PETALING JAYA: The nation’s Covid-19 infectivity rate will keep rising due to increasing active clusters and sporadic cases in the community unless people are vaccinated quickly and widely, say health experts.
Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said the rise in the infectivity rate, or the R-naught (R0) value, was expected as there were about 850 active clusters nationwide as of Monday.
She said active clusters had been increasing since April 4, when 359 were recorded. On May 5, the number of active clusters rose to 411 and on June 6, it climbed to 713.
“Even though we hope cases can be reduced through contact tracing and screening, some cases from ongoing clusters may have been left unchecked or escaped the screening. This subsequently introduces the infection to other settings.
“That is why a self-lockdown and adherence to the standard operating procedure (SOP) are very important to curb the spread,” she said when contacted yesterday.
To bring down the R0, Dr Malina said cooperation from the community was vital.
“Suppression of the infection is no longer on the government’s shoulders alone. It has to be done fully by the community.
“We hope that by next week, the number of fully vaccinated persons in the community can reach up to 10% (of the population) and that people will adhere to the SOP.
“Without these measures, the R0 projection may be increased,” she said, adding that this would contribute to more Covid-19 cases.
“Those who have been vaccinated need to continue adhering to the SOP. As for those who are entitled
to receive the vaccine early, please contact the nearest healthcare facility directly,” she said.
Dr Malina suggested that the government allow the elderly and people with disabilities to get their vaccine via walk-ins and for those in the economic sectors to be vaccinated together with their families.
Since the start of the ongoing lockdown on June 1, the R0 levels nationwide had dropped from a high of 1.07 to a low of 0.90 on June 12.But from June 13 to June 20, the R0 gradually rose from 0.91 to 0.97.
The R0 of a virus is a measure of its transmission or number of new infections generated by each case.
For example, an R0 rate of 1.0 means that on average, each infected person will infect one other person they come into contact with.
On June 20, the highest R0 recorded was in Negri Sembilan at 1.05. This was followed by Johor (1.0), Sarawak (0.99), Labuan (0.98), Kuala Lumpur (0.96), Sabah (0.96), Selangor (0.93), Melaka (0.91), Kedah (0.90) and Perak (0.90). The remaining states recorded an R0 of less than 0.90 each.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics, hospital and health management Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said she believed the R0 would keep rising unless the government could vaccinate the population “quickly and widely enough”.She added that Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Johor had contributed to the increasing infectivity rate.
“The projected average R0 next week may increase to more than 1.0 unless we can curtail sporadic cases through increased screening, detection and isolation while maintaining a high inoculation rate in red zones in these states,” she said.
She added that the movement of people was also a contributing factor, as evidenced by the high number of private sector employees who were allowed to go to their workplace despite the lockdown.
She said the inability to tackle the high number of sporadic cases in the community had also fuelled the R0, adding that those cases were usually asymptomatic and could contribute to the high number of daily “brought in dead” cases nationwide.
“Since many people have not been vaccinated or screened for Covid-19, they could be moving around and spreading the virus,”
she said.She advised people from hard-hit areas where sporadic cases had been reported to go for screening.She added that the fee for Covid-19 tests should also be kept low to enable people to access the service.
The government, Prof Sharifa Ezat said, should ease access to vaccines by having more outreach programmes, drive-through vaccinations and vaccine literacy talks.
International Islamic University Malaysia epidemiologist Prof Dr Jamalludin Ab Rahman had also observed the R0 increase early on.“Since the R0 values are compared to the previous values, the day when we observe a significant dip may cause the subsequent daily R0 to be higher,” he said.
Prof Jamalludin said the rising R0 may prove to be of concern, but this could only be determined if testing rates remained constant since the number of tests could affect the reporting of new cases.
He was also concerned about sporadic cases in the community.
“If the investigation of each positive case is not done properly, we might miss contacts which would spread further to others,” he added.
He said to some degree, the lockdown and vaccination programme had been able to bring down the transmission rates.
But he said the authorities needed to identify the source of Covid-19 cases, which mainly come from workplace clusters currently, and potentially also community clusters.
“We also need to improve the vaccine rollout. We need to secure the supply and quickly vaccinate the population. There is no magic or faster way out,” he added.
The Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang convoy in Kuching
' I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.'
THERE is a well-known fable about a father who called his four sons together and gave each one a stick; he then asked them to break their sticks and, of course, all four easily broke their sticks. But when he asked them to break 100 sticks held together, they failed.
The moral of the story is that phrase you all must have heard of before: “United we stand, divided we fall”. People can easily break you, crush you and disregard you if you are alone, but when you stand together, nobody can touch you.
Last month saw the formal ascension to the throne of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The institution of the King is the embodiment of all Malaysians irrespective of gender, creed, colour, religious inclination and any other stripes we can think of. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself has also said that he wants to see a Malay-sia whose citizens are united and living in a peaceful, stable and harmonious country during his reign.
Such an aspiration can only come if we, as citizens, can think for ourselves and accept one another as Malaysians first. The operative word here is “accept”. For a long time we have been operating under the word “tolerate”. To tolerate is to allow something or someone that you dislike to exist without interference. Acceptance is embracing that something or someone as part of your world, as your brethren.
This is how we should build our society.
We should build a society where all Malaysians are seen as one. Where race or religion, culture or background, don’t determine positions and opportunities. Where we know that these are not what gives us special positions over others.
We should build a society that embraces this diversity because it is what makes us collectively great. A society in which we work with each other as equals towards the common goal of making a better nation where we all prosper and progress together.
Is that so difficult?
I think not if we are determined to see it through. I have come to the conclusion that if we aspire for a better Malaysia for our children and our children’s children, we, the citizens of this nation, need to do the work ourselves.
We cannot depend on politicians. Politicians cater to the lowest common denominator. They are about power first and they sacrifice ideals at the altar of power.
May 9, 2018, showed us the way. Though it may seem a long time and a thousand disappointments ago, our government was changed by the votes of moderate, liberal and progressive Malaysians of all races and religions, working in concert.
Yes. The moderates, liberals and progressives threw out a kleptocratic government that had been in power for 60 years. We did that.
This scared those looking out only for their own interests. They became loud. Politicians, being politicians, succumbed to the loudest voices, catering to those making the most noise. They practically forgot who voted them into power. Because politicians, true to their very nature, have no convictions except to power and to retaining that power.
I know whenever you see injustice, you feel like saying something but at the same time you feel afraid. Fear of reprisals, fear of upsetting people, fear of getting caught by wide-ranging laws – there are so many fears that you end up keeping quiet and hoping the injustice will just go away.
It won’t, it doesn’t. It will build momentum and, soon, it will become a permanent feature and by then, it is too late.
But what if you have support and back up from like-minded people? You become brave and stand tall against that injustice and face it. You have courage because you know there are people standing with you, supporting you against that injustice.
To deal with any injustice, we need to fight together, only then will we see the change we desire.
But how do we move forward from when we were united on May 9 to where we truly want to be? Relying on politicians to affect change is a mistake – events of the past year have shown us this.
The people need to be the ones to show the way. This, to me, is what Merdeka is about this year.
Moderates, liberals and progressives are the real movers of this nation. They are the ones powering the economy of Malaysia. They provide the intellect, the progressive capacity, and the hard work that has developed this country. They are the ones underwriting the subsidies that help build better lives. They are the ones who will continue to be that source of national wealth and health.
If you believe that you are moderate, liberal and progressive and proud of it, you cannot shy away from your responsibility to change this nation into a truly just, fair and equitable one.
I can no longer do it alone. This is, therefore, a call to action for all Malaysians to unite to make this a better country. To set the agenda to take this country higher. To be active with one voice and one body. We need to stand and be counted. We need to put our money where our mouths are. Let us organise and get active. We can make it happen.
A group of like-minded friends and I have put together a platform for this very purpose. We have incorporated the Malaysian Action For Just And Unity Foundation – in short, Maju.
The foundation came about from a realisation some of us had as long ago as a year before that momentous May 9: We realised that the voice of moderates, liberals and progressive Malaysians was weak and disorganised. It is a voice that is always trying to walk a soft path for fear of offending, and thus its message was being lost.
Subsequent to May 9, those thoughts became almost prophetic. We need such a foundation more than ever. We need a voice and a platform that will be a rallying point for progressive citizenry, that is consistent, loud and unwavering in its causes, expressed without fear or favour.
It took us a while but with our own initial funding and lots of hard work and perseverance, Maju was approved and incorporated in January this year.
A public launch is just around the corner, gift-wrapped for all Malaysians in this month of Merdeka.
We want you, the individual citizen, to be our supporters and funders: We will be funded with a minimum RM50-a- year-contribution from each person who registers as a supporter. We want to create a nationwide network and branches of supporters to carry out our agenda and activism.
We need your support to make a developed and progressive Malaysia a reality. Vision 2020 may not arrive next year but Maju intends to see that reality happen no matter how long it takes us.
We intend to achieve the goals that will make Malaysia great by:
> Promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
The last point is vital. Through-out history, it is basic science literacy and its progress that has propelled technology.
Nations did not develop due to commerce first; instead it was the scientific discoveries that were the engines of technological progress, which in turn gave a nation’s commerce a distinct advantage that led to economic prosperity. We need to make a science-centric education system a reality.
We want Maju supporters who are science educators and academics to help us revamp the system to ensure our children’s education is substantively science-based from the primary level until students leave the secondary level.
We believe an emphasis on science will also have the by-product of producing students who are strong critical thinkers regardless of their final chosen vocations.
Join me. Let us Maju together and make a just, fair, equitable and progressive Malaysia a reality. As Mother Teresa once said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.
‘Citizen Liow’ vents his frustration in short film
KUALA LUMPUR: It is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as we have never seen him before – shabby, dispirited and a little rude.
Without his signature full-rim spectacles, Liow, playing an ordinary citizen in a video with a poignant but powerful message, vents his spleen about the country’s current mood.
From the hurtful balik tongsan comment to corrupt practices, Citizen Liow is determined to get his frustrations off his chest.
He even throws a fistful of sweets at a guest in his home. The guest is also played by Liow, who essentially portrays his everyday role of a politician.
The on-screen sparring between both Liows is a creative, yet brutally frank, account of the general sentiments of the local Chinese community.
It is almost painful to watch the heated encounter, but that is exactly why the six minute-long video Citizens is so compelling.
Producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat did not attempt to paint a rosy and glowing picture even though the clip was meant for the upcoming National Day celebrations.
The video boldly addresses the grievances and fears of the Chinese community in Malaysia, which means there will inevitably be “anger, helplessness and conflict”, as Teo explained on his Facebook.
Liow, in his real life as Transport Minister, Bentong MP and especially MCA president, must have often been at the receiving end of the kind of harsh comments hurled by “Citizen Liow” in the clip.
“Politicians only know how to talk!” is perhaps the most common sweeping statement that disregards the efforts and contributions of community and government leaders. In the video, Liow the politician admits there are shortcomings.
The seasoned politician says: “I can find excuses and try to defend ourselves by saying that circumstances do not work in our favour, but no, I won’t do that.”
“We didn’t say there weren’t mistakes. We did not handle many things well, but it is not easy to rule a country.”
“We have seen many politicians from both sides dwelling on the negatives when support for them fades. This alienates the people even further,” he said.
With the National Day just days away, the video is a timely reminder to those with political ambitions to reflect on their vision for the country.
Similarly, the public can look back at the past 60 years of the country’s development, from a mining and agricultural-based economy to today’s multi-sector economy anchored in manufacturing and services.
Of course, there will always be challenges and sacrifices as we progress. Good governance is a must if we are to continue on that path of growth and prosperity.
But as Citizens reminds us, it is important not to lose hope. We must believe that our founding father Tunku Abdul Rahman’s vision of Malaysia will come true.
At the end of the video, “Citizen Liow” has a change of heart. He quietly retrieves the Jalur Gemilang from storage and displays it on his balcony, with his real-life wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo at his side.
When met by reporters yesterday, Liow was visibly pleased with how the video has turned out. He said the message he wanted to send through the video was for Malaysians to unite and work together to make the country a progressive nation.
“We love this nation. We are proud to be Malaysians and we are working hard to make this country a stronger nation. That’s the aspiration and message we want to send out,” he said.
By Tho Xin Yi The Star/ANN
‘Youths worry about future, not politics’
Future wave: Liow and Chong (second from left) sharing a light moment with students after the TN50 DialogueUTAR in the Sungai Long Campus.
CHERAS: Youths are more concerned about their future than politics. This is the feedback gathered during the recent TN50 dialogues with students from several universities, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
“However, I don’t think they are indifferent towards politics. They are aware of issues.
“For instance, they know that this is about TN50 and about a future that they want,” Liow said after attending a TN50 Dialogue @UTAR with 700 students at UTAR Sungai Long Campus here yesterday.
He cited education and health issues, including the ability to earn a decent living, as some of the aspirations raised by the students during the hour-long dialogue session.
Liow said it is crucial for youths to continue upholding the core value system practised by Barisan Nasional.
He added that Barisan’s core values such as consensus, mutual respect, unity, cooperation and harmony are shared by Malaysians.
“Barisan upholds values of consensus and mutual respect but DAP is sowing the seeds of hatred. The party is also sowing the seeds of anger towards the Government which is causing a split in our society,” he said.
Liow added that the Opposition lacked the core values and was now in a chaotic state.
There was a casual air about the dialogue session where students were asked by moderator MCA youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon to address Liow as “Ah Liow” and himself as “Ah Chong”.
Earlier during the dialogue, Chong warned students to be wary of fake news on social media.
“The reality is that most news on social media are fake.
“You should check the source and not blindly believe all that you read,” he said.
He also said that youths were more concerned about “bread and butter” issues rather that politics.
At another function, Liow said more skilled workers were needed as the country progresses.
“It is important for us to train more technical professionals. For MCA, we would like to expand VTAR Institute because of our significant growth in students from 100 to 700 in these few years.
“We will find the right place to expand VTAR and we hope to have more than 1,000 students here,” he told reporters after launching the PW2 wireman competency licence course at the institute in Setapak here yesterday.
VTAR is the vocational education arm of MCA.
Earlier during the function, VTAR CEO Tan Cheng Liang signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Malaysian Electrical Appliances Dealers Association (Fomeda) president Gan Cheng Swee to run the PW2 programme. - The Star
'Citizen Liow' plays dual role in National Day video
国民 CITIZENS
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
A screengrab from the video short "Citizens".
PETALING JAYA: You're not seeing double – it really is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai playing two roles in a National Day video by producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat.
The six minute-long video short entitled Citizens was released on Monday in conjunction with the upcoming National Day celebrations.
In the video, he portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds-barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
Liow, the minister, is smartly dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks, while "Citizen Liow" is dressed very casually, with his hair a little unkempt and wearing a grey T-shirt, without spectacles.
Teo, in a Facebook post on Friday, said the project took months to put together.
"Largely this was because the script required a Federal Minister who had the gumption to submit to what we wanted to shoot.
"We kept trying and eventually found our man," he said.
Teo said they did not want to make a film that could be confused for a "tourism video."
Citizens reflects the current mood of the country, especially the fears of the Chinese community.
"It would therefore have to contain anger, helplessness and conflict. Yet it must contain hope – for we are even now not without hope – and so the film should also unite us in hope across the political spectrum," said Teo.
This is not Liow's first film. He previously acted in other 15Malaysia and Hari Malaysia shorts, also produced by Teo.
"What is different this time is that while he was civilly treated as a cabinet minister before, he will be brutalised this time; and while he was stereotyped as a politician before, he is now a human being – filled with the same fears, regret, conflicts and hope as all of us," said Teo, adding that he thought long and hard about the casting.
Also making an appearance in the film is Liow's wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo.
Teo said that it took courage for Liow, who is MCA president, to act in the film especially since he and MCA "are deeply maligned in sections of the Chinese community".
‘Citizens’ Liow trends at second spot
PETALING JAYA: As Pete Teo expected, his National Day video in which Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai plays two roles is gaining traction among Malaysians.
The six-minute clip Citizens clinched the second spot on YouTube’s Malaysian trending list as at yesterday afternoon. It had 127,766 views, trailing Taylor Swift’s new music video. The rest were content related to SEA Games.
In the video, Liow, 56, portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Teo, who produced the video with Liew Seng Tat, was glad to see it attracting attention.
“We expect the video to do well, because we think it is a good video and it has something important to say that goes beyond party politics,” he told The Star.
Teo said there were twice as many likes as dislikes.
He applauded Liow for being able to rise above his persona as MCA president and act as an ordinary citizen.
The video was released on Monday in conjunction with National Day celebrations.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah said the video was “unpretentious and right to the point” and therefore, was well received by the community.
The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) president said it rightly captured the country’s current situation.
“A main point stressed is that the situation warrants the need for us to listen to each other, consolidate our strengths, stay united and be loyal to our country.
“This is a way to overcome the challenges, instead of just venting our frustrations,” Pheng said.
Apart from acknowledging the people’s disappointments and empathising with them, he said Liow had been tirelessly reaching out to the community to guide and help them in whatever ways possible.
Pheng pointed out that Liow had to draw on the party’s strengths and his role in the Government to help the community effectively.
In conjunction with National Day, Pheng said it was timely for all Malaysians to reinforce respect, love and tolerance among themselves and for the country so as to move forward together.
'Citizen' producer all praise for Liow - Nation
PETALING JAYA: The producer of the National Day video titled Citizen says it was brave of Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to come onboard a production which had an “edgy” script.
Saying he would absolutely cast the Transport Minister in such a role again, filmmaker Pete Teo (pic) brushed aside some of the adverse comments on the casting choice.
“We think he did a great job playing the dual role of minister and citizen.
“That his casting is controversial has nothing to do with the job he does.
“We hope Datuk Seri Liow’s contribution will at least be acknowledged in the good spirit that it was given,” Teo said when contacted.
Teo, who produced the clip with writer-director Liew Seng Tat, said they had expected some form of backlash as soon as they decided that the role would be best played by a real-life politician.
“The fact that we eventually cast a Barisan National politician is besides the point, really. If we had picked an Opposition politician, the situation would be the same, except the accusations would be from Barisan supporters.
“So in a way, it was a no-win for us unless we had cast an actor,” he pointed out.
According to Teo, the film would have lost immediacy if they had cast an actor to play the role.
“So the decision was made to cast a politician. In fact, our choices were more limited than that because the script ideally required a Federal Minister.
“This narrowed down the choice to only several people. In the end, Datuk Seri Liow agreed to play the role and we went with him,” he added.
Teo said through the film, he and Liew wanted to drive home the message that it was important not to lose hope and to stay united when the going got tough.
“As said in the film’s opening lines, the last decade or more have been tough for the country. Non-Malay communities, in particular have felt alienated, helpless and fearful.
“That is why we are getting such hyper-emotive response to a Merdeka PSA film promoting hope and unity featuring a serving Cabinet minister from the MCA.
“It would be easy to dismiss these aggressive social media outbursts as rantings of opposition cybertroopers, but these are real people with real grievances,’’ he added.
Teo, a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter, also praised Liow for having the courage to be involved in a film with “brutally frank dialogue”.
“Many have ignored the fact that the minister explicitly said in the film that he doesn’t mind who citizens voted for as long as they let their conscience be their guide.
“This is a massively important statement. It underlines our film’s non-partisan credentials,” Teo said.
In the six-minute video, Liow portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
The video clocked in more than 200,000 views in four days since it was uploaded on YouTube.
'MCA dares to face criticisms' ,
Liow: We understand the voices and feelings of the people
https://youtu.be/zJWcdKjcDgQ
Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA understands the voices and feelings of the people and dares to face criticism, said Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The party president said having understood the people’s grievances, MCA is committed to overcoming the problems.
“I must stress here that I am aware of the people’s opinions and feelings. Therefore, I am willing to face the reality as I know that is the only way for us to change for the better,” he said.
Liow, speaking at the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia (BAFM) 2017 awards ceremony and closing at Wisma MCA last night, was responding to some of the responses towards his double role in “Citizens”, a National Day video.
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
In the clip produced by Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat, Liow portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Liow also explained that the video aimed at telling people to have faith in the country and never give up, besides showcasing the inner voices of a Cabinet minister and a layman.
Liow added that MCA is steadfast in performing its role in Barisan Nasional.
“We will continue to be the defender of the Federal Constitution, the corrector and the balancing force against hegemony.
“History would reveal that during critical moments, be it fighting for citizenship, persistency on multi-stream education, pushing for the establishment of National Economic Action Council or the recent movement against PAS’ Private Member’s Bill to amend Act 355, MCA has been consistent in playing its role in Barisan,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the next edition of BAFM would be put on hold pending the general election.
“My comrades and I, as well as MCA staff, must turn our full attention towards preparing for the coming general election,” Chew, who is also the Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consultative Council chairman and BAFM organising chairman, said.
Big celebration: Drummers performing during the closing ceremony of the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia at Wisma MCA. (Right) Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
She said BAFM has received the attention of foreign academicians.
Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, for instance, sent professors and students to observe the event, she added.
“If we persevere, we are confident of becoming a household name and a premier event among artists,” she said in her speech.
The month-long BAFM concluded yesterday. Also present at the event was China’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
Hard lesson: After settling his assessment arrears, Chua Yung Lin, 37, finally receives the key (inside envelope) to unlock the chain used to seal up his unit at Taman Seri Hijau in Van Praagh Road, Penang. (Above) A closeup of the notice from the council pasted on the grille gate. — CHARLES MARI ASOOSAY/The Star
A SALESMAN is furious that his apartment unit was padlocked by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) because he failed to pay two years of assessment arrears amounting to RM468.86.
A council official, however, defended the action, saying that MBPP was empowered to do so under the Local Government Act 1976 if a ratepayer failed to pay a year’s assessment.
Chua Yung Lin, 37, got the keys to the padlock when he paid up the arrears as well as the RM111.86 second half assessment for this year and a RM20 penalty in Komtar on Wednesday after a neighbour informed him a day earlier that the MBPP had sealed the unit.
But he is adamant in not unlocking the padlock himself, saying that the council should do so as its officials were the ones who locked up the unit.
“They gave me all the keys to the padlock and when I asked them if I needed to return the chain and padlock, they told me I could keep them,” Chua told reporters outside the unit at Taman Seri Hijau in Van Praagh Road, Penang, yesterday.
He lodged a police report on Wednesday to inform the police that he had settled the arrears and for his safety should he decide to unlock the place himself.
Chua, who has been renting out the unit for the past three years, said it was dangerous for MBPP to padlock the unit as there could be someone inside who would not be able to escape should there be an emergency.
“Thankfully, there was no one in the apartment as I think my tenants have gone out of town,” he added.
He claimed to have forgotten to pay the assessment because his tenants did not inform him of the bills.
Penang Gerakan vice-chairman Lee Boon Ten said MBPP had acted prematurely and could be charged with criminal negligence for sealing the gate of an occupied home.
“He only owed them a nominal amount. If someone was inside the apartment when they locked it, it would have been false imprisonment,” said Lee who was also present.
MBPP treasury revenue unit head Suhaida Kamalul Ariffin said Section 148(3) of the Local Government Act 1976 empowered the council to seal premises whose owners defaulted in a year’s assessment payment but the council usually only did so after the arrears were accumulated for two years.
“We can actually break down the door and seize the belongings inside. If we don’t do that to avoid destroying the door, we will seal the premises as an indication to the owner. This is however only carried out after we have checked to see if anyone is inside.
“Only after we are sure it is unoccupied, do we seal the premises,” she said when contacted yesterday.
Suhaida also said the council pasted a notice demanding the owner to settle the arrears on the unit’s grille gate in May.
“There was no response, leading us to seal the apartment. Once payment is made, we usually give the owner the keys to the lock as it is standard procedure to let them unlock it themselves,” she said.
PETALING JAYA: A public spat between the late Lee Kuan Yew’s children has shattered the usually serene political landscape in Singapore, with two siblings accusing their brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his powers.
Kuan Yew’s daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling and son Lee Hsien Yang accused their big brother Hsien Loong of, well, acting like “Big Brother”, with Hsien Yang going so far as to say he was fleeing the country.
“We are concerned that the system has few checks and balances to prevent the abuse of government.
“We feel big brother omnipresent. We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern,” the two said in a six-page statement that was also posted on Facebook early yesterday morning.
Hsien Yang’s son, Li Shengwu, said the situation had become so bad that the family planned to relocate overseas.
“In the last few years, my immediate family has become increasingly worried about the lack of checks on abuse of power.
“The situation is now such that my parents have made plans to relocate to another country, a painful decision that they have not made lightly,” he said on Facebook.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused their brother of trying to establish a political dynasty and wanting to “milk” their father’s legacy.
They said Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching – the CEO of state investor Temasek Holdings – harboured political ambitions for their son Li Hongyi, who works at government agency GovTech Singapore.
The heart of the matter seems to be the siblings’ unhappiness that Hsien Loong was not following their father’s wishes in demolishing the family home at 38 Oxley Road.
Before he passed away in March 2015, Kuan Yew had already expressed his desire that the house he moved into and lived in since 1945 be demolished because he did not want it becoming a “political shrine”.
That desire was part of his last will and testament, but the current prime minister has declined to follow through.
His siblings have attributed this refusal to Hsien Loong’s political ambition.
“Indeed, Hsien Loong and Ho Ching expressed plans to move with their family into the house as soon as possible after Kuan Yew’s passing,” said Wei Ling and Hsien Yang.
“This move would have strengthened Hsien Loong’s inherited mandate for himself and his family.
“Moreover, even if Hsien Loong did not live at 38 Oxley Road, the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital,” they said.
Hsien Loong, who is travelling overseas with his family, said he was disappointed and saddened by his siblings for “publicising private family matters”.
“I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made.
“Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.
“Since my father’s passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents.
“My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy,” Hsien Loong said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Singaporeans seem divided on the matter.
On Hsien Yang’s Facebook page, he was greeted by more criticism than praise, with some accusing him of being the one who had tainted his father’s legacy.
“A family feud that is aired so openly is a sad thing to see,” said Dolpzy Do.
On Hsien Loong’s Facebook, it was generally the opposite.
Pointing out that Kuan Yew had passed away over two years ago, Jacq Low said, “His last will should have been settled by now.”
While such a public spat is rare in Singapore, it is not unprecedented. Last year, as the island-republic commemorated the first anniversary of Kuan Yew’s death, Wei Ling went public with similar concerns.
In a family feud that played out on Facebook, she said the elaborate events were not what her father would have wanted, and that he would have cringed at such “hero worship”.
Wei Ling, a neurosurgeon, also accused Hsien Loong of abusing his power and using the anniversary to try and establish a political dynasty.
Hsien Loong replied via Facebook, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the accusations, describing them as “completely untrue”.
Source: The Star
PM Lee’s family feud becomes more heated
PETALING JAYA: The public spat between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (pic) and his siblings became more heated Thursday, with the younger brother accusing the older of not being truthful.
The two younger children of Singapore’s founder and longest-serving premier Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, took to Facebook to air their grievances.
Hsien Yang accused his brother of not being truthful over the issue of their father’s wish to have the family home demolished.
Before he passed away in March, 2015, Lee Kuan Yew had expressed his desire that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished because he did not want it becoming a “political shrine.”
He had made that part of his last will and testament.
In a Facebook post, Hsien Yang compared what he said were Hsien Loong’s statements in public and those in private.
Hsien Yang said that despite the prime minister saying in public that the decision to demolish the house did not need to be taken immediately, a “secret committee” of ministers was set up to explore and make recommendations.
When Lee Kuan Yew’s will was recognised as final and legally binding, Hsien Loong did not mount a legal challenge.
However, he privately wrote to the above committee to say that there was no evidence their father knew that the demolition clause “had been reinstated into the last will,” the younger brother alleged.
Hsien Yang also claimed that the prime minister even swore this under oath in a statutory declaration.
Finally, while saying in public that he hoped the government would respect their father’s wish to have the house demolished, Hsien Loong told the committee in private that Lee Kuan Yew would have “accepted any decision to preserve it.”
“The will is final and binding. We have no confidence in Lee Hsien Loong or his secret committee,” Hsien Yang said in his Facebook post.
The tiff between Lee Kuan Yew’s children, simmering since their father’s death, had its lid blown open on Wednesday when the two younger siblings posted an explosive six-page statement saying that they had lost confidence in their elder brother.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused Hsien Loong of using the state machinery against them.
“We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern,” they said.
Hsien Yang, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said it had got so bad that he and his family intended to move out of the country.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused their older sibling of trying to establish a political dynasty and wanting to “milk” their father’s legacy.
They said Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching – the chief executive officer of state investor Temasek Holdings – harboured political ambitions for their son Li Hongyi.
In an immediate response on Wednesday, Hsien Loong said he was “deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made.”
“Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son,” he said, adding that he was disappointed in his siblings for publicising private family matters.
However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, his sister Wei Ling said she and her brother would not have issued a public statement if the dispute over their late father's house was “merely a family affair”.
Hunters hunted: R.AGE journalists went undercover as 15-year-old girls to meet up with online sex predators who target teenagers. Watch the videos at rage.com.my/predator:
This was among the material gathered by The Star’s R.AGE journalists who went undercover for these meetings.
Six months before paedophile Huckle made global headlines, the R.AGE team had already started its undercover sting operation against sex predators.
During the period, R.AGE compiled material that included obscene images, inappropriate messages and hidden camera footage of the undercover journalists at work.
Malaysia does not have laws against “sexual grooming”, which refers to the process of gaining a child’s trust for future sexual exploitation, even though statistics show it has been on the rise.
Mobile chat apps (WhatsApp, WeChat, BeeTalk, Facebook Messenger, etc.) seem to
have become the most popular tools for sex predators in Malaysia, based on Bukit Aman’s statistics.
Since 2015, a whopping 80% of reported rape cases involved sex predators who started out online.
During a sting, R.AGE confronted one such predator, who was propositioning the undercover journalist on WeChat and sending photos of his penis.
“It’s a numbers game,” said the 28-year-old postgraduate student who is a self-confessed sex addict.
“On WeChat and BeeTalk, you can search for people nearby, and filter them based on gender. After I filter out all the men, I just send messages to as many girls as possible.”
The predators then start grooming those who reply to them. They would earn the trust of these children and gradually introduce sex into the conversations.
Another man claimed he is “an expert in massages” and that he had done it on at least two other girls below 15.
The situation has long weighed on Assistant Commissioner Ong Chin Lan, the Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) assistant principal director.
“If we had grooming laws, the authorities might be able to arrest predators like Huckle early on,” said Ong.
“We need to empower our law enforcement agencies.”
Sources: The Star http://rage.com.my/Predator/; http://rage.com.my/catching-sex-predators/
PEDOPHILIA is not a new sex crime. What is new is the attention that it is getting in the public arena in Malaysia especially after the case of Huckle (pic). In fact pedophilia has developed into the hot topic in Criminology.
A pedophile is an individual who prefers to have sex with children. They have an abnormal and an unnatural desire and attraction for sexual relations only with children.
Sexual abuse of the children can begin without people recognizing it because it can be a small act in everyday life.
Pedophiles come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. They are normally male, from any race, educated or uneducated, young or old, rich or poor, employed or unemployed. They can be religious or non-religious, a father, family member or trusted coworker or professional.
Just as Huckle used” wealth and status as Westerner” to exploit children, pedophiles hide behind the cloak of normality, morality and respectability within the community. Research revealed that nine out of ten are close to their mothers.
One of the most popular criminological theories is the notion that criminal behavior is learned in association with those who have criminal attitudes and values.
The majority of criminologists believe that the behavior of a pedophile is caused by environmental factors (nurture), involving upbringing and life experience of the individual. Furthermore, perpetrators confess that they themselves were child victims of sexual abuse.
However, recent studies revealed that individuals suffering from pedophilia are also fostered by genetic or biological traits which eventually lead to criminal behavior.
Colleen Berryessa, a Criminologist, stated that a 2014 Korean report on monozygotic twins with pedophilia, concluded that genetic influences appeared to be more important to the causes and development of pedophilia than environmental factors, including childhood abuse.
But there seems to be little or no agreement about what conclusively makes an individual cause pedophilia.
Experts also believe that there is no permanent treatment to cure pedophiles but some claim therapy treatment can work but is a challenge. Since pedophiles are sociopaths whose behavior is antisocial, lack sense of empathy and moral responsibility for their victims, the disorder is chronic and lifelong.
Studies show that pedophiles are repeat offenders after imprisonment or treatment.
The criminogenic asymmetries factor such as relaxed atmosphere, weaknesses in laws and enforcement produce criminal opportunity, motive for foreign pedophiles like Huckle himself to took advantage of the weak internal controls in a country to find victims. The penalty in their home country is normally more severe.
To fight this crime we need legislative changes, more effective laws, intelligence gathering and sharing, technology such as facial recognition and enhance investigation capabilities by training specialists.
Huckle operates a website called The Love Zone (TLZ) on the Dark Web, a hidden network used to maintain anonymity. His site consisted of photos of the children he abused and shared with other members.
The web is accessible only with specialized software or conducting deep web analysis. To make it more complicated; cybercriminals are often using encryption to protect their malicious data and communications.
There should also be increased focus on proper enforcement and skill level in conducting cybercrime investigations in order to reduce the use of the Dark Web in committing child sexual activities.
Crime prevention should be the priority for police but that should not be their sole responsibility. To prevent crime is the obligation of everyone in society and parents, schools and families have responsibility to ensure children are safe.
They must also instill in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong.
Parents, being the most important people in their children’s lives, must make sure children are not exposed to situations where irresponsible people can take advantage of them.
They must pay attention and respond when any adult seems overly focused on befriending a child, make a spot check on child nurseries and babysitters and do not allow a child to go alone on vacation or spend the night with someone other than those proven to be trustworthy and reliable.
Certainly do not assume that a person is reliable because of position, status, title or working in a place where children commonly gather.
At this point, our country still does not have a central registry for child abusers and pedophiles. The data is very important as it would contain the particulars of sex offenders, allowing law enforcement agencies to keep track and monitor the child sexual activities in our community. We need to protect our children.
By DATUK AKHBAR SATAR
Institute of Crime & Criminology, HELP University
