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

Key Highlights

  • Sexual harassment in schools

  • Azmin blamed for blocking Nga

  • Dine-in supper back on the menu



Sexual harassment in schools

The incident where a teacher allegedly made a sexually explicit joke in Form 5 student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam's class may not be an isolated case.

A survey of 1,056 young women found that 44 percent had witnessed a teacher make sexually provocative jokes, indicating that this may actually be a regular occurrence in many schools nationwide.

Previously, former students had also revealed a decades-long practice of girls being subject to period spot checks - a matter that the Education Ministry has not taken any concrete step to address.

But sexual harassment isn't just happening in schools.

The survey also found that 79 percent of the respondents had been sexually harassed when walking on the streets at least once - with more than half saying it is a regular occurrence.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun has said that an anti-sexual harassment bill will be tabled in Parliament this year.

HIGHLIGHTS

Govt urged to expedite Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill
MPs say greater protections are needed.
Students feel 'pressured' by online learning
This is according to an Education Ministry survey.
156 PPVs for students starting Sept 23
The schedule will be issued by schools.

 



Azmin blamed for blocking Nga

Gombak MP Azmin Ali was accused of being the senior minister who reportedly pressured Parliament not to let DAP's Nga Kor Ming step in as a temporary deputy speaker on Monday.

Azmin, however, gave a vague reply when confronted on the matter by Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has denied that he was pressured to block Nga.

Instead, Azhar claimed, he just changed his mind.

HIGHLIGHTS

Anwar tells minister not to blame God for the Kedah floods
He says Takiyuddin must act on the problem.
MP: PM dodged confidence vote because of 'thieves'
'Thieves who cannot be trusted.'
Over RM1m spent to renovate offices of ministers, deputies
This is despite the work-from-home initiative.

 



Dine-in supper back on the menu

Miss having a late-night roti canai or maggi goreng at the mamak stall?

The second Covid-19 Ministerial Quartet Meeting yesterday agreed to allow eateries, restaurants, convenience stores and petrol stations to operate from 6am to midnight.

The ministers will be presenting this to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today, where it will likely get the green light

Interstate travel, however, is still being looked at.

HIGHLIGHTS

Govt aims to open Genting, Tioman, Malacca to tourists
Travel bubble SOPs being studied.
Don't discriminate against the unvaccinated
NGOs say current policy encourages injustice.
Govt to start paying MySejahtera developer 
PM says the app was started as a CSR effort.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 15,759 new cases yesterday (Sept 21).

  • Only Sarawak, Terengganu, Perak, and Pahang have an R-naught above 1.00, indicating that Covid-19 cases are increasing.

  • The national R-naught was 0.93, suggesting that elsewhere the spread of the virus is slowing down.


What else is happening?

  • A MACC officer testified that lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was paid RM1,000 to act as a deputy public prosecutor in Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II appeal, and not RM9.5 million as claimed.

  • Putrajaya said it will try its best to lower the voting age by the year end, as instructed by the Kuching High Court.

  • The Malacca government is offering better cooperation to the state opposition, such as including them in the state's Covid-19 committee.

HIGHLIGHTS

Muda gets green light to challenge Home Ministry
This is over refusal to register the party.
KJ vows to look into issues raised by contract doctors
He met with Hartal Doktor Kontrak virtually.
Suaram disputes custodial death numbers
They say Hamzah is not applying the correct criteria.

 


What are people saying?

Country needs urgent law reform
By Tommy Thomas
What will it take to end MACC’s endless woes?
By R Nadeswaran
Collective action for net-zero emissions Malaysia
By Azhari Azizi

 


CARTOON KINI