OMICRON NEW VARIANT ALERT !

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Stay cautious even fully jabbed

 Proactive and preventive measures against Covid-19 need to be heightened to prevent a new threat from the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, say health experts.

The new coronavirus variant, first detected in South Africa on Nov 9, was classified as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organisation on Friday.

With countries around the world rushing to contain the Omicron variant, Singapore has announced that Malaysians using the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) to get to the republic from today must take an Antigen Rapid Test upon arrival.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Koh Kar Chai said Malaysia should be cautious with the new variant which has already been detected in Europe and Asia.

He said early evidence suggested that the Omicron variant had a higher reinfection risk.

“Experts have already expressed concern that Omicron’s large number of mutations may help it spread or even enable it to evade antibodies from prior infections or vaccination,” he said, adding that Malaysians needed to be on alert as all economic sectors had reopened.

With the latest variant threat, Dr Koh urged Malaysians to strictly adhere to the SOP even after full vaccination and booster shots.

“We also advise the remaining population who are unvaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible if they are eligible as it will prevent severe Covid-19.

“All available evidence-based preventive measures against Covid-19 should be taken. Regardless of the variant, the public should not let its guard down,” he said.

Universiti Malaya epidemiologist Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud said Malaysia should safeguard its borders as there was reason to be extra cautious of the Omicron variant.

“This is possibly the shortest time between detection of a variant and its designation as a VOC,” he said, pointing to the period between Nov 9 and when it was reported to WHO on Nov 24.

Dr Awang Bulgiba, however, said time would determine whether the new VOC was more lethal than the earlier ones.

“We need to increase our genomic surveillance and sequencing combined with thorough epidemiological analysis to make sure we do not miss any Omicron infections,” he said, adding that the Omicron variant could be quickly identified through a PCR test, where there is an S gene dropout.

He said by using the PCR test, samples could then be prioritised in order to be sent for genome sequencing.

“It takes time but this is needed for confirmation,” he said.

Dr Awang Bulgiba said due to the potential immune escape for the particular VOC, vaccine manufacturers were investigating whether their vaccines require updating.

He said Novavax was already working on a newer version of its vaccine with Omicron in mind, while Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were examining whether their vaccines needed updating.

He said AstraZeneca had months earlier worked on a newer updated version of its vaccine (AZD2816) which targeted the Beta variant.

“AstraZeneca has stated that they are working to see if their current vaccine and its new long-acting antibody cocktail (AZD7442) work against the Omicron variant.

“As the Omicron variant shares some of the same mutations of the Beta variant, it would probably not take very long for the company to modify the AZD2816 to work against the Omicron variant, if indeed there is a need to do so,” he said.

In safeguarding the country from the potential spread of the variant, Dr Awang Bulgiba advised that vaccination for schoolchildren, as well as the booster programme, need to be completed quickly to achieve optimal immunity in the population.

Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said preliminary findings showed that the new variant’s protein differed significantly from that used to develop vaccines against Covid-19 infection.

She said current measures of the Health Ministry were sufficient but the public must continuously adhere to the SOP.

“The travel ban on the affected countries should continue until specific clinical impact is known,” said Dr Malina.

The ministry had on Friday announced that Malaysians had been banned from travelling to seven African countries following the emergence of the new variant.

Foreigners with a history of travel to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe over the past 14 days would not be allowed to enter Malaysia.

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US-STYLE DEMOCRACY: National Endowment for Disgrace (NED) trashes good name of democracy

 Illustration: Liu Rui/GT 

 

NGOs often conjure up the images of activists getting busy banning ivory trade, waving BLM banners or alerting people to climate change. Although it is not always certain what their ulterior motives are, they always seem to make things appear bright and beautiful.

This is why it puzzles me when it comes to the categorization of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) of the United States, a self-claimed "NGO" whose establishment was approved by the US Congress. For one thing, by using state funding, the agency has been faithfully preaching hegemonic doctrines of the US government. For another, by guiding and financially supporting separatist rebels in countries deemed detrimental to American dominance, this pair of Uncle Sam's white gloves is instigating instability, terror and even wars worldwide.

How could such an agency be labeled an NGO? It would probably be too much to say that the NED stands for being Notorious, Egregious and Disrespectful. But the organization can be compared to the foolish emperor in Andersen's fairy tale "the Emperor's New Clothes". Everyone is crystal clear who is naked with nasty intent, yet the evil-doer continues to stand still, awkwardly pretending nothing ever happened.

NED has claimed that "from time to time, Congress has provided special appropriations to the Endowment to carry out specific democratic initiatives in countries of specific interests". The reason why it never bothers to hide its goals is that for US politicians, "democracy" has been such an overwhelmingly persuasive pretext to justify all their wrongdoings in a flagrant way, including meddling with other countries' internal affairs, triggering wars and conflicts. "A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA," said Allen Weinstein, one of the founding members of NED, when introducing the tasks assigned to NED. Thanks to such honesty, if Daniel Craig must drop his 007 career after No Time to Die, Agent NED could be recommended to succeed him in a film called No Time to Lie.

For many, including many Chinese, NED is nothing but an obnoxious pest. According to Asahi Shimbun, as of 2016, NED had provided some $96.52 million to at least 103 anti-China entities, including the notorious separatist groups, such as World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC). NED has provided the WUC and its affiliations with millions of dollars in funding, including $1,284,000 since 2016. This money goes to train activists and media influencers and lobby for support for Uygur separatists. In Hong Kong, NED has been in connection with several notable destabilizing forces and individuals. Reports have revealed that the NED offered over HKD13 million to the so-called Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, led by Lee Cheuk-yan, to organize illegal separatist campaigns. In 2019, NED invited several notorious Hong Kong "independence" preachers for speeches, including Lee Chu-ming, who was dubbed by Ta Kung Pao as a "Hong Kong traitor" and won the NED annual prize in 2004; as did Lee Cheuk-yan and Nathan Law. The mobs keep begging for their sugar daddy "no money, no honey", so NED keeps feeding them greenbacks paid by American taxpayers in the name of "democracy". Such an "unofficial" NED price acts consistently with the official remarks out of State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Together, these twofold American prongs encourage mobs to act out for Uncle Sam's expectations.

NED's victim list worldwide also includes America's allies. According to the New York Times, NED provided French right-wing groups with $1.4 million to organize campaigns against former president François Mitterrand. In Eastern Europe, millions of dollars have been spent by NED in support of the shock therapy in the 1990s. In Caribbean countries, NED has actively engaged in the conspiracy of overthrowing elected governments, with Haiti and Nicaragua being the most prominent examples. In Arab countries, NED sponsored numerous riot organizations and remained a crucial "contributor" to the collapse of the Mubarak and Khadafi administrations and the subsequent chaos. In Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Belarus, NED has been amplifying its voices by hiring Western media to relentlessly fire against the countries' leaders. It did so while interfering with their domestic election processes by politically and financially supporting the opposition forces.

In Thailand, the NED aimed at students and youngsters while launching its brainwash campaign through social media, just as it did in Hong Kong. In many ways, those methods were adopted together, enabling NED to meddle with the domestic issues of countries or administrations that it deemed "challenging" to American dominance under the cover of democracy promotion.

The US has always been strangely egoistic to seek a monopoly for the definition of "democracy". In this way, NED serves as a channel for it to achieve "democracy hegemony", claiming, "I'm the beacon of light, and those who don't listen to me are certainly autocratic". With that solid reason, NED could feel free to interfere with other countries' domestic issues, infiltrate into other countries for subversive purposes, and ultimately promote riots and rebels.

Under the disguise of democracy and for the purpose of conspiracy, NED is indeed an abbreviation for "National Endowment for Disgrace". NED as a tool of the US Empire has only disgraced what democracy is all about.

The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Global Times, CGTN, Xinhua News Agency, etc.. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com.

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Who was Francis Light? The Discovery of Penang? The tragedy of the Doctrine of Discovery is now embodied in Western laws.

Dealing with the past: Last year, vandals splashed red paint on the statue of Penang founder Captain Francis Light at Fort Cornwallis in G...

Who was Francis Light? The Discovery of Penang? The tragedy of the Doctrine of Discovery is now embodied in Western laws.

Dealing with the past: Last year, vandals splashed red paint on the statue of Penang founder Captain Francis Light at Fort Cornwallis in George Town. around the world, statues and monuments of long revered colonial figures were also spray-painted or beheaded. — CHAN boon Kai/the Star

The life and times of Captain Francis Light revisited in Penang Chronicles trilogy’s first book Dragon.

Gan's Dragon, the first volume of Penang Chronicies ,charts Francis Light's early life in the decades before the settlement of Penang island - Monsoon Books >>

SWASHBUCKLER or swindler, trader or statesman, the mere mention of the name Captain Francis Light in the state of Penang is bound to draw an array of clashing reactions.

Known for establishing the isle as a British settlement back in 1786 under the name Prince of Wales Island, Light has been quietly acknowledged with opening the door to the eventual colonisation of what would later be Malaya.

The first domino, one might call him, or what author Rose Gan describes as “the 18-century trailblazer in the Malay Archipelago”.

In Dragon, the first book of her newly released Penang Chronicles trilogy, Gan traces the life of a young Light, illegitimately born and raised in the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, East of England.

From his schooling days in Seckford’s School to a premature departure for a life at sea, Gan explores the twists and turns of what Light’s early life could have been in this historical fiction narrative.

Backed by extensive research and a strong fascination of Martinha Rozells, Gan – a British national now based in Kuala Lumpur – weaves a rich tale of a charming, ambitious and, often times, lucky Francis Light.

Beginning from days in the bowels of the HMS Mars, through battles with both storms and men, we are swept along from London to Madras, onward to Junk Ceylon (or present-day Phuket) and eventually, the Straits of Melaka.

With a keen focus on his ingenuity and resourcefulness, Gan meticulously tracks Light’s story to the answer of the question everyone wants to know: Did he indeed trick and cheat the Sultan of Kedah?

Stormy times

Francis Light stepped forth into the world in the mid-18th century.

Born illegitimate but raised as a gentleman, Light’s true parentage remains unclear to this day.

“What we do know is that Mary Light gave him his name and William Negus was his guardian. He was given a very good upbringing and was brought up as a gentleman.

“The problem with Light, however, is that whether or not he was raised a gentleman, he was not born a gentleman. And in the 18th century, your prospects were severely curtailed if you didn’t have a name,” explained Gan in a recent Badan Warisan Malaysia webinar.

A former history and Latin teacher, Gan is married to a Malaysian and has been involved with numerous museums both here and in Indonesia as a guide and editor. She has lived in Malaysia for over 40 years.

She added that upon leaving school at the age of 14 to enlist in the Royal Navy, Light failed to secure even the position of midshipman – the lowest rank of officer.

“He really started at the bottom but he had the dubious good fortune of being in the navy in a time of war. Just as he joined, the Seven Years’ War broke out and he managed to rise through the ranks.

“In times of war, there are many more ships in commission and inevitably, because of the death toll, many more officers are needed.

So, little bit by little bit, he began to climb the ladder,” said Gan.

He became a midshipman and later, a lieutenant alongside James Scott from Scotland who would eventually become a lifelong friend.

After the war, Light’s illegitimacy and lack of recognised origins cropped up again and eventually, both he and Scott left the navy and headed east to seek their fortunes.

There, Light maneuvered through the blooming political and trade crises that were raging across the region from the clash between Siam and Burma to the growing threat of Dutch ships and the powerful presence of the Bugis.

In Dragon, he is joined by real-life historical figures like Governor-general Sir Warren Hastings, Thai national heroine Lady Chan and Sultan Muhammed Jiwa of Kedah when he steers through the conflict-ridden inner circles of Malay royalty and the regional British administration.

Aside from having to learn the local language and customs to lead country ships with diverse crews, there were additional pitfalls to sidestep in this new tropical world.

“There were many other challenges; first of all, he had to learn the routes and the business of trade and the commodities (available).

“He’s going in and out of ports that may be quite dodgy or dangerous and then, there are the literal storms at sea, pirates and tropical diseases. It takes a strong man to survive in that world and survive he does,” said Gan.

Eurasians of Penang

At the very end of the book, the figure who inspired the whole trilogy crops up – the elusive and enchanting Martinha Rozells.

“I discovered Rozells – the glamorous Eurasian who would become Light’s wife – while living in Penang and I became fascinated by the little glimpses of her in historical record. However, everything about her is a question mark; what existed was conflicted and contradictory.

“Much more was known about Light, so, I went down rabbit holes to find out more about him and discovered so much more to his story than what the conventional biographies contain,” said Gan.

Rozells speaks not a word in Dragon but Gan promises much more of her in the upcoming Pearl and Emporium, which make up the remaining books of the series.

“What we do know for sure is that she was a very significant person in Light’s life. She was with him for 23 years and gave him five children who all went on to have significant careers in the British establishment.

“And I think we can see her hand behind some of the decisions that Light makes in later life,” said Gan.

Pearl will centre on Light and Rozells’ early journey, navigating the courts of Siam and Kedah, and explores how far Light will go to raise the British flag on the island of Penang.

Closing off the trilogy, Emporium will be based on life on the isle itself – a paradise on earth and the most bustling port in the Indies.

However, dangers and prejudices lurk and war is coming for the new settlers.

“Some people might perhaps want to ask me: Why have we got to have another book about a white colonial hero? Is it not time to put the past behind us? What I believe, however, is that everything we are today is because of the past.

“So, to try and put it in a box and close the lid is not going to solve the challenges that we have in the present,” she elaborated.

A better path, she continues, would be to acknowledge the past and take whatever lessons it offered.

“Let’s find out more about the past, but in the right way.

“We don’t want to hear the British version of what happened here. Malaysians should be telling their own story as this is a story of Malaysia, as much as it is a story of the colonial past,” she concluded. 

By Andrea Filmer

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Moral vacuum at the heart of modernity, now embodied in US laws!

` In short, historically it was the Church that gave the moral blessing for colonisation, slavery and genocide during the Age of Globalisation. The tragedy is that the Doctrine of Discovery is now embodied in US laws.