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Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesia. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

On high alert over mpox, Malaysia; Indonesia advises sick travellers to discontinue visit; China implements measures to prevent mpox at ports

 


Malaysian authorities are stepping up surveillance at international entry points. PHOTO: REUTERS



PETALING JAYA: Although no new mpox cases have been reported in Malaysia so far this year, the Health Ministry says it is ramping up surveillance and advocacy activities after the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued its highest alert.

The ministry said Malaysian authorities are stepping up surveillance at international entry points and all travellers from countries that have reported mpox cases are required to monitor their health status, including symptoms for 21 days after their arrival in Malaysia.

It also advised people with a history of risky activities or who have symptoms such as rashes and blisters to seek treatment at the nearest health facility immediately and avoid contact with other people to prevent the spread of the virus.

Healthcare personnel at public and private facilities are also required to notify suspected and confirmed cases to their nearest district health office to ensure that prevention and control measures can be implemented.

The ministry also assured the public that there are enough labs for testing and diagnostics.

There are 10 labs, including two private labs, with the capability to conduct PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests to confirm any diagnosis.

The ministry is also increasing awareness activities by distributing materials to high-risk groups and locations, such as spas and saunas.

It said premises offering services that involve skin-to-skin contact with customers such as the aforementioned must always ensure that hygiene is maintained and their employees as well as customers are not experiencing symptoms such as blisters or rashes.

“If an employee or customer experiences symptoms, they should immediately seek medical attention,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.

It added that it will continue to work with other government agencies and non-government agencies including public hospitals and private hospitals to monitor, detect and treat mpox cases.

It will also continue to monitor the situation within and outside the country.

WHO had declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time on Aug 14.

The first PHEIC was declared on July 23, 2022, and ended on May 11, 2023.

“The second declaration was made based on the advice of the IHR (International Health Regulations) Emergency Committee given the spread of the new mpox strain known as clade 1b, which is spreading fast in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring African countries,” it said.

“The increase in cases in Congo is quite significant with 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported in 2024, which is higher than the year prior.

“Apart from that, four countries in East Africa, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, reported mpox cases for the first time,” it added.

Malaysia has recorded nine mpox cases to date since the first case was detected on July 26, 2023, including a case recorded in November that year.

The Health Ministry said all the cases reported had a history of high-risk activities and had recovered with no deaths reported.

Commenting on the latest development, Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a health economics and public health specialist with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine, said those who had sexual encounters with partners from countries where there are mpox cases, including places where the disease is endemic, should be monitored.

“It can also spread from infected pregnant women to their unborn children.

“Those travelling out to infected countries, especially the United States and African countries, need to be mindful of the risk of contact and infection during sexual activities,” she said.

A total of 99,176 mpox cases, including 208 deaths, were reported worldwide from Jan 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.- THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

China implements measures to prevent mpox at ports

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) has issued a notice that it will tighten surveillance at ports of entry to prevent the spread of mpox in China, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday that the mpox outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

People coming from countries and regions affected by mpox outbreak, who have been exposed to mpox or have symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and rashes, should declare their conditions to customs upon entry. Customs officials will take medical measures and conduct sampling tests according to prescribed procedures, the GAC said.

Transport vehicles, containers, goods, and items from countries or regions affected by the outbreak and potentially contaminated should undergo sanitary treatment according to prescribed procedures, the GAC noted.

The measures took effect immediately upon announcement on Thursday, and will be valid for six months, according to the GAC.

According to the Africa centers for disease control and prevention data on August 9, 13 countries in Africa have reported 17,541 cases of mpox, with 517 deaths. 

China has effective capabilities to respond to the potential risks of the spread of mpox, Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, told the Global Times on Friday. 

To prevent the spread of mpox, Lu suggested that people should avoid sexual contact with individuals of unknown health status, and stay informed about mpox outbreaks in destination countries and regions when traveling. Lu added that people should avoid coming in contact with animals such as rodents and primates that may carry the virus

WHO calls for efforts to rein in mpox spread
Domestic vaccine undergoing clinical trials: experts
Monkeypox virus particles under a microscope made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Photo: VCG

Monkeypox virus particles under a microscope Photo: VCG


Domestic mpox vaccines have not hit the market but research institutions in China have been carrying out clinical trials, Chinese experts said on Monday as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox surge a public health emergency of international concern - its highest alert level and urged manufacturers to ramp up vaccine production to rein in the spread of a more dangerous strain of the virus.

The WHO urged pharmaceutical firms to ramp up vaccine production on August 16 local time after it warned of the rapid spread of the new Clade 1b variant, a more deadly mpox strain, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to other African countries. 

Meanwhile, the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday raised its risk level for mpox to "moderate" from "low," a day after global health officials confirmed the first infection caused by a new strain of the virus outside Africa, in Sweden, which was followed by more sporadic cases appearing in the EU, with the overall risk to the population having gone up from "very low" to "low," Reuters reported on Friday. 

WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris urged manufacturers to scale up mpox production, according to a report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on August 17. The WHO also asked countries with mpox vaccine stockpiles to donate them to countries with ongoing outbreaks, according to the AFP. 

According to Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, there is currently no domestic mpox vaccine available in the Chinese mainland, whereas research and preparations are underway, and relevant clinical trials have been promptly carried out. 

In July of 2023, the replication-deficient mpox vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm) and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention passed the clinical trial application phase with the National Medical Products Administration, making it the earliest domestically developed mpox vaccine to enter the clinical research stage in China. 

However, due to the small number of mpox cases across the country and a dispersed population, it is difficult to conduct large-scale clinical studies on the vaccine's efficacy. Additionally, the risks and challenges of such studies are significant, making the development of an mpox vaccine face numerous challenges, Su Jinfeng, a senior biomedical engineer, said in an interview with the Global Times previously. 

During the last mpox epidemic on the Chinese mainland, the first imported mpox case was discovered in September 2022 and the first local infection was reported in June 2023. In the following three months between June and August, over 1,000 local confirmed cases were reported across more than 20 provinces across the country, which was triggered by local secondary outbreaks and covert transmission, according to The Beijing News. 

On September 20, 2023, mpox was classified as a Category B infectious disease under China's infectious disease control law while China's National Health Commission stated that the mpox epidemic would continue to exist within the country for a certain period of time. 

Since the beginning of this year, a total of 357 cases of mpox were reported nationwide as of this June, with no related deaths reported, according to the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.

Lu said that based on the current prevention and control measures and the domestic epidemic monitoring situation, there is a relatively low possibility of a surge in mpox infections in the Chinese mainland. 

China's General Administration of Customs announced on Friday that it would begin screening people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months. People arriving from countries where outbreaks have occurred, who have been in contact with mpox cases, or display symptoms should declare this information to customs authorities when entering the country, adding that vehicles, containers, and items from areas with mpox cases should be sanitized. 

According to Lu, the mpox virus strain currently circulating on the Chinese mainland belongs to the lineage C.1.1 under the Clade IIb strain, which caused the global outbreak of mpox between 2022 and 2023. Considering peak travel season and the frequent international exchanges, the risk of cross-border transmission of the mpox virus may increase. 

However, the mpox virus is primarily transmitted through prolonged close contact, such as sexual activities, skin-to-skin contact, and close-distance breathing or conversations between people, Lu told the Global Times on Monday, noting that its ability to spread between people is relatively weak. 

Meanwhile, many people aged 40 and above in the Chinese mainland have already been inoculated with smallpox vaccines, the administration of which, Lu said, has an efficacy of 85 percent in preventing mpox. 

Given China's current strict border control and epidemic prevention measures, it is difficult for new cases to spread to the country from overseas. Therefore, the likelihood of a rapid increase in infections in the Chinese mainland like that back in 2023 is relatively low based on the current prevention and control measures and domestic epidemic monitoring, Lu said. 

Aside from vaccination, treatments of mpox mainly consist of supportive care and the treatment of complications. Currently, antiviral drugs used in the treatment of mpox include cidofovir, brincidofovir, and tecovirimat. Additionally, ongoing clinical trials of a series of small molecule drugs for mpox have also found that some medicines at lower doses can specifically inhibit the replication of the mpox virus. - By GT staff reporters

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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Delta variant threatens Asean-5 recovery



IN the first half of 2021, Asean-5 countries, comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines experienced strong, export-driven growth. However, renewed lockdowns amid significant outbreaks of Covid-19 Delta variant cases have dampened business sentiment and consumer spending in this region.

According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), recovery will likely slow markedly in the second half of 2021 for Asean5.

“Given the rising number of Covid-19 infections, renewed pandemic containment measures, and the slow pace of vaccinations, authorities in Asean-5 countries have been revising down official growth forecasts,” IIF said.

The IIF said it would likely cut its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for region.

In May, it forecast a GDP growth of 5.2% for 2021 and 5.4% for 2022.

Against the backdrop of current economic challenges, the IIF said it expected Asean-5 central banks to maintain their accommodative monetary policy stances well into 2022.

“Most of the countries are still experiencing inflation within the respective target ranges, except for the Philippines,” the IIF said.

“Fiscal policy will also continue to be supportive. While Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have announced fiscal consolidation plans, the pace of adjustment will be modest,” it added.

The IIF noted that due to their economic structure, Asean-5 countries benefitted strongly from the global demand recovery, with exports up sharply in the first half of 2021, particularly in the area of electronic appliances (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand) and commodities (Indonesia and Vietnam).

“Looking ahead, the next stage of the global recovery will likely benefit services rather than goods and, thus, provide less of a boost to Asean-5 economies,” it said.

“Furthermore, the recovery in tourism in the five countries has been slower than our already-cautious forecast in the spring, with the Delta variant posing a new challenge to the sector,” it added
 
 

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Parents opt for daycare centres with no live-in maids now

The decline in the number – and the rising cost – of domestic maids has forced more young, working parents to send their children to daycare centres.

Daycare Centre

Chris Hong, who runs two kindergartens-cum-daycare centres in Subang Jaya, said she and her staff looked after 40 to 50 children from 8am to 7pm daily.

The centres, which only cater for two-month-old babies to children aged six, provide lunch, homework coaching and other activities in the afternoon after the kindergarten session.

“There are even parents-to-be who register at the centre even when they are in the early stages of pregnancy.

“There is very high demand now and parents are looking for safe and trustable daycare centres,” said Hong, adding that she did not plan to set up more daycare centres as she wanted sufficient quality time with her three children.

A daycare centre operator on Penang island, who wanted to be known only as Sarah, said she and her partner were planning to set up two more centres on the mainland.

She added that she had received many enquiries for her services in Butterworth.

“We’re now working out the extra costs we have to bear for hiring more people and rental,” she said.

Technical services manager M. Manimaran felt that increasing the number of daycare centres was an effective alternative for the shortage of maids.

“After all, parents are looking for a safe and good daycare centre which can work around our working hours.

“The place I send my son to even provides transportation from his school to the centre.He gets proper meals and time to do some reading or his homework.

“We have no worries, even during the school holidays,” Manimaran said, adding that he received constant updates about the whereabouts and condition of his 10-year-old son from the daycare centre through WhatsApp.

Working mum Lim Lee, 46, said she would opt to send her child to a daycare centre and hire a part-time maid if her Indonesian maid could not multi-task.

“There is no way I can afford to get two maids,” she said.

Malaysian Maid Employers Association president (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein urged the Government to encourage more nurseries or daycare centres run by properly trained and certified Malaysians.

Such facilities, he said, would not only ease the burden of having to pay for maids but would also give parents peace of mind while they were at work.

Engku Ahmad Fauzi said the expense of using these centres should be tax deductible, adding that it was the Government’s responsibility to solve over-reliance on foreign workers.

These centres, he added, would also provide the local workforce with jobs, ensuring less capital flight from the country.

By Royce Tan The Star

Working mums ‘maid’ to pay sky-high fees for childcare

 

Back-up plan: With maids becoming a scarce commodity, more are turning to childcare centres

PETALING JAYA: Dr Subhashini Jahanath is highly educated, hard-­working and does 11 calls a month.

Like many other working mothers, she is now facing the added frustration of sky-high fees for domestic help.

“It’s the childcare that’s difficult – what happens if I get called up in the middle of the night? At the same time, I just cannot afford the fees for a new maid,” she said.

Even then, Dr Subhashini, 35, is one of the lucky ones as she can call on her family for help.

The Miri-based doctor’s father has flown in from Selangor to help take care of her four-year-old son Harraen.

“On days he has to go back to Selangor, I have to send Harraen along with him, which means increased cost and Harraen missing school. But it’s the only way.”

Lawyer V. Shoba, 37, is also blessed with parents who help look after her seven-year-old twins, but still needs a maid to help them.

“My parents are both in their early 70s and need some help with the kids. Having domestic help is not a luxury,” she said.

In 2009, she paid RM6,000 in agency fees and a monthly salary of RM650 for her first Sri Lankan helper.

“In 2011, I got another Sri Lankan maid. The agency fee was RM7,500 and monthly salary was RM850. In 2013, I got a Filipino maid. The agency fee was RM9,900 and the monthly salary was RM1,200,” she said.

The agency fee, she added, has now gone up to RM12,000 and the monthly salary to RM1,500.

“I also have to pay for her toiletries, food and utilities used. That is a chunk of money that could be used for education or even holidays.

For those who are away from their families, babysitters and part-time house help provide alternatives.

Not everyone can call in the grandparent squad, and some parents feel that childcare options out there are not good enough to make them viable alternatives to live-in domestic help.

Corporate communications manager Sonia Gomez, 30, said she could not find any childcare options that were both good and affordable.

“Independent babysitters aren’t regulated, so it would be very tough to cope without my helper, Lia. She is reliable and has a very strong bond with my son,” she said.

Some mothers are opting out of the workforce entirely to take care of their kids.

Stay-at-home mum Evelyn Thong, 37, said she had heard too many daycare horror stories to consider it.

“It’s also too much money to risk. If your maid runs away, you cannot recover your money,” she said.

By Suzanne Lazaroo The Star

Maids for specific tasks only 

 


PETALING JAYA: The days of having a multi-tasking maid who does everything from cooking and washing to caring for the baby and the elderly and even washing the car is as good as gone.

Malaysians must now be prepared to pay more for specialised help.

Source countries such as Indo­nesia want to send upskilled helpers for specific jobs like caregiver, babysitter or nanny, and not the traditional domestic maid.

Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Jeffrey Foo said all that was needed now was a mechanism to ensure these helpers were properly trained and certified.

Foo said Papa was ready to work with the source countries to create a win-win situation.

“Local employers will be satisfied if they get what they are paying for, which are skilled helpers who can do the task they are hired for,” he said.

The Star reported yesterday that Malaysia is in a fix because neighbouring countries are not in favour of sending domestic help here.

Foo said Indonesia, where most of the foreign maids are from, is not closing the door entirely.

Instead, it is adopting a more professional approach with its policy to stop sending live-in maids from next year.

A possible solution, according to Foo, is for the Government to license companies to supply part-time domestic maids to households who need them.

These companies could take care of the maids’ lodging and food but this would require a shift in government policy.

Foo pointed out that foreign workers brought in as cleaners were not supposed to be sent to work as domestic maids at individual homes.

Malaysian Maid Employers Association president (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein pointed out that the current system of having maids stay under the same roof as their employers for two years was not always ideal.

“If you’re lucky, there’s harmony. Otherwise, you get two years of disharmony,” he said. He echoed the view for local agencies to be allowed a supply of part-time maids.

Engku Ahmad Fauzi said there were currently different expectations between local employers and source countries such as Indonesia. In Indonesia, helpers are hired and trained as caregivers to take care of infants, children and the elderly or as domestic workers who cook, clean and tidy.

M. Sarkuna, a 40-year-old Indonesian maid working here, said those who took care of babies, children and the elderly earned at least RM800 in Jakarta, while those who cooked could take home about RM700.

“The starting pay for those who do household work is only RM500,” she said.

In Malaysia, Engku Ahmad Fauzi said employers often took for granted that maids had to multi-task.

He said the best and most well-trained helpers were not sent here, yet “Malaysian employers want to pay the lowest for the best”.

The way forward, at least in the short term, was to hire maids from cheaper and better source countries besides Indonesia and Philippines, he said.

“But Malaysians need to stop depending on domestic maids in the long run,” he added.

By Neville Spykerman The Star
 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Malaysian Islamic State militants: Dr Mahmud is forming South-East Asian terror bloc; Paris attacks !


Regional faction to unite different terror cells from Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines

KUALA LUMPUR: Wanted Malay­sian IS militants hiding in southern Philippines are planning to form an “official” Islamic State faction in South-East Asia.

The region’s IS faction is also planning to unite different terror cells in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

It will include among others the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other terror groups in the region.

Integral in the plan is former Universiti Malaya lecturer Dr Mah­mud Ahmad, who is high on the wanted list for his involvement with the IS along with his cohorts – sundry shop owner Mohd Najib Husen and former Selayang Muni­cipal Council employee Muham­mad Joraimee Awang Raimee, 39.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division head Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ayob Khan (pic) said Dr Mahmud, also known as Abu Handzalah, was actively training with the ASG as well as taking part in terror operations in the southern Philippines.

“Intelligence indicates that he was involved in two bomb attacks against the Philippines’ army recently.

“We believe the ASG regards him highly as an asset,” he told The Star yesterday.

But SAC Ayob indicated Dr Mahmud was not content with just being involved with the ASG.

His ultimate goal is to officially form the South-East Asian IS.

“He has performed the bai’ah or the oath of allegiance on video but to form the South-East Asian cell of IS, Dr Mahmud has to travel to Syria and swear his allegiance in front of IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“We discovered through intelligence sharing that going to Syria is his priority now,” he said.

The same could be said for the different terror groups, especially the ASG, where the leaders had also sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr on video, added SAC Ayob.

“These groups are only seen as IS allies, and not an official IS cell,” he said.

He added that if Dr Mahmud’s plans came to fruition, it would spell even more danger to the region with the different terror groups operating under one banner.

“We are cooperating with other security forces in the region, especially the Philippines, to ensure that this will not occur.

“We believe that Dr Mahmud is trying different means to gain safe passage to Syria, including using fake identification documents and passports but we will remain vigilant,” he said.

SAC Ayob said his division was committed towards combating any terror element be it foreign or domestic.

“Our priority is intelligence ga­thering to ensure that we are on top of any development concerning militant groups,” he said.

“We are working with our counterparts in the Philippines to track down and capture Dr Mahmud and his accomplices.”

SAC Ayob, who has been dealing with terrorism matters for more than 20 years, said it was not uncommon for militant scholars or academicians to become leaders like Dr Azahari Hussin and Noordin Mat Top to name a few.

The trio – Dr Mahmud, Mohd Najib and Joraimee – have been on Bukit Aman’s wanted list since April 2014 following their escape to southern Philippines.

SAC Ayob urged anyone with information on militancy to contact the nearest police station or the counter-terrorism division at 03-2266 7010 or 011-2104 6850 or to e-mail CTD.E8M@gmail.com.

BY FARIK ZOLKEPLI The Star/Asia News Network

Ex-lecturer trained with al-Qaeda while studying



KUALA LUMPUR: Wanted militant Dr Mahmud Ahmad was apparently involved in militancy since the 1990s.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division head Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ayob Khan said, at 36, the former Universiti Malaya lecturer was a veteran militant, having trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in the late 1990s while he was studying in Pakistan.

“Once he became a university lecturer, he recruited and sent four Malaysians to Syria.

“Prior to joining UM, he used his position as a lecturer at a private college to lure students into militancy,” he told The Star yesterday.

He added that in January last year, Dr Mahmud managed to arrange a meeting between the region’s militant leaders to form the Daulah Islamiyah Asia Tenggara.

“He then followed up by meeting with al-Qaeda elements at a house in Shah Alam in April 2014,” he said.

Sources revealed that Dr Mahmud was responsible for instil­ling extremist ideology and convincing Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki to become the first Malaysian suicide bomber.

“Ahmad Tarmimi’s suicide bomb attack killed 25 special forces personnel in Iraq last year,” one source said.

Dr Mahmud along with his two accomplices – sundry shop owner Mohd Najib Husen and Selayang Mu­­nicipal Council employee Mu­­ham­­mad Joraimee Awang Raimee, 39 – fled to southern Philippines on April 22 last year.

It is learnt that the three were also responsible for smuggling three East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement fighters to southern Philippines.

Another source revealed that Mohd Najib could be described as Dr Mahmud’s right-hand man and closest confidant.

“Mohd Najib is also instrumental in arranging various meetings with other militant groups at the behest of Dr Mahmud,” the source said.

The source added that the sundry shop owner had vast experience in militancy and provided Dr Mahmud with the necessary links to other militant groups, including those from Indonesia. - The Star

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 Terrorists attack Paris !



• A total of six locations were attacked in and just outside the capital, Paris prosecutor François Molins told reporters Saturday.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Economic woes a test for South East Asia

Speculative attacks will challenge reserves, defences built after 1997/98
A man is silhouetted as he fishes near Northport in Klang outside Kuala Lumpur June 6, 2014. REUTERS/SAMSUL SAID

Southeast Asia has spent the best past of two decades shoring defenses against a repeat of the Asian financial crisis, including building up record foreign exchange reserves, yet is now feeling vulnerable to speculative attacks again.

Officials are growing increasingly concerned as souring sentiment has made currencies slide and investors reassess risk profiles in an environment where China is slowing and U.S. interest rates will rise at some point.

And while economists have long dismissed comparisons with the 1997/98 currency crisis, pointing to freer exchange rates, current-account surpluses, lower external debt and stricter oversight by regulators, lately there has been a change.

Malaysia and Indonesia, which export oil and other commodities to fuel China's factories, are looking vulnerable as the world's second-largest economy heads for its slowest growth in 25 years and the prices of their commodity exports plunge.

"We are worried about the contagion effect," Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said last week, using a word widely used in 1997/98.

In 1997, "the thing happened first in Thailand through the baht, not the rupiah. But the contagion effect became widespread," he added.

Taimur Baig, Deutsche Bank's chief Asia economist, said that unlike 1997, when pegged currencies were attacked as over-valued, today's floating ones are "weakening willingly" in response to outflows.

But there can still be contagion, as markets lump together economies reliant on China or on commodities. "If you see a sell-off in Brazil, that can easily spread to Indonesia, which can spread to Malaysia, and so on," he said.

Foreign funds have sold a net $9.7 billion of stocks in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia this year, with the bourses in those three countries seeing Asia's largest net outflows, Nomura said on Oct. 2.

Baig said that as in 1997/98, falling currencies will naturally pose balance-sheet problems for companies with dollar debts and local-currency earnings.

This year, Malaysia's ringgit MYR= has fallen nearly 20 percent against the dollar and its reserves dropped by about the same percentage, to below $100 billion.

"It's almost like a perfect storm for Malaysia," the country's economic planning minister, Abdul Wahid Omar, said.

Malaysian officials insist the economic fundamentals are stronger than two decades ago, but some economists aren't sure.

Chua Hak Bin of Bank of America Merrill Lynch said he draws "little comfort" from comparisons with 1997. While in many ways Malaysia's economy is stronger now, for example by having a current account surplus, its external debt is 70 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 44 percent in 1997, and there's "significant downside risk even after the sharp ringgit correction".

None of the three main credit-rating agencies has downgraded Malaysia's creditworthiness in response to market ructions, but Moody's said in September the currency's fall was a symptom of declining exports and other factors negatively impacting key credit buffers.

SOURING SENTIMENT

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, has a lower external debt relative to GDP - 32 percent – but foreigners also own a large share its local-currency bonds.

This makes the rupiah, down 13 percent against the dollar this year after jumping on Tuesday, vulnerable to souring sentiment.

"We are trying to differentiate ourselves from Malaysia," Indonesia's Brodjonegoro said. "At least we can get the inflows, we can still create positive sentiment."

At end-February, Indonesia's reserves topped $115.5 billion. On Sept. 21, they were $103 billion.

On Wednesday, the central banks of Indonesia and Malaysia are due to announce fresh reserve figures.

By months of import cover, Southeast Asia's holdings of foreign reserves still seem sufficient. But looking at them relative to overall foreign financing needs, they are more stretched.

Malaysia's reserves barely cover its short-term external debt due this year, while Deutsche Bank says Indonesia's are about 1.5 times what's needed to finance its debts and current-account deficit.

The Philippines, by contrast, has reserves equal to 11 times its financing needs. The $2 billion monthly remittances from its overseas workers provides a solid buffer.

BY NICHOLAS OWEN Reuters

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Sunday, January 4, 2015

AirAsia pilot's son obsessed with video games don't know dad is gone!

Galih, the 10-year-old son of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 pilot Capt Iriyanto, is still unaware of what has happened to his father

SURABAYA: It seemed like any other Saturday morning at the home of Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 pilot Capt Iriyanto, with the television on and birds chirping outside in Jalan Pondok Jati in an upscale neighbourhood of Siduarjo, East Java.

So much so, a stranger wouldn’t have guessed that the owner of the two-storey bungalow was involved in the air crash last Sunday and remains missing. And this impression was intentional – put on for the benefit of the experienced pilot’s 10-year-old son, Galih (pic).

“Until today, he doe not know what has happened to his father. We are not planning to tell him until the remains of his father are found,” said Capt Iriyanto’s brother-in-law Wahyu Budi Bornomo.

Wahyu, 53, said Galih would usually ask about his father if he did not see him around.

“He would ask if ‘papa’ was home. If he did not see him, he would assume that his father was out somewhere flying – Galih is used to not seeing Capt Iriyanto most of the time.”

He said the schoolgoer’s obsession with video games would keep him preoccupied at home, when asked if he noticed the unusual crowd that had been coming to their residence every night for prayers since the plane went missing.

“He is an avid video gamer and spends most of his time upstairs.

“He would wonder about the crowd (that were coming to the house because of the tragedy), but was never curious,” said Wahyu.

When The Star visited the house at 8am local time, his wife, Ida, was talking to her sisters at the porch, politely declining to be interviewed.

“Maaf ya, nanti aja. Saya ngak mau cakap. (I am sorry, just wait. I do not want to talk),” she said, before walking back into the house.

Clad in a T-shirt and shorts, Capt Iriyanto’s daughter, Ninis, 25, was seen going in and out of the house to run errands.

Wahyu said Capt Iriyanto was “a loving husband and father”, and a caring man who helped his neighbours.

“He will be missed dearly by everyone.”

Not too long after that, Galih, who was still in his Mickey Mouse pyjamas, came down from his room, looking for his sister.

“Smile for the camera!” Ninis told Galih as The Star’s photographer points her camera towards him.

Asked if Capt Iriyanto’s family had been this calm since the news of the tragedy hit them, Wahyu said: “At first, of course, we were all shocked. Ida refused to talk to anyone, but as days passed by, she became okay.”

By Rahmah Qhazali The Star/ANN

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Thursday, January 1, 2015

AirAsia Flight QZ8501 exploded in mid-air?

It is unlikely that Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 exploded in mid-air, air crash experts say, as the first pieces of debris were spotted and some bodies recovered.



Chances are that the plane hit the Java Sea intact and broke up upon impact before plunging to the ocean floor.

The wreckage of the Airbus 320-200 was found more than 48 hours after the ill-fated flight, which left Surabaya for Singapore on Sunday morning with 162 people on board, went missing.

A search and rescue worker preparing to load body bags onto a flight to Kalimantan in Pangkal Pinang on Indonesia's Bangka island yesterday. As operations move to search and recovery, it would take weeks before the authorities and investigators are able to determine how and why the crash happened. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A search and rescue worker preparing to load body bags onto a flight to Kalimantan in Pangkal Pinang on Indonesia's Bangka island yesterday. As operations move to search and recovery, it would take weeks before the authorities and investigators are able to determine how and why the crash happened. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Search teams reported seeing some bodies intact.

An air force plane reportedly spotted a shadow of what looked like a plane on the seabed.
 AirAsia QZ8501 debris
AirAsia QZ8501 debris

As the operations move from search and locate, to search and recovery, it would take weeks before enough pieces of wreckage and human remains are recovered for the authorities and investigators to determine how and why the crash happened.

Critical to this is finding the plane's black boxes which record conversations in the cockpit and preserve data on the position and speed of the aircraft.

But looking at what is known so far, there are several possibilities on what could have happened.

Retired United States airline pilot John Cox, who runs his own consultancy, said: "I am now seeing doors and reports of a large section located on the sea floor which are indicators, but not conclusive evidence, that the plane was in one piece when it hit the ocean.

"If the wingtips, nose and tail are found in the same area, then it will be conclusive that the plane was intact upon impact with the water."
 AirAsia QZ8501 search areas
AirAsia QZ8501 search areas

Mr Jacques Astre, president of industry consultancy International Aviation Safety Solution, said: "The fact that the debris field is relatively small would suggest the aircraft broke up upon impact with the sea and not in flight."

If some bodies are found intact, it would suggest the same, said Mr H.R. Mohandas, a former pilot and now programme head for the diploma in aviation management at Republic Polytechnic.

Mr Astre added: "The close proximity of the debris field to its last known location also suggests the aircraft descended fairly quickly."

The area is about 10km from the aircraft's last known location over the Java Sea.

The first sign of trouble came about 45 minutes after the plane left Surabaya at 5.30am - an hour behind Singapore time - for the two-hour sector. At 6.12am, the cockpit requested permission from the Jakarta air traffic control to turn left to avoid a storm, which is common procedure when pilots encounter rough weather.

The pilot then asked to take the plane higher to 38,000 feet from its position at 32,000 feet, without explaining why.

The air traffic control decided to allow the plane to increase its height but only to 34,000 feet, because at that time another AirAsia flight was flying at 38,000 feet.

But when this was communicated to the pilot of QZ8501, there was no response from the cockpit.


Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) servicemen onboard a C-130 aircraft take part in the search and locate (SAL) operation for missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 over the Java sea on December 30, 2014.--PHOTO: AFP

Data from Indonesia's meteorological agency showed slight rain in the Belitung and Pontianak areas when the plane was estimated to be flying through the vicinity, with thick cumulonimbus clouds as high as 45,000 feet.

Such clouds can produce lightning and other dangerous weather conditions, such as gusts, hail and occasional tornadoes.

Mr Mark D. Martin, founder and chief executive officer of Martin Consulting, said: "In the unfortunate event of entering a cumulonimbus cloud at flight levels between 31,000 feet and 38,000 feet, it is common to see heavy updrafts and downdrafts, icing on control surfaces which can freeze corrective pilot actions, aggressive aircraft manoeuvres and the aircraft dramatically lose altitude in excess of 5,000 feet per minute."

A similar incident had occurred in June 2009 when Air France Flight AF447 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving no survivors, during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Official investigations concluded that the aircraft crashed after pilots failed to react correctly to temporary inconsistencies between air speed measurements.

This was likely due to ice crystals blocking the plane's pitot tubes, which measure air speed.

Mr Mohandas said: "It is possible that something similar happened to Flight QZ8501. In their attempt to avoid extreme weather conditions, the pilots could have taken some actions, including possibly initiating a climb which requires more power.

"This coupled with adverse weather conditions, including turbulence, and possibly the formation of ice on the surface of the aircraft at high altitude, could have disengaged the plane's auto-pilot systems."

He said: "With little or no visibility and without auto pilot, you don't know what's in front of you and the crew could have become disorientated. Under such circumstances, the plane could have gone into an uncontrolled descent."

With the wreckage found, experts can start piecing together the final moments of Flight QZ8501. To the relatives of those who perished, this may bring a sense of closure but, perhaps, no relief from the pain.

karam@sph.com.sg Straits Times/ANN

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