Health DG clarifies new Covid-19 protocol and 9 news from yesterday

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (above) has clarified on the ministry’s forthcoming treatment protocol for Covid-19 patients, saying that patients will remain in their wards past 14 days if they continued to show symptoms.

2. The government has postponed imposing new minimum living standards for workers’ accommodation, despite concern that overcrowded conditions in migrant workers’ dormitories are fuelling the spread of various diseases, including Covid-19.

3. Amanah communications director Khalid Samad said Pakatan Harapan has already agreed on a candidate for prime minister, should it return to federal power.

4. Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the appointment of Perikatan Nasional MPs to head government-linked companies and agencies is to help ensure they can carry out Putrajaya’s agenda and serve the people’s interest.

5. The Kedah government is mulling to replace suspended logging concessions with new ones to avoid RM1.5 billion in compensation claims from logging companies. However, former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir said no such claims have been made and a solution to the problem has already been worked out.

6. Environmental NGOs have voiced concern over the Kedah government’s plan, with Sahabat Alam Malaysia urging the government to seek international funding to pay off the loggers, and Organisation for the Preservation of National Heritage warning that the move would expose Malaysia to more natural disasters.

7. Hazardous materials have been detected in soil and water samples taken from dumping grounds of plastic wastes imported into Malaysia.

8. Several members of the European Parliament have called for an audit to address alleged malpractices in the Malaysian rubber glove industry.

9. Opposition MPs have called for tougher penalties and education programmes instead of banning alcohol to deter drunk driving, and said the federal government is not showing political will to resolve the matter.

10. The Federal Court has allowed a man accused of attempting to commit unnatural sexual intercourse to challenge the jurisdiction of the Selangor Syariah High Court on the matter.