In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, he said that he did not know that Najib would be charged with corruption.

“At the time when I was supporting him, he appeared to be a good candidate for prime minister,” he said.

Dr Mahathir admitted that when he bowed out of politics in 2003, he had no intention of making a comeback into politics.

“But after I stepped down and the new leader took over, a lot of people came to see me, asking me to do something because they were not satisfied with the leadership of my successors,” he said.

“Eventually, Datuk Seri Najib took over, but again a lot of people were not happy… so again people came to see me. Asking me to please do something,” he said.

He said overthrowing Najib and saving Malaysia were the reasons why he returned to the political arena and joined Pakatan Harapan.

Dr Mahathir said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahin and many others who accused him of previous wrongdoing decided to leave the past in the past.

“We have to come together. The overthrowing of Najib is far more important than our previous quarrels,” said Dr Mahathir.

Najib on Wednesday (July 4) pleaded not guilty to a charge of abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal involving millions of ringgit.

They also ruled out sex, lust and elements of coercion in a report submitted to the Syariah Prosecution Department on the marriage involving an 11-year-old migrant girl and 41-year-old Kelantanese.

State Syarie chief prosecutor Zaini Sulaiman, however, said the groom was still liable to be charged for engaging in polygamy without consent.

“And also for marrying a minor without prior approval from the Syariah Court,” he said yesterday.

Zaini said the groom could be charged under Section 23 and 19 of the Syariah enactment which carried a maximum fine of RM1,000 and jail of up to six months.

He said this in response to the marriage of the child bride that hogged headlines, drawing a nationwide public outcry.

News of the marriage solemnised on June 18 across the border in Narathiwat went viral last weekend when the second wife vented her frustration in a Facebook post.

The groom insisted that he was engaged in a suspended marriage, and that he would only co-habitate with his young bride when she turned 16.

He said he planned to enrol his young bride into a pondok school after the controversy was settled.

The girl had never been to school, as both her parents are poor migrants from Thailand.

State Women, Family Develop­ment and Welfare Commit­tee chairman Mumtaz Md Nawi recently advised the groom to enrol his young bride into a pondok school or any other suitable learning institution.

This means brands like Banana Boat and Coppertone will either have to remake their formulas or stop selling in Hawaii all together.

According to the bill, which makes Hawaii the first US state to enact legislation designed to protect marine ecosystems by banning such sunscreens, oxybenzone and octinoxate “have significant harmful impacts on Hawaii’s marine environment and residing ecosystems”.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, coral reefs are crucial to life both on and off land. In addition to protecting sea creatures, the Smithsonian said, the reefs provide food, medication and tourism jobs, among other things – at a value of US$30 billion to $172 billion per year.

“Unfortunately, people also pose the greatest threat to coral reefs,” said the Smithsonian. “Overfishing and destructive fishing, pollution, warming, changing ocean chemistry and invasive species are all taking a huge toll. In some places, reefs have been entirely destroyed, and in many places, reefs today are a pale shadow of what they once were.”

Read also: US airlines are ready to party in Hawaii with a flood of seats

Senator Mike Gabbard, the Democrat who introduced the bill, praised it as “a first-in-the-world law” of its kind.

“Hawaii is definitely on the cutting edge by banning these dangerous chemicals in sunscreens,” Gabbard said in an email to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, as quoted by The Straits Times. “When you think about it, our island paradise, surrounded by coral reefs, is the perfect place to set the gold standard for the world to follow. This will make a huge difference in protecting our coral reefs, marine life and human health.”

Still, the bill is not without its opposition. Companies and some dermatologists have stated that this ban might discourage people from wearing sunscreen.

“Some of our products contain FDA-approved amounts of oxybenzone and octinoxate, active ingredients that are designed to protect the skin against the damaging effects of ultraviolet light and provide critical broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays,” said Edgewell Personal Care, which manufactures Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens.

“The ingredients within our products are clearly listed in the active ingredients on the label, so that consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. As always, we will continue to ensure we comply with all relevant regulations concerning oxybenzone and octinoxate.

But, briefing reporters before flying on to Tokyo, he offered few new details as to how North Korea would honour its commitment to “denuclearise” in exchange for US security guarantees.

“These are complicated issues, but we made progress on almost all of the central issues, some places a great deal of progress, other places there’s still more work to be done,” he said.

Pompeo spoke after emerging from more than eight hours of talks over two days with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s right-hand man Kim Yong Chol in a Pyongyang diplomatic compound.

Last month, at a historic summit with US President Donald Trump, Kim agreed to “work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” in return for security guarantees and an end to a dangerous stand-off with US forces.

Trump hailed this as a successful resolution of the crisis, but the short joint statement was not a detailed roadmap to disarmament and it fell to Pompeo to follow up and put meat on the bones of the sparse commitment.

This quest brought him back to Pyongyang on Friday for his third visit and first overnight stay, and he left en route to brief his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in an upbeat frame of mind.

“We talked about what the North Koreans are continuing to do and how it’s the case that we can get our arms around achieving what Chairman Kim and President Trump both agreed to, which is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea,” he said.

“No-one walked away from that, they’re still equally committed. Chairman Kim is still committed, I had a chance to speak to President Trump this morning.

“I know my counterpart spoke with Chairman Kim during the course of our negotiations as well. We had productive, good-faith negotiations.”

In practical terms, however, Pompeo mentioned only that officials from both sides would meet on July 12 as a working group to discuss the repatriation of the remains of some US soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

And he said some progress had been made towards agreeing “the modalities” of North Korea’s destruction of a missile facility.

Saturday’s talks were held at a villa in an official compound close to the imposing mausoleum where North Korea’s former helmsmen Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il — the current leader’s grandfather and father — lie in state.

As the day began, Pompeo left the compound to make a secure call to Trump away from potential surveillance, then returned to restart talks and they continued through a working lunch for almost six hours.

Crisis over?

Pompeo, who was on his third visit to Pyongyang, began the outreach when he was still Trump’s CIA director and remained the pointman on negotiations after the process became public and he became secretary of state.

In comparison to past international nuclear disarmament negotiations, the discussions between Washington and North Korea on thawing ties and dismantling the North’s arsenal appear to be proceeding in reverse.

Rather than the two leaders crowning years of detailed negotiation with their one-on-one meeting, the short statement marked instead the start of a diplomatic long slog, and Trump earned the scorn of Korea watchers and non-proliferation experts when he declared the crisis over.

International monitoring

The task of establishing the disarmament programme now falls to Pompeo, who is seeking a formal declaration by the North of the size of its nuclear programme as well as an eventual timetable for it to be ended under international verification and inspection.

Many experts doubt Kim’s sincerity — a nuclear deterrent to US intervention has long been a strategic goal of his isolated, autocratic regime — and few expect this to be a quick process, even if Washington wants results within a year.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in an elegant Pyongyang guest house for a second day with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s right-hand man Kim Yong Chol.

The US envoy later left Pyongyang bound for Tokyo, where he was to brief his Japanese and South Korean counterparts and talk to reporters on Sunday.

The negotiations followed President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, where the leaders signed a statement committing Pyongyang to “work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula”.

While hailed by Trump as ending the threat of nuclear war, the June 12 statement was short on clear commitments, and Pompeo was tasked with negotiating a detailed plan in Pyongyang.

“Our policy hasn’t changed,” Pompeo’s spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters as the meetings got underway.

“Our expectation is exactly what the president and Kim Jong Un jointly agreed to in Singapore, and that is the denuclearisation of North Korea,” she said.

Saturday’s talks were held at a villa in an official compound close to the imposing mausoleum where North Korea’s former helmsmen Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il — the current leader’s grandfather and father — lie in state.

As the day began, Pompeo left the compound to make a secure call to Trump away from potential surveillance, then returned to restart talks and they continued through a working lunch for almost six hours.

The meeting appeared to be drawing to a close at around 3.00pm (0600 GMT) and he flew out of the country just over an hour later, without talking to reporters.

In opening remarks, Kim Yong Chol asked Pompeo if he had slept well on his first overnight stay in the country, adding: “But we did have very serious discussion on very important matters yesterday.

“So thinking about those discussions you might have not slept well last night,” he suggested.

Pompeo responded that he had slept “just fine” but the exchange suggested tougher talks ahead.

Crisis over?

Pompeo warned that “the path toward complete denuclearisation building a relationship between our two countries is vital for a brighter North Korea and the success that our two presidents demand of us.”

Kim replied: “Of course it is important. There are things that I have to clarify.”

“There are things that I have to clarify as well,” Pompeo responded.

Pompeo, who was on his third visit to Pyongyang, began the outreach when he was still Trump’s CIA director and remained the pointman on negotiations after the process became public and he became secretary of state.

In comparison to past international nuclear disarmament negotiations, the discussions between Washington and North Korea on thawing ties and dismantling the North’s arsenal appear to be proceeding in reverse.

Kim and Trump’s Singapore summit resulted in a statement committing Pyongyang to “work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” in exchange for US “security guarantees” and peace in the decades-old stand-off.

But rather than the two leaders crowning years of detailed negotiation with their one-on-one meeting, the short statement marked instead the start of a diplomatic long slog, and Trump earned the scorn of Korea watchers and non-proliferation experts when he declared the crisis over.

– ‘Nitty gritty details’ –

The task of establishing the disarmament programme now falls to Pompeo, who is seeking a formal declaration by the North of the size of its nuclear programme as well as an eventual timetable for it to be ended under international verification and inspection.

Many experts doubt Kim’s sincerity — a nuclear deterrent to US intervention has long been a strategic goal of his isolated, autocratic regime — and few expect this to be a quick process, even if Washington wants results within a year.

Lokman Noor Adam, the president of the pro-Umno NGO Pemantau Malaysia Baru (New Malaysia Monitor) said he was informed that the accounts of Nooryana Najwa Najib along with Mohd Norashman Najib, Mohd Nizar Najib and Puteri Norlisa Najib were frozen by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The accounts were frozen in relation to the investigation into Najib’s involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

image: https://content.thestar.com.my/smg/settag/name=lotame/tags=Int_Travel,all,Int_Travel_Local,Int_Lifestyle,Int_Entertainment,Int_Food

The second is against MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull for freezing more than 400 bank accounts, including that of Najib’s immediate family.

Najib on Wednesday claimed trial to three counts of criminal breach of trust and ano­ther charge of abuse of power involving RM42mil linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

“This is inhumane, and what makes things worse is that I was told that Puteri Norlisa is not well and needs access to her account to pay for her medical treatment,” said Lokman, who is also an Umno supreme council member.

In a Facebook page posting which Utusan Malaysia reported on Thursday, Mohd Nizar lamented about the difficulties he now faces.

“The accounts of my younger siblings and me (sic) have been frozen. Cannot even pay bills,” read the posting on Thursday, a day after Najib was charged.

The same day, Malaysiakini reported that Mohd Norashman had his accounts frozen, while blog site The Third Force reported yesterday that the bank account of Puteri Norlisa had also been frozen.

There was no immediate response from Najib’s aide and lawyer when contacted.

Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor have two children, Nooryana Najwa and Mohd Norashman. He has three children from a previous marriage to Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskan­dar, Mohd Nizar, Mohd Nazifuddin and Puteri Norlisa.

Rosmah also has two children from her previous marriage to Abdul Aziz Nong Chik, Riza and Azrene Soraya.

On Thursday, Nooryana wrote on a closed Facebook group that her bank had informed her that it received instructions to freeze not only her account, but also her son’s account.

She wrote that her son’s bank account had RM100, which was from his first duit raya.

“What does my baby’s duit raya have to do with 1MDB? Is this the new Malaysia people were praying for?” Nooryana added.

The MACC has, however, denied the claim that her son’s account was frozen.

In Putrajaya, Dr Mahathir said that Najib could go to court if he felt that the authorities were wrong in freezing the accounts of his family members.

Insisting that the move was not an act of revenge by the Pakatan Harapan Government, the Prime Minister pointed out that he was placed under the same situation pre­viously but did not complain.

“What is there to take revenge? What he did before was much worse but we didn’t complain. My friends were driven away, they were not allowed to be acquainted with me. Their accounts were also frozen. But we didn’t complain,” he said.

“If this (freezing of accounts) is a wrongful act, then he can take it to court,” said Dr Mahathir who as chairman of Pakatan had earlier chaired its presidential council meeting.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was ensconced in an elegant Pyongyang guest house for a second day of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s right-hand man Kim Yong Chol.

“Our policy hasn’t changed,” Pompeo’s spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

“Our expectation is exactly what the president and Kim Jong Un jointly agreed to in Singapore, and that is the denuclearisation of North Korea,” she said.

The talks were held at a large villa inside an official compound in Pyongyang, close to the imposing mausoleum where North Korea’s former helmsmen Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il — the current leader’s grandfather and father — lie in state.

As the day began, Pompeo left the compound to go to a location where he could make a secure call to President Donald Trump away from potential surveillance, then returned to restart talks at around 9:00am (0000 GMT).

Kim Yong Chol asked Pompeo if he had slept well on his first overnight stay in the country, adding: “But we did have very serious discussion on very important matters yesterday.

“So thinking about those discussions you might have not slept well last night,” he suggested.

Pompeo responded that he had slept “just fine” but the exchange suggested tougher talks ahead.

Pompeo warned that “the path toward complete denuclearisation building a relationship between our two countries is vital for a brighter North Korea and the success that our two presidents demand of us.”

Kim replied: “Of course it is important. There are things that I have to clarify.”

“There are things that I have to clarify as well,” Pompeo responded.

Crisis over?

Pompeo, who is on his third visit to Pyongyang, began the outreach when he was still Trump’s CIA director and remained the pointman on negotiations after the process became public and he became secretary of state.

In comparison to past international nuclear disarmament negotiations, the discussions between Washington and North Korea on thawing ties and dismantling the North’s arsenal appear to be proceeding in reverse.

Last month, Kim and Trump met in Singapore and signed a statement committing Pyongyang to “work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” in exchange for US “security guarantees” and peace in the decades-old stand-off.

But rather than the two leaders crowning years of detailed negotiation with their one-on-one meeting, the short statement marked instead the start of a diplomatic long slog, and Trump earned the scorn of Korea watchers and non-proliferation experts when he declared the crisis over.

‘Nitty gritty details’

The task of establishing the disarmament programme now falls to Pompeo, who is seeking a formal declaration by the North of the size of its nuclear programme as well as an eventual timetable for it to be stood down under international verification and inspection.

Many experts doubt Kim’s sincerity — a nuclear deterrent to the US military forces massed in South Korea has long been a strategic goal of his isolated, autocratic regime — and few expect this to be a quick process, even if Washington wants results within a year.

Pompeo, accompanied by senior State Department and CIA officials, held several hours of talks on Friday evening and had a working dinner with Kim Yong Chol at which both were “cracking jokes” and “exchanging pleasantries,” according to Nauert.

They also, she said, agreed to set up working parties to pursue the “nitty gritty details” of how to make good on promises made in Singapore.

They were expected to talk all day Saturday before Pompeo heads to Tokyo to brief Washington’s Japanese and South Korean allies.

The Taiwanese online portal said that Mohd Nazifuddin went out with Celia Chang after Najib was released on bail following his arrest on July 3 for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

The report which quoted Apple Daily said Mohd Nazifuddin was seen dining at a steakhouse and having a massage at a top luxury shopping district near Taipei 101 on Thursday (July 5).

The couple apparently spent more than three hours at the steak restaurant eating and drinking red wine.

It also said that after dining at the steakhouse, they proceeded to the massage parlour and had a candlelight dinner.

The report also said that the couple then chilled at a pub for two hours before heading to the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel at 1am.

However, the report said Chang’s spokesman had clarified that Mohd Nazifuddin was only a “friend of hers” and she had acted as his guide during his trip in Taipei.

Mohd Nazifuddin reportedly flew back to Malaysia on Friday (July 6).

Since meeting Kim in Singapore last month Trump has been bullish about hopes for peace, boasting that the threat of nuclear war is over.

But the statement the leaders signed was short on clear commitments and Pompeo has been tasked with negotiating a plan that would Washington hopes would involve Kim declaring the extent of his nuclear weapons program and agreeing a timetable for it to be dismantled.

“Our leaders made commitments at the Singapore summit on the complete denuclearisation of North Korea,” Pompeo told reporters travelling with him on a journey that included a stop at Yokota, a US airbase in Japan.

“On this trip I’m seeking to fill in some details on those commitments and continue the momentum toward implementation of what the two leaders promised each other and the world,” he said.

“I expect that the DPRK is ready to do the same,” he added, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.

The top US diplomat and senior aides were due in the North Korean capital on Friday, where Pompeo is to stay overnight for the first time.

In a tweet the Secretary of State said he was “looking forward to continuing our work toward the final, fully verified denuclearisation of #DPRK, as agreed to by Chairman Kim”.

Washington hopes that “complete” denuclearisation can begin within a year, but many expert observers and Trump critics warn that Kim’s summit promise meant little and the process could take years — if it ever starts.

In the meantime, Pompeo and Trump have vowed to keep in the place the international economic sanctions that they believe forced the North to the negotiating table in the first place.

The US delegation is set to have lunch with senior North Korean official and former spy master Kim Yong Chol on arrival in Pyongyang.

After talks late Friday and early Saturday in the capital, Pompeo is due to fly on to Tokyo to brief his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.

His round-the-world diplomatic voyage will then take him on to Vietnam and Abu Dhabi before he arrives in the Belgian capital Brussels to rejoin Trump for next week’s NATO summit.