PETALING JAYA: An analyst has viewed the PKR congress as “not a good start” for deputy president-elect Rafizi Ramli, who bared fangs at Anwar Ibrahim. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the congress was a missed opportunity for Rafizi to find a middle ground with his party boss. “Working together…
PETALING JAYA: As the labour crunch continues to worsen, an economist has urged the government to revisit an old strategy to solve the problem. Socio-Economic Research Centre executive director Lee Heng Guie said the Manpower and Labour Recalibration Programme could be the way to get more workers into plantations and…
SHAH ALAM: Several PKR delegates are of the opinion that the opposition’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government need not be continued after July 31, despite calls for it to be extended. PKR Youth information chief Aizuddin Ariffin said by not continuing with the agreement, the party…
KUCHING: Barisan Nasional deputy president Mohamad Hasan’s proposal for a new Malaysia Agreement will not hurt the party’s chances in Sabah at the 15th general election, two political analysts say. James Chin of the University of Tasmania said nothing tangible had come out of the proposal, which he said could…
PETALING JAYA: The recent spate of flight disruptions across the globe could spell the end for budget airlines, with lacklustre customer service driving travellers towards full-service airlines, according to a transport expert. Since the resumption of international travel, many airlines have caught flak for cancellations, delays and sudden itinerary changes.…
SHAH ALAM: Pakatan Harapan can no longer depend on scandals like 1MDB to help the coalition win elections, said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The coalition effectively used the corruption linked to the sovereign wealth fund to its advantage in the 2018 general election, with the public’s anger over the…
PETALING JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s exclusion from a deal between Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Ismail Sabri Yaakob on the deputy prime minister’s post could see the Islamic party quit the coalition, says a political analyst. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the fact that Hadi did not know…
PETALING JAYA: An Umno leader has urged the government, in particular the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), to provide a complete and transparent explanation over compensation demands by heirs of the Sulu sultan in connection with their Sabah claim. Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin also suggested that a royal commission of inquiry (RCI)…
PETALING JAYA: A group representing Bumiputera contractors has urged the government to reintroduce a programme to legalise undocumented foreign workers, saying it will help resolve the labour shortage affecting the construction industry. Malaysian Bumiputera Contractors Association (PKBM) secretary-general Zaharani Yusof Omar also said the government should not treat undocumented foreign…
KUALA LUMPUR: The results on the placement of 2,611 special one-off Grade 41 Education Service Officers appointed via Contract of Service (CoS) can be viewed on the education ministry’s website from 3pm today. In a Facebook post, education minister Radzi Jidin said the names of the successful applicants can be…
TOKYO: Dr Mahathir Mohamad will visit Japan today and pay his condolences to the widow of his former Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, sources familiar with the matter told Nikkei Asia. The two-time former prime minister, who is in South Korea having attended a conference, will stop by Japan and meet…
SINGAPORE: Shares of Genting Singapore Ltd jumped as one of the city-state’s two casino operators is said to be attracting takeover interest as tourists start coming back to the Asian travel hub. US rival MGM Resorts International recently approached the firm’s controlling shareholder, the billionaire Lim family, to express its…
PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) plan to use a new logo for the next general election (GE15) is unlikely to sway votes in its favour, says a political analyst. Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said a party’s logo does not influence voters, particularly those in urban areas and…
SHAH ALAM: PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has defended Anwar Ibrahim over criticisms from within the party that he is a “burden” and “liability”. In a speech at the PKR Youth congress here this morning, Saifuddin lamented that Anwar has not only been attacked by political rivals but his own…
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Nerus MP Khairuddin Aman Razali, who left PAS in March, is open to returning to the party someday. “The future is uncertain, so let us leave it to God,” he told FMT when commenting on Terengganu PAS’ statement that it would welcome its former leaders, including Khairuddin,…
PETALING JAYA: An elected representative and electoral reform group Bersih say that MPs should not be limited to serving for only a certain number of terms. Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said the democratic process should determine how long an MP served a certain constituency, with voters deciding who…
PETALING JAYA: Umno’s Tajuddin Abdul Rahman says he will accept whatever decision the government makes on his nomination as Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia. According to a Utusan Malaysia report, Tajuddin said he has met with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on the matter, but declined to reveal the details. “I…
KUALA LUMPUR: The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) opened flat but turned lower thereafter as sentiments remained jittery on uncertainties in the global economic outlook, a dealer said. At 9.10am, the FBM KLCI fell 1.57 points to 1,418.49 from yesterday’s close of 1,420.06. The barometer index opened unchanged at…
PETALING JAYA: Fifty-six business associations have relayed their concerns to the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) about problems Malaysian industries are facing. Speaking to FMT on condition of anonymity, association representatives claimn some manufacturers might relocate to neighbouring countries if the problems were unresolved. Miti deputy secretary-general Norazman Ayub…
PETALING JAYA: With oil palm plantations entering the seasonal peak production period from August to October, Indonesia’s temporary freeze on workers entering Malaysia could not have come at a worse time. According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, the palm oil sector is in need of about 80,000 workers as…