Malaysia rulers say no need for state of emergency beyond Aug 1; call for political temperature to be cooled down - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: The rulers of Malaysia said there is no need to extend a state of emergency beyond Aug 1, while calling for the political temperature to be cooled down. 

Keeper of the Rulers' Seal Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said in a statement on Wednesday (Jun 16) that the rulers have noted the high number of daily COVID-19 cases, although a state of emergency has been proclaimed. 

The economic and financial situation of the country was worrying and the political atmosphere is unstable, according to the statement. 

"The unity among the people is increasingly cracked," the statement read, adding that people were suffering from job loss and income loss. 

The Malay rulers reached an agreement that, among others, people's lives and livelihoods must be prioritised, it said. 

"The political temperature that is increasingly rising must be cooled down. 

"It is important to have a stable government that can command confidence and support of the majority of the people. 

"There is no need to place the country under a state of emergency after Aug 1, 2021," the statement read. 

On Wednesday afternoon, King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah chaired a special rulers' conference at Istana Negara, after granting audiences to key political leaders since last week. 

In a statement issued after the meeting, the king said parliamentary sittings should reconvene as soon as possible so that the emergency ordinances and the national recovery plan can be debated by members of parliament. 

The king first declared a state of emergency on Jan 12 to curb the spread of COVID-19. The emergency was scheduled to last until Aug 1 or earlier depending on the state of coronavirus infections.

Federal parliamentary sessions and state legislative assemblies have not sat since then, and no elections were held during this period. 

The suspension of parliament was seen as a move that helped Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin avoid an immediate challenge to his razor-thin majority. 

Mr Muhyiddin was appointed to the post following a power tussle in Putrajaya last year. He has since faced leadership challenges not just from the opposition, but also from allies in his Perikatan Nasional government. 

Opposition politicians have been criticising the government's handling of the pandemic and called for parliament to sit. A spike in COVID-19 cases has forced the government to implement a total lockdown since Jun 1. 

According to the Wednesday statement, the Malay rulers were of the opinion that legislature assemblies in their respective states should also convene as soon as possible.

"The assembly methods and procedures currently practised in a few countries, which were proven to be able to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, should be introduced and accepted in this country," the statement said. 

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2021-06-16 13:40:27Z
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Putin and Biden end summit, schedule separate news conferences - The Straits Times

GENEVA (REUTERS) – US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva on Wednesday (June 16) for their first summit since Biden took office, but their talks lasted less than four hours – far less than Biden’s advisers had said they expected.

Both had said they hoped for more stable and predictable relations, even though they were at odds over everything from arms control and cyber-hacking to election interference and Ukraine.

Putin and Biden shook hands on arrival before going inside, but the news that they would not hold a joint news conference meant there was none of the joviality that accompanied a 2018 meeting between Putin and Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden flashed a "thumbs-up" to reporters as he left the lakeside villa where the talks were held and got into his limousine.

“Mr President, I’d like to thank you for your initiative to meet today,” Putin said, sitting next to Biden, adding: “US and Russian relations have a lot of issues accumulated that require the highest-level meeting.”

Biden said they would try to determine areas of cooperation and mutual interest. “It is always better to meet face-to-face.”

Aides had played down hopes for the summit.

“We’re not expecting a big set of deliverables out of this meeting,” a senior US official told reporters.

“I’m not sure that any agreements will be reached,” said Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov.

The first round of talks – which included Biden, Putin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov – lasted almost two hours, officials said.

Talks resumed after a break at around 4pm (10pm Singapore time), with Moscow’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, who was recalled to Russia in March, among those present. That round ended at 5.05pm.

Relations between Moscow and Washington have been deteriorating for years, notably with Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, its 2015 intervention in Syria and US charges – denied by Moscow – of meddling in the 2016 election that brought Donald Trump to the White House.

They sank further in March when Biden said he thought Putin was a “killer”, prompting Russia to recall Antonov to Washington for consultations. The United States recalled its ambassador in April.

Peskov said the two presidents would “need to determine how to proceed with the heads of the diplomatic missions”, according to Russian news agencies.

While the issues were difficult, the immediate surroundings of Villa La Grange, an elegant mansion set in a 30ha park overlooking Lake Geneva, was at least serene.

Arms control

Arms control is one domain where progress has historically been possible despite wider disagreements.

In February, Russia and the United States extended for five years the New Start treaty, which caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads they can deploy and limits the land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

The senior US official said Biden would also define areas of vital national interest where Russian misconduct would bring a response. Biden signed an executive order in April giving Washington wide latitude to impose sanctions on Moscow.

In a sign of the strain in ties, there was no joint meal.

Putin, 68, was due to hold his news conference shortly after the end of talks, and Biden, 78, some 45 minutes later.

Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian diplomat, said Putin wanted Russia to be treated with respect, as members of the Soviet Politburo were in the 1960s-1980s, with “a symbolic recognition of Russia’s geopolitical parity with the US”.

“In exchange, they (Moscow) would be willing to cut back on some of the loony stuff,” Frolov said. This might mean “no poisonings, no physical violence, no arrests/kidnappings of US and Russian nationals; no interference in domestic politics”.

Trump’s summit with Putin in Helsinki included a meeting accompanied only by interpreters, but Biden and Putin had no solo talks.

Standing beside Putin in Helsinki, Trump refused to blame him for meddling in the 2016 US election, casting doubt on the findings of his own intelligence agencies and sparking a storm of domestic criticism.

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2021-06-16 15:59:18Z
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Malaysia's King urges govt to reconvene Parliament as soon as possible to debate Covid-19 recovery plans - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's King on Wednesday (June 16) said that Parliament should be reconvened "as soon as possible" to allow MPs to debate emergency laws and the country's Covid-19 recovery plan.

In a statement issued by the national palace, also known as the Istana Negara, after a special meeting of the Malay rulers on Wednesday, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah said he came to this conclusion after hearing views from heads of political parties, the Special Independent Committee on Emergency 2021 and briefings by government experts.

The statement was signed by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.

Malaysia’s Parliament last sat in December to pass this year’s Budget.

A separate statement issued by the Council of Rulers - representing the nine royal Malay houses - said it agrees with the King that Parliament should be reconvened soon.

The statement also said that Malaysia's national state of emergency should be lifted after Aug 1.

"There is no need to place the country under the state of emergency after 1 Aug, 2021," said the statement which was signed by the Keeper of the Royal Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.

The ongoing state of emergency was imposed on Jan 12 in the light of rising Covid-19 cases.

It suspends the requirement for Parliament to reconvene within six months of its last sitting.

The state of emergency had also ensured that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's administration, whose control of the House has been challenged, remains in power.

After hearing the views of the politicians and experts, "His Majesty expresses his opinion that Parliament should reconvene as soon as possible", the statement said. "This will allow for debate by Members of Parliament on the emergency laws and the National Recovery Plan".

"His Majesty also expresses his hope that the Covid-19 infection curve could be flattened quickly, and is of the view that vaccinations are the only exit strategy to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country," it added.

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2021-06-16 13:39:13Z
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Malaysia parliament should reconvene as soon as possible, says king after special rulers' conference - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said on Wednesday (Jun 16) that parliamentary sittings should reconvene as soon as possible, after he chaired a special rulers' conference. 

A statement issued by the palace said: "After reviewing all the perspectives of the leaders of the political parties, the 2021 Independent Emergency Special Committee as well as briefings by experts from government agencies, His Majesty expressed the view that parliamentary sessions should be held as soon as possible."

It added: "This is to enable the emergency ordinances and the national recovery plan to be debated by the members of the House of Representatives."

According to the statement, the king expressed hope that the COVID-19 outbreak could be curbed immediately and that vaccination was the only "exit strategy" to control the spread of the pandemic.

"In this regard, His Majesty expressed the view that the government must act decisively to simplify bureaucracy andspeed up the vaccination process for the people so that the goal of herd immunity of 80 per cent can be achieved as soon as possible," it added. 

The statement also highlighted that Sultan Abdullah expressed the view that there was a need for "a stable and strong government administration" able to function effectively in dealing with the pandemic. 

"His Majesty is fully aware of the role of parliament as an important platform for elected representatives to convene and discuss various issues, especially those related to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic," it said. 

"Members of the Dewan Rakyat can discuss the allocation of government expenditure to help people in need and revive the national economy," the statement added.

The special conference on Wednesday was held after the king met with 18 key leaders of Malaysian political parties and the Special Independent Committee on Emergency 2021. 

The king first declared a state of emergency on Jan 12 to curb the spread of COVID-19. The emergency was scheduled to last until Aug 1 or earlier depending on the state of coronavirus infections.

Since it was declared, federal parliamentary sessions and state legislative assemblies have not sat. No elections were held during this period. 

READ: Parliament can reconvene in September or October if daily COVID-19 cases fall below 2,000, says PM Muhyiddin

The state of emergency allows the king to proclaim several emergency ordinances on matters related to private hospital assets; temporary ownership of land, buildings or moveable properties of private hospitals; or to request to use the resources of private hospitals to treat patients. 

The government can also seek a more inclusive involvement from the private sector including private healthcare facilities to help ease the burden of government agencies, especially public hospitals. 

The suspension of parliament was seen as a move that helped Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin avoid an immediate challenge to his razor-thin majority in the august house. 

Opposition leaders have pleaded with the king against extending the state of emergency and called for parliament to reconvene. 

On Tuesday, Mr Muhyiddin said parliament could reconvene in September or October this year during the third phase of a national recovery plan. 

"I wish to give my commitment that the parliament meeting can be held in this phase, around September or October, with tight standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place," he said when unveiling the plan which comprises four phases in a televised address. 

Malaysia reported 5,150 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and the national total is currently 673,026.

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2021-06-16 12:03:24Z
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Malaysian court overturns 'misadventure' inquest ruling in death of French-Irish teenager Nora Quoirin - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court on Wednesday (Jun 16) overturned an inquest verdict of "misadventure" in the death of a French-Irish teen who vanished in the jungle, replacing it with an "open" ruling in a victory for her family.

The initial verdict indicated that the death was accidental, but the new ruling suggests that there are still questions to be answered in the case and leaves open the possibility of criminal involvement.

The body of Nora Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, was discovered after a huge hunt through the rainforest following her disappearance from a resort outside Kuala Lumpur in 2019.

In January, a coroner handed down the misadventure ruling and said that no one else was involved.

But her London-based parents, who have dismissed authorities' claims that their daughter wandered into the jungle alone at night and believe she was abducted, said they were "utterly disappointed".

They lodged a challenge, seeking to have the ruling revised to an open verdict.

Judge Azizul Azmi Adnan ruled in their favour on Wednesday, telling the Seremban High Court that "in the interests of justice" the misadventure verdict should be overturned and substituted with an open ruling.

"There was no credible evidence to support any other verdict," he added.

READ: French-Irish teen's Malaysia death ruled 'misadventure'

READ: Family to challenge Malaysian inquest ruling on French-Irish teen's death

MASSIVE HUNT

Malaysian police have stuck to their version of events - that the teenager clambered out of a window of the family's holiday chalet and wandered off, and insist there was no sign of foul play.

But her mother, Meabh, has said she believes that someone could have placed her body in the spot where it was found, in a stream in the jungle not far from the resort.

The teenager disappeared a day after her family checked into the Dusun Resort, triggering a 10-day hunt involving helicopters, sniffer dogs and hundreds of rescuers.

An autopsy concluded that she likely died of starvation and internal bleeding.

The coroner said that the teenager had been left disoriented by the long journey from Britain to Malaysia, likely leading her to wander off, and that there was no sign that she was murdered or sexually assaulted.

But during the inquest, the teen's parents said they heard mysterious "muffled noises" coming from the accommodation the night of the schoolgirl's disappearance, fuelling their belief that she was snatched.

They also criticised authorities for their response to their daughter's disappearance as too slow. Police have insisted that they conducted a comprehensive search.

The 5ha resort is next to a patch of thick jungle and in the foothills of a mountain range.

The teen had a condition known as holoprosencephaly, where the brain fails to develop normally. She had limited verbal communication and could only write a few words.

She attended a school for young people with learning difficulties.

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2021-06-16 10:22:41Z
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Wanted French national has continued journey to France after transit in Singapore: MHA - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - A wanted French national and his family, who had made a transit in Singapore on Sunday (June 13), left Singapore on Tuesday, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Mr Daillet Remy Vincent Christophe, his partner, Ms Bardet Leonie, and their three children were residing in Malaysia when they were arrested late last month for overstaying in Langkawi island.

The Malaysian authorities deported them to France via Singapore on Sunday.

During their transit in Singapore, the pregnant Ms Bardet had complained of discomfort. She was issued a special pass to enter Singapore and was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital on the advice of doctors at Changi Airport.

A spokesman for MHA said on Wednesday: "Daillet and the children remained in the transit hotel at Terminal 3. They were not allowed to enter Singapore as they were deportees from Malaysia for France. Bardet was subsequently discharged and reunited with Daillet and the children at the transit hotel."

On Monday, online portal theVibes.com reported that the five French nationals did not board Air France Flight 257 - a direct flight to Paris - which departed Changi at 10.35pm on Sunday.

Two of the three children, aged 17 and nine, are from Ms Bardet's former marriage. The youngest, aged two, is a child by the couple, said theVibes.com.

Mr Daillet had been illegally living in Langkawi for the last six years under a self-imposed exile, it added.

The portal also said an international arrest warrant was issued by Interpol on Mr Daillet for his alleged role in the abduction of an eight-year-old girl from her grandmother in France in April last year. She was later rescued by French and Swiss police in Switzerland.

The MHA said the five French nationals were not under the custody of the Singapore police at any point during their transit in Singapore.

Its spokesman said: "As they were transit passengers, they were under the care of the airline that they flew with. Daillet has since been required to continue with his journey to France on 15 June, 2021."

The airline acceded to Ms Bardet's request of having her and the three children continue their travel to France with Mr Daillet, the spokesman added.

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2021-06-16 04:53:41Z
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Malaysia's rulers kick off special meeting on Covid-19 crisis - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's royal rulers have begun arriving at the national palace for a special meeting with the King on Wednesday (June 16) to discuss the country's Covid-19 crisis.

Over the last week, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah had granted audiences to political party leaders across the divide to get their views on the government's handling of the outbreak during the ongoing state of emergency, which will expire in six weeks.

The King had met 18 political leaders face to face as well as in virtual sessions from June 9, said a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, on Tuesday.

Aside from meeting political leaders, the King also granted an audience to the chairman of the Special Independent Committee on the Emergency, Tun Arifin Zakaria, at Istana Negara on Tuesday, it said.

Experts from various government agencies are scheduled to present briefings on matters related to health, security, politics and the economy during Wednesday's meeting at 2.30pm, which will be the second by the Malay rulers to discuss the pandemic, after one was held in October last year.

The state of emergency was declared amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in January. There have been calls for the emergency to be lifted due to the worsening Covid-19 health crisis.

The nation is currently under another lockdown after record highs in Covid-19 cases and deaths were reported in recent weeks.

Last Wednesday, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he had pleaded with the constitutional monarch not to extend the state of emergency, as the move has not helped poorer Malaysians.

Opposition Democratic Action Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, whose party has the most number of MPs, told reporters after his audience that the discussion with the King revolved around financial assistance for the people to see them through the outbreak.

As a potential solution to Malaysia's crisis, the country's longest-serving premier Mahathir Mohamad mooted the revival of a council that governed the nation after its deadly May 13, 1969, race riots in his audience with the King last Thursday.

Dr Mahathir claimed the National Operations Council (Mageran), which was in charge for two years during the last national emergency until 1971, allowed Malaysia's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, to "solve political problems at the time" by bringing in opposition parties to form a wider Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition that had a stronger majority.

Back then, Mageran was made up of a small group of political leaders and top civil servants that included the police and armed forces' chiefs. Dr Mahathir suggested including experts on the Covid-19 pandemic this time.

Pakatan Harapan has opposed the idea, while Umno has said that it is against extending the emergency.

Opponents of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin have also called for the resumption of Parliament, which last sat in December last year to pass this year's budget, so that the outbreak can be addressed.

The state of emergency suspends the requirement for Parliament to reconvene within six months of its last sitting and also ensures the Muhyiddin administration remains in power.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin on Tuesday unveiled a four-phase post-pandemic exit plan for Malaysia, ahead of the monarchs' special talks, projecting that Malaysia from September might gradually open up its economy, social sectors and also Parliament.

The country has failed to fully recover from a resurgent outbreak arising from Sabah state polls in September last year.

In late October, Malaysia was reporting some 1,200 Covid-19 cases a day. On Tuesday, it recorded 5,419 cases.

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2021-06-16 05:52:21Z
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