KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin became the first person in Malaysia to receive a Covid-19 vaccine shot on Wednesday (Feb 24), as the country rolled out its nationwide vaccination campaign two days earlier than scheduled.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin received the first of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a public clinic in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya.
The second person to be inoculated was frontliner Clement Marai Francis, a driver for the Putrajaya clinic.
The Health Ministry's director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah - who has been the face of Malaysia's coronavirus response - was the third individual to receive the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Mr Muhyiddin and Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham received their vaccines within 20 minutes of arriving at the clinic in a publicly broadcasted event that was aimed at showing Malaysians the steps for vaccination.
After registration, the individuals were briefed about the vaccine in a separate room, before proceeding to receive their jabs.
Vaccinated individuals will then be asked to wait in an observation room for at least 15 minutes, where they will be monitored for any side-effects.
Mr Muhyiddin had volunteered to be the first to receive the vaccine shots in order to build public confidence in the inoculation process. A survey by the Health Ministry in December last year showed one-third of Malaysians remained sceptical of vaccines and worried about side effects.
Malaysia had initially planned to start its mass vaccination campaign on Friday, but with the vaccines arriving ahead of schedule on Sunday, the authorities brought forward the start date of the vaccination exercise, which is expected to last up to a year.
Malaysia aims to inoculate close to 83 per cent of its 33 million population.
It will vaccinate elected representatives, healthcare workers and other front-liners in the first phase that is expected to last until next month.
The second phase will involve at-risk groups, such as individuals with certain existing illnesses, and those above the age of 65.
The country aims to begin administering vaccines to the general populace from May.
All vaccines will be made available for free, including for foreign workers, expatriates, refugees and undocumented migrants.
The first batch of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, the United States-German collaboration, consisted of 312,390 doses which arrived on Sunday. Another 182,520 doses are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
The country has inked a deal to buy a total of 25 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which cover 39 per cent of its population.
It has also ordered a total of 6.4 million doses from British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, signed a deal for 12 million doses from China's Sinovac, and another 6.4 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia.
The authorities said last week that they were in the final stages of talks with US company Johnson & Johnson to procure its single-dose vaccine, which it aims to use on the vulnerable population, such as undocumented migrants.
Malaysia will administer the two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 21 days apart, as recommended by the vaccine manufacturer.
Malaysia had spent weeks preparing for the storage and delivery of the vaccine, with local energy firm Tenaga Nasional Berhad giving the assurance that there will be no power disruption at any of the vaccine storage facilities.
NEW DELHI: It’s no surprise Myanmar’s coup is testing the patience of the international community.
Protesters have called for external intervention, following three deaths. After being sprayed by water cannons, rubber bullets and more, they expect an imminent use of more lethal force by the military.
But the international community has – unsurprisingly – been unable to launch a coordinated approach, apart from the expected strongly worded statements from the UN Security Council on Feb 4 and the UN Human Rights Council on Feb 12.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other world leaders may have condemned the military’s brutality over this past week.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the media during a joint news conference in Berlin, Germany, Dec 17, 2020. (File photo: Michael Sohn/Pool via REUTERS)
But that only went as far as to illicit a response from the Myanmar foreign ministry on Feb 22 that authorities were “exercising utmost restraint” in refuting the condemnations and calling them a “flagrant interference” in Myanmar’s internal affairs as a sovereign country.
STRONGER WORDS FROM ASEAN
What has been raised some eyebrows, however, is the stern, finger-wagging words of Myanmar’s closer Southeast Asian compatriots.
Malaysia views the political situation in Myanmar as a “serious” development and a “step backwards in the country’s democratic process,” Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s Yassin said, warning that the political unrest there could “affect peace and stability in the region” on Feb 4 during his visit to Indonesia.
Calling the situation “alarming”, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also warned of serious consequences for Myanmar and the region if the situation continued to escalate in his response to a Parliament question on Feb 16.
Even Thailand, which has a history with military coups, called for ASEAN nations to take a “collective stand” on the issue.
The ground may have further shifted after two protesters were killed over the weekend after police opened fire on demonstrations, with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling the use of lethal weapons against civilians “inexcusable” on Feb 20.
Both Singapore and Indonesia Foreign Affairs Ministers also expressed grave concern over ongoing developments and discussing further steps for ASEAN to address the situation in Myanmar earlier on Feb 18.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also emphasised on Tuesday (Feb 23) that Myanmar’s transition to democracy should follow the wishes of its people and urged for ASEAN to double efforts to mediate between the junta and protesters.
FILE PHOTO: Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her speech during a press briefing with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan 10, 2020. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/File Photo)
WHAT’S BEHIND STRONGER WORDS
To some extent, Indonesia and Malaysia’s stronger words for Myanmar has come as less of a surprise, given their consistently tough stance on the country to take responsibility for the Rohingya crisis and get their house in order or face repercussions.
They have come under strong pressure to take this position since 2017 from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which also pushed for the Rohingya case to be heard at the International Court of Justice last year.
And while many observers have highlighted that Singapore’s rhetoric on Myanmar’s coup seemed unusually aggressive, history shows Singapore has taken a consistent, principled stance premised on the rule of law and national responsibility for internal issues. Its position on the Rohingya crisis is instructive.
“To be brutally honest, this is a man-made humanitarian disaster and something which should not be happening in this day and age,” Dr Balakrishnan had said in October 2018 when pressed on ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the situation in Rakhine.
Indeed, while keen observers point to the lack of reference to the Rohingya crisis in ASEAN statements, during Singapore’s chairmanship in 2018, ASEAN countries worked hard, far away from the media spotlight, to secure Myanmar’s commitment in taking concrete steps.
ASEAN must be given credit in pushing to facilitate the voluntary return of displaced people and the implementation of recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Rakhine State headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Similar behind-the-scenes shuttle diplomacy has been at play over the past two weeks, with Indonesia spearheading efforts with other ASEAN foreign ministers to find a resolution to the crisis.
Ms Marsudi has been travelling across Southeast Asia to rally support from ASEAN members for a special summit to discuss next steps. She may also be leading more back-channel talks with the Tatmadaw to find a compromise and prevent further violent crackdowns.
CAREFUL NOT TO OVERPLAY
Indeed, ASEAN countries are clear-eyed and know they cannot publicly push too forcefully given the lack of unanimity on the approach to take within the grouping.
They are also well aware actions on their part could look like foreign interference into domestic politics even to anti-coup protesters, after remarks that Indonesia is pushing for ASEAN to send election monitors if the junta holds national polls sparked threats of demonstrations at the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon on Feb 23.
ASEAN countries know they must be careful not to overplay their hand and put too much pressure on Myanmar or suggest that they can offer solutions to the country’s complex troubles.
For one, they may be drawn into debates on how far they may be willing to go to back on their rhetoric, where the reality is that most have significant commercial interests in Myanmar, particularly Singapore, the biggest investor bringing in more than S$24 billion of capital in 2019.
Mr Balakrishnan had to walk a tightrope in clarifying that he would not presume to tell the Singapore business community what to do following the coup in urging against the use of widespread sanctions.
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan speaking in Parliament on Feb 16, 2020.
“I am sure companies making commercial decisions and investment decisions will also pay attention to the political context of the venue in which they are seeking to invest in.”
WHAT ASEAN BRINGS TO THE TABLE
ASEAN should also guard against getting drawn into the power play as major countries and segments of the international community search for levers to exert greater pressure on Myanmar.
The US knows its actions, even combined with other western countries, will not move the needle on Myanmar, and seek to build a coordinated international approach whereby ASEAN plays a leading role.
There are signs this is underway, when White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with ambassadors from ASEAN, urging them to support for the “immediate restoration” of democracy in Myanmar and Secretary of State Antony Blinken doing the same with his counterparts.
The Americans know Myanmar will be more willing to listen and engage with neighbouring ASEAN states, given the country’s strong anathema to Western interference, seen during the relief efforts for the 2008 Cyclone Nargis disaster.
The regional bloc’s freshly created ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force for Victims of Cyclone Nargis (AHTF) played a leading role in helping to coordinate international relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Moreover, Washington understands an advantage in ASEAN taking the lead is the grouping’s ability to rally the support of both China and Russia.
ASEAN countries may wax and wane in how stern an approach they take towards member-states like Myanmar where difference arise, but this will not be the last time Southeast Asian countries express harsher positions than expected.
Former Singaporean senior diplomat Bilahari Kausikan had already highlighted how ASEAN membership should not be taken as granted and can be revoked if actions of member-states grow detrimental to the bloc’s collective interests.
More importantly, something horrible has gone wrong in Myanmar and the pressure cannot let up.
This was a usurping of power by the military against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of voters. A democratically elected government was pushed aside on unsubstantiated electoral allegations.
There may be limitations on what ASEAN can conceivably achieve since any dialing back of the clock and return to democracy lies in the hands of the Tatmadaw. But ASEAN is still the world’s best hope of nudging the situation in Myanmar.
Dr Nehginpao Kipgen is a Political Scientist, Associate Professor and Executive Director at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, O P Jindal Global University. He is the author of three books on Myanmar, including Democratization of Myanmar.
CANBERRA: Facebook will restore Australian news pages, ending an unprecedented week-long blackout after wringing concessions from the government over a proposed law that will require tech giants to pay traditional media companies for their content.
Both sides claimed victory in the clash, which has drawn global attention as countries including Canada and Britain consider similar steps to rein in the dominant tech platforms and preserve media diversity.
While some analysts said Facebook had defended its lucrative model of collecting ad money for clicks on news it shows, others said the compromise - which includes a deal on how to resolve disputes - could pay off for the media industry, or at least for publishers with reach and political clout.
"Facebook has scored a big win," said independent British technology analyst Richard Windsor, adding the concessions it made "virtually guarantee that it will be business as usual from here on".
Australia and the social media group had been locked in a standoff after the government introduced legislation that challenged Facebook and Google's dominance in the news content market.
Facebook blocked Australian users on Feb 17 from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, drawing criticism from publishers and the government.
But after talks between Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a concession deal was struck, with Australian news expected to return to the social media site in coming days.
"Facebook has refriended Australia, and Australian news will be restored to the Facebook platform," Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra.
Frydenberg said Australia had been a "proxy battle for the world" as other jurisdictions engage with tech companies over a range of issues around news and content.
Australia will offer four amendments, which include a change to the proposed mandatory arbitration mechanism used when the tech giants cannot reach a deal with publishers over fair payment for displaying news content.
"UNTESTED"
Facebook said it was satisfied with the revisions, which will need to be implemented in legislation currently before the parliament.
"Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won't automatically be subject to a forced negotiation," Facebook Vice President of Global News Partnerships Campbell Brown said in a statement online.
The company would continue to invest in news globally but also "resist efforts by media conglomerates to advance regulatory frameworks that do not take account of the true value exchange between publishers and platforms like Facebook".
Analysts said while the concessions marked some progress for tech platforms, the government and the media, there remained many uncertainties about how the law would work.
"Retaining unilateral control over which publishers they do cash deals with as well as control over if and how news appears on Facebook surely looks more attractive to Menlo Park than the alternative," said Rasmus Nielsen, head of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, referring to Facebook headquarters.
Australia's landmark legislation may carry the seal of government, but media and political insiders see the fingerprints of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp all over it. (Photo: AFP/Jewel SAMAD)
Any deals that Facebook strikes are likely to benefit the bottom line of News Corp and a few other big Australian publishers, added Nielsen, but whether smaller outlets win such deals remains to be seen.
Tama Leaver, professor of Internet studies at Australia's Curtin University, said Facebook's negotiating tactics had dented its reputation, although it was too early to say how the proposed law would work.
"It's like a gun that sits in the Treasurer's desk that hasn't been used or tested," said Leaver.
COOLING-OFF PERIOD
The amendments include an additional two-month mediation period before the government-appointed arbitrator intervenes, giving the parties more time to reach a private deal.
It also inserts a rule that an Internet company's existing media deals be taken into account before the rules take effect, a measure that Frydenberg said would encourage Internet companies to strike deals with smaller outlets.
The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms' sites.
Media companies have argued that they should be compensated for the links that drive audiences, and advertising dollars, to the Internet companies' platforms.
A spokesman for Australian publisher and broadcaster Nine Entertainment welcomed the government's compromise, which it said moved "Facebook back into the negotiations with Australian media organisations".
Major television broadcaster and newspaper publisher Seven West Media said it had signed a letter of intent to strike a content supply deal with Facebook within 60 days.
A representative of News Corp, which has a major presence in Australia's news industry and last week announced a global licensing deal with Google, was not immediately available for comment.
Frydenberg said Google had welcomed the changes. A Google spokesman declined to comment.
Google also previously threatened to withdraw its search engine from Australia but later struck a series of deals with publishers.
The government will introduce the amendments to Australia's parliament on Tuesday, Frydenberg said. The country's two houses of parliament will need to approve the amended proposal before it becomes law.
The leader of Myanmar's junta has called for energetic efforts to revive an ailing economy, state media reported on Tuesday (Feb 23), as Western countries considered more sanctions to press the generals to shun a violent crackdown on democracy protests.
The call for focus on the economy came after a general strike shut businesses on Monday and huge crowds gathered to denounce the military's Feb 1 coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite a warning from authorities that confrontation could get people killed.
Opponents of the coup gathered again on Tuesday though in much smaller numbers. There were also small marches in favour of the military, media reported.
Military chief General Min Aung Hlaing, in a meeting with his ruling council on Monday, called for state spending and imports to be cut and exports increased.
"The council needs to put its energy into reviving the country's ailing economy. Economic remedy measures must be taken," state media quoted him as saying.
The army seized power after alleging fraud in Nov 8 elections, detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and much of the party leadership. The electoral commission dismissed the fraud complaints.
The crisis raises the prospect of isolation and investor jitters just as the coronavirus is undermining consumption and tourism.
Min Aung Hlaing did not link the protests directly to economic problems but said the authorities were following a democratic path in dealing with them and police were using minimal force, such as rubber bullets, state media reported.
The security forces have shown more restraint compared with earlier crackdowns against people who had pushed for democracy during almost half a century of direct military rule.
Even so, three protesters have been killed - two shot dead in the second city of Mandalay on Saturday, and a woman who died on Friday after being shot more than a week earlier in the capital, Naypyidaw.
The army has said one policeman died of injuries sustained during the protests.
The military has accused protesters of provoking violence but United Nations Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said the millions who marched on Monday in a "breathtaking" turnout showed they were prepared to face up to military threats.
"The generals are losing their power to intimidate and with it, their power. It is past time for them to stand down, as the people of Myanmar stand up," Andrews said on Twitter.
The European Union said it was considering sanctions that would target businesses owned by the army, but the bloc ruled out any curtailing its trade preferences to avoid hurting poor workers.
"We are not prepared to stand by and watch," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in Brussels on Monday.
The administration of President Joe Biden has previously imposed sanctions on Myanmar's acting president and several military officers, as well as three companies in the jade and gems sector.
Britain, Germany and Japan have also condemned the violence and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the military to stop repression.
Myanmar, which has in the past been unswayed by sanctions, denounced what it called interference in its affairs.
CANBERRA: Facebook said on Tuesday it will restore Australian news pages after negotiating changes with the government to a proposed law that forces tech giants to pay for media content displayed on their platforms.
Australia and the social media group have been locked in a standoff for more than a week after the government introduced legislation that challenged Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google's dominance in the news content market.
Facebook last week blocked Australian users from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, drawing criticism from publishers and the government.
But after a series of talks between Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a concession deal has been struck, with Australian news expected to return to the social media site in coming days.
The issue has been widely watched internationally as other countries including Canada and Britain consider similar legislation.
"Facebook has refriended Australia, and Australian news will be restored to the Facebook platform," Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
Frydenberg said Australia had been a "proxy battle for the world" as other jurisdictions engage with tech companies over a range of issues around news and content.
While Big Tech and media outlets have battled over the right to news content in other jurisdictions, Australia's proposed laws are the most expansive and seen as a possible template for other nations.
"Facebook and Google have not hidden the fact that they know that the eyes of the world are on Australia, and that's why they have sought I think to get a code here that is workable," Frydenberg said.
Australia will offer four amendments, which include a change to the proposed mandatory arbitration mechanism used when the tech giants cannot reach a deal with publishers over fair payment for displaying news content.
'UNTESTED'
Facebook said it was satisfied with the revisions, which will need to be implemented in legislation currently before the parliament.
"Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won't automatically be subject to a forced negotiation," Facebook Vice President of Global News Partnerships Campbell Brown said in a statement online.
She said the company would continue to invest in news globally but also "resist efforts by media conglomerates to advance regulatory frameworks that do not take account of the true value exchange between publishers and platforms like Facebook."
The government had up until Monday maintained it would not change the legislation.
Analysts said while the concessions marked some progress for tech platforms, the government and the media, there remained many uncertainties about how the law would work.
The amendments include an additional two-month mediation period before the government-appointed arbitrator intervenes, giving the parties more time to reach a private deal.
It also inserts a rule that an internet company's existing media deals be taken into account before the rules take effect, a measure that Frydenberg said would encourage internet companies to strike deals with smaller outlets.
The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms' sites.
Media companies have argued that they should be compensated for the links that drive audiences, and advertising dollars, to the internet companies' platforms.
A spokesman for Australian publisher and broadcaster Nine Entertainment Co Ltd welcomed the government's compromise, which it said moved "Facebook back into the negotiations with Australian media organisations."
Major television broadcaster and newspaper publisher Seven West Media Ltd said it had signed a letter of intent to strike a content supply deal with Facebook within 60 days.
A representative of News Corp, which has a major presence in Australia's news industry and last week announced a global licencing deal with Google, was not immediately available for comment.
The proposed code will apply to Facebook and Google, although the competition regulator, which advised government on the legislation, has said it's likely other tech firms will be added.
Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Australia's Curtin University, said Facebook's negotiating tactics had dented its reputation, although it was too early to say how the proposed law would work.
"The law itself remains untested. It's like a gun that sits in the Treasurer's desk that hasn't been used or tested," said Leaver.
Frydenberg said Google had welcomed the changes. A Google spokesman declined to comment on Reuters' queries.
Google also previously threatened to withdraw its search engine from Australia but later struck a series of deals with publishers.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims, the main architect of the law, declined to comment.
The government will introduce the amendments to Australia's parliament on Tuesday, Frydenberg said. The country's two houses of parliament will need to approve the amended proposal before it becomes law.
(Reporting by Colin Packham and Byron Kaye; additional reporting by Renju Jose; Writing by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Sam Holmes)
CANBERRA: Facebook said on Tuesday it will restore Australian news pages after negotiating changes with the government to a proposed law that forces tech giants to pay for media content displayed on their platforms.
Australia and the social media group have been locked in a standoff for more than a week after the government introduced legislation that challenged Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google's dominance in the news content market.
Facebook last week blocked Australian users from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, drawing criticism from publishers and the government.
But after a series of talks between Frydenberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a concession deal has been struck.
The issue has been widely watched internationally as other countries including Canada and Britain consider similar legislation.
"Facebook has refriended Australia, and Australian news will be restored to the Facebook platform," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
Frydenberg said Australia had been a "proxy battle for the world" as other jurisdictions engage with tech companies over a range of issues around news and content.
While Big Tech and media outlets have battled over the right to news content in other jurisdictions, Australia's proposed laws are the most expansive and are seen as a possible template for other nations.
"Facebook and Google have not hidden the fact that they know that the eyes of the world are on Australia, and that's why they have sought I think to get a code here that is workable," Frydenberg said.
Australia will offer four amendments, which include a change to the mandatory arbitration mechanism used when the tech giants cannot reach a deal with publishers over fair payment for displaying news content.
"Going forward, the government has clarified we will retain the ability to decide if news appears on Facebook so that we won’t automatically be subject to a forced negotiation," Facebook Vice President of Global News Partnerships Campbell Brown said in a statement online.
She said the company would continue to invest in news globally but also "resist efforts by media conglomerates to advance regulatory frameworks that do not take account of the true value exchange between publishers and platforms like Facebook."
COMPROMISES
The amendments include an additional two-month mediation period before the government-appointed arbitrator intervenes, giving the parties more time to reach a private deal.
It also inserts a rule that an internet company's existing media deals be taken into account before the rules take effect, a measure that Frydenberg said would encourage internet companies to strike deals with smaller outlets.
Australia had until Monday said it would make no further changes to the legislation.
The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms' sites.
Media companies have argued that they should be compensated for the links that drive audiences, and advertising dollars, to the internet companies' platforms.
A spokesman for Australian publisher and broadcaster Nine Entertainment Co Ltd welcomed the government's compromise, which it said moved "Facebook back into the negotiations with Australian media organisations."
A representative of News Corp, which has a major presence in Australia's news industry and last week announced a global licencing deal with Google, was not immediately available for comment.
The proposed code will apply to Facebook and Google, although the competition regulator, which advised government on the legislation, has said it's likely other tech firms will be added.
Frydenberg said Google had welcomed the changes. A Google spokesman declined to comment on Reuters' queries.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims, the main architect of the law, declined to comment.
The government will introduce the amendments to Australia's parliament on Tuesday, Frydenberg said. The country's two houses of parliament will need to approve the amended proposal before it becomes law.
Frydenberg said he expected Australian news content to be restored to Facebook in the "coming days".
(Reporting by Colin Packham and Byron Kaye; additional reporting by Renju Jose; Writing by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Sam Holmes)
