moments after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad submitted his resignation letter to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

In a short statement, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin said the decision was reached yesterday during a meeting with top party leaders.

“All PPBM MPs are also quitting Pakatan Harapan. They have signed statutory declarations to continue giving their support and trust in Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime minister,” he said.

Mahathir resigns in tactical move to thwart Anwar's succession

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has resigned, sources told The Straits Times on Monday (Feb 24), but the shock move is likely to be followed by declarations of support for him to continue in power until the end of the current parliamentary term.

The Prime Minister's Office has confirmed in a statement that the resignation letter was sent to Malaysia's King at 1pm.

Speculation that Tun Dr Mahathir tendered his resignation gained steam on Monday afternoon, a development which several Pakatan Harapan (PH) officials confirmed.

But the move is likely to have been tactical, with a view to undo the PH transition agreement under which Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was supposed to replace the 94-year-old incumbent before the next election due in 2023.

A Pact with the Devil

In an astonishing move, the 94-year-old prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, has in effect staged a coup against his own democratically elected government, taking in corrupt, Malay supremacist parties that the voters rejected in 2018 and abandoning former allies in an audacious bid to stay in power.

The situation remained fluid late Sunday night, with reports that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or king, was counseling caution. Anwar was said to be seeking a meeting with the king. Despite public outrage, it was unsure if the electorate, exhausted by years of political chicanery, would take to the streets. Late Sunday night, there were no protesters.

The political chaos could well trigger an early election, analysts said.

Concerned Malaysians call for fresh elections

PETALING JAYA: A group of concerned Malaysians have voiced their disagreement over attempts to bring down the present government and form a new coalition.

Consisting of academics, social activists, moderates and non-governmental organisation leaders, they called for a fresh general election for a fresh mandate if Pakatan Harapan is seen to have failed to deliver.

They also called on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consider the call based on concern for the people.