North Korea denounces US move to bring ballistic missile submarine to peninsula
SEOUL: North Korea denounced on Monday (Jul 10) what it called a move by the United States to introduce a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to waters near the Korean peninsula, saying it creates a situation that brings a nuclear conflict closer to reality. North Korea also claimed US reconnaissance planesContinue Reading
North Korea warns it may shoot down US spy planes violating its airspace
“NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL” The moves by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula is “the most undisguised nuclear blackmail” against North Korea and regional countries and presents a grave threat to peace, KCNA said. “Whether the extreme situation, desired by nobody, is created or not onContinue Reading
MFP partners query vote tactics
Number of Senate backers a mystery
The seven parties in the eight-member political alliance led by the Move Forward Party (MFP) want the MFP to tell them how it would handle the parliamentary vote to select a new prime minister, in the event party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, fails the first vote set for Thursday.
Questions have been raised among the seven prospective coalition partners as to how many times the vote will have to be organised to pick a new prime minister. House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha previously said the vote would be repeated until a new prime minister is selected successfully.
The parties also want the MFP to respond to rumours about a proposal to keep repeating the vote until the Senate’s term expires in May next year in case Mr Pita fails to secure sufficient votes from the senators for him to become the new prime minister.
Prasert Chantararuangthong, secretary-general of Pheu Thai Party, a key partner in the MFP-led alliance, said he didn’t expect the MFP to discuss about what it would do in case Mr Pita fails the first vote as the party appears fairly confident he will win.
Mr Prasert was referring to discussions at the next meeting of the eight parties on Tuesday which was called by Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the MFP, ahead of Thursday’s vote.
Asked if the MFP had clarified how many votes from senators it has secured for Mr Pita, Mr Prasert said the MFP had not mentioned any exact figure. As for its own affairs, Pheu Thai has called a party meeting on Wednesday, he said. Mr Prasert said he personally disagreed with any minority government ideas.
Senator Amphol Jindawatana said on Facebook he intends to vote for a prime minister nominated by those parties with support from more than half of MPs. That is the same principle he followed when casting his vote for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in 2019, he said.
Mr Pita, meanwhile, visited Suphan Buri in an up-country trip to thank supporters of the MFP before he attended a get-together with MFP supporters outside CentralWorld later in the day in Bangkok.
“If you, all my fellow MPs, agree it’s time to end the unusual political development and return to normality, you don’t have to choose me but any new government that comes from the people. Will you?” he said at one point while in Suphan Buri on Sunday. Asked if what he would do if he fails the first vote, Mr Pita said: “Keep voting then”. An opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, found most people believe the eight parties will succeed in their push for Mr Pita to become prime minister.
Meanwhile, activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana said he believes he has dug up new information adding weight to Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility to contest the election and become an MP and a prime minister. According to Mr Ruangkrai, Mr Pita has earned money from writing and publishing at least four books, which might be considered the operation of a newspaper as defined under the Printing Registration Act 2007.
He said he will next file a petition with the Election Commission asking the poll regulator to investigate whether his theory holds weight.
In other news, Senator Somchai Sawangkarn threatened the EC with legal action if it attempts any further delay in deciding if Mr Pita is ineligible to become an MP and be nominated as a prime ministerial candidate.
Mr Somchai said the EC should have petitioned the Constitutional Court to hear Mr Pita’s iTV Plc shareholding case by now, and suspend him from duties while processing the case.
The EC committee looking into Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility linked with his past holding of 42,000 shares in iTV had already wrapped up its investigation and will likely forward findings to the EC’s main committee on Monday or Tuesday, according to a source.
Deputy Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, meanwhile, said if the parties in the caretaker government have to nominate a candidate in the election for PM in case the MFP-alliance fails the vote repeatedly, the parties will have to discuss first who they should nominate.
The nominees could include Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, or Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
One dead, 7 missing in central China highway landslide
BEIJING: One person has died and seven were missing after a landslide overtook a highway construction site on an expressway in central China, local government officials said on Sunday (Jul 9). Six people were found alive and injuries were reported from Saturday’s landslide, officials in Hubei province said in aContinue Reading
The Big Read: Young, retrenched and ready to start over – a new norm for workers in a more volatile economy?
However, Mr Adrian Choo, chief executive of recruitment firm Career Agility International, believes that retrenchments now “are no longer necessarily tied to recession cycles”. Instead, they may be due to rapidly changing technology or shifting of customer demand for products, which may sometimes result in the company closing entire businessContinue Reading
Commentary: What’s behind MUDA’s move to go it alone in Malaysia state elections?
PICK OF SEATS
Second, for a party premised on popular participation and innovation, MUDA can ill-afford to wait in the interstices indefinitely. The only way to broaden the party’s image beyond Saddiq is for MUDA to field more candidates and have them accumulate their own track records.
To be fair, the party is associated with consistent stances on issues such as Undi-18, anti-corruption, and term limits for office holders. Last, those accusing MUDA of personality politics can be accused of letting their gaze stray past the mirror.
Third, MUDA’s recent electoral performance is on par with PH component parties. Its subordinate position in seat negotiations meant it was fielded in challenging seats. For example, its seven seats in the Johor election included UMNO bastions such as Parit Raja and Machap.
Indeed, MUDA’s win in the mixed Puteri Wangsa seat was by a handsome 7,000 majority. Syed Saddiq’s narrow victory in Muar in November 2022 was also no mean feat, given the intense competition from a senior Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) cleric on the one hand and a youth-friendly UMNO candidate on the other.
Campaigning for the upcoming elections has yet to begin and MUDA can now pick seats at its leisure. Freed from PH, it may be able to leverage its social media capabilities and craft a compelling campaign narrative.
In line with its “third force” label, it would do well to pick a manageable selection of seats from both PH and PN strongholds. While the party will find a better reception in Selangor and Negri Sembilan, it also needs to venture into seats in states like Kedah and Terengganu. Focusing only on urban and mixed seats would undercut its narrative of seeking to be a national youth-focused party.
While the divorce makes sense for both ex-partners, MUDA and Pakatan Harapan may yet cooperate again after the elections. In Malaysia’s new, more competitive political panorama, parties and coalitions increasingly contest elections independently before forging post-election compromises.
Given their more compatible worldviews, a subsequent reconciliation is possible. And, in an era where narrow majorities in Parliament and state assemblies are increasingly frequent, the upstart party may yet be a kingmaker.
Francis E Hutchinson is Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This commentary first appeared on the Institute’s blog Fulcrum.
CNA Explains: Are air purifiers effective against haze, and how do you choose one for your home?
What should I avoid?
Some air purifiers generate additional air pollutants, like ozone, which are health hazards.
According to NEA’s website, electronic portable air cleaners that use ionizers, photocatalytic oxidizers, electrostatic precipitators, hydroxyl generators, UV light or other electronic air-cleaning technologies may generate harmful levels of ozone or ions.
Mechanical filters such as HEPA do not generate ozone or ions.
If I already have one, how do I know it is still effective?
It may have been years since you last used your air purifier. Can you still use it if haze hits this year?
Assoc Prof Yim, who is from NTU’s Asian School of the Environment, said it depends on how an air purifier has been maintained. “Old filters should be regularly changed to a new one for a certain time period depending on the indoor air quality.”
Assoc Prof Tham, Assoc Prof Cheong and Prof Sekhar said there was little a layperson could do to evaluate their air purifiers’ performance, as the process is highly technical and done in the laboratory. However, users can still replace the filters.
“Activated carbon must be viewed as something that depletes over time. Its capacity to absorb chemicals reduces when in continual use. When one starts to detect smell penetrating the filter, this is indicative that the activated carbon has lost its ability to remove such chemicals,” they said.
Prof Balasubramanian cautioned users against changing filters in the presence of others, especially those who suffer from respiratory conditions, and to also wear an N95 mask while doing so.
Asked if there was a way to check for an air purifier’s effectiveness, the NUS professor said it was “very hard” but suggested using a cheap particle counter to measure the amount of particles in an enclosed room before and after using the air purifier.
Alternatively, he suggested to try lighting an incense stick. If an air purifier is working well, the smell and amount of smoke emitted from the incense stick should be less than if the air purifier is not switched on.
Will the air purifiers I bought for COVID-19 work against haze?
It should, but beware of devices that generate ozone, said Prof Balasubramanian.
Some air purifiers used for COVID-19 disinfect by inactivating the virus through germicidal lamps, or UV lamps, that generate ozone.
NUS’ Assoc Prof Tham, Assoc Prof Cheong and Prof Sekhar said: “Unless the CADR is compromised to achieve a better efficacy against COVID-19 virus, it should continue to be effective against the haze.
“Again, it is good to remember that haze is a complex contaminant with physical, chemical and possibly biological components. An air cleaner should adequately address all these components to be effective against the haze.”
Commentary: Are Singaporeans too comfortable at home to be global leaders?
I went to China with my wife and two cats. I had never been to China before and my Mandarin as a second language was mediocre. Since I had little prior exposure and knowledge of the marketplace, I decided the best option was to aggressively immerse myself in the environment, to quickly understand the issues, opportunities, vast geography, and most importantly, the people who were at the heart of our business execution.
With Singapore being a sanctuary of structure and stability, being willing to get out of one’s comfort zone – be it going overseas or even simply having a mindset shift in working styles – can perhaps be one of the biggest challenges that Singaporeans face.
But in our interconnected world today, getting uncomfortable – and having rounded experiences – is imperative to earn our place at the global leadership table, noted a recent Alliance for Action on Business Leadership Development (AfA-BLD) Insights Report by the Singapore Business Federation.
Today, the spotlight is turning towards Asia as firms increasingly look to the region to grow their businesses. According to the International Monetary Fund, Asia’s economy is expected to grow 4.6 per cent this year, contributing about 70 per cent of global growth.
Yet globally, Asians still largely remain underrepresented in corporate leadership roles. For instance, a study by the Center for Creative Leadership in September 2022 showed that Asians only account for 4 per cent of executive teams in US-headquartered companies and 3 per cent in Europe-headquartered firms.
With Singapore being an attractive regional hub for corporates, as home to the regional headquarters of more than 37,000 international companies, one question remains: Why aren’t more Singaporeans leading these corporations?
TOO COMFORTABLE TO LEAVE?
When it comes to hard skills, Singaporeans have what it takes to be leaders. Our universities are among the top ranked internationally, and more than 35 per cent of residents aged 25 and above are university graduates. Singapore is also deemed to be the most proficient in English in the region, and our students regularly top international math and science rankings.
With such achievements, however, have Singaporeans become so comfortable that we are at risk of losing our competitive edge?
Many of my business counterparts have observed that it is often difficult to get Singaporeans to take up overseas roles. Many of us are risk-averse, shying away from unfamiliarity and choosing to remain within the structured comforts of our home environment.
4 dead in bus accident
Bus accident kills four on mountain
Si Sa Ket: Four people were killed and 34 others injured when their bus veered off a mountain road and overturned in Phu Sing district yesterday, police said.
The bus was taking participants of a Suranaree Trail Running competition back to the starting point when it lost its balance on a trip down Phanom Dongrak mountain.
The accident occurred near Phaya Kruepree cliff. The number of passengers on board had yet to be confirmed.
The trail run started at Wat Krai Pattana and ended at Talad Mai on the mountain with buses provided to take participants back to the start point. Police are investigating.
Exat extends toll discount to 2024
transport: The Expressway Authority of Thailand has extended toll fee reductions for Chalong Rat expressway for all types of vehicles until the end of this year.
Motorists entering Phra Ram 9-1 tollgate currently receive a 10-baht discount per trip until Dec 31 in line with the Transport Ministry’s policy to help reduce the cost of living. They can pay with cash or via an easy pass system.
Four-wheel vehicles pay 30 baht instead of 40 for their toll fee while six-to-10-wheel vehicles pay 50 instead of 60 baht. Larger vehicles pay 70 baht instead of 80 baht.
Stargazers in for evening treat
Astronomy: The Greatest Brilliancy — a phenomenon when Venus is at its brightest — will be visible this evening, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand.
Skywatchers can observe the dazzlingly bright planet from 7pm–9pm with the naked eye. When seen through telescopes, it will look like a crescent moon.
Narit says Venus will shine at magnitude -4.6. On the stellar magnitude scale, the higher the number, the fainter the object. The full moon shines at magnitude -12.
Those who miss today’s event will have a second chance on Sept 18 when Venus reaches its greatest illuminated extent in the early hours from 3.25am until sunrise.
Worker held for ‘B32m swindle’
Crime: A woman posing as a bank worker was arrested in Pathum Thani yesterday for swindling people out of 32 million baht, according to the CSD.
Natwarin, 33, was nabbed at Rangsit train station in Thanyaburi under an arrest warrant issued by Samut Sakhon provincial court. She was wanted for running fraudulent investment schemes with more than 100 victims, police say.
According to the CSD, the suspect used social media such as Facebook and the Line chat application to lure victims to invest in micro finance schemes from October 2019–April 2020.
The investments, which ranged from 2,000–5,000 baht per person, amounted to 32 million baht. When her clients could not contact her in April 2020, they filed complaints with police in several provinces.
Gold card care for city-dwellers
Health: More than 700,000 members of the universal healthcare coverage scheme, known as the gold card, who are working in Bangkok but registered in their home provinces are now allowed to receive medication at community clinics and healthcare centres under the NHSO.
It came after Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt and NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadet Thammathat-aree recently signed an MoU on the cooperation.
Mr Chadchart said these non-Bangkok members need not move their names to a house registration book in Bangkok. Instead, he urged them to register at the NHSO’s clinics and healthcare centres close to their houses in the capital under the 30-baht healthcare scheme.
Dengue cases on rise: DDC
The number of dengue patients recorded in the first half of this year was almost triple the figure recorded in the same period last year, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
The total number of dengue patients recorded from Jan 1 to June 28 was 27,377, close to three times the number recorded in the same period last year, said the DDC.
Among the 27,377 cases, 33 patients have died, it added.
The virus spreads to people through the bites of infected Aedes-species mosquitoes.
Last month alone, between 1,500 and 2,400 new patients were confirmed to have dengue every week, and of this number, one to three patients died as a result of the infection, said the DDC.
Most of these patients were people in the age range of five to 14 years, followed by ones in the age range of 15–24 years, said the DDC, adding that the South recorded the highest number of patients, followed by Bangkok and Central Plains provinces.
Dr Thira Woratanarat, an associate professor at Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, meanwhile, warned against the casual use of aspirin when having a fever because if the fever is actually caused by dengue virus infection, aspirin heightens the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome (RS).
RS is rare disorder that affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and the liver — causing an acute increase of pressure within the brain and often massive accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs.