Category: General

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has called up the operator of MyNewsHub news portal’s social media account to obtain a statement regarding the uploading and replaying of an old video clip, which resulted in confusion among social media users.

In a statement, MCMC expressed grave concern over the spread of a one-minute and 10-second video titled “Tanya pasal kuarters jer dh kene mcm tu depan KSN!!”, which is perceived as aiming to portray civil servants negatively.

“According to a Public Service Department (PSD) statement, the video depicts a simulation of security personnel’s readiness in response to a provocative attack scenario, ” read the statement.

The MCMC said the case is being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, upon conviction.

It also cautioned against misusing network and online application services to disseminate fake or inauthent
ic content.

PSD clarified in a statement earlier today that a viral video featuring a group of audience members and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali was an old video of a simulation exercise in response to a provocative attack situation.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

DAVAO: Former President Rodrigo Duterte has denied the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between the Philippines and China on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) during his term.

In a late-night press briefing Thursday, he said that having a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ is not a practice of the president.

‘There is no agreement, as is where it is,’ he said, adding that nobody in the Philippines today, whether in the Supreme Court, Presidency, or Congress, could concede anything about territories.

He added that the only thing he remembered when he spoke with Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, was the status quo order, which states that armed patrols will not be seen moving in the WPS territories to avoid tension and war.

‘That’s what I remember. If it were a gentleman’s agreement, it would always have been an agreement to keep the peace in the South China Sea,’ Duterte said.

He vowed to talk about the matter in the coming days to shed more light on the issue.

‘I will be expressing more [in the comin
g days] because I just received all documents of Malacañang about foreign policy. I just got it tonight, and I want to review all the agreements that we entered into by the defense department and me,’ Duterte said.

He recalled that when he went to China and spoke with the President, he opened up about the ‘part of the China Sea that belongs to the Philippines.’

‘There is a part of the China Sea that belongs to the Philippines; I just want to let you know. I will get the portion that belongs to the Philippines. Xi Jinping answered, do not do it. We are friends, and I do not want to destroy the friendship; it would mean trouble,’ Duterte said, adding that if they insisted on their way there, China would go to war.

He said after the conversation, they avoided the controversy and avoided the issue of the Philippines getting into unclaimed territories to extract minerals and all.

Source: Philippines News agency

ISTANBUL: The former National Football League (NFL) star Orenthal James Simpson died of cancer at 76, his family confirmed on Thursday.

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” his family said on X.

“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” it added.

In 1994, Simpson was tried for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

But, after an 11-month trial, Simpson was found not guilty on counts of first-degree murder and was acquitted in the murder case.

Source: Philippines News agency

Can Tho: Leaders of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 12 visited the city’s Patriotic Clergy Solidarity Association and Pitu Khosa Rangsay pagoda on the occasion of Chol Chnam Thmay – the traditional New Year festival of Khmer ethnic minority people.

During the visit, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu extended New Year greetings and best wishes to Khmer monks and people, affirming that leaders of the Party, the State, and the city always have paid great attention to ethnic groups.

Socio-economic affairs in ethnic minority people-inhabited have been developed comprehensively while their spiritual and material lives have been improved remarkably, he said.

Hieu hoped that Khmer dignitaries, monks and people in Can Tho will continue promoting solidarity and contributing to the city’s development.

Lieu Sang, a standing member of the city’s Patriotic Clergy Solidarity Association, said that thanks to the support of the Party Organisations and administrations at all levels, the l
ives of Khmer people in the city are getting better and better, especially in the fields of culture, arts and sports. Khmer dignitaries have always called on Khmer people to believe in the Party’s and State’s leadership, and keep united and contribute to the city’s development.

Can Tho city is home to 27 ethnic minority groups with over 38,000 people, including nearly 23,700 Khmer people./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

DAVAO: The year-on-year headline inflation of Davao Region remained at 4.8 percent in March this year, just like in the previous month, the Philippine Statistics Authority in Davao Region (PSA-11) said Friday.

In March 2023, the region’s inflation was at a much higher 9.0 percent, the PSA noted.

The commodity group of food and non-alcoholic beverages was the major contributor to the region’s inflation in March, accounting for 8.5 percent compared to 8.1 percent in February.

‘Additionally, the commodity groups of restaurants and accommodation services at 6.8 percent, and transport at 3.5 percent, were also the main contributors to the region’s overall inflation,’ the PSA-11 added.

In the same month, however, lower annual increments were noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 9.1 percent from 11.2 percent, clothing and footwear (5.1 percent from 5.3 percent), and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (-3.4 percent from -3.2 percent).

Also, there were lower increments for inf
ormation and communication at 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent; recreation, sport, and culture, 6.3 percent from 6.4 percent; and restaurants and accommodation services, 6.8 percent from 8.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the commodity group of health (4.4 percent), education services (4.0 percent), financial services (-0.1 percent ), and personal care, miscellaneous goods and services (4.7 percent) retained their previous month’s inflation rate.

‘The region’s food inflation accelerated 8.7 percent in March 2024 from 8.4 percent in the previous month. In March 2023, the food inflation was higher at 10.2 percent,’ PSA-11 said.

Moreover, the following food groups recorded faster inflation than February 2024: sugar, confectionery, and desserts at -4.2 percent from -5.2 percent; and ready-made food and other food products at 6.4 percent from 6.0 percent.

On the other hand, prices of the following groups moved slower compared to the previous month: cereals and cereal products at 21.4 percent from 22.0 percent; milk, other da
iry products, and eggs at 3.1 percent from 3.9 percent; and oils and fats at -4.6 percent from -4.3 percent.

‘The meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals retained its previous month’s inflation at -0.3 percent,’ the agency added.

Source: Philippines News agency

SINGAPORE, The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has advised consumers not to purchase or consume the ‘Kingu Ginseng Candy’ as it has been detected to be adulterated with tadalafil, a potent prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction.

The agency said the product, which originated from Malaysia, had been marketed on multiple local e-commerce platforms as a candy with claims of male sexual enhancement effects.

‘SFA has worked with various online e-commerce platforms to remove the listings of the product and issued warnings to the respective sellers to refrain from selling the product with immediate effect.

‘SFA will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against anyone who sells and supplies food products that are found to be adulterated with banned substances or potent ingredients as these would be unsafe food,’ the agency said in a statement Friday.

SFA said tadalafil should only be given under medical supervision and its inappropriate use is dangerous and can increase the risk of serious
adverse effects, including heart attack, stroke, headache, migraine, irregular heart rate and priapism (painful and exceedingly long erections).

It said tadalafil can also pose serious risks to certain individuals, including those with heart-related problems as well as can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure in those who are on heart medications, especially those containing nitrates.

The sale of unsafe food is not permitted under Section 15 of Singapore’s Sale of Food Act.

If found guilty, any person who contravenes any of the provisions of the Act can be fined not exceeding S$5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding S$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Works Department (JKR) today clarified that the installation of a pedestrian overhead steel bridge spanning both sides of the Federal Highway to the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) station is currently under construction.

In a statement in response to a local newspaper report on the congestion, JKR said the congestion that occurred on the Federal Highway on Wednesday (April 10) from 7.30 pm to 1.30 am the next day.

“The road closure notice was issued by LRT3, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and JKR on March 27 and was announced through social media and radio stations after receiving permission from the Ministry of Public Works, JKR, the Ministry of Transport, the Royal Malaysian Police and Shah Alam City Council.

“Road closures and traffic diversions were carried out after taking into account various factors such as the Aidilfitri holiday (non-peak hours), data on the number of traffic on the Federal Highway, risk assessment on the safety
of road users while the works spanning the Pedestrian Overhead Steel Bridge are carried out, as well as the existence of alternative diversions traffic from both directions,” he said.

Commenting further, the road closure and traffic diversion starts from the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC), Persiaran Selangor to the Jalan Padang Jawa bypass for the direction from Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam to Klang and from Station 14 of the UiTM LRT3 to Shell Station towards Kuala Lumpur .

In addition, there is an alternative route through the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) with an exit at Bukit Raja to Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur as well as an inner route passing through Section 14, Section 2 and Section 7 of Shah Alam.

“The temporary closure was implemented from 7pm, April 10 and reopened exactly at the promised time at 7am, April 11. The installation work of 56.64 metre bridge by LRT3 and MRCB has gone smoothly according to the safety standards that have been set,” he said.

The UiTM station is part of the entire LRT
3 Package GS05 construction project at KM8.7, Federal Highway.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency