【716-717】VOA英语慢速听力 2 篇(时事新闻类）: As It Is: Malaysia’s Ruling...
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AS IT IS
Malaysia’s Ruling Families Vote for a New King
January 07, 2019
Malaysian former King Muhammad V attends a welcome ceremony at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017. Muhammad V stepped down after two years in power. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in which the king's duties are largely ceremonial.
Malaysia’s national news agency [Bernama] reported Monday that the nation’s ruling families have agreed to vote for a new king.
King Muhammed V served as Malaysia’s largely ceremonial chief of state until he unexpectedly resigned on Sunday. The vote on his replacement reportedly will take place on January 24.
The king resigned after being in power for just two years. This is the first time one of Malaysia’s kings has stepped down before completing a five-year term.
No reason was given for the resignation.
The 49-year-old leader had only just returned to his official duties last week after spending two months on medical leave.
Images reportedly showing him getting married in Russia appeared on social mediain December. Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow beauty competition in 2015.
Officials working for King Muhammad have yet to answer requests for comment on the pictures or reports of a marriage.
Media has also reported tension between the king and the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003, returned to power last year.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, where the king’s duties are largely ceremonial and the rest of government operates independently. The king's duties include acting as protector of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. The king’s approval is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and other top officials.
Malaysia’s nine royal families take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers. This group is made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan.
A vote must be held within four weeks of a king leaving office.
Heads of six of the nine households met on Monday at the national palace to decide a date for the election of a new king.
The council agreed that a new king would be elected on January 24. That person would then officially take power on January 31, the council said in a statement.
One sultan could not attend the meeting Monday because he was unwell, while another was outside the country, the council said. The third sultan who was not present was King Muhammad.
Earlier on Monday, Mahathir said the government hoped the council would elect a new king as soon as possible. He added that the government needed to keep the king informed of “certain matters”, Bernama reported.
Mahathir led the opposition to a historic election win in May, defeating a group that had governed Malaysia for 60 years.
Joseph Sipalan reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Pete Musto adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
We want to hear from you. How do you think the choice of a new king will affect Malaysia? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
king – n. a male ruler of a country who usually is given their position after the person in it before them dies, and rules for life
social media – n. forms of electronic communication, such as Web sites, through which people create online communities to share information, ideas, and personal messages
post(s) – n. a piece of writing, image, or other item of content published online, typically on a blog or social media website
constitutional monarchy – n. a system of government in which a country is ruled by a king and queen whose power is limited by a constitution
palace – n. the official home of a king, queen, president
AS IT IS
China, Taiwan Tense Over Swine Flu
January 07, 2019
A dead farm animal that floated across the sea from China to an island held by Taiwan has upset Taiwanese officials.
They are concerned because tests showed that the hog carried a disease that could affect the island’s pig farming industry.
The pig washed up on December 31 on Kinmen, a small island held by Taiwan. Local agricultural inspectors carried out tests and found that the hog had African swine flu. The infectious disease led to the destruction of at least 600,000 pigs last year in mainland China.
Taiwanese officials want China to provide more information about the hog so officials can prevent the swine flu from spreading to Taiwan. But officials in Beijing have not answered a letter about the incident from Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture.
Some experts consider the lack of communication as a sign that relations between the sides have worsened. Huang Kwei-bo is with National Chengchi University in Taiwan. He said, “…when relations are better, Beijing would definitely first give Taiwan a heads up and say ‘here’s how things are.’”
Communist Party officials in mainland China are demanding that Taiwan agree that the two sides are a single country before talks can take place.
Swine flu a risk to Taiwan
Taiwanese officials have watched for African swine flu since China confirmed its first case last August. The official Xinhua News Agency said 81 cases had been reported in 21 Chinese provinces by early December.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that African swine flu could severely harm the island’s pig farming industry if it spread. That industry is valued at more than $2.5 billion.
Before the hog washed up on Kinmen, officials at Taiwan’s airports had already been increasing punishments for people who brought pig meat into the country.
Another hog later washed up on another small island. That animal, however, was not infected.
Political tensions increase
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen discussed the incident in her New Year’s speech. She demanded that China provide more information.
“The other side’s government has never, according to agreements, given honest and timely reports on the outbreak to Taiwan,” she said.
In a message on Facebook, government spokesperson Kolas Yotaka questioned whether the second hog incident was a “biochemical bomb” from China.
Tsai’s party supports long-term self-rule from China. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said Taiwan must accept that Taiwan is part of China and the two must unify.
Mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said last month that it does not need to provide information about animal health issues to the island. The office said that, under a 2010 agricultural inspection agreement between the two sides, Taiwan does not permit Chinese imports of pig meat.
I’m Mario Ritter Jr.
Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
hog - n. a pig
heads up –interjection used to tell someone to pay attention for possible danger or a problem
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