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Under the Sumbang Tunai Rahmah (STR), eligible recipients receive direct cash assistance from the government to help cover living costs. — Picture by Yusof Isa
Malaysia  / 12 h ago

With Sara closing, Malaysians can access alternative govt cash and subsidy programmes

Rain clouds are seen over the city centre in Kuala Lumpur, on Dec 8, 2024. — Bernama pic
Malaysia  / 9 h ago

METMalaysia issues thunderstorm warning for Klang Valley, six states until 1pm

Despite nearly 80 per cent of speed tests being conducted on 5G-capable devices, most Malaysian users still spend two-thirds of their time on 4G networks due to coverage gaps. — Picture by Mukhriz Hashim
Malaysia  / 10 h ago

Malaysia’s 5G speeds have nearly halved as network comes under strain, Ookla reports

In a statement uploaded on his Facebook page, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the declaration was made in compliance with the decree of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, as a mark of celebration for the team’s outstanding achievement in continuing its dominance in Malaysian football. — Picture from Facebook/Onn Hafiz Ghazi
Malaysia  / 10 h ago

Johor declares special public holiday after JDT’s FA Cup 2025 win, SPM exams to proceed as scheduled

The 100 AM Daiso store in Singapore first opened in February 2018 and was one of 33 outlets around the island, and will be closing on January 4, 2026. — Social media screengrabs from 100ammall and DAISO Singapore
Singapore  / 5 h ago

Singapore shoppers lose another Japanese store as Daiso to close 100 AM outlet

File picture of the Federal Highway, October 14, 2020 heading towards Kuala Lumpur. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the decision was taken as the proposal to upgrade the 34.59-kilometre stretch of FT2 from Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang is no longer economically viable, due to the high costs of land and asset acquisition, as well as the potential social impact should the project proceed. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Malaysia  / 6 h ago

No upgrade for Federal Highway from KL-Port Klang: Govt flags sky-high costs, social impact

According to the author, DAP’s quiet on key issues—from Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s DNAA to Tan Sri Azam Baki’s contract extension and ongoing corruption under Madani — risks alienating Chinese voters, a lesson already seen in Sabah’s polls. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
What You Think  / 9 h ago

The end of DAP’s ‘Golden Era’? — Izmil Amri

People hold placards during a Hanukkah menorah lighting in Berlin, Germany on December 14, 2025, in solidarity with Australians after the Bondi Beach shooting. — AFP pic
World  / 10 h ago

Fruit seller disarms Bondi Beach gunman, now hospitalised with gunshot wounds as world hail him as ‘hero’

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan and Arun Dorasamy with the families of the victims of the Durian Tunggal police shooting giving a press conference and revealing newly obtained critical evidence in relation to the killing of the three victims at Lawyers for Liberty in Petaling Jaya, December 15, 2025. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Malaysia  / 5 h ago

Durian Tunggal shooting: Lawyers demand Melaka police chief be placed on garden leave after whistleblower challenges police timeline

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Reddit applications are displayed on a mobile phone in this illustration on December 9, 2025. — Reuters pic
Malaysia  / 7 h ago

MCMC: WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube to be auto-registered under Malaysian licensing from Jan 1

Personal belongings lie at the scene of a deadly shooting during a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 15, 2025. — AFP pic
World  / 10 h ago

Bondi shooting leaves 16 dead as Australian police identify father-and-son gunmen in alleged antisemitic attack

Bollards line a pedestrian walkway in Kuala Lumpur, serving as safety barriers to keep vehicles off the pavement. — DBKL pic
Malaysia  / 8 h ago

Not just decor: DBKL reminds public of bollards’ crucial role in pedestrian safety

A general view shows the exterior of the Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur on December 15, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Isa
Malaysia  / 5 h ago

A symbol reborn: Historic Seri Negara reopens to public on Dec 20 after meticulous restoration

Police lead former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai away from his home after his arrest under the national security law in 2020; Lai was found guilty on December 15, 2025, of collusion and sedition. — AFP pic
World  / 8 h ago

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai found guilty under Hong Kong security law, faces possible life sentence

A general view of the Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur on December 15, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Isa
Malaysia  / 6 h ago

‘Not a place for elites’: Anwar says Seri Negara must be symbol for all Malaysians

Alwyn Lau
Alwyn Lau
Bookworm. Contrarian. Proud Malaysian. Or thereabouts. Tweets at @alwyn_lau
 

Opinions

Visitors view books at the Straits Quay Convention Centre in Penang on November 28, 2019. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
10 h ago

Repurposing university libraries

The author argues that PTPTN no longer functions as a real loan system because repayment rates are so poor. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
11 Dec 2025

Can we stop calling PTPTN a loan?

Teachers prepare for class at a school in Ipoh, Perak, on June 23, 2020. — Picture by Farhan Najib
02 Dec 2025

Schools as worry factories?

The author reminds Malaysians that KLIA was opened in 1998 and says there has been only the occasional leaking and minor flooding in its past 27 years. — Screengrab via X
17 Nov 2025

Poor optics but otherwise resilient #KLIA

 

More

According to the author, many Malaysian executives — on a 24/7 journey of clawing with their finger-nails after the next promotion and next salary increment — see the very concept of ‘free time’ as a moral failure. — pexels.com pic
11 Nov 2025

When ‘free time’ scares us

“6-7” was Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year.
06 Nov 2025

Is ‘67’ nonsense or an example of linguistic democracy?

The author learnt from a conversation with a student from China that the practice of replacing the number “4” with “3A” is rare compared to Malaysia. — Freepik pic
24 Oct 2025

‘4’ or ‘3A’? A chat about tetraphobia

Authorities are seen at a school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya October 14, 2025, after a schoolgirl was stabbed by her schoolmate. — Bernama pic
16 Oct 2025

School stabbing: A parent’s shock and reflection

File picture of an accident that occurred on May 13 involving a gravel-laden lorry and an FRU truck on Jalan Chikus-Sungai Lampam, Teluk Intan. — Bernama pic
13 Oct 2025

Are lorries the number one cause of traffic accidents in Malaysia?

Students arrive at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seksyen 7 in Shah Alam on March 3, 2022. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
29 Sep 2025

What’s required (or rewarded) in school but ignored (or punished) outside school?

Vehicles are seen approaching the drop-off/pick-up area of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. — KLIA pic
23 Sep 2025

Thoughts on being picked up from KLIA

In my experience it’s very normal for parents, especially Asian parents, to have a LOT of say in what their children study, not least because they’re paying the tuition fees and what-not. — Unsplash pic
17 Sep 2025

Whose future is it? Exploring parental influence on post-graduate paths

With 80 per cent of Malaysians expected to be city-dwellers by 2030, the government argues that the URA will keep our urban vibes fresh and home-owners’ feelings happy. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
02 Sep 2025

Urban Renewal Act debate: Modernisation imperatives vs community concerns?

The benefit to fresh grads and brain-drain slowdown notwithstanding, the huge question now is what’s going to happen to the training sector for whom the HRD funds have been a critical source of revenue?
25 Aug 2025

Corporate training sector in crisis?

The losses since 2019 have totalled billions. Eg, the State of Scam Report 2024 revealed that Malaysia lost RM54.02 billion (US$12.8 billion) to scams in 2023, equivalent to three per cent of our GDP. —Picture by Firdaus Latif
14 Aug 2025

Can cybercrime reshape vices and even banking in Malaysia?

Son Heung-Min, the South Korean sensation who danced through defenses like a waiter dancing past crowded tables, the man whose smile lit up stadiums and goal celebrations, is finally moving on from North London. ― Reuters pic
05 Aug 2025

Spurs is Son, Son is Spurs

Apparently durians produce this molecule called spermidine (yes, I know what that sounds like) which is important because it promotes this biological process known as autophagy. — File pic by Farhan Najib
26 Jul 2025

A surprising health component of durians?

Setting aside the question of lecturers ‘cheating’ if they use AI to grade, not every form of assessment can be practically handled with AI. — Reuters pic
13 Jul 2025

Should lecturers use AI to grade papers?

As such, shows like Squid Game — and in fact almost every major movie or TV series — may be offering audiences a way of ‘processing’ frustration, pain and tragedy in the family by way of entertainment and fantasy.
07 Jul 2025

Of ‘Squid Game’ and family trauma

A customer makes a payment using a QR code in Cheras in this file photo taken on October 5, 2023. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
28 Jun 2025

Waiting an infinity for QR code payments to go through?

What if we treated schooling the way an open-hearted chef viewed his kitchen i.e. as a place where experimentation reigns, where various recipes and concoctions may be tried and tested, where success need not be narrowly defined and can, in fact, be a matter of ‘taste’ and individual desire? — Picture from pexels.com
16 Jun 2025

Is education like bomb disposal or like cooking?

A staff member arranges books at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2025 at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur May 25, 2025 — Picture by Raymond Manuel
04 Jun 2025

How reading physical books beats screen-reading

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-Min waves to fans as he carries the Europa League trophy. — AFP pic
26 May 2025

The end of Tottenham’s trophy drought

Primary school students return to school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Syed Idrus Chemor in Perak March 21, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Farhan Najibnn
03 May 2022

The (cautious) case against mask mandates

A man smokes outside an eatery in Petaling Jaya January 1, 2019. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Miera Zulyana
25 Apr 2022

Why a smoking ban probably won’t help

A man walks past a shuttered bar/night club with a u00e2u20acu02dcFor Rentu00e2u20acu2122 sign in Kuala Lumpur during the Covid 19 pandemic October 18, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
11 Apr 2022

So what really is the problem with nightclubs?

A customer counts how much change was given back after buying some groceries at a wet market in Kuala Lumpur. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Saw Siow Feng
29 Mar 2022

Why are we worth more dead than alive?

The Employeesu00e2u20acu2122 Provident Fund logo is seen at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur March 2, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyanan
21 Mar 2022

Three groups who welcome the RM10,000 EPF withdrawal

Form Five students get ready to sit for their SPM examination at SMK Seksyen 7 in Shah Alam March 2, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
15 Mar 2022

Should Malaysian students do a gap year?

Sekolah Kebangsaan Section 7 students on their first day back at school in Shah Alam July 22, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
28 Feb 2022

Could e-textbooks be the solution to heavy school bags?

Election Commission officials get the polling station at Dewan Badminton Kompleks Perumahan Polis Tabuan Jaya ready ahead of early voting in Kuching December 13, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
14 Feb 2022

Are Covid-19 cases being artificially boosted ahead of Johor polls?

The Lim clan having their reunion dinner at Lim Jetty, Weld Quay on January 31, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
07 Feb 2022

Playing ‘20 Questions’ at Chinese New Year

Rex Lee Kok Hong, 36, displays his angpow collection at his home in Sungai Dua February 13, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
31 Jan 2022

Chinese New Year and e-’ang pows’

27 Jan 2022

BAM should revoke Goh Jin Wei’s ban too

A general view of traffic on the Federal Highway in Kuala Lumpur June 1, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
24 Jan 2022

Alternative to holiday traffic jams

Students resume classes at Sekolah Kebangsaan Meru Klang in Klang January 10, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Bernama pic
17 Jan 2022

Why hasn’t ‘Pendidikan Moral’ been scrapped yet?

People receive their Covid-19 booster shot at the KL Gateway Mall in Kuala Lumpur January 5, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
10 Jan 2022

Boosters: Allow walk-ins at PPVs by disabled

People wait to receive their Covid-19 vaccines at the Covid-19 vaccination centre in the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Seri Kembangan, June 17, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
27 Dec 2021

Notes from a PPV volunteer

A general view of traffic on the Federal Highway in Kuala Lumpur June 1, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
20 Dec 2021

Three pointers on how to be safer behind the wheels

As the country slowly reopens, the temporary traffic respite will gradually come to an end. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Yusof Mat Isan
13 Dec 2021

So far, yet so near: Are you a super-commuter?

Choong has spent more than 30 years zipping around the world visiting archeological dig sites and even excavating in some. u00e2u20acu201d Picture via Facebook
07 Dec 2021

A conversation with Malaysia’s own Indiana Jones

The release of u00e2u20acu02dcJames Bond: No Time to Dieu00e2u20acu2122 for Malaysian cinemas has been from September 30 to November 25. u00e2u20acu201d Picture courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia
29 Nov 2021

James Bond: From fantasy to reality

 

Just IN

A trailer driver pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here today to a charge of driving under the influence of drugs and causing injury, in a crash at a toll plaza last week. — Pictures from social media
28 m ago

Trailer driver pleads not guilty to DUI charge in Shah Alam court after Kota Kemuning toll plaza crash

 
A man pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here today to a charge of dangerous driving and causing the death of a married couple last week. — Reuters pic
51 m ago

Mercedes-Benz driver pleads not guilty to dangerous driving that killed married couple in Bentong

 
Group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said the strong results achieved over the past five years have positioned MAG to pursue bolder ambitions. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
1 h ago

Malaysia Aviation Group unveils five-year plan to push Malaysia Airlines into Skytrax Top 10 by 2030