CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

1,000 call centre scammers detained this year, say Malaysia police

Investigations revealed that of the 148 call centres, 69 targeted Malaysians, while the rest targeted victims from around the world. 

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

KUALA LUMPUR - Police have detained 1,160 individuals for their suspected involvement in call centre scam syndicates in the first nine months of this year, Malaysian news agency Bernama reported.

They comprise 791 individuals from Malaysia, 300 from China, 20 from Indonesia, 13 from Taiwan, eight from Bangladesh, six from Vietnam, four from Pakistan, three from Thailand, three from Singapore, two from the Philippines and two from India.

There was also one individual each from the United Kingdom, France, Nigeria, Nepal, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Jordan and Iran.
In a

 statement on Friday, Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said 501 individuals have been charged with various offences, while 659 individuals are still under investigation, with a number of them released under police bail.

In the same period, police conducted 148 raids to cripple the scam call centres nationwide, he added.

He said of the 148 raids, 46 involved investment scams, and others involved online sales, phone, gambling, money-lending, non-existent loan, love, and bank account mule scams.

Investigations revealed that of the 148 call centres, 69 targeted Malaysians, while the rest targeted victims from around the world with 38 covering China, 13 covering Singapore, five covering the United Kingdom, and four covering the Philippines.

“The call centres used special apps to enable them to communicate in the local language of the targeted countries,” he said.

Mr Ramli said the respective embassies of the detained nationalities have been informed of the matter for further action.

“Police are also actively cooperating with overseas authorities, including the United States, Singapore and Australia, to eradicate cross-border scamming,” he said.

He said the police are committed to ensuring continuous action against scam call centres and will highly appreciate the public’s cooperation in providing any information related to such activities.

Virginia NAACP sues Youngkin for records behind the denials of felons’ voting rights

BY DENISE LAVOIE AND BEN FINLEY
Updated 3:12 PM MDT, October 20, 2023Share


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia NAACP filed a lawsuit Friday alleging Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration failed to turn over public records to explain how it decides whether to restore the voting rights of convicted felons who have completed their sentences.

Youngkin has come under scrutiny since his administration confirmed earlier this year that it has shifted away from a restoration of rights system used by three of his predecessors that was partly automatic.

In July, the NAACP called on the administration to establish clear and publicly available criteria, saying the current system is secretive and could discriminate against people of color.

“This governor has chosen to take Virginia back over 100 years ago to a racist history where felony disenfranchisement was used explicitly to disenfranchise Black Virginians,” said Ryan Snow, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is representing the NAACP in this case.

“We know that felony disenfranchisement is a severely racially discriminatory policy, just on its face,” Snow said.

In the lawsuit filed in Richmond Circuit Court, the NAACP said the Youngkin administration turned over about 600 documents. But the lawsuit identified additional documents it believes are not exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and should be made public.

They include an administration transition document that has information about the restoration of the rights process, documents containing information about applicants whose restoration of rights applications were denied, and records showing the numbers of applicants and denials.

“Virginians of all stripes deserve to know as much as possible about the rights restoration process, including who is in the room, what information is considered, and the criteria used to make decisions, " NAACP Virginia State Conference President Robert N. Barnette, Jr. said in a news release.

Two federal lawsuits have been filed over Youngkin’s process, which critics have said is confusing and does not have clear standards on when an application should be granted or denied.

The Washington-based Fair Elections Center alleges in its lawsuit that the process being used by Youngkin is unconstitutional and could lead to decisions based on an applicant’s political affiliations or views. A second lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia alleges the state is violating a Reconstruction-era federal law.

A felony conviction in Virginia automatically results in the loss of certain civil rights such as voting, running for office, serving on a jury or carrying a firearm. The governor has the sole discretion to restore those rights — with the exception of firearms rights, which only a court can do.

In July, the NAACP said documents it had obtained through public records requests “reveal a lack of clear standards and timelines” that creates a confusing system “rife with opportunity for discriminatory impact on Black Virginians and other Virginians of color.”

Former Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James, whose office oversees restorations, strongly denied those allegations in a letter she sent to the NAACP in July. James wrote that there is no reference in the application process to “race, religion, or ethnicity.”

“Governor Youngkin and I both guarantee that these factors play absolutely no role in the process or the serious decisions that we make on behalf of returning citizens,” James wrote.

James said Youngkin is “less likely to quickly restore the voting rights of anyone who used a firearm in the commission of a crime.” She also wrote that Youngkin will also “generally speaking, but not always” work to restore the voting rights of those who committed nonviolent crimes.

The lawsuit names Youngkin and Kelly Gee, the current secretary of the Commonwealth, as defendants. Macaulay Porter, Youngkin’s spokeswoman, said Friday that the governor’s office underwent an extensive process in good faith to fulfill the NAACP’s requests.

“As the lawsuit admits, we engaged in a multi-month process with the NAACP with multiple meetings and discussions that culminated in the production of nearly 600 pages of records, some of which the governor was not required to produce under FOIA laws,” Porter said

She added that Youngkin “firmly believes in the importance of second chances for Virginians who have made mistakes but are working to move forward as active members of our citizenry.”

——

Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

Teachers union in Portland, Oregon, votes to strike over class sizes, pay, lack of resources

By The Associated Press
October 20, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Teachers in Portland, Oregon, have voted to go on strike, their union announced Friday, in another sign of a growing national organized labor movement that's seen thousands of workers in various sectors walk off the job this year.

The Portland Association of Teachers' strike would start Nov. 1 unless an agreement with the school district is reached before then.

The union said nearly 99% of teachers voted in favor of the strike, with 93% of its members participating in the ballot.

Teachers have cited large class sizes, salaries that have not kept up with inflation and a lack of resources as key concerns. The union has been bargaining for months with the district for a new contract, which expired in June.

“Students need stability and experienced educators in our schools, but the high cost of living is pushing teachers to leave the district. I don’t know how I’m going to survive on a teacher salary in Portland and I’m at the top of the pay scale," said Shannon Kittrick, a high school educator, in an emailed statement from the union.

Schools will close and there will be no classroom or online instruction if the strike takes place, according to the district, which said it wants to avoid such a scenario.

“We want to reach a fair, sustainable settlement, and we will stay at the bargaining table as long as it takes to get there. We ask our educators to stay at the table with us, not close schools," Portland Public Schools said in an emailed statement.

The district is the largest in Oregon with roughly 45,000 students.

Public education has been gripped by a series of high-profile strikes this year.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest, workers including teachers' aides, cafeteria workers and custodians walked out for three days in March to demand better wages and increased staffing, shutting down education for half a million students.


In Oakland, California, the union representing teachers, counselors, librarians and other workers went on strike for more than a week in May. In addition to typical demands such as higher salaries, it also pushed for “common good” changes, such as reparations for Black students and resources for students who are homeless

Geico to lay off 6 percent of workforce nationwide, internal letter confirms

BY ADAM GORSKI - 10/20/23 



BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Geico is cutting its total workforce by 6%, laying off roughly 2,000 of its employees as of Thursday, according to a letter from the auto insurance company’s CEO.

“This very difficult decision was not taken lightly. We recognize we’re saying goodbye to beloved colleagues and friends, and as a leadership team we are committed to supporting those affected in the days ahead,” CEO Todd Combs wrote in the letter, which was obtained by Nexstar’s WIVB.


Combs said he hopes to “better position [Geico] for long-term profitability and growth.”

Those affected by the sudden decision to let employees go will be contacted Thursday, according to the letter.
Is your company planning layoffs, closures? Many states let you check

The letter did not provide specific reasons for Thursday’s layoffs, but Combs did say inflation, prolonged turnaround for repairs (due to staffing or supply shortages) and “rising medical costs” had recently posed challenges for the company.

“Despite these historic challenges, we have made great progress in returning
GEICO to profitability and establishing a foundation for growth while increasing
our agility and strength in the long term,” Combs wrote.

The company, however, still needs to “adapt” and “stay competitive,” he later wrote.

Combs pledged to offer career transition assistance to workers that were let go. Employees affected by the layoffs will also be able to apply for other open positions within the company, he said.


In addition to news of the layoffs, the letter also informed remote and hybrid employees that Geico will be requiring workers to increase their number of “in-office days.”

“We understand that additional time in the office is a shift from what has been the practice across most companies and industries these past few years,” said Combs, who added that the new policy will be fully implemented come January.

Poland election: Women and youth force PiS from power

Published

IMAGE SOURCE,SZYMON SZUMNIAK

Image caption,

Szymon Szumniak queued for six hours to cast his vote in Poland's election

By Sarah Rainsford

Eastern Europe correspondent, Warsaw

It was 01:33 on Monday when Szymon Szumniak dropped his voting slip into the ballot box at Wroclaw Polling Station No 148.

The entertainment blogger had been queuing in the biting cold with hundreds of others for six hours, long after the polls should have closed.

The giant queue has become a symbol of the high level of engagement with Poland's parliamentary election, where a record high turnout of over 74% ousted the right-wing Law and Justice party, or PiS, from power.

"People gave us blankets, hot tea, cookies. The hospitality of residents in that area was incredible!" said the 26-year-old of his long wait to vote.

At one point, a group of women broke into song. At another, a local pizza company delivered heaps of free food. The firm was so inundated with donations the next day from grateful Poles, it began redirecting the cash to charity.

Szymon never once thought of giving up and going home.

"We're building our future and I think a lot of young people understood that," the blogger told me from Wroclaw.

He didn't want to reveal who he voted for but was "happy with the way things turned out."

"The queue was long and painful because it was so cold. But the people made it a cool experience."

Image caption,

A record turnout helped oust Poland's right-wing government from power

The final ballot in Polling Station 148 was cast by Michal Wittenbeck, who posted a photograph of his watch on social media to record the moment.

It was 02:41.

Youth vote for change

Polls show that 68.8% of voters aged under 29 turned out on Sunday, a major surge from 46.4% at the last parliamentary election in 2019.

More young people cast their ballots this time than the over-60s, which is also highly unusual.

Many of them voted for change.

Wroclaw is a case in point: Jagodno, the suburb with the huge queue, is described by locals as a modern estate with a young population. The opposition Civic Coalition won 43.6% there. PiS got just 5.9%.

The major parties didn't pay particular attention to the youth vote during an extremely negative election campaign. Instead, the government claimed Civic Coalition would bring chaos, including unlimited migration, and called its leader Donald Tusk a stooge of Europe.

Mr Tusk went on the attack too, painting PiS and its leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, as a threat to democracy itself.

That message chimed better with younger voters.

Image caption,

Younger voters played a key role in PiS losing its majority in parliament

On ballot-count day, students outside the University library in Warsaw were glued to their phones nervously checking for updates to the election result between lectures.

Marta had "cried with excitement" when the first exit poll was published on Sunday night, showing that PiS had lost its majority in parliament and was unlikely to form a government.

Rose was "overwhelmed with joy," describing the first election she had ever voted in as critical "either for preserving democracy or saying goodbye to it".

Another Marta said her parents had been planning to vote for PiS, but she talked them out of it.

"I want to stay in the EU and I want a future in this country. It's that simple," she explained.

The PiS government has been locked in dispute with Brussels over the rule of law, LGBT rights and migration amongst other things. Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, is expected to bring more constructive relations.

Smart voting

The high turnout, including at polling stations overseas, was just one sign of how engaged Poles were with this election.

There was also a concerted effort to make sure that every ballot cast for the opposition would count.

The #WarsawTrip online campaign urged people to move their registration out of big cities like Warsaw, to give their vote more weight in the complex Polish electoral system.

Activists produced maps showing people the best places to go: smaller towns, where the race was close, and with proportionally more MPs per vote than in Warsaw.

IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES

Image caption,

Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition is now expected to form the next government with two parties on the left and centre right

"If you want to take away the PiS mandate, leave the big city," a typical post read on social media, reassuring people that such strategic voting was perfectly legal.

In one constituency close to Warsaw, the campaign saw Civic Coalition win slightly more votes than PiS. In 2019, the result was 41%-29% to PiS.

Celebrities also took to social media in droves, urging people just to turn out and take part.

The idea that this election was a last chance to stop a populist government from turning Poland away from the EU and some of its core values was a major motivator.

'Don't mess it up'

So was the chance to give women a bigger say in Polish politics, especially after a near-ban on abortion prompted enormous street protests in 2020.

"The women of this country have been silent for too long," said Anna Pieta, who helped organise a social media campaign.

PiS has many women supporters, thanks largely to its generous programme of social spending including child benefits.

But Anna's group, Wschod, realised that many potential opposition supporters were undecided ahead of the election.

So they produced a video depicting women, a middle finger hushing their lips, against a soundtrack of male Polish politicians dismissing or insulting women, who make up 52% of the Polish population.

"The message was: use your voice. Go and vote," Anna explained.

Image caption,

Anna Pieta says politicians now have to live up to their mandate. "We put them there. Now it's time to perform."

In the end, the turnout among women was slightly higher than men.

Poland's president may ask PiS, as the single party that won the most votes, to try to form a government. With no significant allies in parliament, that looks impossible.

So opposition parties are already making their plans.

Once a new government is in place, abortion is one of the hot issues they'll have to contend with.

The Civic Coalition and Left parties have both promised terminations on demand up to 12 weeks, overturning tight restrictions introduced under the socially conservative PiS government.

"They got a mandate from a society that wants this so I don't know what else there is to discuss," said Anna, dismissing the idea that reforming the abortion law would be tough.

"We put them there. Now it's time to perform."

"Don't mess it up."

POSTMODERN FASCIST

Argentina election: Javier Milei, TikTok economist, leads polls

Javier Milei wielded a chainsaw at one of his rallies to symbolise his plans to slash spending

By Katy Watson, South America Correspondent
BBC News, in Buenos Aires

Argentina votes on Sunday in one of the most open presidential elections for decades. The effects of a deep economic crisis have proved fertile ground for an unorthodox far-right front-runner, with wild hair, big sideburns and a totally radical approach to ruling the country.

Javier Milei was, until recently, a relative unknown. An economist, pundit and rock fan, he came top in recent primaries and polls now put him ahead in Sunday's first round.

He is very clear about wanting to shake things up. At one campaign event, he wielded a chainsaw to send a message that he intends to slash spending to improve Argentina's economy.

"We want an outsider who actually has the guts to fight the mafias in this country," says Alejandro Lazcano, one of thousands of supporters queuing up to get a ticket to Milei's closing campaign event six hours before it started. "Who actually has the guts to be able to make the changes that are needed?"


Javier Milei, who's often compared to former US president Donald Trump, certainly claims he will. He's said he wants to blow up the central bank and introduce the dollar as the country's official currency to put an end to inflation that is running at well over 100%.

With Argentina teetering on the edge of economic collapse, that is a message that resonates with millions.

"Milei's mighty candidacy reflects regional anti-establishment sentiment, after a decade of sluggish growth and an economic bludgeoning from the pandemic," says Benjamin Gedan, who heads up the Wilson Centre's Argentina Project.

"Voters seem genuinely intrigued by Milei's promise to dollarise the economy. They are ready to drop the peso like a bad habit, whether or not Milei could effectively adopt the US currency."

Army of TikTok influencers

They're bold promises that are making a noise here, but go on to the streets of Buenos Aires and you'd be hard-pushed to know he even exists.

The walls and billboards are full of posters with smiling candidates asking people to vote. But none of them have Javier Milei's face on.

And that's because he's campaigning with an army of influencers, spreading his word, mostly on TikTok.

Iñaki Gutierrez is one of them - a 22-year-old law and economics student, he saw Brexit as inspiration for how to run a political campaign.

"I saw lots of campaigning on Facebook - there was a lot of money for the Leave campaign and it blew my mind in communication terms," Iñaki says.

So he went to see Javier Milei and convinced him that he needed to be on social media. Iñaki and his girlfriend have since spearheaded Javier Milei's campaign on TikTok. The couple have their own massive fan base too.


Iñaki Gutierrez and his girlfriend have been leading Javier Milei's campaign on Tiktok

"It's changing the way people inform themselves," says Iñaki.

"You don't have to have big structures any more to do politics, to go to towns [to campaign] - you can, with a phone, reach the whole country in hours and talk to everyone."

Up against Javier Milei are Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa and former security minister, conservative Patricia Bullrich: two candidates from Argentina's traditional ruling classes.

"Milei's vote cuts across all socio-economic levels," according to political analyst Ana Iparraguirre.

She says these elections are not, as they so often have been in the past, about Kirchnerismo (the populist political movement formed by supporters of Nestor Kirchner and his wife Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner) or Argentina's most famous and enduring political movement, Peronism.

"He's talking about a political caste against everyone else," says Ana Iparraguirre. "That's why it changed how the whole political system is organised."

Javier Milei paints himself as the outsider, one with very strong opinions: he wants to loosen gun laws and restrict abortion.

And in a recent debate, Javier Milei also disputed the widely accepted figure of 30,000 people who were disappeared during Argentina's brutal dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, arguing the number was a much lower 8,753.

"People see him as someone authentic who says what he really thinks even if what he says is politically incorrect," says Ana Iparraguirre. "I think that is a big part of why people vote for him."

Caro says her TikTok account is working to break down "baseless proposals" that have come up during campaigning


But for Massa supporter Malena Haboba the future is worrying.

"Everything is at risk, even the most simple things," she says of a Milei presidency. "I'm worried about persecutions for women who choose to abort - it'll be a return to the kitchen for women."

Javier Milei's critics are trying to break down the political debate and demystify the sound bites and fake news that has come to shape so many political campaigns. And many are responding through the medium his supporters know best - TikTok.

"With our content we're trying to debunk some baseless proposals, they're just spouted in the media," says Caro, who makes videos for the TikTok account @indisciplinadxs, which was set up in response to Javier Milei's rise.

"For us, it's really important to bring Argentina's political history to the fore - the social history, economic history, to realise that what he is proposing isn't anything new, in fact it's already happened and it didn't work - and had many economic and social implications for our country."

But if the polls are right, voters don't care. As he addressed a packed stadium for his closing campaign event on Wednesday, the crowd clearly identified with this rebel politician in a well-worn leather jacket.

With their fists in the air, they energetically chanted "Freedom" in response to his campaign promises. In a country where millions struggle each and every day, the opportunity to try something radically different - no matter the uncertainty that comes with it - is appealing.

With additional reporting by Jessica Cruz