2025 – 2026 Malaysia School Term + Holiday Calendar!
Here is the 2025 – 2026 Malaysia school term calendar that the Malaysia Ministry of Education (KPM) released on 1 October 2024.
Group A states (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will begin the 2025 school term on 16 February 2025, and end on 10 January 2026.
Group B states (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) should begin the 2025 school term on 17 February 2025, and end on 11 January 2026.
The opening of the 2025 – 2026 school year in Malaysia has been brought forward by about 22 days, and the school year shortened by 37 days, compared to last year.
The number of school holidays have been further reduced by 14 days, to only 44 days. This is down from 75 days in the 2023-2024 school year, and 58 days in the 2024 – 2025 school year.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A : 2025 – 2026 school year will last from 16 February 2025 until 10 January 2026
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
16 February 2025
28 May 2025
67
Term 1 Holiday
29 May 2025
9 June 2025
12
Term 2
10 June 2025
11 September 2025
67
Term 2 Holiday
12 September 2025
20 September 2025
9
Term 3
21 September 2025
18 December 2025
62
Term 3 Holiday
19 December 2025
10 January 2026
23
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B : 2025 – 2026 academic year will last from 17 February 2025 until 11 January 2026
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
17 February 2025
28 May 2025
66
Term 1 Holiday
29 May 2025
9 June 2025
12
Term 2
10 June 2025
12 September 2025
66
Term 2 Holiday
13 September 2025
21 September 2025
9
Term 3
22 September 2025
19 December 2025
62
Term 3 Holiday
20 December 2025
11 January 2026
23
Extra Holidays For 2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term!
Here is the list of additional holidays for schools in Malaysia for the academic year of 2024 – 2025 :
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
30 March 2025
31 March to 1 April 20252 to 3 April 2025
Extra holiday
Public Holiday
2 extra holidays
Hari Deepavali
19 October 2025
20 October 2025
21 October 2025
Extra holiday
Public Holiday
Extra holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
31 March to 1 April 2025
2 to 4 April 2025
Public Holiday
3 extra holidays
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan
30 to 31 May 2025
Part of 2025-2026 Term 1 Holiday
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak
1 to 2 June 2025
Part of 2025-2026 Term 1 Holiday
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak
20 October 2025
21 to 22 October 2025
Public Holiday
2 extra days
Only for Sarawak
20 October 2025
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did JAG confirm that Tim Walz really became friends with school shooters?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Tim Walz became friends with school shooters!
Real Raw News posted an article (archive) which claimed that the Judge Advocate General (JAG) has confirmed that Tim Walz really became friends with school shooters!
As usual, the article is (intentionally?) rambling and confusing, so here is an excerpt. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Yes, Tim Walz Has Befriended School Shooters
“It was an incredibly candid disclosure,” a JAG source told Real Raw News. “Our interest in Walz had nothing to do with who picks for friends, but he has a history of sympathetically reaching out to school shooters, and the parents of school shooters, and, as he said, befriending them. But you’ll never hear that on the news.”
While investigating Walz’s checkered history in August, JAG learned that Walz had written a heartfelt letter to the parents of Aiden Hale (born Audrey Elizabeth Hale), the 28-year-old transgender who gunned down seven at the Covenant School in Nashville in March 2023. It was the state’s deadliest school shooting. Hale was killed by police after randomly killing her victims.
“…I don’t believe your son was evil, but misguided. Transgenders are non-violent but often targets of harassment and discrimination. I’m sure your son, may he rest in peace, was the victim of some inequity that pushed him past the edge, beyond the point of no return. I can’t condone his actions, but I condemn those discriminating against our transgender community. If I can assist, please don’t hesitate to call my office,” Walz purportedly wrote to Hale’s parents.
Additionally, Walz this year sent a letter to school shooter 18-year-old Christian Acevedo, who shot and killed two Benito Juarez Community Academy, a Chicago high school, students in December 2022. The altercation involved gang affiliations, and Acevedo was sentenced to 20 years for each murder charge.
“Gang-related violence is terrible, tragic, and I can’t imagine what injustice pushed you to the point of pointing and firing a gun that day…If we had known each other, if we had talked before you took their lives, I’m confident we could’ve found a more palatable solution…Were you forced into gang life, like so many are? Was that your only option to avoid becoming a target of violence yourself? That’s a story I hear a lot…Your friend in Christ, Governor Tim Walz,” Walz wrote to Acevedo.
Truth : Tim Walz did not become friends with school shooters!
The truth is – this is just another fake story created by Real Raw News, and here are the reasons why…
Tim Walz made a gaffe
During the Vice Presidential debate with JD Vance, Tim Walz made a gaffe – he accidentally said he became “friends with school shooters“, when he obviously meant he became “friends with [victims of] school shooters“, or “friends with school shooter [victims]“.
Here is the transcript of what Tim Walz said during the debate, with our correction. See for yourself if Tim Walz said he was friends with school shooters, or with the victims of school shooters and their families.
I sat in my office surrounded by dozens of the Sandy Hook parents, and they were looking at my seven-year-old’s picture on the wall. Their seven-year-olds were dead. And they were asking us to do something.
And look, I’m a hunter. I own firearms. The vice president does. We understand that the Second Amendment is there, but our first responsibility is to our kids to figure this out.
I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters.
Tim Walz clarified his remarks
Tim Walz later clarified that he was referring to people affected by school shooters – the victims and their families.
I was talking about being people where there are school shooters… I’ve become good friends with these Parkland students, and of course, the Sandy Hook parents.
Walz also pointed out that his history clearly showed that he stood by the victims of gun violence, and not school shooters.
Pretty damn clear that I’ve stood with the victims. Pretty damn clear that I’ve pass legislation to make sure this is less, less of an issue, and trying to get at the heart of it.
Pretty clear that my wife and I have dedicated ourselves to making gun violence a top priority, and I will continue to do so.
Unsurprisingly, the Real Raw News article provided no evidence to back up its claim that Tim Walz actually became friends with any school shooter!
The Real Raw News article claimed that the Judge Advocate General (JAG) investigated Tim Walz and discovered letters he wrote to school shooters. That’s not possible.
For one thing, the Judge Advocate General’s Corps is the military justice branch of the American military, and has no powers or jurisdiction over civilians, even if they are American citizens. The civilian justice system is separate from the military justice system.
Only in rare exceptions are JAG officers allowed to prosecute civilians. For example, if the civilian committed a crime on a military base, or while working in a foreign country and the local laws allow it. They can also prosecute civilians with special authority from the President, or Congress.
In addition, JAG officers do not have investigative powers. They are basically military lawyers who prosecute or defend US military service members in a court martial. So you won’t find them investigating alleged crimes by US military service members, never mind civilians or politicians like Tim Walz.
Needless to say, the Real Raw News article provided no evidence to back up its claim.
Real Raw News is known for fake news
Real Raw News is a fake news website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.
To protect himself from legal repercussions, the owner and writer, Michael Baxter (real name – Michael Tuffin), claims that his articles are “humour, parody, and satire“.
That disclaimer, which is not clearly mentioned in his articles, lets him keep creating fake news to go viral, and generate money.
A March 2018 screenshot of Michael Tuffin, who goes by the pseudonym Michael Baxter
His articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from his website. Here are some of his fake stories that I debunked earlier:
Everything posted by Real Raw News should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Are autism rates in Australia surging due to COVID-19 vaccines?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Autism Rates In Australia Are Surging Due To COVID-19 Vaccines!
People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed or suggested that autism rates in Australia are surging due to COVID-19 vaccines!
Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Autism Rates Surging in Fully Vaccinated Australia, 25% of Children Now Officially ‘Disabled’
Autism and disability rates have exploded in Australia in recent years, with an astonishing 25% of young children now officially registered as “disabled,” according to government statistics.
The number of primary school age students with disabilities has skyrocketed in recent years, jumping almost 40% since 2017. Social disabilities including autism have grown at almost 10% a year.
Doctors are baffled because Australia has one of the highest living standards in the world. Meanwhile, the mainstream media continues to insist the skyrocketing rates of autism, death and disability in Australia have nothing to do with the country having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
More than 97.4% of Australians aged over 16 have received at least two doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Furthermore, children receive a punishing schedule of vaccinations from birth and continuing throughout childhood.
According to the Department of Health, 94.6% of children meet the Australian government’s requirements to be considered “fully immunized.”
In Australian classrooms today, an estimated 4% of 7 to 14-year-olds now have a primary diagnosis of autism, while between 6% and 10% of children have ADHD.
Huge numbers of children with physical and psychological disabilities are also enrolled in the education system, the astonishing numbers dwarfing previous generations and providing serious challenges for teachers unprepared for the carnage.
Such is the level of carnage in fully vaccinated Australia, teachers are expected to perform numerous roles, catering to children with myriad different disabilities.
In fact, the article pointed out that the national disability insurance scheme was a key driver of the growth [of students with disabilities], as well as changes to how schools assess disability for reporting purposes.
Nowhere in the article was it ever suggested that doctors are baffled about the growth of students with autism and disabilities in Australia. Neither did it even suggest that vaccines might be the cause!
Perhaps that’s why The People’s Voice article did not provide a link to the article? After all, anyone who reads the article will realise vaccines were never mentioned in the entire article, much less blamed for the rise in disabilities or autism in Australia!
Fact #2 : Australia Autism Rates Have Been Rising Before COVID-19 Vaccines
More importantly, the rate of autism in Australia has been steadily increasing year-on-year since 2004 – more than 16 years before the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved!
Obviously, the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 could not have possibly caused the yearly increase in autism diagnoses in Australia… unless they have a time machine???
The truth is – the increase in autism diagnoses in Australia has nothing to do with COVID-19 vaccines.
Just in case you misread the clickbait title and thought that 25% of children in Australia have autism, that’s not true.
The Guardian article pointed out about 4% of young students (7 to 14 year olds) have a primary diagnosis of autism, while 6%-10% of children have ADHD.
Even if you combine both disabilities together, they only make up less than 15%. Nowhere close to 25% for sure!
Fact #4 : Autism Rates Have Been Going Up For Decades
The rise in autism diagnoses isn’t exclusive to Australia either. Thanks to greater awareness and screening, a change in diagnostic criteria, as well as greater access to healthcare services, more children with autism are being diagnosed all across the world.
This increase in autism diagnoses is also not related to COVID-19 vaccines, as they have been increasing since 2000, as this chart shows. It is simply not possible for COVID-19 vaccines, which were only approved at the end of 2020 or early 2021, to go back in time and cause autism…
Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News
The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.
Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Ryan’s Autism Journey : How He Became Our Miracle!
I’m sorry, but your child exhibits behaviours consistent with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
That is something no parent ever wants to hear. That is something no parent deserves to hear. But it is what it is. It would explain his inability to speak or stay still, his lack of eye contact, repetitive behaviours, screaming fits at night (night terrors), and more.
But no one ever accepts it when they hear it for the first time, the second time, or even the third time. We always hold out hope that it must be something else. Maybe he’s just slower than the other kids. Maybe he’s just cranky. No one wants to hear the dreaded A word.
Acceptance
IMHO, acceptance was KEY to our success. It was the first step we took into the dark tunnel, and out the other end.
Over the years, many people have confided in me how their friends or relatives refused to acknowledge the diagnosis, thus preventing them from moving to the next stage – helping the child.
If it helps, ignore the label. The diagnosis really does not matter. All you need to know is that your child is missing key milestones, and he/she needs help. That is all that matters.
Everyone goes through the stages of grief when you get the diagnosis. But time is of essence. Every day counts. So I decided right away to speed right through to acceptance, and get right down to work.
That meant reading up on the latest studies and treatments, and getting urgent referrals to the best doctors and therapists in the area.
It may be somewhat easier for me, because I already underwent a similar baptism of fire when my wife had two strokes just 1.5 years earlier. So I would understand if you may have trouble moving past this stage.
If I may offer a personal suggestion, try focusing on the fact that your child urgently needs your help, and every day counts.
Neuroplasticity
It soon became clear that the key was THERAPY, and the earlier he started, the better; because young brains are especially “plastic”.
Neuroplasticity – the ability of our brains to “rewire” itself – is how stroke patients regain function through therapy, and it’s the same reason why therapy works well in children with ASD.
The key is to start therapy as early as possible, to take advantage of the developing brain of young children, which is highly plastic.
You don’t even have to wait for a diagnosis. As our developmental paediatrician, Dr. Rajini Sarvananthan, once told me – as long as a child has developmental issues, therapy should begin.
We put Ryan on occupational therapy with Madam Teo Lee Fun to work on his sensory and behavioural issues, as well as his fine and gross motor skills.
We also put Ryan on speech therapy with Dr. Cindy Lian, to help him learn to speak, and later, to improve his pronunciation.
Finally, we managed to get a slot in an Early Intervention Programme – Bridges EIP – for two-hour sessions, twice a week.
EIP is an incredibly useful programme, where special needs kids are taught cognitive skills at the table for about 30 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes of gross motor activities. Then they learn to eat by themselves, and interact with other children during snack time. After that, they usually have some kind of art and craft activity, and end with singing.
Many thanks to great teachers like Jeremy Yong, Rachel and Lois Fu!
Therapy sessions are not cheap, and we had a tough time coping financially with the costs. I’m sure many parents felt the same way too.
So a great way to save money and improve your child’s chances is to actually attend every therapy session yourself, and learn how to perform those therapies yourself. That way, you can cut down on the number of therapy sessions, without jeopardising your child’s therapy. Simply repeat the therapies at home, as often as you can.
Some parents have told me how some therapists refuse to let them join therapy sessions. If that is the case, then you should choose a different therapist. The therapists we worked with all insist that we join the sessions so we can learn and repeat at home.
Therapy Is Brain Exercise
Learning therapies and repeating at home isn’t just about cost. Therapy is literally brain exercise. The more you exercise, the better you get. So please understand this – weekly therapy sessions alone are NOT ENOUGH.
We not only made sure Ryan did not skip any therapy sessions, we also made sure we attended every session ourselves, to learn the therapies, and repeating them at home. The key is to repeat, repeat, repeat at home.
Even if you are rich enough to afford daily sessions, that still amounts to just a few hours a week. It cannot beat parents teaching their kids at home too.
No matter how often you send your child for therapy, please repeat, repeat, repeat the therapies at home as often as you can!
Looking back at my records, Ryan did not improve much for quite some time – at least 1.5 years. That is really a long time to stick with something with little to show for.
But I knew that therapies are literally the only proven treatment for ASD. So I never once considered stopping his therapies, even as I watched other parents give up to try alternative therapies.
As expensive in money and time as they were – my wife and I attended all of them, and we repeated the therapies at home. We slogged on, even when Ryan did not seem to be making progress at all.
Then suddenly, Ryan started to show improvements, and by golly, when that happened, it just kept snowballing! In just 1.5 years, he went from speaking only a few words and barely able to hold a ball, to being able to converse normally and he even learned the waveboard by himself in just two weeks!
He improved so much, we ended up sending him to a Chinese school – to keep pushing the envelope. Ryan is now in a public school, where he even won an award for being the most improved student in his class!
Three years after I first wrote this story, Ryan is now a prefect in his secondary school, and loves playing badminton. He doesn’t yet know what he wants to be when he grows up, but he wants to go to a university when he figures that out!
If there is any advice we can give to parents with children on the spectrum, it is this – please don’t fall for what’s easy and what’s miraculous.
Biomedical treatments that promise quick solutions, or supplements that promise a fast cure – they are all enticing, I’m sure. But don’t listen to what they have to sell.
Find out what WORKS, and seek advice from those who have actually SUCCEEDED. Don’t chase after miracles. BE THE MIRACLE!
No Special Treatment
This is not part of therapy, it’s just common sense. Don’t pamper or coddle your child, or treat him/her differently from the other siblings.
We made the conscious choice of making sure Ryan is treated no differently from his siblings. Not only is he FULLY VACCINATED, he has NO SPECIAL DIET / SUPPLEMENTS, and certainly NO PASSES for bad behaviour.
We are not going to be here forever. If we want him to be fully independent as an adult, he has to learn to eat, drink and behave like everyone else.
Ryan’s Autism Journey : Why It’s Important To Speak Up
We may be out of the dark tunnel, but we are not out of the woods yet. Even today, we are still working with Ryan on his social skills. But it is truly amazing how far we have come in the last 12 years.
I spent hours creating the video and writing this article, because it is important for those who have succeeded to lend a hand, and help those who are struggling with the enormity of the task at hand.
I hope Ryan’s journey will inspire all of you to persevere and trust in the evidence, and trust in the science.
Ryan did it, and so can your child.
All we ask is that when you succeed, you too will lend a helping hand to other parents, and be a voice for other children on the spectrum.
Thank you!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Were thousands of child sex workers flown on private jets to service WEF 2024 attendees in Davos?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Child Sex Workers Flown To Davos For WEF 2024!
People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that thousands of child sex workers were flown on private jets to service attendees of the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos!
Child Sex Workers ‘Fully Booked’ at Davos, WEF Insider Says
Thousands of children have been flown into the World Economic Forum under cover of darkness for the global elite’s annual summit in the Swiss alpine report of Davos, according to World Economic Forum insiders who reveal the horrific scale of the elite’s chosen vice.
Dozens of private jets have been turned into child escort carriers to traffic the children across borders and into the vipers’ den, according to sources familiar with the matter.
None of these children have passports and the majority of them do not have any form of identification. Their past is unknown and their future does not bear thinking about.
Demand for sex work skyrockets each year at the meeting of world leaders and business tycoons who jet in from all around the world to rub shoulders with each other.
What the media don’t tell you is that the majority of these sex workers are underage. And many of them are extremely young.
It said over 1,000 private-jet flights arrived and departed airports serving Davos in January and approximately 12 of these were packed with underage children being trafficked.
Truth : Child Sex Workers Were Not Flown To Davos For WEF 2024!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Of Child Sex Workers At WEF 2024
First, let me just point out that there is absolutely ZERO evidence that any child sex worker was trafficked to Davos for the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF).
The People’s Voice certainly provided no evidence to back up its claims of “thousands of children” being flown to WEF 2024 on private jets for sex work.
Think about it for just a second. Davos isn’t some sealed town owned by the “evil WEF cabal”. It is a town in Switzerland where anyone can visit. There were thousands of people in Davos for WEF 2024, including members of the media from all over the world, as well as conspiracy theorists and cranks looking to record viral video clips (example) of the WEF elite.
Yet no one was able to obtain a single photo or video of any child sex worker in Davos, in the age of ever-present cameras in smartphones, CCTVs, dash cams, etc.?
Fact #2 : Passports Required For Private Jet Passengers
The claim that the elite trafficked children into Davos without passport or identification is ludicrous. Even if they flew in on private jets, they would still need to present their passports for international flights.
Private jets merely offer privacy and convenience. They do not allow passengers to bypass immigration controls.
Fact #3 : Minors Cannot Travel By Themselves
There is also the inconvenient fact that minors are not allowed to travel across borders without being accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Imagine a private flight of multiple minors without their parents landing at any airport. It would have drawn special scrutiny. There is simply no way for child sex workers to be trafficked across borders using private jets.
The People’s Voice cannot even keep its fake story straight. After claiming that “dozens” of private jets were used to “traffic the children across borders”, it then claimed that about a dozen flights were used to transport those child sex workers to Davos.
What the writer may not realise is that private jets are small. Most private jets seat about 8-12 people, but the largest – the Embraer Lineage 1000, can seat up to 18 people.
A dozen Lineage 1000 flights would only carry a total of 216 children. For a thousand children, you would need about a hundred private jets, or at least 56 of the super-large Embraer Lineage 1000 private jets.
Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News
The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.
Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Minister of Education just announced that students can wear sports attire for the 2024-2025 school term!
Students Can Wear Sports Attire For 2024/2025 School Term!
On Friday, 19 January 2024, the Malaysia Minster of Education announced that students will be allowed to wear sports attire for most of the week for the 2024-2025 school term.
From March 2024 onwards, students will longer be required to wear their school uniform for two days per week. They can then wear sportswear for two days, and co-curriculum attire for one day.
School uniform : two days per week
Sportswear : two days per week
Co-curriculum attire : one day per week
This decision was made after consulting stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and the community. The Education Ministry had earlier announced that students and teachers could wear sports attire due to the hot weather.
The school attire from the 2024/2025 academic year will be … two days of school uniform, two days of sportswear, and one day of co-curriculum attire.
She also said that further details will be provided later, in the announcement letter that will be sent to schools.
For reference, the 2024-2025 school term in Malaysia begins in March 2024 and ends in January 2025:
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A : 2024 – 2025 school year will last from 10 March 2024 until 15 February 2025
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
10 March 2024
23 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
24 May 2024
2 June 2024
10
Term 2
3 June 2024
12 September 2024
71
Term 2 Holiday
13 September 2024
21 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
22 September 2024
19 December 2024
63
Term 3 Holiday
20 December 2024
28 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
29 December 2024
16 January 2025
15
Year End Holiday
17 January 2025
15 February 2025
30
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B : 2023 / 2024 academic year will last from 11 March 2024 until 16 February 2025
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
11 March 2024
24 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
25 May 2024
2 June 2024
9
Term 2
3 June 2024
13 September 2024
72
Term 2 Holiday
14 September 2024
22 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
23 September 2024
20 December 2024
62
Term 3 Holiday
21 December 2024
29 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
30 December 2024
17 January 2025
14
Year End Holiday
18 January 2025
16 February 2025
30
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : That Muslim Man Did Not Marry An 8 Year-Old Girl!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Photo Was From 2016
The viral photo isn’t new, even though people are posting it in 2023. It has been circulating since 2016, and keeps going viral over the years.
Fact #2 : The Photo Was Taken In Turkey
Even though some have posted the photo together with screenshots of news articles suggesting that this occurred in Yemen, the viral photo was actually taken in Elâzığ, a city in Turkey.
Fact #3 : It Was A Kindergarten Ceremony
Regardless of what’s been claimed on social media, the viral photo does not show an old man and his very young wife. Neither does it show a wedding of the man and the very young girl.
The photo is one of many taken at a private kindergarten in Elâzığ, Turkey, showing the celebration ceremony held for children – boys and girls, who successfully completed their Quran education.
Notably, the girls came to the kindergarten ceremony dressed in costumes, including wedding dresses. However, it does not mean that they were there to be married off to old men!
The man in the viral photo is apparently the kindergarten’s principal, who shared those photos on the kindergarten’s social media account.
Needless to say – the parents of those children were also present! The photos also show the children receiving presents.
Fact #4 : Bride Who Died On Wedding Night Was A Different Girl
The shocking case of an 8 year-old Yemeni girl called Rawan, who allegedly died on her wedding night, has been tied to this viral photo.
Allegedly, the girl died from internal bleeding and a uterine rupture, after having intercourse with her 40 year-old husband on their wedding night in the northwestern Yemeni town of Meedi.
The story was reported by a Yemeni social activist, and confirmed to Reuters by two residents in Meedi. However, a security official in the provincial town of Haradh denied that any such incident occurred. To date, no additional details have been reported, and it is not known if this incident actually happened.
Even if the story is true, that incident was reported in September 2013 – more than 10 years ago. That case has nothing to do with the viral photo above, which was taken three years later – in 2016.
Fact #5 : Dead Bride + Husband Photos Are False
To be clear – no known photo exists of the 40 year-old man, or his 8 year-old bride who allegedly died on their wedding night. The two viral photos that often accompany that story were misappropriated.
The man in the screenshot below is actually Ebrahim Yusuf Kazi, a 67 year-old imam who was jailed in 2011 for two years for sexually assaulting three young girls in the United Kingdom.
The girl, who appears to be dressed as a bride, was apparently taken from a Russia-1 video uploaded in 2012, about child brides in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) of the former Soviet Union.
I should also point out that the girl’s name is not Ilham Mahdi al Assi. That is a 13 year-old Yemeni girl who died after bleeding from her first sexual intercourse with her 23 year-old husband, Abed al-Hikmi. That happened in April 2010, and her husband was detained by the police.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
All states except Johor,
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis
and Terengganu
14 Jan
15 Jan
Sun
Mon
YDPB Negeri
Sembilan’s Birthday
Negeri Sembilan
25 Jan
Thu
Thaipusam
Johor, Kuala Lumpur,
Negeri Sembilan, Penang,
Perak, Putrajaya and
Selangor
1 Feb
Thu
Federal Territory Day
Kuala Lumpur, Labuan,
Putrajaya
8 Feb
Thu
Israk and Mikraj
Kedah, Negeri Sembilan,
Perlis and Terengganu
10 Feb
11 Feb
Sat
Sun
Chinese New Year
All states
12 Feb
Mon
All states except Johor and Kedah
20 Feb
Tue
Independence Declaration Day
Melaka
4 Mar
Mon
Accession Anniversary
of Terengganu Sultan
Terengganu
12 Mar
Tue
Awal Ramadan
Johor, Kedah and Melaka
23 Mar
Sat
Sultan of Johor’s Birthday
Johor
28 Mar
Thu
Nuzul al-Quran
All states except Johor, Kedah,
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan,
Sabah and Sarawak
29 Mar
Fri
Good Friday
Sabah and Sarawak
10 Apr
11 Apr
Wed
Thu
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
All states
26 Apr
Fri
Sultan of Terengganu’s
Birthday
Terengganu
1 May
Wed
Labour Day
All states
17 May
Fri
Raja of Perlis’
Birthday
Perlis
22 May
Mon
Wesak Day
All states
22 May
23 May
Mon
Tue
Hari Hol Pahang
Pahang
30 May
31 May
Thu
Fri
Harvest Festival
Labuan and Sabah
1 Jun
2 Jun
4 Jun
Sat
Sun
Tue
Hari Gawai
Sarawak
3 Jun
Mon
YDP Agong’s Birthday
All states
16 Jun
Sun
Arafat Day
Kelantan and Terengganu
17
Jun
Mon
Hari Raya Haji
All states
18 Jun
Tue
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis,
Terengganu
30 Jun
Sun
Sultan of Kedah’s
Birthday
Kedah
7 Jul
Sun
Awal Muharram
All states
8 Jul
Mon
All states, except Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan & Terengganu
7 Jul
9 Jul
Sun
Tue
Georgetown World
Heritage City Day
Penang
13 Jul
Sat
Penang Governor’s
Birthday
22 Jul
Mon
Sarawak Day
Sarawak
30 Jul
Tue
Sultan of Pahang’s
Birthday
Pahang
11 Aug
Sun
Hari Hol Almarhum
Sultan Iskandar
Johor
24 Aug
Sat
Melaka Governor’s
Birthday
Melaka
31 Aug
Sat
Merdeka Day
All states
1 Sep
Sun
Kelantan & Terengganu
16 Sep
Mon
Prophet Muhammad’s
Birthday
All states
16 Sep
17 Sep
Mon
Tue
Malaysia Day
All states
29 Sep
30 Sep
Sun
Mon
Sultan of Kelantan’s
Birthday
Kelantan
5 Oct
Sat
Sabah Governor’s
Birthday
Sabah
12 Oct
Sat
Sarawak Governor’s
Birthday
Sarawak
31 Oct
Thu
Deepavali
All states except Sarawak
1 Nov
Fri
Sultan of Perak’s
Birthday
Perak
11 Dec
Wed
Sultan of Selangor’s
Birthday
Selangor
24 Dec
Tue
Christmas Eve
Sabah
25 Dec
Wed
Christmas Day
All states
2024 School Holidays For Malaysia
The COVID-19 pandemic has thoroughly screwed up the school term and holidays. Instead of starting in January and ending in December, the new term now starts in March and every year will have two “academic years”.
It will now take until 2026 for the government to shift the school term back to January-December. This is quite confusing for many of us parents, so here is a quick summary of the school holidays for the year 2024.
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
Term 1 Holiday
24 May 2024
2 June 2024
10
Term 2 Holiday
13 Sep 2024
21 Sep 2024
9
Term 3 Holiday
20 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
9
Year End Holiday
17 Jan 2025
15 Feb 2025
30
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group A schools:
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday + Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Part of 2023-2024
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
7 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
3 extra days
Public Holiday
Hari Deepavali
30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Group B Schools
Here are the school holidays for Group A states of Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Holiday
Start
End
Days
Term 1 Holiday
25 May 2024
2 June 2024
9
Term 2 Holiday
14 Sep 2024
22 Sep 2024
9
Term 3 Holiday
21 Dec 2024
29 Dec 2024
9
Year End Holiday
18 Jan 2025
16 Feb 2025
30
In addition, the government also announced these extra holidays for Group B schools:
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday and Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Within 2023
Year-End
Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
8 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
12 April 2024
2 extra days
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Thursday and Friday,
31 and 31 May 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Saturday, 1 June 2024
Sunday, 2 June 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 November 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of
Term 3
Holidays
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Ministry of Education just announced the 2024 – 2025 school term + holiday calendar! Here is what you need to know!
2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term To Begin In March!
Back in August 2022, the former Malaysia Minister of Education, Dr. Radzi Jidin, announced that the 2023 school term would begin in March. The final 2023 – 2024 school calendar for Malaysia was only confirmed on 10 December 2022, with an additional delay of one week.
On 8 November 2023, the Malaysia Ministry of Education quietly released the 2024 – 2025 school term + holiday calendar (PDF download), which would begin in March 2024, and end in January 2024.
This shortened school year is in line with efforts to bring the school year back to the pre-pandemic schedule, as announced in May 2023.
The 2024/2025 academic calendar is being brought forward to start in February 2025.
The 2026 academic calendar will then begin in January 2026.
2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term + Holiday Calendar!
Here is the 2024 – 2025 Malaysia school term calendar that the Malaysia Ministry of Education (KPM) released in November 2023.
Group A states (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will begin the 2024 school term on 10 March 2024, and end on 15 February 2025.
Group B states (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) should begin the 2024 school term on 11 March 2024, and end on 16 February 2025.
The opening of the 2024 – 2025 school year in Malaysia has been brought forward by about 9 days, and the school year shortened by 2 weeks, compared to last year.
The number of school holidays have been reduced by 17 days, down from 75 days last year to just 58 days in the 2024 – 2025 school year.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A : 2024 – 2025 school year will last from 10 March 2024 until 15 February 2025
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
10 March 2024
23 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
24 May 2024
2 June 2024
10
Term 2
3 June 2024
12 September 2024
71
Term 2 Holiday
13 September 2024
21 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
22 September 2024
19 December 2024
63
Term 3 Holiday
20 December 2024
28 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
29 December 2024
16 January 2025
15
Year End Holiday
17 January 2025
15 February 2025
30
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B : 2024 – 2025 academic year will last from 11 March 2024 until 16 February 2025
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1
11 March 2024
24 May 2024
48
Term 1 Holiday
25 May 2024
2 June 2024
9
Term 2
3 June 2024
13 September 2024
72
Term 2 Holiday
14 September 2024
22 September 2024
9
Term 3 Part 1
23 September 2024
20 December 2024
62
Term 3 Holiday
21 December 2024
29 December 2024
9
Term 3 Part 2
30 December 2024
17 January 2025
14
Year End Holiday
18 January 2025
16 February 2025
30
Extra Holidays For 2024 – 2025 Malaysia School Term!
Here is the list of additional holidays for schools in Malaysia for the academic year of 2024 – 2025 :
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday + Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Part of 2023-2024
Year-End Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
7 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
3 extra days
Public Holiday
Hari Deepavali
30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Saturday and Sunday,
10 and 11 February 2024
Within 2023
Year-End
Holiday
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
8 to 9 April 2024
10 to 11 April 2024
12 April 2024
2 extra days
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Thursday and Friday,
31 and 31 May 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Saturday, 1 June 2024
Sunday, 2 June 2024
Part of
Term 1
Holidays
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 November 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak 30 October 2024
31 October 2024
1 extra day
Public Holiday
Christmas
25 December 2024
Part of
Term 3
Holidays
Chinese New Year
Wednesday + Thursday,
29 and 30 January 2025
Part of 2024-2025
Year-End Holiday
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Hamas keeping Jewish children it kidnapped from Israel in cages in Gaza?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-10-11 : Added details of Israeli Foreign Minister’s confirmation Originally posted @ 2023-10-10
Claim : Jewish Children Held Hostage In Cages By Hamas!
Many people are sharing pictures and/or a video showing five children inside cages, claiming that they were being held hostage by Hamas after being kidnapped in its October 2023 attack on Israel.
Orthodox Canonist :Alleged footage of Hamas keeping children in cages. Why?
What purpose does this serve? Are they Israeli hostages? 🤔💭🇵🇸🇮🇱
Alon Tk : Jewish babies captive in birdcages in Gaza. These are crimes against Humanity. The whole world needs to see this. #Israel #Gaza
Ariel Dickmann : Jewish babies kidnapped and tortured in Gaza😡
Truth : Hamas Did Not Keep Those Children In Cages!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), and here are reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Video Was Recorded Many Years Ago
First, I should point out that one example of this viral video can be found on YouTube (archive link) since 27 January 2020. It received little attention when it was released more than 3 years ago, garnering less than 60 views. Oddly enough, YouTube appears to have taken it down recently “for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines”.
Several commentators (example) have also claimed that this video was originally recorded in 2015. What is certain is that – this video is at least several years old, and is therefore not related to the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
The video was then posted by @user690306825181 (account now removed) on TikTok, where it went viral and was reposted to WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook.
Fact #2 : TikTok Video Was Posted Before Hamas Attack
The TikTok video itself was actually posted on 4 October 2023 – three days BEFORE the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel. Here’s the evidence that Fake Reporter on X found.
The TikTok video was not only posted three days earlier – on 4 October, it was being promoted on TikTok. The video therefore has absolutely nothing to do with the Hamas attack on Israel.
Fact #3 : The Video Does Not Show Jewish / Israeli Children
According to the YouTube channel – Palestine News, the video was recorded by B’Tselem – an Israeli NGO that documents human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
Palestine News claimed that the video showed Palestinian children locked in cages by the Israeli army, and was filmed in Hebron. Hebron, incidentally, is located in the West Bank, and not in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Israeli Army Kidnapping Palestinian Children and throwing them in Cages , in Occupied Hebron , VIA B’TSELEM
On the other hand, other commentators (example) claimed that the video was recorded by a father who found his children playing in the chicken coop, and locked them up for a laugh. The man, who appeared to be the person recording the video, can be heard laughing heartily in the background.
The laugh seems jovial, and the children do not seem particularly upset. One boy even appears to be smiling. Another commentator said that the guy was saying, “You guys gave me a hard time“, and “Don’t bite me“. That would give some credence to the claim that this was a fun video recorded by a father.
Unfortunately, I cannot confirm (at the moment) whether this video shows Palestinian children being held captive by Israeli soldiers, or Syrian children locked in a cage by their father. The B’Tselem website, for example, has way too many references to children in cages, and I cannot locate the original video allegedly posted by the Syrian father.
However, what seems certain is that these are not Jewish or Israeli children held captive by Hamas, as a result of their 7 October 2023 raid of Israel. After all – this video was recorded and posted before the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas.
Fact #4 : Israel Foreign Minister Appeared To Confirm This
What arguably made this video go viral is the fact that some Jewish news media published reports that Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen confirmed that the video of Israeli children being held in cages in Gaza was genuine.
Cohen appeared to have made those comments during a live-streamed press conference. But it appears that it was a mistake, and some of those articles have removed references to the video, or Cohen’s claim.
Ultimately, this is just another example of misinformation circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), using misappropriated videos.
Here are some other examples that we fact checked recently:
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Elton John just boycott the US over gay rights, while forgetting about his own past?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Elton John Boycotts US Over Gay Rights!
People are sharing an OutKick article, claiming that Elton John has just boycotted the US over gay rights, while forgetting about his past! Here is an excerpt from that OutKick article:
Elton John Boycotts U.S. Over Gay Rights, Forgets Own Past
John’s road retirement may not last, but he’s certain he won’t play as much as a residency in the States moving forward. Why? He cites the new, “disgraceful” hate aimed at the LGBTQ+ community coursing through America’s veins.
He’s clearly conflating laws meant to protect children from life-altering surgery with the broader gay rights movement. In doing so, he’s following the media’s fuzzy narratives on the issues, meant to distract from the laws in question.
The same holds true for the false “don’t say gay” narrative describing Florida legislating protecting small children from sexually suggestive materials in the classroom. Gay activists pounced and seized on that false narrative with cover from mainstream journalists.
There’s another problem with John’s heartfelt stance.
His past.
The “Piano Man” is no stranger to playing in countries with terrible laws aimed at gay citizens. And he didn’t make a fuss about it at the time or refuse to hit a single key until said laws were stricken from the books.
John performed at a benefit concert in Dubai in 2017, no. 8 on Forbes’ list of most dangerous places for gay citizens to travel.
He nearly performed in Egypt in 2010 before powerful forces objected to both his lifestyle and for comments suggesting Jesus was gay.
The music legend also brought his greatest his catalog to Morocco, number 18 on the aforementioned Forbes list.
His new protestations against the U.S., though, hardly measure up to his greatest social achievements.
Truth : Elton John Did Not Boycott US Over Gay Rights!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about the LGBTQIA community, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Elton John Does Not Want Another US Residency
Let me just start by pointing out that Elton John never said that he will no longer perform in the United States, after his farewell tour ends.
In his interview with Radio Times, what Elton John said was that he still plans to continue performing after his three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour ends. He was interested in a residency – playing at a single venue, but not in the United States of America.
I said when I announced the farewell tour that maybe I would do a residency like Kate Bush did at Hammersmith [in 2014]. But not in America. I will not do it in America.
But that’s in the long term. I don’t want to think about the stage – I’ve been on it since I was 17.
In other words, Elton John does not intend to go back for a third Las Vegas residency. As his husband and manager, David Furnish explained:
Will Elton return as a live performer? I hope so! It’s in his blood…
I know for a fact he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’re going to see is the possibility of a special one-off or a small residency in one venue for a limited period of time.
I don’t think it will be Las Vegas. Elton feels he’s done the best he can in Las Vegas. He mounted two hugely successful residencies there.
When you’re an artist and something’s in your blood, you don’t want to shut the door completely.
Fact #2 : Elton John Dislikes Violence + Discrimination In America
Elton John has been outspoken about what he dislikes about America – violence and discriminatory laws. However, he did not say he was boycotting the US.
It is peculiar that the OutKick article should suggest that Elton John was “clearly conflating laws meant to protect children from life-altering surgery“, when Elton himself was explicit about what he disliked about that particular discriminatory Florida law.
It’s all going pear-shaped in America. There’s violence, [discriminatory] laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful. There’s a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you’re gay, which I find just unbelievable.
We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It’s like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering.
It seems clear to me that Elton was very clear about what he disliked about that particular Florida law!
This is the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits public schools from discussing or teaching students about sexual orientation or gender identity, from kindergarten up to grade three.
Presumably, Florida lawmakers believe that teaching children about gender identity and sexual orientation is how children are groomed into accepting sexual abuse. As Christina Pushaw – the press secretary of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, explained:
The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill.
If you’re against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.
Fact #4 : Elton John Referred To SB 1580, Not HB 1557
Elton John never mentioned any Florida law concerning children, education, or public schools in his interview with Radio Times.
He only referred to a completely different Florida law – SB 1580 : Protections of Medical Conscience Bill, which allows healthcare providers and insurers to deny patient care based on religious, moral or ethical beliefs.
This SB 1580 law has absolutely nothing to do with children or their education, which is covered by the completely different HB 1557 law (see above).
So why did OutKick bring up HB 1557 (the so-called Don’t Say Gay Bill), which Elton John never mentioned in his interview? Misunderstanding? Misdirection? Misinterpretation? Misinformation?
Fact #5 : Elton John Rarely Performs In Anti-LGBT Countries
While Elton John has been outspoken about gay rights, he has not stopped performing in countries with laws that can be used to harass or persecute gay people. But they have been extremely rare in number – United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Russia.
What OutKick may not realise is that those countries do not matter financially to Elton John, who performs in many more concerts in LGBT-friendly countries, and can easily forego those countries. It seems more likely that Elton John only performed in those countries because he was allowed to.
Think on that – those anti-LGBT countries allowed Elton John – an openly gay performer – to sing and perform for his fans. That is not evidence of his hypocrisy. That shows the power of his music.
Fact #6 : Concerts Are Different From Residencies
Finally, I should point out that performing at one-off concerts in countries with restrictive, anti-LGBT laws is quite different from actually staying in those countries.
It’s one thing to try and change minds by performing in those countries for a show or two, it’s quite another thing to live in such countries.
So it isn’t hypocrisy if Elton John has no qualms performing in countries with restrictive, anti-LGBT laws, but chooses not to live for months or years in the US because he dislikes its violence and laws.
It’s no different from how staunchly conservative anti-LGBT activists have no problem holidaying in countries with progressive pro-LGBT laws.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Selangor state government just announced an extra Hari Raya Haji holiday for civil servants!
Selangor Civil Servants Get Extra Hari Raya Haji Holiday!
On Tuesday, 27 June 2023, the Selangor State Secretary Datuk Hari Karim announced an additional Hari Raya Haji holiday on Friday, June 30, in addition to the existing holiday on Thursday, June 29.
However, this additional Hari Raya Haji holiday will only apply to civil servants in the Selangor state’s departments, agencies, and local authorities.
Government subsidiaries (GLCs) and private companies are not subject to this directive. It will be up to each respective employer to decide whether to grant their employees an additional Hari Raya Haji holiday.
Statutory bodies, government subsidiaries and private parties, however, are not subject to this directive and are left to the discretion of their respective employers under the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265).
The additional day would grant those lucky enough to receive it a long 4-day weekend, in line with the 2023 school holidays.
This would likely result in heavy traffic on the highways as people take this opportunity to return to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Haji with their families.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Elton John stop performing in the United States due to its anti-grooming laws?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Elton John Bans US Over Anti-Grooming Laws!
People are sharing an Epoch Times article, as evidence that Elton John singled out anti-grooming laws as the reason why he will no longer perform in the United States.
Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis : Elton John Singles Out Anti-Grooming Laws as Why He’s Done Performing in the US. Lol. Bye.
Laurence Fox : Elton John Singles Out Anti-Grooming Laws as Why He’s Done Performing in the US.
If he walks like a groomer, talks like a groomer, adopts two boys and parades them around with husband and lover-s in tow, he is a… #TinyGroomer
Truth : Elton John Did Not Ban US Over Anti-Grooming Laws!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created about the LGBTQIA community, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Elton John Does Not Want Another US Residency
Let me just start by pointing out that Elton John never said that he will no longer perform in the United States, after his farewell tour ends.
In his interview with Radio Times, what Elton John said was that he still plans to continue performing after his three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour ends. He was interested in a residency – playing at a single venue, but not in the United States of America.
I said when I announced the farewell tour that maybe I would do a residency like Kate Bush did at Hammersmith [in 2014]. But not in America. I will not do it in America.
But that’s in the long term. I don’t want to think about the stage – I’ve been on it since I was 17.
In other words, Elton John does not intend to go back for a third Las Vegas residency. As his husband and manager, David Furnish explained:
Will Elton return as a live performer? I hope so! It’s in his blood…
I know for a fact he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’re going to see is the possibility of a special one-off or a small residency in one venue for a limited period of time.
I don’t think it will be Las Vegas. Elton feels he’s done the best he can in Las Vegas. He mounted two hugely successful residencies there.
When you’re an artist and something’s in your blood, you don’t want to shut the door completely.
Fact #2 : Elton John Dislikes Violence + Discrimination In America
Elton John has been outspoken about what he dislikes about America – violence and discriminatory laws. However, he has never been against any anti-grooming law, as claimed.
It is odd that the Epoch Times article cut off part of Elton John’s quote, where the 76 year-old singer pointed out the discriminatory law in Florida where a doctor can refuse to treat a gay patient.
Here was what Elton John said in full, with the part that was cut out in the Epoch Times article in bold:
It’s all going pear-shaped in America. There’s violence, [discriminatory] laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful. There’s a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you’re gay, which I find just unbelievable.
We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It’s like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering.
It’s amazing how the narrative changes when such a large part of what Elton John said was cut out. Perhaps that was precisely why it was cut out…
This is the so-called “Anti-Grooming Bill“, which prohibits public schools from discussing or teaching students about sexual orientation or gender identity, from kindergarten up to grade three.
Presumably, Florida lawmakers believe that teaching children about gender identity and sexual orientation is how children are groomed into accepting sexual abuse. As Christina Pushaw – the press secretary of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, explained:
The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill.
If you’re against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.
Fact #4 : Elton John Referred To SB 1580, Not HB 1557
Elton John never mentioned any Florida law concerning children, education, or public schools in his interview with Radio Times.
He only referred to a completely different Florida law – SB 1580 : Protections of Medical Conscience Bill, which allows healthcare providers and insurers to deny patient care based on religious, moral or ethical beliefs.
This SB 1580 law has absolutely nothing to do with children or their education, which is covered by the completely different HB 1557 law (see above).
So why did The Epoch Times bring up HB 1557 (the so-called Anti-Grooming Bill), which Elton John never mentioned in his interview? Misunderstanding? Misdirection? Misinterpretation? Misinformation?
But if Elton John did not bring up HB 1557, then how can anyone claim that he singled out “anti-grooming laws” as the reason why he will no longer perform in the US?
Fact #5 : Elton John Wanted To Spend More Time With His Family
Even more oddly, The Epoch Times article ended by pointing out that Elton John does not want to do a residency in the United States because he wanted to spend more time with his husband and children in Britain!
This completely contradicts the same article’s earlier claim that Elton John is refusing to perform in the US because of its “anti-grooming laws”! It is as if the article was written by two different people, or an AI chatbot!
In any case, the last sentence in The Epoch Time article completely refutes the premise of its title and earlier claim:
According to representatives for John, his reason for that is the same one behind his decision to stop touring—that he wants to spend more time with his husband and children in Britain.
If you are into soccer, this is what is known as an “own goal”…
The Epoch Times, which is affiliated with the Falun Gong religious movement, is notorious for pushing out conspiracy theories and misinformation. Here are just some of their “work” that I fact checked:
Fact #7 : The Epoch Times Appears To Be Promoting It
Interestingly, the Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters at the end of some of these links suggest that The Epoch Times may be promoting the article through certain partners. For example:
Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis utm_source = partner
utm_campaign = DrLoupis
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Prince William violently abusing Kate Middleton, because he has always been a violent man?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Prince William Is Violently Abusing Kate Middleton!
People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Prince William is violently abusing Kate Middleton!
Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Kate Middleton has been suffering from severe mistreatment by her husband, Prince William
The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton warns that she has been suffering strong mistreatment by her husband, Prince William.
The relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Wales is not going well, after it was confirmed according to rumors that Prince William has been unfaithful to his wife, the Duchess of Wales, with one of his best friends from the past, the model Rose Hanbury.
In addition to this, the eldest son of Princess Diana has always been labeled as a violent man which increases suspicions that the situation actually occurred, adding to this that now it has been reported that Prince William is allegedly carrying out violent acts against the mother of his three children.
An insider at Buckingham Palace has revealed that this is not the first time that the Duke has been accused on this issue, including the Spanish magazine Marca who has revealed the verbal and emotional abuse suffered by the Duchess of Wales.
“Now a staff member has come forward with some really shocking allegations. This person claims that Kate Middleton has been subjected to emotional and verbal abuse by her husband, Prince William”.
The source, who preferred not to reveal his identity confirmed that Kate’s mental health has been quite affected “Leaving her struggling to cope with the constant pressures of her royal duties, and the challenges of maintaining a harmonious marriage.”
It was reported that Prince William is a very violent person, and this has been being learned by his young children, such as Prince Louis, who on one occasion with his hand brusquely covered his mother’s mouth to stop her from speaking at a public event.
No Evidence Prince William Is Violently Abusing Kate Middleton!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created by Music Mundial to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : They Are Prince + Princess Of Wales
Music Mundial falsely called Prince William and Kate Middleton the Duke and Duchess of Wales. Wales is a country, not a dukedom. So there is no Duke or Duchess of Wales.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are, respectively, the Prince and Princess of Wales, not the Duke and Duchess of Wales.
If Music Mundial cannot even get this simple fact right, just how much can you really trust their articles?
Fact #2 : Kate Middleton Did Not Say She Was Being Abused
Music Mundial claimed that the Princess of Wales warned that “she has been suffering strong mistreatment by her husband, Prince William.”
That’s utter nonsense. There has been NO REPORT of Kate Middleton ever claiming that Prince William was abusing her.
Fact #3 : MARCA Only Claimed Verbal + Emotional Abuse
Music Mundial claimed that “it has been reported that Prince William is allegedly carrying out violent acts against the mother of his three children.” It then claims that it was not the first time, before quoting MARCA as the source of Prince William’s prior violent abuse against Kate Middleton.
The trouble is – MARCA – a Spanish sports newspaper, only reported that a palace staff member claimed that Kate Middleton was being “subjected to emotional and verbal abuse” by Prince William. There was no mention of Prince William committing physical violence on Kate Middleton.
[A] staff member has come forward with some truly shocking allegations. This person claims that Kate Middleton has been subjected to emotional and verbal abuse by her husband, Prince William.
According to the source, the alleged mistreatment has taken a toll on Kate Middleton‘s mental health, leaving her struggling to cope with the constant pressures of her royal duties and the challenges of maintaining a harmonious marriage.
“Kate’s really been through the wringer lately,” the source shared. “The way William treats her is just awful, and it’s been really hard on her. She’s such a strong person, but even she has her breaking point.”
Interestingly, MARCA quotes a Twitter post that refers to a Music Mundial article in its post! Do they have some kind of connection, I wonder…
Neither MARCA, not Music Mundial, offered no actual evidence Prince William was physically, emotionally, or verbally abusing Kate Middleton. No photo, no video, no audio recording, nothing.
Now, we certainly do not know what goes on in private, behind closed doors. Perhaps Prince William is physically, emotionally, or verbally abusing Kate Middleton. But it could just as well be the complete opposite, or absolutely bogus.
It does not appear that MARCA corroborated its source’s claims of emotional and verbal abuse with other palace staff members. As for Music Mundial, it certainly did nothing to verify anything in its article. Heck, it couldn’t even get their titles right!
Fact #5 : No Evidence Of Rose Hanbury Affair
Music Mundial has been “reporting” on the Rose Hanbury affair with Prince William for a long time. But we have consistently debunked its claims:
Music Mundial posted a photo of Prince Louis covering up Kate Middleton’s mouth, as evidence that he was trying to protect his mother from his father’s “abuse”.
That was a screenshot from a video taken on June 5, 2022 – during the Platinum Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne.
At that time, Prince Louis was making funny faces in front of the cameras, which led Kate Middleton to apparently admonish him. He wasn’t having any of it, so he attempted to cover her mouth twice to stop her interruption.
He then proceeds to stick out his tongue and waggle his fingers at her. His uncle, Mike Tindall, who was just sitting behind him, also tried to calm him down, giving him the “I’m watching you” gesture.
From what we can all see – Prince Louis, like other children, were acting out because they were bored sitting down during the Platinum Jubilee. It’s not because he was trying to protect his mother from his father’s “violent acts”. That’s patently absurd!
This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of celebrity fake news posted by Music Mundial. Here are examples of Music Mundial fake news that I looked into recently:
Everything Music Mundial posts should be considered as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Education Minister just announced that schools will begin in January again, from 2026 onwards!
Malaysia Schools To Start In January Again From 2026!
On Tuesday, 23 May 2023, the Malaysia Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, announced that schools will once again start their academic sessions in January, from 2026 onwards.
The Education Minister said that the Malaysia Education Ministry (KPM) has initiated efforts to restore the old academic calendar which begins in January, and ends in December.
The 2024/2025 academic calendar is being brought forward to start in February 2025.
The 2026 academic calendar will then begin in January 2026.
I’m pleased to announce that the start of the school session will return to January in 2026. The ministry hopes that, with the announcement, all financial and economic aspects can be planned earlier by all relevant parties starting now.
The planning of family holidays, festivals and vacation days for teachers, as we announced in 10 initiatives on Teacher’s Day, can be arranged based on the school session that will be gazetted.
Not Possible For Malaysia Schools To Start In January 2025!
The minister said that returning the school session to January next year is not possible as it would conflict with major examinations, school holidays, as well as floods.
The ministry must ensure that the teaching and academic session runs in a period of 26 to 32 weeks to ensure an optimum learning period in a year. Due to the changes (from the COVID-19 pandemic), the schooling session for 2023/2024 academic calendar started in March.
The changes to the academic calendar of the school session allows the school to plan and implement rehabilitation, strengthening and enrichment activities intensively to increase the students’ readiness to follow the next school year.
The minister had earlier pointed out in March that bringing forward the academic calendar to January 2025 was not possible as the ministry had to comply with various requirements under the Education Act 1996. She also said that it needs to avoid disrupting the examination schedule for STPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia), and STAM (Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia). There is also the need to account for local economic factors, and the year-end floods.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Hari Raya 2023 falls on Saturday, April 22, so here is what you need to know about the school and public holidays!
Hari Raya 2023 Falls On Saturday, April 22!
On Thursday, 20 April 2023, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad announced that Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2023 falls on Saturday, April 22.
In keeping with the command of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and with the consent of the Rulers, I hereby declare that the date for Hari Raya for the states in Malaysia has been set for Saturday, April 22, 2023
On Tuesday, 18 April 2023, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, announced that there will be an additional day of public holiday for Hari Raya 2023!
Now that Hari Raya 2023 has been confirmed to fall on Saturday, April 22, the extra day of public holiday will fall on Friday, April 21. Here are the updated public holidays for Hari Raya 2023:
Holiday
Group B
Notes
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Friday, 21 April 2023
Saturday, 22 April 2023
Sunday, 23 April 2023
Monday, 24 April 2023
All states
All states
All states
All states *, except Johor + Kedah
* This is a carry-forward holiday for the public holiday on Sunday
School Holidays For Hari Raya 2023
On 11 April 2023, the Ministry of Education declared that April 19 would be a special school holiday, in addition to the mid-term holiday which starts on April 20.
With the announcement, here are the updated holiday schedule for Hari Raya 2023.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
2 extra days
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Friday, 21 April 2023
3 extra days
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Did a UN report call for the decriminalisation of sex between adults and children?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : UN Report Calls For Decriminalisation Of Sex Between Adults + Children
People are sharing an article which claims that a UN report just called for the decriminalisation of sex between adults and children!
Here is an excerpt from the long article, for your reference. Please skip to the next section for the facts!
UN report calls for decriminalization of all sexual activity, including between adults and children
A new report from the United Nations has called for all forms of drug use and sexual activity to be decriminalized globally.
Written by the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the report was released on International Women’s Day, with the goal of guiding “the application of international human rights law to criminal law.” Called the “8 March principles,” the report calls for offenses related to “sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty” to be decriminalized.
The United Nations experts say that criminalizing offenses related to these issues constitute an attack on human rights.
While on the surface, it may seem relatively uncontroversial, the report calls for sex between adults and minors to be decriminalized, so long as the minors “consent”:
Minors, of course, cannot truly consent to sex with an adult — something these so-called experts should know. The report also calls for all criminal laws relating to sex work to be abolished, which could easily serve to aid traffickers, pimps, and abusers. In turn, this serves the abortion industry as well, which has aided traffickers and abusers by failing to report suspected abuse and returning victims to their abusers after their abortions. Decriminalizing sex work, sex crimes against minors, and abortion would only serve to doubly suit traffickers and abusers, who are known to use abortion as a means to cover up their crimes.
What UN Report Said On Between Adults + Children : Nothing
This is just another example of FAKE NEWS, here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Report Was Released In March 2023
The UN report in question was released on 8 March 2023 by UNAIDS. You can download a PDF copy to read for yourself.
The International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) along with UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) officially launched a new set of expert jurist legal principles to guide the application of international human rights law to criminal law.
The ‘8 March principles’ as they are called lay out a human rights-based approach to laws criminalising conduct in relation to sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty.
Ian Seiderman, Law and Policy Director at ICJ said, “Criminal law is among the harshest of tools at the disposal of the State to exert control over individuals…as such, it ought to be a measure of last resort however, globally, there has been a growing trend towards overcriminalization.”
“We must acknowledge that these laws not only violate human rights, but the fundamental principles of criminal law themselves,” he said.
Fact #2 : The Report Was Written By The ICJ
I should point out that the report was written by the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), which is not part of the United Nations, and is a separate and independent body. So technically, it is not a UN report.
Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the International Commission of Jurists promotes and protects human rights through the Rule of Law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems. Established in 1952 and active on five continents, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and effective implementation of international human rights and international humanitarian law; secure the realization of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights; safeguard the separation of powers; and guarantee the independence of the judiciary and legal profession.
Before we get to the crux of the issue, it is important to note these definitions.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child broadly defines a child as an individual aged 0-18 years, but over time, the UN and the WHO formally defined adolescence as the ages of 10-19.
Fact #4 : Report Referred To Adolescent Sexual Activity
The ICJ / UN report in question referred to adolescent sexual activity, and not child sexual activity.
In the Foreword on Page 2 and the Introduction on Page 7, it was mentioned twice that the report referred to “consensual sexual activities, including in contexts such as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work“.
This is repeated for the third time in Part III of the document, where it called for the decriminalisation of “consensual sexual activities, including in contexts such as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work“.
Therefore, Principle 16 – Consensual Sexual Conduct, where the report called for the decriminalisation of consensual sexual conduct clearly refers to adolescents, and not children at large.
Fact #5 : Adolescents Are Having Sex
The decriminalisation of consensual sexual activity involving adolescents is critical, because the truth is – many adolescents are having sex.
In its 2013 study of young adolescent sexual activity, the Guttmacher Institute noted that by the time they turn 16, about ⅓ of adolescents have had sex, increasing to nearly half (48%) by 17 years of age, and 61% when they turn 18.
If minimum age of consent laws are not adjusted accordingly, these adolescents may be criminally penalised, throwing their lives and future into jeopardy.
Fact #6 : Age of Consent In Many States / Countries Is Less Than 18
It should be pointed out that most US states set the age of consent at 16, with Arizona, North Dakota, Oregon and Virginia setting theirs at 15. So adults in most US states are already legally allowed to have sex with children / adolescents, as per UN definition.
Similarly, many countries have age of consent lower than 18, which again, legally means that adults are already allowed to have sex with children / adolescents, as per UN definition.
In all those US states and countries, adolescents who are younger than 18 are already considered to be capable of consent, even though the UN still considers them as “children”.
This has nothing to do with the United Nations, but was decided by individual governments in different states and countries around the world.
Fact #7 : Report Mentioned Minimum Age of Consent
Principle 16 – Consensual Sexual Conduct did not call for the abolishment of any minimum age of consent, which is what those viral claims implied. Rather, it said that such criminal laws should not be biased in favour of any sex / gender, or age of consent to marriage.
In other words – what’s good for the gander is good for the goose too. The law should be applied equally – if the age of consent is set at 16 years, then it must apply to both males and females alike.
With respect to the enforcement of criminal law, any prescribed minimum age of consent to sex must be applied in a non-discriminatory manner. Enforcement may not be linked to the sex/gender of participants or age of consent to marriage.
Fact #8 : Report Never Mentioned Sex Between Adults + Children
Nowhere in the report is there any mention of sexual activity between adults and children. The report also did not call for the decriminalisation of sexual activity between adults and children.
The word “adults” is only mentioned three times in the report, all under a single section:
Principle 17 – Sex Work
The exchange of sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services and communication with another about, advertising an offer for, or sharing premises with another for the purpose of exchanging sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services, whether in a public or private place, may not be criminalized, absent coercion, force, abuse of authority or fraud.
Criminal law may not proscribe the conduct of third parties who, directly or indirectly, for receipt of a financial or material benefit, under fair conditions – without coercion, force, abuse of authority or fraud – facilitate, manage, organize, communicate with another, advertise, provide information about, provide or rent premises for the purpose of the exchange of sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services.
Fact #9 : Report Only States That Underage Sexual Conduct May Be Consensual
The report did not call for the decriminalisation of sexual activity between adults and children. It only pointed out that any sexual activity involving individuals under the legal age of consent may be consensual in fact, even if they are not consider consensual in law.
In that context, it calls for the enforcement of such minimum age of consent laws to take into account the possibility that adolescents may be matured enough to engage in consensual sexual conduct, and have a right to be heard.
Moreover, sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law.
In this context, the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them.
Pursuant to their evolving capacities and progressive autonomy, persons under 18 years of age should participate in decisions affecting them, with due regard to their age, maturity and best interests, and with specific attention to non-discrimination guarantees.
In other words – the report did not call for the abolishment of minimum age of consent, but asked that law enforcement take into account the opinions / testimonies of the adolescents in question, rather than just applying the law blindly.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thoroughly screwed up the school term and holidays, so here is a quick summary of the class days and holidays for the year 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-11 : Added extra school holiday for Hari Raya 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-07 : Added extra school holidays for 2023 / 2024 school term. Originally posted @ 2022-12-15
Two School Terms In Malaysia In 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic has thoroughly screwed up the school term and holidays. Instead of starting in January and ending in December, the new term now starts in March and every year will have two “academic years”.
This is quite confusing for many of us parents, so here is a quick summary of the school days and holidays for the year 2023.
Instead of looking at the 2023-2024 academic year, we are going to look at the school days and holidays for the calendar year of 2023.
I created these tables of the 2023 school days + holidays based on the latest academic calendars provided by the Malaysia Ministry of Education (KPM).
Please note that there is an extra 7 days of holidays in March 2023.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
2022 Term 3 Part 2
1 January 2023
16 February 2023
32
2022 Year End Holiday
17 February 2023
18 March 2023
30
2023 Term 1 Part 1
19 March 2023
20 April 2023
24
2023 Mid-Term 1 Holiday
21 April 2023
29 April 2023
9
2023 Term 1 Part 2
30 April 2023
25 May 2023
18
2023 End-Term 1 Holiday
26 May 2023
3 June 2023
9
2023 Term 2
4 June 2023
24 August 2023
56
2023 Term 2 Holiday
25 August 2023
2 September 2023
9
2023 Term 3 Part 1
3 September 2023
14 December 2023
72
2023 Term 3 Holiday
15 December 2023
1 January 2023
18
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
2022 Term 3 Part 2
3 January 2023
17 February 2023
31
2022 Year End Holiday
18 February 2023
19 March 2023
30
2023 Term 1 Part 1
20 March 2023
21 April 2023
23
2023 Mid-Term 1 Holiday
22 April 2023
30 April 2023
9
2023 Term 1 Part 2
1 May2023
26 May 2023
18
2023 End-Term 1 Holiday
27 May 2023
4 June 2023
9
2023 Term 2
5 June 2023
25 August 2023
55
2023 Term 2 Holiday
26 August 2023
3 September 2023
9
2023 Term 3 Part 1
4 September 2023
15 December 2023
72
2023 Term 3 Holiday
16 December 2023
1 January 2023
17
Extra CNY School Holidays For 2023!
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Sunday to Tuesday,
22 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
1 extra day
Hari Deepavali
Sunday, 12 November 2023
Monday, 13 November 2023
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Christmas
Monday, 25 December 2023
Public Holiday
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Friday to Tuesday,
20 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Friday, 21 April 2023
3 extra days
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
2 extra days
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Thursday, 1 June 2023
Friday, 2 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Thursday, 29 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Replacement
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
1 extra day
Christmas
Monday, 25 December 2023
Public Holiday
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Ministry of Education just updated the 2023 / 2024 school term + holiday calendar! Here is what you need to know!
Updated @ 2023-04-11 : Added extra school holiday for Hari Raya 2023.
Updated @ 2023-04-06 : Added extra school holidays for 2023 / 2024 school term. Originally posted @ 2022-12-11
2023 / 2024 Malaysia School Term To Begin In March!
On 29 August 2022, the former Malaysia Minister of Education, Dr. Radzi Jidin, announced that the 2023 school term will begin in March as scheduled.
He said that the decision was made after taking into account factors like the possibility of Northeast monsoon floods in the East Coast states at the end of the year, and the long interval before students could resume their studies after finishing their Sijil Pelajaran (SPM) examination.
By maintaining the start of the 2023 school term in March, students will not have to wait too long to continue their studies, allowing for better learning momentum.
However, the 2023 / 2024 school calendar for Malaysia was only confirmed on 10 December 2022, with an additional delay of one week.
2023 / 2024 Malaysia School Term + Holiday Calendar!
The Malaysia Ministry of Education (KPM) only confirmed the 2023 / 2024 school term and holiday calendar on 10 December 2022.
Group A states (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will begin the 2023 school term on 19 March 2023, and end on 9 March 2024.
Group B states (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) should begin the 2023 school term on 20 March 2023, and end on 10 March 2024.
The opening of the 2023 / 2024 school year in Malaysia was delayed by one week, to ensure the smooth running of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Group A : 2023 / 2024 academic year will last from 19 March 2023 until 9 March 2024
Group A
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1 Part 1
19 March 2023
20 April 2023
24
Mid-Term 1 Holiday
21 April 2023
29 April 2023
9
Term 1 Part 2
30 April 2023
25 May 2023
18
End-Term 1 Holiday
26 May 2023
3 June 2023
9
Term 2
4 June 2023
24 August 2023
56
Term 2 Holiday
25 August 2023
2 September 2023
9
Term 3 Part 1
3 September 2023
14 December 2023
72
Term 3 Holiday
15 December 2023
1 January 2024
18
Term 3 Part 2
2 January 2024
8 February 2024
28
Year End Holiday
9 February 2024
9 March 2024
30
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Group B : 2023 / 2024 academic year will last from 20 March 2023 until 10 March 2024
Group B
School Starts
School Ends
Days
Term 1 Part 1
20 March 2023
21 April 2023
23
Mid-Term 1 Holiday
22 April 2023
30 April 2023
9
Term 1 Part 2
1 May2023
26 May 2023
18
End-Term 1 Holiday
27 May 2023
4 June 2023
9
Term 2
5 June 2023
25 August 2023
55
Term 2 Holiday
26 August 2023
3 September 2023
9
Term 3 Part 1
4 September 2023
15 December 2023
72
Term 3 Holiday
16 December 2023
1 January 2024
17
Term 3 Part 2
2 January 2024
9 February 2024
28
Year End Holiday
10 February 2024
10 March 2024
30
Extra Holidays For 2023 / 2024 Malaysia School Term!
Here is the list of additional holidays for schools in Malaysia for the academic year of 2023 / 2024 :
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Chinese New Year
Sunday to Tuesday,
22 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
1 extra day
Hari Deepavali
Sunday, 12 November 2023
Monday, 13 November 2023
Public Holiday
1 extra day
Christmas
Monday, 25 December 2023
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Saturday, 10 February 2024
Sunday, 11 February 2024
Public holiday
Public holiday
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Chinese New Year
Friday to Tuesday,
20 to 24 January 2023
1 extra day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Friday, 21 April 2023
3 extra days
Pesta Kaamatan
Only for Sabah + Labuan Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
2 extra days
Hari Gawai Dayak
Only for Sarawak Thursday, 1 June 2023
Friday, 2 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Raya Qurban
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Thursday, 29 June 2023
2 extra days
Hari Deepavali
Except Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Replacement
1 extra day
Only for Sarawak
Monday, 13 November 2023
1 extra day
Christmas
Monday, 25 December 2023
Public Holiday
Chinese New Year
Friday, 9 February 2024
Saturday, 10 February 2024
Sunday, 11 February 2024
Monday, 12 February 2024
1 extra day
Public holiday
Public holiday
Replacement
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Ministry of Education just declared an extra school holiday for Hari Raya 2023!
KPM : April 19 is Special School Holiday for Hari Raya!
On 11 April 2023, the Ministry of Education declared that April 19 would be a special school holiday, in addition to the mid-term holiday which starts on April 20!
This announcement was made by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in anticipation that Hari Raya Aidilfitri will fall on April 21.
We considered everyone’s views, and (this is) for the sake of everyone, especially teachers and education ministry staff, making plans to go back to their hometowns (for Aidilfitri),” she told reporters at an event today.
This year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri may fall on either April 21 or April 22, depending on the observation of the new moon of Syawal to occur after sunset on April 20.
However, the International Astronomy Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) predicted that the first day of Aidilfitri will fall on April 21.
Updated School Holiday Schedule for Hari Raya 2023
With the announcement, here are the updated holiday schedule for Hari Raya 2023.
Group A
Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Festival Holidays
Group A
Notes
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
2 extra days
Group B
Group B states are Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
Festival Holidays
Group B
Notes
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Thursday, 20 April 2023
Friday, 21 April 2023
3 extra days
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Two batches of the Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Si Shen powder have been recalled over high levels of aflatoxin B1 and arsenic!
SFA Orders Recall Of Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Powder!
On March 29 2023, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) ordered the recall of two batches of the Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Si Shen powder, after it detected excessive levels of aflatoxin B1 and arsenic.
This is of utmost concern, as the Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Si Shen Powder was marketed as a natural herbal blend for young children transiting from liquid to solid feed. According to Eu Yan Sang, it is a preparation of brown rice powder, Chinese yam, lotus seeds, Poria (China root), Barley and Euryale Seeds.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has detected aflatoxin B1 and arsenic in samples of Eu Yan Sang’s Brown Rice Si Shen powder at levels exceeding the maximum limit stated in the Singapore Food Regulations.
SFA has directed the manufacturer, Eu Yan Sang (Singapore) Pte Ltd, to recall two affected batches of the product.
Arsenic is a heavy metal found naturally in the earth’s crust and in the environment. Aflatoxins can occur in foods, as a result of fungal contamination before and after harvest under warm and humid conditions. Long term intake of aflatoxins can cause cancer and liver damage, while long term intake of arsenic can cause cancer and skin changes. Hence, exposure through food, especially those meant for young children, should be kept as low as possible.
Consumers who have purchased the implicated products are advised not to feed it to their children. Those whose children have consumed the implicated products and have concerns about their children’s health should seek medical advice. Consumers may contact their point of purchase for enquiries.
Only Two Batches Of Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Powder Were Recalled
I need to point out that only two batches of the Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Si Shen Powder were recalled over excessive levels of aflatoxin B1 and arsenic.
Product name: Eu Yan Sang’s Brown Rice Si Shen powder
Batch No: 120 Expiry date: 13 May 2024
Batch No: 121 Expiry date: 17 May 2024
Country of origin: Singapore
Those who have these two batches should stop consuming them, and contact Eu Yan Sang , or the store they purchased it from, for a refund.
Danger Of Aflatoxin + Arsenic In Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Powder
SFA did not reveal the detected levels of aflatoxin B1 and arsenic in those two batches of the Eu Yan Sang Brown Rice Si Shen Powder, only that they exceeded the maximum limit set in the Singapore Food Regulations.
Aflatoxins are toxins produced by some types of moulds that can contaminate crops before and after harvest. Aflatoxin B1 is the most potent toxin and is regarded as a Class 1 carcinogen, which means it can cause cancer if consumed over an extended amount of time.
Arsenic is a heavy metal that is naturally present in rice, and therefore, all products made with rice. Long-term intake of high levels of arsenic may lead to cancer and other health problems.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just announced the extension of the SSPN tax relief until 2024! Here is what you need to know!
Malaysia Extends SSPN Tax Relief Until 2024!
On Wednesday, 29 March 2023, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the extension of the SSPN tax relief until 2024!
The Prime Minister said that the decision was made after many quarters asked the government to consider the tax relief that was not included in the revised 2023 budget.
The SSPN tax break is expected to cost the government RM250 million (US$56.8 million) in tax revenue. The tax relief is limited to the first RM8,000, after being increased from RM6,000 in the 2019 budget.
I have agreed to extend this tax exemption until 2024 that will benefit 400,000 taxpayers and cost the government RM250 million.
Earlier : SSPN Tax Relief Missing From Malaysia 2023 Budget!
SSPN (Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional) – the National Education Savings Scheme, is a government-backed savings scheme designed to help parents save and invest those savings for their children’s higher education.
In past years, parents in Malaysia who put away money into SSPN for their children’s higher education enjoyed tax relief on the first RM8,000 contributed to the fund for the year.
The re-tabling of Budget 2023 for Malaysia noticeably did not include an extension of the SSPN tax relief. The Finance Bill 2023, which the government is proposing to amend the Income Tax Act 1967 with, includes this amendment:
Subparagraph 4(a)(iv) seeks to delete paragraph 46(1)(k) of Act 53 as the amount deposited by an individual for his child into the Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional shall no longer be allowed as a deduction under Act 53. This amendment has effect for the year of assessment 2023 and subsequent years of assessment.
As a result, SSPN earlier posted a notice on its website saying that it is seeking clarification from the government on the tax relief.
The announcement by the Prime Minister that the SSPN tax relief would be reinstated will definitely be a relief to parents who have had to put up with high inflation.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla just found guilty in the UK of misleading the public about the COVID-19 vaccine for children?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Pfizer CEO Found Guilty Of Vaccine Misinformation In UK!
These messages and a video have gone viral, claiming that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was just found guilty in the UK of misleading the public about the COVID-19 vaccine for children!
Pfizer found guilty of violating 3 sections of the British Pharmaceuticals Code of Practice The complainant alleged a breach of the Code as no information, whatsoever, was provided about reporting of side-effects, or indeed the side-effects themselves.
CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla was found GUILTY in the UK of misleading the public about the Covid Vaccine for Children
Here is my rough transcript of what the woman said in the viral video :
As the news on our site is… that we can now talk about, we’ve been asked not to talk about it until now. We now can.
And so we took Pfizer to the regulator in the UK, um… about comments that he made on the BBC about the kids’ vaccine, and we won.
And so Pfizer CEO Dr. Bourla has been found guilty of misleading parents about the COVID vaccine for kids, and as you expect, we will be writing and talking more about that over the coming weeks
And yeah, it just reinforces our view that there are deep, deep issues plaguing kids in the UK, and you know, we will continue to fight the, um… regulatory capture and vested interest which we see as so detrimental to children’s health and welfare.
We really hope that you will stay with us through that journey, and yeah, stand by for more. Um, okay, have a great week, everyone. Thank you and bye bye.
Was Pfizer CEO Found Guilty Of Vaccine Misinformation In UK?!
Ultimately, the PMCPA found that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla made one statement that breached the British pharmaceutical industry association’s code of conduct.
This may sound significant, but it is really much ado about nothing, because it did not prove that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children was deficient or dangerous in any way.
The PMCPA only ruled that Bourla made a single statement that was misleading, or not substantiated (at that time). Take a look for yourself…
Fact #1 : UK Regulatory Complaint Was Based On BBC Interview
First, let us establish some basic information and context about what’s going on.
This case is based on a December 2, 2021 BBC interview in which, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla made these statements.
Immunising that age group [children under the age of 11] in the UK and Europe would be a very good idea.
Covid in schools was thriving.
So, there was no doubt in my mind that the benefits completely were in favour of doing it.
You can read the full BBC article, and watch the 158 second-long video, here.
Fact #2 : UsForThem Filed The Complaint
A parent campaign group who call themselves UsForThem filed a complaint with the UK Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), claiming that those comments were “disgracefully misleading“, as well as “egregiously false and misleading“.
The UsForThem group argued that the BBC interview of Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla breached several sections of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) code of conduct.
In addition, the group also alleged that Pfizer was guilty of a “breach of undertaking” after it was found guilty of “illegitimately promoting its Covid-19 vaccine” less than six months earlier.
Fact #3 : PMCPA Is A Self-Regulatory Body
It should also be noted that the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) is not a government body, but an independent self-regulatory body established by the pharmaceutical industry in Britain.
The PMCPA serves to administer the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Fact #4 : PMCPA Initially Ruled Some Breaches Of ABPI Code
The PMCPA panel initially agreed with the complainant, UsForThem, and ruled that Pfizer breached the ABPI Code in three of the five key claims:
Breach of Undertaking : The Panel ruled that there was “no breach of the Code”.
Immunising that age group … would be a very good idea : The Panel ruled that there was “a breach of the Code”
Covid in schools was thriving : The Panel ruled that there was “no breach of the Code”.
There was no doubt in my mind that the benefits completely were in favour of doing it : The Panel ruled that there were “breaches of the Code”.
The Panel also considered that Pfizer had failed to maintain high standards, and a breach of the Code was ruled.
Fact #5 : PMCPA Did Not Have Full Transcript Or Video
The PMCPA noted that it “did not have the full unedited transcript of the interview or the video” when it made its initial ruling.
While the Panel was “obliged” to make its ruling based on what Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla “actually stated rather than the edited published article and video”, it was only able to make its ruling “based on the limited BBC transcript”.
This is an important point to make, because the Panel noted that Pfizer CEO gave BBC a 45-minute interview, but only a small portion was posted on the BBC website. Pfizer was also not able to obtain the full video or its transcript from the BBC. Naturally, Pfizer appealed the Panel’s findings.
Fact #6 : PMCPA Appeal Board Overturned Most Breaches
In its final ruling on 6 December 2022, the PMCPA Appeal Board overturned the Code breaches in the PMCPA Panel’s initial ruling (AUTH/3591/12/21).
Immunising that age group … would be a very good idea : The Appeal Board overturned the claim, and ruled that there was “no breach of the Code”
There was no doubt in my mind that the benefits completely were in favour of doing it : The Appeal Board ruled that there were “breaches of the Code”.
The Appeal Board also agreed that Pfizer breached the Code when its CEO stated that the benefits outweighed the risks when the UK regulatory authorities had not made any conclusions (at that time) to support that.
However, the Appeal Board overturned the claim that Pfizer failed to “encourage the rational use” of the vaccine, and ruled that there was “no breach of the Code”.
The Appeal Board also overturned the previous rulings of Code breaches by Pfizer in relation to high standards and Clause 2.
Fact #7 : PMCPA Did Not Penalise Pfizer
In the end, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was only found to have breached the ABPI Code of Conduct for one specific statement he made – “So, there is no doubt in my mind that the benefits, completely, are in favour of doing it [vaccinating children against COVID-19]”
The penalty for that statement was listed in the PMCPA report as “Undertaking received“. In other words – Pfizer undertook not to repeat the breaches it committed.
In each case where a breach of the Code is ruled, the company concerned must give an undertaking that the practice in question has ceased forthwith and that all possible steps have been taken to avoid a similar breach in the future. A number of other sanctions can also be applied.
Fact #8 : PMCPA Did Not Rule On Safety / Efficacy Of Pfizer Vaccine
To end, I think it is critical to note that, whether it rules for or against Pfizer, the PMCPA ruling had nothing to do with the safety or efficacy of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
That’s because the PMCPA only adjudicates the code of conduct for the British pharmaceutical industry, not the individual company’s clinical trials or its products.
In the end, what matters most is whether the COVID-19 vaccine for children are safe and effective. Regardless of how the PMCPA ruled, the UK government approved and recommends the COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Here is what you need to know about the RM150 BAP financial aid that schools will start distributing to all students in Malaysia!
RM150 BAP Aid For Students In Malaysia : What Is It?
On January 9, 2023, the government of Malaysia announced the Early Aid For Education (BAP – Bantuan Awal Persekolahan), which is meant to lighten the load for parents or guardians at the beginning of the school year.
To that end, the Malaysia government will give a one-time financial aid of RM150 to every student attending Standard 1 through Form 5 for the 2023/2024 school year.
The BAP funds will be channeled to each school, and it will be up to the individual school to distribute the money to the student, or credit it into the bank account of his/her parent or guardian.
Here are some answers to frequently-asked questions about the RM150 BAP aid for students in Malaysian schools.
Qualification Criteria
The student must be a Malaysian citizen.
The student must be attending Standard 1 through Form 5, or their equivalent for the 2023/2024 school term.
The student must be attending:
– government school (SK)
– government-aided school (SBK)
– religious school
– private school registered with the government
– Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK)
– Sekolah Integriti
– Henry Gurney school
How Will BAP Funds Be Given To Students?
The BAP funds will be distributed to each school, and each school’s administration will either distribute the funds to each student as cash, or credited to their a bank account of their parents / guardian.
When Will BAP Funds Be Given To Students?
The BAP funds will be credited into the school accounts from 12 January 2023 onwards.
Thereafter, it will be up to each school to distribute the BAP funds to the students.
What Documents Will You Need?
Students and parents are not required to fill any form, but the student or parent will likely be required by the school to sign a form to acknowledge receipt of the the BAP financial aid.
The schools may also require parents or guardians to physically come to the school with the student’s birth certificate for verification.
What If You Cannot Make It For The Appointed Day?
Please note that once the school has organised a collection date, at least one parent or guardian must attend to collect the BAP financial aid of RM150, and sign the acknowledgement form.
If you fail to turn up, the BAP financial aid will be forfeit, and the money returned to the Malaysia Ministry of Education.
RM150 BAP Aid For Students In Malaysia : Sample Notice
On 16 January 2023, SK Bandar Utama Damansara (4) issued a letter to the parents and guardians of their students, which I have translated into English below.
All parents should receive a similar letter, but please note that the dates, collection time, and procedure may differ, as that is up to each school to determine how to distribute the money.
NOTICE OF EARLY SCHOOL ASSISTANCE (BAP) YEAR 2023
With respect to the above matter.
2. Please be informed that the school has received the payment of Early School Assistance (BAP) for the year 2023. Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to come to the school to receive the Special Assistance of RM 150.00 and sign the Acceptance Declaration Form. Aid distribution details are as below.
Date: January 18, 2023 Time: 1.30 to 3.30 pm Place: According to each child’s class
3. Please bring your child’s original birth certificate for the teacher’s verification. Only students who are citizens are eligible for this financial assistance. If you are unable to make it, the aid will be returned to the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
Thank you.
PEMBERITAHUAN BANTUAN AWAL PERSEKOLAHAN (BAP) TAHUN 2023
Dengan hormatnya perkara di atas adalah dirujuk.
2. Adalah dimaklumkan bahawa pihak sekolah telah menerima bayaran Bantuan Awal Persekolahan (BAP) untuk tahun 2023. Sehubungan dengan itu, kami dengan sukacitanya menjemput tuan hadir ke sekolah bagi menerima Bantuan Khas RM 150.00 dan menandatangani Borang Akuan Penerimaan. Maklumat pemberian bantuan seperti ketetapan di bawah.
Tarikh : 18 Januari 2023 Masa : 1.30 hingga 3.30 petang Tempat: Mengikut kelas anak masing-masing
3. Sila bawa sijil lahir anak yang asal untuk rujukan guru. Bantuan in layak untuk murid warganegara sahaja. Sekiranya tuan tidak hadir, bantuan tersebut akan dipulangkan ke Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
