Freedom, GEABSOLUTE POWERS CORRUPT ABSOLUTELY, General Election (GE15), Malaysia, Politics, polling Nov 19: Destroy Umno for the betterment of Malaysia, race, religion, Solidality, support Aliran for Justice
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is seeing a dip in the Covid-19 infectivity rate. Though this is encouraging, health experts caution the public against taking their foot off the pedal.
Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said the downward trend proved that the preventive measures put in place were effective.
“Our steps to control the outbreak are on track but we have to continue this effort to reduce it further.
“It is a good sign, but if we loosen our grip, the number of infections is set to potentially increase, ” she said.
Dr Malina added that while the country’s R value was showing a decline, the aim would be to push it down to near zero.
The R value, or reproduction number, refers to the infectivity rate of a virus at a particular point in time.
It represents the average number of people an infected person could spread the disease to, so an R value of lower than 1 means that the number of people being infected on average will be fewer over time.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the R value had dropped to below 1 during the first week of the lockdown.
Yesterday, it was recorded at 0.99.
On May 31, before the two-week lockdown was implemented, it was 1.09.
Previously, the R value was also recorded at levels of 1.21 and 1.16, on May 23 and May 29, respectively.
International Islamic University Malaysia epidemiologist Prof Dr Jamalludin Ab Rahman said while the R value did show a positive impact, it was not enough.
Malaysia was not out of the woods yet, he said.
“R alone is not enough. For example, we should look at fatality rates, or the number of new clusters.
“Should we be happy with an R value that is lower than 1?
“Yes. But is the effort enough? Not yet, ” Dr Jamalludin pointed out.
“The R value has to be persistently low. Until when? There is no precise answer.”
He said that while the MCO and lockdown had reduced mobility among the general population considerably, Malaysia was still seeing transmissions in factories.
“The government really needs to settle this source of infections.
“The movement control order can solve sporadic cases in the community but if factories are still operating and close contact in crowded spaces is not being controlled, we will continue to have cases from factories, ” he added.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Mohd Tamil agreed.
He said that unless a relational database – where all secondary cases were mapped out to each primary case – it would not be possible to get the accurate average number of secondary persons infected from a single primary case.
“What we have is only an estimate based on a mathematical model.
“As long as we have cases in the community, the outbreak will continue – until the majority of the population is immune to the disease.”
At present, Dr Azmi said, “all possible cases of Covid-19 need to be screened, identified and isolated from the susceptible population”.
He reckoned that the lockdown should not be lifted on June 14.
“The number of cases does not support that – even though the R value is currently below 1, ” he added
PETALING JAYA: Spending almost two weeks in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 last year is something housewife Sharifah Farah Ayuni Syed Rosli does not want to go through again – ever.Now, she and her husband have only one important thing in mind – to look after and protect their three children from being infected.
“That harrowing experience was enough to jolt us. We hope neither we nor our kids get infected by the disease,” said the 30-year-old from Kota Baru.
Recalling her stay, Sharifah said she spent about 13 days in hospital with her businessman husband Mohd Azlee Che Mohd Zaid and their son, Mir Ali Zafar, who was three months old at the time.
While she was well cared for by medical workers there, the housewife said she was mentally exhausted thinking about her two other children, who tested negative and placed in their grandmother’s care.
“Nowadays, I get a little anxious if I feel unwell, worrying if I contracted Covid-19 again.
“Thankfully, we are all healthy. We understand that we must stay at home to guard against getting infected,” she said.
Recently, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there was a rise in infections among younger children, some of whom had to be treated at intensive care units.
Sharifah said she and her husband tried to set good examples for their three children, now aged six, four and one-and-a-half, and remind them to wash their hands and wear their face masks properly.
She said her children understood that they could not go for outings because of the pandemic.
“We are grateful that they are obedient and follow our advice.
“There are times when they get upset and sulk, as children sometimes do, but they listen,” Sharifah said.
Kiranjit Muniandy wonders if she is doing enough to protect her 19-month-old daughter from getting infected.
“The number of kids getting infected of late is alarming. It’s tougher now because she is at that age where she just wants to touch everything,” she said.
Kiranjit, 39, was also worried about the high number of new cases daily.
“My husband and I have decided not to go out and stay at home.
“We have also stopped receiving visitors. We take care of our daughter while we work from home.
“Thankfully, we work on shifts. My husband works in the day while I work at night so we take turns,” said the banking executive.
Kiranjit said she would take every precaution to protect her family from being infected and hoped that the pandemic would end soon as she misses her family in Sabah.
“My daughter has not met her grandparents for over a year,” she said.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions. For example, if a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls limb movement, a person’s ability to move an arm or leg may be affected. A stroke can also affect mental processes such as how people feel, think, communicate, or learn. In the video on this page you'll learn some methods of Qigong for stroke recovery which can speed up the process, regardless of how long ago the stroke occurred.
Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons (https://spacetorelax.com/space-to-rel...).
Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button above so you don't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a "Like" if you found it informative.
Why Is Qigong Helpful in Stroke Recovery?
1. As I explained above, if you have a stroke, your brain is affected. Qigong helps you to form new connections in your brain as the movements involved are ones which the body isn't used to carrying out. These new movements promote new brain connections.
2. Qigong involves repetitive movements which, practised every day, over and over, help to reinforce the new neurological connections in the brain. Repetition is the key here. The more repetition, the more stable these new connections become.
3. Qigong is free and easily accessible. Unlike attending the gym, physiotherapist or swimming to help with recovery from stroke, Qigong methods, once you have learned them, can be performed in the comfort of your home for no cost. Other methods to help recovery may incur a cost or visit to a special facility which is not always practical. Qigong can also be performed from a standing, sitting or lying down position so can be adapted to the range of movement a person may have following a stroke.
4. Qigong can easily be integrated into daily activities. This makes the repetition aspect easy to carry out as you can do Qigong when you are standing in a queue, walking, driving, standing, reaching for things, etc.
5. Qigong Helps Balance The Whole Body. Working from a whole body perspective is very important subsequent to a stroke as this means that the parts of your body which may have been weakened by the stroke can be assisted by the stronger parts.
Where Can I Learn Qigong for Stroke Recovery?
If you would like to learn some Qigong for stroke recovery then there are a number of things you can do:
1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage (https://spacetorelax.com/). There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you've completed the free series you'll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I'll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be adapted for stroke recovery.
2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button. That way you won't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a "Like" and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.
3. Join my free Facebook group, "Space To Relax Free Group" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/janic...) and leave any comments or questions for me there. I'll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Online Qigong sessions. Each session will be 20-30 minutes long and will take place via Zoom.
Classes will take place at 4pm on Thursdays Irish time. For time zone conversion click here.
I'll send you an email reminder the day before and 45 mins beforeeach class with the link to the Zoom meeting. If you don't have the
Zoom app downloaded on your computer, tablet or phone then please do
that
now. About 5-10 minutes before the class just click the link and then
you're in! :-)
Qigong & Acupressure For Gallbladder Health | Qigong for Seniors | Qigong for Beginners
https://youtu.be/OYBUao3LQWg
This
video is a replay of a live Qigong session taught by myself, Dr. Janice
Tucker, the founder of the Space To Relax Programme of Qigong video
lessons. It is my pleasure to offer my live Qigong classes via Zoom with
follow-up replays of the classes.
If you find this class helpful and would like to donate by way of a
thank you then 50% of your donation will go to the staff of the
Intensive Care Unit in my local hospital. Please click here to donate: https://spacetorelax.com/asp-products.... (The other 50% of your donation goes towards the upkeep of my website.)
I'm teaching live classes on Zoom every Thursday at 4pm Irish time. To join the live online sessions please go to https://spacetorelax.com/qigong-onlin.... Classes are free of charge and suitable for both beginners and those with more Qigong experience.
INTRODUCTION
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the Gallbladder system is paired with
the Liver and both are associated with the season of Spring. The
Gallbladder pathway of Qi flow starts at the outside corner of each eye
and zig-zags around the head, down the back of the neck to the
shoulders, and then down the sides of the torso and legs to end at the
outside corner of the 4th toe.
The healthy function of the Gallbladder include:
1. Good posture, flexibility, coordination and balance;
2. Storing bile for the healthy breakdown of fats;
3. Courage to follow through with decisions;
4. Physical and emotional clear vision (along with the Liver).
The unhealthy functions of the Gallbladder include:
1. Headaches and migraines;
2. Pains in the sides of the body (including gallbladder pain);
3. Nausea, vomiting, constipation;
4. Neck and shoulder pain;
5. Sciatic pain, pains and cramps in the legs;
6. Lack of courage and fighting spirit, no boldness to follow through with your decisions, low self-esteem.
7. Vertigo.
QIGONG EXERCISES
Any Qigong methods involving the stimulation and stretching of the
Gallbladder channel along the sides of the body can be helpful. The
three exercises in this video show you an example of the types of
movements which can help create the conditions for open and unobstructed
Qi flow in the Gallbladder channel.
4. To sign up for my free part video series of 3 Qigong lessons which
will be delivered to you by email over the course of one week please go
to https://spacetorelax.com/free-qigong-....
5. Don't forget to click the red "subscribe" button to join my YouTube
channel so that you don't miss any future Qigong lessons from me.
Empowering the Mind to Heal the Brain for Stroke | Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt | TEDxGatewayArch
https://youtu.be/UYNVbem-7VY
The capability to "decode the brain" now makes thought-controlled machines a reality. Even more fundamentally theses brain computer interfaces empower the mind to now heal the physical substance of the brain after stroke. Our laboratory has created brain computer interfaces that enable a person with a chronically paralyzed had to recover function by using brain signals from the uninjured side of their brain. With continued practice, while the patient's machine-empowered thoughts enable them to move their paralyzed hand, something extraordinary happens -- the patients begin to recover function.
Not one for idle time, Dr. Leuthardt is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at Washington University School of Medicine, where he specializes in brain-mapping for patients with brain tumors and epilepsy; Director of Washington University’s Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, a collaborative collective for developing new technologies to improve neurosurgery; and a published author of the hit psychological thriller RedDevil_4.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
style="text-align: left;">
Every day we will teach you powerful breathing exercises and an exclusive meditation with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that will:
Optimize your oxygen capacitybr
Strengthen your respiratory systembr
Reduce anxiety
Calm down the nervous systembr
Inculcate positive energy in your body and mind
Share this Free Masterclass with your family and friends and help them learn these powerful breathing exercises. Join in the Free Masterclass here: https://youtu.be/BKsw1abYwdg
About Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarbr
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a world-renowned humanitarian, spiritual leader, and an ambassador of peace and human values. Through his life and work, Gurudev has inspired millions around the world with a vision of a stress-free and violence-free world.
Gurudev founded The Art of Living, a non-profit organization that is engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. The programs designed by Gurudev empower people with techniques and tools to live a deeper and blissful life.
Soham Shivoham - I am That, I am Pure Consciousness
This Mantra expresses the experience of knowing the self , knowing that we are all pure consciousness, personified by SHIVA.
Meaning of Mantra
Soham - I am that
Shivoham - I am Shiva, I am pure Consciousness
Meditating on this mantra leads us to our higher self, our true nature, it allows us to disconnect and disassociate with our ego and connect us to our very source, from where we all emerged, which is in all of us. I am that ,and that is me. we are all part of that one creative source. And we are nothing but pure consciousness
Understand ~ Meditate ~ Chant ~
~ Remember to Breathe fully and naturally. Cultivate Mindfulness. Enjoy the Journey. Smile ~
PETALING JAYA: An RM40bil aid package has been announced for the people to face economic challenges during the lockdown.
In a special address on Monday (May 31), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said a number of initiatives would be implemented under the "Program Strategik Memperkasa Rakyat dan Ekonomi Tambahan" (Pemerkasa Plus).
It is anchored on three main objectives namely – (i) increasing public healthcare capacity, (ii) continuing rakyat welfare agenda, and (iii) supporting business continuity.
Muhyiddin said that the government had launched several economic stimulus packages worth RM340bil previously.
Here are the salient points of the Pemerkasa Plus package:
Objective one: Increasing public healthcare capacity
– RM450mil allocation to increase bed and ICU capacity for hospitals under the Health Ministry, teaching hospitals and ATM hospitals. Outsourcing to private hospitals will also be done.
– RM550mil to support Covid-19 related expenses by various agencies, including medicines, reagents, and contract workers' appointments.
– Increasing the service period for more than 14,000 contract medical officers and nurses until 2022. The government will also re-appoint over 500 healthcare personnel due to retire this year.
Objective two: Continuing the welfare agenda for the people
– RM2.1bil for the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat cash aid. Households earning below RM2,500 will receive RM500; households earning between RM2,501 and RM5,000, will receive RM300. Malaysians who are single will get RM100. This additional aid will be credited to the recipients' account by June.
– All B40 groups, those who lost their jobs as well as small-medium enterprises not allowed to operate during the movement control order, are given the option of automatic approval of bank moratorium for three months or a 50% reduction in loan repayment for six months. It will start in June and is expected to benefit more than five million borrowers with funds amounting to RM30bil.
– RM1bil for the Bus and Taxi Hire Purchase Rehabilitation Scheme to allow eligible bus and taxi operators to get a loan moratorium of up to 12 months and extend the loan period of up to 36 months.
– A 30% discount on the rental of business premises will be given for the month of May to July 2021 for Mara entrepreneurs affected by the economic closure.
– RM1.5bil for the Wage Subsidy Programme under Socso for all affected economic sectors, with a limit of 500 employees per application. Expected to benefit are 2.5 million employees and more than 200,000 employers.
– Employers registered with Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad will be given a levy payment exemption for one month in June 2021.
Objective three: Supporting business continuity
– Extra RM500 payout for the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP), bumping up the total payout to RM1,500.
– RM1.5bil allocation for businesses who wish to get microcredit for working capital, with financing rates as low as 3%.
– Extra RM2bil in the Targeted Relief and Recovery Facility for affected SMEs.
– One-off aid of RM500 to tourist drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and e-hailing drivers.
– Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to consider postponing penalties to year 2022.
– Extension of electricity bill discounts to affected sectors. Hoteliers, tourist agencies, shopping malls, convention centres, theme parks, local airlines can receive 10% electricity discounts for extra three months from July to September.
– Special tax cuts to premises owners who offer at least 30% rental discounts for six more months until Dec 31.
– The Home Ownership Campaign (HOC), which ended May 31, has been extended until 31 December 2021.
> The Sales and Services Tax (SST) exemption for imported passenger vehicles is extended until Dec 31.
Here is the text of the Prime Minister's speech in Bahasa Melayu in full:
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh dan Salam Sejahtera,
Saudara dan saudari, rakyat Malaysia yang saya kasihi,
Sepertimana yang telah diumumkan, Kerajaan akan melaksanakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan yang lebih ketat atau total lockdown untuk tempoh dua minggu bermula esok 1 Jun hingga 14 Jun 2021. Semua sektor sosial dan ekonomi ditutup kecuali sektor-sektor yang dikategorikan sebagai sektor ekonomi dan perkhidmatan perlu.
Tindakan ini diambil setelah trend peningkatan kes-kes COVID-19 menunjukkan kenaikan yang amat mendadak dengan mencatat kes-kes kematian yang tinggi setiap hari. Sekiranya tindakan drastik tidak diambil dengan kadar segera, dikhuatiri sistem kesihatan di negara kita akan runtuh dan kita akan berhadapan dengan satu malapetaka yang lebih besar.
3. Sepertimana yang saya telah tegaskan sebelum ini, penutupan sektor-sektor ekonomi akan memberi kesan yang amat besar kepada ekonomi negara dan kehidupan rakyat. Saya ingin berterus-terang bahawa kerajaan mempunyai ruang fiskal yang amat terhad untuk berbelanja pada masa ini.
4. Namun atas dasar keprihatinan terhadap kebajikan rakyat, Kerajaan akan berusaha sedaya upaya untuk memastikan wujud keseimbangan antara lives and livelihood iaitu keperluan untuk melindungi nyawa, dan menjamin kesejahteraan rakyat termasuk peluang saudara-saudari mencari nafkah untuk keluarga tersayang sepanjang tempoh PKP ini.
5. Semenjak COVID-19 melanda negara, Kerajaan telahpun melaksanakan pelbagai pakej bantuan dan rangsangan ekonomi berjumlah 340 bilion ringgit. Sehingga kini, ia telah memanfaatkan lebih 20 juta ahli isi rumah serta lebih dari 2 juta perniagaan dengan suntikan ekonomi melebihi 200 bilion ringgit. Justeru, terdapat lebih dari 100 bilion ringgit lagi daripada nilai pakej rangsangan untuk disalurkan sepanjang tahun ini. Sebagai tambahan, pakej tersebut dilengkapi oleh inisiatif Belanjawan 2021 berjumlah 322.5 bilion ringgit
6. Dengan suntikan fiskal dan langkah yang telah diumumkan, kita dapat lihat ekonomi semakin pulih, menggambarkan hasil dan impak positif untuk terus melonjakkan pertumbuhan ekonomi, menyokong perniagaan dan menyediakan bantuan kepada rakyat dan sektor ekonomi yang terkesan. Pertumbuhan KDNK pada bulan Mac tahun ini telah melonjak sebanyak 6.0%, nilai tertinggi semenjak pandemik COVID-19 melanda negara.
PROGRAM STRATEGIK MEMPERKASA RAKYAT DAN EKONOMI TAMBAHAN (PEMERKASA+)
Saudara-saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,
7. Maka sepertimana yang dijanjikan, hari ini saya ingin mengumumkan program bantuan PEMERKASA Tambahan atau PEMERKASA Plus sebagai inisiatif terbaharu Kerajaan untuk membantu meredakan cabaran yang dihadapi, terutamanya ekoran pelaksanaan PKP pada masa ini.
8. Nilai keseluruhan program PEMERKASA Plus adalah berjumlah 40 bilion ringgit, di mana suntikan langsung fiskal Kerajaan sebanyak 5 bilion ringgit. Langkah baharu PEMERKASA Plus akan dilaksanakan berlandaskan 3 matlamat utama seperti berikut:
MATLAMAT PERTAMA: MEMPERTINGKATKAN KAPASITI KESIHATAN AWAM
Tuan-tuan Puan-puan sekalian,
9. Kerajaanbakan memastikan kapasiti kesihatan awam sentiasa diberi keutamaan. Seperti kenyataan saya sebelum ini, kita akan beralih ke fasa-fasa PKP secara berperingkat berdasarkan penilaian risiko oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) mengambil kira antara lain jumlah kes COVID serta penggunaan kapasiti hospital serta ICU.
10. Sehubungan itu, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk menambah peruntukan 1 bilion ringgit bagi meningkatkan kapasiti dan memperkukuhkan kesihatan awam. Pertambahan peruntukan ini adalah komitmen Kerajaan untuk memastikan sistem kesihatan tidak akan runtuh dan beroperasi dengan berkesan. Maka, langkah-langkah berikut akan diberi perhatian:
Pertama: memperuntukkan 450 juta ringgit bagi meningkatkan kapasiti katil dan peralatan ICU bagi rawatan COVID-19, bukan sahaja di Hospital seliaan KKM tetapi juga di Hospital Pengajar Universiti Awam seperti di UiTM, UPM dan UKM serta melalui hospital medan ATM seperti di Sabah dan Sarawak. Selain itu, penyumberan luar juga akan dilaksanakan kepada hospital swasta. Jumlah ini termasuk 200 juta ringgit yang diumumkan oleh YB Menteri Kewangan pada 22 Mei baru-baru ini;
Kedua: memperuntukkan 550 juta ringgit untuk menampung keperluan perbelanjaan berkaitan COVID-19 pelbagai agensi antaranya pertambahan kos operasi dan pengurusan dalam menangani krisis kesihatan COVID termasuk ubat, reagen untuk saringan dan lantikan pegawai secara kontrak. Ini juga termasuk kos pengoperasian Pusat Kuarantin dan Rawatan COVID-19 atau PKRC di MAEPS dan di peringkat negeri; dan
Ketiga: melanjutkan tempoh perkhidmatan lebih 14,000 pegawai perubatan dan jururawat lantikan kontrak sedia ada sehingga tahun 2022. Sebagai tambahan, kerajaan juga akan melantik semula lebih 500 petugas kesihatan yang bersara wajib tahun ini secara kontrak.
11. Saya juga telah mengarahkan YB Menteri MOSTI untuk mempercepatkan pemberian vaksin melalui Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan atau PICK. Saya dimaklumkan, pemberian dos pada bulan Mei telahpun mencapai purata 80,000 dos sehari.
12. Insha-Allah, menjelang akhir Jun nanti, kita mampu mencapai sasaran 150,000 dos sehari melalui penambahan terimaan vaksin dari syarikat pengeluar, penambahan pusat-pusat pemberian vaksin, memperkenalkan kaedah pemberian secara pandu lalu dan penambahan anggota sukarelawan. Berdasarkan unjuran, pelaksanaan PICK secara keseluruhan disasarkan untuk selesai menjelang bulan Disember 2021 dengan negeri berkepadatan penduduk tinggi seperti Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor dan Pulau Pinang menjelang Oktober.
13. Saya merayu, supaya rakyat yang telah mendapat tempahan vaksin untuk hadir di mana-mana pusat pemberian vaksin yang ditetapkan. Adalah menjadi tanggungjawab kita bersama untuk memastikan negara mencapai imuniti kelompok menjelang akhir tahun ini.
14. Saya juga mendengar keluhan rakyat, terutamanya warga emas dan mereka yang tinggal jauh yang mengalami kesukaran untuk hadir ke PPV. Oleh itu, saya telah mengarahkan supaya aset-aset Kerajaan seperti bas, van dan kenderaan pool digerakkan bagi tujuan ini. Saya amat mengalu-alukan kerjasama pihak swasta, NGO dan pertubuhan masyarakat awam untuk turut menggiatkan usaha ini.
MATLAMAT KEDUA: MENERUSKAN AGENDA PRIHATIN RAKYAT
Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,
15. Bagi Matlamat Kedua, Kerajaan akan terus mengutamakan agenda prihatin rakyat. Ini terutamanya bagi memastikan kesejahteraan dan kelangsungan hidup golongan rentan dan pekerja yang bergantung kepada upah harian dapat terus dibantu. Tidak dinafikan, mereka inilah antara yang paling terkesan susulan penguatkuasaan PKP ini.
16. Sehubungan itu, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk memperuntukkan 2.1 bilion ringgit bagi menambah kadar program Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat atau BPR. Bagi kategori isi rumah yang berpendapatan di bawah 2,500 ringgit, mereka akan menerima kadar BPR tambahan sebanyak 500 ringgit dan isi rumah berpendapatan antara 2,501 hingga 5,000, akan menerima kadar sebanyak 300 ringgit. Golongan bujang pula akan menerima 100 ringgit.
17. BPR tambahan ini akan mula dimasukkan ke akaun penerima pada hujung bulan Jun nanti. Bayaran ini merupakan tambahan kepada fasa bayaran terakhir BPR bulan September kelak sebanyak 2.4 bilion ringgit.
18. Seterusnya, saya juga mendengar permintaan rakyat supaya Kerajaan menimbang semula pemberian moratorium.
19. Sehubungan itu, hasil perbincangan bersama Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), industri perbankan memberi jaminan dan komitmen penuh untuk terus memberikan bantuan pembayaran balik pinjaman dan moratorium. Oleh itu, bagi semua golongan B40 dan rakyat yang terjejas ekoran kehilangan pekerjaan serta perusahaan mikro dan PKS yang tidak dibenarkan beroperasi dalam tempoh PKP, anda diberi pilihan untuk mendapatkan kelulusan moratorium secara automatik selama 3 bulan atau boleh memilih untuk mendapatkan pengurangan bayaran balik secara ansuran sebanyak 50% selama tempoh 6 bulan.
20. Inisiatif ini akan dilaksanakan segera pada bulan Jun yang dijangka memanfaatkan lebih dari 5 juta peminjam dengan nilai sehingga 30 bilion ringgit. Insha-Allah, industri perbankan akan memberikan maklumat lebih terperinci berhubung perkara ini mulai esok. Saya berharap, pengumuman moratorium automatik ini dapat memberi sedikit kelegaan kepada peminjam institusi perbankan. Para peminjam hanya perlu menghubungi bank masing-masing untuk mendapat manfaat bantuan ini.
21. Kerajaan juga akan melancarkan Skim Rehabilitasi Sewa Beli Bas dan Teksi pada minggu ini dengan nilai peruntukan 1 bilion ringgit. Melalui skim ini, pengusaha bas dan teksi yang layak boleh mendapatkan moratorium pinjaman sehingga 12 bulan dan melanjutkan tempoh pinjaman sehingga 36 bulan.
22. Saya menyarankan supaya agensi dan syarikat Kerajaan menawarkan penangguhan bayaran balik pinjaman serta diskaun sewa premis perniagaan. Pihak MARA akan meneruskan program MARA PRIHATIN Peace of Mind yang dibuka sehingga 31 Julai 2021. Peminjam boleh memohon secara dalam talian untuk membuat penjadualan semula bayaran balik pinjaman pelajaran atau moratorium. Bagi usahawan MARA yang terkesan akibat penutupan ekonomi, pemberian diskaun 30% ke atas sewaan premis perniagaan akan diberi untuk bulan Mei sehingga Julai 2021.
23. Seterusnya adalah berkaitan pekerjaan. Tidak dinafikan, pelaksanaan PKP 3.0 akan memberi kesan kepada sebilangan besar rakyat terutama risiko kehilangan pekerjaan dan pengurangan pendapatan akibat penutupan kebanyakan sektor ekonomi.
24. Maka, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk melanjutkan Program Subsidi Upah di bawah PERKESO selama 1 bulan bagi semua sektor ekonomi yang terkesan dengan kos 1.5 bilion ringgit dengan had 500 pekerja bagi setiap permohonan, ditanggung oleh Kerajaan. Adalah dijangkakan 2.5 juta pekerja dan lebih 200 ribu majikan akan mendapat manfaat.
25. Selain itu, majikan yang berdaftar dengan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad akan diberikan pengecualian pembayaran levi selama satu bulan pada bulan Jun 2021. Pada masa yang sama, pekerja juga boleh meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kemahiran melalui portal pembelajaran e-LATiH secara percuma yang melibatkan lebih 400 modul dan kursus kemahiran.
MATLAMAT KETIGA: MENYOKONG KELANGSUNGAN PERNIAGAAN
Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,
26. Seterusnya bagi Matlamat Ketiga, Kerajaan akan terus membantu untuk memastikan kelangsungan perniagaan, khususnya kepada PKS dalam menguruskan aliran tunai mereka. Salah satu inisiatif yang telah diperkenalkan oleh Kerajaan adalah melalui pemberian Geran Khas Prihatin atau GKP. Sehubungan itu, sukacita diumumkan kadar GKP akan ditambah sebanyak 500 ringgit kepada 1,500 ringgit. Ini bermakna, hampir 1 juta PKS dan perusahaan mikro akan menerima 1,000 ringgit pada pertengahan bulan Jun dan 500 ringgit lagi akan disalurkan pada bulan Julai.
27. Saya juga ingin tegaskan, berdasarkan SOP terbaharu yang diumumkan, Kerajaan masih membenarkan operasi jual-beli peniaga kecil, penjaja jalanan dan termasuk perusahaan mikro. Oleh itu, sekiranya para peniaga ingin mendapatkan pembiayaan mikro kredit sebagai modal kerja, sebanyak 1.5 bilion ringgit disediakan bagi sepanjang tahun ini oleh BSN, TEKUN, MARA, SME Corp. dan YAPEIM dengan kadar pembiayaan serendah 3%.
28. Selain itu, bagi membantu aliran tunai syarikat dan PKS, institusi perbankan akan terus menawarkan kemudahan pembiayaan dan pinjaman. Dana institusi perbankan telah dimantapkan lagi melalui pelbagai fasiliti pinjaman mudah PKS pembiayaan BNM yang masih berbaki 5 bilion ringgit. Untuk menyokong lagi PKS, BNM akan menambah fasiliti Kemudahan Bantuan dan Pemulihan Bersasar untuk PKS terjejas sebanyak 2 bilion ringgit. Dengan itu, jumlah dana pinjaman untuk PKS dengan kadar pinjaman serendah 3.5% yang masih tersedia adalah sebanyak 7 bilion ringgit.
29. Selain itu, tidak dinafikan semasa tempoh PKP ini, ia turut memberi kesan kepada pemandu teksi, kereta sewa dan bas sekolah. Bagi mengurangkan beban mereka, Kerajaan bersetuju memberi Bantuan Khas secara one-off sebanyak 500 ringgit kepada 17 ribu pemandu pelancong, 40 ribu pemandu teksi, 11 ribu pemandu bas sekolah, 4 ribu bas persiaran dan 62 ribu pemandu kereta sewa dan e-hailing. Bantuan ini yang berjumlah RM68 juta akan disalurkan kepada penerima yang berdaftar pada bulan Julai.
30. Selain itu, sebagai salah satu usaha mengurangkan beban perniagaan, Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri akan mempertimbangkan rayuan pengenaan penalti dan menangguhkan pembayaran penalti ke tahun 2022 serta menyediakan penjadualan semula bayaran cukai tertunggak bagi pembayar cukai dan perniagaan yang terjejas.
31. Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia juga bersetuju untuk memperkenalkan semula pelanjutan untuk penghantaran penyata kewangan, pelaksanaan mesyuarat tahunan bagi syarikat awam yang tersenarai di Bursa Malaysia dan moratorium denda bagi penghantaran lambat dokumen berkanun. SSM juga akan mengecualikan bayaran lewat untuk membaharui lesen perniagaan sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi PKS mikro serta perniagaan milikan tunggal dan perkongsian.
32. Di samping itu, Akta Langkah Sementara bagi Mengurangkan Kesan Penyakit COVID-19 atau Akta 829 akan ditambahbaik bagi membantu individu dan perniagaan yang terkesan. Perlindungan berkaitan ketidakupayaan untuk melaksanakan obligasi kontrak akan dilanjutkan tempoh kuatkuasa sehingga 31 Disember 2021. Sehubungan ini, Kerajaan menyediakan bantuan perkhidmatan pengantaraan atau mediation secara percuma melalui Pusat Mediasi COVID kepada semua individu atau perniagaan tanpa mengira latar belakang.
33. Seterusnya, Kerajaan akan melanjutkan pemberian diskaun bil elektrik kepada sektor yang terjejas. Sehubungan itu, pengendali hotel, agensi pengembaraan dan pelancongan, premis dan kompleks membeli belah, pusat-pusat konvensyen, taman tema dan pejabat syarikat penerbangan tempatan layak menerima diskaun bil elektrik sebanyak 10% selama 3 bulan tambahan antara bulan Julai hingga September 2021.
34. Kerajaan juga bersetuju memberi potongan khas kepada pemilik bangunan dan ruang perniagaan yang menawarkan pengurangan sewa premis perniagaan kepada PKS dan bukan PKS untuk tempoh 6 bulan lagi sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi pengurangan sewa sekurang-kurangnya 30% daripada kadar sewa semasa. Selain itu, pelanjutan sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi pengecualian cukai pelancongan dan cukai perkhidmatan ke atas penginapan yang disediakan oleh pengendali hotel masih berterusan.
35. Semasa pembentangan pakej PENJANA pada Jun 2020, Kerajaan telah mengumumkan pengecualian duti setem Kempen Pemilikan Rumah atau HOC yang akan berakhir pada hari ini, 31 Mei. Sukacita diumumkan Kerajaan bersetuju melanjutkan pengecualian duti setem HOC tersebut sehingga 31 Disember 2021.
36. Kerajaan juga bersetuju melanjutkan pengecualian cukai jualan ke atas kenderaan penumpang CKD dan CBU import yang sebelum ini diumumkan di bawah inisiatif PENJANA mulai 1 Julai 2021 hingga 31 Disember 2021.
Saudara dan saudari yang dikasihi sekalian,
37. Ingin saya tekankan sekali lagi, selain inisiatif yang diumumkan pada malam ini, masih terdapat pelbagai program pakej rangsangan bernilai lebih daripada 100 bilion ringgit yang masih dalam pelaksanaan. Dari segi perbelanjaan langsung daripada Kerajaan, Kumpulan Wang COVID-19 telah diluluskan dengan siling 65 bilion ringgit. Sebanyak 38 bilion ringgit telah dibelanjakan pada tahun 2020 dan sehingga April 2021, 10 bilion ringgit lagi telah disalurkan. Baki sebanyak 17 bilion ringgit akan dibelanjakan pada tempoh yang terdekat. Antara inisiatif dan program ini termasuklah:
Pertama: BPR Fasa 2 yang baharu sahaja dilaksanakan awal Mei lepas dengan peruntukan sebanyak 2.7 bilion ringgit yang telah disalurkan kepada 8.4 juta penerima dengan bayaran Fasa 3 bernilai 2.4 bilion ringgit dijadualkan untuk bulan September;
Kedua: Program subsidi upah, insentif penggajian serta program latihan untuk membantu menjamin pekerjaan sedia ada serta menggalakkan penyediaan pekerjaan baharu dengan sasaran 500,000 untuk tahun ini;
Ketiga: Pelaksanaan projek-projek kecil dengan peruntukan lebih 2 bilion ringgit untuk dibelanjakan memanfaatkan kontraktor kelas G1 hingga G4 bagi pembaikan infrastruktur dan fasiliti awam;
Keempat: Program Jaringan Prihatin bernilai 2 bilion ringgit yang juga dilancarkan pada awal Mei lalu bagi membantu 8.4 juta penerima BPR untuk melanggan perkhidmatan telekomunikasi atau mendapatkan peranti telefon mudah alih; dan
Kelima: Program e-Belia yang akan dibuka pendaftaran mulai esok, 1 Jun 2021 bagi membolehkan 2 juta belia dan pelajar IPT yang layak untuk mendapatkan kredit bernilai 150 ringgit dari penyedia perkhidmatan e-tunai.
PENUTUP
Saudara-saudari yang dikasihi sekalian,
38. Inilah antara usaha Kerajaan sebagai meneruskan agenda prihatin rakyat dan komitmen Kerajaan dalam mengurus krisis yang melanda kini. Saya amat menghargai dan berterima kasih kepada semua pihak yang kekal teguh bersama-sama Kerajaan tanpa mengira kawan atau lawan dalam menghadapi situasi yang tidak pernah kita jangkakan ini.
39. Dalam mencapai matlamat ini, Kerajaan akan terus mengutamakan pendekatan whole-of-government dan whole-of-society dalam memerangi pandemik COVID-19. Ini merujuk usaha mengoptimumkan seluruh tenaga kerja kesihatan dan peranan frontliners yang bertindak di lapangan serta peranan seluruh rakyat Malaysia yang turut sama membantu untuk memutuskan rantaian COVID-19 ini.
40. Sebagai penutup kepada inisiatif PEMERKASA+ ini, sepertimana yang telah diamalkan semasa PKP pertama tahun lalu, saya ingin memaklumkan tanda sokongan barisan Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri dengan tidak mengambil gaji selama 3 bulan mulai Jun 2021. Gaji yang tidak diambil ini akan disumbangkan ke dalam Akaun Amanah Bencana sebagai membiayai perbelanjaan berkaitan COVID-19.
Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,
41. Keputusan untuk melaksanakan lockdown ini adalah satu keputusan yang sukar tetapi terpaksa dibuat. Samada lockdown yang dilaksanakan ini akan berjaya atau tidak semuanya terserah kepada saudara dan saudari serta ketentuan Ilahi. Kerajaan telah menutup hampir semua sektor ekonomi dan sosial untuk mengurangkan pergerakan rakyat dan memutuskan rantaian jangkitan COVID-19.
42. Saudara dan saudari dikehendaki duduk di rumah – stay at home – saya ulangi stay at home – dan sentiasa patuh kepada SOP. Jika saudara dan saudari gagal mematuhi arahan ini, maka kita semua akan gagal, na'uzubillah.
43. Kepada para frontliners, bertabahlah. Saya tahu anda semua penat berperang melawan virus ini sejak lebih setahun yang lalu. Saya ingin ulangi penghargaan kerajaan yang tidak terhingga atas segala jasa dan pengorbanan para frontliners kita di seluruh negara. Saya doakan agar anda semua terus diberikan kekuatan oleh Allah s.w.t. untuk mengharungi cabaran dan dugaan yang amat besar ini.
44. Saya juga mendoakan agar semua pesakit yang sedang bertarung melawan COVID-19 ini diberikan kesembuhan segera, amin ya rabbal alamin. Saya dengan penuh dukacitanya mengucapkan takziah kepada seluruh ahli keluarga mangsa COVID-19 yang telah meninggal dunia. Mudah-mudahan anda semua tabah menghadapi dugaan yang amat berat ini.
45. Marilah kita bersama-sama panjatkan doa ke hadrat Allah s.w.t. mudah-mudahan wabak yang sedang melanda negara kita dan seluruh dunia pada masa ini segera berakhir.
Wabillahi al-taufik walhidayah wassalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
State Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood
Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that her ministry
has given the green light to those centres that have applied.
“For other childcare centres, however, if there is a need, they must
apply to the childhood division of the ministry before they are allowed
to accept the children of essential workers,” Fatimah said in a
statement.
THESE are difficult times and thus, stress levels are on the rise
If you’re suffering from tension, headaches, feelings of depression and other effects of too much strain, think about how you can help yourself.
Firstly, everyone is different so the things that you find stressful may not be stressful to others. For example, approaching strangers and asking them to sign up for something may be a horror for you, but it gets a natural salesperson smiling with anticipation.
Bottom line: stress is intensely personal. Figure out what factors hit you hardest. Now you know where to start.
Secondly, stress is something imposed on you that you just have to accept.
A lot of the time, you can anticipate and plan to manage the events that make you uptight.
For example, if you know that Tuesdays are stressful because it’s the day when you have a one-on-one with a tough client, make sure that you schedule something afterwards that will help you blow off steam – like a run or a coffee with a cherished friend.
Thirdly, just like stress is highly individual, so are methods for managing it.
Classic methods include physical exercise, breathing, meditation and eating properly.
However, if you’re doing these and they are not working for you, explore ways that work for you. Maybe you distress from painting, cooking or composting haiku.
If you need ideas, just think back to the last time you were feeling serene.
Finally, it’s not a sign of strength to ignore stress.
Studies show that long-term stress will affect your health and can lead to problems such as insomnia, upset stomachs, rashes and high blood pressure.
So don’t ignore those little niggles. Instead listen to your body and take early action.
China's Tianhe space station core cabin received its first "visiting guest" - the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft early Sunday, about 8 hours after the latter's launch, setting a new record in China's space history.
According to the China Manned Space Agency, the rendezvous and docking of the Tianzhou [Heavenly Vessel] cargo spacecraft with the Tianhe core cabin took around eight hours after the former was launched from Wenchang spaceport from South China's Hainan Province via a Long March 7 carrier rocket at 8:55 pm Saturday.
The first spaceship launched in the space station construction phase, Tianzhou-2 weighed 13.5 tons at launch, and is capable of sending a payload of 6.9 tons for supply missions. Its in-orbit service is at least one year, said Feng Yong, commander-in-chief of the Tianzhou-2 mission from the project contractor China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
The 10.6-meter-long, 3.35-meter-diameter Tianzhou-2 cargo spaceship has two components - a totally enclosed cargo cabin and a propelling cabin, according to CAST.
The carry-on onboard the Tianhe spacecraft includes consumables that are designed to support three astronauts on their space missions for three months, space suits for missions outside cabin and other supplies, Feng revealed, adding that during its docking with the space station core cabin, it will also carry out multiple in-orbit experiments.
Tianzhou-2 will also deliver propellants to refuel the Tianhe core cabin, Mu Guoxin, a CAST publicity official said.
"Next, the Shenzhou-12 manned spaceship will dock with the core cabin at the front, and altogether the three sections will form the first linear structure for China's space station," Mu noted.
There were 6.8 tons of supplies onboard the Tianzhou-2, including some 160 parcels of goods and two tons of propellants, according to CAST. "The load to total mass ratio is over 50 percent, indicating its world leading capacity."
The two space suits for the astronauts' outside-cabin activities weigh more than 100 kilograms each, it disclosed.
The Saturday mission also witnessed a substantial improvement in the Tianzhou spacecraft's fast docking capability. Compared to the Tianzhou-1's rendezvous and docking with Tiangong-2 in 2017, which took about two days, it took a mere eight hours to achieve the feat.
Lei Jianyu, deputy director designer of the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft, said that there are only two cargo spaceships in active service in the world that are capable of sending payloads of more than five tons, and Tianzhou is one of them, and has the "world class capability."
The reason behind such progress lies in the fact that all the information for the docking maneuver had been installed in software with the Tianzhou-2, saving the time needed to transfer such instructions from ground tracking and monitoring facilities, which was the case for Tianzhou-1 in executing the same move.
"Such a fast rendezvous and docking process not only shortens the stay of astronauts in the relatively narrow space in the spaceship, saving their energy, but also ensures that the transfer of fresh goods [such as biological agents] is conducted in a timely fashion," CAST developers said.
The Tianzhou-2 adopted a new long-distance guiding technology, as it was able to use the location information provided by the country's BeiDou Navigation Satellites System, or BDS, to automatically navigate itself for the rendezvous and docking with the space station, whereas the Tiangong-1 version needed artificial assistance to lead the craft to approach Tiangong-2 for the move.
In an ideal situation, the time for the rendezvous and docking of Tianzhou-2 would be reduced to some four hours, CAST announced.
In the event of an emergency, this kind of fast rendezvous and docking technology will also facilitate quick responses by providing all kinds of urgently needed materials to the space station and rescue the trapped astronauts, according to the academy.
Yang Sheng, the cargo spacecraft system's chief designer, disclosed that ground logistics technology has also been adopted for the spacecraft. For example, astronauts can obtain the location and further information of specific goods by scanning a QR code, and the inventory information is recorded in a dynamic manner so that astronauts can keep track of changes of goods.
The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the Tianhe module, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, April 29, 2021. Photo: Xinhua
China on Thursday successfully sent into space Tianhe core module of space station. This marks China's space station construction entering the full implementation stage. It's a crucial step forward for China's manned space program. Hundreds of millions of Chinese people felt inspired by the success.
Building a space station is to build a house in space. The core module is not only the command and control center of the space station, but also lays the foundation for the station. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, China will kick off intensive launch missions, including three modules, four cargo spacecraft and four manned spaceships. China is expected to finalize an orbital construction next year. After the "house" is built, our astronauts can move in and start various important space experiments.
It is worth noting that China's space station will operate for at least 10 years, and the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to come out of service in 2024. This means, at that time, China's space station would probably be the only one of its kind in space. Sending astronauts in space and building a space station are a dream comes true for Chinese people. When a Chinese astronaut looks at Earth from China's space station, it will represent not only the advancement of China's aerospace technology but also a great breakthrough of Chinese people's vision and imagination.
People know there are unlimited possibilities in outer space, but the threshold of space exploration is extremely high. Without the support of the strong comprehensive national strength and the top-level aerospace technology and research as well as manufacturing capabilities, what China has achieved would never be thinkable. We should be proud of our achievements in the aerospace cause under the West's doubt and isolation. The US once blocked China from participating in the ISS project, and thus pushed China to rapidly develop its own aerospace technology. Today, we are going to have our own space station. This will provide a profound lesson and inspiration to the Chinese people.
Chinese society has had a relatively full understanding of the significance of aerospace technology development. But every time China carries out a major space mission, some voices always emerge saying that as China still faces many difficulties in improving livelihoods, it shouldn't spend so much money on space projects that are hard to reap profits in the short term. This is narrow-minded and shortsighted. For a big country like China, it is destined to conquer space and sea. We cannot talk about China's rise if the country hasn't made breakthroughs in high-end areas such as the aerospace industry. China's livelihood development will also encounter obstacles. In the long run, when the aerospace technology progresses, it is bound to boost China's livelihood.
China's aerospace development started late from a low point, but has achieved outstanding progress in a short period of time. Through the efforts and contributions of several generations of people engaging in the aerospace cause, China has caught up with the world's aerospace powers. From the achievements of "two bombs and one satellite" to the status as an aerospace power, China has displayed Chinese people's national spirit of self-improvement and self-reliance. Without such national spirit, it's unimaginable that China could achieve such aerospace achievements. As long as the spirit exists, China will create a new legend.
Of course, compared with the US and Russia, China still lags behind. But the gap is also a driving force. China should enter space step by step. Mankind's exploration of outer space has just begun. There is infinite space waiting for human beings to explore. From this sense, the narrow-mindedness of Washington is clear as it is racking its brain to engage in geopolitical competition with China.
