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| First U.S.-China meeting under Biden gets off to a rocky start |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-19-2021, 11:05 AM - Forum: Politics
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- The first high-level gathering of U.S. and Chinese officials under President Joe Biden kicked off with an exchange of insults at a pre-meeting press event Thursday, according to NBC News.
- The two-day talks are set to conclude Friday.
- A planned four-minute photo session for the officials to address reporters ended up lasting one hour and 15 minutes due to a frothy exchange, according to NBC News
BEIJING — The first high-level gathering of U.S. and Chinese officials under President Joe Biden kicked off with an exchange of insults at a pre-meeting press event in Alaska on Thursday.
A planned four-minute photo session for the officials to address reporters ended up lasting one hour and 15 minutes due to a frothy exchange, according to NBC News. Both the Chinese and U.S. side kept calling the reporters back into the room so they could add remarks.
Expectations were already low for the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Yang Jiechi, director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party.
In his opening remarks, Blinken said the U.S. would discuss its “deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, economic coercion toward our allies.”
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| Umno needs a new face to regain glory |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-19-2021, 10:44 AM - Forum: Politics
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How the high and mighty have fallen! There was a time when Umno ruled the roost but today it is struggling to find its footing.
From 1957 till the general election of May 2018, it was the dominant force in Malaysian politics. In the early years it was respected, then it was feared, today it is ridiculed.
When people talk of corruption, the first things that come to mind are 1MDB, Umno and Najib Razak, the former prime minister. When people talk of money politics, the first thought that springs up is Umno (as if no money passes hands in other parties).
The July 28, 2020 conviction by the High Court of former Umno president Najib on seven charges of abuse of power, breach of trust and money laundering related to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary, has only solidified the perception that corruption is rife in Umno. He is currently undergoing trial on other charges related to 1MDB.
Umno treasurer Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was also found guilty of graft involving RM2 million and was sentenced to a year’s jail and a RM2 million fine. Both Najib and Adnan are appealing their convictions.
In addition, current president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several other Umno leaders are facing criminal charges, including for corruption and abuse of power. Zahid alone has been slapped with 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and bribery.
But Unmo has not been dragged down by corruption alone. When most Malaysians use the word “cronies” in a derisive sense, the word “Umno” comes automatically attached, like an adjective.
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| Khalid Samad: Hadi’s absence in PM Muhyiddin’s entourage to UAE, Saudi raises eyebrow |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-19-2021, 10:39 AM - Forum: Politics
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KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — The absence of Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s entourage during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia has recently raised many eyebrows.
In a report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Amanah Communications Director Khalid Samad asked how a key official for the region with a ministerial status could be left out of the envoy, adding that social media has been abuzz with various theories on the reasoning behind it.
The Shah Alam MP added that one of the speculations making its rounds is that the UAE had declined to provide Hadi with a visa on the grounds that he is a member of an Islamic organisation which is still listed as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region.
“It is not fair to make wild accusations but the government should not ignore the questions raised either. It is important for the prime minister’s office to clarify this and put a stop to the unhealthy debate in social media.
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| Pakatan set to follow Anwar’s lead if overtures towards Umno work in pact’s favour |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-19-2021, 10:33 AM - Forum: Politics
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Sources: Pakatan set to follow Anwar’s lead if overtures towards Umno work in pact’s favour
KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 ― Even as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dropped the bomb that there are steps towards a possible cooperation between PKR and Umno, several sources within Pakatan Harapan (PH) said no such serious discussion has been made at the top level.
However, they told Malay Mail that some “unofficial” meetings with other parties outside the pact have already been held, and PKR’s partners may even follow Anwar to offer an olive branch towards former enemies Umno should it bring boon towards PH.
“DAP and Parti Amanah Negara will follow and support the cooperation if it would bring benefit to PH as a whole.
“However, the parties wanted proof that Anwar would be able to bring out the support first from their traditional arch rival,” said one anonymous insider privy to the interactions with outside parties.
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| Enact anti-hopping laws quickly, says Malaysian Bar |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-18-2021, 09:57 PM - Forum: Politics
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PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya must enact anti-hopping laws to stop politicians from switching parties, the Malaysian Bar says, adding that the measure has to be taken to strengthen political stability and public confidence in the democratic process in the country.
Newly-elected president AG Kalidas said Article 10(2) of the Federal Constitution allows Parliament to impose restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the federation or any part thereof, for public order or morality.
“Unexplained defections and switching of political allegiances by elected representatives have greatly undermined the rakyat’s confidence in the political process, and if it goes on unchecked, will lead to voter apathy.
“Switching parties or political allegiance after being voted in on a particular platform can be viewed as a betrayal of the decision of the voters,” he said in a statement.
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| US-China relations: Adversary or partner? |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-18-2021, 03:57 PM - Forum: Politics
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Top diplomats from the US and China will meet in person on Thursday for the first high-level talks between the two countries since President Joe Biden took office.
Beijing is aiming to reset ties after years of tension. Washington says the meeting is a one-off and future engagements depend on "deeds, not words".
The dialogue will help indicate how hard the Biden administration is willing to push China on a range of issues.
We asked young people in the US and in China about the future of US-China relations.
Here's what three Americans and three Chinese nationals told us:
Peyton is a young black progressive who does not view China as a foe and says the two countries should work together on climate change.
Do you view China as an adversary or a potential partner?
The US government 100% considers China to be an adversary at this point. Any country that threatens the US's place as the greatest economic power in the world would be seen as an enemy. Add in the ideological differences, spying [and] hacking allegations, and general AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander] discrimination, and I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of Americans feel the same way.
I personally have no strong feelings toward China either way. I don't think the country or any of its citizens have done anything of significance for me to make that determination.
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| White supremacy and hate are haunting Asian Americans |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-18-2021, 03:48 PM - Forum: Stop Racism and Religious Bigotry
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(CNN)In one sense, it's immaterial whether the accused killer in the Atlanta spa shootings admits to a racist motivation. Asian Americans, already traumatized by a rising tide of hate, violence and rhetoric, have been living in fear for months.
The murders of eight people, including six Asian women, among them four South Koreans, further disoriented and horrified a community already unfairly stigmatized by racial association during a pandemic that originated in China. And they laid bare for the rest of the country the agony of yet another minority group left to question its place in America, at a time of rising attacks and harassment amid cresting White nationalism and domestic extremism.
Many Asian Americans feel exposed by a torrent of dangerous and racially motivated rhetoric by national figures on a cultural crusade. Most prominently that includes ex-President Donald Trump, who presided over four years of rising racial tensions and often used division as a tool of personal power.
Campaigners talk of a perfect storm of prejudice targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander community that stirred latent hatreds as Covid-19 first arrived in the US, and was exacerbated by Trump's relish in flinging around terms like "China virus."
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| PETALING JAYA: Sarawak will continue to allow Christians in the state to use “Allah”, |
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Posted by: superadmin - 03-18-2021, 03:41 PM - Forum: Politics
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PETALING JAYA: Sarawak will continue to allow Christians in the state to use “Allah”, as the nation continues to debate over the usage of the Arabic term for God.
In a statement, the office of the chief minister said its policy on religious tolerance in Sarawak remained consistent since the time of Abang Johari Openg’s two predecessors.
There has never been any restriction on the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in Sarawak, it said.
“The Gabungan Parti Sarawak government will continue to defend and preserve Sarawak’s religious tolerance as it is the core unifying factor for the people in the state,” it said in a statement.
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