Astrazeneca-Pfizer combo

Good morning, here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

• AstraZeneca-Pfizer combo
  
  

• Tug-of-war after royal advice
  
  

• Political ceasefire
  
  

AstraZeneca-Pfizer combo

The government is considering a "mix-and-match" strategy in its Covid-19 vaccination efforts.

Specifically, it is looking at administering the AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the second dose.

There are several ongoing international research works on the method and preliminary results have shown that they generate a higher amount of neutralising antibodies, although side effects can be more profound but not serious.

It also seeks to leverage on the individual vaccines' varying efficacy against different Covid-19 variants.

The government said it is closely looking at the data from these research works but won’t rush on its decision.

Some countries that are already mixing the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines include Canada, Norway and Spain. Other countries are also testing different combinations.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Kelantan interior communities to get CanSino vaccine It is a one-dose regime.
	Two nabbed for offering Covid-19 vaccine packages The medical officers were arrested.
	Govt mulls vaccinating exam-year students, teachers The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is mulled for them.

Tug-of-war after royal advice

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may have asked for Parliament to convene "as soon as possible" but the politicians are putting their own spin on the ruler's message.

De facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan argued that the monarch did not specify an exact date and considered the government’s original timeline of September to be “soon” enough.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng called for Takiyuddin to be dropped from the cabinet for "disloyalty" to the king.

Pakatan Harapan also asked Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resign if the government couldn’t comply with the royal advice immediately.

The Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged the Agong’s advice but did not commit to a new timeline. It merely said the government would act in accordance with the Federal Constitution.

HIGHLIGHTS

	'No date' not an excuse to dither on Parliament - Umno  Umno deputy says conditions shouldn't be imposed.
	'Political animals' manipulating royal decree, Bersatu claims Bersatu man says no need for immediate Parliament sitting.
	Where do speaker and his deputies stand on opening Parliament? They are on different sides of the fence.

Political ceasefire

While political parties are gearing up for a possible showdown when Parliament reconvenes, DAP’s Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang is proposing a ceasefire.

The veteran DAP leader noted that despite a year-long tussle, no one - neither Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim nor Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin - had been able to show they command a convincing majority.

Lim said if this situation persisted, MPs should instead set aside their political fight for a year to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he’ll need to convince his Harapan allies.

Some in the opposition are expected to challenge Muhyiddin’s fragile majority when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Speaker denies saying Sept timeline is 'rational' This is on the reopening of Parliament.
	Maybank disputes claim it loaned RM30bil to 'forest-risk' firms It says the figures given differed 'significantly'.
	Malaysia-based suppliers risk RM269bil loss This is for failing to curb carbon emissions.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 5,738 new cases yesterday (June 17).
  
  
• Negeri Sembilan saw more than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time since Feb 24. At 1,086 fresh infections, it is the second-highest on record for the state.
  
  
• The number of Covid-19 patients in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) declined for the first time in 44 days. It fell to 909 from 924 a day ago.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• Eighteen youths were granted permission by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to proceed with a legal bid to compel the government to implement the new voting age of 18 by next month.
  
  
• Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah raised eyebrows again after he issued another ministerial order granting additional telecommunications spectrum to Altel Communications, without a tender.
  
  
• Umno Youth lodged a police report against graphic artist Fahmi Reza for a caricature he designed based on Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad's "sardine and chicken" comment.
  
  
• De facto Religious Affairs Deputy Minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary and the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) took issue with the Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam's) plan to research possible legislation to recognise a third gender.
  
  
• The police are offering a 50 percent discount on traffic summonses from June 18 to July 18.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Ousted Perak MB defends successor This is over the low-spec mobile phones controversy.
	Un-Malaysian - Nazri pans negative depiction of refugees 'The hate goes against our humanitarian traditions,' he says.
	MP calls for probe into Rela membership, budget This was after fake volunteers were registered.

What are people saying?

	Vaccines - just-in-time vs just-in-case By Howard Lee
	National Recovery Plan has no clear strategy By Dr Subramaniam Muniandy
	Media and xenophobia By Wathshlah G Naidu

KINI LENS