The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is offering up to 50% discount for selected traffic offences for just 3 days!
Find out how you can get the 50% discount on your traffic offences from PDRM!
PDRM Offers 50% Discount On Traffic Offences For 3 Days!
On 6 December 2023, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) announced a special 50% discount for selected traffic offences for just 3 days!
From 8 December until 10 December 2023, motorists will be able to get a 50% discount for selected traffic summonses at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium:
Date : Friday, 8 December until Sunday, 10 December 2023
Location : Tent no. 2, Bukit Jalil National Stadium (behind the main stage)
PDRM 50% Traffic Summons Discount For December 2023
This special PDRM offer only applies to traffic summonses issued in 2022 and earlier. It does not apply to traffic offences committed in 2023, or active warrants for court trials. This limited 50% discount offer also does not apply to:
summons for traffic accidents
court cases which involve arrest warrants or ongoing trials
non-compoundable offences, like driving without a licence, careless driving, expired driving licence, uninsured vehicle, etc.
Motorists who want to take advantage of this discount programme are advised to check their outstanding traffic summonses through the PDRM MyBayar website and/or mobile app before heading over to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
Please note that you cannot get the discount by paying online. Unlike earlier online discount offers, this programme requires you to be physically present at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium between 8 to 10 December 2023.
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Guangzhou appears to have reinstated the Health Code, requiring patients and their caregivers to test negative for COVID-19 before being admitted to a hospital!
Guangzhou Patients Must Be COVID Negative For Admission?!
The city of Guangzhou has apparently reinstated the Chinese COVID-19 Health Code requirements from 2 December 2023 onwards.
In a video translated and posted by Jennifer Zeng (archive), the Deputy Director and Spokesperson for the Guangzhou Health Commission Zhang Yi appears to announce an immediate requirement for patients and their caregivers to present a Green Health Code, in order to enter all types of medical institutions.
Effective immediately, patients visiting all levels and types of medical institutions in Guangzhou City and its districts must present a green health code for entry. Dec 2, Guangzhou, Guangdong.
Zhang Yi : From now on, all levels & types of medical institutions in Guangzhou City & its districts for outpatient and emergency department visits will require a green health code for entry.
Bizarrely, patients and their caregivers are expected to undertake PCR nuclei tests for COVID-19, and show a negative test result within the past 24 hours to gain admission!
Zhang Yi : Newly admitted inpatients and their accompanying personnel must present a negative nucleic acid test result from within the past 24 hours for admission.
Less controversially, she called on fever clinics to operate at their maximum capacity, and conduct nucleic acid (PCR) tests on patients.
Zhang Yi : Fever clinics should operate to their fullest capacity. The role of the previously established 114 standardised fever clinics should be fully utilised.
Strengthen the staffing of medical personnel in fever clinics, optimise the waiting area settings and consultation process.
Conduct nucleic acid testing for visiting patients, and implement graded & categorised diagnosis and treatment.
Not Only Guangzhou Patients Must Be COVID Negative For Admission?
China has been experiencing a surge of respiratory illnesses that have alarmed many people, especially when it appeared to cause pneumonia in many children.
The WHO called on China to provide more information, after health monitoring groups like the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in north China.
China responded within 24 hours, stating that it has not detected any new or usual pathogens causing this surge of respiratory illness, with clusters of pneumonia being blamed on a bacteria – Mycoplasma pneumoniae which has been circulating since May, as well as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and adenovirus that have been circulating since October.
While the negative COVID-19 test looks really bizarre, it is possible that the Chinese government has instituted this requirement to prevent these patients, who are already suffering from pneumonia, from being infected with COVID-19 as well.
Even so, Jennifer Zeng reported (archive) that the Chinese Health Code requirement is not just being reactivated in Guangzhou, but for the entire Guangdong province, as well as the Beijing, Sichuan, Fujian, Shaanxi, and Zhejiang provinces!
The health code is a mobile app used by the CCP during the three-year COVID pandemic to control people’s movements. If your health code turns red or yellow, you can’t go anywhere.
But it’s not just Guangzhou. From what we know so far, Beijing, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong, Shaanxi, and Zhejiang Province are also implementing it.
So it is possible that the Chinese government at least suspects that some of these cases of respiratory illnesses may be due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
To be clear – this reimplementation of the Chinese Health Code appears to be limited to patients attempting to seek medical assistance in clinics and hospitals. It does not appear that the Health Code is being reimplemented to restrict other types of movement in China.
However, reports of a surge in respiratory illnesses, and this (partial) reimplementation of the Health Code requirement will likely put a damper on the revival of the Chinese tourism industry. The Chinese government recently implemented visa-free travel for 6 new countries in an effort to boost tourism.
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Foreign visitors are now required to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)prior to arrival in Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) Requirement
From 1 December 2023 onwards, the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) requires foreign visitors to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) prior to their arrival in Malaysia.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) replaces the physical white arrival card that foreign visitors usually complete before or on arrival in Malaysia.
This new rule applies to all foreign visitors, except:
people transiting / transferring through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance,
Malaysian Permanent Resident, and
Malaysian Automated Clearance System (MACS) holders
As an added benefit, foreign visitors from 10 countries can register their fingerprint at the immigration country, and will thereafter be able to use the Autogate (Egate) at Malaysian airports and other ports of entry to quickly get through immigration!
Australia
Brunei
Germany
Japan
South Korea
New Zealand
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
United States
United Kingdom
But please note that the MDAC is not a visa. Neither is it an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) that some countries use to pre-register visitors for multiple entries.
All foreign visitors (except those who were explicitly exempted above) will need to register for the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) for the first time.
Enrol for the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) at this official link.
Complete and submit the MDAC within three days (3) prior to your arrival in Malaysia.
You will be required to fill in these information:
a) Full name
b) Passport number
c) Nationality
d) Sex
e) Date of Birth
f) Date of Passport Expiry
g) Email address
h) Mobile Number
i) Date of Arrival : Must be within 3 days (including date of submission)
j) Date of Departure
k) Mode of Travel : Air / Land / Sea
l) Last Port of Embarkation
On arrival in Malaysia, you will need to enroll and verify your passport manually at the Malaysian Immigration Department counter.
After that manual enrolment, you will be allowed to use the Egate autogate system when you depart Malaysia.
On Subsequent Visits
On subsequent visits, foreign visitors will need to:
Complete and submit the MDAC within three days (3) prior to your arrival in Malaysia.
Use the Autogate system on arrival and departure
As you can see, the new Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) does more than just eliminate waste and improve efficiency through digital transformation of the physical arrival card. It also streamlines the immigration process for foreign visitors, and allows some of them to breeze through using the Egate system!
But again – please note that you can only submit the MDAC within 3 days of your trip, and this includes the date of submission.
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) : Other Important Things
Here are other things about the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card that may be important:
You can check the status of your MDAC registration information here.
You can check the visit pass record for the latest 3 months here.
You can check your Egate eligibility status here. *
* Please note that Egate eligibility is only open to business and social travellers from these 10 countries, who have an e-Passport, and will only start after you have enrolled your fingerprints (biometric verification) at the immigration counter.
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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.
From tomorrow onwards, citizens from 6 countries will start enjoying visa-free travel to China for 15 days! Here is what you need to know!
China Offers Visa-Free Travel For 6 New Countries!
China will start offering visa-free travel to 6 additional countries on a trial basis, starting on 1 December 2023.
On Friday, 24 November 2023, China announced that citizens from these 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days:
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Spain
Malaysia
These six countries will join Singapore, Japan, and Brunei, whose citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.
According to Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning, China has taken this step to help “promote the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world“.
This visa-free travel for those 6 countries, however, is a trial that will last from 1 December 2023 until 30 November 2024. This trial program may or may not be extended after that.
China Visa-Free Travel To Hopefully Revive Tourism
Travellers to China are generally required to apply for a visa. China is hoping that offering visa-free travel to certain favoured countries will help to revive its tourism industry that has been hard-hit by strict COVID-19 measures in the past 3 years.
China had the world’s strictest COVID-19 measures, maintaining them long after the rest of the world reopened. Even when the Chinese government decided to reopen its borders, it required inbound travellers to quarantine, which discouraged travel
It was only in March 2023 that China began issuing all types of travel visas again, and in July that it restored the 15-day visa-free travel for Singapore, Japan and Brunei. In August, China finally scrapped all COVID-19 test requirements for inbound travellers.
With visa-free travel removing the onerous application for a Chinese travel visa, it is likely that there will be tourists and business visitors who will take opportunity of the one-year trial to visit China. The only question is whether it is a surge, or merely a tiny bump.
After all, potential travellers would need to worry about the lack of access to essential apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. as well as popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. There is also the risk of being detained in China, and prevented from returning home.
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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.
China just announced that citizens from 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for 15 days! Here is what you need to know!
China : Visa-Free Travel For 6 Countries!
On Friday, 24 November 2023, China announced that citizens from these 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days:
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Spain
Malaysia
These six countries will join Singapore, Japan and Brunei, whose citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.
According to Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning, China has taken this step to help “promote the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world“.
This visa-free travel for those 6 countries, however, is a trial that will last from 1 December 2023 until 30 November 2024. This trial program may or may not be extended after that.
Travellers to China are generally required to apply for a visa. China appears to be trying out this visa-free travel option to revive its tourism industry that has been hard-hit by strict COVID-19 measures in the past 3 years.
China had the world’s strictest COVID-19 measures, maintaining them long after the rest of the world reopened. Even when the Chinese government decided to reopen its borders, it required inbound travellers to quarantine, which discouraged travel
It was only in March 2023 that China began issuing all types of travel visas again, and in July that it restored the 15-day visa-free travel for Singapore, Japan and Brunei. In August, China finally scrapped all COVID-19 test requirements for inbound travellers.
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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.
Did Transport Minister Anthony Loke just announce a 50% discount for senior citizens renewing their driving license?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Senior Citizens Get 50% Discount On Driving License!
People are sharing a WhatsApp message which claims that Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony just announced a 50% discount for senior citizens who renew their driving license.
Anthony Loke announced ½ price for Driving license for seniors. Pay for 5 years, get 10 years.
Only if license expiring less than 12 months. Moreover, seniors no need to queue
Truth : Senior Citizens Do Not Get 50% Discount On Driving License!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Recent Announcement On Driving License
When I first received this viral message, I checked online to see if Transport Minister Anthony Loke, or the Road Transport Department (JPJ), announced anything new on driving licenses in Malaysia, or its renewal.
However, there has been no recent announcement on the Malaysian driving license, or its renewal. The viral message also did not provide any evidence to back up its claim.
As far as I can tell – there is no such thing as a 50% discount for senior citizens renewing their driving licenses, or a renew for 5 years and get 10 years promotion on driving license renewal for senior citizens.
Fact #2 : JPJ Charging Same Prices For Senior Citizens
A check of the JPJ page on driving license fees in Malaysia showed that their prices applied across the board, with no special discount for senior citizens :
LICENSE TYPE
CHARGES (RM)
DURATION
LEARNER DRIVING LICENSE (LDL)
A Class
2.00
3/6 months
B2 Class (sole)
2.00/4.00
3/6 months
B/C Class
20.00/40.00
3/6 months
D Class and others
30.00/60.00
3/6 months
PROVISIONAL DRIVING LICENSE (PDL)
A/A1 Class
2.00
2 years
B2 (sole) Class
2.00
2 years
B/C Class
40.00
2 years
D/E/F/G/H/I Class
60.00
2 years
LESEN MEMANDU KOMPETEN (CDL)
A/A1 Class
2.00
1 year
B2 (sole) /B/C Class
20.00
1 year
D/E/F/G/H/I Class
30.00
1 year
VOCATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE
Goods Driving License (GDL) / Public Vehicle License (PSV) or CON
Fact #3 : 10% Discount Applies To 10 Year Renewal For All
On 3 May 2023, the Transport Minister announced an extension of the license validity period. Starting from 8 May 2023 onwards, all drivers in Malaysia will be allowed to renew their driving licences for a maximum period of 10 years.
On top of that, those who renew their driving licenses for 10 years would receive a 10% discount!
They will be charged the same fee of RM30 per year, but if they renew for 10 years at one go, the fee is RM270. This means they will only be paying for nine years.
On 8 May 2023, Anthony Loke confirmed the 10% discount for people renewing for the full 10 years.
You’ll only pay RM270 instead of RM300. That’s a new policy we’re introducing to make it easier for people.
At that time, he also said that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will still take action, including revoking or suspending the driving licence, against people who commit traffic offences.
Fact #4 : One Year Limit For Expired Driving License
The viral message is correct about one thing though – there is a one year limit for people with expired licenses.
As Anthony Loke pointed out in May 2023, those who want to renew their driving license in Malaysia, must ensure that it has not expired for more than a year:
Those who want to renew must ensure that their licence has not expired for more than a year.
But here’s some good news – there is an amnesty for motorists whose driving licenses have expired for more than a year – you have until 31 December 2023 to renew your expired driving licenses without penalty.
This initiative only applies to Malaysian citizens, and not to foreigners holding special passes like the MyKAS card. In addition, only those who have not been blacklisted by the police, or have any existing restrictions imposed by JPJ, and are free from any suspension due to a conviction or court order may renew their expired driving license.
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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 government of Malaysia just announced free highway tolls for two days for Deepavali 2023! Here is what you need to know!
Malaysia : Free Highway Tolls For Deepavali 2023!
On Friday, 10 November 2023, Malaysia Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi announced free highway tolls for two days:
Saturday, 11 November 2023
Sunday, 12 November 2023
The toll-free travel will apply to all types of vehicles travelling on all highways in Malaysia, except the toll plazas at the national borders in Johor:
the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Toll Plaza
the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza
The toll-free period will begin at 12:01 AM on Saturday, 11 November 2023, and end at 11:59 PM on Sunday, 12 November, 2023.
About 11.8 million vehicles are expected to use the highways in Malaysia during this two-day toll-free period.
The Works Ministry, through a meeting together with concession companies, has agreed on the implementation of this free toll which starts on Nov 11 (Saturday) at 12.01 am until Nov 12 (Sunday) at 11.59 pm.
This initiative is to celebrate all Malaysians, especially the Indian Hindu community who celebrate Deepavali. This is also in line with the desire of the unity government to help ease the burden of the people regardless of diversity of religions, races and beliefs.
With the implementation of this free toll, it is hoped that highway users will be able to plan their journey well. Highway users are also advised to comply with the recommended travel time schedule or travel time advisory (TTA).
Safety aspects and safe driving must be observed so that all highway users can arrive at their destinations safely.
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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!
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 is planning to use 3 methods to channel petrol and diesel subsidies in 2024! Here is what we know so far…
Malaysia To Use 3 Methods For 2024 Petrol + Diesel Subsidies
On Monday, 6 November 2023, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli revealed that Malaysia will use three methods to channel petrol and diesel subsidies in 2024, after the government has household income data from the PADU (Pangkalan Data Utama) central database hub that will is expected to be completed in January 2024.
According to Rafizi, the government has identified several ways to channel the petrol and diesel subsidies, but the new system will only be implemented if the cabinet approves the proposal to be presented this month (November).
The coordination of diesel and petrol subsidies is planned for 2024, through the implementation of Padu which is expected to be completed in January next year.
In addition to how the subsidies would be implemented, the engagement plan will be announced after the cabinet’s decision is reached through a proposal that will be presented this month (November).
The plan will be implemented after the cabinet’s decision is reached, in line with the engagement plan (of Padu implementation) which is set to balance the speculative inflation risks.
2024 Petrol + Diesel Subsidies To Be Based On Net Income
Rafizi said that the three methods will be based on net individual and household income.
The first method is based on the individual’s net income, which is the person’s take-home pay, after taxes.
The second method is based on the household’s net income through social protection or assistance schemes.
The third method is based on a combination of household and individual income, but implemented through a subsidy card.
Firstly, the subsidy provision will be based on an individual’s net income through a social protection scheme, whereas the second method will involve the net income of the households through a combination of social protection and social assistance.
Thirdly, it will be based on both individual and household net income eligibility, where a subsidy card will be implemented. Following this, specific decisions on the methods will be announced based on the specified targets in the future.
According to Rafizi, the proposed scheme for 2024 petrol and diesel subsidies was based on a nationwide survey conducted in June, to identify subsidy methods that would be suitable for Malaysians.
The planning for diesel and petrol subsidies has already taken place through several meetings held by the government since May with the Finance Ministry, Domestic and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Economic Planning Unit as well as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
Hence, it can be said that the proposal (for the subsidy rollout) is the result of input provided by the government, economic experts as well as the people.
Apart from that, the cabinet will also establish a communication, engagement and support plan to alleviate the people’s burden, which will be executed as a unified effort by the entire government machinery.
The proposed 2024 petrol and diesel subsidies programme will only involve peninsular Malaysia, with diesel subsidies to be reduced in phases. The reduction in diesel subsidies will not involve Sabah and Sarawak, due to the extensive use of diesel in those two states.
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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
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Did a Grab delivery rider really fly from Thailand to buy chicken rice in Singapore?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Grab Delivery Rider Flew To Singapore To Buy Chicken Rice!
A TikTok video, which allegedly shows a Grab delivery rider flying from Thailand to Singapore, simply to buy chicken rice, has racked up millions of views.
The 27-second video was recorded and posted by a Thai TikToker called Thita Vy, with these comments:
I want to eat Tokyo snacks.Will he go buy it in Japan for me? #grab #grabth
She apparently encountered this Grab delivery rider, while flying from Bangkok to Singapore. At first, she thought someone had ordered food delivery at the airport. But the man allegedly told her that he had been asked by a customer in Thailand to buy chicken rice in Singapore!
The viral video shows the man queuing up for the flight with the signature green Grab thermal bag, while holding a passport with his flight ticket. He is then shown stowing the thermal bag in the plane’s overhead compartment.
Truth : That’s Not (Really) A Grab Delivery Rider!
Now, we all know that chicken rice in Malaysia is tastier (and much cheaper!) than chicken rice in Singapore, Heck, everything is tastier and cheaper in Malaysia! 😉
In fact, Malaysian food is so delicious, someone actually sent a helicopter to collect 36 packets of Nasi Ganja from a famous nasi kandar outlet Ipoh in July 2021! But I digress…
Here is what we know so far about this viral story about chicken rice…
Fact #1 : Video Was Allegedly Recorded At DMK
According to the media outlet, 8world, the TikToker alleged that the incident occurred on 12 October 2023, at the Don Mueang International Airport.
That is plausible because the video shows people boarding an AirAsia flight, and AirAsia flies from the Bangkok Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Changi International Airport (SIN) several times a day.
Fact #2 : The Man Flew From Bangkok To Singapore
The video shows the man holding a Thai passport, as he is waiting to board the AirAsia flight. It then cuts to the Changi International Airport, where the man is seen checking the green Grab thermal bag.
So the video does appear to show the man taking an AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Singapore. It, however, does not show him actually purchasing any chicken rice.
Fact #3 : Grab Labelled Video As Fictional
After the video went viral, Grab came out to refute the video, calling it “fictional”:
We understand that the fictional video was created by a member of the public independently.
Fact #4 : Man Was Not A Registered Grab Delivery Rider
In addition, a Grab spokesperson said that it does not offer cross-border food delivery services, and the man in the video was not registered with them as “a delivery partner”:
We do not offer such a service, and the person starring as a delivery partner in the video is not registered with Grab.
It is certainly plausible for rich folks to go to extreme measures to get their favourite foods. For example, Macau tycoon Stanley Ho famously sent 88 Musang King (Mao Shan Wang) durians on a private plane from Singapore to Hong Kong. Note – the durians were from Malaysia. 😉
That said, it doesn’t make sense for the man to put on a Grab uniform, or bring the Grab thermal bag… especially if he isn’t actually a Grab delivery rider!
Fact #5 : Grab Does Not Offer Cross-Border Food Deliveries
Grab said that it does not offer cross-border food deliveries. The only cross-border delivery service Grab offers is its 100+ Cities Delivery service, which is in beta testing.
Even that option only allows users to “order and send food and physical gifts from GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners that are available in the recipient’s city within an hour”.
In other words – the food and physical gifts must already be present in the recipient’s city. The only thing that is “cross-border” is the ability to order from another country.
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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.
Truth : That’s Not A Massive Crack In Second Penang Bridge!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / propagated on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : That Is Not The Second Penang Bridge!
First, I should quickly point out that the bridge shown in the video is not the second Penang bridge!
It is actually the Rio–Niterói Bridge, which is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The second-longest bridge in Latin America, the Rio-Niterói Bridge was officially opened on March 4, 1974 – some 49 years ago!
Fact #2 : The Video Is Many Years Old
First, I should point out that this video originally went viral in 2014, and appears to have been posted on the TV Revolta Facebook group, which is infamous for spreading fake news.
The video appeared to have been shared just before Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup, with the caption:
Assinante da TV Revolta registers huge crack in Rio Niterói bridge
TV Revolta subscriber records huge crack in Rio Niterói bridge
Even though the Rio-Niterói Bridge is 49 years old, that video did not show a massive crack in its structure.
That is actually an expansion joint, which was intentionally created during its construction, so parts of the bridge can move and expand without affecting the other parts.
Fact #4 : CCR Clarified Expansion Joint
When the video first went viral in Brazil in 2014, the bridge concessionaire at that time – CCR, confirmed that the crack was really just an expansion joint.
CCR also clarified that a bridge of such size and length requires this kind of opening to prevent actual cracks from forming in the slabs and beams of the bridge.
On Sunday, 29 October 2023, the Penang state government refuted claims that the viral video showed a massive crack in the second Penang bridge.
State Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said checks with officials from both Penang bridges showed there was no truth to the viral post.
“Checks showed the video footage which went viral was an old video. The said incident happened outside of Malaysia back in 2014,” he said.
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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.
Infowars has been proven wrong about its claims that the Biden Administration will introduce a face mask mandate in September 2023!
Claim : Biden Admin Will Order Face Mask Mandate!
People have been sharing an Infowars article which claimed that the Biden Administration will order a new face mask mandate for TSA and airport employees, followed by “full Covid lockdowns“. Here is an excerpt:
Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers
The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.
A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.
These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.
The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.
Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.
This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.
“They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure,” Infowars reported.
Infowars Proven Wrong About Biden Face Mask Mandate!
Infowars first claimed on August 18, 2023, that TSA and Border whistleblowers leaked information about a rollout of “full Covid restrictions”, which would include a face mask mandate in September, followed by full Covid lockdowns in December.
Well, it is now October 3, 2023, and there is nary a sight of any face mask mandate for TSA or airport employees in the United States. Infowars has been proven WRONG yet again.
Frankly, that’s hardly surprising. Alex Jones and/or Infowars never actually showed any evidence that the Biden Administration is planning to introduce a face mask mandate for air travel, much less full COVID-19 restrictions which would include lockdowns.
If you watch the video above, you can see that Alex Jones has a ton of paper on his table. Unfortunately, none of them were the leaked memorandum or policy documents from his TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers.
Rather, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles! Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that were supposed to roll out in the middle of September 2023.
And it’s already October 2023, without a single TSA agent or Border Patrol officer required to wear a face mask in the United States.
I should point out that lockdowns are, frankly, no longer necessary because a combination of vaccines and prior infections have given people significant protection against COVID-19 infections.
Even though cases are spiking due to new variants (which are more adept at evading protection), hospitals and healthcare workers are no longer overloaded with COVID-19 patients. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
That’s why the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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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.
Do traffic lights in Malaysia now have CCTV cameras to catch drivers crossing the white line?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Traffic Lights Have CCTV To Catch Drivers!
People are sharing a photo of a JPJ (Road Transport Department) traffic offence fine issued to a driver called Koh Chip Wee.
They claim that he was fined after a CCTV camera at the traffic light caught him stopping his vehicle over the white line. This example warns motorists that they could be fined RM2,000 or jailed for up to 6 months for this offence:
It’s a RM 2K fine or 6 months jail for waiting across the white line at traffic lights monitored by cameras, the notices hv already started going out by post… Cheers
Other people are sharing the photo with this audio message of a man warning people that traffic lights in Kuantan, Pahang, now have CCTV cameras that are designed to catch motorists who stop over the white line.
Truth : Traffic Lights Do Not Have CCTV To Catch Drivers!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : You Can Be Fined For Stopping Over White Line
First, let me just confirm that this part is true – motorists may be fined up to RM2,000, or jailed for up to 6 months, if they are caught stopping any part of their vehicles on any zebra crossing, including crossing that unbroken white line at any traffic light.
Mana-mana individu yang melakukan kesalahan boleh dikenakan denda tidak melebihi RM2,000 atau dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi enam bulan.
Any individual who commits an offense may be fined not exceeding RM2,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months.
In other words – this is a serious offence, with serious consequences. You must stop your vehicle before the unbroken white line at all traffic lights.
Most of us motorists never think about this. So this is a timely warning. Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
Fact #2 : Traffic Lights Currently Do Not Have CCTV Cameras
The traffic lights currently do not have any CCTV cameras installed to catch drivers crossing the white line, or committing any other traffic offences.
That device you see on many traffic lights these days is an active infra-red sensor. Such infra-red sensors are used to determine the presence of vehicles, for traffic control.
If the sensor does not detect the presence of a vehicle waiting, the traffic light for that lane may skip a turn to allow vehicles using other lanes to go through the junction for a longer period of time.
In the viral photo, the angle of the photo taken indicates that it was not taken by any camera attached to the traffic light. The photo was taken from behind the vehicle and even shows the traffic light itself.
Fact #3 : Driver Was Fined For Running A Red Light
The motorist in this case was not fined for stopping his vehicle over the white line at the traffic light.
If you look closely at the notice, you can see that he was actually fined for running a red light. In addition, he was only fined RM300 for the offence, not RM2,000.
Kesalahan : Gagal mematuhi isyarat merah pada isyarat lalulintas
Offence : Failed to obey red light at traffic light
Fact #4 : Only Known Traffic Light CCTV Camera Was A Test
The only known CCTV camera (with AI technology) that was installed for the purpose of catching traffic offences started operating in Miri on 4 July 2023.
This AI Violation Detection CCTV camera is designed to automatically monitor and record driver behaviour at the intersection, including:
collecting data on vehicle speed and details
automatically detecting and recording speeding vehicles
recording driver offences like using mobile phones, smoking, and not wearing seatbelts while driving
However, this CCTV camera with AI technology was installed as a proof-of-concept trial that will only last 6 months.
The trial period would be six months and the results will be presented to the ministry to decide on the next course of action.
It may be just a matter of time before such cameras are deployed in Malaysia, and other countries around the world. But right now, there really are no CCTV cameras installed at traffic lights to catch drivers committing traffic offences like stopping over the white line.
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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.
Are elderly tourists now banned from joining group tours to China?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Elderly Tourists Banned From Group Tours In China!
This warning has gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, claiming that elderly tourists are now banned from group tours in China!
New Regulations of the National Tourism Administration
Dear group members, while you are still allowed to travel, take advantage of the opportunity and travel around China! Group tours are no longer allowed after the age of 80.😀😀😀😀😀
The Mainland Tourism Administration has newly regulated the provisional rules for seniors traveling in group tours. According to the “Travel Law of the People’s Republic of China” and “Travel Agency Senior Tour Service Standards”, these rules are formulated:
Article 1: The elderly refer to tourists who are over 60 years old (inclusive) on the date of travel. Article 2: Aged over 60 years old on the date of travel (including this Number) – Tourists aged 69 years old should sign a “Safety Responsibility Letter” with the travel agency. The “Safety Responsibility Letter” should state personal health conditions, communication methods, and emergency contact information, and should be signed by the tourist. Article 3: Aged over 70 years old on the date of travel (including this Number) -Tourists who are 75 years old, unless signing in accordance with Article 2 of the Rules The “Safety Responsibility Letter” must also provide a valid health certificate or physical examination report issued by a Class III A hospital within 3 months. Article 4: For those who are over 75 years old on the date of travel, in addition to signing a “Safety Responsibility Letter” in accordance with Article 2 of the rules and providing a valid health certificate or physical examination report issued by a grade 3A hospital within three months, they must also be elderly Tourist visa for adult immediate family members If you are traveling in Yu, and are accompanied by adult family members, and if you are over 80 years old on the date of travel (including your age), you are not allowed to register. Article 5: The person in charge of the company’s business department, sales department, and branch is the person responsible for the rules. If the above rules are violated.
*#Travel agencies are not allowed to accommodate people over 80 years old! * 75-79 years old, accompanied by family members + physical examination certificate! 70-75 years old, physical examination certificate + letter of responsibility! 60-69 years old Sign the safety responsibility letter!
Truth : Elderly Tourists Are Not Banned From Group Tours In China!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are there reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Message Circulated Since 2019
First, let me just point out that the viral message isn’t new. It has been circulating since March 2019, if not earlier.
Initially, it started in Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat groups, but eventually made its way to WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
Fact #2 : National Tourism Administration Ceased In 2018
According to a Chinese fact check, the viral message could not have been issued by the National Tourism Administration of China, as it no longer existed in 2019.
As part of institutional reforms announced by the Chinese State Council in March 2018, it was replaced by the Culture and Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Tourism.
Fact #3 : Ministry of Culture and Tourism Has No Such Restrictions
A reporter for Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News checked the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, but could find no announcement of any restrictions on elderly tourists travelling in group tours.
The reporter also noted that there were no specific restrictions on the “travel age for the elderly” even in previous policy documents.
Fact #4 : Shanghai Tourism Hotline Confirms No Such Restriction
The reporter also called the Shanghai tourism hotline to ask about whether there were new restrictions on elderly tourists planning to join tour groups in China.
The Shanghai tourism staff told the reporter that there is currently no national guidelines that prohibit group tours for those over 80 years old.
They suggested that the requirement that elderly people need to be accompanied by family members and/or have medical certificates may be the “voluntary requirements” of some travel agencies.
In such cases, the staff recommended that elderly tourists should consider some travel agencies in Shanghai that specialise in serving the elderly as they may be more suitable, and may not have such requirements.
Fact #5 : Travel Service Standards For Elderly Do Not Have Age Restrictions
In 2016, China issued its Travel Agency Elderly Tourism Service Standards, which stipulates that if elderly tourists participate in group tours, the travel agency should:
communicate and negotiate with the insurance company on the upper age limit for travel accident insurance,
collect detailed information of the elderly tourists,
ask elderly tourists who are over 75 years old to be accompanies by adult family members, or ask their immediate family members to sign off on their travel,
discuss the potential risks of senior tourism products and the health requirements of senior tourists before traveling, and
provide oral safety reminders and produce a “Safety Notice” to ensure that elderly tourists choose appropriate senior tourism products.
However, the 2016 Travel Agency Elderly Tourism Service Standards do not restrict elderly tourists of any age from travelling in group tours.
Fact #6 : Travel Agencies Refute Claims On Age Limits
The same reporter also reached out to Chinese travel agencies like Ctrip and CYTS on these claims of group tour restrictions on elderly tourists.
The Chinese travel agencies said that there is “no hard and fast age requirement” for seniors travelling in group tours.
They pointed out that different tours have different physical requirements, some of which may require elderly tourists to be accompanied by family members, or produce medical certificates and other documents to assure the travel agencies of their fitness.
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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.
Are Japanese airports now empty after Chinese tourists boycotted Japan over the release of the radioactive Fukushima waste water?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Japanese Airports Now Empty After Chinese Boycott!
People are sharing a TikTok video which claims that Japanese airports are now empty after Chinese tourists boycott Japan over the release of the radioactive Fukushima waste water!
Chinese tourists start boycotting Japan and Japanese international airport is so empty. 80% tax free stores are shutting down and hundreds employees are losing jobs. Also planned flights are cancelled because of not enough travellers to make airplane take off.
Japanese airports losing Chinese tourists How desolate is it? It feels like it’s really getting “cold”! Flights are almost always late! There is no huge purchasing power of the Chinese people For Japan’s airports and tourism industry It’s basically equivalent to a devastating blow 80% of shops in the airport have been closed Even go bankrupt Only a few stores are left to hold on. Japan’s largest duty-free shop facing the Chinese has closed down In the past, all the shops in Japanese airports basically spoke Chinese. Moreover, it is overcrowded and even the checkout line has to wait for half an hour. Now I can’t even see a ghost Not a single passenger said anything You can’t even see the staff One of the busiest airports in the world It’s basically cold in Japanese airports now When I took this video This should be the busiest time However, I became the only customer in the whole place My friend used to work at a Japanese airport All are now unemployed Japan is not opening up the country Estimate Japan’s tourism industry And the aviation industry is really going to die.
Japanese Airports Are Not Empty + There’s No Chinese Boycott!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS surrounding the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima NPS, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Japanese Airports Are Empty
First, let me just point out that the viral video does not actually show any evidence that Japanese airports are now empty because Chinese tourists boycotted Japan over the release of the Fukushima treated waste water.
There are many videos showing empty Japanese airports like Narita and Haneda during the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral TikTok video could easily be a mishmash of those videos.
Unfortunately, the TikTok video creator covered up the video with text too much for me to trace the original videos. But it looks like a compilation of different videos.
Fact #2 : Chinese Account For 10% Of Travellers To Japan
Even if there is an unofficial Chinese travel boycott to Japan, it wouldn’t make Japanese airports empty, or force shops to close.
While that makes Chinese tourists the second largest group of foreign tourists to Japan, a complete boycott wouldn’t make Japanese airports look like a ghost town, or force their shops to close down.
Fact #3 : At Least Part Of Video Was Recorded On 12 October
Although the TikTok video creator tried to mask any identifiable features in the video, he/she let something slip.
If you look closely at the date on the flight information display that showed flight cancellations, the date was 12 October.
The year is not listed, but it is only 6 September 2023 today, and the Fukushima-Daiichi NPS only started to release its waste water on 24 August 2023.
Unless the TikTok video creator has a time machine, he/she used at least one video recorded on 12 October from past years. It may not even be as recent as the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
For example, many airlines cancelled flights in or out of Japan from 11-13 October 2019, when Super Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan.
Fact #4 : Subtitles Suggest Video Was Before Japan Reopened Borders
On the other hand, the final three Chinese subtitles in the video suggest that the video was recorded before Japan reopened its borders on 11 October 2022.
Japan is not opening up the country Estimate Japan’s tourism industry And the aviation industry is really going to die.
日本在不开国 估计日本的旅游业 和航空业真的要完蛋
Fact #5 : No Evidence Of Chinese Travel Boycott
In any case, there is no evidence of any Chinese travel boycott, whether official or unofficial. Many airlines are still flying people from China to Japan.
I checked to see how many flights there are from Chinese cities to a single airport from 11 September to 17 September 2023.
Instead of seeing a dearth of flights since there is a Chinese boycott, I counted no less than 158 flights from Chinese cities to Narita International Airport over 1 week!
That’s an average of 22.5 flights per day from China to Narita International Airport. And that’s just one airport in Japan. What boycott???
Fact #6 : Many Narita Airport Shops Do Not Open 24/7
The viral TikTok video appears to show that the Dior and LEGO stores are shuttered and closed at the Narita International Airport. But did they really close down as the video claims?
The truth is – not all shops inside the Narita or Haneda airports open 24/7. Dior at Narita Airport, for example, opens from 7:30 AM until 9 PM daily. The LEGO Store at Narita Airport only opens from from 9 AM until 7 PM.
If you land late at night, you will be able to record a similar video showing both shops closed. Does that mean that they shut down because of a Chinese boycott? Obviously, not.
Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima
There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.
However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:
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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 the Biden Administration preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-30 : Added video fact check, and other updates Originally posted @ 2023-08-25
Claim : Biden Admin Is Reinstating Full COVID Lockdowns!
People are sharing an article by The Gateway Pundit, which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to reinstate FULL COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with face mask mandates in mid-September 2023!
The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers
The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.
A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.
These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.
The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.
Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.
This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.
“They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure,” Infowars reported.
The news outlet added, “Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.”
The media is now pushing for another lockdown. Another fear porn from the so-called health experts and media just in time for the next election. The same old playbook.
No Evidence Biden Administration Is Reinstating COVID Lockdowns!
The Gateway Pundit was basically just summarising what Infowars claimed, and here is what you need to know:
Fact #1 : Infowars Is Notorious Fake News Website
First, let me just point out that Infowars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.
2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that Infowars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
Infowars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
Infowars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“
Both Alex Jones and Infowars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the Infowars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Fact #2 : Alex Jones + Infowars Provided No Evidence
If you watch the Infowars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table are leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.
It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, Infowars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.
Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine
In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.
The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.
Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.
Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.
Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC
It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.
For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous
The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.
According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…
presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date
While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.
Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023
Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.
From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.
EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.
For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.
– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.
Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns
I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.
The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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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.
These PDRM parking fine emails are scam emails. This was confirmed by PDRM itself.
On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.
These emails are designed to scare its victims into action. Hence, it offers a very cheap way to quickly “settle the problem”. However, if you take a breath, and analyse the email CAREFULLY, you will see many problems with it.
Letter is from PDRM : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you by email.
Letter is in English : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you in English.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.
The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.
Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!
If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fakeMy Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).
You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?
Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.
Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!
But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.
Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!
If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!
It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!
If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!
Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.
Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:
Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
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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.
Here is what you need to know about the FDA import alert 99-33 on Japanese food over radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant!
Updated @ 2023-08-25 : Updated the article Originally posted @ 2023-03-21
Claim : FDA Issued Import Alert 99-33, Banning Japanese Food!
This message has gone viral on and off over the years, being shared again and again on WhatsApp, and social media. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice
A week ago, the US law came into force: 🎯 FDAIssued Alert No. 99-33, prohibiting the following 🅾️ Japanese food entering the US: 📎 Fresh milk, 📎 Butter, 📎Milk powder, 📎Baby milk powder, and others 📎Dairy products; 📎Vegetables, sweet potatoes, salt, and other products 📎Rice, 📎 Whole wheat; 📎Fish; 📎Meat and poultry; 📎Clams; 📎 sea urchin; 📎Citrus pomelo fruits; 📎 Apples, kiwis and other fruits.
❌The reason is radionuclide contamination. Japan finally admits that its inability to control Fukushima’s daily discharge of millions of tons of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean has caused many people to suffer from cancer or Disease has seriously affected human beings and the ecological environment around the world. I can’t imagine it! ❌Don’t eat Japanese food. 💢In the coastal waters of the United States, it was found that the radioactivity value is getting higher and higher. Try not to go to Japan, preferably not. 💢The Australian government has stopped visa issuance for Japanese, 💢 The US also stopped Japanese immigration to the US. At present, the situation in Japan is more serious than we imagined. More than 70% of the entire Japanese territory is polluted. Japan’s radioactive material has flowed into the ocean, and the affected area of the ocean is getting wider and wider. It is more serious than imagined. The Japanese government is afraid of causing panic, and they will give up or lie to inform the surrounding people. Japanese seafood, mushrooms do not eat. After the last earthquake, radioactive material from the damaged Japanese nuclear power plant began to flow into the ocean or surrounding areas, and began to find ❌Deformed seafood and plants ❌ Mutated mushrooms ❌ mutated fish, ❌Varied seafood, Foods exposed to radioactive substances will be induced within 1-2 years after eating 🅾️Esophageal cancer 🅾️Lymphoma 🅾️ Leukemia, etc., especially for young children, pregnant women will have a greater impact. Neighboring countries have stopped seafood trade with Japan: It is prohibited to import 📎herring, 📎shells, 📎shiitake mushrooms from Japan. The fish caught in the waters near Japan had 380 times the radioactivity. From now on, never eat Japanese seafood or sashimi. Since the nuclear explosion of the tsunami in Japan, a survey of Chinese tourists to Japan who have traveled to Japan and eaten Japanese food many times shows that there are strange diseases of varying degrees, and they are on the rise! And Japan’s radioactive nuclear-contaminated local products are all supplied to foreign tourists! Japan eats food imported from other countries! Dear friends and compatriots For the health of your loved ones and the next generation, please share it in your WeChat space, and immediately boycott all nuclear-contaminated food in Japan. Do not buy! Remember!
The Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : FDA Issued Import Alert #99-33 In March 2011
On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a massive tsunami triggered by a 9-magnitude earthquake off its Pacific coast. The force of the tsunami greatly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, contaminating the surrounding area with radioactive material.
The Government of Japan determined that certain food products in affected prefectures were therefore not fit for human consumption, due to the risk of contamination by the radioactive material. They banned those food products from sale within Japan, and for export.
The US FDA responded by issuing Import Alert #99-33 – “Detention Without Physical Examination of Products from Japan due to Radionuclide Contamination.”
This part of the viral post is true, but everything else is false.
Fact #2 : FDA Import Alert #99-33 Was Limited To Certain Prefectures
The FDA Import Alert #99-33 did not ban the import of all Japanese food products, as the viral post claimed.
It only targeted Japan’s own restrictions at the prefecture level, using Section 801(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:
FDA-regulated products are subject to refusal and will be refused admission into the United States if the products appear to be forbidden or restricted for sale in the country in which they were produced or from which they were exported.
Fact #3 : FDA Cancelled Import Alert #99-33 In September 2021
On September 21, 2022, the US FDA deactivated (cancelled) Import Alert #99-33. Since then, there has been no ban on any food product from the five affected prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki.
Now, after an extensive analysis of Japan’s robust control measures that include decontamination, monitoring and enforcement; after reviewing the results of 10 years of sampling food products from Japan; and after determining a very low risk to American consumers from radioactive contaminated foods imported from Japan, FDA has decided that the IA is no longer necessary to protect public health and therefore should be deactivated.
Despite this cancellation of the import ban more than a year ago, the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) continues to spread this fake story on WhatsApp, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Fact #4 : Australia Did Not Stop Issuing Visa To Japanese Travellers
Australia never suspended visa issuance for Japanese travels over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #5 : US Did Not Suspend Japanese Immigration
The United States never suspended immigration of Japanese citizens over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
Fact #6 : Japan Did Not Supply Contaminated Food To Tourists
This claim has been repeatedly promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and is categorically false.
Japan did not reserve their contaminated food supply for consumption by tourists, while importing food for their own citizens. Neither did Chinese tourists to Japan suffer “strange diseases of varying degrees”.
Those are just lies created by the wumao to scare Chinese citizens into boycotting Japan and Japanese food products.
Fact #7 : Fukushima Radiation Only Affected A Small Area Of Japan
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident did not affect 70% of Japanese territory.
The Government of Japan established a 30 kilometre no-fly zone, and a 20 kilometre exclusion zone, around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Aerial survey of the radioactive caesium levels in May 2012 show that only a small part of Japan was affected.
Fact #8 : Harmful Radionuclides Were Removed From Wastewater
Both fresh water and seawater were used to cool down the melting nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel rods stored at the facility.
Measures were quickly taken to block the seepage of the contaminated wastewater into the sea and water table. For example, TEPCO poured a 60 cm-thick concrete wall covering 70,000 square meters of ocean seabed.
There were occasional accidental discharges of radioactive wastewater, but generally the radioactive wastewater was stored in massive storage tanks and treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).
ALPS removed harmful radionuclides like caesium and strontium from the wastewater, leaving only tritium – a mildly radioactive and far less harmful hydrogen isotope.
Fact #9 : Decontaminated Wastewater Used To Keep Reactors Cooled
The water treatment system became fully-functional, together with water recycling systems on 3 July 2011.
The decontaminated wastewater thereafter is being 100% reused to keep the reactors cooler, so no additional volume of contaminated water would be generated.
Fact #10 : Excess Decontaminated Wastewater To Be Released
A large amount of treated wastewater remain at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and on April 13, 2021, the Government of Japan announced that the treated wastewater would be released in 2023.
The US FDA says that the treated wastewater presents an “extremely low” health risk even if consumed, which is rather minimised because it’s being discharged into the vast ocean.
According to scientific experts from interagency advisory teams and FDA representatives to the US Advisory Team for Environment, Food and Health, the release of the treated wastewater will have “no effect on the safety of foods imported from Japan“.
In other words, the FDA considers food from Japan to be perfectly safe to import and consume, even after the treated wastewater is released into the ocean.
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
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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.
Is the Biden Administration preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions beginning in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-24 : Added a fact check video, updated parts of the article Originally posted @ 2023-08-19
Claim : Biden Admin Bringing Back Full COVID Restrictions!
People are sharing an InfoWars article which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, beginning in mid-September 2023!
The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
EXCLUSIVE: Biden Admin Preparing to Bring Back FULL Covid Restrictions, Rollout to Begin Mid-September
Whistleblowers from the TSA and Border Patrol have raised the alarm to Infowars that the Biden administration is setting the stage for full Covid lockdowns that will begin with incremental restrictions like masking TSA employees in mid-September.
The first source, a high-level TSA official confirmed and known to Infowars, reached out to Infowars and cited a Tuesday meeting in which TSA managers were told new memorandums & policies were being completed that would reimplement masking, starting with TSA & airport employees as early as mid-September.
The TSA official also said next week they will receive new guidelines on how the policy will escalate: by mid-October, mask-wearing will be required by pilots, flight staff, passengers, and airport patrons.
After hearing from the TSA manager, Infowars reached out to our trusted Border Patrol source who is also a manager. This source confirmed the same directives were being given to Border Patrol.
They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure.
Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.
Infowars’ analysis is clear: this new rollout’s timing is perfect for the embattled Biden administration to put the country back in a state of civil emergency and even martial law to further divide and confuse the public and move forward with the greatest election meddling in history.
Many times, Alex Jones has warned that the system will bring back biomedical tyranny. And the launch of this new crisis in September will allow a build-up of control that would allow the use of mail-in ballots for the next presidential election.
Remember, mail-in ballots were decisive for Biden’s victory last election.
We now know the Covid lockdowns were an international psychological warfare operation run by the Ministry of Defense and Pentagon.
Countries worldwide implemented fear campaigns for political purposes and to push experimental shots.
But this time around, the masses have awakened to the globalist playbook of conquest, and may not be as receptive to MSM hysteria.
Simply put, the Deep State is getting desperate and is behaving like a cornered animal.
No Evidence Biden Administration Is Bringing Back COVID Restrictions!
Let’s take a look at what Infowars just claimed, and find out what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : InfoWars Is Notorious Fake News Website
First, let me just point out that InfoWars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.
2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that InfoWars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
InfoWars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
InfoWars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“
Both Alex Jones and InfoWars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the InfoWars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Fact #2 : Alex Jones + InfoWars Provided No Evidence
If you watch the InfoWars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table were leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.
It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, InfoWars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.
Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine
In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.
The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.
Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.
Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.
Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC
It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.
For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous
The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.
According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…
presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date
While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.
Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023
Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.
From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.
EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.
For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.
– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.
Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns
I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.
The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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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.
Did a Chinese driver get attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Chinese Driver Attacked With Axe After Honking!
People are now sharing four videos together with this viral message about a Chinese driver getting attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him!
Forwarded by another chat group. The Chinese driver at the back horn the malay guy in front. Maybe the malay driver in bad mood took an axe and chopped him.
Be patience on the road and do not horn unnecessary.
I will not be posting the videos, because they are shocking in nature. However, these two screenshots should give you an idea of the violence, and the videos I’m referring to.
Truth : No Chinese Driver Was Hacked With Axe For Honking!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Incident Occurred In Sabah
Let me start by pointing out that the viral videos are genuine, and were not edited. There was a recent incident where a man was hacked with an axe in Malaysia.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night, 9 August 2023, in Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Fact #2 : The Man Did Not Honk At Anyone
The incident did not involve honking. The victim – a 37 year-old man, had earlier parked his car at an open space near Menara Kinabalu – the Sabah state administrative centre.
He was having a meal with his 30 year-old girlfriend in his parked car, when three men approached his car at around 9 PM. One of the three man then proceeded to attack the victim with an axe.
The couple managed to escape to the nearby Alamesra police station to seek help, and lodge a police report. The victim was later sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. His girlfriend was not injured.
Fact #3 : Police Are Looking For The Three Men
The police are now looking for the three man to help with their investigation into the case – 37 year-old Withal Jalali, 27 year-old Abdel Jalali, and another man who has not been identified.
Those with information of the individuals or the incident are advised to come forward and report the matter at the nearest police station or contact the investigating officer Inspector Muhammad Khaidir Zakaria at 014-801-961.
The man who attacked the victim with an axe is believed to be Winhal Jalali – the woman’s ex-husband.
The woman is believed to have married the suspect in 2015, before they divorced about a month ago. She has known the victim for six months before starting a romantic relationship two weeks ago.
Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah confirmed the incident on Friday, 11 August 2023, stating:
The man suffered multiple injuries to his face, hands and foot following the attack. We believe the motive of the attack was jealousy.
The case is being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon.
Fact #5 : Victim’s Identity Is Still Unknown
The victim’s identity is currently unknown. The police have not revealed his name, much less his race. Therefore, there is no evidence that he is a Chinese man.
Until and unless the victim and/or the police reveals his identity and race, anyone who tells you that he is a Chinese man is likely telling a tall tale.
Fact #6 : Two Suspects Are Suluk
According to the Kota Kinabalu police, the two suspects who have been identified – Winhal Jalali and Abdel Jalali, are from the Suluk ethnic group.
In other words – the claim in the viral warning that the driver was attacked by a “moody Malay man” is categorically false.
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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 the pilot of Qatar Airways flight QR579 die suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine during the flight?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Qatar Airways Pilot Died From Vaccine Mid-Flight!
Some people are suggesting or claiming that the pilot of Qatar Airways flight QR579 died suddenly mid-flight due to a COVID-19 vaccine injury or SADS!
William Makis MD : BREAKING NEWS: Another PILOT has died inflight!!
Aug.16, 2023 – Quatar Airways QR579 (DEL-DOH) Delhi to Doha, Quatar diverted to Dubai as 51 year old senior pilot collapsed inflight and died!
2nd pilot death & 4th collapse THIS WEEK! #DiedSuddenly #cdnpoli #ableg
Stew Peters : ANOTHER pilot #DiedSuddenly, MID FLIGHT. Qatar Airlines vaxxed all their pilots, evidently.
#PureBloods will rule the world one day soon.
Jack Straw : BREAKING NEWS: Another PILOT has died inflight!!
Aug.16, 2023 – Quatar Airways QR579 (DEL-DOH) Delhi to Doha, Quatar diverted to Dubai as 51 year old senior pilot collapsed inflight and died! 2nd pilot death & 4th collapse THIS WEEK!
No Evidence Qatar Airways Pilot Died From Vaccine Mid-Flight!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all sudden deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Qatar Airways Pilot Was Passenger Aboard QR579
First, let me just point out that the pilot who died aboard Qatar Airways flight QR579 was not the senior pilot for that flight. He was aboard the flight as a passenger.
To be clear – Qatar Airways flight QR579 was never in any danger during the tragic incident. It was not one of its two pilots who had a medical emergency and died.
Fact #2 : He Died Onboard Qatar Airways QR579
On August 16, 2023, Qatar Airways flight QR579 took off from Delhi, heading towards Doha. 30 minutes into its flight, the Airbus A350-900 aircraft suddenly turned left and headed for Dubai International Airport (DXB), where it landed 30 minutes later.
Later, it was reported that the aircraft with the registration of A7-ALM diverted to Dubai due to a medical emergency – a senior pilot who was travelling as a passenger, suddenly fell critically ill onboard.
Despite a swift response and medical assistance onboard flight QR579, he could not be saved. He was declared dead on arrive at Dubai International Airport.
Fact #3 : The Pilot Allegedly Died From Cardiac Arrest
The Qatar Airways pilot was a 51 year-old man of Indian origin, who had flown SpiceJet’s inaugural flight in 2005:
The pilot had worked with Alliance Air and spent 17 years in SpiceJet. He had operated SpiceJet’s first flight, Delhi-Ahmedabad, on May 23, 2005. Last year he had joined Qatar Airways where he was flying the Boeing 777.
A colleague who worked with the pilot for several years expressed shock, stating that “He was very fit and his untimely demise has come as a big shock for everyone who knew him“. That quote is being used to claim or suggest that the pilot “must have” died from a COVID-19 vaccine injury of some sort.
There is no evidence that his death has anything to do with COVID-19 vaccines. And certainly, people pushing those claims offered ZERO evidence to back up their “expert opinions”.
Officially, Qatar Airways has not commented on the death of the pilot. But India’s Zee News reported that the pilot was ascertained to have died from cardiac arrest.
While it is likely that the pilot died from sudden cardiac arrest, I would caution that the pilot’s official cause of death remains unknown.
Until and unless his family and/or Qatar Airways or the Dubai authorities reveal his official cause of death, any claim that he died from this or that cause should be taken with a pinch of salt.
While anti-vaccination activists claim that there is a sudden surge of “untimely deaths” from cardiac arrest, it has long been a major cause of death… long before the COVID-19 vaccines were invented.
The United States alone records over half a million cases of sudden cardiac arrest cases every year – an incidence of about 130 per 100,000 individuals per year. Many people have undiagnosed heart conditions that may not produce noticeable symptoms in daily life, but could result in sudden cardiac arrest at any time.
A 2012 study discovered that people in Southern India who died from sudden cardiac arrest were 5-8 years younger compared to people in the western hemisphere.
10% of all deaths in Southern India were caused by sudden cardiac death
almost half were 60 years-old or younger
many were diagnosed with heart disease
over 80% had at least one risk factor for coronary artery disease – hypertension, diabetes, or smoking
they were generally 5-8 years younger than similar cases in the western hemisphere
Fact #5 : Unknown If Qatar Airways Pilot Was Vaccinated
Despite suggestions that the Qatar Airways pilot was fully-vaccinated, there isn’t any actual evidence that he ever received the COVID-19 vaccine. We don’t even know his name, much less his COVID-19 vaccination status!
Qatar Airways also never mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its pilots or its aircrew. Instead, pilots and aircrew were offered two options – get vaccinated, or undergo a COVID-19 test every few days.
[H]ow did Qatar Airways achieve 100 per cent crew vaccination without threatening dismissal against vaccine-hesitant workers?
Unlike the United States, cabin crew in Qatar weren’t immediately prioritised for the vaccine and supply issues meant that Qatar hasn’t had a surplus of vaccines that are going to waste either.
But when crew did become eligible, they had a simple choice – get vaccinated or have an invasive COVID-19 test every few days to prove your negative status.
That said – the pilot is likely fully-vaccinated. He only joined Qatar Airways in 2022. Previously, he was with SpiceJet. While it is unknown whether SpiceJet has a vaccine mandate for its aircrew, SpiceJet is promoting the fact that its crew members and ground personnel are fully-vaccinated and masked.
Even so, I should point out that COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in India, and the pilot may possibly have left SpiceJet over the vaccination mandate (if there’s one). So it is still possible that the pilot was not vaccinated against COVID-19. We simply do not know his vaccination status for sure. Heck, we don’t even know his name!
Until and unless the pilot’s family (or Qatar Airways) reveals his COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that the unnamed pilot was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us have any evidence of that.
Fact #6 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Even if the Qatar Airways pilot was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he would have received his doses more than a year ago! It is quite impossible for him to suffer from vaccine side effects, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days or weeks.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #7 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…
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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 Inspector-General of Police just announced that PDRM will conduct roadblocks at strategic locations, from midnight onwards!
IGP : PDRM To Conduct Roadblocks From Midnight Onwards!
On Saturday, 12 August 2023, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain announced that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will conduct roadblocks at strategic locations nationwide, from midnight onwards!
He said that these roadblocks are part of ongoing efforts to prevent crime and ensure public safety through police omnipresence, and unrelated to the 2023 state elections.
This is part of our monthly routine to prevent crimes and is not related to the state elections. Our men will be stationed at various locations to ensure there are no untoward incidents.
At the same time, IGP Razarudin also urged supporters of political parties not to hold any victory convoys with their vehicles.
He also said that the police will increase its presence at state palaces and residences of the Yang di-Pertua to prevent disruptions at those locations.
PDRM conducted similar roadblocks were during the 15th General Elections in November 2022.
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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.
PDRM is warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam! Here is what you need to know about the MyBayar PDRM scam!
PDRM Warning : Watch Out For MyBayar Scam
On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.
The MyBayar PDRM scam starts with an official-looking email that warns motorists that they have been caught contravening the law, and offers a cheap RM50 fine if paid within 5 days:
Last notice of contravention before prosecution
Dear recipient,
We are writing to draw your attention to a recent traffic violation in Malaysian jurisdiction.
Our traffic enforcement staff have observed your vehicle parked in a no-parking zone. This contravenes section (no. 2016-691] of the Road Traffic Act.
As a result of this infringement, a fine of MYR 50 has been imposed. This fine must be paid within 5 days of the date of this notification to avoid further legal consequences.
Failure to pay the fine within the allotted time may result in legal proceedings being taken against you, which could lead to increased fines, penalties and the possible suspension of your driving license.
Many people who received the MyBayar PDRM email might be shocked to find out that they were caught committing a traffic violation, and then relieved that it was only RM50 if they paid quickly.
That’s how the scammers trap their victims – by offering a cheap RM50 fine, when we all know that fines for traffic offences are at least RM150, and can go all the way up to RM1,000!
Those who received this fake MyBayar PDRM email would be tempted to quickly pay the cheap RM50 fine, before it becomes a lot more expensive!
But if you take a closer look at the email, you will spot some problems with it:
Weird English : The email title of “Last notice of contravention before prosecution” is nonsensical.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.
The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.
Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!
If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fakeMy Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).
You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?
Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.
Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!
But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.
Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!
If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!
It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!
If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!
Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.
Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:
Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
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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.
Please be warned – you still need a physical driving licence when you are driving overseas! Your digital driving licence is most likely not valid or legal overseas!
Fined Overseas For Not Having Physical Driving Licence!
In May 2023, two Malaysian men were fined for failing to produce their physical driving licences in Thailand.
Both men were stopped by police while riding motorcycles on car lanes in Phuket. When the Thai police officer asked for their driving licence, they showed their digital driving licences using the MyJPJ app.
However, the Thai police officer said that their digital driving licences were not valid, even though the men explained Malaysia adopted the digital driving licence in February 2023.
In the end, both men had to pay a compound at the police station for not having a valid driving licence.
Even though the incident occurred several months ago, the issue only went viral after the men posted their video in Twitter on 3 August 2023.
PSA : You Still Need Physical Driving Licence Overseas!
Please be warned that even though Malaysia has adopted the digital driving licence (e-LLM) since 10 February 2023, it is only valid in Malaysia, and not overseas!
In the future, other countries will likely accept digital driving licences, but until that happens, you still need to bring and use a physical driving licence while driving overseas.
On 5 August 2023, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke commented on the two Malaysian men who were fined in Thailand for failing to produce a physical driving licence. He said that the digital licence is only valid in Malaysia.
He pointed out that the matter (of accepting digital licences) was subject to laws in that country, and the ministry has no authority to determine how laws in other countries are enforced.
He also said that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will continue to issue physical driving licences, so those who wish to drive overseas should apply for one at JPJ branches when renewing their driving licence.
We have no stopped the issuance of physical copies of driving licences, so if they want to drive in a country that requires a physical licence then they can apply for it at RTD counters when renewing their licence.
– Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke
Physical Driving Licence Only Available In JPJ Branches
Truth be told – this was already mentioned when the digital driving licence was adopted in February 2023. This was what I pointed out back then:
JPJ will continue to offer the physical driving licence to motorists who still prefer it, or need one to drive overseas.
But understandably, many of us probably missed that part. Or forgot that foreign governments may not readily accept the new digital driving licence.
While I’m here, I should also point out that the physical driving licence is now available only at JPJ branches. This may be a bit of a hassle, since it used to be available in Pos Malaysia branches too.
But the good news is – you can now renew your driving licence for 10 years, with a 10% discount to boot! So this should be a once-in-a-decade hassle.
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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.
PDRM is warning motorists not to stop their vehicles on any zebra crossing, or be subject to a fine of up to RM2,000, or 6 month’s jail!
PDRM Warning : It’s Illegal To Stop On Zebra Crossing!
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is warning motorists not to stop their vehicles on any zebra crossing, or be subject to a fine of up to RM2,000, or 6 month’s jail!
On 28 July 2023, PDRM’s Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department (JSPT) announced that it would initiate a nationwide operation to enforce traffic laws under Op Pematuhan Peraturan Lala Lintas (Traffic Regulations Enforcement Operation).
One of the operations it is now carrying out is to enforce Rule 38 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, which prohibits motorists from stopping their vehicles on any zebra crossing, unless it is out of their control – they are blocked by other vehicles from moving out of the way, or if it is necessary to prevent an accident.
OP PEMATUHAN PERATURAN LALU LINTAS
Jabatan Siasatan Dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik (JSPT) Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) pada 28 Julai 2023 telah mengeluarkan satu kenyataan media berhubung pelaksanaan OP Pematuhan Peraturan Lalu di seluruh negara.
Salah satu daripada operasi yang dijalankan adalah Kaedah 38 Kaedah-Kaedah Lalu Lintas Jalan (LN166/1959) – Tidak Boleh Memberhentikan Kenderaan Di Lintasan, menyatakan bahawa ;
– Pemandu kenderaan tidak boleh menyebabkan kenderaan atau mana-mana bahagian kenderaannya berhenti di dalam kawasan lintasan melainkan sama ada dia dilarang daripada bergerak oleh keadaan yang diluar kawalannya atau jika perlu baginya untuk berhenti bagi mengelakkan kemalangan.
Here is the English translation:
TRAFFIC REGULATIONS ENFORCEMENT OPERATION
The Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) on 28 July 2023 issued a media statement regarding the launch of the Traffic Regulations Enforcement Operation throughout the country.
One of the operations carried out is Rule 38 of the Road Traffic Rules (LN166/1959) – Not Allowed To Stop Vehicles At Crossings, which state that;
– The driver must not cause the vehicle or any part of the vehicle to stop in the crossing area unless he is prohibited from moving by circumstances beyond his control or if it is necessary for him to stop to avoid an accident.
To be clear – all motorists – whether they are driving a car, a van, or riding a motorcycle, should not cross the white line. If any part of their vehicle crosses the white line, that constitutes an offence.
Pengguna jalan raya diingatkan untuk mematuhi peraturan lalulintas dan tidak berhenti melebihi garisan putih kerana perbuatan ini adalah salah satu punca berlakunya kesesakan lalu lintas, berlakunya kemalangan dan juga boleh mengganggu pengguna jalanraya yang lain.
Road users are reminded to obey traffic rules and not stop beyond the white line because this act is one of the causes of traffic jams, accidents and can also disturb other road users.
Fine / Jail If Caught Stopping On Zebra Crossing!
JSPT is also warning that motorists may be fined up to RM2,000, or jailed for up to 6 months, if they are caught stopping any part of their vehicles on any zebra crossing.
Mana-mana individu yang melakukan kesalahan boleh dikenakan denda tidak melebihi RM2,000 atau dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi enam bulan.
Any individual who commits an offense may be fined not exceeding RM2,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months.
In other words – this is a serious offence, with serious consequences. Most of us motorists never think about this. So this is a timely warning. Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
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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.
On 1 August 2023, people started sharing warnings claiming that the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) stopped issuing physical road tax stickers, except for selected groups of people like senior citizens, foreigners, and companies.
DIGITAL ROAD TAX 1) Via MyJPJ Apps 2) Via JPJ website https://public.jpj.gov.my/
Starting Tuesdsy, August 1, 2023 on Tuesday. JPJ will no longer issue physical roadtax except for Senior Citizen, Non-Citizen & Company.
The JPJ will use up the existing roadtax disk & then run the digital roadtax as a whole. Download myJPJ apps
Things you need to register MyJPJ Apps : 1) Car Owner’s Driving Licence 2) Car Owner’s Mobile Phone # 3) Car Owner’s Email Address (for verification purpose) 4) To answer a few security questions. It is advisable for the car owner to register the MyJPJ Apps themselves.
Others shared a photo taken of an actual notice posted at a JPJ branch, showing that the JPJ headquarters had indeed issued the order to stop issuing physical road tax stickers to most drivers.
JPJ Ordered To Remove ‘No Physical Road Tax’ Notice!
After the photo and warnings went viral, I checked the official Facebook pages for JPJ and Anthony Loke, but found no announcement that JPJ would stop issuing physical road tax stickers.
I also checked the JPJ website, and its own FAQ on road tax renewal – there was no mention that JPJ has already stopped issuing physical road tax stickers.
As I pointed out in my earlier article, when Transport Minister hen Anthony Loke introduced the digital road tax or motor vehicle licence (e-LKM) on 10 February 2023, he said that it was optional, and motorists would have at least until the end of 2023 to register and try out it out.
The minister also said that JPJ will continue to offer physical road tax stickers for motorists who still prefer to use it on their cars or motorcycles.
Just to be sure, I called up the JPJ contact centre. The JPJ officer on the line consulted her supervisor and then informed me that it was true that JPJ has already stopped issuing the physical road tax. She claimed that the notice was posted in the MyJPJ app.
When I checked the MyJPJ app, I could find no such notice. So I called the JPJ contact centre again. This time, a different lady told me that they were just operators, and have no idea about such matters. Seriously…
But later that day on 2 August 2023, Anthony Loke held a press conference to address this viral claim. He confirmed that the ‘No Physical Road Tax’ notice was issued by JPJ Director-General Rospiagos Taha, but said that it was only because those branches ran out of stock.
He confirmed that this was no an actual policy decision, and said that JPJ had been ordered to take down the ‘No Physical Road Tax’ notice that has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media platforms.
The (road tax) sticker is still being issued. Several branches ran out of stock and put up a notice on the non-availability of physical road tax, but it is not a policy decision. We took quick action on finding out that branches have run out of stock and will continue to order new stock.
Anthony Loke also said that the Transport Ministry had not decided on a cut-off date for the full transition to the digital road tax, and that it would take at least six months to a year before they can go fully digital. In the meantime, vehicle owners still can choose to request for, and use, the physical sticker.
But there will come a time when we will transform to fully digital. No decision has been made yet; it would take six months to one year before going fully digital.
By going digital, the Transport Ministry can reduce congestion at JPJ offices and counters by up to 80%, and save RM96 million a year in cost.
According to JPJ, only about 30% of vehicle owners have so far opted for the digital road tax. On average, about 1.5 million vehicles need to renew their road taxes every month.
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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 JPJ stop issuing physical road tax stickers, except to senior citizens, foreigners and companies?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : JPJ Stopped Issuing Physical Road Tax For Most Drivers!
This message has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media platforms, claiming that JPJ stopped issuing physical road tax stickers, except to senior citizens, foreigners and companies!
DIGITAL ROAD TAX 1) Via MyJPJ Apps 2) Via JPJ website https://public.jpj.gov.my/
Starting Tuesdsy, August 1, 2023 on Tuesday. JPJ will no longer issue physical roadtax except for Senior Citizen, Non-Citizen & Company.
The JPJ will use up the existing roadtax disk & then run the digital roadtax as a whole. Download myJPJ apps
Things you need to register MyJPJ Apps : 1) Car Owner’s Driving Licence 2) Car Owner’s Mobile Phone # 3) Car Owner’s Email Address (for verification purpose) 4) To answer a few security questions. It is advisable for the car owner to register the MyJPJ Apps themselves.
Truth : JPJ Did Not Stop Issuing Physical Road Tax Stickers!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Physical Road Tax Sticker No Longer Required For Most Drivers
First, let me just point out that since 10 February 2023, the physical road tax stickers for vehicles in Malaysia are no longer required, except for these vehicles:
private vehicles owned by private companies
private vehicles owned by foreigners
commercial vehicles
public service vehicles
Fact #2 : Digital Road Tax Is Optional
When Anthony Loke announced the introduction of a digital road tax or motor vehicle licence (e-LKM) on 10 February 2023, he said that it was optional, and part of the broader digitalisation plan for JPJ to provide a smoother and faster service to the people.
Don’t worry, the digital format is not mandatory. You can still obtain the road tax sticker and physical driving licence from JPJ, if required.
As mentioned in our 10 February 2023 article, the e-LKM digital road tax is OPTIONAL. You can continue request for, and use a physical sticker.
As Transport Minister Anthony Loke clarified, JPJ will continue to offer physical road tax stickers for motorists who still prefer to use it on their cars or motorcycles.
These printed stickers will be available to all motorists who request for it, at all JPJ branches.
You can still the physical road tax sticker and driving licence. Motorists are offered the option to go digital, or use the physical road tax stickers and driving licence cards.
Fact #4 : JPJ Ordered To Remove Notice!
On Thursday, 3 August 2023, Transport Minister Anthony Loke ordered JPJ to remove the notice posted at several branches, stating that the Road Transport Department was no longer issuing physical stickers for private vehicles.
Anthony Loke said that the directive, which was issued by JPJ Director-General Rospiagos Taha, was due to the non-availability of physical stickers are several branches, and NOT a policy decision.
The (road tax) sticker is still being issued. Several branches ran out of stock and put up a notice on the non-availability of physical road tax, but it is not a policy decision. We took quick action on finding out that branches have run out of stock and will continue to order new stock.
The Malaysia Transport Ministry is giving motorists until the end of 2023 at the very minimum, to register and try out the new digital road tax and digital driving licence.
On Thursday, 3 August 2023, Road Transport Minister Anthony Loke also said that a cut-off date for the full transition to digital road tax has yet to be set. Therefore, the claim that JPJ has stopped issuing physical road tax stickers is categorically false.
But there will come a time when we will transform to fully digital. No decision has been made yet; it would take six months to one year before going fully digital.
According to JPJ, only about 30% of vehicle owners have so far opted for the digital road tax.
Fact #5 : MyJPJ App Not Mandatory Either
Just to be clear – it is NOT mandatory for any motorist to download and use the MyJPJ app either. It is merely “one of the options” to obtain the digital copy of your road tax and driving licence.
It does not matter if you have no physical road tax sticker or driving licence, and are unable to show the digital versions using the MyJPJ app. The enforcement agencies can confirm the status of your road tax and driving licence through their own gadget.
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.
Did two Tesla electric cars catch fire, and explode spectacularly, after colliding in an accident?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Video Shows Tesla Cars On Fire + Exploding After Accident!
A video has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, with people claiming that it shows two electric vehicles, or Tesla cars, catching fire and exploding spectacularly, after colliding in an accident!
AlphaFox : This is what happens when one Tesla catches on fire.
BUDA : Tesla car battery exploding #tesla #elonmusk @elonmusk $TSLA
An incredible video, showing what can happen when two EVs collide. Note that both sides of the freeway have been shut down and there are no fire apparatus present because, once a lithium battery ignites, it cannot be easily extinguished and the fumes are toxic.
Truth : Video Does NOT Show Tesla Cars On Fire + Exploding!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are there reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In Moscow, Russia
First, let me start by pointing out that the viral video was recorded on the Moscow Automobile Ring Road (MKAD).
Fact #2 : Video Was Recorded In July 2013
Next, you should know that the incident did not happen recently. In fact, it actually occurred on 13/14 July 2013 – more than 10 years ago!
Although the Tesla Roadster was displayed in Moscow as early as June 30, 2010, Tesla never sold any electric cars officially in Russia. Instead, Tesla enthusiasts in Russia imported them in by themselves, through a “Tesla Club”.
Even as late as 2020, there were only about 500 Tesla electric cars in Russia, with 400 of them sold through the Russian “Tesla Club”. Therefore, it is virtually impossible for two Tesla electric cars to be involved in an accident in Russia, in 2013…
Fact #3 : Exploding Vehicle Was A Propane Gas Truck!
The truth is – the incident involved a truck that was carrying propane gas tanks. No electric vehicles were involved.
In the video above, you can see that the propane gas truck driver was speeding, and slammed into the back of a grey van / mini bus that was changing lanes to the right.
The accident caused the 36 propane gas tanks to burst and catch fire. Some of them exploded spectacularly, while others flew around like rockets!
Despite the ferocity of the fire and explosions, no one died in the accident. The truck driver can be seen running away from the exploding gas tanks.
Did Tesla Cars Catch Fire + Explode After Accident?!
Fact #4 : There Were Firefighters
The viral video does not show any firefighters, because it is only one minute long. The original video, which is over 8 minutes long, shows Russian police and firefighters arriving on the scene within minutes.
However, it seemed safer to just let the truck burn completely, as the propane gas tanks were still exploding and flying around. In fact, a Russian police car was almost hit by one of those flying gas tanks, and quickly beat a hasty retreat!
Fact #5 : Lithium Battery Fires Are Hard To Put Out
It is true that the lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles can catch fire, and these lithium fires are notoriously hard to put out. Firefighters generally need to dump a ton of water on the burning electric vehicle for several hours.
That is why it is generally a good idea to simply let the electric vehicle burn itself out, unless the fire is threatening life or other property.
Electric vehicles will burn furiously, but they won’t explode like what was shown in the viral video. Those are, again, pressurised propane tanks exploding.
Fact #6 : Electric Vehicles Are Less Likely To Catch Fire
Electric vehicles can and do catch fire during car accidents, especially when their lithium ion battery packs are damaged or ruptured by the impact.
However, their overall fire risk is lower than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. According to AutoinsuranceEZ, ICE vehicles are 60X more likely to catch fire than an electric vehicle.
The riskiest are hybrid vehicles – they are 130X more likely to catch fire than an electric vehicle! The much higher fire risk in hybrid vehicles is likely due to the fact they have both a lithium-ion battery, and a gas tank filled with combustible fuel.
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.
Will JPJ require senior drivers to get an eye test and medical examination to renew their driving licence in 2024?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-07-21 : Added JPJ’s official statement on the viral claim Originally posted @ 2023-07-20
Claim : JPJ To Require Eye + Medical Tests For Senior Drivers!
This message has gone viral on WhatApp, claiming that the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) will require senior drivers who are 65 years and older to get an eye test and medical report before they can renew their driving licence in 2024!
Post as received!👇🏻
Notice Hi seniors, those above 65 yrs will need to get eye tests & medical from 2024 to get your driving licence re-newed. Go to jpj now to get your licence extended at the warga Emas counter. We just did it. Very fast. Less than 15 mins. Mine expires 2027 so they extended till 2034. Rm30/yr. pay with credit card. Very easy. 1. At jpj pj, go to the right door -enquiry to get your number. 2. Then go to pintu B to warga Mas counter & give your driving licence & pay. 3. Then go a counter on the left to give the guy your ic. Wait for him to give u your new driving licence.
Truth : JPJ Does NOT Require Eye + Medical Tests For Senior Drivers!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Eye Test + Medical Report Not Required To Renew Driving Licence
First, let me just point out that the renewal of your driving licence has very few requirements:
The driver must not be blacklisted
You can only renew your driving licence for up to 10 years.
You must provide the following documents:
– Original MyKad / passport (or copies, if renewed by a representative)
– Original MyKad / passport of representative (if renewed by a representative)
– Original driving licence
– 1 colour photo (25 mm x 32 mm, with a white background)
– Fee of RM2 per year for Class A/A1)
– Fee of RM20 per year for Class B, B2 and C
– Fee of RM30 per year for Class D and above
There is no requirement to undertake any eye test, or provide a medical report, in order to renew your driving licence.
Fact #2 : JPJ Labelled The Claim As Fake News!
A check of the JPJ website and official Facebook page confirmed that the Malaysia Road Transport Department has not announced any additional requirements to renew your driving licence.
There was also no such announcement on the official Facebook page of Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
At around 5:45 PM on July 20, 2023, JPJ finally issued a statement, calling the claim it will require senior drivers to undertake an eye test and provide a medical report to renew their driving licence as “fake news“. Here is the statement in English:
VIRAL MESSAGE DISCLAIMER NOTICE
The Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) would like to inform everyone that the claim that went viral on WhatsApp about Senior Citizens aged 65 and above being required to undergo eye examination and health examination starting in 2024 IS NOT TRUE.
Accordingly, the driving license renewal for senior citizens remains as usual.
In this regard, JPJ advises the public not to be so gullible and to contact the nearest JPJ office to get more accurate information so as not to be deceived.
Fact #3 : PDRM Asked For Fit To Drive Test In 2021
This fake news is likely based on 2021 news reports about a possible Fit To Drive test for senior drivers in Malaysia.
In September 2021, Malaysian police asked the government to consider introducing a “Fit To Drive” assessment system to evaluate senior drivers who are 60 years and older, before they are allowed to renew their driving / riding licences.
At that time, federal traffic police chief Azisman Alias explained that the suggestion to the Malaysian Transport Ministry and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) was based on the number of cases involving senior citizens who were caught driving against the flow of traffic, and committing other offences at traffic lights and road junctions.
We need to assess the capability of senior citizens on the road because of the risk posed to other road users as well as themselves.
There have been several cases involving drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol. We also see a rising number of cases of driving against the flow involving the elderly aged 60 to 70 years and above.
When the police detained them, it was apparent some of them aged 70 and above had some sort of dementia or senility. Some of them were also found to be not alert to certain traffic conditions.
He suggested, at that time, that the medical fraternity alongside the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) should conduct a study on the possibility of introducing aptitude or cognitive tests for senior drivers.
They (senior drivers) should only be allowed to renew their licences provided they undergo a medical check-up and receive confirmation from a doctor that they are fit to drive, mentally and physically.
He cited developed countries such as the UK, Canada, Singapore and Australia, which have introduced similar tests. For example, senior drivers in Singapore who are over 65 years old must undergo an annual medical examination by a medical practitioner.
That suggestion was met with public uproar. The Transport Minister at that time, Wee Ka Siong, also spoke out against it, calling it discriminatory:
Many drivers far above the age of 70 display greater competence in driving compared to those who are younger.
Simply refusing an elderly the means to drive or ride on the basis of their age or based on isolated or anecdotal evidence is discriminatory
As of July 2023, the Malaysia Transport Ministry and the Road Transport Department have not implemented, or even announced, any such Fit To Drive test for senior drivers.
Fact #4 : Senior Drivers To Voluntarily Surrender Driving Licence
Ultimately, as long as senior drivers have not been blacklisted for committing traffic offences, they can continue to renew driving licences.
This fake news is similar to the 2021 viral claim that senior drivers who are 70 years and above must surrender their driving licences to JPJ.
As Wee Ka Siong, the Transport Minister at that time explained, the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 leaves the responsibility to the driver to voluntarily surrender their driving licence if their health is unsatisfactory and may endanger other road users.
Actually, Section 30 of the Road Transport Act 1987 leaves the responsibility to the driver to voluntarily surrender their driving license when they have unsatisfactory health conditions and may endanger other road users.
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.
