Day: August 16, 2021

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Several Malaysian Ministers Go Online To Say Goodbye

KUALA LUMPUR— Several Cabinet ministers have taken to social media to bid farewell, minutes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had an audience with Malaysian King Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Monday.

 

Among others, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin posted on Instagram, confirming that the Cabinet had tendered its resignation to His Majesty.

 

“Thank you for the opportunity to once again serve the nation, May God bless Malaysia,” he wrote in his instastory.

 

Earlier, Muhyiddin held a special Cabinet meeting, which lasted about three hours, at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya, before going for an audience with the King Al-Sultan Abdullah around noon at Istana Negara (national palace).

 

However, at the time of writing, there has been no official announcement yet on the status of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. Muhyiddin is expected to make a special announcement on it later Monday.

 

Senior Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said it has been an honour and privilege to serve the country and the people.

 

“May Allah SWT bless us all,” he said in his Twitter account.

 

Earlier, Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali announced that today might be his last day as the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister.

 

“The export performance of the country’s commodities for the second quarter of 2021 is a good closure for me when the export value of agricommodity products jumped by 65 per cent to RM105 billion compared to only RM64 billion in the same period last year,” he said in a post on his Facebook page.

 

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa conveyed his apologies and sought forgiveness for all his mistakes, weaknesses and shortcomings during his tenure.

 

“We stay calm and have an open heart. All decisions were made collectively. The important thing is to always respect and abide by the country’s laws and constitution.

 

“The utmost basis of consideration is the people’s well-being; we serve the people till the finish line,” he said in his Instagram post.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Indonesia has to strike balance between health and economy; COVID-19 policies are consistent, says Jokowi

JAKARTA— COVID-19 has taught Indonesia how to find a balance between health and economic interests, said President Joko Widodo as he addressed perceptions that government policies may not have been consistent when it comes to tackling the pandemic.

 

Speaking at the annual State of the Nation Address ahead of the country’s 76th Independence Day on Tuesday, Widodo said in making decisions, the government must continue to refer to data, as well as to the latest science and technology as Indonesia continues to battle COVID-19 which has claimed the lives of at least 117,000 people in the country.

 

Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, also stated that the government’s objectives are consistent, but the strategy and management on the field must be dynamic and adapt to the problems and challenges.

 

“The tightening and loosening of community mobility, for example, must be done at most once every week while referring to the latest data. Maybe this is often read as changing policies, or policies that are not consistent.

 

“That is precisely what we must do, to find the best combination of interests between public health and economic interests because the virus is always changing and mutating. Thus the handling must change according to the challenges faced,” said Widodo.

 

The unavoidable tightening of mobility to curb COVID-19 has led to the government providing more social assistance than in normal situations, he said, while noting that the government has ensured that people can get decent work and the economy can be improved.

 

Although the pandemic has hampered economic growth, it should not hinder economic structural reforms, said the president.

 

He highlighted that from January to June, Indonesia’s realised investment was at least 442.8 trillion rupiah (US$30.55 billion), excluding the upstream oil and gas sector and financial services. About 51.5 per cent of the realised investment was outside of Java.

 

These investments created more than 620,000 jobs for Indonesians, he also said.

 

With additional investment in the months ahead, the country can hopefully meet the target of 900 trillion rupiah this year, he said.

 

The president said he understood how people may feel fatigue, boredom and distress as the pandemic drags on.

 

“I also realise that there are so many criticisms towards the government, especially on things that we have not been able to resolve. Constructive criticism is very important, and we always answer by fulfilling our responsibilities as the people expect,” he said.

 

Monday’s address was held with only 60 people in the parliament and the majority of lawmakers followed the event online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Airlines reroute flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace

KABUL— Major airlines are rerouting flights to avoid Afghanistan airspace after the Taliban took control of the presidential palace in Kabul as US-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their citizens.

 

United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said they were not using the country’s airspace.

 

A United spokeswoman said the change affects several of the airline’s US to India flights.

 

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed few commercial flights over Afghanistan at 3am GMT on Monday but many planes overflying neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.

 

The website, which tracks flights in real time, also showed Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ 319 from London to Singapore avoiding Afghan airspace.

 

Airlines and governments have paid more attention to the risks of flying over conflict zones in recent years after two deadly incidents involving surface-to-air missiles.

 

A Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board, and an Ukraine International Airlines jet was downed by Iran’s military in 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

The US Federal Aviation Administration in July imposed new flight restrictions over Afghanistan for US airlines and other US operators.

 

The FAA said flights operating below 26,000 feet were prohibited in the Kabul Flight Information Region, which largely covers Afghanistan, unless operating in and out of Hamid Karzai International Airport, citing the risk “posed by extremist/militant activity”.

 

The restrictions do not apply to US military operations.

 

Other countries, including Canada, Britain, Germany and France had also advised airlines to maintain an altitude of at least 25,000 feet over Afghanistan, according to website Safe Airspace, which tracks such warnings.

 

Korean Air Lines said some of its cargo flights were using Afghanistan airspace, though its passenger flights were not.

 

“Due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are flying our cargo flights at higher altitudes and avoiding flying at lower altitudes,” a spokesperson said. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we plan to review shifting our routes if necessary.”

 

Taiwan’s China Airlines said it was keeping an eye on the situation and would adjust flight paths if needed in accordance with US and European Union airspace instructions. It did not elaborate.

 

Commercial flights set to land in Afghanistan have also been affected by the chaos on the ground. Emirates has suspended flights to Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, until further notice, the airline said on its website.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Former US Pres Trump calls for Biden to resign over Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

WASHINGTON— Former US president Donald Trump called for his successor Joe Biden to resign on Sunday over the swift takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban militants, as US troops withdrew from the country after nearly 20 years on the ground.

 

“It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan,” Trump said in a statement, also blasting him over a surge in Covid-19 cases in the United States and domestic immigration, economic and energy policies.

 

The Taliban have reconquered Afghanistan in a lightning surge 20 years after they were toppled by the US invasion.

 

They took control of Kabul on Sunday, more than two weeks before the Aug 31 deadline set by Biden to complete the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

 

It was under Trump that the US brokered a deal with the Taliban in Doha in 2020 that would have seen the US withdraw all its troops by May 2021, in exchange for various security guarantees from the militants.

 

When Biden took power earlier this year, he pushed back the deadline for the withdrawal and set no conditions for it.

 

Trump has repeatedly blasted Biden over the move, saying it would have been “a much different and much more successful withdrawal” if he were still president.

 

“What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan is legendary. It will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history!” he said in another statement on Sunday.

 

The Biden administration is quick to point out that Trump negotiated the Doha deal on the withdrawal and that a majority of the US public favors ending “forever wars.”

 

Biden has faced heated criticism at home that the withdrawal was mismanaged, with the United States racing to evacuate its sprawling embassy just a month after he played down fears the Afghan government would crumble quickly.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Resigns

KUALA LUMPUR— Muhyiddin Yassin today resigned as the Malaysian prime minister, saying he no longer commanded majority support in Parliament.

 

His departure from the post, along with the resignation of his entire 29-member cabinet, comes 17 months after the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition that he led came to power.

 

“It is obvious that I have lost majority support. So, there is no longer a need to ascertain my legitimacy as the prime minister in Parliament.

 

“So today, I have tendered my resignation as the prime minister and also the resignation of my entire Cabinet as required by the Federal Constitution,” he said in a special announcement aired live on television.

 

Muhyiddin tendered his resignation letter to the Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah during an audience at Istana Negara (the National Palace) earlier today.

 

However, Al-Sultan Abdullah decreed that Muhyiddin be the caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed.

 

The King said that based on feedback from the Election Commission, holding a general election is not feasible at the moment as the country is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Muhyiddin, who is president of the Bersatu party, was sworn in as the country’s eighth prime minister on March 1 last year following the resignation of then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 24 that ended the rule of another coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH).

 

However, things came to a head for Muhyiddin’s fragile coalition recently after UMNO, one of the key partners of PN, withdrew its support for him and PN, leaving the coalition without a clear majority.

 

Meanwhile, in a special address after tendering his resignation Muhyiddin expressed hope that a new government could be formed as soon as possible so that there will be no disruptions to the country’s administration.

 

He said the next two months will be extremely important as Malaysia is expected to achieve herd immunity in October.

 

“There should be no distruptions to all plans outlined in the National Recovery Plan (PPN). The economic sectors need to reopen to ensure the country’s economy recover as soon as possible and the people can generate income to support themselves and their families,” he said.

 

Muhyiddin said the momentum of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme too should continue, adding that Malaysia’s record of having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world must continue.

 

“To all my fellow Malaysians, you don’t have to worry. My cabinet has ordered more than enough vaccines for all of you. If the vaccination programme goes well, all of you will get vaccinated by end of October.

 

“I hope the new government which takes over the administration of this country will take good care of all of you because it is the only thing that I care about. I care for you always,” he said.

 

Muhyiddin is optimistic that Malaysia would come out of the COVID-19 crisis very soon.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Malaysia Remains On Right Trajectory For Further Economic Recovery

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia remains on the right trajectory for further economic recovery boosted by the surge in external demand supported by electrical and electronics (E&E), petroleum, rubber products, palm oil and chemical products, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said.

 

It said this was based on the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) report on the country’s second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2021) gross domestic product (GDP) which grew 16.1 per cent year-on-year against 0.5 per cent contraction in Q1 2021 with the manufacturing sector stood as the main contributor, recording a growth of 26.6 per cent in Q2 2021 against 6.6 per cent in Q1 2021.

 

“This is achieved on account of our steadfast commitment to ensure that we effectively weather the challenges of the pandemic and emerge stronger and more resilient,” it said in a statement Monday.

 

It said in terms of investment performance, a 17.4 per cent jump in private investment in Q2 2021, totalling RM59.3 billion, against the corresponding period last year proved a positive reflection of enhancement in capital expenditure in the services and manufacturing sectors, which is crucial for the preservation of jobs and creation of new job opportunities.

 

On foreign direct investment, it said the government would continue to attract more high-value investments in technology and innovation to position Malaysia as an alternative supply chain hub in Asia.

 

“As a result of vigorous and strategically planned trade and investment missions undertaken during the period of January to June 2021, Malaysia secured a total committed investment of RM35.97 billion with the creation of 28,000 job opportunities as well as potential exports value of RM3.4 billion.

 

“Furthermore, the establishment of the One-Stop-Centre for Business Travelers to ease the movement of investors during the pandemic has facilitated 43 projects with potential investment value of RM115.8 billion,” it said.

 

MITI said export performance in 2021 is forecasted for further growth with the manufacturing sector ramping up production capacity to meet expansion in external demand.

 

It said performance in the E&E, rubber gloves and medical devices sectors is expected to be given a further boost on account of continued robust demand for these products arising from the pandemic.

 

“The government has taken swift and decisive action to ensure that we maintain economic stability and growth as well as manage the country’s largest public health crisis,” it said.

 

It added that the government reiterated its commitment to partner with industries and business communities towards building a robust economy and ensuring the continued wellbeing and prosperity of the people.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK