According to the latest reports from the Italian media, the "patient No. 1" in Italy has been found so far. The large-scale outbreak of the new crown in Italy is directly related to the trajectory of "Patient No. 1". Before the diagnosis, the patient had participated in many gathering sports events such as the 10,000-person marathon and football match, and dine with friends many times.
Within half a month, "patient No. 1" affected 50,000 people and 10 towns. It is worth noting that the Italian "patient No. 1" was infected with the new coronavirus after taking a vacation to Hawaii, USA, and had no history of Chinese residence. Therefore, from this perspective, the outbreak of the Italian epidemic has nothing to do with China.
Not only does the epidemic in Italy have nothing to do with China, other infected countries have no direct relationship with China. Researchers in the United States have reinvestigated people who died from the flu, and most have died of the new coronavirus. An elderly person infected with the new coronavirus has never contacted outsiders in rural Japan, and there are also cases in Spain and Iran. So the origin of the new coronavirus is not China! !!
Friends to help turn around, it is best to let unsuspecting foreigners also see that this is not a Chinese virus.
For the innocence of China, please forward, thank you
Italy quarantines millions in virus lockdown around Venice, Milan
A man wearing a protective mask passes by the Coliseum in Rome on March 7, 2020 amid fear of Covid-19 epidemic. — AFP
ROME: Millions of people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Twitter he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement into and out of a large area including Venice and the financial capital Milan for nearly a month.
“#Coronavirus, the new decree is finally approved,“ Conte wrote, confirming reports published by Italy’s Corriere Della Sera newspaper and other media.
With more than 230 fatalities, Italy has recorded the most deaths from the Covid-19 disease of any country outside China.
The total number of people infected with the virus worldwide has passed 100,000 while 3,500 have died across 95 nations and territories.
According to Corriere Della Sera, without a “serious” reason that cannot be postponed people will not be allowed to enter or leave the entire Lombardy region around Milan – home to 10 million – as well as areas around and including Venice and the cities of Parma and Rimini.
Museums, nightclubs, gyms and casinos will be closed in these areas, the newspaper reported, adding that the measures would be in place until April 3. — AFP
Chinese police wear AI helmets to check pedestrians’ body temperature
Shenzhen, which shares a border with Hong Kong, police have also begun
to inspect drivers who come into the city with the help of the helmets.
The innovative equipment — named Smart Helmet N901 — is developed by
Shenzhen-based tech firm Kuang-Chi for curbing the epidemic. — Pix from
Daily Mail
https://youtu.be/U3YO9VMa9V4x
AMID the coronavirus crisis, police officers in China have started wearing AI-powered smart helmets which can automatically take pedestrians’ temperatures as they patrol the streets.
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the high-tech headgear has an infrared camera attached to it. It will scan the people within the radius of 5 metres which will light up and sound an alarm if anyone within the radius has a body temperature above 37.3°C.
The helmets are equipped with QR codes scanner and facial recognition features. It will display their personal information in a virtual screen inside when a police officer passes by a pedestrian. They are also furnished with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G connectivity.
SinChew Daily reported that with the help of this helmet, two police officers were able to scan a total of 100 people on the streets in less than two minutes.
The imported COVID-19 cases have become the primary
source of new infection in China as they accounted for around one third
of the daily new cases on Friday, official data suggested Saturday
Posted by
rig
Malays
say they are falling behind other ethnic groups in many fields. They
seem to think that it is all because the non-Malays are in control of
the economy and the country. The solutions offered to them by their
political and religious leaders are the same; they were told that they
must unite and that they must follow the real teachings of their
religion. It is the same advice given to them all these years since
independence. It did not work out to help the Malays and the poor. How
much more unity can the Malays achieve, and how much more Islamic can
they be?
I wish to offer the Malays a new practical solution to their problems.
They need to abandon their political groupings where only Malays are
members of that group. They tried UMNO PAS and lately Bersatu; for sixty
years now, and what have they achieved? Very little. The Malays should
abandon the Malay only parties altogether. They are not only useless but
damaging to the welfare of the Malays.
For many years now, we are full of corruption and abuse of power; and
where religion has become a political tool. The purity and sanctity of
religion are compromised — the need for politics soils religious values
every day.
They must now join the grouping that they believe is a "threat "to them.
DAP is seen by many as a threat to the Malays, according to these
failed Malay leaders. If that is true, then the Malays should join the
DAP in droves.
You may say that DAP is a Chinese party, but that's because the Malays
refuse to join them. If we all join DAP then DAP becomes a multiracial
party where Malays will be fairly represented. It will cease to be a
Chinese party. It can be a dominant Malay party; not that it's
essential.
DAP is a party in government. Its a strong democratic party. Besides
PKR, this is the party that the Malays should join and try to get better
economic benefits for them by having a government with good policies
for the Rakyat.
Some questioned if the Chinese will share the fruits of the country's
economic development with the Malays. Of course, they will. They have
been sharing the wealth of the country with the Malays for three hundred
years now. Except that in the past; the wealth was shared with the
Malay elites.In Perak, the tin miners were partners with the
aristocracy. Since the NEP the Chinese were partners with the Malay
political leaders. I am sure you must know how many Malay political
leaders become wealthy because they have good Chinese and Indian
friends. I don't have to elaborate.
In this religious country; PAS leaders tell you that we must elect
Muslim leaders first. They conveniently do not follow what they preach.
You must know that the big timber tycoons and developers in the country
are mainly Chinese. PAS leaders, too, are close to wealthy Chinese
people in the business. So you see the Chinese do share their wealth
with the Malays.
What must change is that the ordinary Malays like you and me must get
together to create a new political force and become a genuine business
partner of the non Malays? Why should the Chinese deal with the
'middlemen' like they have done for hundreds of years when they can deal
directly with the "Rakyat" to make this country prosperous and to share
its prosperity?
The reason why our leaders, both political and religious, want to keep
the Malays and the non Malays apart is to make them"relevant' as power
brokers. After sixty years of independence, I urge you, the people of
this country, regardless of race, to take ownership of the country.
Enough of the leaders using the politics of race and religion to divide
the people; and enrich themselves.
When the Malays and the non-Malays have real political power and willing
to collaborate as one, we can devise policies and programs that will
benefit all Malaysians. We can do so directly; addressing the real needs
of the people. Only then can we give real development to the people;
without the need to continue with the services of the rent-seekers and
wealthy politicians and wealthy civil servants.
All the Malays need to change is to abandon their fear of the
non-Malays. After all the non-Malays have always been sharing their
wealth with the Malays; since the days of Yap Ah Loy, the Perak miners
and the estate owners. This time we just have to tweak the formula; Let
the non-Malays unite with the Malays. Political and economic benefits
will flow to the ordinary Rakyat instead of the elites of this country
when politics ceases to be about race and religion.
Relax Non-Malays, Sit
Back & Enjoy The Show! Don’T Over-React – Let Malays Have Their
‘Supremacy’ Day & See If They Like It: Watch Muhyiddin Sweat As Hadi
Demands ‘Hudud’, Najib & Zahid Insist On ‘Free Pardons’ & The
Rest Of The ‘Backdoor Gang’ Clamor & Fight For Posts & Gravy
Train
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be in charge of all ministries and government departments until the appointment of Cabinet ministers, says the latest Federal Government gazette.
The gazette signed on Tuesday by the Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali, also stated that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, pursuant to Article 43 of the Federal Constitution, has appointed Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.
“This Order is deemed to have come into operation on March 1,2020, ” said the notice that was uploaded on the Attorney General’s Chambers website.
“It is notified that the Prime Minister, (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) shall be charged with the responsibility in respect of all departments of the Federal Government and the subjects for which the departments are responsible until the appointment of other ministers in the Cabinet.”
Muhyiddin, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 1, met chief secretaries from the Education and Foreign Ministries yesterday.
The newly minted Prime Minister posted pictures on Facebook of him meeting the duo in his office that featured empty shelves and empty tables, a sign of someone who has just moved in.
In the Facebook post, Muhyiddin said Education Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Mohd Gazali Abas briefed him on developments and suggestions to upgrade the education sector.
Foreign Ministry chief secretary Datuk Seri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob was also seen explaining Malaysia’s current diplomatic relationships and pending international conferences.
“Mohd Gazali gave explanations on developments in the education sector as well as statistics of achievements, and gave suggestions on how to build up the education sector.
“Shahrul of the Foreign Affairs Ministry briefed the prime minister on the current relationship between Malaysia and other countries, as well as collaborations and important conferences which will take place this year, ” said the post.
It is believed that one of the main subjects discussed was the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) inter-governmental forum that will be held in November in Kuala Lumpur.
GPS, having played the kingmaker in the political saga, expects to be well rewarded. Thus, drawing up the Cabinet list will be a more complicated task this time around, as there are just so many variables that need to be considered.
AS Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin thinks about the composition of his Cabinet list, he will certainly need to take heed as to how Sarawak should be rewarded.
There is no doubt that the 18 Members of Parliament from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) were the ones who made the critical difference in the numbers game last week.
The GPS consists of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
It was game over when these lawmakers chose Muhyiddin instead of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be prime minister.
Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg put it aptly when he told the media that “now you know the value of GPS votes.”
He said the ruling state coalition initially supported Dr Mahathir to continue leading the country.
“After that, he resigned. Then he resigned from Bersatu. After that, he was back again. So left, right, left, right, what else to expect?
“That’s why we supported Muhyiddin. At the same time, our Sarawak interest is uppermost, ” he added.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had hoped that GPS would remain neutral at least but the political reality was that GPS had to make a stand.
If there was one big factor that had made up the final decision of the GPS, it has to be the DAP.
Outspoken Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Masing has consistently said that GPS would not support a coalition that included DAP in the ongoing political crisis.
He blamed DAP’s “administrative arrogance” for this, adding that the party did whatever it pleased without listening to others, citing Lim Guan Eng as an example.
He pointed out that the former Finance Minister had announced that Sarawak would go bankrupt within three years when the DAP leader came to the state last year.
The reality is actually the opposite.
In 2019, S&P Global Ratings has affirmed its ‘A-’ rating on Sarawak with stable earnings outlook and said the state’s exceptional budgetary performance and liquidity will likely mitigate its elevated debt, supporting its creditworthiness.
The state’s healthy financial standing and its stable socio-political environment have earned Sarawak commendable investment-grade credit ratings of A-, A3 and AAA by reputable international and domestic rating houses.
A Google search of the financial standing of the country’s largest state is sufficient to show that.
Lim’s hurtful remark, and other past disputes with the DAP, seem to have left a deep-rooted resentment of the party among GPS members, and last week, was payback time.
While it has been said that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics, this doesn’t seem to apply in the case of the GPS in this regard.
At one point, Masing even said the GPS was “more comfortable working with PAS than DAP.”
As the situation turned desperate, Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said the party was willing to make concessions with GPS to keep the Pakatan Harapan government intact, appealing to GPS “to put aside all past political differences and work together with Pakatan to save our country.”
Many interpreted the offer to mean the DAP’s readiness in not contesting in the upcoming Sarawak state elections.
But it came too late as the GPS had already made up its mind after having huddled together for two days at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
It remains to be seen what the GPS had asked for and what Muyhiddin has to offer.
It will be Sarawak’s gain over neighbouring Sabah as Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal opted to stay with Pakatan.
A statement from the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office on Feb 29 said GPS supported Muhyiddin to restore political stability in the country without sacrificing Sarawak’s interest.
It also said that GPS would be friendly to the new Federal Government but was not a member of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
Some senior leaders of the GPS said privately that they wanted to see what would be on the table but expected to be rewarded accordingly.
Others said that they were prepared to wait till the state elections were over – as these veteran politicians were aware that Pakatan would most certainly use the alliance with Perikatan Nasional as a rallying call against the GPS in the state polls.
Unlike Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawakian leaders are more interested in protecting and keeping their state positions rather than federal posts.
“The interest of Sarawak is more important than the interest of lawmakers, ” Masing told this writer.
But the immediate priority would be to demand a higher oil royalty from the current 5% and if this was a sticky point under Pakatan, it will likely remain so for the new Perikatan Nasional government.
The other is the Malaysia Agreement 1963, or more popularly known as MA63.
The agreement – an 18-point pact for Sarawak and 20-point for Sabah – was signed on July 9,1963, before the formation of Malaysia.
It is an important document safeguarding the rights and autonomy of the two states.
The 18-point and 20-point agreement covers religion, language, constitution, immigration, the position of the indigenous people, finance, tariffs and citizenship.
Sabahans and Sarawakians are understandably annoyed when they hear “orang Malaya” remark that these two states “joined Malaysia”, pointing out that they had, in fact, helped to form Malaysia.
In the peninsula, the governing state leaders are known as state executive councillors but over in Sabah and Sarawak, they are known as state ministers.
That also explains why Malaysians from the peninsula side need their identity card or passport when entering these two states, and state immigration have the right to deny anyone entry.
“Orang Semenanjung” who want to work in these two states have to apply for a work permit.
The same goes for lawyers who wish to appear in the courts of either state – they have to get approval beforehand.
Most Malaysians may not understand fully what MA63 is all about, even if they have become contentious political issues.
But most believe that the Federal Government has not given due recognition to the MA63 or that these safeguards have not been honoured or taken away.
Sarawakians want a greater degree of financial and political autonomy as compared to other states in the peninsula and not end up being merely one of the 13 states in Malaysia.
It remains to be seen how or what posts would be given to the GPS MPs, and whether this state coalition wishes to wait till the state polls are over before moving in but what is certain is that the new Prime Minister certainly cannot ignore the Land of the Hornbill.
Abang Jo’s words (now you know the value of the GPS) would surely ring continuously in the ears of the Prime Minister.
And now, this explains why a tiny country like Malaysia, with a population of over 32 million people, has a big Cabinet – it is simply because the Prime Minister has to accommodate so many geographical and ethnic interests.
It is also very possible that the Prime Minister may announce the appointments in batches, starting with the crucial ones.
This will allow him time to tinker.
Drawing up the Cabinet list will be a more complicated task this time, unlike previously, as there are just so many variables that need to be considered.
Exchanging views: Muhyiddin (from right) with Mufti Datuk Seri Dr
Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri and Chief Secretary to the government Datuk
Seri Mohd Zuki Ali at Bangunan Perdana Putra. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: With all eyes on who will make it into Prime Minister Tan
Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Cabinet, the business sector and moderation
advocates are urging for quality over political loyalty.
Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association of Malaysia (Perdasama) vice-president Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan said the new Cabinet line-up must include those with enough experience and expertise in their respective ministries.
“They should not be appointed based on political appointment or connection, networking, or to pay back any form of political assistance.
“The individual must be highly educated, experienced, and understands his job scope to strengthen the current government,” he said.
He proposed that the Cabinet should be a mix of old and new leaders from various backgrounds, as well as professionals who could be appointed as senators to become a Cabinet minister.
“We have experienced ministers from the previous government who did not carry any weight, could not perform their duties well and incapable of executing government objectives.
“A minister must be able to connect with those on the ground. For instance, we have many young business people who are doing everything online creatively. We want someone who is capable of connecting with them,” he said.
He urged the government to conduct a holistic review on the composition of the ministries as some could be merged or separated.
“Some ministries have too many agencies and departments under them while others have so few. The government should properly study and come up with a better structure,” he said.
Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) president Datuk N. Gobalakrishnan said ministerial positions should be given to those who are most qualified even if it means choosing an ordinary party member rather than a president or chairman.
“We would rather the posts be given not based on loyalty or who has the higher post in a party, instead to those who are most qualified even if they are just ordinary members,” he said.
The new government must also look into creating a more business-friendly environment for domestic direct investment (DDI), which has been sidelined in the previous administration’s focus to spur foreign direct investment (FDI), said Gobalakrishnan.
“There is a one-stop centre to give perks such as tax exemption and customs clearance under one roof to foreign investors, but there is no such facility for DDI.
“The government must focus on levelling the playing field for DDI so that the country stops losing local investments that are flowing outside as FDI to countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia,” he said.
Gobalakrishnan also expressed hope for a special allocation of RM500mil yearly to aid Indian businesses in moving forward.
He said they were put in the same basket as non-bumiputra businesses which caused stiff competition and Indian businesses to be sidelined from securing funds.
“When we are placed in a non-bumiputra basket, fundamentally, or predominantly, other people tend to get the funds rather than Indian businesses,” he said.
Meanwhile, moderation advocates said the main focus for the Cabinet ministers, when appointed, should be to get the economy back on track and to promote unity among a divided nation.
Anas Zubedy said boosting a dampened economy and bolstering unity among Malaysians would be the two “key concern areas” for the new Cabinet.
“The ministers must be individuals who not only can reconcile people between the races but also who can bring the Malays back together,” he said.
He said the Cabinet should be a mix of experienced veterans and young blood, depending on their past records.
“The Umno ministers who did a good job in the past should be brought back. It is about getting things done,” he said, adding that it must not be someone who currently has a court case.
“We must take the best talent from everywhere and I believe this was the best option for our country when the idea of the unity government was proposed,” he said.
Mohamed Tawfik Ismail, the son of former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, said education reforms and national unity would be some of the priority areas the new Cabinet must look at.
He said any potential minister must be financially independent and preferably be from a profession.
“This is so that this person will not only be less attracted to bribes but can resign on principle and go back to his or her profession,” he said.
He added that ministers must also be transparent in their family’s involvement in business. - The Star front page
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be in charge of all ministries and government departments until the appointment...
Calmer days: In this May 9,2018, photo, Dr Mahathir with Muhyiddin speaking to reporters after the results of GE14 was announced. Yeste...
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The euphoria among Malaysians following the May 2018 polls has now turned to despair and disgust after the political machinations that a.
