INSIDE TELLING IT AS IT IS Budget 2022 must focus on page economic recovery 2 Bitcoin bar leads page to boom 3 ON FRIDAY MAY 28, 2021 No. 7789 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my BAD TIMES ... A worker cuts a poignant figure as he makes a final check on a sea of beds set up at the Universiti Malaysia Pahang low-risk quarantine and treatment centre in Kuantan before it received its first patients yesterday. – BERNAMAPIX Worst yet to come █ BY RAJVINDER SINGH [email protected] oWin or lose, it’s now up to the people ETALING JAYA: A concerted effort to comply with containment phase. We are now in He also expressed MMA’s concern standard operating the mitigation phase of the that with the newer (South African procedures (SOP) and a pandemic,” he added. and Indian) variants having already speedierP vaccination exercise may The number of daily new cases is been detected in a number of cases, just be all that is left in the Malaysian reaching new highs every day, with the overall number of infections arsenal for the Covid-19 war. 7,857 reported yesterday. could double very quickly if The rapid increase in infections If no drastic remedial measures compliance with the SOP remains has sent healthcare facilities and are taken immediately, the number of poor. health workers into overdrive, yet it daily new cases will breach the 10,000 As of yesterday, 541,224 cases have has failed to slow down the Covid-19 mark in the next few days, Health been recorded in the country since advance, must less reverse it. director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor the first infection was detected on Jan “We are already at a critical stage. Hisham Abdullah has warned. 25 last year. Both public and private hospitals According to Subramaniam, the Subramaniam also expressed fears are overwhelmed, many with time to heed Noor Hisham’s warning that if the situation does not improve, severe cases of Covid-19,” said is now. the death toll could rise by more than Malaysian Medical Association He said the most important role in 1,000 a month. As of yesterday, the (MMA) president Datuk the effort to stop the tide is now in the death toll stood at 2,491. Dr M. Subramaniam. hands of the people. He said the government should Intensive care units (ICU) are “Everyone must strictly observe use data from the Hotspot already overflowing, and normal the SOP and get vaccinated quickly,” Identification for Dynamic wards are being converted to double he said. Engagement system and MySejahtera up as ICU, he said. “The infection is already spreading to identify areas for mass screening. “We are no longer at the within the community like wildfire. “Locations with an overly high Avoid meeting people, best not to go number of infections out unnecessarily.” should be targeted for vaccination en Turn to masse,” he said. — page 4 2 theSUN ON FRIDAY | MAY 28, 2021 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS REPORT MADE OVER IBAN DRESS RIDICULE SIBU: The Dayak Traditional Budget 2022 must focus on Arts and Culture Club lodged a report at the Lanang police BRIEFSstation against Instagram celebrity Ryzal Duriankimchi (Ryzal Ibrahim) for ridiculing the traditional dress of Iban economic recovery women. The police report was lodged yesterday by the club’s chairman, Jackery Hillary █ BY RAJVINDER SINGH “This is essential to help Malaysia [email protected] Chukan, who was oTargets missed this year due to pandemic reduce its carbon footprint and accompanied by five other attract investments from green members, all wearing PETALING JAYA: Apart from need to be fixed in next financial plan, technology companies. The world is traditional Iban warrior’s addressing the needs of the poor, already turning to green technology costumes. The report was Budget 2022 must focus on economic economists say and we have a unique opportunity of lodged against Ryzal, whose recovery, an objective the current cashing in by getting green tech real name is Nik Muhammad budget is not likely to achieve. companies to invest here.” Ryzal Nik Ibrahim, because he The target under Budget 2021 was growth under Budget 2022. It has to Bernama TV on Sunday, Prime He said efforts must also be made showed insensitivity to the to register a growth rate of 6.5% to 7%, be an expansionary budget that also Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to sustain export growth. culture of a race through a once deemed achievable by Bank takes into account the need to protect said the focus of next year’s budget Barjoyai acknowledged that the video uploaded on his Negara Malaysia, the World Bank and lives and livelihood,” he told theSun. will be on helping the people tackle worsening Covid-19 situation had Instagram site. – Bernama the International Monetary Fund. The government must ensure that the effects of the pandemic. likely caused Budget 2021 to miss However, as economists Dr Yeah growth is sustainable in the long “If we have the money, we will use some of its targets. GAZA KEEN ON Kim Leng and Dr Barjoyai Bardai term, with emphasis on hundreds of billions (of ringgit) to “The government has been forced TWINNING COURSES said, this has been derailed by a surge digitalisation, he said. assist the people.” to direct a lot of money to deal with KUALA LUMPURP: Palestine in Covid-19 cases since last month. Digitalisation will be one of the Yeah said the budget’s emphasis the surge in infections, thus depleting Education Ministry in Gaza is Yeah, who is professor of means to alleviate economic will also depend very much on how funds for economic growth,” he said. interested in establishing economics at Sunway University hardship and promote high growth, well Malaysia does in the Covid war Politics will also play a role in academic twinning Business School, said the failure to especially for people in the low and whether it can break the determining the direction of the next programmes with Malaysian achieve the economic growth target income group. The budget should infection chain. budget, he added. higher learning institutions, under Budget 2021 is solely due to the focus on creating employment for the “If there is a clear indication that “A factor to consider is whether said the ministry’s director- fact that the government has had to group, Yeah added. the chain has been broken, then the Perikatan Nasional will still be in general of international direct more funds to address the Work on drafting Budget 2022 focus should be on expansion that power after the Emergency ends on relations Ahmed Abu Ayesh pandemic. began last month and is expected to will lead to economic growth.” Aug 1. This will depend on whether Alnajjar. These programmes “It is even more pertinent now that be completed by August. He said another area not to be left Umno pulls out of the coalition can be held online, he added. our focus is on accelerating economic In a “live” interview on RTM and out is opportunities for green growth. government to force new elections.” “Now we have started twinning programmes with schools in Gaza and schools in Italy. We hope that we can do Malaysia’s the same with universities or colleges in Malaysia. We are not aiming for financial aid,” he population told Bernama recently. touches 32.75m PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s DG rebukes civil population in the first quarter (Q1) of this year is estimated to be 32.75 servants for million, an increase by 0.4% from 32.62 million in the same period of poor work ethics 2020, according to the Demographic Statistics report. PUTRAJAYA: Public Service Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Director-General Tan Sri Mohd Mohd Uzir Mahidin in a statement Khairul Adib Abd Rahman yesterday said the country’s total yesterday reprimanded civil population comprised 29.91 servants following people’s million or 91.3% citizens and 2.84 dissatisfaction over the level of million or 8.7% non-citizens. public service delivery, which is Males outnumbered females at deemed to be inefficient. 16.83 million and 15.92 million “We are appointed to help the respectively. government solve problems faced Mohd Uzir said the population by people and not just aim for of those aged 65 and above higher-level positions. Our increased from 2.26 million to 2.37 salaries and allowances will be million during the same period. paid anyway. So, appreciate that. “This trend is in line with other “I would like to remind all (civil developed countries that are servants) not to be merely heading towards an ageing perfunctory. Get rid of the old population.” (work) culture. We all must realise The population of 0-14 years and appreciate the fact that while decreased to 7.56 million workers (in the private sector) are compared with 7.61 million in Q1 facing retrenchments during the 2020. The number of live births pandemic, we are not affected,” he saw a decrease of 10.8% to 102,969 said at the Public Service births as against 115,439 in the Department’s monthly assembly corresponding period last year. held virtually yesterday. There was no baby boom in the Mohd Khairul Adib called on first quarter as anticipated, civil servants to learn lessons from following movement control QUICK WORK ... Two light rail transit trains that collided in Kuala Lumpur on Monday have been removed from the crash the difficult situation faced by restrictions, he added. – Bernama site yesterday, three days earlier than scheduled. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN private sector workers and the self-employed whose sources of income have been badly affected by the current crisis.