Tradisional Sabah Borneo

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Australia, Taiwan and South Korea advised pregnant women and those attempting to get pregnant to avoid travel to Singapore after an outbreak of the Zika virus infected more than 50 people in the city-state.

The outbreak and the warnings come as a potential blow to tourism in one of the world's busiest travel hubs, which is already struggling to recover from a slump amid tepid global growth.

Singapore reported its first case of locally-transmitted Zika at the weekend, and the number of reported infections of the mosquito-borne virus has since jumped to 56. At least three dozen of those have since made a full recovery.

The Zika virus was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. It poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked in Brazil to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect where babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains.

The 56 confirmed cases in Singapore include only one woman.

Taiwan, Australia and South Korea advised pregnant women and those planning pregnancy to postpone trips to Singapore. Those returning from the country should avoid pregnancy for two months. South Korean travellers will receive text messages with the warning when they arrive in Singapore.

Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore's closest neighbours, have stepped up protective measures following the outbreak, introducing thermal scanners at airports and border checkpoints.Singapore's Tourism Board said it was monitoring developments, adding the city state remained a "safe travel destination", and it was premature to consider any impact.

More than 55 million people pass through Singapore's Changi airport every year. In the first half of this year, tourism arrivals reached almost 8.2 million, compared with around 7.3 million in the same period of last year.

Online retailer Lazada Singapore said on Tuesday it has seen sales of mosquito repellent and other deterrent products rise fivefold over the past three days compared to a week ago.

FOREIGN WORKERS

Authorities continued to inspect thousands of homes in seven parts of Singapore, including five foreign worker dormitories, on Tuesday. Officials sprayed insecticide and removed potential mosquito breeding habitats such as stagnant water and moist dirt from drains.

The majority of those infected with Zika in Singapore were foreign workers, but the government has not disclosed their nationalities. The High Commission of Bangladesh, which represents the largest community of foreign workers, said none of the workers were Bangladeshis.

The Chinese and Myanmar embassies in Singapore said they had not been notified by Singapore whether their citizens were among those infected. The Thai embassy did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Foreign workers in Singapore, employed mostly in the construction and marine industries, can earn as little as S$2 ($1.47) an hour, often work 12-14 hours a day and take few days off. They are unlikely to travel often.

The GuocoLand construction site, where the infected workers were found, remained closed on Tuesday morning, according to a Reuters photographer at the scene. It was ordered on Sunday to halt work and rectify the conditions that allowed mosquitoes to breed.

Regional health experts said the Zika virus is likely to be significantly under-reported across tropical Southeast Asia as local health authorities fail to conduct adequate screening.REUTERS

A 62-year-old man who allegedly put highly corrosive acid inside a lubricant dispenser at a gay nightclub in Australia has been arrested and charged, reports said on Monday.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said it understood the incident occurred on Saturday at Aarows bar which describes itself as "Sydney's gay and bi social club".

Hydrochloric acid can cause immediate and severe damage on contact.

New South Wales police confirmed a man was arrested and charged.

"Following a number of similar incidents, items in the room had been alarmed to alert security officers if they were tampered with," they said in a statement.It added that an alarm sounded and security detained the man before the police showed up.

One patron interviewed by the ABC on Sunday said the act was "sick".

"Hydrochloric acid is not the best sort of thing to be playing with," he told the broadcaster.

The man, who has not been named, was charged with administering poison intended to injure, cause distress or pain.

He has also been charged with entering a building with intent to commit an offence and malicious damage.

The 62-year-old was granted conditional bail and is set to appear at Parramatta LocaCourt next month. AFP

Nepal has imposed a 10-year mountaineering ban on an Indian couple who faked photographs purporting to show them at the top of Mount Everest, an official said on Tuesday.

Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod, both police constables, said they reached the top of the world's highest mountain on May 23. But fellow climbers cast doubt on their claim, saying their photos at the summit were doctored.

Nepal's tourism department initially certified their claim but later conducted an investigation.

"Our investigation shows that the couple faked their summit. We have imposed a 10-year ban against them from climbing any mountain in Nepal," tourism department chief Sudarshan Prasad Dhakal told AFP of the decision made on Monday.Dhakal said an analysis of the photos submitted by the couple showed they had superimposed themselves and their banners on photos taken by another Indian climber of his Everest summit.

"Despite several attempts to get clarifications from them, they did not cooperate with us during the investigation. The two Sherpas that assisted them are also absconding," Dhakal said.

"The ban should serve as a warning for mountaineers to follow ethics," he said.

Many of those who reach the top of the 8,848 metre (29,029 feet) mountain have gone on to make money or forge careers as motivational speakers and authors.

A total of 456 people, including more than 250 foreigners, summited Everest during the recently-ended spring season, after two consecutive years of deadly disasters that led to almost all attempts being abandoned.

Mountaineering is a major revenue-earner for the impoverished Himalayan nation. This year's string of successful summits is expected to boost the industry, which was left reeling after an earthquake last year killed almost 9,000 people nationwide.

Hundreds fled Everest last year after an earthquake-triggered avalanche at base camp killed 18 people.

Only one climber reached the top in 2014 after an avalanche killed 16 Nepali guides that year.AFP

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang warned on Tuesday there would be no winners in any armed conflict sparked by territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Quang, who is on a state visit to Singapore, told a forum that recent developments there were threatening regional security.

The Vietnamese leader did not mention any country but there is growing unease over China's actions.

China claims most of the South China Sea. It has reclaimed reefs and built airstrips capable of hosting military equipment, sparking anger from competing claimants led by Vietnam and the Philippines.

"The South China Sea, located at the heart of Southeast Asia, not only brings about many important benefits to nations in the region but it is also a vital route to maritime and air transport of the world," Quang said.

But "recent worrying developments" there "have had a negative impact on the security environment of the region, especially maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and overflight".

"And should we allow instability to take place, especially in the case of armed conflicts, there will be neither winners or losers but rather all will lose," he warned.

Tran was speaking to diplomats, academics and students at a forum organised by the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

Four Southeast Asian states -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- as well as Taiwan have competing claims in the sea.Vietnam has been among the most vocal critics of China's blanket territorial claims. In 2014 China moved a controversial oil rig into contested territory, prompting riots in Vietnam.

China's activities in the sea have also drawn criticism from the United States, which says it seeks to ensure freedom of navigation in the waterway through which $5 trillion in annual global trade passes.

The sea row has also driven a wedge between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has failed to forge a unified front against Beijing's actions.

Last month the Philippines won a case against China at a UN-backed tribunal in the Hague which rejected Beiijing's claims to most of the sea.China boycotted the hearing and has refused to recognise the ruling. AFP

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's president dismissed the chief of the federal police force Monday, less than two weeks after the country's human rights commission released a scathing report alleging federal police "executed arbitrarily" at least 22 suspected drug cartel members during a raid on a ranch.

Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said President Enrique Pena Nieto decided to remove Enrique Galindo to allow for a transparent investigation.

"In light of the recent events and on instructions of the president, Police Commissioner Enrique Galindo has been removed from his position," Osorio Chong said. "That is with the objective of facilitating that the corresponding authorities carry out an agile and transparent investigation in full view of citizens."

Earlier this month, Mexico's National Human Rights Commission announced that its investigation found that at least 22 people were killed without justification by police during the operation at a ranch in the western state of Michoacan on May 22, 2015. It described them as being "executed arbitrarily."

The report further alleged that police planted guns on some suspects and moved some bodies to bolster the official version that all the deaths occurred during a gunbattle. In all, 42 civilians and one federal police officer were killed.

Galindo and National Security Commissioner Renato Sales had said they accepted the commission's recommendations, but denied that police executed anyone. They said the federal officers used necessary force against a heavily armed band of criminals.

After the incident, federal police had said they encountered a truck and took gunfire from its passengers before being led in a chase to the ranch in Tanhuato, near the border with Jalisco state.

The commission's report said the government did not produce evidence supporting that account and it said witness statements suggested 41 federal police officers had sneaked onto the ranch as early as 6 a.m. Officers started their assault at least an hour earlier than they maintained in reporting on the incident, the commission said.

According to the commission's report, after the federal police officer was shot, police called for backup. Fifty-four more officers arrived along with a helicopter.

"I think his position was unsustainable after the CNDH report on Tanhuato," Mexico City-based security analyst Alejandro Hope said of Galindo. "It was just a matter of time. There were too many controversies surrounding commissioner Galindo.The federal police have also been criticized for a June clash in the southern state of Oaxaca in which officers opened fire on protesting teachers and their allies in the town of Nochtixtlan. Eight civilians died, seven of them from gunshot wounds. Authorities said the police were fired on first, though others dispute that.

Federal and state forces had moved to clear a highway roadblock by the protesting teachers who responded by hurling fire bombs and rocks at police.

Osorio Chong said Galindo would be replaced by Manelich Castilla Craviotto, who had been in charge of the federal police's gendarmes force.

Hope said Galindo was being replaced with the officer who was perhaps closest to him. Manelich led federal police in San Luis Potosi while Galindo was the head of state police there."It's not a sea change, not at all," Hope said.  AP

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 30 – Having experienced a sluggish market with some negative growth since 2013, Sabah property developers are shifting gear from profit-driven luxury properties to smaller, more affordable projects that target the masses.

Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) deputy president Chew Shang Hai said that developers have responded to the slump and several upcoming projects are aimed at middle-income earners who constitute the major share of potential buyers.

“We are hoping that the current and future units aimed at the mid-income market will pick up and take off next year. This will counter sluggish property sales and start the wheels turning again by the second quarter of the year,” he said.Property event and publication company Property Hunter managing director Elson Kho said that after a stagnant period in terms of new property launches and sales, developers are now scheduled to enter the market later in the year or early next year.

“We have inquiries for a handful of property launches next year. There is a demand for affordable homes but people are afraid of buying now, which makes developers hold off on their launches too.

“But if the market goes on as projected, new projects which are smaller and outside of the city will enter the market next year and this should see the industry picking up again,” said Kho.

Recovery in the worksChew said recovery is highly dependent on a change in government policy, especially to loosen the stringent housing loan criteria particularly for projects that qualify as affordable homes.

“If there is some stimulus, there will be a boost of activity in the market, and other sectors will follow suit. We need to see something to help this.

“Looking at current indications, we are expecting that halfway through 2017, we will be able to see some improvement. But whatever it is, we are also sure the worst is over,” he said, pointing out that global oil prices are starting to rise again.

Based on first quarter of 2016 property sales data by the National Property Information Centre, Sabah registered a total of 1,595 transactions at the value of RM820.9 million, a decrease of 27 per cent and 40 per cent in volume and value respectively against the same period last year.

In 2015, Sabah recorded 7,824 transactions worth RM3.89 billion, a decrease of 12.2 per cent on volume and 10.8 per cent in value from 2014.

Developer Ben Kong of Borneo Estate Development said that the “prolonged dry spell” that Sabah is going through is a result of prices here finally catching up with west Malaysia property prices and of course, global market forces.

“In 2008, we had a huge surge in prices after being stagnant for many years. That was our correction period. But instead of stabilising and normalising, we were dependent on global forces that kept prices going up.”

At the height of Sabah’s property boom a few years ago, cash-rich tycoons sought to buy high-end luxury condominiums in the city, leading to an abundance of high-rise buildings, but this created a vacuum in low-to-mid-end property.

“Developers have to listen to consumer needs which are changing. And they have to be alert because the ups and downs are no longer 10-year cycles, ” he said.

Kong said that his firm will be launching a new affordable housing project along the city’s rim soon to cater to the biggest market demand.

“We know there is a demand, this is evident, but people are holding on to their money. Developers are still holding on to their projects. But the wealth is still here,” he said.

According to Shareda, the gross development value (GDV) for properties launched in Sabah has plummeted significantly in the last few years, from RM7.65 billion in 2013 to RM3.75 billion in 2014 and further dropped by approximately 28 per cent to RM2.7 billion in 2015. This year, the value has barely achieved RM2 billion.

Kho said that much of the downturn is now sentiments-based and consumers are just afraid of spending money in light of new factors such as GST and the perception of an economic crisis.

He said he used to organise up to four property launches every month but this has slowed down in the last year to zero this year.

Napic also reported the unsold residential, commercial and industrial units standing at 1,493 units valued at RM444 million against a 4,781 units launched, according to Napic. The bulk of this was 967 residential units priced RM300,000 and above.In 2015, there were 652 units of overhang properties worth RM177.5 million, up by 86.8 per cent in volume and 53.9 per cent in value.

Chew, who is also Grand Merdeka Development director attributed the unsold homes to the high rejection loan rate from banks, at about 75 per cent, an issue the association has been vocal about and is working with the government to overcome.

“We have some ideas. Like offering a lower loan or introducing a different credit check based on the fact that properties are ‘good debts’, unlike cars or personal loans. After all, owning property has major long-term benefits to retirement plans and its appreciation value,” he said.

“There has been a lot of meetings with the government so we are crossing our fingers that next year’s budget will include some plans to help address this problem,” he said.Knight Frank also pointed to several factors, including two big infrastructure projects, that would put Sabah’s economy on the up, and drive the property market as well, but only in the long term.

Phase one of the much-anticipated Pan Borneo highway in Sabah costing RM12.86 billion for 706 kilometres is expected to be completed by 2021 and is hailed to be the biggest game changer to Sabah’s socio-economic standing while a bus rapid transport (BRT) system is expected to be completed in 2020, transforming the current public transport system.

Tourism to the state is also expected to bolster all sectors of the economy by yearend as direct flights to China and Korea by both local and foreign airlines plus new charter flights from Malaysia Airlines have started.

According to Sabah Tourism statistics, international visitors to Sabah grew by 11.2 per cent in the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year. Out of the 455,071 international arrivals till May 2016, 143,199 were from China, an increase of 49 per cent, while 75,585 were from South Korea, a growth of 33 per cent. Sabah has received a total 1.3 million visitors so far.

People are still buying

Kho said that although official statistics is scarce, the reality is that there are still buyers in the market, but due to current circumstances, many are opting to buy outside of the country for investment and personal reasons.

Citing Australia as a popular choice, Kho said that those who can afford it have started asking about property aboard.“Some say it is because they have children studying overseas and it made sense to purchase property with the expectation that their children would likely live abroad following the completion of their studies.

“This is also linked to the current political landscape where they find themselves on an uneven playing field and are looking for more options,” he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents Henry Tai said that the current scenario meant that the secondary buyers market was on the rise although the reduced number of buyers meant that speculative buyers had to be more flexible with their selling prices now.

“Also, fewer buyers in the market and poor buying sentiments have driven more sellers to engage the services of real estate agents now, compared to before when they could afford to be selective,” said Tai.

“Because of the surge, there is a bit of a surplus now, and there are some people selling their units at cost, or even a loss. Investors in this sector are hard pressed for tenants and buyers. We have actually seen cases where owners in this category are selling at a loss or on even term.

Property consultancy firm Knight Frank said that although there were fewer product launches this year, there was a slight improvement in sales in the first quarter as indicated by developers who have experienced a 60 per cent take-up rate.

“Developers have responded to the market environment with smaller units and more affordable projects leading the way,” said the firm’s research developer Welton Chin.But it may still not be enough

The property firm remained cautious and said that although there were signs of recovery, they were not anticipating significant improvements in the immediate future, owing to external factors.

“Similar to many other countries, the property market in Sabah will mostly likely remain stagnant in the coming one or two years, owing to multiple factors such as political uncertainties, concern over global economy, skittish financial markets, sign of hypersupply to name a few,” said Chin.

He explained that a typical property cycle is loosely based on four phases: recovery, expansion, hypersupply, and recession. Sabah is currently teetering between the expansion and hypersupply phase.

“As Sabah experienced a significant growth over the past few years, demand increased while developers actively planned for more products to be launched. However, development and construction of real estate takes time, therefore there is always a ‘lag’ between demand and supply,” he said adding that many developments are already in the pipeline waiting for the right time.

Chin said that the challenging property environment has led to a greater level of innovation in terms of marketing strategies. Developers with prime land are devising projects to appeal to international buyers who are keen to capitalise on currency conversion and lenient loan approvals.

“As there is a mismatch in product pricing and affordability in the domestic market, more developers are widening their target catchment by marketing overseas, taking advantage of the weakening local currency which translates to attractive pricing and a low entry level for foreigners,” he said.

“For the domestic market, developers are looking to expand their land banks into the suburbs to offer a wider mix of affordable housing products,” said Chin.

“Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a fixed time frame or time period that would signify the turning point in the property market as there are too many factors, predictable or unpredictable, in this dynamic and ever-evolving industry,” he said. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Republican leaders in Maine are trying to figure out a fitting punishment for racially charged comments and a threatening voicemail made by Gov. Paul LePage, who has repeatedly avoided punishment for impolitic remarks. Meanwhile, a top state Democrat repeated a call for the Republican governor to resign.

Republican Senate and House leaders are arranging a closed-door meeting with LePage before deciding the next step as November state legislative elections loom. House Republicans also planned to discuss the matter Tuesday.

Senate President Michael Thibodeau, for one, said he hoped LePage would take "corrective action" himself without a formal legislative censure.

LePage, however, doubled down in remarks Monday in Boston, where he attended a meeting of New England governors and Canadian premiers.

He repeated claims he made last week when he told State House News Service that whites from Maine are responsible for methamphetamine-related crime, while out-of-state blacks and Hispanics are responsible for the heroin trade.

LePage won re-election in 2014 over two other candidates with the most votes in Maine history, and his unfiltered zeal for dismantling "political correctness" and tackling welfare and immigration policy has long appealed to his base of conservative, Tea Party-inspired supporters.

The governor has made headlines for comments about a lawmaker who'd "give it to the people without Vaseline" and minority drug dealers impregnating white Maine women. He escaped an impeachment effort earlier this year after successfully arguing there was no legal basis to charge him for threatening to withhold state funding from a nonprofit that hired Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves.The controversies have often overshadowed some of his achievements, including repaying $484 million in hospital debt and cutting income taxes.

LePage apologized Friday to "the people of Maine" but not to Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine, the target of his voicemail. LePage said his outburst was justified because Gattine called him a racist — which Gattine denied.

In an obscenity-laced tirade last week, LePage called Gattine a vulgar name that can also be used as a gay slur. He also said he wanted to point a gun in between Gattine's eyes.

Several House Republicans on Monday declined to comment, saying they wanted to be "careful" before the caucus. Rep. Paul A. Stearns, of Guilford, said in the private sector, LePage likely would have faced consequences for his actions.Rep. Kevin Battle, a Republican from South Portland, said LePage felt provoked, though that didn't excuse him from failing to control himself. "There's some very upset people and rightfully so," said Battle, who won't be able to caucus Tuesday. "There needs to be a professional approach."

Rep. Matthew G. Pouliot, a Republican from Augusta, said he considers Tuesday's meeting a chance for a "call for civility."

Rep. Michael J. Timmons said he sees it as a way to defend LePage's record. "I have a problem with those people that are bringing heroin into our state and poisoning our children," the Cumberland GOP member of the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.LePage was wrong to react the way he did, said Republican Rep. Dick Campbell, of Orrington. But, he added, "race baiting is worse because it's an implication of one's character."

LePage's office didn't respond to request for comment Monday.

House and Senate Democrats said censuring LePage isn't enough, and are calling for LePage's resignation.

Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond said Monday that the state should consider a constitutional amendment to allow for a recall of LePage.

However, Alfond also said LePage should step down immediately anyway and seek professional help for his rage.Republican Sen. Amy Volk on Sunday questioned whether substance abuse, mental illness or "ignorance" sparked LePage's recent behavior.

"People are ashamed, they are embarrassed, they want real action," Alfond said, adding that a recall option could be created via legislature or through a citizens' referendum.

LePage said Friday that he wouldn't resign unless several of his political opponents do, too.

Alfond also said it was irresponsible of LePage to plan a town hall meeting in Westbrook, the town where Gattine resides.

Maine horror writer Stephen King chimed in on the controversial remarks by calling LePage "a bigot, a homophobe and a racist."AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reports of a gunman opening fire that turned out to be false caused panicked evacuations at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday night, while flights to and from the airport saw major delays.

A search through terminals brought no evidence of a gunman or shots fired, Los Angeles police spokesman Andy Neiman said. The reports were spurred by loud noises only, and police were still investigating to find the source of them, Neiman said.

Airport officials said that a person wearing a Zorro costume was detained during the incident, but it wasn't yet clear whether the person had any connection to the evacuation.

The incident stirred chaos as hundreds of people rushed from terminals on to sidewalks or the tarmac. And it left a mess with three terminals shut down, roads closed and flights held in the air and on the ground.All terminals and roads into the airport had been reopened by 11 p.m. PDT, about two hours after the initial reports, officials said. But massive backup faced travelers in their cars and in security lines. Passengers who fled had to be rescreened through security.

When the incident began, scores of people could be seen on social media and on TV news running from the terminal out on to the sidewalks and streets as police with rifles out stormed terminals. Many other evacuees were standing on the airport tarmac, and abandoned bags littered some sidewalks.

"We were on the jetway and someone starts pushing behind us," Jon Landis, a sales representative from Boston who was boarding a flight home, told The Associated Press. "One man was frantic saying there was a shooter."

Police officers, including one with a shotgun, eventually led passengers out of the terminal, through a security gate, and into a parking lot — where several hundred waited for the terminal to reopen. Ninety minutes after the scare, Landis said he was still waiting for word on his flight.

Passenger Scott McDonald said he was getting off a plane in the middle of the incident and was told by the crew to get back on. He said looking out the window he could see many evacuees gathered out on the tarmac, a strange sight even for someone who travels almost constantly.

"I've never seen passengers, just normal people, on the tarmac anywhere in the United States," McDonald told KCAL-TV.

Douglas Lee, who was traveling home to Albuquerque with his wife and son, said the greatest danger was being trampled.

"You can imagine hundreds of adults trying to go through an exit door," he explained. At one point, he said he picked up his young son left their luggage.

Corey Rosenbusch was relaxing inside a terminal club on a layover flight from his home in Washington, D.C., to Sydney, Australia, when the lights went off and the staff told everyone to shelter in place.

"People immediately started looking at social media, where they saw reports that there was an active shooter," Rosenbusch told the AP.

He said several officers, including some with assault rifles, led the group out of the area.

The incident came just days after another false alarm led to a panicked evacuation of Kennedy Airport in New York.

In that incident, police were investigating whether an overly boisterous celebration of the Olympics on Aug. 14 led to noises that were misinterpreted as gunfire, with the ensuing chain reaction turning into a panic as crowds ran to evacuate.

The Los Angeles airport had an actual shooting in November 2013, when a man opened fire in the terminal, killing a security agent and wounding three other people. AP