Sin Chew Editor Killed In Giant Lombok Earthquake

---

People walk near a road damaged by yesterday's large earthquake at Kayangan Port in Lombok, Indonesia August 20, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Ahmad Subaidi/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN INDONESIA. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYKUALA LUMPUR — A 5.4-magnitude earthquake on Lombok Island in Indonesia today killed Sin Chew Daily deputy chief editor Datin Tai Siew Kim
Media reports said that the earthquake, which occurred at about 2pm local time, caused a landslide at the Tiu Kelep Waterfall in Bayan district and has trapped around 35 foreign and local tourists, including Malaysians
“There were about 40 tourists affected by the landslide around the area. Most of the victims were Malaysians and domestic tourists,” Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency was quoted saying by The Jakarta Post
Sin Chew Daily confirmed Tai’s death

The earthquake reportedly did not trigger a tsunami
According to Jakarta Post, a series of earthquakes between last July and August in Indonesia, including in Bayan district, killed more than 500 people. -malay mailPAS takes credit for its PM coup claim failing to materialiseIn the weeks leading up to the first Dewan Rakyat sitting this year, PAS alleged a plot within Pakatan Harapan to move a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad
No such vote materialised, however
According to PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, those behind the purported no-confidence vote aborted the plan after being outed by his party
“PAS broke it early. Had PAS not revealed it, they would have had time to make their move,” he said when officiating the party’s 47th Pengkalan Chepa division annual general assembly last night
On Feb 14, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had met with Mahathir. Party leaders said the meeting concerned federal and state cooperation
Mahathir, however, claimed that PAS had agreed not to back Umno and would not lend its assistance in the Semenyih by-election campaign
This prompted PAS to claim that there was an internal plot against Mahathir, and that the agreement was a pledge of support to the prime minister to fend off an internal coup attempt
Mahathir later said he did not need PAS’ support, and pointed out that the party was assisting Umno in the Semenyih campaign despite the alleged promise
Umno won the Semenyih polls on March 2 and formalised its cooperation with PAS soon after
As Amar stressed last night, any change of power should only be done in a general election
He added that his party had previously taken the same position when Najib Abdul Razak was the prime minister
“We can change the prime minister, but in accordance with the process,” he said
The Dewan Rakyat sitting commenced on Monday and will last until April 11. – MKINIMALAY MAIL / MKINI

---