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


Key Highlights

  • More MCO relaxation

  • Natural immunity?

  • D-Day for Malaysiakini



More MCO relaxation

Regardless of the type of MCO your state is under, there will no longer be a cap on the number of passengers in a vehicle starting today.

The only limit is whatever that is dictated by road laws.

Also, the two persons per table rule at restaurants was removed.

The number of seating will now be determined by table size, as long as there is a one-metre distance.


HIGHLIGHTS

Senior citizen threatens to kill cop

He had violated SOP at a restaurant

PAS MP: Reopening gambling will 'deepen wounds'

Pasir Mas MP wants a review.

Cops seek witnesses in minister's alleged SOP violation

They want to talk to Annuar Musa's entourage.

 



Natural immunity?

Vaccines or natural immunity, which is better? The former, said the Health Ministry.

It said those who recover from Covid-19 only have immunity for about eight months while vaccines can protect for around a year and perhaps up to three years.

The Health Ministry also advised against waiting for your preferred vaccine. They’ve all been tested for safety.

To date, Malaysia has ordered five types of vaccines: US and Germany’s Pfizer-Biontech, UK’s AstraZeneca, China’s Sinovac and CanSino and Russia’s Sputnik V.


HIGHLIGHTS

Minister: Johnson & Johnson vaccine 'attractive'

It is administered in a single dose.

Saliva samples for Covid-19 test soon

Current RT-PCR tests rely on nasal swabs.

Rep: Why impose fines for MySejahtera? 

'Gov't not fully utilising the app for contact tracing'

 



D-Day for MalaysiakiniThe Federal Court will decide today whether Malaysiakini was in contempt of court over comments our readers made.

If found guilty, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan faces the possibility of a fine or jail sentence.

Send words of encouragement to Gan at steven@malaysiakini.com or support Malaysiakini’s journalism by taking out a subscription.

On a side note, the final part of our special series on Lynas’ radioactive dumpsite and its links to the royalty will be out on Malaysiakini at 10.15am today.

If you missed the previous series, check the first part here and the second here.

HIGHLIGHTS MACC report over minister's source of wealthThis is after Rina Harun settled million-ringgit debts. JB cycling tragedy: Driver told to enter defenceThe High Court set aside her acquittal. Najib's 1MDB case postponedWitness was a close contact of a Covid-19 patient.


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 2,712 new cases and yesterday (Feb 18).

  • 25 new fatalities, a new record high. Previous record was 24 on Feb 8.

  • The number of active cases dipped under 40,000 for the first time since Jan 19.

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


What else is happening?

  • Sugarbook founder Darren Chan was arrested by police, released after cops failed to secure a remand, and then re-arrested on a separate complaint.

    Editor’s note: Chan Eu Boon pleaded guilty in Aug 2022 to a Section 505(b) Penal Code charge over the post “TOP 10 SUGAR BABY UNIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA” and paid a RM7,000 fine. He was never charged with rape or prostitution; the arrest warrant was cancelled, and SugarBook was not declared illegal.

  • The court determined that Rosmah Mansor, the wife of ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, has a case to answer in a graft matter and ordered her to enter her defence.

  • PAS lashed out at locals MPs for roping in their international peers to push for the reopening of the Malaysian Parliament, claiming it tarnished the country's image.


HIGHLIGHTS

Tape of Rosmah shouting at Najib admitted as evidence

It's infamous 'can I advise you something' recording.

Upko wants emergency lifted, political ceasefire

'Emergency no longer needed'

NFA against portal posting in MP's name

Segambut MP wants to know why no action.

 


What are people saying?

Our sugar babies and sugar politicians

By Andrew Sia

How much testing is enough? It’s complicated

By Koh Jun Lin

Covid-19 vaccines: In God we trust, all else we audit

By Dr Musa Mohd Nordin 


KINI LENS

18-year-old Nurul Shabila tunes in to DidikTV as she studies for her SPM exams, which she should have taken last year but was postponed due to Covid-19. DidikTV is a new dedicated channel that airs the Education Ministry's curriculum to help students who can't participate in online learning.