Good morning. There have been slight changes to the MCO 2.0 rules. Let's get you updated.

Key Highlights

  • 'Listen here, idiot' campaign pays off

  • Muhyiddin's balancing act

  • Thaipusam row



‘Listen here, idiot’ campaign pays off

Netizens venting under the #SiBodohKauDengarSini (Listen here, idiot) hashtag on social media has paid off.

Starting today, restaurants under MCO 2.0 will close at 10pm instead of 8pm. Still no dine-in.

If you don’t know what’s #SiBodohKauDengarSini, here’s the backstory. It was started by netizens frustrated about going hungry after work due to restaurants closing early.

Meanwhile, states that started the partial lockdown on Jan 13 will see MCO 2.0 extended until Feb 4 from the original Jan 26.

This is to match up with the states that started MCO 2.0 today, which also expires on Feb 4.



HIGHLIGHTS

Association: Private hospitals are safe
This is after Health DG tells the public to stay away.
Experts: Recruit more for contact tracing
Govt should also leverage on digital solutions.
Resource shortage hampers Covid-19 testing effort
Health Ministry working on improving capacity.

 



Muhyiddin’s balancing act

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s call for Asean countries to punish hate speech relating to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and nationality invited scrutiny on his own government.

It came two days after deputy minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary called for harsher punishment against LGBT people and a day after cosmetic entrepreneur Nur Sajat was charged for dressing as a woman.

Muhyiddin’s speech can be seen as a timely reminder or a disconnect in his government. Either side of the coin, activists want the prime minister to walk the talk.

Muhyiddin leads a diverse coalition that includes hardline conservatives and more liberal East Malaysians.

The previous BN government explored harsher Syariah punishment in 2017 but that did not materialise due to objections from Sarawak.


HIGHLIGHTS

Cops ordered detainees to beat up man - Suhakam
Detainees were given cigarettes to guard the deceased.
Govt told to comply with human rights in anti-LGBT push
Suhakam says all have rights, regardless of sexual orientation.
PM moots suing errant digital platforms
He says tough legislation is needed.




Thaipusam row

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor was in the spotlight again after cancelling Thaipusam (Jan 28) as a public holiday in the state.

Thaipusam celebration at temples is not allowed this year due to MCO 2.0 but critics say worshippers can still pray at home.

The PAS leader maintained he wasn’t sidelining Hindus. Thaipusam as a holiday in Kedah started in 2016, under then menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir.

Last month, Sanusi courted criticism from Indian leaders after he proceeded with a Hindu temple demolition without consulting Putrajaya.

He hit back by suggesting his Indian critics were “drunk on the toddy of populism”.


HIGHLIGHTS

PAS told to 'educate' Sanusi on multi-ethnic society
MIC says Sanusi is straining ties with PAS.
Najib, Guan Eng pan Kedah over Thaipusam
Kedah govt said to be insensitive.
Cops help poor mother of 3 caught shoplifting
PJ cops say not right to punish family in hunger.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 3,170 new cases yesterday (Jan 21) with Selangor dipping under 1,000 for the first time in five days.

  • Intensive care unit patients more than doubled from 126 to 260 in three weeks, a new high.

  • Patients who need ventilators to breathe increased from 54 to 103 in the same period.

  • Malaysiakini also compiles daily locations affected by Covid-19 so you can take precaution.


What else is happening?

  • Putrajaya is seeking guidance on whether to test all students in schools after 36 SPM and STPM students came down with Covid-19.

  • Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, who alleged corruption in the judiciary, failed to stop the Judge's Ethics Committee's probe against him.

  • The integration of public and private hospitals to fight Covid-19 is expected to start next week.

  • The government wants to strike out a suit on the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's discretion with regard to the emergency proclamation.


HIGHLIGHTS

Passengers must get approval to cross district
Vehicles must carry proper documents.
Covid-19 infectivity still high
Health DG says cases also on the rise in S'wak.
Zahid, Najib test negative for Covid-19
They were close contacts of a Covid-19 patient.

 


What are people saying?

YBs should take a hefty pay cut
By Francis Paul Siah
Strong political will needed for stimulus package
By Sofea Azahar
How to vaccinate 27m people in a year?
By Bukit Tengah Adun Gooi Hsiao Leung

 

CARTOON KINI