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Wednesday, 27 April 2022

Migratory birds of mass destruction


  Albatross, famous migratory bird, is also a love bird. It is known for being monogamous, forming long-term bond with one partner that is rarely broken. Mated pairs never split up until one bird dies.
 
The proceedings of the Security Council conference on April 6 are in the public domain and are accessible. See the video below:


The UN Security Council held an extraordinary event on April 6 under the rubric Arria Formula Meeting on Biological Security regarding the biological activities in countries including Ukraine. Predictably, the U.S. and UK representatives didn’t show up at the event and the western media also blacked out the proceedings. But that does not detract from the profound significance of what transpired.

The highlight of the Security Council proceedings lasting over two hours was the disclosure by General Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, that Washington is creating biological laboratories in different countries and connecting them to a unified system.

He said the U.S. has spent more than $5 billion on military biological programs since 2005 and detailed that in territories bordering Russia and China alone, about 60 facilities have been modernised during this period. The Ukrainian network of laboratories is designed to conduct research and monitor the biological situation consisting of 30 facilities in 14 populated locations.

Highly sensitive materials from the Ukrainian biological laboratories were exported to the U.S. in early February just before the Russian special operation began, and the rest were ordered to be destroyed lest they fell into Russian hands. But the cover-up was only partially successful. Indeed, Russia is in possession of highly incriminating evidence.

Previously also, Russia had released a number of documents related to the biological military activities of the Pentagon, which pointed toward a worldwide project to set up biological laboratories in rival countries with the goal of developing targeted viral weapons against those countries.

Russia has made specific allegations, pointing finger at:

  • Pentagon funding for the bio-labs in Ukraine;
  • Location of these bio-labs(not only in Ukraine but in 36 countries around the world);
  • Diseases and epidemics on which research work is going on, focusing on the means for their release, the countries where they are being tested (even without the knowledge of the governments of these countries); and, of course,
  • Experiments relating to coronavirus (and bats used to transmit this virus).

However, the U.S. has so far point-blank refused to accept any supervision and verification of such incriminatory evidences and has stonewalled the demand for a verification mechanism. It is unlikely that the U.S. will permit an international verification process that holds the potential to expose it as indulging in crimes against humanity–although there are appropriate frameworks in place including the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the UN, to hear the clarifications from the relevant country in a fair and impartial manner.

A mind-boggling “discovery” that Russian forces in Ukraine stumbled upon is the use of numbered birds by the Pentagon-funded labs. This almost falls out of science fiction and Sir Alfred Hitchcock could have made an epic movie out of it where deception mixes with innocence and man’s cruelty to nature becomes unbearably grotesque. The project works like this:

To begin with, the Pentagon accesses the scientific data available with environmental specialists and zoologists after studying the migration of birds and observing them throughout the seasons, relating to the path these birds take each year on their seasonal journey from one country to another and even from one continent to another.

On the basis of this data, groups of migratory birds are caught, digitised and capsules of germs are attached to them that carry a chip to be controlled through computers.They birds are then released to the flock of the migratory birds in those target countries toward which the U.S. intelligence has malevolent intentions.

Of course, these migratory birds travel great distances. The wandering albatross, for instance, is known to migrate at least 8500 km eastward across the South Pacific to the coast of South America, and many shy albatrosses migrate westward across the Indian Ocean to the coast of South Africa.

During the long flight of the birds that have been digitised in the Pentagon bio-labs, their movement is monitored step by step by means of satellites and the exact locations are determined.The idea is that if the Biden Administration (or the CIA) has a requirement to inflict harm on, say, Russia or China (or India for that matter), the chip is destroyed when the bird is in their skies.

Plainly put, kill the bird carrying the epidemic. Sadly, my mind goes back to the novel by the American author Harper Lee To Kill a Mocking Bird, the haunting story of innocence destroyed by evil.

To return to reality, once the “digitised” bird is killed and the capsule of germs it carries is released, the disease spreads in the “X” or “Y” country. It becomes a highly cost-effective method of harming an enemy country without any need of war or coup d’état or colour revolution.

The Russians have made the shocking claim that they are actually in possession of such migratory birds digitised in the Pentagon’s bio-labs.

International law expressly forbids the numbering of migratory birds because they freely criss-cross the blue sky and air of other countries.By supplying them with germs, these birds become weapons of mass destruction. What human ingenuity! But the U.S. enjoys total immunity from international law.

The bottom line is that only the U.S. intelligence—and President Biden, perhaps, if he remembers—would know where all humans have been infected so far in this century by the Birds of Mass Destruction. Was Ebola that devastated Africa a test case and precursor of things to come?

What about COVID-19, which is known to have originated from funded laboratories that were administered by the U.S.? It is very likely that the U.S. might have used migratory birds to kill Chinese citizens. Clearly, the U.S. in its desperation to reverse its global decline is pulling out all the stops to restore its hegemony in a world order that is inexorably moving toward multipolarity.

Monthly Review does not necessarily adhere to all of the views conveyed in articles republished at MR Online. Our goal is to share a variety of left perspectives that we think our readers will find interesting or useful. —Eds. 

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A new kind of terrorism* - Numbered Bird strategy, which Russia accuses America !


For those who want to know what the numbered birds are... and how the United States kills the world without a single shot... I leave the information here:

*Birds of Mass Destruction*

Russia did not expect to discover, as part of its military campaign in Ukraine, numbered birds produced by biological and bacteriological laboratories in Ukraine financed and supervised by the US.

But what are the numbered birds?!

After studying the migration of birds and observing them throughout the seasons, environmental specialists and zoologists will be able to know the path these birds take each year on their seasonal journey, including those that travel from one country to another and even from one continent to others.

Here comes the role of the intelligence services of the parties that carry out a malevolent plan.

A group of these migratory birds are “detained”, digitized and provided with a capsule of germs that carry a chip to be controlled through computers. They are then released again to join migratory birds in countries where damage is planned.

These birds are known to take a route from the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea to the African continent and Southeast Asia,

as well as two other flights from Canada to Latin America in spring and autumn.

During its long flight, its movement is monitored step by step by means of satellites and its exact location is determined.

If they want, for example, to harm Syria or Egypt, the chip is destroyed when the bird is in their skies.

Kill the bird that falls carrying the epidemic. Thus, diseases spread in this or that country. In this way, the enemy country is harmed at no military, economic and political cost.

The numbering of migratory birds is considered a crime by international law, because they are birds that penetrate the sky and air of other countries.

If you supply them with germs, then this bird becomes a weapon of mass destruction.

Therefore, in international law, it is considered prohibited to use birds to launch deadly attacks against an opponent.

Anyone who commits such an immoral and inhumane act is punished.

The US does not tremble at any punishment, for no one dares to punish it. But they tremble before the stigma that will accompany their life and their complete exclusion as a credible country, even before their allies.

The Russians have a strong pressure card when they say they captured the birds.

This means that the Americans were caught with their hands in the dough, with all the details contained that prove the decisive condemnation.

This forces us to think about the possibility that all the viruses that have infected humans in this century, especially the last ones, such as the Ebola that affected Africa, anthrax, swine and avian flu, and currently Covid-19, all come from funded laboratories. and administered by the US.

And this is what prompted China to submit an urgent, serious and strict request to carry out an international investigation into the sudden emergence of the coronavirus.

It is very likely that the United States used migratory birds to kill Chinese citizens.

The serious thing is that the US scandals are on the rise.

*See also:* Fox News: Washington has been funding laboratories in Ukraine for the investigation of "lethal pathogens" since at least 14 years

 The original can be found at diario16.com/el-mensaje-urgente-de-ignacio-ramonet-le-monde-sobre-la-reunion-del-consejo-de-seguridad-de-la-onu-y-las- birds-of-destruction-massive/ 

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech at the International Press Conference


1. This morning! Serious warning to the United States: China's nuclear weapons are created NOT for you to see! It's not that we're afraid of things, it's just that you're not qualified to see!

2. Wang Yi's answer: The virus is the common enemy of all mankind, it may appear at any time and any place, and China, like other countries, has been attacked by the new crown virus, and is a victim, not a perpetrator, let alone an "accomplice" of the virus. At that time, the H1N1 flu was first diagnosed in the United States and broke out in a large area, spreading to 214 countries and regions, resulting in nearly 200,000 deaths. In the 1980s, AIDS was first discovered in the United States and spread rapidly to the whole world, causing suffering to many people and families, and who sought compensation from the United States? In 2008, the financial turmoil that occurred in the United States, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, and eventually evolved into a global financial crisis, who demanded compensation from the United States? The United States must be clear that their enemy is the virus, not China.

3. Wang Yi went on to say: If Biden and Blinken and the like are not guilty of Senile rhapsody, then they should know that China is not the China that was trampled by the "Eight-Power Coalition", and China is not Iraq, not Venezuela, not Syria, not when you want to come, you can check it if you want. China is not afraid of things, but you are not qualified, you are not qualified! At the beginning of the epidemic, we took the initiative to invite WHO and Chinese experts to conduct joint inspections in the affected areas, and put forward preliminary inspection results on related issues such as the outbreak and spread of the new crown virus. The investigation request put forward by Trump is purely unreasonable and a manifestation of hegemonism. They have placed the United States above international organizations and over all of humanity, as if only they themselves are credible. But is the United States really credible? Iraq and Venezuela are the lessons of the past.

4, we have to warn Biden, if you want to play China's calculations, it is best to think about it and then say it. Because 1.4 billion people will not agree, China's 2 million troops are not decorations, but China's Great Wall of Steel. China's Dongfeng missiles are not used to hit rakes, but to hit dogs and jackals. China's nuclear submarines are not used to travel under the sea, but to combat uninvited guests. China's nuclear weapons are not used to scare anyone, but to defend themselves, and whoever wants to taste it, you tell me.

5. We want to warn Biden that if we want China to compensate, it will start from the time when the Eight-Power Alliance invaded China, until wang Yi just proposed these cases together. You first compensate the old historical accounts of China and the world.

6, now China is in a very good position in the world, the first to control the new crown pneumonia, the first to enter the stage of economic recovery, and now it is to increase the horsepower to export anti-epidemic materials to the world, China's time to catch up with the United States in the total economic volume is also greatly advanced, which is unacceptable to Biden, the United States has been dragged into the quagmire by Biden, this time Biden wants to make China, let the world be unhappy. The heart of harming people must not be there, the heart of preventing Biden must not be without, and the wicked have their own harvest!

I hope that every Chinese will be able to pass this article out and make our China stronger and stronger, supporting all patriotic groups.

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Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022: Only true multilateralism can benefit the world, Xi proposes Global Security Initiative, sends signal of peace, stability amid global turmoil

Saturday, 23 April 2022

Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022: Only true multilateralism can benefit the world, Xi proposes Global Security Initiative, sends signal of peace, stability amid global turmoil


 
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, on April 21, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, on April 21, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 is being held in Boao, Hainan Province, from April 20 to April 22. The theme of this year's forum is "The World in COVID-19 and Beyond: Working Together for Global Development and A Shared Future." In a keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the forum on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Security Initiative, emphasizing the need to uphold "true multilateralism" and that it is particularly important for major countries to lead by example in honoring equality, cooperation, good faith and the rule of law, and act in a way befitting their status.

At present, the changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. At a time when unprecedented global changes are combined with a once-in-a-century pandemic, the world is at the crossroads of unity or division, cooperation or confrontation, upholding justice or hegemony. Xi's emphasis on "true multilateralism" is of great significance for lighting the way forward for international society to move on and promote peaceful development.

What is true multilateralism? It is, after all, that international affairs should be handled by all through consultations and the future and destiny of the world will be jointly decided by all countries. Such "true multilateralism" cannot be separated from the United Nations, therefore we must firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core; it cannot be separated from the international law, so we must unwaveringly uphold the international order underpinned by international law; it cannot be separated from global cooperation, so major powers need to lead by example in upholding justice, enforcing the rule of law, taking responsibility, and focusing on actions.

When representatives from 42 countries and regions were discussing regional solidarity and cooperation at the Boao forum, Washington was hosting the G20 Finance Ministers and the Central Bank Governors meeting. Finance ministers of countries including the US and Canada walked out when the Russian delegate spoke, staging a show of "political protest"at an international multilateral economic cooperation forum. The US supports a draft resolution to adjust the use of the veto by permanent members of the UN Security Council. All those acts are weakening and jeopardizing multilateralism and multilateral mechanisms.

In stark contrast, Asia is "climbing the hill together and going down the ravine together" and making "sugarcane and lemongrass grow in dense clumps." In 2021, the region withstood the pressure of the raging COVID-19 pandemic and led the global economic recovery. Measured by purchasing power parity, Asia accounted for 47.4 percent of the world's economy in 2021. From taking the lead in advocating the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, to jointly promoting the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Asian countries have made maintaining and practicing multilateralism in the region to transform from an experiment to a model, through all-round and broad-based win-win cooperation.

However, for Washington accustomed to creating rivals and stirring up trouble around the world to gain benefits, the stability and prosperity of Asia have become a thorn in its flesh. To seize the moral high ground and sugarcoat its geopolitical ambitions, Washington has even packaged its so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy as "multilateralism." It also has attempted to disturb regional peaceful development by strengthening its "multilateral mechanisms," including its "quadrilateral mechanism" and "trilateral security partnership." If we want to practice "true multilateralism," we must be wary of and oppose such "fake multilateralism."

It is clear that a lot of unrest, division, and poverty have been created in different parts of the world under practices of prioritizing one country's interests, making coteries that uphold hegemony, treating international rules as a tool for the interests of one nation, using a certain country's interests as the criteria, and engaging in "selective multilateralism." The US is still using the Russia-Ukraine conflict to further divide the world into camps and keeps pressuring neutral countries to "take sides." Such a "fake multilateralism" sometimes is deceptive to some extent, but more and more countries have seen through it and denied any attempts to stir up troubles globally or seize geopolitical "fruits."

As a Chinese saying goes, "Power may win for the time being, but justice will prevail for the long run." All countries across the world are in the same boat with a shared destiny. We must work together to sail through the stormy seas to a bright future. Any attempt to throw whoever into the sea is unacceptable. From the Global Development Initiative to the Global Security Initiative, China has always been a firm practitioner of true multilateralism. History will continue to prove that such a choice is on the right side of the history and on the side of human progress.

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 Xi proposes Global Security Initiative at Boao Forum, 'sends signal of peace, stability amid global turmoil’...

Solidarity stressed amid global changes, injects confidence in economic recovery

Xi proposes Global Security Initiative at Boao Forum, 'sends signal of peace, ...

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a global security initiative which stressed a commitment to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative ...

China's perspective on security for countries in the world. Graphic: GT 

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech via video link at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 held in Boao, Hainan Province. Here are some highlights of his remarks (4/12)


Image

China's multilateralism pledge at Boao Forum helps safeguard world security amid pandemic, conflict

China's commitment to multilateralism and opening-up is reassuring to a world faced with rising security risks, academics and delegates attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2022 said on Wednesday, as the international forum amid a new round of epidemic ...

Multilateralism, regional integration will ease supply chain problems: Boao Forum

The ongoing global supply chain crisis should be tackled by the major economies leading by example through multilateral consultation, economists and delegates attending the Boao Forum for Asia 2022 said.

 

Boao Forum is a Chinese message about world collaboration in the post-pandemic era: envoy

Despite global challenges, the Boao Forum for Asia held in South China's Hainan Province, sent the world an important message of global collaboration and development while addressing new opportunities in Asian regional cooperation to overcome economic hurdles in the post-pandemic era, the Mongolian Ambassador to China said on Thursday.

 

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BOAO Forum 2016: Asia's New Future - New Dynamics, New Vision

The telltale signs of a scam, Macau scams: Spot, avoid and report scammers; It’s all in the details

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Victim usually fall prey due to fear, naivety or greed

Fear, naivety and greed may have caused victims to fall prey to scammers who cheat them of thousands of ringgit, says MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.

He said aside from making phone calls, scammers would also write to the victim or even meet them in person.

“They claim to be government officers and they want you to park the money (temporarily) and you can take it back later – so the money will not be confiscated,” he said while elaborating on how some victims were conned.

“Are there such people who are kind enough to ask someone to hide their money? When I asked, the victims could not answer me,” he added.

Chong said some victims revealed that the scammers who claimed to be government officers had spoken to them in Mandarin, which is uncommon as the medium of instruction used by civil servants is either Bahasa Malaysia or English.

Some of them have also received calls after office hours, which is out of the norm.

“They will frighten victims by saying that they have been charged with money laundering or their property will be confiscated. Many victims get duped because they are scared.

“Let me ask one thing: if you have not done something wrong, then why are you scared? The conmen will know that you have done something wrong from the way they talk to you, and they will scam you further,” he added.

Chong said most of the victims will be told not to divulge any information to their family.

He cited a case where the scammer had accompanied the elderly victim to the bank to withdraw money. They would, however, wear a cap or sunglasses to ensure they cannot be identified or captured by CCTVs. The scammers would also address the victim as their parent to avert suspicion.

He said some victims were told not to cut the (phone) call until the “job” was done, and this could sometimes stretch for hours.

As for those who were lured with the promise of big prizes, Chong noted that simple logic applied here.

“If you didn’t buy any lottery ticket, how do you expect to strike the lottery?” he said.

There is also no clear demographic of scam victims.

“Age is not a factor but of course elderly victims are easier to target,” he said.

Chong also said banks should also be alert when elderly citizens are seen withdrawing huge amounts at one go.

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 Macau scams: Spot, avoid and report scammers

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KUALA LUMPUR: Despite constant reminders and notifications, people are still being duped by Macau Scams.

Last year, 1,585 Macau scam cases were reported nationwide resulting in RM560.8mil in losses.

This year, the number has already reached 1,258 cases between Jan 1 and April 19, involving RM65.4mil in losses.

ALSO READ: Got your EPF money? Beware the scammers

The Macau Scam modus operandi often starts with a phone call from someone pretending to be an officer from a bank, government or law enforcement agency or debt collector.

The scammer will then claim that the potential victim owes money, has an unpaid fine or has even been implicated in a crime.

The victim will then be given a choice to settle the matter – by transferring his funds to a mule account designated by the “officer” or by facing “dire consequences”.

These unsuspecting victim will then be asked to make payments to get him off the hook.

Hundreds of millions of ringgit have been lost to these scammers, who pose as officers from government agencies such as the police, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and even the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).

ALSO READ: It's all in the details

The range of victims have also expanded to include those in the professional line such as doctors and lawyers.

Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Asst Comm Mohd Mahidisham Ishak said several factors may address why Macau scam cases are still occurring.

“We believe it is a combination of a few things.

While we have conducted various campaigns to increase awareness, it could be that the message has not reached society thoroughly.

“We have utilised various platforms, including social media and public transport to spread more awareness on Macau scams.

“We will step up such campaigns to include having talks in schools to ensure that knowledge on such scams reach the masses,” said ACP Mohd Mahidisham.

Changes in the scammers’ modus operandi might have also contributed to such cases still occurring, ACP Mohd Mahidisham added.

“Scammers have posed as officers from the police force, Customs department, BNM and LHDN in the past.

“As mentioned in the past, scammers also used the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to mask their phone numbers.

“We hope the public will remain vigilant against such tactics,” he said.

ALSO READ: Recent cases of Macau scams tell a sorry tale

Victims not informing family members or authorities due to embarrassment could be another factor for such cases, he lamented.

ACP Mohd Mahidisham is also concerned that such scam methods have become more elaborate.

“Usually, the harassment by the scammers will last between one to two hours.

“However, since last month, we have been recording cases where the victims were harassed for about a week. It is important for family members to act if they spot any changes or peculiar actions (faced by the affected family member),” he said.

ACP Mohd Mahidisham also reminded the public that agencies such as the police do not conduct investigations over the phone.

“Witnesses or those who can assist the investigation will be required to make an appointment so that their statements will be recorded at the police station or headquarters.

“Don’t be fooled by such calls ... better yet, if you do not recognise the phone number, do not answer the call,” he stressed.

The public should never divulge any banking details to a third party, he added.

“Banking details should be kept safe. Don’t register the phone number of others for your bank account,” he said.

ACP Mohd Mahidisham urged those with enquiries to contact the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-26101559/1599, Whatsapp the CCID info-line at 013-2111222, or log on to semakmule.rmp.gov.my.

“Utilise the facilities that we have prepared for the public.

“Preventing and busting scams, especially Macau scams, remain our priority,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Invesigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din recently said Macau scam syndicates were using a new tactic to target Tabung Haji account holders.

“We have recorded 65 cases amounting to RM3.6mil in losses already recorded.

“Based on investigations, these activities are being conducted by Macau scam syndicates.

“They would make calls to the victims and intimidate the victims with allegations of involvement in criminal activities and outstanding credit card debts among other tactics,” he said.

He said the syndicates would then ask for the victims to disclose their banking information to clear them of any wrongdoing.

“We have now detected cases where the syndicates have withdrawn money from Tabung Haji accounts linked to conventional bank accounts belonging to the victims.

“The convenience of Internet banking facilities by Tabung Haji and other conventional banks has made this possible,” he said, adding that investigations revealed the victims had provided banking information to unknown individuals over the phones.

He said as a result, the victims not only lost money from their bank accounts but also money from their pilgrimage fund accounts.

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Macau scams: It’s all in the details

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PETALING JAYA: Well-choreographed storylines backed with the victims’ personal information and the ability to instil fear over possible repercussions from the authorities – these are some of the reasons many are still falling for Macau scams despite wide media coverage.

Hafishah Ab Hamid, 37, who lost over RM30,000, said she was pressured into believing her identity was stolen, which not only caused her to have RM40,000 in income tax arrears with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), but also “a wanted person notice” for her involvement in money laundering and drug trafficking.

ALSO READ: Got your EPF money? Beware the scammers

She received a letter purportedly from LHDN before receiving a phone call on March 29.

“I was hesitant at first, but I was transferred to a ‘Sarjan Nadia’ who asked me to Google ‘Kota Baru police station’. She said I would receive a call from that number and I did, which is when I started to fall for the scam.

“This ‘Sarjan Nadia’ then called ‘Bukit Aman’ to check if I was involved in other activities ... the background noises were realistic – you could hear sirens, people yelling ‘emergency case’, and then an officer from ‘Bukit Aman’ informed me that I was involved in money laundering and drug trafficking.

“I started to panic, but she told me to not inform anyone, not even my husband.

“She said to imagine how my husband and children would feel if they knew,” she added.

ALSO READ: Recent cases of Macau scams tell a sorry tale

During the four-hour conversation, Hafishah was also transferred to “Datuk ACP Zul”, who was supposed to clear her name and suspend an arrest warrant issued in her name.

“‘Datuk ACP Zul’ asked for information on my bank accounts, and I told him everything, including my ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputra) details. He told me to transfer my (ASB) money to my bank account so that they could check if the money was obtained legally,” she said.

The so-called Datuk ACP Zul also sent her an Android Package (APK) file, which is the file format used by the Android operating system for the installation of mobile apps.

“When I installed the app, a Bank Negara Malaysia logo appeared and I had to provide details such as my bank, full name, identification number, user name and password.

“I didn’t suspect anything at that time because I had just transferred my money (from ASB) to my account and I saw that my balance was RM32,000.

“I didn’t think I was being cheated because I didn’t transfer money to their account, but what I didn’t know was that they transferred my money to another account,” said Hafishah.

It is understood that the app she installed allowed the scammer to access her phone and obtain her information, which included her Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) security number.

“I didn’t get back my money – I was told that they transferred my money in stages so it is very difficult to trace (it). Bank Negara said they couldn’t freeze the scammer’s bank account.

“The scammer contacted me the next day. I informed the police, but I was told to just block their number.

“So I feel sad because even though we have their number and they are actively using it, nothing can be done to trace them,” she said, adding that she hopes others will educate themselves and not fall for such scams.

ALSO READ: Spot, avoid and report scammers

Nurul Najwa Ibrahim, 23, was in confinement when she received a call from “Pos Laju” on March 10, claiming that she posted illegal items – bank and identifications cards – and these were held up at the Kuantan police station.

“The caller said I needed to lodge a police report because perhaps someone was using my personal information. When I said that I didn’t post anything, and he asked me to press ‘9’ before I was transferred to a ‘Corporal Nasir Ahmad’,” she said.

To convince her, Najwa was asked to Google the Kuantan police station phone number and she was told to expect a call from that number.

“‘Corporal Nasir’ gave (me) two options: they would issue an arrest warrant or I could cooperate.

“He sent me a bank account number and instructed me to bank in RM3,000 so he could check the source of my money.

“After a while, I thought to myself, how could they check if my money came from illegal means unless they had my bank statement? That was when I realised that I had been duped.

“But the fact that they knew my full name, my identification number and they called me using the same number as the one I Googled made me believe that they were genuine,” said Najwa.

She said she hopes that the authorities would do more to curb this scam menace.

“The public should be wary – don’t be afraid even if they claim that they have ‘police cases’ on us,” she added.

Desperate to get a new car, Mazura Mat Esa, 41, ended up falling into depression after being manipulated by a scammer on March 25.

“I saw an advertisement on an online marketplace and contacted the seller who claimed he had submitted my loan application to Maybank the same night.

“The next day, a ‘Maybank officer’ calling himself ‘Maran’ phoned and said he would help expedite the bank process for RM2,000.

“The way he spoke was so convincing and he could answer all my questions,” she said.

Mazura transferred a total of RM5,000 as “processing fees” and to book a licence plate number.

Until today, she still hasn’t received her dream car.

 

Fear-of-missing-out factor in property market

 

FOR those who are interested to know about the health of the residential property market, Bank Negara Malaysia’s article “Developments in the Residential Property Market” (https://bit. ly/373eyeg) is a must-read.

The article, published in Bank Negara’s latest Financial Stability Review, states that house prices in Malaysia are seriously unaffordable at 4.7 times median house price to annual median income (median multiple). A house is considered affordable if the median multiple is 3.0 or below.

Why do Malaysians find houses seriously unaffordable? On the supply side, there is a mismatch due to market failure to provide enough affordable housing. On the demand side, housing affordability is limited by insufficient income and high indebtednes for some.

I think buyers’ buoyant sentiment or fear of missing out (FOMO) also contributes to the high median multiple or price-to-income ratio.

The most probable reason why investors buy houses is because they think the price will go up further. Yes, the current house prices are high and stagnating, but they reason that in the long term, prices will maintain their upward trend.

For investors, property investment can be even more lucrative compared to stocks because they can have a bigger leverage, which make their returns much higher if prices go up.

Also, they do not receive margin calls even if prices decline as long as they can service the monthly mortgage repayment.

For owner-occupiers, one of the reasons for buying houses at the current high prices is the fear that if they do not buy now, the price may go up later.

In the same article, Bank Negara pointed out that 57.3% of approved housing loans in the second half of 2021 were granted to owner-occupiers. Presumably, the other 42.7% of approved housing loans were granted to investors.

Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, United States, recently published a study titled “Real-time Market Monitoring Finds Signs of Brewing U.S. Housing Bubble” (https://bit.ly/36zs0jj).

Here is what they say: “But real house prices can diverge from market fundamentals when there is widespread belief that today’s robust price increases will continue.

“If many buyers share this belief, purchases arising from a ‘fear of missing out’ can drive up prices and heighten expectations of strong house price gains.

“This self-fulfilling mechanism leads to price growth that may become exponential (or explosive), resulting in the housing market becoming progressively misaligned from fundamentals until investors become cautious, policymakers intervene, the flow of money into housing dries up and a housing correction or even a bust occurs.”

The study listed the many consequences associated with explosive appreciation in real house prices. “Expectations-driven explosive appreciation (often called exuberance) in real house prices has many consequences, including the misallocation of economic resources, distorted investment patterns, individual bankruptcies and broad macroeconomic effects on growth and employment.”

I think an extreme example is Japan. For 30 years or so since 1950, house prices in Japan had only gone up.

Property prices rose by as much as six to seven times during the 1980s asset bubble as Japanese house buyers, whether investors or owner-occupiers, were all piling into real estate for fear of missing out based on the belief that prices could only go up.

Property prices in Japan continued to rise until the early 1990s and then started a drastic decline. Even some 30 years later, they have still not recovered.

In sum, should the FOMO sentiment be prevalent, prices will continue to be high relative to income or rent until the trend changes.

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Wednesday, 20 April 2022

Human rights development much broader in China than in the West

Harvard & Cambridge: China's Era Already? You Bet!

Danny Haiphong.Courtesy of HaiphongDanny Haiphong. Photo:Courtesy of Haiphong

Editor's Note:

For the Chinese people, the past decade was epic and inspirational. The country, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, has made great endeavors in boosting its economy, deepening reforms, improving the rights of its people and acting as a responsible power globally.

To help understand China's progress in the past decade, the Global Times (GT) has launched a weekly series of interviews with scholars from home and abroad, presenting a holistic view of China's governance philosophy. The following is an interview with Danny Haiphong (Haiphong), an independent journalist in the US and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China as well as a founding member of the No Cold War international campaign, on how China has made human rights protection a priority and how it has taken human rights moral high grounds.

GT: The US Department of State issued the 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on April 12, of which 90 pages are used to criticize China's human rights conditions. At the same time, 2021 was considered to be the US' most fatal year in history with more than 460,000 Americans killed by the coronavirus last year. Why does the US care more about human rights of China and other countries than its own record?

Haiphong: The US has politicized human rights for several reasons, none of which have anything to do with genuine concerns about the wellbeing of people. Constant speculation about human rights elsewhere provides a distraction from the shortcomings of the US' own political and economic system. The US possesses an abhorrent human rights record. An average of three Americans per day are killed by US law enforcement. Nearly one million Americans have died of COVID-19. US wars abroad have taken the lives of millions and destabilized entire regions.

Human rights are also an integral component of US foreign policy. Any nation deemed a threat to US hegemony is condemned for human rights violations. Often, the allegations are unfounded. This is certainly the case in relation to China. The US has spread insidious lies about the so-called human rights violations in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) to justify sanctions and military encirclement. The US' politicization of human rights is not only hypocritical, but a true danger to humanity.

GT: Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has prioritized the protection of people's lives, what kind of human rights views do you think this reflects?

Haiphong: China's approach to human rights is people-centered. People come first. China's dynamic zero-COVID strategy is a case in point. Human life is the top priority. This priority has mobilized the entire society in a successful war against COVID-19 which has kept the death toll very low.

This doesn't mean tradeoffs do not exist. The protection of human life amid a deadly pandemic means that uncertainty and hardship are inevitable. But it is the people-centered human rights approach which keeps China and its legitimate leadership, the Communist Party of China, forward on the path to becoming a modern socialist country by 2050.

GT: How do you see the influence the "coexistence with the virus" policy has had on the US and other Western countries? Western media are attacking and smearing China's zero-COVID strategy. Why do they suggest China should also "lie flat" in its fight against the epidemic?

Haiphong: The politicization of COVID-19 in the US and other Western countries has created a public opinion crisis. Not only have large numbers of people been misinformed about COVID-19, but many have been convinced that China is to blame for their disastrous conditions. The truth is that the US and its Western allies neglected their domestic and global obligations to properly address the pandemic in the interests of humanity. Now these same countries want to see China plunged into a crisis through the abandonment of its successful strategy to contain the pandemic.

The reasons for this are simple. For one, China abandoning the zero-COVID strategy would validate the endless smears that the US has leveled against it. Furthermore, the US views China's zero-COVID strategy as a threat to its hegemony. This may seem silly, but it does have a material basis to it. China's zero-COVID strategy offers hope that COVID-19 deaths and cases can be reduced without completely sacrificing economic growth. The US knows that should China abandon this path, all of its progress would be threatened. This best serves the US' narrow and selfish interests.

GT: Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized unswerving adherence to China's path of human rights development, saying living a happy life is the biggest human right for the people. Over the past years, many surveys conducted by Western institutions showed Chinese people's rising levels of satisfaction with the government's performance. What does this demonstrate? How do you comment on China's human rights views?

Haiphong: Widespread popular satisfaction with China's government is an indicator of legitimacy. China's socialist governance system serves the people. Human rights development is thus much broader in China than in the West. Economic freedom, or the freedom to a livelihood without poverty, hunger, homelessness and instability is a top priority.

China's socialist governance system has built a foundation of legitimacy with the people by serving their needs and giving them real reasons to believe that their lives will be better than prior generations.

China's own human rights views are driven by deep experience with other political systems. During the "century of humiliation," various political models were imported from the outside without success. This includes the colonial and feudal systems in the 19th century and the Western democratic model in the early 20th century. Only the socialist conception of human rights has been capable of bringing prosperity and a better life to the Chinese people.

One further note. Legitimacy and human rights development in China isn't a paternalistic affair. The interests of the people not only drive policy in China but the Chinese people possess numerous mechanisms to participate in the running of the country. This means that while China prioritizes economic human rights, political human rights play an important role in facilitating a balanced and harmonious society.

GT: The definition of human rights in the US and the West has become narrower and narrower. They place too much emphasis on political rights while ignore the most basic human rights to survival and development. Why don't the most basic human rights such as people's rights to health, survival and development get enough attention in the West?

Haiphong: The West has for centuries been driven by a model of development that places profit accumulation over the rights of the people. And it isn't just a benign profit that drives all development in the West, but capitalist profit which tends to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few private investors and monopolies. The anarchy of the market reigns supreme, and it is private monopoly capital which essentially dictates government policy. People's need for housing, gainful employment, and healthcare are viewed as profitable ventures in and of themselves. This means that their administration is built around exploitation rather than human development.

The US, for example, is the so-called richest country in the world yet has millions of people without healthcare, a place to live, or a job that can satisfy the basic needs of survival. Hundreds of thousands of people sleep on the street each night, and still more find themselves filing for bankruptcy due to medical debt. Students attending university carry with them the weight of more than a trillion in collective student loan debt to private loan servicers and banks. Political parties in Washington DC hold the view that these issues are incapable of being resolved but that private military and financial institutions should be subsidized in the hundreds of billions. The US political system doesn't just ignore the needs of the people, it proactively worsens the economic situation for the majority.

GT: What is the significance of China's human rights proposition for redefining human rights worldwide, especially for developing countries to explore their own path in human rights development and protecting people's fundamental rights?

Haiphong: China's position on human rights provides a model for countries with shared histories of Western-imposed colonialism and development. Sovereignty and respect for self-determination are prerequisites for these countries to choose their own development paths. Unfortunately, due to unilateral measures such as sanctions and unequal trade arrangements, the US and the West have prevented many countries the opportunity to exercise sovereignty in their development paths. This has caused great suffering and strife worldwide.

China's approach to human rights prioritizes sovereignty and the right to development, and these principles have been applied to the implementation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Economic development serves everyone, not just rich investors inside or outside of China. Furthermore, China's economic growth has not been achieved through isolationism but rather robust cooperation with all countries on the basis of equality. Developing countries seeking to both exercise their sovereignty while also reaping the benefits of increased global connectivity can look to China as a model of how the rights of the people do not need to be sacrificed for economic growth and vice versa. 

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