US hegemony: the culprit of Ukraine crisis, benefiting from Ukraine’s misfortune

 

The Ukrainian side has seen China’s neutral position on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

 

 

US hegemony: the culprit of Ukraine crisis

 "Let the gull'd fool the toils of war pursue, where bleed the many to enrich the few," wrote the 18th-century English poet William Shenstone.
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That is what is exactly happening during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Whether it's the people of war-torn Ukraine, sanction-ridden Russia, or insecurity-ingrained Europe, all have suffered greatly. The US, the culprit of the Ukraine crisis, has been constantly taking advantage of others' misfortune to maintain its hegemony.
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Every why has a wherefore. Edward Carr, a leading British scholar of international relations, reminded people more than 80 years ago that the US was a master in using kindness to disguise selfishness. Boasting abundant resources, strong industry and geographical advantage, Ukraine could have achieved development. While the country pursued a relatively balanced policy in the early years of its independence, the US supported and incited the Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Square Revolution in 2014 to push for a pro-Western agenda, splitting Ukraine politically from within and geopolitically between Russia and Europe. It is really thought-provoking that the "Gateway to Europe" has become one of the poorest countries in Europe, the frontline of NATO's eastward expansion, and the fault line of "color revolutions" and conflicts.
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In 2014 when the crisis broke out in eastern Ukraine, while Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of consultations and signed two Minsk Agreements to cool down the situation, the US took an opposite direction to fan the flame by inciting the anti-Russian and pro-Western forces in Ukraine to escalate the conflicts on the ground. In the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US is reaping the benefits without getting itself involved militarily. It never intended to come to Ukraine's rescue, the idea used as a political tool by the US to trap Russia in a seemingly endless conflict.
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We might need to go a bit further back into history to conclude how the US hegemony had created all the security trouble for Europe, Russia and Ukraine. It is well known that the US became a global superpower after the two world wars which plunged Europe into chaos and destruction and led to its dependence on the US military hegemony and NATO. Looking for a pathway to common security, Europe and the US signed the Helsinki Accords with the Soviet Union in 1975, which saw the establishment of the Organization for Security and Cooperation as well as the indivisible, cooperative and comprehensive approach to security.
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However, after the Cold War, the US overturned the European security agenda and rejected Russia's bid to join NATO four times. The aim was to make Russia the imaginary foe to justify US hegemony. Since 1999, the US launched five major NATO expansions, pushing its borders eastward by more than 1,000 kilometers to include a large number of Eastern European countries, splitting Europe further. It also promised Ukraine, Georgia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) NATO membership, posing a realistic threat at the doorstep of Russia.
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Due to the hegemonic mentality and actions by the US, the vision of indivisible common security broke into pieces, and Russia, Ukraine and Europe were left in a security dilemma and constant conflicts. Former US congressman Tulsi Gabbard stated in a recent interview that President Joe Biden could have ended the crisis by promising not to admit Ukraine to NATO. But he didn't, because the US is seeking an excuse to impose sanctions on Russia, and it could profit from war for the American military-industrial complex.
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Ukraine has become another victim in a series of global security crises instigated by the US, just like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Now the hegemonic power is pushing for an Asian version of NATO expansion via its Indo-Pacific Strategy, aiming to contain China.
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Hegemony is the source of evil and chaos, while the common security is the only correct option to avoid and end crises. Whether it is Europe or Asia, the rationales of security are the same: Security cannot be enjoyed exclusively, but only shared; It is not a zero-sum game, but win-win cooperation. History may prove again that, the one who makes a fool of others will eventually make a fool of himself. 

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 Washington benefits from Ukraine’s misfortune

 By March 24, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted one month. All peace-loving people in the world hope that this bloody conflict, which could have been avoided, could end soon. However, the US and NATO, which hold the key to resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, have made no practical moves to end the war. Instead, they are still intensifying contradictions and escalating confrontation, creating obstacles for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
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US President Joe Biden left for Europe on Wednesday, where he will attend the NATO summit, the G7 summit and the European Council meeting. According to media reports, Biden will work with European allies to coordinate next-stage military assistance to Ukraine and will announce a new round of sanctions against Russia. On the one-month mark of the conflict, Biden carried out his intensive diplomatic offensive in Europe, yet nothing on his agenda is not about adding fuel to the fire.
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When touching upon Biden's European trip, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that there will be hard days ahead in Ukraine as "this war will not end easily or rapidly." This is not so much a "judgment" by the US, but a carefully guided direction by Washington. Washington wishes the war will not end, so it can maximize the use of the conflict to gain geopolitical value from it. In other words, it is seeking to benefit from Ukraine's misfortune.
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Because of this, the US and Europe may seem to appear close, but their substantive differences are deepening. While Washington is obsessed with delaying Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Europe wants security and stability. There are emerging anti-war voices in Europe, and these voices include disapproval toward Washington's arms delivery to Ukraine. More and more Europeans realize that blindly sending arms to Ukraine is heading toward the opposite direction of the security goals they pursue. In addition, the result of long-term extreme sanctions must be that the US gets rich, Europe pays the bill and Ukraine bleeds. Washington can't hide these petty ideas.
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Also because of this, Biden has to "stabilize" Europe when it has wavering intentions. It is not difficult to imagine that Washington will pull out the "transatlantic friendship," "democratic alliance," and other small cards from its pockets and distribute them to friends as passes to the world VIP club, using the illusory "honor" to extract high "dues." Washington also exerts strong pressure on neutral countries that "don't join the club," criticizing India for being "shaky" on one hand and sensationalizing China's "threat" to peace on the other. Isn't this a typical mafia approach?
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As the saying goes, "It is up to the doer to undo the knot." The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the result of the intensification of the conflict between the US and Russia, and the key to the problem lies in the hands of the US. If Washington really wants the "hard days" of the Ukrainian people not to continue, then why did it choose to "coordinate" with Europe to send weapons to Ukraine and sanction Russia, and refused to talk directly with Russia? The answer is clear: the US does not want real peace talks. That's why one can see such an absurd scenario: despite knowing where the way out is for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Washington is still desperately wiping the sign which says "No Thoroughfare" at the end of a blind alley.
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Washington has been good at putting on the show - promoting hegemony under the guise of "democracy," and making a fortune from war in the name of "peace." Yet it does not mean such an approach will never be outdated. Over time, people will eventually see through it. The evolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict will prove Washington's nature as a warmonger. 

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Global hypocrisies exposed | The Star

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When men eat wrong

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Hornby is among the young men trying to normalise seeking treatment for eating disorders by speaking out about his experience on social media. — TNS

Discover william hornby 's popular videos | TikTok

 Men can have eating disorders too

William Hornby looks straight into the camera, smiles and says: “Hi, I’m William and I am a man who is proudly in eating disorder recovery.”

It’s the kind of public and unashamed acknowledgement the now 22-year-old Temple University student in the United States wished he could have leaned on when he began his recovery in early 2020.

The video has been watched more than 21,000 times since Hornby posted it on TikTok in December 2020.
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An estimated 10 million men and boys have a diagnosed eating disorder – about a third of all reported cases, according to the US National Eating Disorder Association.
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Yet, because the condition is largely seen as a women’s health problem, men often struggle to find help.
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Treatment centres primarily cater to women.
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Clinicians are trained to recognise eating disorders among women, but often don’t pick up on the different warning signs among men.
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Even self-help is hard to come by, with far fewer men than women speaking out publicly about their experience.
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As a result, men are, on average, sicker when they’re finally diagnosed and more likely to require hospitalisation, which makes their path to recovery that much harder.

“Often, we don’t recognise they’re struggling until it’s too late,” said Brian Pollack, the founder and clinical director of Hilltop Behavioral Health in Summit, New Jersey.
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“They fall harder and quicker – or at least it’s perceived that way – because no one knows the signs and symptoms.”
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Unrealistic body images
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There are good reasons resources are dedicated to treating eating disorders among women.
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Just like women, men too feel the pressure to have a certain ideal physique due to the images portrayed in media. — Filepic
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The cultural ideals for many American women – tall, thin, beautiful – have contributed to generations of eating disorders, especially anorexia, among women and girls who felt immense pressure to resemble the Barbie dolls they played with and the models they saw in magazines.
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Clothing designers are increasingly including models of all sizes in their advertisements; children’s movies feature heroines who don’t wear crowns and corsets; and dolls with realistic body proportions line toy store shelves.
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But there’s still a long way to go to undo such ingrained ideas about body image.
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At the same time, clinicians are grappling with how to better support men and boys experiencing body-image problems.
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For men, movies and music that conflate masculinity with ripped physiques or lean, toned bodies can contribute to eating disorders.
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Gym culture – working out hard and eating nothing but lean protein, then celebrating with indulgent “cheat day” meals – encourages a pattern of food restriction and binge-eating.
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“Behaviours might look the same (in men and women), but cognitive drivers are different and that’s linked to different body ideals,” said Stuart Murray, the director of the University of Southern California’s eating disorders programme and a founder of the US National Eating Disorders Association.
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Men also perceive their eating behaviour differently, which requires medical professionals to take a different approach to talking to men about these issues.
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For instance, binge-eating is considered a loss of control, however, men who are taught to always be in control may not view their binge-restrict eating patterns that way, Murray said.
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Where to turn to?
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Growing up outside Baltimore, Hornby said being around family members who dieted routinely, thumbing through health magazines, and having to change for gym class in a locker room full of his peers, made him question how he looked.
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He started to restrict what and how much he ate.
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“I would look at men’s health magazines and resent that I didn’t look like that, and be scared that I never would,” Hornby recalled of his 11-year-old self.
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Once on his own, in college, Hornby started to eat more, but would immediately feel guilty and force himself to limit his intake.
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At a particularly low point, he reached out to a Temple dietitian, who connected him to a therapist.
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With help from both of them, Hornby began to make progress in breaking his cycle in 2020.
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But figuring out how to move forward from his pattern of restrictive eating and bingeing was hard because he felt alone.
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“One of the most isolating and challenging things for me was I couldn’t find representation for men with eating disorders,” he said.
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“Even though I knew it was happening, I couldn’t find them.”
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Because eating disorders have been cast as a female problem, men may not recognise that their relationship with food is also troubled.
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Those who do realise they have a problem may not know where to turn for help.
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With an overwhelmingly female clientele, treatment centres often have a feminine aesthetic and programmatic approach to discussing eating disorders that doesn’t resonate with men, Pollack said.
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“Whether it’s an all-female organisation or the standards of care and the language around care is female-focused, men don’t feel comfortable,” he said.
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Data needed
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Improving eating disorder treatment for men must be about more than making them feel comfortable speaking out.
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Gym culture, which involves working out hard and eating lean meat with the occasional ‘cheat day’, encourages an unhealthy pattern of food restriction and binge-eating. — The Washington Post >>
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The medical field must evolve to include men in clinical trials to understand the effectiveness of existing and future medications and therapies among men.
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“The provider has to rely on data drawn from predominantly female samples.
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“You have to kind of wing it and assume that the treatment that’s worked for females will work for males,” Murray said.
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Until about 10 years ago, the criteria a person needed to meet in order to be formally diagnosed with an eating disorder included loss of menstrual cycle – a physiological impossibility for men.
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Changing that criteria opened up new funding opportunities for studying and tracking eating disorders among men, but the field is still catching up.
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Less than 1% of studies about eating disorders have involved men, said Murray, who has extensively studied the dearth of re- sources for men.
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Researchers are learning that while influenced by personal circumstance, social media and popular culture, some people may be genetically predisposed to be vulnerable to eating disorders.
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Future treatments could involve therapies that retrain neural pathways in the brain, essentially reteaching the brain how to think about food and body image.
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Clinical studies for these treatments especially, must include men, whose brains work differently than women’s, Murray said.
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“We’re standing at the precipice of repeating history,” he said.
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Helping others
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With help from his therapist and dietician, Hornby has established nutritious eating habits and healthier expectations of his body.
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In late 2020, he decided to start posting videos and messages on TikTok and Instagram, offering encouragement to people who may not even realise they need it.
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He has posted hundreds of short videos with messages like “coffee is not a meal and neither is the milk in your coffee”, “your body isn’t addicted to carbohydrates, it just needs them” and “you aren’t faking your eating disorder if it’s happening when no one’s around” that have earned him hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
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He also recorded a song about body dysmorphia – a mental health disorder in which people obsess over perceived flaws with their appearance.
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It’s titled Clay, he said, “because when you have (body dysmorphia), your mind treats your body like clay” that can be pinched and moulded to a preferred shape.
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Sharing such a personal experience is scary, and at first, he feared people would think he was making it up for attention, he said.
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But the messages he receives from others who have found comfort in his posts are encouraging and have helped him maintain his progress.
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“Every single day I get messages from people telling me my content is what gave them the push to ask for help... it’s incredibly meaningful,” he said.
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“It can serve as a reminder that these are not rational thoughts people are having.
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“Then when I have those same thoughts later in the day, it holds me accountable.” – By Sarah Gantz/The Philadelphia Inquirer/Tribune News Service

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bsp;

Check electrical devices, and avert a tragedy

 Carry out regular maintenance on electrical devices

Safety checks on electrical devices should be conducted frequently and faulty devices replaced promptly to avoid electrocution, say electrical experts.
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This following a recent tragedy on March 10, where a couple were found electrocuted upon using an instant water heater in the bathroom of their flat at Taman Puncak Tringkap, Brinchang, Pahang.
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The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) advised people at home to use safety-certified electrical equipment and conduct frequent testing of the unit’s residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) or Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) to avoid such incidents.
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“RCCB is a device that senses electricity and disconnects any high voltage or unbalanced current circuit whenever a fault occurs. “This protects humans from shocks and prevents death caused by shocks,” said TEEAM’s president Siew Choon Thye.
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He said it is best for people to conduct these safety checks using rubber slippers or boots for safety.
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Siew said that faulty or defective RCCBs in the distribution board have been identified as among the causes of electrocution involving water heaters in homes in Malaysia.
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“The sensitivity of the RCCB used for electric water heaters should be rated 10mA to prevent electrocution,” he said, adding that electrical products should be certified by SIRIM and approved by the Energy Commission for safety and household use.
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He said electrical works and replacements of RCCBs must only be carried out by competent electricians, wiremen, and chargemen who are registered with the Energy Commission of Malaysia.
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“Should a person face an incident where a family member is electrocuted, the safest way is to immediately switch off the main power supply at their home and call the emergency number 999,” he said.
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Siew added that people purchasing electrical products online should also be cautious as there are a number of fake products sold, as well as those without SIRIM certification.
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“Verification of certified products and competent electricians can be done via our website www.teeam.org.my or through the Energy Commission’s portal at www.st.gov.my,” he said.
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Following repeated cases of water heater electrocutions in the country, Siew said TEEAM planned to restart its RCCB self-test campaign in the near future to give people more awareness on the issue.
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Electrician Mohamad Arif Mohamed Kasim, 28, recently noted on his Twitter account (@arepkasim) that people should check their water heaters by pressing the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) test button.
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“Electrocution happens when the ELCB has malfunctioned and does not cut the electricity when there is a leak,” he said.
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The PW4 Wireman noted the warm water which comes out directly from the shower is heated in a copper tube within the water heater.“Water and copper are both electrical conductors so when a current leakage occurs, electrocution can happen,” he said.
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He said people should check the ELCB on the main fuse of their home every month or fortnightly to ensure the safety device is working.
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He added such checks can identify any malfunction. Faulty devices, too, should be immediately replaced to avoid electrical cables from overheating or catching fire.
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Twitter user Bovver (@bluehippo__), advised people against using water outlets or external connections on water heaters that are made of metal as there is a risk of electrocution or death when a current leak occurs.
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Others like @KaffeeUndMilch_ warned that people should also be cautious of electrical current from home aquariums as it can also be a cause of electrocution with faulty electrical devices. 

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Teco frauds discovered, a million telco lines terminated

 

Fines worth over RM20mil to telecommunication service providers (telcos) for not verifying the identity of new prepaid card new subscribers

 

Those who registered more than the limit given may be using the numbers for activities -Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued compounds worth over RM20mil to telecommunication service providers (telcos) for not verifying the identity of new prepaid card subscribers. The failure also saw over one million lines terminated by the telcos.
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MCMC chief regulatory officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin told The Star that the commission discovered cases of telco agents or dealers who misused consumers’ personal information to register fake prepaid accounts for sale to other customers.
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Victims, he said, would only realise the abuse via notification from telcos or law enforcement agencies who notified them of their “wrongdoings”.
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“The issue is worsened by the fact that we have foreigners whose identifications were also being used for bogus registrations.
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“It is easier for us to verify Malaysians because we can call and check with them if they have registered the numbers but with foreigners, it is very challenging.
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“As of last year, 430 compounds were issued by MCMC amounting to RM20.53mil for non-compliance with the guidelines based on the monitoring and audit conducts by MCMC through mystery shopper activities as well as public reports,” he said, adding that action was taken under Section 242 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
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Zulkarnain said the commission had also reduced the limit on the number of prepaid cards a user could register under their names – previously from 10 numbers to only five.
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“We have not ruled out the possibility that those who registered more than the limit given may be using the numbers for activities that are against the law,” he added.
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The commission, Zulkarnain said, was currently working hand in hand with the National Registration Department (NRD) to step up efforts to curb false prepaid registration that could lead to unlawful activities such as scams.
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A data verification exercise will be conducted twice a year to allow the commission to verify the validity of prepaid subscribers’ database and rectify unmatched data from the service providers.
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“Information received from service providers on its active prepaid cellular subscribers registered using MyKad will be shared with NRD for further verification.
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“This exercise is part of the commission’s efforts in ensuring compliance with the Guidelines on Registration of End-Users of Prepaid Public Cellular Service to strengthen the registration process to address false registration issues, security and data integrity issues, thus ensuring that the interest and rights of consumers are being protected,” he said.” he said.
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Zulkarnain said to date, the verification exercise, which began in 2017, had identified over 1.5 million numbers that had been registered with inaccurate information as per MyKad details.
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A total of 1,008,765 or 66% of the lines were terminated, 496,212 were updated with valid information and 12,058 are in the midst of being updating.
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“MCMC will share the verification results with the respective service providers and they will be given three months to take the necessary action to notify the users.
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“Service providers will issue a notice of three working days to the user to re-register their details, failing which, the number will be suspended.
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“Suspension shall be in effect for a period of 14 working days and if the user fails to co-operate, the service will be terminated,” he said.
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He said that upon termination, the remaining balance for the prepaid services would be forfeited and the service providers were not required to reissue the same numbers to the users for any new registrations in the future.
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He advised users who were involved in such activities to lodge a report at the telecommunication company, police and the Personal Data Protection Department (JPDP).
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This included postpaid users, Zulkarnain added.
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“So far, the guideline is for prepaid users. Normally for postpaid users, we will act and check based on complaints we receive.”
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The Malaysian government has made it mandatory for service providers to register prepaid mobile service users since 2006.
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The directive then was to curb the misuse of prepaid public cellular services and to address national security concerns related to terrorism and criminal behaviours.
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During the registration process, a user has to provide personal information such as his full name, permanent address and IC number.
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A foreigner, on the other hand, was required to submit details such as his full name, passport number, passport issuing country, as well as any other information deemed necessary by the commission.
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Separately, a telco executive said: “Prepaid registration is mandated. Dealers can have lapses and some occurrences can happen as there are millions of customers.”
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He said even though dealers might be registering the prepaid numbers, the telcos were held liable as dealers were not licensed.
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He added that lapses in registration could happen due to dealers who had high staff turnovers.

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