Life slowly returning to normal for two Malaysian scholars in UK
PETALING JAYA: Two Malaysian scholars in the United Kingdom believe their lives will soon have some semblance of normalcy now that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Liyann Ooi said normal life was slowing returning in the UK as shops were open and people could dine in at restaurants. “I also see more people returning for their follow-ups or treatments for various physical and mental health conditions, ” said the Chevening scholar, who also volunteers with the NHS at its Covid-19 vaccination sites. Like Ooi, Dr Fatimah Rayeesah Liyaqat Ali, 31, has also received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. “It is better for my parents to have the vaccine than to face the possibility of a severe infection, ” she said.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 23:43 UTC
Get vaccinated and reclaim your life
As Malaysia moves slowly but surely to protect its citizens from Covid-19, more needs to be done on all fronts to combat the pandemic. If at the start of our National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme I was ambivalent towards those Malaysians who choose not to register and get vaccinated, I have now changed my opinion. True, some may argue that such a move would be akin to the country veering towards a Gestapo-like state. This Phase Four of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme is of extreme importance because the country needs these sectors to be operational during the current lockdown. As proven in countries that have vaccinated more than 50% of their population, there is an enormous pent-up demand in terms of economic activity and consumer demand.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 23:26 UTC
‘No need for amnesty plan’
PUTRAJAYA: There is no need for an amnesty programme for illegal migrants as the labour recalibration which started in November is still ongoing, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. At the same time, he said the raids to identify those without proper documentation would continue. Under the recalibration programme, employers in the construction, manufacturing, plantation, and agriculture sectors are allowed to employ undocumented foreign workers. The government also rolled out the repatriation recalibration programme where undocumented migrants can volunteer to return to their homelands. Hamzah said since the rollout of the recalibration programme, more than 200, 000 individuals had been involved in the plan.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 23:19 UTC
Johor top scorers relieved after getting their results
JOHOR BARU: The long wait for some 49, 472 SPM 2020 candidates in Johor has finally come to an end after they received their results online. SMK Infant Jesus Convent Johor Baru student Chloe Ling Chun Fern said she aimed for straight As but did not expect to get all A+ for all nine subjects. “I was overjoyed and spent about 15 minutes trying to check my results online with my sister, ” said Chloe, who is the third of four siblings. Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Mersing Tuan Adam Syakir Tuan Ismail said he could not sleep the night before the announcement. When he got the results, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 23:17 UTC
SPM 2020 scorers fought against odds to ace exam
PETALING JAYA: On some days, Nurul Auni Kaswadi could not cope with the emotional and mental stress of preparing for the SPM 2020 exams. Despite the challenges, the 18-year-old from SMK Seksyen 18, Shah Alam, scored 8A+, 2As and 1A- for the exams which were held from February to April this year. “Learning from home through the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) method was very difficult and the postponement of the exams was exhausting. Mara Junior Science College Langkawi student Aminin Irfan Syarazi said he complained to his friends and family about the PdPR method and the postponement of the exams. SMK Subang Bestari, Shah Alam, student Misyael Fatini Sharif Fudin kept herself motivated by looking at the silver lining.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 23:15 UTC
There is still uncertainty over safety of jab for children
PARENTS are in a predicament as they are not sure whether to get their children vaccinated. The number of Covid-19 cases involving children is alarming but studies on the safety of the vaccine do not include them. Bee Lee said she was keeping tabs on studies involving the vaccination of children. Businesswoman Ooi Su Ching, 40, on the other hand, is keen to have her children vaccinated as it will allow their lives to get back to normal. A total of 26, 851 cases involved children aged seven to 12 while 27, 402 victims were aged 13 to 17.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 22:42 UTC
‘A necessary inconvenience’
He pointed out that there has not been much change to the number of daily deaths and number of patients needing ventilators despite the lockdown. “What we need is a total lockdown of at least three weeks of complete stop to all movements in all sectors. “We have to look at mortality rates which have not gone down, the number of patients needing ventilators and patients being admitted to ICU are still on the high. She also said that there was still too much movement of people during the lockdown as many economic sectors remained operating. Soh said that essential sectors currently allowed to operate must now be extended to include an en-bloc approval of the entire supply chain.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 21:11 UTC
From the Bidens with 'LOVE': U.S. first lady's jacket brings message of hope
CARBIS BAY, England (Reuters) - On their first overseas trip since her husband Joe became president, U.S. first lady Jill Biden had a simple message for the world emblazoned across the back of her jacket: "LOVE". After leaving Britain, the U.S. president heads off for a NATO summit and a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I think he’s so well prepared. He’s been studying for weeks, working up to today," Jill Biden told reporters of her husband's preparations. Jill Biden is not the first U.S. president's wife to use a jacket to convey a message.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 17:26 UTC
Home Minister: Tighter control at 111 entry points nationwide
SEPANG (Bernama): There are 111 active and gazetted entry points nationwide to curb the entry of illegal immigrants in the effort to break the Covid-19 infection chain, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. He said they consisted of 54 sea, 29 air and 28 land entry points. "What is most important since the movement control order last year (at these entry points) is to restrict the entry of illegal immigrants. Hamzah said foreigners who enter the country will undergo Covid-19 screening, scan the MySejahtera QR code and taken by the National Disaster Management Agency to undergo the quarantine process. Those who try to enter the country via rat trails will be asked to turn back, he said.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 12:33 UTC
Elephant march in SW China blamed for shipment delays
"We tried to explain over and over again that it's because of the marching mammoths!" said Mao Hongyun, a staffer in charge of the company's e-commerce sales,"Those elephants were spotted around Hongta District, where our farmlands are located, several days ago. However, some of the customers clearly didn't buy it, saying that the reason was "absurd," with hundreds of complaints pouring in. The e-commerce platform has compensated customers for the delay and the company recently resumed shipment of orders after the elephants left Yuxi, Kunming and continued heading north. - Global Times
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 12:11 UTC
Health D-G: 60 Hari Raya and Gawai festive clusters found, with 3,511 infections and 20 deaths
KUALA LUMPUR (June 10): There were 3,511 Covid-19 positive cases and 20 deaths reported among the festive clusters in the country from May 13 until June 10, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. In a statement, Dr Noor Hisham said 60 festive clusters were identified within the two-month period, of which 58 were linked to Hari Raya celebrations while the remaining two were linked to the harvest festival of Hari Gawai. Among the States that recorded the highest number of festive clusters were Sabah with 11 clusters, followed by Sarawak (eight), Kedah (seven), Kelantan (six), Perak (six), Johor (five), Pahang (five), Melaka (three), Penang (two), Selangor (two), Labuan (two), Terengganu (one), Negeri Sembilan (one) and Kuala Lumpur (one). Dr Noor Hisham also expressed his worry and concern about the rising number of Covid-19 cases and deaths reported from the festive clusters, adding the infections occurred in a short span of time. Malaysia reported 5,671 new Covid-19 infections today, raising the cumulative confirmed infections across the country to 639,562.
Source:The Edge Markets
June 10, 2021 12:01 UTC
PEMERKASA: 2,568 affected tour agencies receive financial aid from MOTAC
PUTRAJAYA (June 10): A total of 2,568 tour agencies have received financial assistance under the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy (PEMERKASA) initiative involving an aid worth RM7.70 million. However, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in a statement today said many affected companies had yet to receive the financial aid. It added tour agencies registered with the ministry can access the information on the eligibility requirements of PEMERKASA 2021 via its website at http://www.motac.gov.my/PemerkasaMotac2021. It said the application deadline for the special assistance is July 15. In March, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced a one-off special assistance grant of RM3,000 to more than 5,000 tour agencies registered under MOTAC to help them recover from the adverse economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source:The Edge Markets
June 10, 2021 10:18 UTC
Global airline body says 'travel pass' app to go live in weeks
DUBAI (Reuters) - The head of global airline body IATA said on Thursday a digital travel pass for COVID-19 test results and vaccine certifications would go live in the coming weeks following a testing phase. The mobile application, which has been tested by some airlines, was originally designed to facilitate passenger screening at the airport check-in and aircraft boarding stages. However, IATA says it has since modified the app for when passengers are also checked by immigration officers on arrival. We expect to go live out of the testing mode in the next couple of weeks," International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh told reporters during an online media briefing. Around 60,000 people have been registered to test the system, he said.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 09:00 UTC
Your Pet Story: How a puppy rescued during a storm became a family pet
As the family sat down for dinner, we heard whimpering coming from the front of our house. We tried to check with our neighbours if anyone had lost a puppy but to no avail. The stray pitbull had followed us home during one of our morning walks. She developed stiffness in her joints and would defer her morning walks on bad days. She went on slow leisurely morning walks with the rest of the pack.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 07:03 UTC
Motivational speaker Dr Muhaya deletes video telling women to 'act dumb' to land a man
Her suggestion that single, unmarried women keep their ambitions in check and "act a bit dumb" in order to find a life partner has also come under heavy criticism by many of Malaysia's female public figures. In the video, she also advised unmarried women to look at their own character. "(I) agree that Prof Muhaya may have made a mistake in using the words 'bodoh-bodoh'. She added that she has been following Dr Muhaya for eight years and said that the speaker's two daughters are also highly-educated doctors. Dr Muhaya has not yet responded to the controversy and has also disabled the comment feature for her Instagram page.
Source:The Star
June 10, 2021 05:59 UTC