IN the first half of 2021, Asean-5 countries, comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines experienced strong, export-driven growth. However, renewed lockdowns amid significant outbreaks of Covid-19 Delta variant cases have dampened business sentiment and consumer spending in this region.
According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), recovery will likely slow markedly in the second half of 2021 for Asean5.
“Given the rising number of Covid-19 infections, renewed pandemic containment measures, and the slow pace of vaccinations, authorities in Asean-5 countries have been revising down official growth forecasts,” IIF said.
The IIF said it would likely cut its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for region.
In May, it forecast a GDP growth of 5.2% for 2021 and 5.4% for 2022.
Against the backdrop of current economic challenges, the IIF said it expected Asean-5 central banks to maintain their accommodative monetary policy stances well into 2022.
“Most of the countries are still experiencing inflation within the respective target ranges, except for the Philippines,” the IIF said.
“Fiscal policy will also continue to be supportive. While Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have announced fiscal consolidation plans, the pace of adjustment will be modest,” it added.
The IIF noted that due to their economic structure, Asean-5 countries benefitted strongly from the global demand recovery, with exports up sharply in the first half of 2021, particularly in the area of electronic appliances (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand) and commodities (Indonesia and Vietnam).
“Looking ahead, the next stage of the global recovery will likely benefit services rather than goods and, thus, provide less of a boost to Asean-5 economies,” it said.
“Furthermore, the recovery in tourism in the five countries has been slower than our already-cautious forecast in the spring, with the Delta variant posing a new challenge to the sector,” it added
A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arranged at the University Hospital in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, on Tuesday, March 2,2021. The first phase of the vaccine roll-out that will run through April involves about 500,000 frontliners comprising health-care, defense and security personnel, as well as teachers with co-morbidities, according to the government. Photographer: Samsul Said/Bloomberg
Of course not. The Covid-19 and its variants do not discriminate between race, creed or borders. They simply infect everyone indiscriminately, so the only defence is vaccines and social distancing.
But the handling of the pandemic has become intensely political along racial, class and national lines. To debate whether it should be called a China virus or an Indian variant is racist by implication. What matters urgently is how each individual, community or nation handles the pandemic. To distribute to the rich and powerful first before the poor and weak is discriminatory, but that is exactly what has happened in many countries.
The virus transmits through people. The epidemiologists suggest that minimising people travel and contacts would slow the transmission.
Those who care more about money object to shutting down the economy. Asians reacted more quickly by adopting masks and staying at home.
The West cared more about individualism and objected to masks, allowing the pandemic to get out of control.
But money and vaccines have begun to bring matters under control, except that if the coronavirus and its variants continue to spread in countries which cannot afford vaccines or can’t get enough supplies, no one is safe.
Thus, a microscopic virus has opened up the Pandora’s Box of almost all social divisions that were ignored and unaddressed. It is clear that science and technology, as well as competent organisation, plus mass cooperation would be the way to solve the pandemic.
But these three factors require trust that everyone should be protected justly.
The record so far shows that those governments which preach democracy, equality and rules-based order may be practising something rather different.
Why is it that in the United States, Pacific Islander, Latino and Black Americans have double the Covid-19 death rate than White and Asian Americans?
Israel is leading in the world vaccination rollout, and yet Palestinians have been slow to get vaccines. The UN Human Rights body has called the Israeli differential treatment of Palestinians “morally and legally unacceptable”.
Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territory since the 1967 war, and even in the Holy Month, physically raided the Al Aqsa Mosque, sparking off the current conflict that has raged on in the middle of the pandemic.
This is not an equal fight. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children, versus 12 dead in Israel. More than 58,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been rendered homeless and Israelis have knocked out the only lab in the territory that processes covid tests.
An Arab-Israeli member of the Israeli Parliament has openly called the Israel action in Jerusalem as “ethnic cleansing”. The Israeli government can ignore world opinion because of the US’ strong backing.
The humanitarian crisis in Palestine is beyond a tragedy. But the Israel-Palestinian crisis shows how science and technology play a role in turning a David to a Goliath, switching the roles from victims of the Holocaust to become perpetrators of Occupation by might alone.
As geopolitical futurist George Friedman writes about “Gaza: Morality and Reality”, the moral question is extremely complex because both sides see themselves as victims.
In his geopolitical realist view, as long as Israel holds the greater military superiority, with the backing of the strongest military power of all – the United States – the conflict will not be resolved by anyone else.
This point is fully understood by the Israelis, who were scattered and not particularly powerful as a wandering people until 1947. But it was their brains and deep application of science and technology that overcame the Palestinian and Arab numerical superiority.
There are 1-2-3 options for the Israel-Palestine situation. If Israel-occupied territory were to be governed as one country, the demographics would favour the Palestinians with higher birth rates, so this solution was ruled out.
Logic suggests that perhaps a two-country solution of a separate Palestine and Israel state would be possible. The rest of the world supports this option, but the Palestinians are divided into the Fatah faction controlling the West Bank and the Hamas controlling Gaza. This creates a three-state possibility. Indeed, the greater the division between its enemies and their supporters, the more secure Israel’s position. This is classic “divide and rule” domination exercised by imperial colonials.
The Egyptian economist Samir Amin summed up this perennial Arab dilemma, commenting on the 2011 Arab Spring.
If it succeeds, then the Arab world will break out of the imperialist centre’s control. If it fails, then the Arab world will remain in “its current status as a submissive periphery, prohibiting its elevation to the rank of an active participant in shaping the world”.
Samir’s critique of Capitalism in the Age of Globalisation saw a capitalist centre comprising America, Europe and Japan, controlling a periphery of the rest.
This is achieved through five monopolies over technology, financial control, monopoly access to natural resources, media and communications, and weapons of mass destruction. The Israelis understood these perfectly and exploited them to achieve success and survival.
Thus, Israeli devotion to science and technology, military equipment, media and communications and their lobbying power playing guilt on the Eurocentric countries, ensure their dominance over the Palestinian and Arab opponents.
This is why faith or ideology alone will not control the pandemic, because it is through science and organisational power that domination continues over the weak and oppressed.
The Arab world may have physical control over much of the fossil-fuel natural resources, but as long as they remain technologically backward and divided, they will always be victims.
So, the coronavirus is not racist.
Guns do not kill people, people kill or dominate other people.
Friedman is right. Might decides geopolitical reality. For him and his ilk, morality is for the victim to complain and the victor to preach.
Those who do not learn from history will remain its victims.
Andrew Sheng comments on global affairs from an Asian perspective. The views expressed here are his own.
India is at a critical moment of fighting the virus. Yet some Indian media outlets and politicians are still manipulating politics, slandering China with an attempt to shift contradictions away from their failed policies. India has descended into a COVID-19 mess. Indian media and politicians should bear a large part of the blame. It's a tragedy for the Indian people.
In recent days, some news channels in India have been busy spreading the groundless conspiracy theories that "the coronavirus is a bio-weapon created in a Wuhan lab." As the new wave of COVID-19 wreaks havoc on India, they have hyped up conspiracy theories and old lies cooked up by some Western media and politicians last year, baselessly accusing China of "weaponizing the virus." Some Indian media's professionalism, cognition and sense of social responsibility are really jaw-dropping.
With India caught up in the crisis and as criticisms of the Indian government's response increase, the "lab leak" conspiracy theory has attracted some new attention in India, ranging from news channels to politicians. Earlier this month, some Indian ministers and BJP leaders shared an article on Twitter. The article warned Indians not to fall into the opposition's trap of making Prime Minister Narendra Modi the scapegoat. It said, "very few are talking about China and the possibility that the virus has been unleashed to weaken India."
The "lab leak" theory has been largely discarded by the world. A World Health Organization report in late March concluded that it's "extremely unlikely" that the virus was leaked from a lab. It's really ridiculous and clumsy for some Indian media outlets to flog a dead horse. And it's easy to figure out their real purpose.
Long Xingchun, a senior research fellow with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, said the purpose of hyping the "lab leak" theory is obvious: deflecting public attention. With no sign of abating, the raging epidemic in India has aggravated public dissatisfaction.
By hyping-up the "lab leak" theory, some Indian media outlets and politicians are attempting to divert the public's anger to China. "For countries with an electoral system like India, the top consideration for some politicians is not people's health and lives, but votes. Accusing China of unleashing the virus to weaken India provides a good excuse for India to defend its anti-epidemic response and economic downturn," Long said.
China has refuted the lies of the "lab leak" theory many times. China has strictly fulfilled its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention and does not develop, research or produce bio-weapons.
If the Indian media and politicians are really keen on figuring out whether the virus is a bio-weapon, they should ask Washington to clarify the US' biological militarization activities inside and outside the country and to disclose the real purpose of its more than 200 biological laboratories overseas. India could also demand an international inquiry.
It looks like some Indian media outlets and politicians are resorting to the old scheme of the former Trump administration, which tried every possible means to shift the blame onto China for its failed coronavirus response.
Just have a look at the results of Trump and his failed secretary of state Mike Pompeo. They didn't focus on fighting the epidemic, but instead played tricks to politicize the virus, concocting political manipulations to discredit China. As a result, the US witnessed the highest COVID-19 death toll. This became the main reason why Trump lost the election.
Since the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak hit India, China has expressed its goodwill and taken concrete actions to provide necessary support and help to India. China has sent life-saving supplies such as ventilators, oxygen generators, masks and medicines to India. This has shown China's goodwill and humanitarianism.
However, some Indian media outlets and politicians are requiting kindness with ingratitude. They have slandered China's help, tried to play the Taiwan card, attempted to sow discord between China and neighboring countries, and devilishly spread rumors and lies to discredit China. They are shameless and have no moral bottom. What they are now doing is no different from creating a humanitarian disaster in India. It's the Indian people that will have to bear this egregious suffering.
Easy does it: Parents calming down a child while they get tested for Covid-19 at Kampung Baru in Balakong. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
The Selangor state-sponsored mass Covid-19 screening found that a majority of those between the ages of 20 and 40 who tested positive were asymptomatic.
The screening was carried out by Selcare, which is the administrator of the state government’s healthcare programme, Skim Peduli Sihat.
Selcare manager Mohd Noor Md Nasir said almost 80% of positive individuals in this age group appeared healthy and showed no signs of being infected.
“These people had been moving around freely before screening, ’’ Mohd Noor said, adding that there was a small number of Covid-19-positive senior citizens who had no symptoms despite having conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
“This is worrisome as these people had been in contact with many others as there was no indication they were infected, ’’ he said.Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had announced that screening would be carried out in all 56 state assembly constituencies.Selangor has allocated RM6mil for the targeted screening of some 50,000 Selangor residents from May 8-28.
Meanwhile, Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 chairman Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the findings of Selcare’s screening was more reason for the Health Ministry to initiate public screening exercises.
“Imagine all these people would have been roaming around infecting others because there was no indication they were Covid-19-positive, ’’ he said when contacted.
He said this was the grim reality on the ground which Federal authorities must look into seriously.
Video https://www.globaltimes.cn/video/#.YIbAJJ1_i1s.twitter
Bagaimana Tsunami Covid Di India Boleh Berlaku
China and India should put their differences aside and join forces in fighting pandemic
Now the whole world is talking about how selfish the US is regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The most developed country in the world that talks about human rights the most refuses to export vaccines to other countries that are severely hit by the pandemic. Washington is determined to let its citizens get vaccinated first before it shares vaccines with others.
More than a quarter of Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus now, while about 40 percent of people in the US have received at least one shot. Not everyone wants to get vaccinated, so it is predicted that there will be a surplus of vaccines in the country after mid-May. At the same time, many developing countries are suffering vaccine shortage. In Namibia, an African country with a population of 2.5 million, only 128 people have received two doses of a vaccine until now.
The ugly "America First" doctrine on vaccines was fully revealed by the coronavirus outbreak in India. A humanitarian disaster has developed in the country. However, India's call for Washington to ease curbs on the export of vaccine raw materials was rejected. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday that the priority of the country is "ensuring the distribution of a safe and effective vaccine to millions of Americans, to all Americans who are able to take advantage of it." Washington also turned down calls from India, South Africa and others to waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines.
To date, the US has made almost no actual contribution to the global fight against the pandemic. As the most developed country in the world, it did a poor job in the epidemic fight, failing to contribute any positive experiences to other countries. The country imported a huge amount of supplies such as masks and ventilators that were in short supply in the world last year. Washington undermined global cooperation against the virus by attacking the World Health Organization for quite a long time. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is Washington's most important product to fight against the pandemic. But until now it has been used primarily to protect Americans and a limited number of US allies.
"America First" is a very crude principle. It has become a practical guide to bipartisan actions in the US. The former administration of Donald Trump had both said and acted according to this principle. Although the Biden administration hasn't talked about it, it is in fact also acting in line with the principle.
Transmitted to the political center through each American constituency, the US' selfishness has formed a kind of "rightfulness" under American democracy. Meanwhile, Washington is keen to promote its idea of "human rights" to the world. It acts like it has compassion for all humanity, and surprisingly, it does not feel awkward about it at all.
The world cannot allow the US to abuse the right to define international justice. Washington has refused to share vaccines with developing countries proportionally. The world should jointly condemn it, making Washington bend its head, like a rat scurrying across the street with everybody chasing it. However, till today, the US is still arrogantly claiming it is a global moral leader. It even accuses China and Russia's efforts to share vaccines of being "vaccine diplomacy." The US has totally called white black and black white.
The US has misled and hijacked various countries' national security concept. This is where its arrogance comes from. The world is in an era of peaceful development, but US elites have successfully fanned many countries' anxieties over geosecurity, as the US is the one who has the most abundant resources to play the geopolitical game. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest security shock that countries have encountered in recent years, but many countries have deeply fallen into the geopolitical myth and been hijacked by Washington. Therefore, they indulged Washington's misdeeds.
India in fact has become a victim of the US tricks. India already had an economic slump before the outbreak of the pandemic. India's relations with China have been manipulated by the US so severely that even its vaccine assistance provided to other countries took China as a target. However, now India has suddenly become the epicenter of the global pandemic. It is caught in a predicament where it is unable to deal with the situation by itself, receives no support from the US, while it is too embarrassed to accept China's help.
In short, the US has caused harm to the whole world in recent years. Despite being a self-proclaimed world leader, it failed to act as a responsible power in terms of economy, security and the anti-pandemic fight. However, Washington has managed to keep the "moral high ground" and issue orders. It is fair to say that it is the world, including countries like India, that has indulged it. We are suffering a tragedy caused by ourselves.
Multiple
funeral pyres of COVID-19 victims burn at a site converted for mass
cremations in New Delhi, India on Saturday. Indian authorities are
scrambling to get medical oxygen to hospitals when the country reported a
new global daily record of more than 346,000 infections for a third
straight day. Photo: AP
Under great pressure from international
public opinion, US President Joe Biden said on Monday the US is
determined to "help" India. It's reported that more than 300 oxygen
concentrators have been dispatched from New York on Sunday morning and
are supposed to arrive in New Delhi on Monday. This was in sharp
contrast with the US' negative attitude toward assisting India until
last week.
US allies including the UK, France, and Germany also
announced to offer assistance to India on Sunday, which left people with
an impression that Washington has coordinated with them.
Many
Indians are complaining that the US aid comes way too late and is more
of symbolic significance. Several hundred oxygen concentrators are
inadequate for India. What the country needs now are tens of thousands,
or even hundreds of thousands. The US will immediately deploy supplies
and other assistance, including raw materials for COVID-19 vaccine, to
India, the White House said, following a Sunday call between US National
Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
But the US will still have reservations over the quantity of material
exports, and the implementation process will face challenges.
Biden's
approval rating stands at only 52 percent after almost 100 days in
office, the third-lowest since tracking began in 1945, following Donald
Trump and Gerald Ford. Biden is facing enormous pressure from the
Republicans and some Democrats. "America First" has been deeply embedded
into the values of the US and has become a red line that Biden dares
not touch.
There are two reasons for the US' strategic
selfishness. First, this is the inherent nature of the US system, which
is prone to amplify individual selfishness rather than restrain and
counterbalance such selfishness. Second, the US has become relatively
weak, and it cannot meet its "leadership role." India is a country with
an enormous population. In the long run, it will cost US much more to
"lead" India than any of its other allies.
One unhealthy
aspect of the global anti-pandemic fight is that science and
humanitarian logic have failed to truly dominate the fight on the
international stage. Geopolitical thinking has never been away from the
fight. It has disrupted the pandemic fight from time to time, and even
managed to play a dominating role at some moments. India has been
struggling in a critical situation, but geopolitical clues are still
evident in its epidemic-related information. This is regrettable.
COVID-19 patients are dying in batches, but some people are still
debating which country's assistance India should take and what it would
mean for international relations in future.
Whatever happens, we
hope India could curb its epidemic as soon as possible. Mankind is a
community with a shared future when it comes to the fight against the
pandemic. As India is a large country¸ the raging epidemic in India
inevitably means increasing risks for other countries and regions. How
India can realize a soft landing with a lower death toll will offer
useful experience for other developing countries.
The new
coronavirus variant detected in India seems to be able to ferociously
spread with the approach of summer, which requires higher international
vigilance. India's tsunami-like COVID-19 wave warns us that fighting the
coronavirus pandemic is a long-term "world war" and many unexpected new
battlefields and new battles may await us. We can never let our guard
down.
Countries with a strong capability to resist COVID-19 have
to assume greater responsibility. It is vital that the US joins them.
The US has made little positive contribution to the global fight against
the pandemic. Lending a helping hand to India can be seen as the first
US attempt to play such a role. We hope it will be Washington's turning
point. The US has gravely dragged the global fight against the pandemic,
and it is supposed to proactively make up for it.
Since last
year, the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit many countries and regions
in the world, resulting in unbelievable deaths and economic losses. But
some countries are still building their national security in traditional
ways. This is a strategic mistake, at least to some extent. Washington
has played a misleading role in this regard. In other words, if the US
is drunk, many other countries may not be able to remain sober.
The US is a country that boasts of its so-called
deep-rooted ideal of democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and
equality. But how can a self-portrayed perfect country become one of
chaos, division and inequality as we see today? Is it because ...
BELOW are some questions and answers relating to schools and institutions under the Education Ministry as well as the status of public examinations during the movement control order period.
School reopening
Q: Are all students in areas under the movement control order required to return to school when it reopens on Jan 20?
A: Only students sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM), Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) and Diploma Vokasional Malaysia (DVM) 2020 and 2021 students, as well as the equivalent international exams, will be allowed to return to school to undergo the Implementation of Teaching and Learning (PdP) via face-to-face.
Non-examination students will undergo Home-based learning (PdPR).
Q: Will students having to undergo public examinations but living outside MCO areas be allowed to return to schools that are under MCO areas or vice-versa?
A: Yes. Special authorisation letters will be issued by the school management to allow students to cross districts or states to attend school.
Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to send their children or children under their care to school?
A: Yes.
Q: Are students in remove class who have appealed to sit for the Bahasa Melayu Literacy Screening (Pengesahan Literasi Bahasa Melayu) allowed to be in school?
A: Yes. Students can attend school to sit for the Bahasa Melayu Literacy Screening on Jan 21,2021. For students unable to attend, they can take the test on Feb 3,2021.
Central Assessment Schedule (Pengurusan Pentaksiran Pusat) and public exams
Q: Will the central assessment schedule and SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM as well as equivalent international examinations proceed?
A: Yes.
Q: Will the postponed SPM trial 2020 be conducted?
A: Yes. The examination will proceed once school re-opens for face-to-face lessons.
Boarding School Enrolment
Q: When will students sitting for the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM exams be allowed to return to boarding schools?
A: Beginning Jan 16.
Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to visit students living in boarding schools that are under the MCO?
A: No.
Q: Will students be allowed to go for outings and overnight events?
A: No.
Teaching and Learning (PdP)
Q: How will PdP be implemented for students aside from those sitting for examination classes?
A: Students must undergo home-based learning (PdPR) based on the suitability and the preparedness of teachers and students. Teachers can refer to the PdPR manual which can be downloaded from the Education Ministry portal www.moe.gov.my
Q: How can Year 1 pupils for the 2021 academic session access the Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (Delima) platform as part of the PdPR?
A: Pupils can access the Delima portal using their user ID and password given by the school.
Q: How can students access the TV Pendidikan educational programme schedule? A The schedule of TV Pendidikan can be accessed via the Education Ministry’s official portal and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @KemPendidikan.
Sports and co-curricular activities
Q: Will face-to-face sports and co-curricular activities be allowed?
A: No. However, virtual activities are allowed until the latest announcement from the Education Ministry.
Q: Will sports activities for PdP of the Physical Education subject and Health Education (Pendidikan Jasmani and Pendidikan Kesihatan) outside of the classroom be allowed?
A: No
Management of the textbook loan scheme (SPBT)
Q: Are the Form 5 2020 students required to return their textbooks?
A: Only after they complete their SPM examinations.
Q: Will the Form 5 2020 students be using the same textbooks used by the Form 5 2021 students?
A: No. Students will be provided with the Form 5 Secondary School Standards-based Curriculum (KSSM) textbooks for use in 2021.
Q: When will other students aside from the Form 5 2020 need to return their textbooks and collect their new textbooks?
A: Return and distribution of textbooks will be implemented based on the return schedule in stages set by the school management once school re-opens.
Q: How can students obtain digital textbooks?
A: Students can download digital textbooks from the Delima platforms at moe-dl.edu.my or teachers can help download the digital textbooks, print and distribute them based on the required topics only.
School admission assessment (PKSK)
Q: Will PKSK be implemented during the MCO period?
A: Yes. The new PKSK dates for students entering Form One are Jan 20 to 29. For Form Four students, Feb 15 to 25.
Special authorisation letters will be issued by the Education Ministry to allow candidates to cross states or districts to attend the assessment centres.
Q: What are the necessary steps that need to be taken before a candidate sits for PKSK?
A: All candidates must bring a slip to sit for the PKSK and the special authorisation letter to attend PKSK that can be downloaded below:
i. spskt1.moe.gov.my (Form 1)
ii. spskt4.moe.gov.my (Form 4)
Q: Will candidates with any medical symptoms be allowed to undergo PKSK?
A: No. Parents/ guardians will need to get confirmation from certified medical officers and inform the head of the assessment centre (Ketua Pusat Pentaksiran).
A new date for students to sit for the PKSK will be set later.
Q: Are candidates under quarantine allowed to sit for PKSK?
A: No. Students are only allowed to sit for PKSK after the end of their quarantine period. A new date for the students will be set later.
Q: Are candidates who test positive for Covid-19 and treated in hospital allowed to sit for PKSK?
A: No. However, they will be allowed to do so once they are discharged from the hospital. A new date to sit for the PKSK will be announced later.
Q: Are candidates living in MCO areas allowed to change their PKSK centre?
A: Yes. Candidates need to submit an application to the head of assessment centre (Ketua Pusat Pentaksiran) that they are applying to.
Teachers and non-education services member (anggota perkhidmatan bukan guru)
Q: When are teachers required to be at the station of duty?
A: Teachers are required to be at the station of duty before Jan 20.
Q: Are teachers required to be present at schools placed under the MCO?
A: Teachers’ attendance at schools are required as below:
i. Teachers involved in the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM for the year 2020 and 2021 as well as equivalent international exams.
ii. Teachers involved in examination management.
iii. Other teachers that are ordered to be present by the head of departments.
Q: Are teachers living outside of MCO areas allowed to be present at schools that are currently under MCO or vice versa?
A: Yes. Teachers are required to obtain a special authorisation letter from the head of department.
Q: Aside from teachers, who else is allowed to be present at school during the MCO?
A: i. Non-education services members (Anggota Perkhidmatan Bukan Guru) with orders from the head of department.
ii. Essential services workers such as cleaners, security personnel, and canteen staff.
iii. Wardens and boarding school administrators.
Q: Will non-education services members be allowed to work from home?
A: Yes. The head of department can consider the request to work from home made by non-education service members according to their workload and the need to be physically at the office.
Management and operations of private education institutions (IPS)
Q: Are childcare centres allowed to operate face-to-face?
A: Yes. This includes international and expatriate preschool classes.
Q: Are all categories of IPS in MCO areas allowed to have face-to-face learning?
A: No. Only classes with students that are sitting for the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM for 2020 and 2021 as well as equivalent international exams will be allowed to operate face-to-face.
Q: Are all IPS categories centres such as tuition/ language centres allowed to operate face-to-face learning?
A: No.
Q: Does an IPS that has been allowed to operate face-to-face learning require a special authorisation letter in order to allow students/ teacher/ staff to be present?
A: Yes.
Management and operations of Pusat Anak Genius Negara (PAGN) and Pusat Genius Kurnia (PGK)
Q: Will PAGN and PGK under the MCO areas remain in operation?
A: Yes. However, this is subject to the quota allowed; priority will be given to parents/ guardians who are both working.
Q: Can parents/ guardians send their children or children under their care for half a day to a PAGN?
A: Yes. However, parents/ guardians must inform the teachers earlier so that activities and routines for children or children under their care can be planned smoothly.
The US is getting bogged down in a humanitarian disaster caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. However, US federal government officials maintain an indifferent attitude, refusing to mobilize the entire country to adopt forceful emergency measures. This is heinous malfeasance. They are undoubtedly committing a monstrous crime that cannot be forgiven.
The US reported 1 million new COVID-19 cases in the first five days of December and more than 2,000 daily deaths. On Thursday alone, the country recorded 2,879 deaths caused by COVID-19. Hospitals are running out of beds. Crematoriums and cemeteries in some parts of the US have insufficient capacity to cope with the crisis.
The US, which is supposed to be the most developed country in the world today, has become the most terrifying place on the planet where the novel coronavirus is claiming lives.
What is a living hell? The US is a vivid portrayal of that right now. Quite a few countries have become crippled due to US "human rights" accusations. Others have been kidnapped by alliances with the US.
But it is time for the international community to stand up bravely and point at the current ruling administration of the US. The super power must be bluntly told: You are killing your own people. You are crossing the bottom line of humanitarianism. You are a shameful deserter and traitor of humanity as the rest of us fiercely fight the virus.
All people are born equal. Everyone has the right to avoid infection and death from disease. Even if they refuse to comply with epidemic prevention measures due to personal reasons the government is supposed to create conditions to protect them, not leaving them alone with the excuse of "God's" mercy.
Americans are also humans. They are not supposed to be treated as expendables of the Trump administration's defenseless epidemic strategy. So far, more than 281,000 Americans have died because of the novel coronavirus. It is predicted that daily death counts could surpass 4,000 in the coming months. This is a massacre, and a shame for humanity in the 21st century.
A Brookings Institution survey found that 10 percent of American mothers reported that their children under the age of five went hungry to some degree in October and November. Nearly 12 percent of adults said they live in a household where there was not enough to eat "sometimes" or "often" last month, according to the US Department of Commerce. Long lines are spotted in the US with people queuing up for free food. Is that what the world's richest country should look like?
There are many defects and loopholes in the US federal government's abilities to effectively handle the public health crisis under the current administration. The US has been dragged into a long-term political struggle by its political elites. People can clearly see that the current US government has no interest in fighting the virus. They're only focused on election-related political interests. US society has been divided because of polarized politics. It cannot reach a consensus on pandemic controls. It appears to be a collapsing sand castle.
If the COVID-19 pandemic were something that couldn't be curbed, the US failure could be forgiven. But many Asian countries and economies, including China, have put the virus' spread under control. This fully indicates it can be contained. As such, the US has neither reason nor morality to give up its anti-pandemic efforts.
The current US government attaches great importance to economy. But is the US economy getting better? What else economic results can the US government boast about except the abnormal prosperity caused by rushes of hot money into the stock market from quantitative easing?
The pandemic lays bare the arrogance and stupidity of this US government. It has no moral compass and has shirked its own responsibilities by passing the buck to others. So many lives have been lost. It's a tragedy caused by capitalist tyranny under the disguise of "democracy and freedom."
What punishments will the politicians who committed these crimes against humanity receive? Everyone in the world is watching the US now, expecting the incoming administration to have the moral courage to punish evil and stand steadfast for righteous justice and rule of law.
Mar 17, 2016 ...http://t.cn/RG38MOa. Chinese documentary reveals US hypocrisy on humanrights. A TV documentary highlighting the US's double standards ...
Mar 17, 2016 ... The United States' confrontational attitude toward China on human rights serves
only its national interests, and it also harms global governance ...
llustration: Chen Xia/GT
