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Malaysia’s new PM halts flood-mitigation projects as graft dragnet widens

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Treasury’s top civil servant has gone on leave, even as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reported for duty as Malaysia’s finance minister on Tuesday and widened a dragnet on alleged misappropriation of funds under his predecessors.

Although he walked back on the RM600 billion (US$136 billion) figure mentioned on Monday as public expenditure Anwar said was improperly approved when Perikatan Nasional (PN) leader Muhyiddin Yassin was premier from 2020 to 2021, he insisted that “tens of billions were allocated with breaches in procedure”.

Anwar also ordered the halt of RM7 billion in flood mitigation initiatives approved by Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was prime minister from Aug 2021 to November this year, that were directly awarded without competitive tenders.

“I want to remind Muhyiddin not to challenge this because it is clear there were several processes and procedures that were not followed and some interested companies or [companies] linked to family were involved,” he told a press conference after arriving at the Finance Ministry for the first time.

Anwar did not offer details on which companies or whose families were linked to these projects.

The premier also said that the membership and terms of reference of a new advisory team headed by Hassan Marican, the former chief of state oil giant Petronas, would be finalised after “we consult the senior officials and new KSP”.

KSP refers to the Ketua Setiausaha Perbendaharaan, or Treasury secretary-general. The post is currently held by Asri Hamidin, who was appointed in April 2020 after Muhyiddin became prime minister.

An aide to Anwar later clarified that there was no new Treasury secretary-general, but that a deputy would be acting in Asri’s place while he was on leave. The aide did not state why the officer was off-duty during the first days of the new administration.

Anwar was received by the Finance Ministry’s deputy secretaries-general on Tuesday morning, in Asri’s absence.

Several sources said that Asri had been put on leave by the new administration, which is also looking to review the much-delayed roll-out of the next generation 5G mobile network, a signature Finance Ministry project launched during Muhyiddin’s time in power. In his capacity as the highest-ranking civil servant in the Treasury, Asri sits on the board of several government-linked entities, including as chairman of Digital Nasional, the state vehicle tasked with building up Malaysia’s 5G infrastructure at a cost of MR16.5 billion.

Umno’s Zafrul Aziz was finance minister from March 2020 until elections were held in November. Umno, which leads the Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance, was part of the governments led by both Muhyiddin and Ismail and continues to form part of the ruling government that is now led by Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan coalition.

Zafrul has been reappointed to Cabinet as international trade and industry minister by Anwar, who presides over a “unity government” that includes all MPs save for the 73 opposition lawmakers in PN. Former premier Muhyiddin had refused to join hands with PH after the November 19 elections, insisting he had the backing of 115 MPs, despite the palace declaring that no leader had secured a majority in the 222-seat parliament.

Both former premiers Ismail and Muhyiddin have denied that money had gone missing from Covid-19 stimulus packages since 2020, with the latter pointing out that the government’s fiscal injection for the packages was only RM83 billion and not RM600 billion.

Zafrul, when tabling the budget in October under former premier Ismail, had announced a flood mitigation plan for which RM15 billion had been allocated until 2030 as part of a long-term strategy to adapt to climate change.

Parti Islam SeMalaysia deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who was environment and water minister when these projects were approved, insisted that “all financial monitoring processes were tightly monitored according to” finance ministry guidelines.

“As Prime Minister, [Anwar] should not presume all directly negotiated tenders are improper. As finance minister, I am sure that he knows that direct negotiation for flood mitigation projects that had to be expedited was not a procurement offence,” said the PN lawmaker.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

‘We will keep dancing’ Vinicius Jr, after criticism of goal celebs

The Brazilian football confederation released behind the scenes video of players celebrating their 4-1 win over S. Korea at the World Cup’s Round of 16.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Stray cat invaded Brazilian press conference Stray cats invade Brazil Press co

A feline intruder interrupted Vinicius Jr during Brazil’s World Cup news conference in Doha on Wednesday (December)

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Time magazine explains why Ukraine’s Zelensky is Person of the Year

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Time magazine has named President Volodymyr Zelensky and the “spirit of Ukraine” as its Person of the Year for protecting the country against Russia’s invasion.

The award goes to the person or entity that the US news magazine deems has had the biggest influence on world events in the past 12 months.

“The Russian goal at the start of the invasion had been to kill or capture Zelensky and decapitate his government,” Time wrote.

But Zelensky made the fateful decision not to flee Kyiv, instead staying and rallying support in the weeks after Russian bombs began falling on February 24, said Time’s editor Edward Felsenthal.

Zelensky’s rallying call resulted in billions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid from many countries that had enabled Ukraine to withstand the might of the Russian army, he added.

The invasion was condemned by 141 countries at the United Nations, with only North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, and Belarus voting with Russia, Felsenthal noted.

“This year’s choice was the most clear-cut in memory,” he said.

“Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Zelensky galvanised the world in a way we haven’t seen in decades.”

He also praised the spirit of Ukrainian individuals inside and outside the country who fought for their homeland behind the scenes.

Related stories:

• Russia says three killed in Ukrainian drone attacks on two of its air bases
• G7 price cap on Russian oil kicks in, Russia will only sell at market price
• China increasing arms exports to Middle East and Eastern Europe

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Ursula von der Leyen Tops Forbes’ 19th Annual Ranking of the World’s Most Powerful Women

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Forbes on Wednesday announced its 19th annual ranking of The World’s Most Powerful Women, the definitive audit of the most dynamic female business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and politicians making an impact on the world today.

“Today’s most powerful women are leading on the world stage across every industry and sphere of
influence,” said Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President, Forbes. “In a year marked by uncertainty and
volatility, women’s power is being leveraged beyond economic and political might to transform
industries and solve society’s most urgent issues.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tops this year’s list, closely followed by European
Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. Both women rose in the ranking this year in recognition of the
critical role they played in galvanizing EU member states to support Ukraine following the Russian
invasion. Von der Leyen, who replaces novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott as No. 1, said that
supporting Ukraine comes at a high cost but freedom was “priceless”.

“Ursula von der Leyen’s influence is unique—no one else on the list formulates policy on behalf of 450
million people—but her commitment to a free and democratic society is not,” says Maggie McGrath,
editor of ForbesWomen. “Von der Leyen is just one face of the biggest storyline of 2022: women acting
as stalwarts for democracy.”

Members of the 2022 ranking represent women in six categories: business, technology, finance, media
& entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy. Those featured are builders, disruptors, and
innovators in every sector, from corporate to creative worlds, taking a modern, forward-looking view on
power.

This year’s list sees more women than ever before leading the world’s financial markets. With inflation
and the growing threat of a global recession both rising, the list highlights women at the helm of the
most influential financial institutions steering monetary policy, from Kristalina Georgieva at the
International Monetary Fund to Janet Yellen at the US Treasury.

Giorgia Meloni is the most notable newcomer on this year’s list. She was recently elected as Italy’s first
female Prime Minister, taking charge of the fourth-largest economy in the EU and the eighth largest
economy globally.

Other newcomers include Netflix’s Global Head of TV, Bela Bajaria, philanthropist and music legend
Dolly Parton, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Tesla Chair Robin Denholm. Returning to the
list this year are showrunner Shonda Rhimes and the Co-CEO of Chinese insurance giant Ping An,
Jessica Tan.

The symbolic No. 100 went to Jina ‘Mahsa’ Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death in police
custody sparked the most significant protests in Iran since the 1979 revolution, and this marks the list’s
first posthumous honor. Amini’s inclusion represents the collective power of thousands of women who
are not only speaking out against the mandatory hijab and Iran’s morality police but ultimately calling
for a revolutionary regime change.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II dropped off the ranking for the first time following her passing in
September at the age of 96. The late Queen left a legacy as the longest-reigning British monarch and the
longest-verified reigning female monarch in history. Another list mainstay, Sheryl Sandberg, dropped off
this year after stepping down as COO of Meta.

To compile the list, Forbes looks at hard power (currencies and constitutions) and (dynamic power)
(audiences, communities and creative influence). Forbes applied four metrics to determine who makes
the cut: money, media, impact and spheres of influence.

For the full list of the 2022 100 Most Powerful Women, visit: The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women

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New Peru president sworn in after predecessor Castillo ousted

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Peruvian politician Dina Boluarte was sworn in as interim president on Wednesday, hours after Pedro Castillo was removed in an impeachment trial during a day of high political drama in the Andean nation.

Boluarte, elevated from vice president, becomes Peru’s first-ever female president, following Castillo’s attempt to dissolve the legislature by decree to avoid the impeachment vote, which sparked a wave of resignations by ministers and criticism from allies.

Peru’s Congress voted to oust Castillo in an impeachment trial on Wednesday, hours after he plunged the country into a constitutional crisis by attempting to dissolve the legislature by decree.

Ignoring Castillo’s attempt to shut down Congress, lawmakers moved ahead with the previously planned impeachment trial, with 101 votes in favour of removing him, six against and 10 abstentions. The result was announced with loud cheers and the legislature called Vice President Dina Boluarte to take office.

That sparked resignations by key ministers from Castillo’s government and allegations of a “coup” by opposition members and allies. The police and Armed Forces warned him that the route he had taken to try to dissolve Congress was unconstitutional.

Congress summoned Castillo last week to respond to accusations of “moral incapacity” to govern. The prosecutor’s office in October filed a constitutional complaint against Castillo for allegedly leading “a criminal organization” to profit from state contracts and for obstructing investigations.

Castillo has called the allegations “slander” by groups seeking “to take advantage and seize the power that the people took from them at the polls.”

The leftist teacher-turned-president has survived two previous attempts to impeach him since he began his term in July 2021.

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Neighbours of prince who wanted to be Kaiser ‘shocked’ by coup plot in Germany

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Frankfurt neighbours of a German prince suspected of plotting to be kaiser in a coup expressed shock and disbelief on Wednesday nationwide raids and the arrest of 25 people.

Melanie Merle said: “You hear about such plans from other countries but for this to happen outside my front door?”

Another passer-by, Sascha Lutfulla, said: “It’s a shock that our neighbour organised a putsch with right-wing radicals, with those fascists.”

Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss is one of the last descendants of a dynasty that once ruled over large parts of eastern Germany. He is suspected of hoping to become the country’s new leader in a violent coup to overthrow the democratic order.

The 71-year-old was one of 25 members and supporters of a far-right group planning the alleged putsch who were arrested early on Wednesday, according to the authorities.

The real estate developer has for years publicly advocated the theory that life was better worldwide under a monarchy.

He stems from the House of Reuss, which for centuries ruled over parts of the present-day Thueringen state until Germany’s 1918 revolution that led to the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

Neither the House of Reuss nor Prince Reuss’ Office responded to requests for comment.

A former parliamentary lawmaker from the far-right Alternative For Germany (AfD) was also among those detained, according to German prosecutors.

A statement dated December 7 on AfD’s website said the party condemned the plot

“It’s a development which shows that right-wing extremism is moving from the margins to the centre and that protagonists from this scene can imagine overthrowing the state order,” Alexander Haeusler from the Duesseldorf University of Applied Sciences told Reuters Television.

“These groups are not individual cases, but they are actually mushrooming,” said Haeusler.

Reuters

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Malaysia to import chicken eggs to address ‘temporary’ shortage

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Malaysia will temporarily import chicken eggs as a stopgap measure to address the country’s egg supply shortage until a long-term solution is decided, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu said.

The short-term solution is vital to ensure the food security of Malaysians, the minister said.

He added that Malaysians consume an average of 968 million chicken eggs every month.

He said several foreign sources have been identified, adding that all imported egg sources would adhere to established safety standards with “zero compromises”.

Mohamad also assured the people that the initiative was not designed to pressure local egg producers through competition but to prevent disruptions to the domestic egg supply.

“The initiative to bring in chicken eggs from foreign sources will ensure that the supply of eggs in the country is not cut off and the welfare of the people is maintained,” he said in a Facebook post.

He added that the foreign imports would be reviewed once the domestic supply has stabilised.

He said the ministry’s secretary-general had been tasked with monitoring the impact of importing eggs from foreign sources on local markets.

He also said that Agrobank had been asked to provide advice to local suppliers and entrepreneurs on how to remain competitive.

Mohamad added he was confident that the egg shortage would be resolved in the future with the cooperation of various parties.

The Star

Asia News Network