Malaysia deputy ministers sworn in, completing PM Anwar Ibrahim's unity government Cabinet - CNA

Prime minister: Anwar Ibrahim
Deputy prime ministers: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Fadillah Yusof

Prime Minister’s Department
Law and Institutional Reform
Minister:  Azalina Othman Said
Deputy minister: Ramkarpal Singh

Religious Affairs
Minister: Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar

Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions
Minister: Armizan Mohd Ali
Deputy minister: Wilson Ugak Kumbong

Ministry of Finance
Minister: Anwar Ibrahim
Deputy ministers: Ahmad Maslan, Steven Sim Chee Keong

Ministry of Rural and Regional Development
Minister: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy minister: Rubiah Wang

Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister: Fadillah Yusof
Deputy minister:  Siti Aminah Aching

Ministry of Transport
Minister: Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Deputy minister:  Hasbi Habibollah

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
Minister: Mohamad Sabu
Deputy minister: Chan Foong Hin

Ministry of Economy
Minister: Mohd Rafizi Ramli
Deputy minister: Hanifah Hajar Taib

Ministry of Local Government Development
Minister: Nga Kor Ming
Deputy minister: Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir

Ministry of Defence
Minister:  Mohamad Hasan
Deputy minister: Adly Zahari

Ministry of Health
Minister: Dr Zaliha Mustafa
Deputy minister: Lukanisman Awang Sauni

Ministry of Works
Minister:  Alexander Nanta Linggi
Deputy minister:  Abdul Rahman Mohamad

Ministry of Home Affairs
Minister:  Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Deputy minister:  Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah

Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Minister: Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Deputy minister: Liew Chin Tong

Ministry of Higher Education
Minister: Mohamed Khaled Nordin
Deputy minister: Mohammad Yusof Apdal

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister: Chang Lih Kang
Deputy minister:  Arthur Joseph Kurup

Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
Minister: Nancy Shukri
Deputy minister: Aiman Athirah Sabu
 
Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living
Minister: Salahuddin Ayub
Deputy minister: Fuziah Salleh

Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change
Minister: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Deputy minister:  Huang Tiong Sii

Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives
Minister: Ewon Benedick
Deputy minister: K Saraswathy

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister: Dr Zambry Abd Kadir
Deputy minister: Mohamad Alamin

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Minister: Tiong King Sing
Deputy minister: Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan

Ministry of Communications and Digital
Minister: Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil
Deputy minister: Teo Nie Ching

Ministry of Education
Minister: Fadhlina Sidek
Deputy minister: Lim Hui Ying

Ministry of National Unity
Minister: Aaron Ago Anak Dagang

Ministry of Youth and Sports
Minister: Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan
Deputy minister: Adam Adli Abd Halim

Ministry of Human Resources
Minister: VN Sivakumar
Deputy minister: Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Sakmud
 

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2022-12-10 11:17:00Z
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Malaysia's multi-billion warship project to proceed but subject to review: Defence minister - CNA

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's warship project will be continued but subject to a review, the country's Defence Minister said on Saturday (Dec 10). 

Mohamad Hasan said he needed to be briefed soon to get a clearer picture of the multi-billion ringgit Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project which had been hit by delays.

"I will get a briefing from the relevant parties so that I have a deeper understanding of the background and issues involved.

"We will ensure that the ships are built; no point talking about history. That is important because (the LCS project) is a strategic asset of the Malaysian Armed Forces," he said.

Mohamad Hasan added that he will work together with the ministry leadership to ensure the frigates were built and delivered.

"I will ask the government to study it properly and we will ensure these ships are built and completed in the best way possible."

RM9 BILLION CONTRACT

In August this year, the Malaysian parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) tabled a report on the procurement of littoral combatant ships, two years after starting a probe into the RM9.13 billion (US$2.05 billion) contract.

The committee said the project to construct six ships was awarded by the Ministry of Defence to Boustead Naval Shipyard through direct negotiation, and the government has paid RM6.08 billion or 66.65 per cent of the cost so far.

"However, not even one of the LCS ships has been delivered. According to our timeline, five LCS ships should have been completed and handed over to us by August 2022,” said PAC chairman and Ipoh Timor MP Wong Kah Woh.

The issue first drew public attention in August 2020 during the tabling of the 2019 auditor-general’s report in parliament. Altogether, the PAC held nine rounds of proceedings from November 2020 to March 2022.

Among those called up to the proceedings were former Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, then-Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who also held the position from May 2013 to May 2018, former navy head Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar and officials from Boustead subsidiaries.

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who was Ahmad Zahid’s predecessor at the defence portfolio, has also been linked to the scandal. 

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2022-12-10 08:13:00Z
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Sabah's Bersatu members quit Muhyiddin's party en-masse - The Straits Times

KOTA KINABALU - Members of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in Sabah have quit the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin-led party en masse, said Bersatu Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor, who is also the chief minister of the East Malaysian state, The Star reported.

In a statement on Saturday, Datuk Seri Hajiji said his party members have made the “unanimous decision” to leave Bersatu after “having considered Malaysia’s current political landscape, particularly that of Sabah”.

It wasn’t immediately clear if their decision to quit Bersatu, and form a new party, would trigger Malaysia’s anti-hopping law (AHL) and thus trigger by-elections for their Sabah constituencies.

The AHL, which took effect on Oct 5 this year was meant to prevent Members of Parliament from switching parties, a major feature of politicking that saw a change of three prime ministers after the 2018 general election.

The AHL says a lawmaker who quit, or is sacked, by his party would trigger a by-election for the seat. But the law isn’t clear on what would happen if the lawmaker had contested under the banner of a political coalition, as happened in this instance where some of them won under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.

In his statement Mr Hajiji said: “We thank the President of Bersatu and Chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his leadership during our tenure as Bersatu members.”

But he added that the status quo is “no longer tenable”.

“This is because at the federal level, Bersatu is in the opposition whilst GRS has pledged support to the unity government led by Anwar (Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim),” said Mr Hajiji, who is also the chairman of GRS.

Bersatu Sabah was a component party under GRS. The coalition won six out of the 13 parliamentary seats they contested in the recent election.

Following the Nov 19 polls which threw up a hung Parliament, GRS initially rooted for PN to form the government, with Mr Muhyiddin as the prime minister. But the coalition later pledged their full support for the unity government led by Mr Anwar instead, after the Sabah state government took into account the Malaysian King’s advice to prioritise political stability and economic recovery.

Mr Hajiji said: “We are confident that this decision will be good for political unity and stability in Sabah.”

Moving forward, Mr Hajiji said his members will form a new local party. For now, they are still members of GRS, and will use GRS to voice Sabah’s interests and that of the Bornean states in Malaysia, he said.

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2022-12-10 04:29:14Z
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Saudi Arabia gathers China's Xi with Arab leaders in 'new era' of ties - CNA

In a nod to Gulf security concerns over Iran, another oil supplier to China and with whom Beijing has good ties, they agreed the need to "strengthen joint cooperation to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme" and for Tehran to respect "principles of good-neighbourliness".

Riyadh voiced support for Beijing's "One China" policy on the issue of Taiwan. Xi invited King Salman to visit China, Saudi state television reported.

MILESTONES

The Chinese leader said his visit, during which he will meet other Gulf oil producers and attend a wider summit with Arab League countries on Friday, heralded a "new era" in relations.

"China looks forward to working with Saudi Arabia and Arab states to turn the two summits into milestone events in the history of China-Arab relations and China-GCC relations, and bring these relations to new heights," the foreign ministry cited Xi as saying.

Qatar's emir, Kuwait's crown prince and the presidents of Egypt, Tunisia, Djibouti, Somalia and Mauritania are among rulers attending alongside leaders and prime ministers of Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan and Lebanon.

Ahead of the summits, Xi held bilateral talks with Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Sabah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani, Sudanese leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Diplomats said the Chinese delegation would sign agreements and memoranda of understanding with several states in addition to Saudi Arabia, which inked an MOU with Huawei on cloud computing and building high-tech complexes in Saudi cities.

The Chinese tech giant has participated in building 5G networks in most Gulf states despite U.S. concerns over a possible security risk in using its technology.

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2022-12-09 09:41:00Z
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COVID-19 spread fears grow as China unwinds zero-tolerance curbs - CNA

China reported 21,165 new local COVID-19 infections on Dec 7, down from the previous day and below a peak of 40,052 local cases on Nov 27. Cases have been trending lower recently as authorities across the country dropped testing requirements.

China and Hong Kong stocks lifted Asian equity markets on Thursday, as these still cautious steps towards reopening were seen giving the world's second-largest economy a chance to regather momentum. Macau casino operators in part led the rally, finishing up 12.2 per cent, sending their quarterly gain to 46.5 per cent.

China's yuan, which has also recovered some ground against the dollar in recent weeks, was little changed on Thursday.

More broadly, the shift will probably depress economic growth over the next few months as infections surge, bringing a rebound only later in 2023, economists said.

That growth will keep picking up pace with the implementation of relaxation measures, state media CCTV quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying on Thursday.

ILL-PREPARED

China's most populous city Shanghai, which endured one of the country's longest and harshest lockdowns, on Thursday dropped the need for COVID-19 tests to enter restaurants or entertainment venues.

There has been no mention of China's "zero-COVID" policy in recent announcements, raising suspicions that the term is becoming defunct.

Top officials have also been softening their tone on the dangers posed by the virus.

But, while adopting the new more relaxed controls, some cities urged residents to remain vigilant.

Some analysts and medical experts say China is ill-prepared for a major surge in infections, partly due to low vaccination rates among the vulnerable and its fragile healthcare system.

Amid reports of panic buying of fever medicine, financial news outlet Yicai, citing third-party data, said the average daily sales volume of home test kits had risen more than 400 times from November.

"It (China) may have to pay for its procrastination on embracing a 'living with COVID' approach," Nomura analysts said in a note on Thursday.

Infection rates in China are only around 0.13 per cent, "far from the level needed for herd immunity", Nomura said.

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2022-12-09 02:02:37Z
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Saudi Arabia's lavish welcome of China's President Xi a warning to US and Biden, says analyst - CNA

Despite the complicated relationship, the two countries are still dependent on each other. Suggestions of Saudi Arabia reorienting its strategic and security alliances away from the US and towards China, are unlikely to be the case at this point, said Prof Hashemi.

“The fundamental security relationship – the arms and weapons sales relationship … and the larger political relationship that exists between the United States and Saudi Arabia goes back to World War Two, that hasn't really changed,” he said.

SAUDI-CHINA RELATIONSHIP

The warm welcome was not just a show for the US, added Prof Hashemi. 

As Riyadh expands its global alliances beyond longstanding ties with the West, China has much in common with the Saudis in the form of an “authoritarian alliance and a shared worldview”, he said.

“Fundamentally, Saudi Arabia and China have shared values … rooted in authoritarianism, disdain for democracy…” he said.

China is also the kingdom’s top oil customer, biggest trading partner, and a source of increasing investments.

The Saudi state news agency said last week that about US$30 billion worth of agreements will be signed during Mr Xi’s visit, including investments in information technology, cloud services, green energy, construction and other sectors.

Prof Hashemi said a number of economic infrastructure deals can be expected, especially given the crown prince’s aspirations to develop the kingdom into a major tourist destination.

The US is keeping a close watch on the outcome of the visit, with the White House calling this an example of Chinese attempts to exert influence.

Prof Hashemi said that the visit and agreements signed are unlikely to alarm Washington, unless Saudi Arabia starts to indicate closer ties with China on security deals and arms sales.

“If Saudi Arabia decides to start purchasing high-tech Chinese planes or weapons technology, anti-aircraft tanks, then that will deeply concern and set off alarm bells at the White House … (as this) will suggest there’s a fundamental crisis in the US-Saudi relations,” he said.

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2022-12-08 12:11:51Z
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People do not trust Anwar-led unity government: Muhyiddin after Padang Serai, Tioman election results - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said his coalition’s victory in Padang Serai and narrow defeat in the Tioman state election is proof that people do not trust the unity government anchored by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).

He also claimed that people are not confident in the ability of the unity government led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 8), Mr Muhyiddin said: “This is proof that the people do not trust the combination of PH and BN. They are not confident in the ability of this coalition government led by PH to govern the country.”

“BN's majority declined by almost half in Tioman and PN's majority in Padang Serai was double the majority won by PH in GE14 (14th General Election).”

“Disappointed with the lies of PH and BN leaders during the GE15 campaign, many supporters of both parties have switched to support PN.” 

Mr Muhyiddin said that the results of voters in Padang Serai and Tioman clearly showed that the people do not approve of the actions of PH and BN (to work together). 

"For me, PH and BN's lies in GE15 was 'the biggest electoral fraud ever’,” he added. The Pagoh MP, however, did not elaborate. 

He also said that PN is now “on the right track”, following the coalition's victory in Padang Serai. 

On Wednesday, PN’s Azman Nasrudin won the Padang Serai contest with a majority of 16,260 votes, edging out his PH rival who previously held the ward. 

This means that PN now has a total of 74 seats in parliament, with PH holding 81. 

In a separate vote held on Wednesday, PN was defeated by BN for the Tioman state seat by a narrow margin of 573 votes. 

BN’s Mohd Johari Hussain, the incumbent candidate, obtained a total of 8,080 votes and defeated PN’s Nor Idayu Hashim who garnered 7,507 votes. 

Voting for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat was postponed after incumbent PH candidate M Karupaiya died on Nov 16 after he collapsed during campaigning.

The election for the Tioman state seat was also postponed when PN candidate Md Yunus Ramli died of heart complications in the run-up to the polls. 

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2022-12-08 09:49:51Z
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