PETALING JAYA: Going three months without a salary is a small price to pay compared to the sacrifices made by the frontliners who have been battling the Covid-19 pandemic for so long now, say Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that the country’s leaders must step up and give back. “The frontliners contributed by sacrificing their time, energy and, of course, their families. Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said leaders have a duty to make sacrifices for the people. The PAS deputy president said his party has also made it compulsory for all its ministers, deputy ministers, MPs and state assemblymen to contribute to the Covid-19 Disaster Fund.

Media practitioners covering the breaking news were at risk as ground zero was a hive of activity. One of the first reports was of a journalist getting infected while covering the snap Sabah polls last year. But the irony is, the many cases involving media practitioners are not reported in the media. On Monday (May 31), Khairy said the names of 5,867 media practitioners had been sent for checks and handed appointments in early June. We’re expecting KKM (Ministry of Health) to play a more active role, but we’re left to fend for ourselves up until now.”The media is listed as an essential service.

VIENNA (Reuters) - The leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) Norbert Hofer stepped down on Tuesday but pointedly did not back his high-profile deputy and rival Herbert Kickl to succeed him. My own journey at the head of the FPO, however, ends today," Hofer said in a statement by the party. The statement did not say why Hofer, 50, was quitting but referred to recent treatment for back problems. "I was surprised by the events of the day," party heavyweight Manfred Haimbuchner, FPO leader the province of Upper Austria, said in a statement. On the next leader, Hofer's statement said only: "I wish my successor in this post good luck for the future."

(Reuters) - A Belarusian prisoner detained in a crackdown on protests tried to cut his own throat during a court hearing on Tuesday after being told his family and neighbours faced prosecution if he did not plead guilty, media, activists and a witness said. Latypov's father Sergei had appeared as a witness in court on Tuesday, according to Belarusian human rights group Viasna-96 and Irina, a friend of Latypov. Latypov addressed his father in court, saying he had been held in a torture cell for 51 days, and warned his father to prepare for a similar fate. Stepan then "took something white in his teeth, and started literally to cut his throat. "Belarusian activist, political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau cut his throat in the courtroom today," exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya wrote on Twitter, using a different spelling of Latypov's name.

KUALA LUMPUR (June 1): The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) today listed 10 essential services sectors under its purview, which can apply for permission to operate during the total lockdown period. In a statement, KPKT said all companies in the list can apply for a letter of permission to operate from the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) 3.0 system via the link notification.miti.gov.my. The sectors involved are pawnshops; strata management for developer management body; strata management for bodies such as JMB (Joint Management Body) or MC (Management Corp); strata management for strata property management (JMB or MC) and solid waste collection (household or commercial, industrial and institutional or construction). "CIMS 3.0 will process all applications for permission to operate essential services during the first phase of the total lockdown period from June 1 to 14, 2021. Yesterday, MKN announced the setting up of a one-stop centre using CIMS 3.0, coordinated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, to issue operating permission letters for essential services during the lockdown.

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has shared his experience of critical moments while receiving treatment at Sungai Buloh Hospital for Covid-19. For five days, I was in the observation ward and then one morning, my oxygen level was low at 70% and I had shortness of breath. "We feel we know how to breathe because we have lived a long time but there is a hollow intake, full intake and half intake. Alhamdulillah, my oxygen level improved or else I would have been taken to the intensive care unit. Saifuddin said before being infected with Covid-19 on April 29, he planned to receive the vaccine with media practitioners by following all standard operating procedures.

PETALING JAYA: Pharmaniaga Bhd has received requests for a total of seven million CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine doses from the private sector and state governments, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. To date, we have received purchase requests for seven million doses from the private sector, GLCs and state governments. “There are requests for four million doses from the private sector and another three million doses from the state governments, ” he said in a press conference at a working visit to Pharmaniaga Lifescience on Tuesday (June 1). “We are allowing areas with high Covid-19 incidence rates to be given the vaccines through the state governments, GLCs or the private sector, in a concurrent manner. “The product registration holder will be able to supply to state governments, GLCs, and private sector but through JKJAV.

PETALING JAYA: The advertising and marketing fraternity has lost an icon in Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing. Mun said earlier in his career, Lim had carved a niche for himself in the advertising world and as one of Malaysia's larger local agencies in Wings Creative. Though local, he added under Lim, Wings Creative handled many blue-chip brands from Panasonic to Esso (Exxon Mobil), Riche Monde (Hennessy) and Honda to name a few. “When he worked in his first ad agency, McCann-Erickson, he didn’t just work there. In all the years knowing him, he said Lim was always looking forward and progress was measured by massive leaps, not strides.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Olympic women's singles badminton champion Carolina Marin confirmed on Tuesday that she is unable to defend her crown in Tokyo due to a knee injury. Marin, a five-time European and three-time world champion who beat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India to claim gold at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, said she has torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and both meniscus in her left knee. "After examinations during the weekend and the medical consultation, I confirm that I have torn the ACL and both meniscus on my left knee," a statement released on her social media channels said. "It won't be possible. I know that I am in safe hands and have a lot of people by my side."

KUALA LUMPUR (June 1): Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has arranged for passengers and family members affected by the recent Light Rail Transit (LRT) train mishap to seek counselling services at any time. According to Prasarana, 31 passengers involved in the incident were present at the handover ceremony held at the Dang Wangi LRT Station here today. Prasarana said the passengers could call the special number at 014-7371330 or email to [email protected] for assistance and counselling. In the 8.33pm incident on May 24, an LRT train without any passengers collided with another carrying 213 passengers in a tunnel between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations. Prasarana previously announced that it would provide special assistance of RM1,000 and other support assistance to all victims involved in the incident.

Jalan Mutiara Raya in Taman Mutiara, Cheras, is a relatively quiet street despite being right next to EkoCheras Mall and Taman Mutiara MRT station. Several other roads in this housing estate also carry the name “Mutiara”, which is Malay for “pearl”, together with a number, a direction or an adjective, such as Jalan Mutiara 1 to Jalan Mutiara 7, Jalan Mutiara Barat, Jalan Mutiara Barat 1 to Jalan Mutiara Barat 6, and Jalan Mutiara Raya. Jalan Mutiara Raya is a two-way street and links to Jalan Cheras at both ends. Owing to the nature of the businesses in the area, Jalan Mutiara Raya is relatively quiet. Data from the Valuation and Property Services department shows that there was one transaction at Jalan Mutiara Raya last year.

JOHOR BARU: Two Malaysians working in Singapore are being harassed by illegal moneylenders after trying to borrow money to recover their losses in an investment scheme. “We have been working in Singapore for the past five years and have saved up a significant amount of money, enough to buy a house back home. “To recover our losses, we found a Facebook page advertising moneylending services in Singapore and contacted them on May 16, thinking that it was a legitimate moneylender. “I did not know at the time that moneylenders in Singapore, even legal ones, are not allowed to advertise their services in public or social media, ” he said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday (June 1). “It is best not to do so as such moneylenders usually have hidden charges or conditions to trap their victims, ” he said.

PETALING JAYA: Police will allow the use of existing letters issued by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) for work-related travels until June 3. In a press conference on Tuesday (June 1), Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said many are still using the old letter. Earlier today, Petaling Jaya police inspected two factories in the area for Covid-19 SOP compliance. In a statement, he said that six permanent roadblocks in Petaling Jaya will be enforced. They are at Subang toll plaza, Sungai Buloh toll plaza, Kota Damansara toll plaza, Damansara toll plaza, Federal Highway and Taman Kannagapuram.

After all, the majority of smokers want to quit, but have difficulty doing so for biopsychosocial reasons. These include an “opt-out” quit smoking service to all smokers at any point in contact with the healthcare service and pregnant women being given financial incentives to quit smoking. Assisting an individual to quit smoking should be done using an evidence-based approach, i.e. There is some clamouring for increasing the use of electronic cigarettes as a way to help smokers quit, despite the lack of evidence of its efficacy to help individuals completely quit smoking. Instead of helping people quit smoking, electronic cigarettes are increasingly playing a role in hooking youth onto this life-long lethal habit.

"We wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court," they said in a statement. "The first thing to be considered is Ms. Osaka's health. French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton read a prepared statement on Monday offering Osaka support but then did not take questions afterwards, leading to some criticism. "So the FFT handled the Ms Osaka mental health concerns without empathy or sensitivity. Six-time major champion Boris Becker was worried Osaka's career could be in danger because of her mental health issues.