PETALING JAYA: The imam allegedly involved in an incident where a teenager who had been caught stealing and was "bathed like a corpse", has resigned. "I have just spoken to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director, who told me that action has been taken. "I am not sure of the details, but I am told the imam has resigned," he was quoted as saying. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that Daniel had damaged the donation box before taking it into the mosque's body bathing room. He was then taken to the mosque and washed like a corpse and footage of the incident was circulated on social media.

Since South Korea introduced drones as part of its disaster investigation equipment in 2013, the National Disaster Management Research Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been using drones to investigate damage caused by typhoons and torrential rains to enhance national disaster management capabilities. The government and private sector became partners for national disaster management, creating the “Emergency Drone Operation Team for Disaster Response”, composed of individual drone owners who hold official drone qualifications. The report noted that the active participation of the private sector in the disaster response process is not an option but a necessity in the governance of disaster management. The government should invite them to discuss new policies and regulations that may be needed to support and facilitate the use of drones in disaster management efforts. Disaster management personnel from the National Disaster Management Agency, police and the armed forces could identify a select number of personnel to undergo training on drones to enhance their skills in this technology with the aim of further strengthening the country’s emergency and disaster skills, competency, efforts and management.

PUTRAJAYA: The Supplementary Electoral Rolls for December 2021 (DPT BLN12/2021) is open for review for six months from Friday (Jan 14) to July 13 after being certified and gazetted today. Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said the electoral rolls contained the names of 5,718,760 Malaysian citizens, aged 18 and above, until Dec 31, 2021 who were automatically registered as new voters. "If their names are not listed in the DPT BLN12/2021, they can fill out Form C online at the link https://myspr.spr.gov.my or come personally to the nearest state election office," he said. Ikmalrudin said the EC had prepared four methods of review for the electoral rolls namely the EC portal at https://www.spr.gov.my or https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my; MySPR Semak mobile application; the official portal of the state election offices at the link http://ppn.spr.gov.my and the EC hotline at 03-889 27018. For any inquiries on the DPT BLN12/2021 review, the public can browse the EC's official portal at https://www.spr.gov.my or call the EC hotline at 03-88927018 or any state election office.

MARANG: A doctor from a private clinic here, who was previously detained for selling fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates in Terengganu, has been remanded again – this time for an investigation into allegations of cheating. Magistrate Engku Nurul Ain Engku Muda on Friday (Jan 14) allowed the 51-year-old man to be remanded until Saturday (Jan 15) for investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code. "Reports were lodged against the doctor by complainants who paid RM450 each for his services and were promised that their MySejahtera status would list them as vaccine recipients within 14 days. Last Saturday, the self-confessed anti-vaxxer doctor was arrested on suspicion of issuing Covid-19 vaccination certificates without administering the vaccine but was released on police bail on Thursday (Jan 13). The doctor is believed to have charged individuals between RM400 and RM600 each if they wanted to get a vaccination certificate without taking the injection.

(Jan 13): The conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, announced plans to invest US$76 billion toward clean energy projects, dwarfing an earlier commitment of US$10 billion by the world’s biggest fossil-fuel billionaire. Though the investment pact is just a memorandum of understanding right now, it outlines the scope of Ambani’s green ambitions and is a big step up from the US$10 billion investment over three years he had announced in June. Ambani is in the midst of transforming his fossil fuel-fed empire and pivoting it toward green energy and digital technology. Adani has committed to invest a total of US$70 billion by 2030 across its green energy value chain. Both the billionaires and their ability to walk the talk on their green energy commitments are crucial if the Narendra Modi-led government has to achieve its target of making the country net carbon zero by 2070.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Loss-making Pegasus Heights Bhd said the heads of agreement it had signed with glove maker WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd has been terminated as the negotiation period has lapsed. The group, which is involved in leasing out commercial properties, said it has received the termination notice from WRP Asia Pacific on Thursday (Jan 13). “The termination will not have any material financial impact on Pegasus [Heights] and its subsidiaries,” Pegasus Heights said in in a filing with Bursa Malaysia. Pegasus Heights had intended to inject RM100 million for a 49% stake in the proposed joint venture. Shares in Pegasus Heights finished unchanged at one sen on Thursday, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM108 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: Toll transactions using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for private light vehicles (Class 1) will be implemented on the North-South Expressway route from the Juru toll plaza in Penang to the Skudai toll plaza in Johor from 10pm tomorrow. PLUS in a statement said at least one RFID lane would be provided at all 83 toll plazas along the 657.5km route. “Currently, there are about 1.5 million highway users who have already used RFID Touch ‘n Go on most other highways, especially in the Klang Valley,” the concessionaire said, according to Bernama. RFID Touch ‘n Go stickers are on sale for RM35 at authorised RFID installation centres nationwide as well as online, it added. More information can be obtained at http://rfid.plus.com.my.

The wholesale price for Sinovac vaccine is RM62, while the retail price is RM77. Sinopharm will now cost no more than RM49 at wholesale, while the retail price is capped at RM61. "The established maximum retail price excludes the cost of services and disposables used in the injection of the Covid-19 vaccine. The determination of this maximum price is basically based on the import price and the current market price. Those who sell vaccines above the maximum price will be prosecuted under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

Almost 98% of the adult population have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines. FACT 3: Covid-19 vaccines reduce the risk of transmitting the Delta variant. The Omicron variant, however, is estimated to be three to six times more infectious than previous variants and spreads more rapidly. Covid-19 vaccines are being monitored for safety with the most comprehensive and intense vaccine safety monitoring programme in history. We urge the public to continue to seek information on Covid-19 vaccines and treatment from reputable sites and organisations and not to fall for misinformation from unreliable sources.

PETALING JAYA: The government has set a ceiling price for private sales of Covid-19 vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm. The wholesale ceiling price of the vaccine from Sinovac is RM62 and RM77 for customers, while the wholesale ceiling price for the Sinopharm vaccine is RM48 and RM61 for customers. The ceiling price would not include the service charge or charges on disposal items incurred during the administration of the vaccines. Both Khairy and Nanta said that the ceiling price was implemented based on the price of importing the vaccines along with their current market values. The government has also prepared avenues for the public to lodge complaints regarding the price of vaccines.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World no.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is waiting to hear whether Australia will seek to cancel his visa for a second time, after being released from immigration detention three days ago when a court ruled he could stay. Australia's Immigration Minister Alex Hawke faces a tight timeframe to decide whether to exercise his power to cancel Djokovic's visa, as the Australian Open, the year's first tennis major, is due to start on Monday. ON WHAT GROUNDS COULD DJOKOVIC'S VISA BE CANCELLED? The immigration minister has the right to exercise his personal power to cancel a visa if he deems it would be in the public interest to do so. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MINISTER DECIDES TO CANCEL HIS VISA?

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Toll transactions using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for private light vehicles (Class 1) will be implemented on the North-South Expressway (PLUS) route from the Juru toll plaza in Penang to the Skudai toll plaza in Johor from 10pm on Saturday (Jan 15). PLUS in a statement on Thursday (Jan 13) said at least one RFID lane will be provided at all 83 toll plazas along the 657.5km-route. "Currently, there are about 1.5 million highway users who have already used RFID Touch‘ n Go to pay tolls on most other highways, especially in the Klang Valley," the concessionaire said. Touch ‘n Go RFID stickers are on sale at RM35 at authorised RFID installation centres nationwide as well as online, it added. More information can be obtained at http://rfid.plus.com.my.

The index’s rise came as overnight Brent crude oil price leapt by nearly 3.5% or US$2.85 to US$83.72 per barrel, its highest level since early November. The oil price was buoyed by tight supply and expectations that rising Covid-19 cases and the spread of the Omicron variant will not derail global demand recovery, according to Reuters. Liaw said the research outfit’s estimate sees 2022’s Brent price at between US$75 and US$80 per barrel. He also sees upside risk to oil price assumption should the global energy crunch worsen. RHB Research analyst Sean Lim was also bullish on the O&G sector, maintaining his “overweight” call on the sector.

KUALA LUMPUR: Vsolar Group Bhd has signed a partnership agreement to procure and supply parts to RA Integration Links Sdn Bhd (RAILSB). The contract, valued at RM96mil is for VSolar to procure and supply all necessary parts to RAILSB to complete an overhaul of fifty sets of Ampang 6-Car Light Rail Vehicle (LRV). “VSolar is looking to mobilise its expertise in supply chain management to assist RAILSB to obtain all necessary equipment and tools to complete the awarded project. “RAILSB earlier secured a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) deal to overhaul of fifty sets of Ampang 6-Car LRV. This is the first collaboration for both companies in leveraging each other’s expertise,” VSolar said in a statement.

PETALING JAYA: Inbound travellers to Malaysia who are fully vaccinated and have recently recovered from Covid-19 do not need to undergo mandatory quarantine, says Khairy Jamaluddin. He said travellers would need to present evidence that they had been fully vaccinated as well as printed or digital laboratory reports to prove they had been infected 11 to 60 days before arriving in Malaysia. Khairy said those who had yet to be fully vaccinated would be required to undergo mandatory quarantine for seven days at a designated quarantine centre. “The current quarantine rules will continue to apply to vaccinated travellers who have not been infected with the virus. “Travellers must also download the MySejahtera application and fill up a health declaration form, undergo health screenings and another RTK-Antigen test upon arrival at any international entry point,” he said.