Good morning. Here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

  • No more 10km rule

  • What emergency?

  • Test, test, test



No more 10km rule

Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang will see the MCO extended until March 4.

The inter-state and inter-district travel ban will remain but the 10km travel radius limit will be removed.

Other states will shift to a more lenient form of MCO.

Conditional MCO: Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah, Labuan, Putrajaya

Recovery MCO: Perlis

They take effect from Feb 19 to March 4.

If you need a refresher on the different rules for MCO, conditional MCO and recovery MCO, check out our previous guide.



HIGHLIGHTS

Casinos and 4D shops reopen
Jackpot at RM16mil.
No change of format for SPM
It cannot be arbitrarily changed.
Fomca want retail workers prioritised for vaccines
They are working at the frontline.

 



What emergency?

90 MPs from seven countries urged Malaysia to allow the Dewan Rakyat, which was suspended by an emergency proclamation, to reconvene.

The government said the emergency was for Covid-19 but critics claim it was to prevent Parliament from ousting Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who lost his majority.

Despite declaring an emergency, the government haven’t used its emergency powers much.

Muhyiddin attributed this to the “good cooperation” by private healthcare providers which meant no compulsion was required.

Putrajaya also did not invoke emergency powers against insurance firms which continue to refuse Covid-19 coverage.



HIGHLIGHTS

PM sends letter of demand to Umno man
He alleges defamation.
Wanted: Youth advisors to PM
PM wants 10 candidates.
Bid to postpone Najib’s 1MDB trial denied
Defence cited developments in the US. 



Test, test, test

An opposition MP questioned if the apparent improving Covid-19 situation was a case of testing less during the Chinese New Year season.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham maintained that Malaysia’s testing rate is above par compared to standards set by the World Health Organisation.

But he acknowledged there were less testing over the holiday as private labs had less manpower and lower demand from the public.

Before jumping on conspiracy theories, do note there are also other measures to judge the state of the pandemic.

This includes patients in the intensive care unit and deaths which are harder to ignore. Data below.



HIGHLIGHTS

'Govt must cover vaccine side-effects'
A special fund is proposed.
SOP violation: Minister says cops decide, not DAP
Annuar Musa is under police investigation.
Najib mulling contempt bid against ex-AG
This is over the Altantuya case.



A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 2,720 new cases and 8 deaths yesterday (Feb 16).

  • Patients in the intensive care unit declined to 253, down from a peak of 319 on Jan 30.

  • Active cases declined for the sixth consecutive day from 52,186 on Feb 10 to 44,129 yesterday.

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



What else is happening?

  • Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urged the public to participate in the national Covid-19 immunisation programme as future policies may favour them.

  • The conversion of NTV7 into the Education Ministry's Didik TV will not see a change of ownership by Media Prima as it is on a collaboration basis.


  • The MACC arrested Perak PKR deputy chief MA Thinagaran over a development project.


HIGHLIGHTS

Academicians driven to questionable journals
Too many are desperate.
Court rules against Semelai Orang Asli
This is over a land dispute.
Wan Fayhsal denies U-turn on Undi 18
He is still supportive of lowering voting age.
Sugarbook tells users to circumvent MCMC ban
This is MCMC blocked the dating site.
'Is Muhyiddin now Malaysian first?'
As DPM, Muhyiddin said he was 'Malay first'.



What are people saying?

Sugarbook and sleazy men
By Unnamed Sugarbaby
Vaccination should be for all
By Malaysiakini readers
Islam and the state
By Rozana Isa



CARTOON KINI