Quoteworthy: "I hope the new balance will enable Singapore to remain a tolerant and inclusive society for many years to come." — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking during the National Day Rally speech as the city-state moves to repeal Section 377A, a law that criminalises sex between men.
Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib Razak goes to jail
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak will serve his 12-year prison sentence and pay his RM210 million ($65 million) fine from Aug 23. This judgement follows a five-member Federal Court bench led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissing Najib’s final appeal against his SRC International conviction. She said the SRC case was straightforward, as it involved abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
Najib’s defence could be summarised into two points, the Chief Justice added. First, the High Court judge was wrong to call a prima facie case. They also argued that the Court of Appeal erred in fact and law when it found that the trial judge had correctly appreciated the defence, as the defence had managed to raise reasonable doubt to all seven charges.
She ruled that the findings of the High Court judge were sound, while the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the lower court’s guilty verdict was also correct. “The High Court judge undertook a very detailed and objective analysis of the evidence to support his findings at the close of the prosecution’s case. In the circumstances, we fail to see how and where any of the learned trial judge’s findings — leading to the ultimate finding that a prima facie case had been made out — are perverse,” she said, adding that Najib was rightly ordered to enter his defence.
Tengku Maimun Najib also said that Najib had shown how his defence was inconsistent, incoherent and unworthy of belief, as submitted by the prosecution. She noted that he did not dispute the RM42 million entering his personal accounts but merely denied knowledge of it. Najib, on the other hand, said he was framed in a conspiracy hatched by fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (or Jho Low).
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“Najib also maintained the defence that the monies credited into his personal AmIslamic Bank accounts (accounts 880 and 906), which are the subject of the last six charges, were received as Arab donations from Saudi Arabia. The prosecution contended that they had maintained in the trial that these defences are completely inconsistent and diametrically opposed to one another.”
The Chief Justice also said that it is the finding of the apex court that the results of the High Court on the defence are correct. “Thus, we are unable to conclude that any of the findings of the High Court, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, are perverse or wrong to warrant appellate intervention. We agree that the defence is so inherently inconsistent and incredible that it does not raise a reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case,” the Chief Justice said.
“We (the bench) found that the appellant’s appeal with regard to the 94 grounds tendered is devoid of merits,” she said. The other bench members were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan, Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.
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Najib was found guilty on July 28, 2020, of one count of abuse of power concerning the Retirement Fund Inc’s (KWAP) RM4 billion loan to SRC and three counts each of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power concerning RM42 million of SRC’s funds. Najib was ordered to begin his jail sentence immediately and was taken to Kajang Prison, located south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, on the same day. — The Edge Markets
Singapore to drop most mask requirements from Aug 29
Singaporean residents and tourists will no longer be legally required to wear their masks indoors from Aug 29, said the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force (MTF) on Aug 24. The announcement comes after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech, where he said the government would reduce mask requirements with Singapore’s Covid-19 situation “stabilising”.
From Aug 29, mask-wearing in Singapore will not be required except on public transport and in healthcare facilities. Photo: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore
Mask-wearing will remain mandatory in healthcare settings such as clinics, hospitals and residential and nursing homes. They will also include retail, F&B outlets in hospitals and polyclinics, dental facilities, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinics, and renal dialysis centres, amongst others. Mask-wearing is also required on public transport, including trains, buses and boarding areas. However, mask-wearing on private buses and taxis will be optional.
Despite the relaxing of measures, the MTF cautioned that people should still wear masks in crowded areas or when interacting with vulnerable persons. On the other hand, non-fully vaccinated travellers can enter the country from Aug 28 without serving the seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival. These travellers will no longer be subject to an exit-SHN polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. They will be required to test negative on a pre-departure test within two days before leaving for Singapore.
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Non-fully vaccinated long-term pass holders and short-term visitors will no longer be required to apply for approval to enter Singapore. The authorities will lift this requirement on Aug 28. Covid-19 vaccinations are needed for long-term passes and renewal applications.
Visitation guidelines have also relaxed as two visitors are allowed at any time in hospitals and homes from Sept 1. Hospital visits will be limited to visiting hours, while home visits will be limited to hour-long sessions.
The MTF recommends Singaporeans aged 60 years and above receive their second booster jab five months after their first. Previously, this recommendation was for residents aged 80 years and above. Children aged five to 11 years should receive one booster dose five months after the second dose of their primary vaccination series. — Felicia Tan
Singapore’s all-items CPI up 7% in July, MAS Core Inflation increased by 4.8% y-o-y
Singapore’s core and headline inflation continued to grow in July. During the month, the country’s all-items CPI rose to 7%, surpassing the 5% to 6% range estimated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) for 2022.
In July, MAS Core Inflation, which does not include private transport and accommodation inflation, rose to 4.8% y-o-y, surpassing the central bank’s full-year estimate of 3% to 4%. On a m-o-m basis, CPI-All Items and core CPI rose by 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively.
The pick-up in CPI-All Items inflation was mainly due to higher inflation for food, electricity, gas and accommodation. Food inflation also stood higher for services such as meat and seafood, while electricity and gas inflation rose on higher tariffs. Accommodation inflation also picked up due to higher housing rents.
Meanwhile, the rest of the segments, services and private transport also recorded more significant increases due to higher costs for outpatient services, airfares and recreational and cultural services, as well as higher car prices.
Retail and other goods were the only segments to log a slower increase because of lower inflation in telecommunication equipment, medicines and health products. The cost of personal effects also fell y-o-y in July.
In the outlook statement, MAS and MTI said that the elevated figures come as supply chain frictions have eased slightly and commodity prices have levelled off. “Global inflation will likely stay elevated in the near-term as key commodity markets continue to face supply constraints and labour markets in many major economies remain tight. In addition, the recovery in domestic demand in some regional economies as Covid-19 restrictions are eased could raise inflation in these economies,” reads the statement released on Aug 23. “Upward pressures on Singapore’s import prices could persist,” it adds.
The labour market remains tight on the domestic front, keeping wage growth strong. “Amid firm consumer spending, businesses are likely to pass on increases in the prices of fuel, utilities and other imported inputs, as well as labour costs, to consumer prices,” says MAS and MTI. MAS Core Inflation is also expected to remain elevated over the next few months before easing towards the end of the year. The estimates pencilled by MAS and MTI for the whole year remain unchanged. — Felicia Tan
