PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Day next week is to be Langkawi’s independence day for tourism, when the island is reopened for all domestic visitors after being isolated since March last year. Rules for the reopening were announced by tourism minister Nancy Shukri yesterday. She said the island will be open to…
PETALING JAYA: A former diplomat fears Malaysia may lurch into an Islamic state at a faster pace with PAS controlling the Islamic development department (Jakim) under the current Cabinet. Dennis Ignatius said the country is moving towards Wahhabism and this process may soon be irreversible. “With Jakim now under PAS,…
PETALING JAYA: A politician’s call for a reshaping of Malaysian political culture has prompted an analyst to remark that voters have as big a role to play as politicians in bringing about the needed changes. How a politician conducts himself is often dictated by what he believes his base wants,…
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The police busted a drug smuggling and distribution syndicate with the arrest of 11 men and seizure of various types of drugs worth RM34.1 million following a series of raids in Penang, Kedah and Perak on Sept 3. Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Razarudin Husain said…
PETALING JAYA: The health ministry must outline its strategy to transition from the Covid-19 pandemic to the endemic phase, the Malaysian Health Coalition said. In a statement, it said controlling virus transmissibility, routine vaccination programmes, efficient testing, and improving healthcare capacity, were among the areas that required clear policy shifts…
PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has reported 19,307 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. In a tweet, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the total number of infections now stands at 1,919,774. Sarawak again recorded the highest number of cases with 3,118. -- Free Malaysia Today MORE TO…
KUALA LUMPUR: More than RM9 million donated by a company shareholder to former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s foundation was for the “legitimate” purpose of building mosques, the High Court here was told. Lead counsel Hisyam Teh said that Mohd Jimmy Wong Abdullah had testified in court that he…
KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and Lebanese jewellery firm Global Royalty Trading SAL owner Samer Halimah will be allowed to inspect 11,991 pieces of jewellery kept in a vault at Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). The jewellery items, kept in more than 90 boxes, were among valuables seized…
PETALING JAYA: The national recovery plan (NRP) is not fixed and is a dynamic plan that can be changed or improved upon, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. He said improvements would be carried out based on data and scientific evidence of successful strategies and approaches. Launching the World…
PETALING JAYA: Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz says 130,000 of the 150,000 free laptops announced in the budget last year have been distributed to B40 students as of Tuesday. Speaking at the National Recovery Summit held virtually today, Tengku Zafrul said Tabung Cerdik was on track to complete its target…
PETALING JAYA: Support staff in schools will only be allowed to return to duty when schools reopen on Oct 3 if they are fully vaccinated, the education ministry said. In a circular dated Sept 3, it said security guards, cleaners as well as canteen operators must be fully vaccinated to…
PETALING JAYA: Stakeholders in the sports and recreation sector have welcomed the news that they can resume operations after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that nearly all such activities can be held for those fully vaccinated from Friday. Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Mohamad Norza Zakaria said this…
KOTA KINABALU: Former chief minister Shafie Apdal has questioned whether it is wise to centralise the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS999) system in Putrajaya. He wonders why Sabah cannot have its own emergency response system where those in charge would be aware of the areas being mentioned. This comes following…
PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia prepares to transition to the Covid-19 endemic phase, a former deputy health minister has called for simple and consistent SOPs. Dr Lee Boon Chye said problems would arise if the SOPs were not clear or were too complicated. Praising the government for planning ahead, the Gopeng…
PETALING JAYA: The Young Lawyers Movement wants the Bar Council to draw up rules compelling legal firms to pay a monthly minimum remuneration of RM1,200 to chambering students. Its spokesman, Vince Tan, said the amount is similar to the minimum wage implemented by the government for workers in the peninsula.…
KOTA KINABALU: Sabahans want the health ministry to prioritise the involvement of private hospitals and clinics in rolling out Operation Surge Capacity in the state, according to a survey. They say the private hospitals and clinics can play a role in managing and supporting asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. Institute of Strategic…
PETALING JAYA: A man who went amok in front of the Gopeng police station in Perak, swinging a sickle while standing on a police car, has been arrested. In a video that has gone viral, the man could be seen shouting as he stood on top of the police car…
PETALING JAYA: Two days before the Cabinet is due to decide on the country’s stand in regards to Taliban-held Afghanistan, foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah said it is always Malaysia’s policy to forge diplomatic relations with all countries. Fielding questions after a webinar today, Saifuddin however reiterated that a decision on…
PETALING JAYA: Siti Nur Azizah Syafriadi, 17, who lost her right arm after a robbery, is a real fighter. Just two weeks after the harrowing incident, the young lass is eager to get back to work so she can help her mother raise her four siblings. According to her brother,…
PETALING JAYA: The government needs to invest in technology, equipment, training and expertise to nab child sex offenders, says Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto. In a statement today, she noted how deputy multimedia and communications minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin told Parliament last August that Malaysian airports do not have the…