Army, foreign investors speak out

Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

• Army, foreign investors speak out
  
  

• Frontliners’ dystopian stories
  
  

• Errant ministers
  
  

Army, foreign investors speak out

More quarters that do not normally openly speak out have expressed concern at the way the government is managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

An army general said the country’s Covid-19 response lacked coordination and speed.

The German and Japanese chambers of commerce also wrote to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urging him to reevaluate the government’s approach to businesses with regard to Covid-19 restrictions.

The letters were later circulated in the public sphere.

Meanwhile, a Bloomberg column, citing Malaysia’s Covid-19 management, argued the country was becoming a failed state, prompting rebuttals from two ministers.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Key points about Umno's move against the PM Make sense of the flurry of political moves.
	Umno veep: Changing govt during crisis justified if it failed Khaled Nordin cites the spiralling Covid-19 situation.
	Stop politicking and focus on helping people - DPM All must close ranks, Ismail Sabri says.

Frontliners’ dystopian stories

Medical frontliners recount how public hospitals in the Klang Valley are at a breaking point and becoming numb at the mounting Covid-19 deaths.

However, many do not dare to speak on the record as they are public servants and could face disciplinary action.

They have also expressed frustration at how some senior health officials are being in denial at the dire situation despite a willingness from external parties to help.

The Covid-19 situation is now at the worst point since the start of the pandemic despite a “total lockdown” since June 1.

Active cases climbed to 87,841 yesterday, the highest ever, and is not showing signs of abating.

That means the already strained hospitals will be receiving more Covid-19 patients.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said new cases are only expected to stabilise in one to two weeks.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Covid-19: Cooperation with experts to be strengthened - PMO This is to improve public health measures.
	Covid-19: Infectivity rate highest since pre-total lockdown We are worse off now than before the total lockdown.
	Defiant Sabah CM insists on allowing dine-in This is despite the Covid-19 lockdown.

Errant ministers

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa was caught violating the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) for the third time.

He posted on Twitter about visiting former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Kuala Lumpur home with his wife only to delete it after public outrage. House visits are not allowed during the lockdown.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun was also criticised for not complying with the SOP by hand-feeding a blind girl.

Her aide said this was done at the request of the child’s parents. Rina apologised.

Meanwhile, the Selangor government clashed with the International Trade and Industry Ministry for allowing various factories to operate in areas under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO).

Umno Youth said with the appointment of the party’s vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as deputy prime minister, he can stop any “back door” reopening of factories.

Ismail had previously clashed with International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali for overruling him by allowing non-essential businesses to open during the lockdown.

At the time, both were senior ministers. Ismail’s promotion means he now outranks Azmin.

HIGHLIGHTS

	M'sians vent about Azmin on Austrian minister’s FB page Azmin had disabled comments on his own FB page.
	Amid tussle, competing Umno leaders paint different realities Competing Umno factions engage in psywar.
	GPS backs Muhyiddin, says now not the time for politics Johari Abang Openg says the focus should be on Covid-19.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 9,105 new cases yesterday (July 11), the third consecutive day that cases were above 9,000. Last Friday also saw a record high of 9,180, beaten by another record of 9,353 the following day.
  
  
• A total of 998 people have died from Covid-19 in the first 11 days of this month. the death toll is now at 6,158. Patients in the intensive care unit hit a new record of 961.
  
  
• The infectivity rate climbed rapidly from 1.07 last Monday (July 5) to 1.15 yesterday (July 11). A sustained value of above 1.00 leads to an exponential growth of new Covid-19 cases.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• KiniTV, in a special report, looked at how agents purportedly abuse a loophole in the MySejahtera app to sell Covid-19 vaccine appointments.
  
  
• Raub farmers decried the Pahang government's "bragging" that it chopped down 15,000 durian trees on disputed lands.
  
  
• Sungai Buloh Hospital is seeing an increase in Covid-19 deaths involving pregnant women. Many were born prematurely as doctors needed to save the babies before the mothers' condition deteriorated further.
  
  
• 1MDB and the Finance Ministry are reportedly suing audit firm KPMG for US$5.6 billion over its role in the 1MDB scandal.
  
  
• Application to withdraw from the Employees Provident Fund under the i-Citra programme to provide relief during the Covid-19 pandemic opens today.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	British woman charged with murder of M’sian-born pensioner The victim had lived in Wembley for more than 30 years.
	Police probe Top Glove for shifting workers before EMCO They were relocated to hotels outside the EMCO area.
	TCM rights group slams govt for unrealistic SOPs They are disappointed with the SOP on traditional medicine.

What are people saying?

	Are we a failed state? By Nathaniel Tan
	This is not the time to give up By Andrew Sia
	Are we a healthy and mature democracy? By Zan Azlee

CARTOON KINI