MCO extended as infectivity remains high, and other news you may have missed

KINI ROUNDUP | Key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. The second movement control order (MCO) has been extended to Feb 4 for Selangor, Penang, Malacca, Johor, Kelantan, Sabah, as well as Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan, albeit with longer operating hours for eateries.

2. The extension comes as Covid-19 infectivity remains high and indicative of a growing outbreak in most of the country.

3. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urged Asean nations to take a tougher stance against hate speech, while activists respond by telling him to start with this own administration.

4. Health experts urged the government to allocate more people and employ digital solutions to assist the Health Ministry’s overwhelmed contact-tracing efforts, while various shortages are also beginning to hamper Covid-19 testing.

5. Pakatan Harapan has nominated three people including former health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad to join the independent committee that would advise the Agong on the state of emergency, but stressed that the coalition remains opposed to the emergency.

6. The Health Ministry will set up Covid-19 Assessment Centres on Saturday, and begin integrating public and private healthcare services to tackle severe Covid-19 cases next week.

7. The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) found that two detainees at the Bentong District police headquarters lock-up last year had been instructed by a police officer to beat a fellow detainee, resulting in his death.

8. Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Mohd Nor defended his decision to cancel the public holiday in conjunction with Thaipusam celebration in the state, but failed to quell the mounting criticism.

9. The management of an apartment in Kuala Lumpur has made it mandatory for migrant workers living there to show their Covid-19 test results or be barred from entry, prompting NGOs to decry discrimination.

10. The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has announced a line-up of new hires from local and multinational giants to replace eight top executives who left the company since October last year.