Does this mean we too can insult other faiths with the blessings of our most esteemed AG Idrus Harun?

FMT:

AGC won’t prosecute preachers said to have insulted other faiths, court told

Plaintiff S Shashi Kumar (second from left, in suit) talking to the crowd which gathered outside the Shah Alam magistrates’ court today.

SHAH ALAM: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) today said it has no plans to prosecute two Muslim converts for allegedly insulting non-Islamic faiths in a case that saw more than 200 people outside the courthouse here today.

Appearing on behalf of the AGC, deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ainul Amirah said the AGC was unwilling to prosecute Perlis-based preacher Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu and Multiracial Reverted Muslims founder and president Firdaus Wong Wai Hung as police had classified their cases as “no further action” (NFA).

The duo are both allegedly linked to controversial preacher Zakir Naik, and the case’s plaintiff S Shashi Kumar, said more than 1,000 police reports have been lodged against Zamri for insulting non-Islamic faiths and their religious practices.

Zakir is very precious to Malaysia

“Since we have been informed that the case is classified under NFA, the DPP is unwilling to proceed further.

“The DPP does not want to be involved in this case,” Ainul told the magistrates’ court here today.

Part of the 200-strong crowd which gathered outside the Shah Alam magistrates’ court for the hearing.

In response, Shashi’s lawyer T Gunaseelan said he was confident that “there is more than sufficient evidence” and stated that Shashi had already applied to commence private prosecution against the pair under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The applicant can continue with the prosecution as we believe we have enough proof to prosecute the duo,” Gunaseelan said.

“We find their posts on social media to be highly seditious,” he said.

Gunaseelan, who is assisted by S Ravichandran, previously said that should the magistrate find basis for the various police reports lodged against Zamri and Firdaus, charges could be brought against them under the Sedition Act, the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Magistrate Mohamad Redza Azhar Rezali gave Gunaseelan until May 10 to submit a written submission as to whether private prosecution can be commenced in respect of a seizable offence, a matter which Ainul earlier said was not permissible.

Redza said he would decide on whether to grant Shashi permission for private prosecution at the next hearing on May 28.

Speaking to FMT, Shashi said the DPP’s stance made it seem as if the government was giving Zamri and Firdaus free rein to continue making such “seditious statements”.

“Look at the crowd here today. This case is of national interest. The DPP’s decision not to prosecute is a double-standard in terms of law enforcement and policies,” he told FMT.

“There are so many non-Muslims who have been jailed for insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The law should apply to all, and all Malaysians have equal protection under the Federal Constitution.

“There is so much evidence against Zamri and Firdaus, so we do not understand how the police can classify this as NFA.

“What is their (Zamri and Firdaus) business talking about other religions and instigating and provoking non-Muslims?”

Ronnie Liu: Merge Harapan parties into a single progressive entity

Malaysiakini:

Ronnie Liu: Merge Harapan parties into a single progressive entity

Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu says that one of the best prospects for a united Malaysia is for his own party DAP to merge with PKR and Amanah, thus creating a more representative and bigger multi-racial party.

"All three should dissolve and merge into one pluralistic party with a progressive outlook.

"I really hope that one day Pakatan Harapan will be a single, broad-based party instead of a coalition," Liu told Malaysiakini.

He said that far from being a Chinese chauvinist, as the party has been criticised, he believed in a multi-racial vision and that DAP needed to evolve from its current position.

"DAP needs an overhaul or it will face a slow death," he added.

Liu said he knows that in the past, this kind of call had been twisted to mean he wanted to destroy DAP and make it subservient to PKR but that was not his intention.

A combination of DAP's 42 MPs, PKR's 35 MPs and Amanah's 11 MPs would give any such entity 88 MPs making it comfortably the largest party in the current Parliament.

However, given that PKR itself had been riven by factionalism and with tensions rising ahead of the DAP leadership elections in June, it is questionable if such a merger could work.

"The reason to dissolve to become one party is that each party can throw away past baggage and come under new branding. DAP has been accused of being anti-Islam, PKR an Anwar (Ibrahim)-only vehicle and some say Amanah is small fry.

"But if we can merge in a sincere way, the combined parties can be a real force," Liu added.

Liu has been embroiled in a war of words with senior DAP leaders, with Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang yesterday repeating the potential of external threats to DAP amid the ongoing party elections.

“The party is undergoing elections at the state and national levels and we welcome a healthy debate on the future of DAP and the nation.

“But we must be aware of hostile external forces which are trying to split and destroy DAP,” Lim said in a statement.

Liu had dismissed the “external forces" theory and instead expressed frustration at the rise of DAP "elites" since the 2018 general election, who took up important federal government positions at the expense of long-time grassroots leaders.

He also said that those who rose to prominence after DAP's successes did not endure the sufferings of the grassroots but instead were enjoying the fruits of their (the grassroots') labour.

He claimed the party was now under a feudal system, with the elites treating the ordinary members like cannon fodder.

Liu had previously criticised the manner in which the current DAP leadership had charted the party’s course, saying they shouldn’t have to dilute the party’s “Chinese-ness” to attract Malay supporters.

For this stand he took, Liu was roundly slammed by party leaders such as Tony Pua and Hannah Yeoh.

Heroic 85 years old with “incredible sense of sexual desire” had two bonks within an hour

MM Online:

Italian senior citizen fined twice for breaching curfew to meet sex workers blames Covid-19 vaccine for increased libido

An Italian senior citizen has been fined RM4,952 for breaching lockdown rules to meet prostitutes. — AFP pic

His fine is far far less than, just 1/10 of, that of the Malaysian burger and colek sellers

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — An Italian senior citizen has been fined twice for breaching curfew rules to meet sex workers, blaming his increased libido on his Covid vaccination.

UK’s The Sun reported that the unidentified 85-year-old told police his sex drive had increased following his vaccination last week.

Police said the man was fined a total of €1,000 (RM4,952) in less than an hour following his visit to Eboli, southern Italy where sex workers used mobile homes to work.

Police spokesman Sigismondo Lettieri said that the man was first stopped in the early hours of the morning after being seen going into the camper van parked close to the beach which is known to be used by sex workers.

“He was told he was in breach of Covid curfew regulations and fined €500 (RM2,476) and released but he was then stopped less than an hour later further along the road at another camper van used by sex workers and fined a further €500,” said Lettieri.

After explaining why he was outside despite the curfew, he stunned police when he told them the fine was money well spent.

Under Italian Covid curfew regulations, Italians are to remain at home between 10pm and 5am.

They are exempted if they were out for work or essential business.

Italy’s Health Ministry had reportedly said 17 million people have been vaccinated to date.

The country has almost four million Covid-19 cases with 119,000 deaths.

*********

kt notes:

Wakakaka, I suspect his vaccination might have been Pfizer. Or, he might be afflicted with the Malaysian “incredible sense of sexual desire” that the wife cannot fulfil.

What happened to Xavier Jayakumar’s graft case, Najib asks MACC

Focus Malaysia:

What happened to Xavier Jayakumar’s graft case, Najib asks MACC

Deriding the authorities, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak queried the former on what has happened to the corruption investigation against former minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

“On February 24, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced that it was probing allegations that Jayakumar was involved in a corruption case involving RM78.2 mil.

“But on March 13, he defected from PKR and formally announced support for Perikatan Nasional (Periakatan). On April 26, it was ‘a beautiful day with my fellow Bersatu comrades in Shah Alam’ for him.

“What a long time to investigate,” he said, in a Facebook post.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Facebook post

Najib was referring to Jayakumar’s social media post yesterday, where the latter is seen having a light moment with Senior Minister (International Trade and Industries) Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali during an iftar session.

In March, Jayakumar, who was a long-time PKR vice president, quit the party and announced his support for Perikatan. The leader claimed he was disillusioned by the party’s politicking during a pandemic crisis.

Dr Xavier Jayakumar’s social media post

However, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution alleged that Jayakumar was “arm-twisted” by a “senior minister’ to back the Government or risk getting hauled up by the authorities.

“I have said this before. There is an organised attempt by the minority Government to entice Opposition MPs into their fold, using the carrot and stick approach.

“Jayakumar recently told party leadership that the MACC was targetting him, following the arrest of his former political secretary and several of his aides in regards to a case.

“Subsequently, he was told by a ‘senior minister’ to support Perikatan or risk facing dire consequences,” Saifuddin was reported saying.

Nevertheless, it is known among PKR’s inner circle that Jayakumar is a longtime ally of Azmin, who was a former PKR deputy president. – April 27, 2021.

Above - Dökkálfar Dwarfs
Below - Pandan Cats

Australian Minister warns of war drums

FMT:

Australia to upgrade military bases, expand war games with US

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison participates in the inaugural Quad leaders meeting with the President of the United States Joe Biden, the Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga and the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in a virtual meeting in Sydney, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Morrison said his first-ever meeting with President Joe Biden as well as the leaders of India and Japan will become an anchor of stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (Dean Lewins/Pool via AP)

SYDNEY: Australia will spend A$747 million to upgrade four military bases in its north and expand war games with the US, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will say today.

An airstrip in the Northern Territory will be lengthened to support larger aircraft, firing ranges overhauled and new training facilities set up for defence personnel and US marines, according to extracts of the announcement seen by Reuters.

kt queries: "... to support larger aircraft" like B-52s? And as for "... US marines ..." will it be only for US marines? What about Indian and Jap marines? 

😁😂😁

“Working with the US, our allies and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia’s interests by investing in the Australian ­Defence Force,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison will say.

“Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom.”

“Our focus is on pursuing peace ..."?

The military upgrades will begin this year and be finished by 2026.

The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The US embassy in Canberra also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Australia and the US hold biennial war games, the next of which is scheduled to begin in August.

Typically, more than 30,000 troops participate in the exercises off Australia’s east coast.

One of Australia’s most senior security officials earlier this week said liberal democracies must brace for war.

Home Affairs Department Secretary Mike Pezzullo did not specify the catalyst for his warning but it follows a sharp deterioration in Australia’s relationship with China and a rise in regional tensions over Taiwan.

Relations between Australia and China have worsened since Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, prompting trade reprisals from Beijing.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Sunday said a conflict between China and Taiwan “should not be discounted”.

DeathSSSS in police custody

Malaysiakini:

Police can't be marking their own exam paper

YOURSAY | How many more detention-related deaths before we implement IPCMC?

Alleged police brutality victim dies, after a month in ICU

MarioT: Firstly, my condolences to the bereaved family.

Custodial death has been the norm in Malaysia for a long time and treated very lightly by the authorities. Even the so-called custodians of Indian welfare, especially the political parties, pretend not to know about it.

The inspector-general of the police (IGP) may have a lot to comment about on other issues, but these dubious and mysterious deaths occurring in his own detention centres are totally ignored.

Very Concerned Citizen: How many more persons should die while under police custody before the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is fully made into law and implemented?

Over the years, many have died while in police custody. Has anyone been convicted for these deaths in custody?

For now, we have no choice but to depend on the not-so-powerful Suhakam to investigate this death. Please do not ask the police themselves to investigate their own kind because we can guess what the outcome will be, as mentioned by so many comments here.

We call all bodies concerned to implement IPCMC immediately or otherwise who cares if another person dies in the police lock-up again?

Let us stop these deaths now. Our condolences to the family, and may the soul of A Ganapathy rest in peace.

Annonnymous 080: “A comprehensive investigation has been conducted. So far, we are waiting for the autopsy report,” said Gombak OCPD Arifai Tarawe.

More and more, an independent investigating body is needed. The police can’t be marking their own exam paper.

I wonder why is it that among the many races that get remanded, the statistics are higher on Indians dying in custody.

Kawak: Not once. Many Indians have died while in remand or police custody. And after all the hoo-hah and investigations, nothing comes out of it.

Whether a suspect is an Indian, Chinese or Malay they are all human beings. They are suspected of committing a crime and not being charged in court.

Do the police SOP (standard operating procedure) and the law allow the suspects to be beaten and abused to extract confessions?

BluePanther4725: We have to end police brutality in Malaysia now. There are so many cases of police brutality in Malaysia where the victims are Indians.

Is there some sort of racist agenda in our police force, like what the police in the US did to abuse Black Americans?

The IGP must act now to weed out all the bad cops and make justice prevail.

Beman: Detaining a person to facilitate an investigation does not give the police any right whatsoever to abuse him or her. It does not matter whether the detainee is involved in the crime investigated or not.

If the police are allowed to beat up detainees to extract confessions, not many detainees, including those innocent of crime under investigation, will walk out of police stations alive.

Gaji Buta: The arrest laws in Malaysia clearly need to be revamped. This outdated system is causing too much trauma to families and is open to abuse.

If this man was only needed for information, why arrest him if he had not committed any crime? Why did the court decide he needed to be held for 14 days?

In other countries, they are only brought in for questioning and allowed to leave after that if not charged with a specific crime.

Also, why aren't those arrested in Malaysia allowed to have a lawyer present from the time of the arrest? Is the government, Malaysian Bar or Attorney-General’s Chambers doing anything about this?

kt notes: Hakam president Gurdial Singh Nijar said the purported offences under the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act that Fahmi was investigated on, was self-evident in the playlist posting.

“Is there then a need to arrest to ascertain the content of the posting? The police can call him (Fahmi) for an interview during working hours if they need anything.

“This police act seems to be overreaching and has earned the ire of people who view this as premature punishment to imprison Fahmi in a police cell,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, 20 police officers broke into Fahmi’s house and arrested the graphic designer for investigations under the Sedition Act.

The police sought a four-day remand but the court only allowed one day and told them to release him by 5pm today.

BusinessFirst: This is not a high-profile case compared to the death of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim. But to show that Malaysia is totally transparent and fair to all races, I think they should appoint the same coroner who presided over Adib's case.

We can also get the same top physics expert from the best university in the world, UiTM. I dare say the best university ever in the history of humankind (well, since we are rewriting history in Malaysia, why not this too?) to perhaps testify whether such injuries could, maybe, be self-inflicted?

Also, please, before you make any allegations against the great police force (which we all know to be filled with officers of impeccable integrity despite what the IGP claims), ensure you produce video evidence.

This can be done simply by asking the people beating you to take a video of it. You just need to be polite about it. I am sure they will accommodate such a reasonable request.

Further, what you are all doing is repeating hearsay. Surely you do not expect the police to act on hearsay. If not, you can lodge reports against anyone and at any time. This does not happen in Malaysia, except maybe in reports against DAP leaders.

The victim should ideally make his own police report. Please do not use one's own death as an excuse for not following proper procedure.

After all, before passing away (may he rest in peace), he could have walked from his ICU bed to make the report. Even if you had one leg amputated, well, you can hop or crawl, yes?

Just my humble suggestions so that people do not make false allegations and cause disharmony in Malaysia.

A full investigation needs to be done. Condolences to the family and the poor children who have lost their father. This is sad indeed. Police, please do better.

Also read: Pagar makan padi - deaths in police custody

Also M2Today's A Moment Of Silence

Home Ministry should not intimidate the press for reports the authorities are dissatisfied with

Malaysiakini:

CIJ: Unacceptable to target media for quoting DIGP verbatim

The Centre for Independent Journalism has described the Home Ministry action against two media outlets for reporting the verbatim comments of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani (above) as “disturbing”.

“It is not acceptable for the media to be targeted for reporting verbatim on the deputy IGP’s statements,” said CIJ executive director Wathshlah G Naidu.

Yesterday, the Home Ministry said it will summon Malaysiakini and China Press for highlighting Acryl Sani’s comment about the rape threat against a teenager.

Acryl Sani had said: “The second report is regarding what may be a joke from her classmate, which she couldn’t accept.”

The police had said the “may be a joke” comment did not mean police were taking the case lightly and merely referred to an aspect of the investigation.

“Regardless, there was no necessity for the deputy IGP to describe the investigation regarding the schoolgirl’s complaint that contained a rape threat in that manner.

“As reported, neither in the teenager’s police report nor the voice message of the threat of rape by a schoolmate of the student was it ever stated that the rape was a joke.

“Speculating that it may have been a joke shifts the attention and responsibility from the real threat of rape and alludes to victim-blaming,” said Wathshlah.

Wathshlah said the press should not be subjected to being summoned by the government or threatened with action simply because the authorities are dissatisfied with the manner in which a report was presented.

“It is precisely these kinds of actions from the authorities that contributed to Malaysia’s precipitous fall of 18 spots on the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.

“It will further serve the police, Home Ministry and country better if all public officials attend regular gender sensitisation training which upholds international human rights standards,” said Wathshlah.

She also renewed calls for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Meanwhile, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh questioned why the Home Ministry was getting involved in the issue.

“Is it going to be a norm in the future for the Home Ministry to start investigations instead of the police?” he said.

He also noted that the police did not deny that Acryl Sani had made such a statement.

“Since the Home Ministry is going to start investigating as reported, it should summon Acryl Sani as well to confirm if he did or did not make such remarks and if so, in what context they were made, particularly since he himself has not denied it to date.

“The police might claim that the context of Acryl Sani’s speech suggests that this so-called joke was an aspect of its investigations but this certainly does not, in any way, indicate any wrongdoing on the part of Malaysiakini or China Press if they simply reported what he said, since he did not clarify the purported context in which he said it,” Ramkarpal said.

Ronnie Liu: Ordinary members treated like cannon fodder by DAP elites

Malaysiakini:

Ronnie Liu: Ordinary members treated like cannon fodder by DAP elites

DAP's Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu has escalated his war of words with the party's leadership, saying that ordinary members are being treated like cannon fodder by a group of elites who rose in the party after the breakthrough general election in 2008.

In a direct rebuttal of party veteran Lim Kit Siang's statement that the "party needed to be safeguarded against external forces which are trying to split and destroy it", Liu (above) denied that the problem was from outside.

"I don't think external forces are trying to split DAP. The grassroots members are tired of being treated as cannon fodder.

"It's not external forces that want to split DAP - it is DAP's feudalistic leadership of creating an elite class of cronies that precipitated the great divide in the party," he said in a Facebook post.

Liu claimed that when the party was in the opposition, DAP was in the zenith of unity but that things changed after the 2008 elections when it suddenly formed several state governments including a dominant role in Penang.

"The esprit de corps was good, and camaraderie was strong because we fought as one - against the tyranny of the majority suppressing the minority and taking away the little rights we had.

"The grassroots were in the forefront facing tear gas, water cannons, hard police batons, arrests and lockups.

"After the years of sacrifices and sufferings, we tasted partial victory in 2008. We then became part of the government in Selangor, Penang and briefly in Perak," he recalled.

Liu's recollection of DAP unity in the past appeared to gloss over numerous acrimonious departures from the party of elected officials such as Yap Pian Hon, Fan Yew Teng, Lee Lam Thye, Kua Kia Soong, Wee Choo Keong, Yeap Ghim Guan and Hu Sepang.

He focussed instead on the rise of a new generation of leaders.

"2008 saw the rise of the elitists who have not endured the tears, sweat, blood and sufferings of the grassroots but enjoyed the fruits of the labour of the grassroots.

"This simmering of discontent was further accentuated and brought to boil by the feudalistic powers-that-be, encircled by a kitchen cabinet advising the Great Leader pulling the strings of power after GE14.

"To the anguish of the grassroots, elitists grabbed important government positions sidelining long time leaders," claimed Liu.

He complained that party chairperson Tan Kok Wai was "ridiculed" with a non-ministerial position as Special Envoy to China.

"Grassroots were aghast that Sarawak DAP chief (Chong Chieng Jen) was given a deputy minister while other junior members were made full ministers," said Liu, in a possible reference to the rapid rise of Yeo Bee Yin.

"This is totally disrespectful of the political hierarchy of DAP.

DAP must go back to its raison d’être of the party and re-examine the core values which made it so successful and strong in the yonder years.

"Our slogan for change (Ubah) was successful in the last three general elections, so why are DAP leaders fearful of change in the coming DAP national elections?" he asked.

Earlier this month, DAP heavyweights Tony Pua and Hannah Yeoh blasted Liu for a speech in which he said the party should not belittle or degrade itself just to gain Malay support.

Liu was reported as saying that DAP, while multiracial in nature, should not "dilute its Chineseness" just to gain Malay support.

Damansara MP Pua said that Liu is the "Chinese chauvinist the party doesn't need" in a no holds barred response.

Mahathir is reaping what he has sowed for decades

Focus Malaysia:

Dr M’s legacy? He’s reaping what he has sowed for decades

By Stephen Ng

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an interview with Noel Lim of BFM, said that he did not care to leave behind a legacy.

I beg to differ with the former prime minister. His is a legacy of dictatorship during his first 22 years as premier and of betrayal, during his tenure as prime minister a second time.

When he joined Pakatan Harapan (PH), he needed the coalition more than the coalition needed him. Against all analyses done, I think PH won mainly because of the shift in the voting pattern of East Malaysians.

We all knew that if not because of the seats won in both Sabah and Sarawak, PH would not have enough seats to form the federal government.

Dr Mahathir has forgotten that it is the people who voted for PH, not him. His own party, Bersatu only won a few seats. If he thinks that he can still win the next general election, I dare him to contest again.

Going back to 2016, although I was one of the first few who came forward to salute the former Umno president’s decision to join PH, I had one clause attached to it.

In March 2016, I wrote: “Most of us would agree that Dr Mahathir would be one despicable old man if he chose to ignore carrying out some serious institutional reforms after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been removed.”

What I said about him back then has come true, that he “would probably go down in history as a sly fox who can never be trusted.” To many of us, he could have gone down to history as a statesman, but the public opinion appears to have shifted.

Claiming to fight for Malay rights, he is now ostracised the most in social media linked to Umno, the party that he helmed for many years. In other social media, too, I do not see anyone praising him a bit.

He had not only humiliated the Malays by labelling them as ‘forgetful’ but pitching them against the other races who have to work their guts out to just earn a decent living. This has been his narrative throughout his political career, and he has not changed, judging from the one-hour breakfast grill on BFM.

This narrative that Dr Mahathir has been using is most unhealthy for a nation that is multiracial, and coming from a prime minister himself, is simply unthinkable. He has forgotten that poverty exists in every society regardless of race, and the worst of the lot are, in fact, the Bumiputra of Sabah and Sarawak.

While Dr Mahathir’s children have emerged as among the richest men in the country, driving expensive cars and living in luxurious mansions, how can he claim to be against nepotism, while thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Malays are now scraping the bottom of the barrel?

Many of the Chinese and Indian career-oriented citizens of this country are still caught in the middle-income trap, whereas their counterparts in Singapore have become better off financially. Today, the Singapore dollar is three times of the Ringgit.

When Mirzan Mahathir’s debt-laden Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd (KPB) was in trouble, did Dr Mahathir stop Petronas money from being used to buy over the shares of KPB? No? If not, why not?

For 57 years, the Government had the opportunity to lift the standard of living for majority of the Malays, but till today, many of them are still struggling to survive with some taking two jobs just to feed the family.

One cannot help but admire the hard working young men who are now working as delivery boys; so what happened to their economic wellbeing after all these years?

Into whose pockets did the country’s wealth and taxpayers’ money go? Why is it that for every major contract, there are so many levels of middlemen, and by the time it reaches the sub-contractors, there is left only the bones to be chewed?

I am sure Dr Mahathir would agree that the New Economic Policy (NEP) has failed to achieve its target; but who failed the NEP?

He had 22 years to fix the inequality that existed back then, but now, he is saying that there is a wider gap between the rich non-Malays and the poor Malays!

I think this is just an excuse that he uses in order to cover his own failures. And, in the next 50 years, after he is gone, the people to benefit from the NEP are not the B40 Bumiputra, but the top 20 percent elites.

Turning 96 very soon, the unrepentant nonagenarian should realise that this country has become what it is today because of his own legacy. I need not say too much about it, as net citizens have been actively commenting about him.

What I see now is that he is reaping what he had sown. Complaining that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin had betrayed him, he is simply being recompensed for his one act of betrayal to the people who gave PH the mandate to rule the country.

So to say that he does not care for his own legacy, in some sense, he is right; but the truth is that he will leave behind a bad legacy for any politician who chooses to take his path. – April 27, 2021

Zaid: Arrogance, hypocrisy runs deep under Malay leadership

Focus Malaysia:

Zaid: Arrogance, hypocrisy runs deep under Malay leadership

LIVID over recent happenings in the country, former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim lashed out at political leaders, especially of Malay origin, for their arrogance and hypocrisy in dealing with national issues.

“Fahmi Reza was arrested for sedition, on suspicion of trying to incite hatred against our royalty. For your information, Fahmi is a talented and celebrated artist. Not everyone has the creativity to pen satire like him.

“But what does our glorious Malay leadership do? They detain Fahmi. Perhaps they have little understanding of his satire. If they do understand, why the need to arrest him?

“Every satire and work of art are not that easy to understand. That is why it is important to understand the context first before acting. This is proof of our leaders’ arrogance,” he said, in a Facebook post.

Yesterday, Fahmi was released after being detained overnight. He arrested Fahmi for his jealousy-theme Spotify playlist, which was claimed to be insulting to the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

The playlist featured 101 English and Malay songs by various artists, nearly all centred on jealousy.

Hurling brickbats against the authorities, Zaid also voiced out against the “period spot checks” conducted at several boarding and religious schools, adding the leadership choose to look the other way.

“They humiliate our students by harassing them, in the pretext of checking whether the former is menstruating or not. Degrading another human being is a non-issue for our leaders. Just another proof of how our Malay leaders have become super arrogant,” he added.

One rule for the elites, another for commoners

Zaid also decried Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) decision to use the word “Tuhan” exclusively for Allah, saying it was also another feature of an arrogant leadership.

“But when non-Muslims want to use the word Allah, all hell breaks loose. So what word are the non-Muslims to use?” he asked.

Taking a swipe at PAS, the former Kota Bharu MP said he was amused on how the Islamist party is now working with Umno, the very party it called an “infidel outfit” in the past.

“They use to tell the Malays, if you don’t join them, they cannot enter Paradise. Those people also called Umno as an’ infidel party’.

“But today, our heroes are working very closely with the ‘infidel party’ using Emergency,” Zaid stated.

He added while all sorts of restrictions were imposed on the common people, political leaders have no qualms in indulging themselves on things which are deemed unlawful under Islam.

“They have no problems taking ‘sponsored’ trips to Mecca. Our leaders go haywire over Malays being featured on gambling advertisement.

“But they are very comfortable with policies that keep our Genting casino running and adding more slot machines in clubs.

“And they have no issues with adding more sweep stakes for lottery companies. Another example of an arrogant and hypocritical leadership,” Zaid lashed out.

On that note, Zaid said he was reminded of what an ustaz, named Daud, told him 60 years ago during his childhood on the significance of Ramadan.

“He told us clearly that Ramadan is not only about fasting. What is important is that we bear no ill-will against others, contain our vices, honour other people’s dignity and never become arrogant.

“Unfortunately, our current Malay leadership was not there with me then to hear ustaz Daud’s pearls of wisdom,” he remarked. – April 25, 2021.

Police only check "certain" audio recordings, but not "some" others

Malaysiakini:

Anwar: Why no probe into alleged recording of PM, home minister?

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has questioned why circulated audio recordings which allegedly contained the voices of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin were not investigated by the police.

He called the inaction double standards as the audio recording said to contain the conversation between him and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which does not contain criminal elements, were investigated.

Anwar raised the question after giving a statement to the police at their headquarters at Bukit Aman on the matter. He was accompanied by lawyers Sankara Nair and Ramkarpal Singh.

“In my statement, I mentioned a viral audio recording allegedly showing Muhyiddin talking about the scheme of things, bribes, GLC appointment and so on.

“Has there been any investigation?

“The latest is the circulation of audio allegedly featuring the voice of Hamzah Zainuddin on promoting ‘our men’ to top police positions,” he said in a media conference today.

Likewise, Anwar asked if there was an investigation into the matter as Hamzah had denied interference in the transfer of senior police officers.

Anwar also asked why the audio clip allegedly featuring his voice was turned into a political issue when it was not related to problems pertaining to the economy, politics, and abuse of power by the government.

The police today quizzed Anwar for around one and a half hours.

Ramkarpal said the police investigated the audio recording under Section 505(b) of the penal code which deals with statements related to public mischief.

“It’s important to know that he was called as a witness," said Ramkarpal.

Both Anwar and Zahid denied the voices heard in the conversation were theirs.

Zahid said he was a victim of a political scheme to weaken Umno while Anwar blamed the government, adding it was an attempt to stir up conflict among Umno leaders.

While saying that they would file a police report on the circulated audio recording, to date, no report has been lodged by both parties.

When asked if Zahid, too, would be summoned to Bukit Aman, Anwar said he had no knowledge about it.

“Unless there’s another phone conversation being circulated,” he quipped.

Following multiple police reports on the matter, the police had opened their investigation and would send the audio recording to the forensics lab to determine its authenticity.

Malaysiakini and China Press may be eff-ed kaukau for "misquoting" Deputy IGP on rape joke

FMT:

Media outlets to be asked to explain ‘inaccurate’ reports on deputy IGP

Malaysiakini and China Press are allegedly to have wrongly quoted the deputy IGP in their reports on a teacher talking about teen rape.

PETALING JAYA: The home ministry will summon Malaysiakini and China Press to explain allegedly inaccurate reports in which they quoted the deputy inspector-general of police as describing reports of teen rape as “a joke”.

In a statement, the ministry said it viewed the reports quoting deputy IGP Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani very seriously, adding that it wanted to get more information from the media outlets.

“The home ministry advises media practitioners to maintain the principles of good journalism to preserve the integrity of their published reports,” it said.

The headline of Malaysiakini’s article published yesterday read “Deputy IGP describes rape threat against teen as maybe a joke” and the China Press heading was “Pelajar wanita dihina bergurau”.

Bukit Aman denied these reports and alleged that the headlines of the two media outlets on the issue were confusing. It also released transcripts of the interview to show what the deputy IGP had said.

“The titles of the reports referred only to a part of the statement, and that is irresponsible and could cause concern within the public and taints the police’s credibility on the probe,” it added.

The reports followed a claim by a 17-year-old secondary school student that a physical education teacher had made jokes about rape during a class on sexual harassment on April 23. The video clip went viral on social media.

Related:

Rape is no joke, MPs tell deputy IGP

Poor & marginalised face brunt of unjust and unfair penalties under PN govt

FMT:

RM60K for Neelofa, RM50K for burger seller – it’s just not fine, say netizens

Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor’s wedding celebration also breached interstate travel restrictions, while the burger seller operated his stall from home.

PETALING JAYA: Social media is abuzz over the disparity between the total compounds issued to a celebrity and her family for a wedding celebration which flouted Covid-19 SOPs and that handed down to a home-based burger seller for a similar breach.

Today, celebrity Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor, her husband and 20 family members were slapped with a total of RM60,000 in fines.

Malaysians took to social media to express their outrage over the “double standards”, comparing it to the case of the burger seller in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, who was issued a RM50,000 compound for operating beyond 10pm, in front of his house.

Facebook user Mohd Azmi Ahmad commented “double standards between a burger seller and artistes”, while another Choong Eu Jin posted: “What is RM60K to her, when compared to RM50K for the burger seller.”

Ghandi Isma wrote: “It seems selling burger in front of your own house is worse than attending a function.”

Social media users sympathised with the burger seller with Eric Kew saying: “Unfortunately you are not a politician. If you are … no fine.”

Albert Lee, urged authorities to show compassion towards the burger seller, saying: “This guy is trying to make an honest living”.

Wee Hon Koo lamented how it was the poor and the marginalised who had to face the brunt of “unjust and unfair penalties.”

Meanwhile, coffee shop and night market operators have urged the government to be more compassionate towards those who are trying to earn a living.

Wong Teu Hoon, president of the Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors General Association said the enforcement team should issue warnings first.

“Please understand that being slapped with even a RM500 fine is a lot of money for a roadside peddler,” he told FMT.

Wong said there are so many traders suffering due to Covid-19 and are trying to make ends meet during the fasting month.

Malaysian association of Malay hawkers and small businessmen secretary-general Mohamed Zamri Mohammed urged local authorities to follow the ways of Kuala Lumpur City Hall in issuing compounds.

“City Hall issues three warnings before issuing a compound. This practice should be standardised nationwide,” he told FMT.

Zamri said business at Ramadan bazaars have dropped drastically as customers tighten their belts.

“Everyone is being cautious with their money. They tell us Covid-19 cases are going up and they want to keep some for rainy days.”

The DAP Division - between the 'Old Faithfuls' and the so-called 'Intellectual newbies'

Malaysiakini:

Do I look like a punching bag because of my weight, fumes 'bullied' Tan

The Chinese press has reported that Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong's predecessor Dr Boo Cheng Hau, has teamed up with Tan Hong Pin to oust Liew in the May 2 state party leadership election.

This led Liew to challenge his rivals to name their candidate for the post of Johor DAP chief.

However, in an interview with Malaysiakini, Tan (above), denied plotting with Boo to topple the incumbent.

The Johor DAP secretary also lamented about being turned into a "punching bag", which he quipped could be due to the extra weight he has gained.

"Even my wife does not know what position I will be running for, what more my supporters," he added.

As for the "anonymous sources" cited in the Chinese media reports which implicated him, Tan blamed his detractors for peddling falsehoods but he did not mention names.

"This is an electoral trick. To create an external rival out of thin air. This is not appropriate," he added.

According to Tan, he has been targeted since the 2014 DAP polls, when Liew was first elected to the top post in the state.

The situation, he added, has taken a turn for the worse for the coming polls.

"Maybe I look like someone who is bad, or maybe I look like someone easy to bully. So when someone is criticised or feels threatened, I will be named.

"Maybe I have put on weight recently, so I look like a punching bag.

"This is so unfair to me. In Johor, I will always be named whenever someone feels threatened. This is very unkind. It is better to be a kind person," he said.

'Fighting his own shadow'

Tan also noted that while Liew spoke at length about his rivals, he did not name anybody.

"In the end, he is just fighting his own shadow," he surmised.

Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong

In a recent interview with Malaysiakini, Liew said he is prepared to face a challenge and urged his rivals to reveal their plan for the future of Johor DAP so that both sides can hold a debate.

Tan and Boo would be among 40 candidates participating in the Johor DAP polls, of which only 15 would be elected into the state liaison committee.

Following this, another election would be held where the 15 would decide who among them would be the state chief as well as hold other posts.

Asked if he is eyeing the post of Johor DAP chief, Tan said he would "cross that bridge when I get there".

"Frankly speaking, I hardly conducted any campaign activities. If I can't even make it in the first round of the polls, who am I to say which position I am running for?" he added.

In the 2018 Johor DAP election, Tan was nominated by his supporter Lim Eng Guan, who is also a former Bekok assemblyperson, for the top post and he almost defeated Liew.

Elaborating, Tan stressed he had been cooperative with Liew for years at the expense of being labelled as someone who betrayed his own mentor, Boo.

Tan recalled how he was transferred from Pekan Nenas - a state seat under Tanjung Piai, where he worked for 10 years - to the Mengkibol state seat, which is under Kluang, to assist Liew during the 2013 general election.

Back then, Liew, who hails from Penang, was fielded in the Kluang parliamentary seat.

"I worked in Pekan Nenas for almost 10 years, and I was only waiting for (party secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng to announce me as the candidate for the seat.

"A dinner was held in Pekan Nenas, and everyone was waiting for Guan Eng to announce that I am going to be the candidate. But nothing happened.

"Why? Because Liew made a call and told Guan Eng not to announce first as he wanted me to help him to contest the Kluang seat.

"Fortunately, DAP won the parliamentary and state seats," he added.

A similar incident occurred during the 2018 general election, which saw Tan being transferred from Mengkibol to Skudai, replacing Boo, who won the state seat in 2008 and 2013.

Due to this, Tan, a former aide to Boo, was labelled as a traitor. Tan subsequently lost in the 2014 Johor DAP polls but made a comeback in 2015.

*********

kt notes:

One of my fave writers Manjit Bhatia (presumably still in Oz), nowadays confining his writing prowess to only comments in MKINI Readers write-in forum, has this to say about Liew CT, DAP's 'Backdoor' senator:

I like the analogy of Liew Chin Tong--so-called DAP strategist, self-appointed public intellectual, DAP's opposition minister for propaganda, snake-oil merchant--"fighting with his own shadow".

Liew Chin Tong probably goes to bed every night thinking either ghosts or communists are lurking under it who are after his lofty position. The fellow knows nuts about geopolitics and geostrategy, much less defense policy. He's a showpony. I'm waiting for his next "Zhuge Liang" drivel.

Zhuge Liang, one of China's best known strategists and romanticised-immortalised in the Ming Dynasty historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Do you think Liew Chin Tong looks like Zhuge Liang? Wakakaka.

Related:

DAP divided by 'elitism' and 'favouritism'

In the above link (under Related) I wrote:

What Ronnie Liu has said is quite true though I would dismiss the description of 'feudalism' and focus on 'elitism' and along with that 'elitism' add 'cronyism' or 'favouritism'.

There's no denying the 'favouritism' amongst the DAP 'elites' like Guan Eng, Loke, Teresa Kok, Liew Chin Tong (strategist), Ngeh/Nga cousins, Tony Pua, Yeo Bee Yin, Hannah Yeoh, Teo Nie Ching, Zairil Khir, and my matey Ong Kian Ming.

Yes, the Lim's and their inner cohorts (named above) do indeed 'play favourites', marginalising DAP very own Malay leaders and Chinese proletariats like Ronnie Liu, Dr Boo etc, who don't toe the Lims' line.

And pray, look at how Liew CT with his direct connection to Lim Guan Eng made (mis)use of Tan Hong Pin in his political campaigning in Johor - the misuse and abuse of power in DAP.

KHAT and son seem enamoured with the so-called 'intellectuals' (people with degrees etc) since 2008, discarding the party's 'old faithful' for these 'newbies' a la Aladdin's wife. Liew has been one of these new party faves.

OTOH, my Penang lang Zulkifli Noor had been an 'old lamp', staying faithful to the DAP for 26 years in the Rocket's early struggling years but abandoned like an unwanted old distant relative once the party bloomed in 2008.

Rape is no joke, MPs tell deputy IGP

FMT:

Rape is no joke, MPs tell deputy IGP

Kasthuri Patto and Maria Chin Abdullah have slammed the deputy IGP’s comment that a rape threat against a student was ‘possibly a joke’.

PETALING JAYA: The country’s second-highest ranking cop has come under fire from two MPs who have accused him of trivialising a rape threat made against a teenage girl.

In separate statements, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto and Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah criticised deputy inspector-general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani for his remarks on a police report made by a student who was threatened with rape.

The girl, 17, had lodged a report that a classmate had threatened to rape her after she called out her teacher for making jokes about rape.

Yesterday, Acryl Sani was reported to have said that the classmate’s rape threat was possibly a joke.

Kasthuri, of DAP, said Acryl Sani’s remarks normalised rape culture and belittled the victim.

She questioned if he would say the same if such a threat was made against a policewoman, or a member of his family or that of a high-profile leader.

“His irresponsible, unintellectual and insensitive remark is the very reason why female and even male victims, whether young or adult, hesitate to lodge a police report when they have been sexually violated,” she said.

She urged Acryl Sani to “brush up on his knowledge” on rape culture, victim shaming, mental health awareness and international standards on police code of conduct.

“Don’t discredit the good work done by the rest of the force because of your own ignorance.”

Maria, meanwhile, said she was shocked with Acryl Sani’s “irresponsible and ignorant” statement.

“The act of rape, be it committed or verbalised, is never a joke as it is violent, humiliating and brings up motives of anger. It is about a show of power over a vulnerable victim,” the PKR MP said.

She called on Acryl Sani to apologise for his remarks.

Separately, former education minister Maszlee Malik said “normalising sexual harassment is immoral”.

“A threat is a threat. Rape is not a joke,” he said in a tweet.

India’s Super-Rich Flee As Covid Cases Skyrocket To New World Record

finance-twitter:

India’s Super-Rich Flee As Covid Cases Skyrocket To New World Record – How It Goes From Bad To Worse In 2 Weeks

Even at its peak in September 2020, new cases of Coronavirus in India had never hit above 100,000. And for the next 6 months, it appeared the country had managed to flatten the curve when new cases were reduced to about 10,000 a day. In comparison, the U.S. new daily cases hit 3 times that of India during its peak, despite having 4 times lower population.

Then it started to climb steadily from March 2021 onwards. On Wednesday (April 21), India reported 2,023 deaths from Covid – the highest single-day tally for the country. On the same day, it also recorded its highest daily increase – a whopping 295,041 new cases. But the 100,000 milestone was already breached more than 2 weeks earlier on April 4, when it hit 103,793 new cases.

From 10,000 new cases a day just last month, the country with 1.3 billion population shot to 100,000 cases on April 4, and skyrocketed to 200,000 infections a day since April 15. It means in just 11 days, the new cases doubled from 100,000 to 200,000. And in less than a week later, the infections jumped to above 300,000, registering 315,802 on April 21.



On Sunday (April 25), India’s Coronavirus infections rose by 352,991 overnight – setting a new world record for the fifth consecutive day after it surpassed the U.S. record of 297,430 single-day infections on Wednesday (April 21). Essentially, it is beating its own record every day for the wrong reason. The country has suddenly become the global epicentre of the pandemic.

Latest data show India has now recorded a total 17,313,163 cases and 195,123 deaths, snatching the second spot from Brazil. It is so bad that in capital New Delhi, there’s one death in just under every 4 minutes as the health system breaks down. The second wave, which started in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, has now engulfed almost the entire country.

The sudden rise in infections has brought not only India’s health infrastructure to its knees, but has also overwhelmed its crematoriums, not to mention a severe shortage of oxygen. Even in the country’s capital of Delhi, which has better health infrastructure than most parts of the country, hospitals are struggling for medical oxygen as the commodity was reduced to a few hours.



To make matters worse, the government had invited bids for new oxygen plants in district hospitals across the country only in October 2020, more than eight months into the pandemic. Of the 162 that were approved, only 33 have been installed so far, while 59 will be installed by the end of April and another 80 by the end of May. Obviously, there was a lack of emergency plan.

People have died not because of the virus, but because Coronavirus patients could not get enough oxygen, which can help patients who need support with their breathing stay alive. As desperate people queue up outside oxygen refilling centres, hospitals are struggling to accommodate breathless patients as young as 22. They have resorted to social media to beg for oxygen cylinders.

Prices of medical oxygen have gone up nearly by six times, so much so a refillable oxygen cylinder would be snapped up even at a price of 28,000 rupees (US$374; £270; RM1,535). Typically, healthcare facilities consume about 15% of oxygen supply, leaving the rest for industrial use. But thanks to the second wave, nearly 90% of the country’s oxygen supply – 7,500 metric tonnes daily – is being diverted for medical use.



Besides lack of oxygen support, ambulance, ICU beds and ventilators, grieving families are being asked to wait as crematoriums run out of space. With desperate people already dying, sometimes on the roads outside, while waiting to see doctors, crematoriums were forced to skip ceremonies and rituals. Dead bodies are burned as they arrive.

Nitish Kumar, a resident in Delhi, was forced to keep his dead mother’s body at home for nearly two days while he searched for space in the city’s crematoriums. He finally cremated his mother, a government healthcare worker, in a mass cremation facility in a parking lot adjoining a crematorium. Apparently, the authorities could not find a hospital bed for his mother.

Some crematoriums ran out of wood and asked people to bring it themselves. As some crematoriums are working around the clock at 100% capacity, gas and firewood furnaces have been running so long without a break that metal parts have begun to melt. In the southern state of Karnataka, the government has been forced to permit families to cremate or bury their dead loved ones in their own farms, lands or backyards.



The country is so toxic that foreign countries have started banning flights from India. The UK puts India on its travel red list from Friday. The U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has issued a “Level 4 (Very High)” warning and strongly advised its citizens not to travel to India – even if travellers are fully vaccinated. Canada has banned passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days.

But prior to the bans, India’s super-rich had been fleeing their own country on private jets like crazy. One of the popular destinations is the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), which is only a short distance away from India. Usually, there are about 300 commercial flights a week operating between the kingdom and India. The U.A.E is home to roughly 3.3 million Indians who make up a third of the population.

Private jet provider, Enthral Aviation, said – “It costs US$38,000 to hire a 13-seater jet from Mumbai to Dubai and US$31,000 to hire a six-seater aircraft”. Dozens of last-minute flights from India to the U.A.E were snapped up despite the price. The Emirate state finally suspended the entry of travelers from India for 10 days effective April 25.



The ultra-rich Indian citizens had also scrambled to land in London ahead of the U.K.’s travel ban. Hong Kong-based APERTUS Aviation said renting an ultra long-range private aircraft from Mumbai to London would range from US$125,800 to US$148,600 for the 9-hour flight. Effective Friday, only British and Irish citizens or third-country nationals with residency rights are allowed to enter Britain.

But how could a country that is home to the Serum Institute of India, which produces 60% of the world’s vaccines each year, is being brought to its knees by Coronavirus? There’s little doubt that complacency has played a vital factor, creating a false impression that it was over before the second wave strikes. The government had declared in February that it had beaten the virus.

Armed with 10,000 news cases a day, the Indian authorities prematurely lifted restrictions, allowing for the resumptions of big religious gatherings, reopening of public places and even crowded election rallies. Even after more than 1,000 people had tested positive for Covid-19 this month, 3-million mostly maskless devotees descend on the Ganges River for a major Hindu festival.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had refused to call off the month-long Kumbh Mela religious festival due to fear of offending Hindus who are his party BJP’s biggest supporters. Devout Hindus believe bathing in the Ganges absolves people of sins, and it brings salvation from the cycle of life and death. Clearly, the Kumbh Mela only makes Coronavirus spread even faster.

The government also did not improve the healthcare infrastructure when it had the chance, despite knowing the severity of the underfunded and short-staffed system. Like the people who started to think they have escaped the pandemic, the politicians thought there was no need to urgently look into the healthcare system. Authorities across India put public health priorities on the back burner.

But the biggest culprit is the emergence of more infectious variants, which Indian scientists had detected and identified as the B.1.617 – with two mutations (E484Q and L456R). The double mutant strain was first detected in Maharashtra. However, not only the country detected a double mutant, it has also detected a “triple-mutant” variant called the “Bengal strain” – B.1.618.



Besides more infective, the Bengal strain may be capable of escaping a person’s immune surveillance, even if that person was earlier exposed to a virus without this mutation, and even if vaccinated. Scientists are worried that the triple-mutated variant carries the E484K mutations, the U.K. or “Kent” version (known as B.1.1.7) that becomes famous after it spread to about 100 countries.

Unlike the U.S., India is facing the challenge to vaccine its massive 1.3 billion people. Even though it is a major vaccine producer, it cannot produce fast enough. It has administered about 140 million shots so far. To complicate matter, drugmaker like Pfizer insisted that India must sign an indemnity bond before allowing its vaccine to enter India. Moderna reportedly not keen to enter the country.

In addition, the crashing healthcare system makes it a new challenge to vaccinate the people. Based on a mathematical model, India will probably hit its peak in mid-May. With 3 more weeks to go, it simply means the worst is yet to come. Of course, the actual number of infected and deaths are under-reported because many have died before they could even reach the hospitals.