Outrage in Parliament after Agong says yet to consent to revocation of Emergency
Parliamentarians broke out in arguments yesterday as news spread of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s statement that he has yet to provide royal assent for the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim read out the statement on the floor and accused Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan of misleading the House. Takiyuddin previously asserted that the government already revoked the EOs on July 21. Earlier, Istana Negara released a statement from Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in which he said he had not given the royal assent that was constitutionally required to revoke the EOs. The Agong said Takiyuddin’s announcement in Parliament was consequently premature and inaccurate. (Malay Mail)
More homeowners selling property for cash flow
Malaysia’s property supply growth in the market spiked by 34.53% year-on-year (YoY) and 11.94% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in the second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2021), driven by more homeowners selling property for cash flow, according to a property portal’s latest Malaysia Property Market Index (MPMI). It said the surge in property supply in the country in Q2 2021 is likely driven by an increase in the number of houses being put up for sale in the secondary market under the current economic climate. The upward trend in property supply is observed across four key regions, namely Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor. It said the prolonged COVID-19 situation has significantly impacted the property market, as reflected in the asking prices of primary and secondary property markets tracked by the MPMI. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those, who are cash-strapped, might still resort to selling their properties even though a six-month moratorium on bank loan repayments was introduced. It is believed that the property sector outlook will remain gloomy for the rest of the year unless any significant signs of recovery to the property sector can only be expected once the nation is better positioned to achieve herd immunity with the ramp-up of COVID-19 vaccination. (The Star)
Malaysia’s statutory debt within acceptable limits, says Finance Minister
Malaysia’s statutory debt reached 56.8% at the end of June but this is well below the allowed 60% statutory debt limit, says Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. He said the government is planning to table a motion to lift the statutory debt ceiling in the next parliamentary session. He added that the government was ready to ease the debt restriction rules to support the economic recovery plan taking into account the country’s ability to manage its debt. The government, he said, had introduced introduced eight stimulus packages since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic totalling RM530bil, inclusive of a fiscal injection of around RM83bil. This includes the setting up of the Covid-19 Fund, of which RM55bil has been spent, he added. (The Star)
Stop work order issued following LRT3 construction scaffolding collapse in Klang
Pembinaan Jaya Zira Sdn Bhd, the contractor for work package GS09 of the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) project, is currently working with the Fire and Rescue Department to investigate the root cause of the incident at the LRT 3 construction site in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. The company said a stop work order (SWO) has been issued to stop all construction activities with immediate effect. It was reported that a Bangladeshi construction worker was killed while three fellow countrymen and an Indonesian man in their 30s, suffered minor injuries after the scaffolding at the LRT3 construction site collapsed yesterday. (Malay Mail)
Daily Covid-19 vaccination exceeds 500,000 doses for four consecutive days
The daily Covid-19 vaccination recorded more than 500,000 doses for the past four consecutive days, with 556,404 doses administered yesterday. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, through an infographic on his Twitter, said the number of vaccine doses administered yesterday was the highest since the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) was launched last February 24. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV), via Twitter, said that cumulatively, a total of 19,502,452 doses have been administered in the country as of yesterday. (Malay Mail)
Zii Jia vows to return stronger in Paris Olympics
Malaysia’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia sums up his defeat to Chen Long as a wake-up call. The 23-year-old has to wait longer for his next shot at Olympics glory after he failed to dethrone reigning champion Chen Long of China in the last 16 match at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza yesterday. He went down fighting 21-8, 19-21, 5-21 in 70 minutes. “This is my first Olympics and it’s indeed an eye opening experience for me. Playing in the Olympics is nothing like the other tournaments. I still have a long journey ahead. I will try to come back stronger for the Paris Olympics as a more mature and complete player,” he said. (The Star)
