Shanghai tightens security after anti-lockdown protests across China - The Straits Times

SHANGHAI – Shanghai authorities put up barriers on Monday around a city centre area where hundreds of people protested over the weekend against heavy Covid-19 measures, one of several demonstrations that have flared across the country.

From the streets of Shanghai and Beijing to university campuses, protesters made a show of civil disobedience unprecedented since leader Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago to oversee the quashing of dissent and establishment of an extensive high-tech social surveillance system.

On Monday, the Shanghai streets where protesters gathered were blocked off with blue metal barriers, in what looked like a bid to prevent crowds gathering. Police in high-visibility vests patrolled in pairs, while police cars and motorbikes cruised by.

Shops and cafes in the area were asked to close, a staff member at one told Reuters.

Sunday saw people take to the streets in several major cities across China to call for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms, in a wave of nationwide protests not seen since pro-democracy rallies in 1989 were crushed.

“We hope to end the lockdown,” said 28-year-old Shi at a candlelight vigil in Beijing late on Sunday. “We want to live a normal life. We should all bravely express our feelings.”

Beijing on Monday blamed “forces with ulterior motives” for linking a deadly fire in the western Xinjiang region to strict Covid-19 measures.

Online posts circulating on both Chinese and overseas social media platforms have claimed that lengthy Covid-19 lockdowns in Urumqi hampered rescue attempts after the blaze on Thursday night.

In response to a question at a regular press briefing about the disaster, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: “On social media there are forces with ulterior motives that relate this fire with the local response to Covid-19.”

A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of north-west China’s Xinjiang region, has become a catalyst for public anger, with many blaming Covid-19 lockdowns for hampering rescue efforts.

But they have also featured prominent calls for greater political freedoms – with some even demanding the resignation of China’s President Xi, recently re-appointed to an unprecedented third term as China’s leader.

Large crowds gathered on Sunday in the capital Beijing and Shanghai, where police clashed with protesters as they tried to stop groups from converging at Wulumuqi street, named after the Mandarin for Urumqi.

Crowds that gathered overnight – some of whom chanted “Xi Jinping, step down! CCP, step down!” – were dispersed by Sunday morning.

But in the afternoon, hundreds rallied in the same area with blank sheets of paper and flowers to hold what appeared to be a silent protest, an eyewitness told AFP.

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2022-11-28 08:40:00Z
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Malaysia PM Anwar rejects Mercedes S600 as official car, warns against wastage of public funds - CNA

On Saturday night, he had made a similar remark after prayers at a mosque in Selangor. 

He said that no new official car would be bought for his use and no new unnecessary furniture will be bought by his office, as part of a new culture against wastage of public funds that must be practised by all.

“The condition is that there are no new purchases in the prime minister's office,” he told reporters.

“Think of what you can save – RM100 (US$22), RM1000, RM10,000 – which can be returned to the poor. I started with a commitment not to take a salary, but what’s important is not to waste the funds we have,” he said. 

“This is a message to all department leaders to remember that in the current situation we should start a new culture. Don’t use government money for our own facilities.”

Mr Anwar, 75, previously announced that he would not be taking his prime minister salary, in line with a promise that he had made during the 15th General Election (GE15) campaigning. 

He also announced that the Cabinet size will be reduced and that he is also seeking the agreement of parliamentarians who will be appointed as ministers to reduce their salaries.

He has yet to announce his Cabinet line-up and said on Sunday that he will discuss the appointments with his coalition partners in the following days.

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2022-11-28 04:40:54Z
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Taiwan elections: what do KMT's gains mean for the 2024 presidential race? - South China Morning Post

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1. Taiwan elections: what do KMT's gains mean for the 2024 presidential race?  South China Morning Post
2. Attention turns to 2024 presidential poll after Taiwan ruling party thrashing  CNA
3. Beijing-friendly KMT's huge win in local elections does not mean Taiwan is pro-China: Analysts  The Straits Times
4. Taiwan elections set stage for tighter presidential race in 2024  Bangkok Post
5. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigns as head of ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2022-11-27 11:45:54Z
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Attention turns to 2024 presidential poll after Taiwan ruling party thrashing - CNA

TAIPEI: Attention is turning to Taiwan's next presidential election in 2024 after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was thrashed at local elections on Saturday (Nov 26), with President Tsai Ing-wen's move to focus on China backfiring with voters.

The main opposition party the Kuomintang, or KMT, romped to victory in the mayoral and county elections.

The KMT won 13 of the 21 seats up for grabs, including the wealthy and cosmopolitan capital of Taipei, in line with expectations, although none of those elected have a direct say in policies on China.

China views the island as its own territory and has been ramping up military activities to assert those claims, fuelling global concern especially given Taiwan's major role as a semiconductor producer.

The KMT traditionally favours close ties with China but strongly denies being pro-Beijing. It had been on the back foot since 2020's presidential election loss, and also suffered a blow last December after four referendums it had championed as a show of no confidence in Tsai's government failed.

Speaking to reporters late on Saturday at party headquarters, its chairman Eric Chu said the KMT understood that only by uniting could it win the next presidential election.

"Taiwan's people have given us an opportunity," he said. "Being selfless is the only chance that the KMT could win the 2024 election."

Ms Tsai resigned as DPP chairwoman after the defeat, the worst showing in the party's history, and is now left with just five mayor or county chief positions.

She had framed the vote as being about showing defiance to China's rising bellicosity, especially after it held war games near the island in August and President Xi Jinping, who has vowed to bring Taiwan under Chinese control, won an unprecedented third term in office last month. 

ELECTION STRATEGY BACKFIRED

But Ms Tsai's strategy failed to mobilise voters, who disassociated geopolitics from the local elections, which traditionally focus more on bread-and-butter issues from crime to pollution.

Turnout on Saturday was at record low, just 59 per cent for Taiwan's six most important cities, compared to an overall figure of around 75 per cent in 2020. 

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2022-11-27 05:38:05Z
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Shanghai hit by COVID-19 protests as anger spreads across China - CNA

ANGER NATIONWIDE

Shanghai's 25 million people were put under lockdown for two months earlier this year, an ordeal that provoked anger and protest.

Chinese authorities have since then sought to be more targeted in their COVID-19 curbs, but that effort has been challenged by a surge in infections as China faces its first winter with the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

While low by global standards, China's case numbers have hit record highs for days, with nearly 40,000 new infections reported by health authorities on Sunday for the previous day.

On Friday night, crowds took to the streets of Urumqi, chanting "End the lockdown!" and pumping their fists in the air after the deadly fire, according to videos circulated on Chinese social media.

Many of Urumqi's 4 million residents have been under some of the country's longest lockdowns, barred from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days.

In Beijing, 2,700 km away, some residents under lockdown staged small protests or confronted local officials on Saturday over movement restrictions, with some successfully pressuring them into lifting the curbs ahead of a schedule.

A video shared with Reuters showed Beijing residents in an unidentifiable part of the capital marching around an open-air car park on Saturday, shouting: "End the lockdown."

The Beijing government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

The next few weeks could be the worst in China since the early weeks of the pandemic both for the economy and the healthcare system, Mark Williams of Capital Economics said in note last week, as efforts to contain the outbreak will require additional localised lockdowns in many cities.

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2022-11-27 05:10:48Z
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Not all Malaysians happy about PM Anwar's Nov 28 holiday - The Straits Times

GEORGE TOWN - Holidays, ironically, can become a headache as well.

Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Penang chairman Lee Teong Li explained that the last quarter of the year was usually a crucial time for companies as they would rush to complete their production and shipment before the festive period starts.

“Thus, unplanned off days are a bane and the government should take into account these issues when declaring a holiday,” he said.

He said that overtime payments for workers could run into hundreds of millions of ringgit throughout this period.

“These expenses are not budgeted, which creates difficulties in production and financial planning.”

Public holidays were declared for Nov 18 and 19 to allow voters to get home for polling.

And Nov 28 is also a public holiday, following the appointment of Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister.

“This is taxing for companies,” said Mr Lee, noting that Christmas and New Year holidays were approaching as well.

And despite the three-day weekend, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) did not see a surge in bookings.

That’s because the public announcement holiday for Monday came too suddenly, which meant that holiday-makers could not make arrangements for hotels and flight tickets, said MAH Kedah/Perlis chairman Eugene Dass.

“The occupancy rate is still hovering around 50 per cent to 55 per cent, including in Langkawi,” he said.

Many people, he added, had not expected a day off tomorrow, so they decided to stay put and take a longer break during the school holidays, which is only about 10 days away.

The situation is similar in Penang, too.

MAH Penang chairman Tony Goh said the occupancy rate was at 55 per cent to 60 per cent currently in Penang, as people were waiting for the December holidays.

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2022-11-27 03:52:36Z
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Taiwan's Tsai quits as party leader after heavy local election losses - Nikkei Asia

TAIPEI -- Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as leader of her ruling party after the opposition Kuomintang retook its traditional strongholds in local elections held on Saturday.

She will remain Taiwan's president until her second term expires in early 2024. It has been a poor election night for her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was facing a difficult electoral cycle as the party's term-limited incumbents stepped down. Premier Su Tseng-chang also offered to resign but was retained by Tsai.

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2022-11-26 18:30:00Z
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