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ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19
In a coordinated effort to combat the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to work closely to ensure the latest and most reliable information and tailored guidance reaches the global business community.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and societal emergency that requires effective immediate action by governments, individuals and businesses. All businesses have a key role to play in minimising the likelihood of transmission and impact on society. Early, bold and effective action will reduce short- term risks to employees and long-term costs to businesses and the economy.

To aid this collective effort, ICC will regularly send updated advice to its network of over 45 million businesses so that businesses everywhere can take informed and effective action to protect their workers, customers and local communities and contribute to the production and distribution of essential supplies.

ICC will also contribute to enhancing information flows on the coronavirus outbreak by surveying its global private sector network to map the global business response. This will both encourage businesses to adopt appropriate precautionary approaches and generate new data and insights to support national and international government efforts.

As an immediate priority, businesses should be developing or updating, readying or implementing business continuity plans. Business continuity plans should aim to reduce transmission, including by: promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate behavior among employees; setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts; preparing essentials; limiting travel and physical connectivity; and planning for measures such as teleworking when necessary.

Calls to Action
- ICC strongly endorses WHO’s call on national governments everywhere to adopt a whole-of- government and whole-of-society approach in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the further spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact should be a top priority for Heads of State and Government. Political action should be coordinated with actors in the private sector and civil society to maximize reach of messaging and effectiveness.
- Governments should commit to making available all necessary resources to combat COVID-19 with the minimum of delay and to ensure that cross-border medical and other essential goods supply chains are able to function effectively and efficiently
- ICC and the WHO encourage national chambers of commerce to work closely with UN country teams, including WHO country offices where they exist, and to designate mutual focal points to coordinate this collaboration.
- ICC encourages its members to support their country’s national response efforts and to contribute to the global response efforts coordinated by the WHO through www.covid19responsefund.org.
As the pandemic evolves, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will continue to coordinate their efforts.

Essential information on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO’s dedicated site.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/16-03-2020-icc-who-joint-statement-an-unprecedented-private-sector-call-to-action-to-tackle-covid-19

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March 17, 2020
Mukhriz challenges Muhyiddin for Bersatu presidency (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) elections is set to be a mouth-watering affair with Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir challenging Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the party president’s post.

Another relative unknown in the party, Cheras division deputy chief Mohd Faiz Azlee Sham, will also contest the position, it was confirmed yesterday.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, meanwhile, will remain as the party’s chairman at the post was uncontested.

Bersatu elections committee chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said this in a press conference after nomination closed at 3pm today.

However, he said the party polls, which was supposed to be held on April 18 at the division level, has been postponed until at least June 30, after the Registrar of Societies ordered all party meetings and conventions to be suspended in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“The party’s supreme council members will decide and finalise on a new date,” he said.

Hamid said all nominated individuals would also be screened to ensure they were qualified to contest, while also urging all candidates to practise a clean and fair campaign and not resort to money politics.

The contest for party presidency comes amidst growing cracks in the party, with one faction supposedly led by Muhyiddin and the other by Mahathir and his son Mukhriz, who is the incumbent party deputy president.

This comes following a political crisis that saw Muhyiddin leading Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form a new government with Perikatan Nasional.

The move, however, was not endorsed by Mahathir, who with several others, decided to remain with PH.

Other than the president’s post, the deputy presidency will also see a three-cornered fight with party secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya taking on Perak Mentri Besar and state Bersatu chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Selangor deputy Youth chief Anas Akashah Nazri.

Interestingly, Marzuki’s name was nominated by Mukhriz and seconded by Mahathir.

The vice-president post will also see 15 people contesting for three positions, among the prominent names include Education Minister Radzi Jidin, party supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof and former Umno leader Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee.

PKR defectors Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin’s names were nowhere to be seen as Bersatu’s constitution stipulates that a person has to be a party member for at least a year before they can contest for positions.

Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will defend his position as Youth chief against his former special officer Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Bersatu Youth exco member Mohd Muzammil Ismail.

Datuk Seri Rina Rahun will also defend her Women’s chief post against three others.

In an immediate response, political analyst Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said Mukhriz’s decision to challenge Muhyiddin for president would be a do-or-die for the former.

“If Mukhriz loses, he will lose it all, but if he wins he will be able to forge a new direction for Bersatu.

“For Muhyddin, he is confident that he has the upperhand including support from the grassroots members as he is the president.

“Although the situation looks like it favours Muhyddin, there is also the presence of Mahathir in support of Mukhriz,” Awang told theSun, adding this would be a test of Mahathir’s influence in the party.

Awang, however, pointed out that there could be a different outcome altogether should the leaders negotiate and decide to withdraw their candidacy.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/mukhriz-challenges-muhyiddin-for-bersatu-presidency-updated-DF2135342

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March 16, 2020
Special unit should be established to record lawmakers’ income, assets: Analyst

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to set up a special unit or agency to record and monitor income sources and assets of lawmakers including ministers and deputy ministers as well as members of parliament.

Political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Nasrudin Mohammed (pix) said that the proposal was to ensure information or data on assets owned by these individuals to be recorded holistically and in transparent manner with the objective of upholding integrity.

“Similar to other countries where they have a special agency which is an asset regulator or a register of interests that will record and monitor assets owned by certain individuals in transparent manner,” he said.

He said this when appearing as a guest in the programme Buletin Bernama on Bernama TV today.

Nasrudin, a lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) jurisdiction is to conduct enforcement and investigations on corruption, and not as an agency or entity to manage record of individuals’ assets.

He said currently the country does not have a specialised modules related to asset declaration for the purpose.

In order to establish a module or mechanism for asset declaration, it would take a while to formulate as various aspects have to be taken into account, he said.

He added that among the aspects that needed to be emphasised were the subjects (individuals involved), and those who have close relations to these individuals, should also be required to declare their assets, as practiced in developed countries.

“Even the types of assets also need to be recorded and clearly identified,” he added.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) guidelines can be used as a guide for Malaysia to devise a special module on asset declaration, he said.

Nasruddin said the move (asset declaration) would strengthen the people’s confidence in the integrity of the leaders especially the ministers.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, at the first Cabinet meeting of the new government, ordered all Cabinet members to declare their assets and they were given a month to do so as part of government commitment to combat corruption. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/special-unit-should-be-established-to-record-lawmakers-income-assets-analyst-CC2127598

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March 14, 2020
Sarikei MP admitted to Sibu hospital as PUI for Covid-19

SIBU: Sarikei Member of Parliament Wong Ling Biu (pix) of DAP has been admitted to the Sibu Hospital as a patient under investigation (PUI) for Covid-19.

Sarawak Health Director Dr Chin Zin Hing, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that Wong has been admitted to the hospital and was a PUI.

Wong is said to have attended several political meetings in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 29 until last week following the political upheaval that led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Sibu Hospital has set up three teams, comprising medical officers and staff, to operate an infectious disease ward, with each team to work a 12-hour shift per day, for any eventuality of positive Covid-19 cases.

They have been told to have their personal belongings packed and a new job roster has been arranged for them.

Deputy Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is the State Disaster Management Committee chairman, is expected to visit the hospital tomorrow to see the preparations made by the hospital.

Apart from the Sibu Hospital, the Kemuyang Youth Camp, about 21km from here, has been identified as another centre for quarantine of Covid-19 patients.

Sibu Medical Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed the matter, saying it was still at the planning stage.

He also confirmed that a thermal scanner had been installed at the Sibu Airport to check passengers arriving from outside of Sarawak.

“The thermal scanner was installed on Feb 16. We have three staff at a time to operate the scanner,” he said, adding that there are two teams working two shifts for the purpose until 9pm daily.

Sibu Airport manager Zainuddin Abu Nasir when contacted said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd had purchased two portable thermal scanners to check its employees.

Meanwhile, the Rector of Sacred Cathedral Reverend Father Philip Hu had urged the Catholics in Sibu to hold special prayer at 3pm daily to seek God’s mercy to end the pandemic and to pray for those who are ill with Covid-19. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/sarikei-mp-admitted-to-sibu-hospital-as-pui-for-covid-19-DC2127544

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March 14, 2020
Cathay Pacific 2019 profits plunge, predicts virus losses

Cathay Pacific on Wednesday said profits plunged in 2019 as it reeled from political unrest in Hong Kong, while it warned financial losses lay ahead owing to the spread of the new coronavirus.

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March 11, 2020
The unmet need for social context in family planning

New evidence on the relationship between sexual health and social context finds a strong association between gender equality, education and family planning

Twenty-five years ago, two global events – the International Conference on Population and Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing – formally recognized that women’s health and reproductive choices cannot be separated from the social context of their lives.

Now, researchers have created a dataset which brings together national surveys from 74 countries, representing 3 million women. For the first time, it allows them to describe trends in demand/use of modern contraceptives alongside social and economic indicators.

The data is published in The Lancet Global Health and is authored by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the World Health Organization.

It shows that, over time, women are more likely to have their demand for modern contraception met in countries where gender equality and their educational opportunities improve.

Gender equality and education increases access to modern contraception

Trends in sexual activity and demand for use and use of modern contraceptive methods in 74 countries: a retrospective analysis of nationally representative surveys finds that met need for modern contraception is strongly correlated with positive shifts in social structures.
For every 0.1-point increase in a country’s gender development index, it found a 6.7% rise in women who were sexually active and did not want to conceive. Of those women, an additional 13.5% used modern methods to prevent a pregnancy.

Expectations of every girl’s right to education also made a difference. Each extra year in schooling is linked to an increase of 2.3% in demand, and a 4.7% increase in use of modern contraceptive methods.

“This study shows how every woman must negotiate her reproductive autonomy within the social framework in which she lives, responding to barriers and opportunities as they emerge,” says Dr Lale Say, one of the authors of the study and Unit Head at WHO and HRP.

“Gender equality is both a precondition and a driving force for securing women’s reproductive health and rights – as well as the sustainable development targets, which are our best chance for delivering health and well-being for all.”

Global trends reveal new challenges in family planning

Overall, the data reinforce global trends: more time spent sexually-active and single, postponement of parenthood, and the near-universal desire for smaller families.

The study also highlights where action is needed at country-level to avoid family planning services falling behind demand.

Out of the 74 countries analyzed, 42 showed an increase in demand for contraception. Only 37 countries show an increase in use of a modern method to prevent pregnancy.

Although unmet need for contraception declined in 34 countries, it increased in 14 countries. Significantly more progress is needed, and faster, to ensure each girl and woman is able to access the sexual and reproductive health services she needs.

Barriers and solutions to reproductive health and rights

Gender equality can affect contraceptive use in many ways. From the personal and political degree to which women are free to choose their sexual activity, to accessing family planning services it can also shape any power imbalances within personal relationships. This study supports recent efforts by WHO to adopt a broader, integrated concept of sexual and reproductive health – and to translate it into a framework for policy and practice.

The authors argue that family planning targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will not be met without a profound shift: from focus on ‘access to contraception’, to broader aspects of sexual health and social context.

Since reproductive health and women’s empowerment are intertwined, trends in contraceptive use can also reveal progress towards another global target: progress towards gender equality.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-03-2020-the-unmet-need-for-social-context-in-family-planning

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March 11, 2020
Edited Biden video portends social media challenges in 2020

As former Vice President Joe Biden’s drive for the White House gains momentum, the 77-year-old’s political opponents on both the right and left have launched an internet campaign suggesting he’s not mentally or physically equipped to serve—sometimes using altered content and other disinformation to make their case.

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March 10, 2020
Women’s health and rights: 25 years of progress?

The 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remains the world’s most progressive blueprint for advancing gender equality worldwide. Twenty-five years after it was affirmed by 189 countries, what progress has been made in raising this blueprint
off the page?

On International Women’s Day the World Health Organization, United Nations University – International Institute for Global Health and the British Medical Journal have launched a special series marking ‘Beijing+25’.

It shines a spotlight on health, education, environment, work and other critical foundations of life as they empower or restrict the rights and well-being of girls and women.

Women’s rights are human rights

Every person’s right to control their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health is linked to their human rights. This makes sexual and reproductive health and rights a cornerstone of the Beijing strategy: both as a driver towards gender equality,
and a fundamental part of it.

The first article in the series, ‘25 years after the Beijing Declaration we need to reaffirm that women’s rights are human rights,’ highlights recent advances in gender equality and celebrates
the rise of a new and determined generation of activists, working together to empower girls and women.

It also expresses concern that progress has been superficial and not fast enough. Some critical areas of work have slowed or even been pushed back, such as comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, services and rights.

The authors ask for increased and direct investment in women and girls, to meet their specific health needs and accelerate equal rights for all.

Uneven progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights

The Beijing Declaration affirms that the human rights of women cannot be separated from the universal human rights of every person – but that without concrete actions to strengthen them, they will remain rights in name only.

Some advances in this area since 1995 can be measured by health outcomes, including a reduction in both maternal mortality and rates of female genital mutilation. Positive change is also reflected in public awareness: concepts of period poverty and sexual
harassment, once taboo, are being taken up in day-to-day language.

And yet today, sexual and reproductive health conditions remain one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity for women and girls. Violence against women and girls is the most frequent human rights abuse worldwide.

Twenty-five years on, the Beijing agenda is still relevant and still unfinished.

Defending the defenders of women’s health and rights

Although The Platform for Action is repeatedly affirmed in international and governmental forums, women and girls still face social, political and cultural barriers to controlling their sexuality, sexual and reproductive health.

Their decisions cannot be free from coercion, discrimination and violence if they are made in the context of power imbalances, harmful gender norms and inequalities.

The authors from HRP, the Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, the Supreme Court of Nepal, the WHO and Women Deliver call for a system of protection for women’s human rights defenders everywhere.

They celebrate new communities of frontline defenders, civil society movements holding governments to account, and vibrant coalitions such as Generation Equality as drivers of achievements in girls and women’s rights over the last twenty-five years.

An anniversary is an opportunity for change

Governments are preparing for the 64^th Commission on the Status of Women in late March, where they will review implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and challenges affecting full realization of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.

They will recognize that no country has fully achieved equality, and that women and girls who experience multiple forms of discrimination throughout their lives are still the most held back.

If this collective reflection can be shifted into action, 2020 will become a new anniversary: a pivotal year for the accelerated realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, everywhere.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-03-2020-women-s-health-and-rights-25-years-of-progress

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March 8, 2020
Are political texts flooding your phone? Here’s why and how to stop them

Political groups have been revving up their outreach efforts to reach voters and texting has been all the rage. But for some people, the bombardment of political texts has become as much of a nuisance as robocalls.

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March 4, 2020
Social networks on back foot as digital campaigns expand tactics

Social platforms are scrambling to cope with the onslaught of political messages involving celebrity endorsements, bots and manipulated videos as the US election campaign is shaken up by Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg’s deep-pocketed efforts.

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February 29, 2020