JAMADA ALAWWAL 1, 1440 AH MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 28 Pages Max 20º Min 13º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17726 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Campers urged to physically check Indian scientists slam Original Danish shows take Aussies slump, India soar 56location before online reservation ancient ‘stem cell’ claim 21 television world by storm 28 on day of Asian Cup upsets Opposition MPs propose to abolish constitutional court Early retirement law delayed for two more weeks By B Izzak constitutional court to compromise of five judges, a mem- Assembly’s charter to vote to keep their membership, ber of the government and a lawmaker, saying this setup but the article was soon scrapped by the court. The Expats have more KUWAIT: Five opposition lawmakers yesterday sub- will ensure balanced verdicts by the court without Assembly is scheduled to debate the consequences of mitted a draft law calling to abolish the constitutional infringing on the rights of the Assembly. Other signatories the court ruling tomorrow amid clear division in the driving licenses, but court and create a similar new court to “stop the exist- to the proposal are MPs Abdulwahab Al-Babtain, Khaled house. Opposition MPs are adamant that the member- ing court from interfering in the affairs of the National Al-Otaibi, Omar Al-Tabtabaei and Osama Al-Shaheen. ships of Tabtabaei and Harbash are still valid and legal, Assembly”, MP Thamer Al-Suwait said. The move, The ruling by the constitutional court scrapping arti- while a group of other lawmakers insist that their mem- Kuwaitis more cars which is unlikely to be accepted by the Assembly, cle 16 of the Assembly’s internal charter created a legal bership has been revoked by the court and by-elections By A Saleh comes just two days before the Assembly is expected dilemma for the Assembly, which used that article to should be announced to fill the two seats. to debate a highly controversial ruling by the constitu- vote to retain the membership of two opposition mem- Meanwhile, the Assembly’s financial and economic KUWAIT: Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al- tional court that declared a key article of the bers Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Jamaan Al-Harbash. The affairs committee did not complete its report on the Jarrah said expats hold a total of 1,664,000 valid Assembly’s internal charter as unconstitutional. two MPs were handed a final jail term by the court of early retirement law because of some differences. driving licenses, while those issued to Kuwaitis only That ruling issued on Dec 19 infuriated senior opposi- cassation for storming the Assembly building in late According to committee sources, the government still number 624,000. Responding to an inquiry by MP tion MPs, who charged the country’s top judicial tribunal 2011. It was assumed that the final verdict automatically insists it will deduct two percent for life from those who Ahmed Al-Fadhl about roaming taxis and the driving of interfering in the internal affairs of the Assembly. revoked their membership of the Assembly. opt for early retirement, while MPs insist that the licenses given to each sector, Sheikh Khaled said the Suwait said the proposal calls to establish a supreme However, MPs in October invoked article 16 of the deduction must be only for a few years. total number of vehicles registered to Kuwaitis is 1,039,000, while those owned by expats number only 616,000. He added 22,000 driving licenses of united to maintain unity, tolerance, and Kuwaitis and 15,000 of expats were withdrawn for Malaysia king work together,” said a statement from committing severe traffic violations. the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Sheikh Khaled elaborated that licenses held by Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz. Kuwaitis include 607,000 private licenses, 10,000 abdicates in Malaysia’s Islamic rulers will now meet general, 6,400 for bikes and 146 for construction to decide on the next king. machinery, while those issued to expats include historic first Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, 909,000 general licenses, 730,000 private ones, with a unique arrangement where the 6,200 for bikes and 18,000 for construction KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s king throne changes hands every five years machinery. Sheikh Khaled strongly denied the pres- abdicated yesterday in a historic first for between rulers of the nine Malaysian ence of any fake learning permits, noting that a few the country that ended weeks of specula- states headed by centuries-old Islamic applications suspected to include fake documents tion about his future after he took medical royalty. The system has been in place were detected and referred to relevant authorities. leave and reportedly married a Russian since independence from Britain in 1957. He also noted that the interior ministry and the ex-beauty queen. Sultan Muhammad V’s Royal officials gave no reason for Sultan manpower authority are electronically linked to verify decision marks the first time a king has Muhammad V’s move but there had been applicants’ job titles and minimum salary conditions stepped aside during his five-year term in a question mark over the king’s reign for expats. “Degrees are verified through applicants’ the Muslim-majority country. since he went on leave for medical treat- embassies and the foreign ministry,” he affirmed. The national palace confirmed the ment in November. Finally, Sheikh Khaled explained that licenses resignation with immediate effect of the Reports in British and Russian media issued to expat drivers and mandoubs are can- 49-year-old, who had been on the then surfaced saying that he had married celled if they change their profession or their resi- throne for two years and was known for the former Miss Moscow in the Russian dencies expire. “If an expat returns to Kuwait, they his fondness for four-wheel driving and capital in a lavish ceremony. Royal offi- KUALA LUMPUR: This photo taken on July 17, 2018 shows the 15th king of Malaysia, can file a new application for a license after two other extreme sports. “His majesty tells cials in Malaysia have so far Sultan Muhammad V, saluting a royal guard of honor during the opening ceremony years,” he added. the people of Malaysia to continue to be Continued on Page 24 of the parliament. — AFP UAE’s armed forces, had a “one-on-one meeting” with UAE crown prince Khan, followed by delegation-level talks, the statement News in brief said. “They resolved to take all necessary measures to deal with matters related to trade enhancement, and New MEW timings ‘scrapped’ gets red carpet decided to form a Task Force to achieve this objective,” said a joint statement issued after talks ended. KUWAIT: Informed sources said Minister of welcome in Pak The UAE announced in December that it would Electricity and Water Khaled Al-Fadhel annulled the deposit $3 billion in the central bank of Pakistan to help new work timings for ministry employees yesterday. ISLAMABAD: The red carpet was rolled out for Abu “enhance liquidity” as the country struggles with a The move came after a number of employees held a Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al- widening balance of payments crisis. The statement sit-in outside the ministry in protest over increasing Nahyan in Islamabad yesterday, just weeks after his quoted Khan as saying that “this financial support their working hours (from 7:30 am till 2:30 pm from the country offered $3 billion to support Pakistan’s battered shows the UAE’s continued commitment and friendship beginning of January to replace the old timings of 8:00 economy. In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Imran Khan that has remained steadfast over the years”. am till 2:00 pm) without considering their personal cir- met Sheikh Mohammed at the Pakistan air force base The Pakistani rupee plunged almost five percent to cumstances, the sources added. — Meshaal Al-Enezi and a formation of air force jets marked his arrival with a a record low at the end of November, after what flyby. The crown prince was also presented with a guard appeared to be the sixth devaluation by the central of honor by a contingent of Pakistani armed forces. bank in the past year. It also secured $6 billion in Iran quake felt in Kuwait The United Arab Emirates is Pakistan’s largest trad- funding from Saudi Arabia and struck a 12-month deal ing partner in the Middle East and a major investment for a cash lifeline during Khan’s visit to the kingdom KUWAIT: Some people in northern Kuwait felt an source, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement in October. Islamabad has also received billions of earthquake that struck an area near the Iran-Iraq ahead of the visit. More than 1.5 million Pakistanis live dollars in Chinese loans to finance ambitious infra- borders yesterday, Director of the Kuwait Institute ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Gulf state and send millions of dollars in remit- structure projects. A team from the International for Scientific Research’s National Seismological (right) walks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh tances back home, it added. The crown prince last visit- Monetary Fund visited Pakistan in November to dis- Network said. Dr Abdullah Al-Enezi said people in Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan upon his arrival at the ed Pakistan in Jan 2007. cuss a possible bailout with officials but talks ended northern Kuwait felt the tremor at 5:15 pm. No one military Nur Khan air force base yesterday. — AFP Sheikh Mohammed, who is also deputy chief of the without agreement.