A timeline of Myanmar's 3-year coup - and what could come next - CNA

Feb 1, 2021: Military coup d'etat

Soldiers arrested state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other key leaders like president Win Myint in a morning raid.

The military accused Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party – which had been reelected in a landslide 2020 win – of electoral fraud.

A state of emergency was declared, and army chief Min Aung Hlaing seized control.

Feb 3, 2021: Civil disobedience movement

Thousands took to the streets nationwide, demanding the release of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and for the army to recognise the election results.

Civil servants, including teachers and doctors, walked out of their jobs, refusing to work for the military.

The police announced first charges for Ms Aung San Suu Kyi – the possession of walkie-talkies without proper paperwork.

Feb 6, 2021: Large-scale protests

The police were accused of using excessive and lethal force against anti-coup demonstrations growing in strength.

The junta limited internet access and blocked social media platforms, which are major sources of independent news and for organising protests.

Feb 11, 2021: US sanctions

The United States imposed first sanctions targeting coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and other senior officials. Others including the European Union and Britain soon followed. 

Feb 19, 2021: First casualty

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, 20, became the first casualty in the violence. 

She was shot in the head as security forces dispersed rallies, and succumbed to injuries after she was taken off life support.

Feb 26, 2021: UN ambassador fired

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun made an emotional appeal to the General Assembly in New York.

He urged the international community to use “any means necessary” against the junta and help to “restore democracy”.

He was fired a day later by Myanmar's military rulers, but the UN continues to recognise him as the nation’s representative.

March 2021: Violence escalates

Military forces – also known as the Tatmadaw – started using airstrikes, including on villages, a tactic that continues even today.

April 16, 2021: Formation of NUG

On the resistance front, ousted lawmakers and other individuals formed the shadow National Unity Government (NUG).

It commands sizable support from the public and maintains diplomatic relations with foreign governments.

Its armed wing, the People’s Defence Force formed by volunteer civilian fighters, attacks junta targets and says it is capable of manufacturing its own weapons.

April 24, 2021: Political breakthrough … or not

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders and General Min Aung Hlaing agreed on a peace plan, known as the Five-Point Consensus.

It was hoped this would be the first milestone to end the crisis.

However, the junta has since refused to act on the plan, insisting on implementing its own peace roadmap – which involves holding elections. None has been held so far.

August 2021: Death toll rises

Gen Min Aung Hlaing formed a caretaker government and appointed himself prime minister.

The death toll of civilians killed since the coup crossed 1,000, according to human rights group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

October 2021: Junta barred from ASEAN meet

In a rare move, ASEAN leaders agreed to exclude Gen Min Aung Hlaing from the regional bloc’s annual summit.

It was unprecedented as the 10-member grouping traditionally avoids interfering in its members' affairs.

Until today, Myanmar’s ruling generals remain barred from key meetings over their failure to make progress on the agreed peace plan.

December 2022: Aung San Suu Kyi’s trials conclude

Aung San Suu Kyi received a total of 33 years in jail at the end of her trials.

She was charged with numerous offences – including breaching the Official Secrets Act, committing electoral fraud and corruption, as well as those illegal walkie-talkies.

Oct 27, 2023: Operation 1027

The Three Brotherhood Alliance – a trio of ethnic armies – launched a major offensive against the Tatmadaw.

This was the first time ethnic armies conducted coordinated and prolonged attacks against the military.

Observers say Operation 1027, named after the date of the mission, is the biggest threat to the junta so far.

The operation has also inspired other ethnic armed groups and rebels to launch offensives against the Myanmar army.

The NUG has also publicly thrown its support behind Operation 1027.

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2024-02-01 11:13:00Z
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Is Najib Razak getting a pardon for 1MDB graft? Malaysia waits with bated breath - South China Morning Post

Mystery surrounds the fate of Najib Razak, jailed for 12 years for corruption linked to Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, as the government on Thursday refused once more to tell an angry and restless public if the disgraced former leader will have his sentence reduced – or even be granted a full pardon.

When Federal Territories Minister Zaliha Mustafa, who sits on the pardons board, was cornered by the media on Thursday morning, she declined to give a clear answer on the most talked about issue in Malaysia, telling reporters to “continue waiting” for an official announcement.

Fevered speculation of an imminent pardon or a significant reduction in the 70-year-old Najib’s sentence was stirred by revelations that the pardons board met with the country’s former king, Sultan Abdullah, on the last day of his reign on Monday to decide on the matter.

Malaysia’s former king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, looks on during an interview at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur last month. Photo: Reuters

Under Malaysian law, the power to pardon lies with the monarch, on the advice of the pardons board appointed by him.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was himself granted a full pardon by a previous king in 2018, allowing him to return to active politics after being released from prison following his incarceration in 2014 on sodomy charges.

When asked if the announcement would be coming sometime this week, Minister Zaliha said: “God willing, we hope so”.

Malaysia to rule on royal pardon for jailed ex-PM Najib over role in 1MDB scandal

Other ministers have played a similarly straight bat over the incendiary issue of Najib’s jail term, with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail – who is in charge of prisons – saying that it was “discussed” informally in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, but it was not his place to comment.

“We discussed it, but we understand that this is under the jurisdiction of the [pardons board],” he said after the cabinet meeting.

On the same day, communications minister and government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil told the media not to “jump the gun” and wait for an official announcement.

“If not, it may lead to various reactions, and, in my view, it is important to maintain professionalism when issuing statements,” he said at an unrelated press conference.

11:20

The legacy of Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal on politics and corruption-fighting

The legacy of Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal on politics and corruption-fighting

This came after local newspaper Utusan reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that Najib had been given a full pardon by the board – triggering a wave of anger among the Malaysian public, many of whom feel betrayed by the prospect of seeing the former leader walk free after serving just over a year in prison for corruption.

The newspaper later retracted the news and apologised.

Singapore’s CNA, meanwhile, reported that Najib’s sentence had been halved from 12 years to six – similarly quoting unnamed sources who are supposedly senior officials in the Malaysian government.

Reacting to a possible pardon, legal activist Lim Wei Jiet said such a move would irreversibly tarnish the country’s criminal justice system and Malaysia’s standing as a nation that upholds the rule of law.

The message is simple: it’s OK to steal, as long as you are from the political elite

Lim Wei Jiet, legal activist

“The message is simple: it’s OK to steal, as long as you are from the political elite,” Lim said.

Najib was convicted in 2020 of seven counts of corruption and abuse of power involving 42 million ringgit (US$8.9 million) funnelled through SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He was jailed in 2022 after exhausting all legal challenges.

The multibillion-dollar scandal at 1MDB, the state fund founded in 2009 just months after Najib became prime minister, was described by the US Department of Justice as the largest kleptocracy case it had ever dealt with.

It cast an international spotlight on corruption inside Malaysia’s political and business elites, with links to notorious names such as the hard-partying financier-turned-fugitive Jho Low, who funded the Leonardo Di Caprio movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

Jho Low and the Wolf of Wall Street: how Malaysian businessman 'hooked up DiCaprio'

The scandal led to the spectacular downfall of Najib, the British-educated one-time political star, after his Umno party suffered its first-ever electoral loss in Malaysia’s 2018 elections.

Police and anti-corruption officers quickly raided premises linked to the former leader and his family, seizing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of luxury handbags, thousands of pieces of jewellery and watches and cash in 26 different currencies.

Najib, whose wife Rosmah Mansor faces separate corruption charges unrelated to 1MDB, has denied any wrongdoing saying he was a victim of a scheme marshalled by Jho Low and others. He still faces at least three other trials linked to 1MDB.

At least US$4.5 billion is believed to have been funnelled out of the fund, according to the US Department of Justice and Malaysian investigators.

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2024-02-01 05:44:51Z
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Girl, 5, dies after mother leaves her in parked car for 4 hours at Malaysia hospital - The Straits Times

The child was found unconscious and taken to the emergency department of Hospital Shah Alam in Selangor. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FORM GOOGLE MAPS

A five-year-old girl died after her mother inadvertently left her in a parked car at Hospital Shah Alam in Selangor, The Star reported on Feb 1.

The mother, who is a staff member at the hospital, had picked up her daughter from a daycare centre at about 2pm on Jan 30. She forgot that her child was asleep in the back seat and left the vehicle with the engine off, the report cited a police statement as saying.

It was only when her husband called her at about 6pm that the 34-year-old mother realised her daughter was still in the car.

The child was found unconscious and was taken to the emergency department of Hospital Shah Alam. Despite efforts by the medical staff, she was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem was carried out on Jan 31, with results pending further laboratory tests.

Assistant Commissioner Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim, the Shah Alam district police chief, noted that there were no signs of external or internal injuries on the child’s body. The incident is being investigated under the Child Act.

The authorities have urged the public to be vigilant when transporting children, to prevent such incidents.

This case comes almost three months after a similar incident in Selangor, where a two-year-old child died after her mother, who was preoccupied with her schedule, left her in the car for more than seven hours.

The mother, who was in her 30s, drove two of her children to school before arriving at a daycare centre to drop off her two-year-old daughter on Nov 8, 2023. According to a police statement, she was settling some online business transactions while parked near the daycare centre and forgot to drop off the child.

There were two other similar incidents in Malaysia in October 2023.

On Oct 25, a 16-month-old girl died after her father left her in a car for hours. The incident took place at a public university in the east coast state of Terengganu.

On Oct 5, an eight-month-old girl died after being left in a car for 10 hours in Kuala Lumpur.

The mother, who was a doctor at a hospital, had placed her daughter in the rear seat to take her to a nursery. However, she did not drop off the child and went straight to work, thinking she had already taken her daughter to the nursery.

More On This Topic

16-month-old girl in Malaysia dies after father left her in car for hours

Baby in Malaysia dies after doctor mum leaves her in hospital carpark all day

• Children and youth
• Crimes against children/minors
• Malaysia

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Official statement on ex-Malaysian PM Najib's pardon expected this week: Minister - CNA

PUTRAJAYA: An official statement regarding former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s partial royal pardon is expected to be released this week, said the minister in the prime minister's department in charge of federal territories Zaliha Mustafa on Thursday (Feb 1).

"We await the statement (from the pardons board) ... this week, we hope,” Dr Zaliha, who sits on the pardons board, said at an event.

At a press conference on Wednesday, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that the issue of Najib's pardon was discussed in a Cabinet meeting, but also added: "Let’s not jump the gun. Let us wait for an official statement to be made and follow that due process."

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2024-02-01 03:47:31Z
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Singapore leaders congratulate Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim on becoming Malaysia's 17th king - CNA

In his letter, Mr Lee said that Sultan Ibrahim’s “vision of a cohesive and forward-looking Malaysia” bodes well for the country’s development.

“I am confident that Your Majesty will discharge the functions of the highest office in Malaysia with distinction and commitment,” he said.

Mr Lee said that the “multi-faceted and enduring relationship” between Singapore and Malaysia is grounded in the two countries’ historical ties.

The two countries work closely in multiple domains, both bilaterally and within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and “in an uncertain world, our partnership will be even more vital for the continued prosperity and security of our peoples”, he said.

Mr Lee said Singapore is looking forward to strengthening its friendship and cooperation with Malaysia during Sultan Ibrahim’s reign.

“Ho Ching and I wish Your Majesty and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah good health and happiness, and we look forward to welcoming Your Majesties in Singapore soon,” he added.

Sultan Ibrahim has long held friendly ties with Singapore’s leaders and has spoken about the special relationship shared between Johor and Singapore on multiple occasions.

He was elected king in October 2023 after Malaysia’s nine sultans met to vote on who among them would be the country’s next head of state. 

The decision followed the established order of Malaysia’s unique rotational monarchy system in which the country’s nine hereditary rulers take turns to be the king for a five-year term.

Sultan Ibrahim’s late father Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail was the last Johor ruler to be Yang di-Pertuan Agong, reigning from 1984 to 1989.

Sultan Ibrahim succeeded Pahang ruler Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, whose term as king ended on Jan 30.

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2024-01-31 12:10:41Z
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Japan earthquake survivors battle unsanitary conditions with no running water - CNA

"The one non-negotiable I have is washing and sanitising our hands after going to the toilet, given it's the season when infections can spread quickly," she added.

Bitter cold is also posing a challenge, especially for scores of residents who are sleeping in their cars after their homes were wrecked. The area was hit by heavy snow over the past week and authorities have warned of a risk of landslides.

"This life is becoming the norm - I think we can get through it," Terashita said. "Well, we have no other choice."

Over 900 deaths from the devastating Kobe earthquake of 1995 happened after the quake, due in part to the spread of flu and lack of medical care at evacuation centres, according to public health experts.

Authorities in Ishikawa prefecture are set to begin vaccinating evacuees for influenza on Thursday (Feb 1).

Around mid-afternoon on Tuesday at a primary school in Suzu, where around 4,800 houses still have no water, children played on the swings while locals gathered around a communal water tank that has become a lifeline for many.

As evening fell, residents gathered to bathe in a makeshift public bath set up at the school by soldiers sent in to help with relief work - an improvement from immediately after the quake when people would queue for an hour in the rain for 5 litres of water. 

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2024-01-31 07:01:50Z
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Former Malaysian premier Najib Razak's jail term halved from 12 to 6 years, say official sources - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s jail sentence for corruption has been reduced from 12 to six years by the Pardons Board following its meeting on Monday (Jan 29), sources including senior government officials told CNA.

The decision by the board, which is headed by Malaysia’s king, includes a reduction of his RM210 million (US$44.4 million) fine to an unspecified amount, according to three separate sources who spoke on condition of strict confidentiality.

The partial royal pardon for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case comes after serving less than two years of his prison term.

The reduction means Najib is expected to complete his sentence in August 2028. But with parole for good behaviour, he could be out in August 2026 after serving two-thirds of the new jail term. 

There has been feverish speculation about the pardon after Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) confirmed on Tuesday that the board members including herself had met on Monday. She said an official announcement by the Pardons Board will be made.

The meeting was one of Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin’s last official tasks before he stepped down as Malaysia’s king on Jan 31 and handed the role to Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar under the country’s unique rotation system for its nine royal state households.

CNA is contacting the Malaysian authorities for comment. Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he has yet to be informed of any decision by the Pardons Board. 

NAJIB’S INFLUENCE AND OUTSTANDING CHARGES

Najib, an ex-United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president, is still believed to wield huge influence in the party, which is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

He was Malaysia’s premier for nine years until May 2018 and its first PM to be imprisoned. He began serving his jail term in August 2022 after two failed appeals to overturn his conviction at a Malaysian High Court two years earlier.

The charges involved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015.

He was found guilty of three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power by the High Court in July 2020, and was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million. The fine remains unsettled.

He is also facing several other charges in relation to the 1MDB scandal, including the laundering of RM27 million involving funds from SRC International.

Najib’s lawyers have applied to dismiss this money laundering case, and the court has said he can apply for an acquittal, or a discharge not amounting to an acquittal if prosecutors are not prepared to proceed with the trial in September, local media reported.

1MDB, Najib’s brainchild shortly after he became premier, turned into one of the biggest scandals to rock Malaysia and the international financial community. United States and Malaysian investigators estimate that more than US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and another US$1 billion flowed into accounts held by Najib.

Just days after Najib began serving his sentence at the Federal Prison of Kajang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, he applied for a royal pardon.

CNA previously broke the news that Najib’s lead counsel Shafee had filed a fresh application in early December last year for the Pardons Board to revisit his client’s clemency application.

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2024-01-31 05:51:00Z
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