Hong Kong pro-democracy paper Apple Daily to decide closure on Friday - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily said on Monday (Jun 21) its board will decide whether to close the publication at their next meeting on Friday after an asset freeze by authorities using a new national security law left the outspoken media group unable to pay staff.

Apple Daily has long been a thorn in Beijing's side, with unapologetic support for the city's pro-democracy movement and caustic criticism of China's authoritarian leaders.

Its owner Jimmy Lai is in jail and was among the first to be charged under the security law after its imposition last year.

Its chief editor and CEO were detained last week and its finances frozen under the law, which Beijing has used to stamp out dissent in the international business hub.

Apple Daily's remaining board met on Monday to discuss the paper's future.

"The board ... decided to meet again on Friday to decide whether to terminate Apple Daily," the paper said in a short push notification to readers.

Rival outlets Now TV and Oriental Daily both reported, citing sources, that Apple Daily's board has all but decided to close the paper, with the final publication date to be announced at the next meeting on Friday.

READ: Hong Kong's Apple Daily says it only has cash for few weeks after assets frozen

READ: Hong Kong's Apple Daily executives denied bail under security law

The paper's closure would shutter one of the few remaining local newspapers willing to be critical of China's authoritarian leaders.

It would also be a huge victory for authorities who have made no secret of their desire to see the outlet silenced.

"LOCKED ACCOUNTS"

In an interview with CNN, a senior aide to Lai said last week's freeze order by the city's security chief had crippled the newspaper's ability to do business.

"Our problem at Apple Daily is not that we don't have funds, we have US$50 million in the bank," he said.

"Our problem is the Secretary of Security and the police will not let us pay our reporters, they will not let us pay our staff, and they will not let us pay our vendors. They have locked up our accounts."

Lai, 73, is in prison for attending democracy protests in 2019. He faces a life sentence if convicted of national security crimes.

Last Thursday, more than 500 police officers raided the paper's newsroom and arrested five executives over a series of articles that police said called for international sanctions.

Two of those executives - chief editor Ryan Law and CEO Cheung Kim-hung - have been charged with "colluding" with foreign forces to undermine China's national security and were remanded into custody over the weekend.

The operation was the first time political views and opinions published by a Hong Kong media outlet have triggered the security law.

SECURITY CRACKDOWN

Written in Beijing and imposed on Hong Kong last June, the law allows authorities to freeze assets of any individual or company in the international business hub that is deemed to be a security threat.

It does not require a court order.

Last month, Lai's personal assets in Hong Kong and his media company shares were frozen.

Then on Thursday, Secretary for Security John Lee said a further HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) of Apple Daily's company assets had been blocked.

"These are all orders from basically the Secretary of Security, we are facing a security agency, we are not facing courts," Simon told CNN.

Simon is himself wanted by Hong Kong police on national security charges but left the city last year and has since relocated to the United States.

Apple Daily said it was planning to ask Lee to unfreeze some money so it can pay 700 employees. If the application is unsuccessful, the paper said it planned to go to court.

Hong Kong's Security Bureau declined to comment on whether it had been contacted by Apple Daily, citing ongoing legal proceedings.

"Endangering national security is a very serious crime," a spokesperson told AFP.

"We handle such crimes according to the law, targeting at illegal acts, and invoke the power to freeze offence related properties based on need and the law."

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2021-06-21 08:37:30Z
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UMNO urges Malaysian government to reconvene parliament within 14 days; failure to do so considered 'treason' - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has given the Malaysian government a two-week deadline to reconvene parliament. 

Party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a statement on Monday (Jun 21) that it was important to reconvene parliament to bring forth demands and hopes of the people amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to ensuring accountability in the government’s administrative affairs.

READ: Malaysia parliament should reconvene as soon as possible, says king after special rulers' conference

There was no need to make excuses over the terms "as soon as possible" or "immediately" which were used in the two press statements on parliament sitting, as both reflected the common stance of King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Malay rulers, Ahmad Zahid said. 

“UMNO stands firm in urging the government to respect the decree of the king and the rulers and reconvene parliament in the next 14 days from the date of this statement,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid added that failure to do so would be considered as a form of “treason” and “disrespect” to the royal institution. 

The former deputy prime minister added that his party's supreme council would be meeting in the near future to finalise its next course of action on the matter.

Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah attends a welcoming ceremony at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin/Files

On Sunday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said a committee comprising government and opposition representatives has been formed to look into important aspects before parliament is reconvened.

He added in the statement that the committee would consider whether the sitting would be a hybrid or a physical parliamentary sitting.

Adding that the government had to look into all matters to avoid problems after the implementation, Mr Muhyiddin stressed that he had no intention to delay the reconvening of parliament.

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

On Jun 16, the palace had issued a statement calling for parliamentary sittings to reconvene as soon as possible, after the king chaired a special rulers' conference.

"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,” said the statement.

This came a day after Mr Muhyiddin said parliament could reconvene in September or October this year during the third phase of the national recovery plan.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin unveiling the Pemerkasa package on Mar 17, 2021. (Photo: Bernama) 

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.

The suspension of parliament was seen as a move that helped Mr Muhyiddin 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 Jun 16, the rulers also released a statement saying there was no need to extend the state of emergency beyond Aug 1.

READ: Malaysian government acknowledges king's views, says PMO after palace calls for parliament to reconvene

De facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said in an online interview on Jun 16 that the king had not specified an exact date on when the parliament should be in session.

"His Majesty did not say which month (parliament) should be held, just that it should be soon," he said. 

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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2021-06-21 06:19:05Z
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Hong Kong to reduce quarantine for arrivals from Singapore, US - The Straits Times

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Hong Kong will shorten hotel quarantine to seven days for fully vaccinated residents travelling from most places - including those classified as "high-risk" like Singapore, the United States and Britain - as long as they test positive for coronavirus antibodies, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday (June 21).

The move, which the report said would be announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam at a Monday afternoon briefing, will mark a significant easing of one of the strictest quarantine regimes in the world that currently imposes mandatory quarantine of up to 21 days for travellers.

The seven-day quarantine would be applicable to residents, including work-visa holders, returning from countries classified in high-risk Group B and medium-risk Group C under its five-tier system for assessing the overseas Covid-19 threat.

Bloomberg reported last week that the quarantine easing plan, which had been recommended by a government advisory panel earlier this month, had been approved by the government.

Places currently classified as "high risk" include Singapore, Japan, France, Germany and Italy. Fully vaccinated travellers coming from these places must currently quarantine for 14 days in a hotel.

Mrs Lam will speak at a press briefing scheduled for 3pm on Monday, according to a government statement.

The plan would be the city's most significant move yet to ease the stringent restrictions that have threatened its status as a financial hub as major western economies open up and vaccination pulls ahead in regional rival Singapore.

The current quarantine regime has been a growing source of public anger.

Travellers have to book their own hotel rooms, and they are being reserved quickly over the summer period.

In Hong Kong, fully vaccinated people are also required to serve quarantine in government facilities if they come into close contact with infected people, even if they have tested negative for the virus.

With vaccine uptake slow amid widespread distrust of the Beijing-backed government, calls have grown for the strict rules to be relaxed for inoculated people in order to boost rates.

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2021-06-21 06:04:48Z
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Adviser to jailed HK tycoon Jimmy Lai says Apple Daily to shut within days - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut "in a matter of days" after authorities froze the company's assets under a sweeping national security law, an adviser to jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai told Reuters on Monday (Jun 20). 

Mark Simon, speaking by phone from the United States, said Next Digital, publisher of the popular Hong Kong newspaper, will hold a board meeting on Monday to discuss how to move forward.

READ: Hong Kong's Apple Daily says it only has cash for few weeks after assets frozen

"We thought we'd be able to make it to the end of the month," Simon said. "It's just getting harder and harder. It's essentially a matter of days."

His comments signal the closure is imminent even after Apple Daily said on Sunday the freezing of its assets had left the newspaper with cash for "a few weeks" for normal operations.

The news comes two days after chief editor Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were denied bail after being charged with collusion with a foreign country.

Three other executives were also arrested last Thursday when 500 police officers raided the newspaper's offices in a case that has drawn condemnation from Western nations, global rights groups and the chief UN spokesperson for human rights.

The three have been released on bail.

Simon told Reuters it had become impossible to conduct banking operations.

"Vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected. We can't bank. Some vendors tried to do that as a favour. We just wanted to find out and it was rejected," he said.

READ: Crowds gather for hearing of two Apple Daily executives on national security charge

In an interview with CNN, Simon said: "Our problem at Apple Daily is not that we don't have funds, we have $50 million dollars in the bank." 

"Our problem is the Secretary of Security and the police will not let us pay our reporters, they will not let us pay our staff, and they will not let us pay our vendors. They have locked up our accounts."

Last month, Lai's personal assets in Hong Kong and his media company shares were frozen.

Then on Thursday, Secretary for Security John Lee said a further HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) of Apple Daily's company assets had now been blocked.

"These are all orders from basically the Secretary of Security, we are facing a security agency we are not facing courts," Simon told CNN.

Simon is himself wanted by Hong Kong police on national security charges but left the city last year and has since relocated to the United States.

The newspaper has come under increasing pressure since owner and staunch Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, who is now in jail, was arrested under the national security law last August and has since had some of his assets frozen.

Three companies related to Apple Daily are also being prosecuted for collusion with a foreign country and authorities have frozen HK$18 million (US$2.3 million) of their assets.

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2021-06-21 03:00:00Z
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Committee formed to look into reopening of Malaysian Parliament: PM Muhyiddin - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has formed a committee comprising government and opposition lawmakers to look into key issues before Parliament can reconvene, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Sunday (June 20), as he faces pressure from the country's Malay rulers to reopen Parliament as soon as possible.

He said one issue that needs checking is whether the sitting would involve all 220 Members of Parliament being present in the Lower House, or whether it could be "a hybrid" of physical and virtual presence, Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

"I will need to closely look into this," Tan Sri Muhyiddin said, when asked by reporters about the Parliament sitting, after visiting a vaccination centre.

"I understand (the matter) very well and I was advised not only by the Minister of Law but by the Attorney-General that my actions and those of the government must be in line with what is stipulated in the Constitution."

The government needs to find out whether provisions in Parliament's Standing Orders allow for a hybrid session, Mr Muhyiddin said.

Another issue is whether seating arrangements would need to be adjusted to comply with health protocols. There are usually 222 MPs in Malaysia's federal Parliament, but two lawmakers have died and the coronavirus pandemic has led to the suspension of by-elections.

All the MPs have been fully vaccinated, leading to criticism that Mr Muhyiddin is delaying Parliament's reopening as he does not have enough MPs to support his fragile 15-month-old Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Said former premier Najib Razak on Facebook on Sunday: "There is no need for a study. I can provide the solution.

"Step one: send a notice to the Speaker to convene Parliament. Step two: sitting is in session. The end."

Parliament last sat in December last year to pass this year's budget, with the Muhyiddin administration using the national state of emergency, imposed on Jan 11, to suspend Parliament and the 13 state assemblies.

"I understand my responsibilities as prime minister but I have to act fairly to ensure there are no arising issues or problems later on... This is something I hope the people can understand and wait for," Mr Muhyiddin said, as quoted by Bernama.

Malaysia's King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, after chairing a special meeting of the Malay rulers last Wednesday, urged the government to reconvene Parliament "as soon as possible".

In a separate statement last Wednesday, the other Malay rulers said there was no reason to extend the expiry of the state of emergency on Aug 1.

The emergency was supposed to allow the government to focus on containing the pandemic and its harsh economic fallout.

But daily Covid-19 cases have climbed from 2,232 on Jan 11, when the emergency was imposed, to 5,293 on Sunday, with rising tallies for deaths, those in intensive care wards and unemployment.

Malaysia is pushing to accelerate its vaccination drive, with over 11 per cent of the population inoculated at least once against the disease.

But the country is grappling with shortages of vaccine supplies amid a global rush for them.

Opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday said the PN government's biggest failure is its inability to quickly import vaccine supplies.

"The biggest failure of the government is the provision of adequate vaccine supplies," Datuk Seri Anwar said in his party's annual congress which was held online.

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2021-06-20 14:22:28Z
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Adviser to jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai says Apple Daily to shut within days - The Straits Times

HONG KONG (REUTERS) - Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut "in a matter of days" after  the authorities froze the company's assets under a new national security law, an adviser to jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai told Reuters on Monday (June 21).

Mr Mark Simon, speaking by phone from the United States, said Next Digital, publisher of the popular Hong Kong newspaper, will hold a board meeting on Monday to discuss how to move forward. 

"We thought we’d be able to make it to the end of the month," Mr Simon said. "It’s just getting harder and harder. It’s essentially a matter of days."

His comments signal that the closure is imminent even after Apple Daily said on Sunday the freezing of its assets had left the newspaper with cash for "a few weeks" for normal operations.

The news comes two days after chief editor Ryan Law, 47, and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung, 59, were denied bail after being charged with collusion with a foreign country. 

Three other executives were also arrested last Thursday when 500 police officers raided the newspaper’s offices in a case that has drawn condemnation from Western nations, global rights groups and the chief UN spokesman for human rights. 

The three have been released on bail. 

Mr Simon told Reuters it had become impossible to conduct banking operations. 

"Vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected. We can’t bank. Some vendors tried to do that as a favour. We just wanted to find out and it was rejected," he said. 

The newspaper has come under increasing pressure since owner and staunch Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, who is now in jail, was arrested under the national security law last August and has since had some of his assets frozen. 

Three companies related to Apple Daily are also being prosecuted for collusion with a foreign country and the authorities have frozen HK$18 million (S$3.12 million) of their assets. 

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2021-06-21 00:17:47Z
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Asian Americans dealing with daily trauma of racial abuse - and learning to find their voices - The Straits Times

NEW YORK - In the dense generic underground echo of conversation and grating metal screech of trains in a Manhattan subway station, the voice was distinct, coming at her from behind.

"Hey, China girl," the man said, following the Korean-American woman for several metres as she ignored him and kept walking.

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2021-06-20 11:54:29Z
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