PETALING JAYA: While China is set on pursuing a zero-Covid strategy, its trading partners, including Malaysia, are likely to suffer from the fallout. As Center for Market Education CEO Carmelo Ferlito pointed out, China is Malaysia’s biggest trading partner in terms of both imports and exports. The strategy to completely…
PETALING JAYA: Indonesia’s temporary ban on sending workers to Malaysia following the alleged breach of an intergovernmental agreement could erode confidence among foreign investors, an economist warned. Geoffrey Williams of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology said there was no guarantee that such infringements would not recur. “It will…
PETALING JAYA: The government has offered to reduce mandatory service for doctors to one year from two, while contract medical officers who do not get permanent positions six months after applying will be free to leave. In a recent circular, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said affected doctors may…
KUALA LUMPUR: Soon after posting bail today, a woman who courted controversy during a stand-up comedy performance was arrested by the Federal Territories Islamic religious department (Jawi). Siti Nuramira Abdullah will face a new charge of insulting Islam before the Shariah High Court tomorrow. Lawyer Ramesh Chandran said this to…
KUALA LUMPUR: There is no condition in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia on the intake of maids for Malaysia to do away with the Maid Online System (MOS), says human resources minister M Saravanan. He also told the Dewan Rakyat that the temporary freeze on all Indonesian workers…
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s oil palm sector has lost an estimated RM10.46 billion worth of unpicked fruit in the first five months of this year because of the ongoing labour shortage. Plantation industries and commodities minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said there was a shortage of 28,940 labourers in the industry, with an…
PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya has defended the number of ministers in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Cabinet, saying it meets the nation’s needs at this time. Special functions minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the number of ministers in the administration was “optimum” according to the existing challenges and responsibilities as well as expertise…
PETALING JAYA: A transport consultant has described as “peculiar” a three-month contract extension for the head of Mass Rapid Transit Corporation. Goh Bok Yen said a three-month tenure for the head of a billion-ringgit project did not make sense as the Circle Line was still in the works. “The Circle…
PETALING JAYA: An analyst has described Rafizi Ramli’s campaign of police reports against former prime minister Najib Razak as a desperate and shallow move. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara warned that Najib was not an easy target, citing the Pekan MP’s seasoned political career. He told FMT that Rafizi’s endeavour…
PETALING JAYA: About 90% of the 1.2 million civil servants are Bumiputeras and the government does not impose any quota for the intake based on race or ethnicity, minister in the prime minister’s department Abd Latiff Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat. He said this in a written reply to Teresa…
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat sitting today will discuss the issues linked to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on the recruitment of workers from the republic. It will also discuss the mechanisms the government will adopt to finance the total amount of subsidies. According to today’s…
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia should set a course to achieve full industrialised nation status because it already has the right people. All it needs now is the strategy to stem the brain drain and to motivate its people, according to a veteran in the manufacturing sector. Kumpulan Jebco Sdn Bhd founder…
PETALING JAYA: It will take more than two years for the government to solve the lack of Malaysians working in the manufacturing sector, according to a business group leader. Shaun Cheah, executive director of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the government should try to be a…
SUNGAI BULOH: Rubber products are anything but a sexy pursuit for anyone. However for Teh Kian An, it has been a lifelong dedication. He recalls waiting for days to meet a bank manager for a RM20,000 overdraft facility back in the early 70s. At that time, Teh had just ventured…
PETALING JAYA: A grocery shopkeeper in Melaka has been arrested for selling subsidised cooking oil at RM3.50 per packet compared to the original price of RM2.50. The trader, who is in his 40s, was also found to be giving priority to other traders to purchase the subsidised packets over consumers,…
PETALING JAYA: Three people were killed and another three injured seriously in an accident involving several cars and motorcycles in Penang early this morning. The 4.40am incident, which happened along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Highway in George Town, was said to have involved Mat Rempit motorcyclists participating in…
SHAH ALAM: PKR has been served a notice from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to clarify the results of its recently concluded election. “I have been meeting with our lawyers as soon as I got the letter this morning,” PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the PKR Congress here. “I…
SHAH ALAM: Outgoing PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil has warned party members not to reveal the party’s internal struggles to others, saying that he was upset that members are sharing the party’s WhatsApp conversations with outsiders. In his last speech as the party’s communication director at the PKR congress this…
PETALING JAYA: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang said he opted out of the 2018 Pakatan Harapan (PH) Cabinet to allow younger leaders from his party to lead the nation as they are the future. “I was the foremost critic of Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his 22 years as prime minister,…
LEIPZIG (Germany): Malaysia is expected to face strong resistance and delay tactics from the motorcycle industry to include the anti-brake locking system (ABS) for all types of motorcycles towards 2030 and beyond. This is because vehicle safety advocates are claiming that manufacturers over the years have been attempting to convince…