Immediate action needed to address Malaysia's RM1.5 trillion national debt: PM Anwar - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s national debt has reached RM1.5 trillion (US$350 billion) and immediate action must be taken to address the issue, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday (Jan 17).

He said the figure, which includes liabilities, has already exceeded 80 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and that this has a direct impact on the economy.

He was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times that the figure also suggests that the country’s budget deficit will widen further than the earlier estimate of 5.8 per cent of the GDP for 2022.

“The problem with our debt is it has already touched RM1.2 trillion and if liabilities are included, the debt is RM1.5 trillion,” said Mr Anwar at the 2023 Budget Dialogue at the finance ministry.

In 2018, then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad revealed that the country was saddled with more than RM1 trillion in debt following the opposition coalition's win in the 2018 General Election. Dr Mahathir then blamed the previous government led by former protege Najib Razak on the issue.

And just last year, former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said that the country’s debt stood at RM1.045 trillion at the end of June 2022. This corresponds with 63.8 per cent of Malaysia’s GDP then.

Mr Anwar was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama on Tuesday that the economy is still “considered weak”.

“It is also related to international developments, both in terms of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and post-COVID-19, and has yet to show economic strength,” he said.

The finance minister was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times that Malaysians cannot afford to be complacent and living “with a culture of contentment as if there is no problem”.

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2023-01-17 05:32:00Z
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Hopes of survivors in Nepal plane crash 'nil' - CNA

"I was walking when I heard a loud blast, like a bomb went off," said witness Arun Tamu, 44, who was around 500 metres away and who live-streamed video of the blazing wreckage on social media.

"A few of us rushed to see if we can rescue anybody. I saw at least two women were breathing. The fire was getting very intense and it made it difficult for us to approach closer," the former soldier told AFP.

It was unclear if anyone on the ground was injured.

Aviation expert Greg Waldon told AFP that, from the video shared on social media, it appeared the plane may have had a "wing stall", meaning one wing suddenly stopped providing lift.

"When you're at low altitude and you have an event like that... it's major trouble," Waldon, Asia managing editor at industry publication FlightGlobal, told AFP.

France-based manufacturer ATR said in a statement on Sunday that its "specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation and the customer".

Nepal's air industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas, as well as ferrying foreign mountain climbers.

Yeti Airlines, Nepal's second-biggest carrier, was founded in 1998 by entrepreneur Ang Tshering Sherpa, who died in a helicopter crash in 2019.

The aviation sector has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance. The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.

Nepal also has some of the world's most remote and trickiest runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks with difficult approaches and capricious weather.

The country's deadliest aviation accident took place in 1992, when all 167 people on a Pakistan International Airlines jet died when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu.

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2023-01-16 10:19:37Z
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Commentary: China might not get the economic boost it expects in 2023 from ending zero-COVID - CNA

Per capita disposable income growth continued to lag behind pre-pandemic norms, showing only an annual increase of 3.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2022 compared with 5.1 per cent between 2020 and 2021, and 7.5 per cent from 2013 to 2019.

Chinese households are saving at record levels, with household savings rate hitting 40.3 per cent of GDP in the third quarter of 2022. And it looks like the majority of them do not plan to draw down those savings. A recent survey from the Peoples’ Bank of China (PBOC) indicated that the willingness to save remained strong which does not bode well for future consumption.

This strong preference towards savings rather than spending can be seen in the context of falling net wealth, dragged down by housing and financial asset underperformance, and weakening job prospects.

Unemployment is rising, with the jobless rate among youth workers (ages 16 to 24) remaining high at 17.1 per cent.

The global slowdown is expected to constrain hiring intention at export-oriented manufacturing firms, a trend reinforced by the recent deterioration in PMI employment indices, the lowest in nearly three years. The ongoing housing downturn also weighed on job prospects in construction and related sectors.

With household debt level having doubled in a decade, any scope for more leveraged consumption will be limited.

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2023-01-15 22:06:00Z
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Nepal air crashes since 2010 - CNA

KATHMANDU: An aircraft with 72 people on board crashed in Nepal on Sunday (Jan 15), officials said, the latest aviation disaster to hit the Himalayan nation.

Nepal's air transport sector has been plagued by accidents due to poor maintenance, insufficient training and lax standards.

The country also has some of the world's most remote and tricky runways, with approaches flanked by towering mountains that challenge even accomplished pilots.

Here is a timeline of major air disasters to hit the country since 2010:

May 29, 2022

A Twin Otter plane operated by Nepali carrier Tara Air crashes shortly after takeoff from Pokhara in western Nepal, killing 22 people.

Apr 14, 2019

A small plane veers off the runway while taking off near Mount Everest, hitting two helicopters and killing three people. Three people were also injured.

Mar 12, 2018

A flight from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka crash-lands at Kathmandu airport, skidding into a football field where it bursts into flames. Fifty-one people are killed in what was the deadliest aviation accident in the country for decades.

Feb 24, 2016

A Twin Otter aircraft operated by Tara Air crashes into a hillside in Myagdi district, killing all 23 people on board.

Feb 16, 2014

Eighteen people are killed when a Nepal Airlines flight crashes in Arghakhanchi district, with rescuers finding body parts and debris strewn across the mountainous countryside.

Sep 28, 2012

A plane flying 19 people towards Mount Everest goes down in flames on the outskirts of the Nepali capital, killing everyone on board, including seven Britons and five Chinese citizens.

May 14, 2012

Fifteen people die when an Agni Air plane carrying Indian pilgrims crashes near the treacherous high-altitude airport of Jomsom in northern Nepal, while six make a miraculous escape.

Sep 25, 2011

A small plane taking tourists on a sightseeing trip around Mount Everest crashes into a hillside near Kathmandu, killing all 19 people on board.

Dec 15, 2010

All 22 passengers and crew on board a passenger plane that crashes in eastern Nepal are killed. Most of the victims are pilgrims from Bhutan, with one US citizen also among the dead.

Aug 24, 2010

A small Agni Air plane crashes in bad weather near Kathmandu, killing all 14 people on board including four Americans, a Japanese and a British national.

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2023-01-15 09:20:00Z
1741442006

WHO says its chief spoke with Chinese officials, welcomes COVID-19 data - CNA

ZURICH: The World Health Organization's head has spoken with Chinese authorities and the agency welcomed new information about the situation in the country, WHO said on Saturday (Jan 14) after Beijing released new data showing a big jump in COVID-19-related deaths.

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke with Ma Xiaowei, director of China’s National Health Commission, about the wave of infections which erupted after the country abruptly dismantled its anti-virus regime last month.

"WHO appreciates this meeting, as well as the public release of information on the overall situation," the Geneva-based agency said in a statement.

"Chinese officials provided information to WHO and in a press conference on a range of topics, including outpatient clinics, hospitalisations, patients requiring emergency treatment and critical care, and hospital deaths related to COVID-19 infection," it said, while also pledging further technical advice and support.

Earlier on Saturday China said nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy in early December, a big jump from previously reported figures. The release follows global criticism of China's data.

"WHO is analysing this information, which covers early December 2022 to 12 January 2023, and allows for a better understanding of the epidemiological situation and the impact of this wave in China," the UN agency said. 

The WHO said the epidemiology of the latest outbreak, with a rapid and intense wave of infections caused by types of the Omicron variant - which particularly affected older people or those with underlying conditions - was similar to what had been seen in other countries.

"The reported data indicate a decline in case numbers, hospitalisations, and those requiring critical care. WHO has requested a more detailed breakdown of data by province over time," the agency said.

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2023-01-14 20:06:00Z
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At least 40 killed in Nepal air crash - CNA

Nepal's air industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.

But it has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance.

The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.

The Himalayan country also has some of the world's most remote and tricky runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.

Aircraft operators say Nepal lacks infrastructure for accurate weather forecasts, especially in remote areas with challenging mountainous terrain where deadly crashes have taken place in the past.

The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.

In May 2022, all 22 people on board a plane operated by Nepali carrier Tara Air - 16 Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans - died when it crashed.

Air traffic control lost contact with the twin-propeller Twin Otter shortly after it took off from Pokhara and headed for Jomsom, a popular trekking destination.

Its wreckage was found a day later, strewn across a mountainside at an altitude of about 4,400m.

About 60 people were involved in the search mission, most of whom trekked uphill for miles to get there.

After that crash, authorities tightened regulations, including that planes would only be cleared to fly only if there was favourable weather forecast throughout the route.

In March 2018, a US-Bangla Airlines plane crash-landed near Kathmandu's notoriously difficult international airport, killing 51 people.

That accident was Nepal's deadliest since 1992, when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane died when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu.

Just two months earlier, a Thai Airways aircraft had crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.

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2023-01-15 06:32:00Z
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Rules were followed, says Ahmad Zahid after UMNO passes contentious no-contest motion on his presidency - CNA

Whether UMNO's top two posts will be contested at its next leadership polls has been a hot topic at this year's convention.

A loss for current president Ahmad Zahid - also Malaysia's deputy prime minister - could have implications for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government.

But Ahmad Zahid has maintained his confidence in defending his position, saying in a policy speech on Friday that he would leave it to party delegates to decide if the roles should be contested.

He said on Friday that he did not pressure delegates into supporting the motion, and that he and deputy president Mohamad Hasan were in fact "surprised" when a delegate from the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan tabled the additional motion.

DEMOCRACY "RESTRICTED"

UMNO supreme council member Ahmad Said told reporters earlier on Saturday that more than 90 per cent of delegates supported the motion to uphold solidarity in the party, as it prepares to contest elections in six states.

"I want to reiterate that the top two never asked for their posts not to be contested, but it was the desire of the delegates. It shows that UMNO still prioritises winning the elections, as being united is more important than the positions themselves," Mr Ahmad said.

But UMNO vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the motion did not seem to make sense.

"Party elections are normal in UMNO, even at division levels. If we are afraid the party will split because of elections, then might as well not have elections for division chiefs and so on, as grassroots too will be split," he told the media after the convention.

Veteran UMNO member and former treasurer Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said after the convention that democracy in the party was "restricted".

"Those who are not happy (with the motion) can contest. It won't split the party ... back then I went against (former president) Mahathir (Mohamad), the party didn't split," he said.

At UMNO's most recent election, in 2018, Ahmad Zahid fended off challenges for the presidency from Mr Khairy and Mr Tengku Razaleigh. 

MOTION IS "FINAL"

Ahmad Zahid said members who still wish to challenge for the top two posts will be referred to the party's disciplinary board. The no-contest motion is not constitutionally binding.

"The general assembly is UMNO's highest body as clearly stated in the party constitution," he said, insisting that the motion passed is "final".

He urged members who might be angry with the decision to stay united with the party moving forward.

"The delegates (who passed this motion) represent their grassroots members, so it is them who want to maintain unity in the party," he said.

On what actions Mr Khairy could face, Ahmad Zahid said the issue will be discussed with Mr Khairy's division chief and brought to UMNO's disciplinary body.

PHANTOM DELEGATES

Mr Khairy had alleged in a TikTok video on Saturday 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.

Mr Jamal went further to claim that Mr Khairy had paid off delegates to boo the motion as it was tabled in the Merdeka hall, based on what he said were admissions by these delegates.

"I will make an official report to the disciplinary body, and I hope the body takes action and revokes his membership," he added.

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2023-01-14 14:08:00Z
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