Singapore strongly condemns 'abhorrent attack' outside Jerusalem synagogue - CNA

The ministry added that Singapore is "deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank".

On Thursday, 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Thursday during a raid on the crowded refugee camp in the northern city of Jenin - the deadliest raid in the occupied West Bank in years.

"We mourn the loss of innocent lives and injuries to Palestinian civilians in Jenin," said MFA, and urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint and de-escalate tensions to prevent further loss of civilian lives". 

"Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security," it added.

MFA advised Singaporeans in Israel to exercise caution, monitor the local news, and follow the instructions of local authorities.

Singaporeans travelling to Israel are strongly encouraged to e-register with MFA if they have not done so.

Singaporeans who require consular assistance should contact the Singapore Embassy in Tel Aviv or the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at:

Singapore Embassy in Tel Aviv:

Tel: +972 3 7289334
Email: singemb_tlv [at] mfa.sg

MFA Duty Office (24-hours):

Tel: +65 6379 8800/8855
Email: mfa_duty_officer [at] mfa.gov.sg 

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2023-01-29 08:12:33Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL21mYS1jb25kZW1uLWlzcmFlbC1zeW5hZ29ndWUtc2hvb3RpbmctYXR0YWNrLXdlc3QtYmFuay12aW9sZW5jZS0zMjM5NDYx0gEA

No need to declare flood emergency in Malaysia, says DPM Ahmad Zahid - CNA

MERSING: The Malaysian government has no intention of declaring a flood emergency for now as only certain districts in several states are affected, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Saturday (Jan 28).

The states of Johor, Pahang and Sabah have been hit by flooding amid continuous heavy rain brought about by the northeast monsoon. 

Nearly 14,000 people in the three states were in temporary flood relief centres, Bernama reported on Saturday morning, but that number fell significantly by evening. 

“I don’t think a flood emergency should be declared because it only involves certain states and districts. The state disaster management committees have taken proactive measures together with the district disaster management committees,” said Ahmad Zahid, who is also the chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee.

“The aid provided has been given to all the heads of families and, at the same time, we have other matters that need to be carried out, including post-flood assistance,” he told a media conference after visiting a temporary relief centre in Mersing. 

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2023-01-28 13:42:00Z
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'You're not alone': Parties reach out to axed Umno leaders - The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA, Selangor – Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders have reached out to the leaders who were suspended and sacked by Umno on Friday to tell them that they are not alone.

Arau MP Shahidan Kassim, a former Umno top gun who himself was sacked from the party recently, called Umno “a mad party which is eagerly sacking everyone”.

“Those who were sacked, stay patient. We will defend you. Long live Perikatan,” Datuk Seri Shahidan posted on Facebook early on Saturday morning after the announcement was made.

Mr Shahidan was dropped as a candidate of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition for the last general election, prompting him to seek a PN seat. He was then sacked by Umno, along with a few other party leaders who went rogue last November.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu also told those who were sacked that they were now free.

“Dear brothers, your wings are no longer clipped. Now, you can soar even higher. May God bless your holy struggle,” tweeted Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal, the former Tambun MP.

Meanwhile, former Ketereh Umno division head and former Ketereh MP Annuar Musa posted a lengthy note on Facebook, stating that the suspension and sacking were done to silence those who spoke the truth.

“Be calm and patient. Sacking those who do not agree with your views is the easiest way to stay in power. Truth has a high price... and remember that even though these people are in power, there is a higher power.

“If there is a wrong leadership and the goals have been cast aside, the struggle has gone astray. When that happens, there is no need to be sad if you are no longer there (in the struggle). There must be a blessing in disguise,” said Tan Sri Annuar, who himself was sacked after the last general election, together with Mr Shahidan.

Mr Annuar further stated that voters gave Umno indications of what they wanted but the leaders were “in denial”, referring to the fact that Umno gained the least number of seats in the party’s history in the last election.

“The cleansing that they are doing will only produce more dirt as the dirt is still stuck within the party, even though the party is being destroyed.

“They created lies and finally, they believed in their own lies. Let Umno be their own personal armour, we continue our struggle in our own way,” said Mr Annuar.

Meanwhile, Gerakan is the first party to openly court Mr Khairy following his sacking from Umno on Friday.

Parti Gerakan Rakyat’s acting youth chief Wong Chia Zhen said Mr Khairy would be a perfect fit for the party.

“Umno’s supreme council has decided to sack former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin for breaching party discipline due to offences during the 15th General Election.

“In my opinion, the decision of the council is not appropriate because Khairy is a politician of calibre and succeeded in putting pressure on his opponent in Sungai Buloh during the last election,” said Mr Wong in a statement.

“The majority won by the PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) candidate was reduced from 10,000 to 1,000, proving to be the only Pakatan Harapan stronghold that almost lost.”

Mr Wong added: “We believe that at the lowest point in his political career, we can support him.

“The ideology of our party is based on simplicity and with the credibility he has, I am sure this will give Khairy a new lease of life.”

Meanwhile, PKR will have a discussion first if any sacked Umno leaders express interest in joining their party, said the party’s deputy president Rafizi Ramli.

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2023-01-28 07:45:25Z
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US police officers seen punching, kicking Tyre Nichols after Memphis releases footage of deadly beating - CNA

TRAFFIC STOP BEGAN CHAIN OF EVENTS

Police have described the circumstances of Nichols' arrest in vague terms. Even Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who sought the officers' indictment, was circumspect when announcing the charges.

After Nichols was pulled over for reckless driving, "an altercation" ensued in which officers doused him with pepper spray, and Nichols tried to flee on foot, Mulroy said. "There was another altercation at a nearby location at which the serious injuries were experienced by Mr Nichols."

Davis said her department has not yet been able determine whether there was probable cause for the officers to pull Nichols over for reckless driving, a traffic stop which set in motion the violent events that followed.

Crump said the speed at which the criminal charges were brought against the officers - fewer than three weeks after Nichols' death - should be a standard for police-involved killings.

In some other high-profile cases, such as the police killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago in 2014, more than a year elapsed before the release of police video and the filing of charges.

"We want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be black or white, will be held accountable," Crump said. "No longer can you tell us we got to wait six months to a year.”

Lawyers for the family also called on the police department to disband the special SCORPION unit focused on violent street crime to which at least some of the officers were assigned. Davis has said the department will review SCORPION and other specialized units.

Crump compared the encounter to the 1991 videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King by four police officers whose subsequent acquittal of criminal charges sparked days of riots in Los Angeles.

All five officers - Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith - were fired from the police force on Jan 21 after an internal investigation found they breached multiple department policies, including use of excessive force.

Four of the officers have posted bail and have been released from jail, a CBS affiliate reported on Friday. A lawyer for Mills, Blake Ballin, said it might be another two weeks before the defendants make their initial court appearances.

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2023-01-28 00:46:00Z
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UMNO expels former Malaysian health minister Khairy, suspends ex-defence minister Hishammuddin - CNA

The Friday supreme council meeting was keenly watched after UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a day earlier that the party will undergo “mass cleansing" to get rid of "saboteurs" and those who have "shot themselves in the foot".

He said this included members who allegedly sabotaged the party and its candidates during GE15, 10 of whom Ahmad Zahid identified by name during the party’s recent general assembly from Jan 11 to Jan 14.

The 10 politicians, who included Mr Hishammuddin, had sided with Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin in forming the new government, Ahmad Zahid said.

Mr Shahril had resigned as information chief in the immediate aftermath of GE15, urging Ahmad Zahid to take responsibility for the party’s defeat by stepping down.

Mr Noh resigned as the chief of UMNO’s Selangor chapter in November after saying that he no longer had confidence in Ahmad Zahid.

Mr Khairy had been a vocal opponent of a motion tabled during the recent party general assembly. The motion was to block UMNO’s top two posts - party president and deputy president - from being challenged at the party’s internal elections, which must be held by May.

Rumours of such a motion had swirled as some prominent party members came out to say they preferred for the posts to remain uncontested, citing the need to maintain party unity as it rebuilds following its dismal performance at GE15.

Ahmad Zahid said during his party policy speech on Jan 13 that he was confident in the democratic process and would leave it to the delegates to decide on the issue. He had consistently maintained that he was ready to defend his position.

When a no-contest motion was first tabled by an UMNO delegate from Negeri Sembilan later that day, it was met with boos in the convention hall.

But the motion was passed by the general assembly the next day in a majority vote, paving the way for Ahmad Zahid and his deputy Mohamad Hasan to serve at least another term. 

Mr Khairy alleged in a TikTok video on the same day that some delegates’ seat tags at the convention hall were removed, to be replaced with those of "imported" delegates who would push through the motion.

This prompted a rebuke by UMNO Sungai Besar division chief Jamal Yunos, who told reporters on Saturday that Mr Khairy was tarnishing the party by spreading baseless claims.

UMNO’s most recent leadership contest, in 2018, saw Ahmad Zahid fend off challenges for the presidency from Mr Khairy and former veteran MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Mr Khairy was a three-term MP for Rembau, Negeri Sembilan before he was moved to contest in the urban constituency of Sungai Buloh in Selangor during the GE15 on Nov 19. Urban seats are considered Pakatan Harapan (PH) strongholds. Mr Khairy eventually lost in a seven-cornered contest.

In a tweet after the party’s announcement on Friday night, Mr Khairy wrote: “Tonight I was sacked by the party I loved, that I was loyal to.

“Unbowed, unbent, unbroken.”

The BN coalition - led by UMNO - emerged a distant third in the election by winning only 30 seats, behind PH’s 81 seats and PN’s 74 seats.

But PH, BN and other parties have formed a unity government while PN - comprising Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and other parties - is in the opposition.

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2023-01-27 16:50:00Z
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Singapore maid agencies welcome proposed Indonesian law protecting its domestic workers - CNA

According to Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretariat site, there are about 4 million Indonesians who are domestic workers. There were reportedly about 120,000 Indonesians working in Singapore as helpers as of 2020. 

MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION 

Two maid agencies in Singapore said this is a move in the right direction. 

“The ratification of the law is a good step. It’s a step in the right direction and the impact on the industry or employment of migrant workers should be a positive one,” said Mr David Bensadon, managing director of We Are Caring Agency. 

“Every scene that is set up and implemented to enforce the safety of workers goes in the right direction.” 

Similarly, Mr Ryan Ng, managing director of Master Employment Agency, said that “proper recognition and protection” will be good for the long-term sustainability of hiring migrant domestic workers. 

“That said, the measures should be fair, and not penalise or inconvenience any good employers of Singapore, and also not to jeopardise good helpers who are in need of a job to support their family,” he said. 

DEALING WITH CHANGES 

If there were to be changes for maid agencies in Singapore, Mr Ng said he hopes that firms like his will receive support from the Government. 

“If there is a lot of additional paperwork or manpower that is required, I hope that the Government will also (give) support in this role,” he said.  

“Because as small organisations, SMEs, we often face a shortage of manpower, and we do not have the financial resources to employ people just to be able to comply if there are too many specific measures in place,” he said. 

Mr Bensadon noted that for the bill to result in real changes on the ground, coordination between the governments of both Singapore and Indonesia is needed. 

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2023-01-27 12:45:32Z
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Five US officers charged with murder over beating of black man - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON - US authorities on Thursday charged five officers, who are black, with second-degree murder over the fatal beating of a black man in the eastern state of Tennessee following a traffic stop.

Mr Tyre Nichols, 29, was stopped on Jan 7 for what the Memphis Police Department (MPD) said was reckless driving.

After a chase ensued, “police brutalised him to the point of being unrecognisable”, said family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci.

The five officers were fired after an internal police investigation found them to have “violated multiple department policies, including excessive use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid”, the MPD said last Friday.

Mr Nichols was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to police, where he died on Jan 10.

“These officers were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr Nichols,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Wednesday.

“This is not just a professional failing, this is a failing of basic humanity towards another individual. This incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane.”

The five officers – Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr – were additionally charged with aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. All are now in police custody.

“The news today from Memphis officials that these five officers are being held criminally accountable for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre,” the family’s lawyers said.

Officials have said a video of the episode exists and will be released sometime after 6pm Central time on Friday (8am Saturday in Singapore).

“I expect you to feel outrage in the disregard of basic human rights,” Ms Davis said.

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2023-01-26 22:32:19Z
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