Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

• Third vaccine shot rollout
  
  

• My Second Home
  
  

• Nuclear submarines
  
  

Third vaccine shot rollout

The government will begin rolling out the third Covid-19 vaccine shot early next month.

The rollout will target the elderly with co-morbidities, frontliners in high-risk situations, those with low immunity, as well as residents and staff of senior citizens' homes as many Covid-19 deaths were from these groups.

No decision has been made yet for other groups or whether there will be mixing for vaccines for the booster shot.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said any expansion or mixing going forward will be based on expert advice.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said "care packages" will be delivered to B40 families comprising four face masks, four Covid-19 self-test kits, one pulse oximeter, one thermometer and a usage guide.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Sinovac recipients get short end of the stick for travel to England The new rules will be effective on Oct 4.
	Study: Sinopharm's Covid-19 booster reverses antibody decline The study also shows it enhances cell-based responses.
	KJ conducts hospital ‘spot check’ in jeans and hoodie The surprise visit wins praises from netizens.

My Second Home

The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) policy came to a standstill during the Covid-19 pandemic with horror stories of people under the programme stranded overseas.

The programme is finally restarting but the new restrictive criteria have courted the displeasure of Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

Many high-end developments in southern Johor are reliant on foreign buyers through the MM2H programme.

The revised eligibility rules require participants to have a monthly income of at least RM40,000, up from RM10,000. They are also required to have a fixed deposit of RM1 million, up from RM150,000.

Critics have warned that it could spell the end of the programme. The Home Ministry is prepared to consider some relaxation, but only for existing participants who are already living in Malaysia and suddenly find themselves having to comply with more stringent rules.

Sabah and Sarawak, which have autonomy over their immigration policies, have decided to maintain more liberal rules for the MM2H programme.

HIGHLIGHTS

	After Langkawi, govt eyes more island travel bubbles Target is before the monsoon season.
	Chong Wei helps hometown hospital RM243k donations allowed for 32 beds.
	Pad brand pulls vulva-inspired ad Religious bodies objected.

Nuclear submarines

A geopolitical development in the region involving superpowers is causing concern for Malaysia.

France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia after what it perceived as underhanded tactics that deprived it of a submarine deal.

Australia had ditched the deal with France to form a security pact with the US and UK, which will see it building its own nuclear submarines as part of a technology transfer deal.

The move was denounced by China, which saw it as an attempt to counter its influence in the South China Sea.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed concern the move could lead to an arms race in the region.

Malaysia has had to deal with a more assertive China, which has deployed its coast guard in Malaysia's exclusive economic zone off the coast of Sarawak, an international concept which China does not recognise.

It has also tested Malaysia's air response by flying near its airspace. However, Malaysia has responded through diplomacy, including filing diplomatic protests.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Najib hints at re-election bid despite graft conviction He says Parliament is a must to have a say.
	No racial quotas in MAF recruitment 'All selection done in fair manner'.
	Patriot: Address perceived discrimination in schools This is based on a survey.

 

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 14,954 new cases yesterday (Sept 19), the lowest since July 26.
  
  
• The number of Covid-19 clusters is also trending down. There were 1,348 active clusters yesterday, 92 fewer compared to the 1,440 active clusters last week.
  
  
• Likewise, active cases have also declined to 219,359 compared to 239,351 a week ago, an 8.35 percent reduction.
  
  

What else is happening?

• Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's brother Zamri Yaakob was elected as the new chairperson of the National Farmers' Organisation. The election involved 17 members of the board.
  
  
• Even though environmentalists scored a victory after the Selangor government aborted the development of the Kuala Langat (North) Forest Reserve, the Shah Alam Community Forest is now in focus after part of it was zoned for mixed-development projects.
  
  
• Local activists and NGOs are pushing back against a plan to build a theme park in Cameron Highlands, which has been plagued by flash floods and landslides due to overdevelopment.
  
  
• Bersatu hinted that it won't support Umno's Ahmad Maslan as the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker due to his money laundering case and suggested the prime minister consults the party for a suitable candidate.
  
  
• A Malaysian man was detained in Somalia. He allegedly planned to join the Al-Shabaab terror group.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Landslide area at Kemensah Heights declared disaster site All the houses are still unsafe for occupation.
	Hospital Bahagia cleaners picket They want equal increments, better benefits.
	Teacher charged with unnatural sex He is also charged with sexual grooming.

What are people saying?

	Call me naive, but let's give the deal a chance By Zan Azlee
	Third deputy speaker a very bad idea By Francis Paul Siah
	Ambiguity in public administration is bad TK Chua

CARTOON KINI