PETALING JAYA: Arguing over who makes the best prime minister candidate and playing the "game of numbers" are not practical considerations while facing down the Covid-19 pandemic, says Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang. “I have not hidden my position that the best prime minister for Malaysia today would be Anwar Ibrahim," he said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 29), while calling on politicians to put aside personal and political considerations to focus on the pandemic. “For the sake of the nation facing the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, I suggest we focus single-mindedly on reaching an understanding to win the war against it founded on parliamentary and institutional reforms,” he said. “Let us defer to the next general election the important question of which coalition should govern Malaysia and who should be the 10th prime minister," he said. The new Cabinet will be sworn in before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday (Aug 30).

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom has paid tribute to Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, the former chief secretary to the government, who died on Saturday (Aug 28) at age 82. In a statement, its director Dr Farhan Nizami said Ahmad Sarji would always be remembered for his encouragement and support of the centre's work. He said Ahmad Sarji's firmness in discharging his duties as chief secretary to the government had earned him respect among civil servants and politicians. On Aug 7, Ahmad Sarji was admitted to the intensive care unit due to complications from Covid-19. Ahmad Sarji was chief secretary to the government from 1990 to 1996 during the administration of Malaysia's fourth prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PETALING JAYA: A former senior defence intelligence official has claimed that certain politicians in Malaysia have received regular funding and "moral backing from foreign organisations and individuals”, according to a news report. “We received information that several leaders in the country are strongly favoured to continue their position and strong influence in politics. He further claimed that the identities of these politicians and the details of their meetings abroad with their foreign backers were with the Defence Ministry. But there were indeed meetings between several individuals who obtained this moral support from those overseas,” Mohd Salleh was quoted saying. However, the Malay weekly did not disclose any of the politicians' names in the news report.

PETALING JAYA: Two Malaysians linked to deadly bombings in Indonesia 19 years ago will be indicted at the United States Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Monday (Aug 30). Nazir and Farik were said to be top Hambali aides in Jemaah Islamiyah and trained by al-Qaeda, according to Guantanamo case documents. Nazir and Farik face nine charges, while Hambali faces eight, in relation to their alleged roles in the terror attacks, a charge sheet by the commission stated. All three were charged with conspiracy, attempted murder, murder, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, terrorism, destruction of property, and attacking civilians and civilian objects. In January, the charges were filed nearly 18 years after the three were captured in Thailand and after each had spent more than 14 years in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay.

And herein lies the fundamental difference between tackling infectious diseases like Covid-19 and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and diabetes. — Photos: Filepic“Oftentimes, we only see the disease and not the person living with the disease. The NCD Malaysia chairperson noted that: “Malaysia has had a strong, consolidated plan for NCDs since 2019, providing an overall framework of strategies to prevent NCDs. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a healthcare gap that NGOs have endeavoured to fill. “With that landscape, the Covid-19 pandemic was literally the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Throughout the consideration of contract termination in these examples, the impact on sovereign ratings was not even raised. Only in rare cases would the contractor challenge termination because, typically, the contractor would fear potential blacklisting. The termination process was professional and amicable. True: Termination is an arduous process with many potential pitfallsThe termination process includes issuing a termination notice, securing of the site, equipment and facilities, and, where appropriate, retendering for project completion. The drawbacks of termination include:• Project delay;• Increased project costs due to the retender exercise.

It was the day I received my results for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). I was anxious but a part of me was also excited to finally be able to see my results after a three-month wait. The page loaded and my jaw literally dropped open as the first half of my results came into view. As a pure science stream student, how could I not have scored a single A for any of my science subjects? As I wallowed in my misery, my mum strolled into my room and to my surprise, congratulated me on my results.

Increasing digitalisation has posed a new challenge in preparing students for tomorrow’s workforce. Academic programmes, the varsity said, must reflect students’ willingness to stretch themselves. Through the Dare to Dream (D2D) initiative, enrolled diploma students are guaranteed admissions to a wide range of pathway options into bachelor’s degrees. “While the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has spared no one, SEGi University challenges students to dream big and develop a positive mindset to improve their academic performance. “Distance learning is not new to SEGi University and our students are able to adjust quickly to a hybrid pedagogy.

According to Taylor’s University deputy vice-chancellor and chief academic officer Prof Dr Pradeep Nair, this unique ecosystem nurtures students in the three intelligences – intellect, practical wisdom, and craft. A helping hand: Bernard presenting a DuckiePi desktop to a recipient from the B40 community. In an era when online learning has become the norm, especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bernard’s DuckiePi can alleviate the struggles of the B40 community. “The more invested I was in the project, the more I realised that DuckiePi would enhance B40 kids’ online learning experiences and improve digital literacy among the B40 community.”Of course, no brilliant idea is without its fair share of struggles. For Bernard, TMM served as a network which he could use to tap into the knowledge and expertise of mentors, and other tech and computing students.

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Aman and their Singaporean counterparts dealt a huge blow to a scam syndicate that had reaped in profits of more than RM2mil from victims in both countries. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said a joint raid by Singapore and Malaysian police in Johor led to the arrest of three suspected syndicate members. Victims were promised around RM200 to RM300 in daily income and were told to purchase items according to a given list. The syndicate is believed to be connected to 95 reports lodged in Singapore, with losses amounting to S$690,000 (RM2.1mil). “Efforts by both Malaysian and Singaporean police to trace the remaining members of the syndicate are under way,” he said.

PUTRAJAYA: Despite his busy schedule with training and duties as a member of the army, Staff Sergeant Mad Zain Medol is an accomplished fire breather. And he will be displaying his talent at the 2021 National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations at the National Heroes Square on Aug 31. The virtual National Day celebration themed “Malaysia Prihatin” will be aired on Aug 31. Sharing his experience as a fire-breathing performer, Mad Zain said the skill requires boldness as blowing kerosene at a fire can cause burns. The six-minute armed forces drumline combines a band performance with Mad Zain’s flame breathing.

I was a student in Kuala Lumpur and would use the public phone to contact my family in Perak. Besides, the network coverage was very bad then, so it was better to just use public phones,” she said. “When I was a teenager, I would call my cousin from a public phone that was just a few metres from my house. “If I remember correctly, the last time I used a public phone was probably in the late 1990s,” Lew said. For now, he said, the local authorities could perhaps spruce up the derelict phone booths and make them Instagram worthy.

More needs to be done to promote Malaysia’s symbols – our national flower, the hibiscus, and the merbau as our national tree. MALAYSIA’S national flower, the regal bunga raya or hibiscus, deserves to be in full bloom in our own country. Most importantly, it wasn’t the national flower of any other country in the world at that time. The merbau was named as Malaysia's national tree on Aug 23, 2019 by our then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The tree was named Malaysia’s national tree on Aug 23, 2019, by then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad because of its strong and sturdy nature.

ECCO Golf, a global footwear brand, has announced the re-signing of LPGA star Lydia Ko to a three-year deal. She is close to her best this year, setting a new tournament scoring record en route to winning the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in April. “I’m delighted to be continuing my relationship with Ecco Golf,” Ko said. “It’s been a rollercoaster few years, but the brand has quite literally been with me every step of the way. “I’m really pleased to be back in the winner’s circle this season and playing some of the best golf of my career.

PETALING JAYA: A lot has changed for national shuttler Soh Wooi Yik after winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Fame and fortune has indeed put Wooi Yik and Aaron in the spotlight, but while enjoying their thrust into the limelight, Wooi Yik has promised to keep his eyes fixed on achieving more glory in badminton. It kept vibrating throughout the night,” said Wooi Yik. “I’ve always dreamt of playing in the Sudirman Cup and Thomas Cup Finals... not only will I be playing, but Aaron and I will be the first doubles. “I hope our experience in playing at the Olympics and all the hard work in training will prepare us for these major tournaments.