MATAKING, Oct 8 — The palm-sized green turtle hatchling flailing through the sand on a Malaysian island may seem vulnerable, but its species has emerged as a symbol of hope for wildlife conservation.

Green turtles have made the rare jump from endangered to “least concern” in global conservation rankings, a remarkable success when many species are declining.

Conservation NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in its biannual Living Planet Report released Thursday, found a 73-per cent decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations over 53 years.

But around 50 per cent of the thousands of vertebrates monitored for the report are stable or increasing.

That includes green turtles, thanks to decades of efforts including egg relocation, marine protection and trade bans.

Malaysian turtle expert Juanita Joseph has spent years on the frontlines, carrying out cutting-edge genetic research and even convincing her own father to stop eating turtle eggs.

The palm-size green turtle hatchling flailing its flippers through the sand towards the sea on Mataking Island. — AFP pic

Still, when the International Union for the Conservation of Nature last year announced green turtles were no longer endangered, she could hardly believe it.

“Never in my mind (did I think) that one day turtles can be ‘least concern’. I cried... I said I’ve done my part,” she told AFP at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, where she is a professor.

All six other sea turtle species are still vulnerable or critically endangered, apart from the flatback turtle, whose status is unclear because of data shortages.

Turtles are targeted for food and their shells, killed in fishing nets, and constrained by development and pollution at nesting beaches and feeding grounds.

Climate change also skews populations more female because heat determines sex development in eggs.

Even now, recovery is uneven. While green turtles globally are “least concern”, some regional populations are still endangered and declining.

‘Our heritage’

Malaysia is something of a regional exception. Green turtle nesting at Sabah state’s Turtle Islands has tripled since the 1970s to over 20,000 nests annually.

That reflects “over five decades” of work, said Sabah Parks director Maklarin Lakim.

The Turtle Islands have been protected since 1977, and Sabah banned turtle meat and egg consumption in 1997.

“This is our heritage, this is our biodiversity,” Maklarin said.

“We would like to protect that as long as possible.”

Much of the conservation success has relied on people like Sitti Rasah Abdul, 50, from a fishing community on Malaysia’s Omadal island.

A conservationist counting hatched sea turtles from broken eggshells inside a sandy nesting enclosure. — AFP pic

Since 2012, she and other members of a women’s cooperative have relocated turtle eggs from beaches to a hatchery to protect them from predators and poachers.

The 20-strong team started conservation work with WWF, but now self-funds, ploughing 10 per cent of revenue from their handicraft and catering business into turtle protection.

“I’m already old,” said Rasah, on the wooden jetty that extends from her home into aquamarine seawater.

“But I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that there are still turtles around for the next generation.”

A 45-minute boat ride away, green and hawksbill turtle hatchlings emerged from relocated nests in a hatchery at the high-end Mataking Reef Resort.

Hotel owner Sophia Sie fell in love with turtles decades ago when her father acquired land on Mataking island, and now around 10 per cent of her staff works on conservation.

In 2006, “we had about 600 eggs collected... today we have about 36,000 eggs,” Sie told AFP.

Guests can release hatchlings, and while Sie considers conservation a passion, it is also good business.

“The survival of our business here is very much dependent on the natural resources and the beauty around us,” she said.

‘Long-term project’

The hatchlings tipped from a basket onto a Mataking beach face long odds. Just one in 1,000 will survive to sexual maturity at 20 years old.

An adult green sea turtle gliding through the deep blue waters off the coast of Mataking Island. — AFP pic

Hatchlings spend around a decade in the open ocean, a period sometimes called the “lost years” because scientists know so little about it.

Working out where turtles spend those years, and where they forage and reproduce, is key to sustaining conservation success, said Gavin Jolis, marine species strategy manager at WWF-Malaysia.

The NGO has created the world’s first global turtle DNA database, Shellbank, using samples from turtle tissue and shells to trace populations and even target poachers.

“In order to save sea turtles, we have to look at the life cycle,” said Jolis.

“That’s where the genetic work comes in.”

The neat rows of test tubes in Joseph’s lab contain bits of hatchling flipper snipped from babies that did not survive.

Sequencing them reveals a turtle’s “haplotype”, a kind of genetic fingerprint.

The work has already helped show that turtles foraging in parts of Malaysia come from Micronesia, and identified the likely source of turtle shell intercepted in Britain.

While each conservation effort faces different challenges, the battle to protect green turtles teaches “to really be resilient and patient with the work”, said Jolis.

“We should not look at just a short-term project, it’s a long-term project.” — AFP

DUNGUN, Oct 8 — The surviving rows of two-storey wooden shophouses, known locally as ‘kedai kayu’, in Kuala Dungun are more than remnants of traditional architecture; they stand as witnesses to the history of a town once the centre of trade and economic activity in the district.

Built in 1933, the wooden buildings still carry the character of a bygone era, with timber main structures and windows, though some have been modified over the years to meet modern business needs.

Kuala Dungun trader and resident Ang Ah Kiang, 76, said the buildings are closely linked to the town’s history, which saw it develop from a fishing village into an important trading centre.

He said Kuala Dungun’s role later changed as economic activity picked up following the rapid development of the iron ore mining industry in Bukit Besi, particularly from the 1930s to the 1960s, before the mine closed in 1970.

“The economic growth also indirectly spurred trade in Kuala Dungun, including the emergence of various shops supplying the needs of residents and workers,” he told Bernama when met here today.

The surviving rows of two-storey wooden shophouses in Kuala Dungun. — Bernama pic

Ang said the wooden shops still operating today show the continuity between Kuala Dungun’s trading activities in the past and its business activities today, noting that some of the wooden shops in Kuala Dungun were built between 1930 and 1960.

He said about 100 wooden shop units were built during the period, and the premises now house a range of businesses, including restaurants, hardware stores, electrical shops, motorcycle dealers, plastic goods shops, grocery stores and photo shops.

Meanwhile, restaurant operator Mohd Kamal Hamid, 59, said he has rented the more than 90-year-old shop since 1986, after his father rented the premises in 1980.

He said that although the wooden shop, which he rents for RM1,200 a month, has undergone several renovations, its original structure has been preserved.

“I was told that the original owner of this wooden shop was a former employee of the iron ore mining company in Bukit Besi, and that the building was purchased in the 1930s,” he said.

Mural magic captures everyday life at Kuala Dungun’s ‘kedai kayu’. — Bernama pic

Meanwhile, the Dungun chapter of the Malaysian Historical Society honorary secretary Wan Mohd Rosli Wan Ngah said that in 1933, the Dungun District Office reorganised Kuala Dungun by creating wooden shop lots as a commercial centre to support the growth of trade in the area.

According to him, more Chinese residents were settling in Kuala Dungun at the time, purchasing land and newly completed wooden shophouses.

“Malay residents living in Kuala Dungun were relocated to a new and more comfortable village, Kampung Tanah Lot,” he said.

However, he said Hokkien Chinese from southern China had begun migrating to the district as early as 1922, with many settling along the outskirts of the Sungai Dungun estuary.

“They came to open businesses such as grocery, seafood and rubber shops, and later dominated the wooden shophouses in Kuala Dungun after the town was reorganised in 1933,” he added. — Bernama

MOSCOW, Oct 8 — The death of a plague laboratory worker in Siberia last week has made global headlines, with Russian media suggesting hundreds were under quarantine and US President Donald Trump expressing concern.

Russia has attributed the worker’s death to pneumonia of an “undetermined” cause, but the United States, European Union and World Health Organization (WHO) have all called for more information on the case.

Russia’s public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic among the wider public.

Here is what we know, five days since the laboratory worker died:

What happened?

The incident was first reported in local media on Friday.

Russian news outlet People of Baikal said that an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, whom it named as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, died the previous night from a suspected case of pneumonic plague.

She may have contracted the disease from a broken test tube, the outlet reported, without elaborating.

Alexei Tsydenov, governor of the neighbouring Buryatia region, said in a social media post that a woman in the Irkutsk region had “died of plague”, before editing the post to add the word “possibly”.

AFP has not been able to verify the reports.

The mayor of the town of Shelekhov, where she was reported to have died, said a local hospital had been quarantined.

As many as 200 people with whom she may have had contact were placed under quarantine over the incident, People of Baikal said.

Irkutsk is a remote Siberian city home to around 500,000 people in eastern Russia, while Shelekhov is a satellite town to the city’s west.

How has Russia responded?

Russian officials have downplayed or rejected reports the worker died of plague.

The Irkutsk region governor, Igor Kobzev, said Monday that an inspection by Rospotrebnadzor found she died of pneumonia of “undetermined” origin.

“No micro-organisms linked to the young woman’s professional work were found in her biological samples,” Kobzev said, adding that no other staff at the institute had sought medical attention since her death.

Rospotrebnadzor said Wednesday that the situation in the Irkutsk region remained “stable”, and that nearly 5,000 tests had been conducted, none of which revealed dangerous pathogens.

It also reported “comprehensive preventive and anti-epidemic measures” had been implemented, without saying what the measures were.

What is plague?

Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, the same pathogen that killed millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages.

It can occur in several forms, among them pneumonic plague, which is the most contagious type and can be transmitted by respiratory means. Bubonic plague is transmitted by infected fleas.

All forms can be treated with antibiotics, although can be rapidly fatal if not treated early.

Plague is found in all continents except Oceania, and cases have been sporadically reported worldwide.

A plague outbreak on the island nation of Madagascar killed over 200 people in 2017.

How has the world reacted?

The Russian reports have triggered international concern, with Trump saying Monday that Washington was closely following events.

The WHO, European Union and United States have all called for Russia to be more transparent about the incident.

“WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday, mentioning “media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause”.

Trump said Monday that Washington would “help” Russia, without elaborating. The next day he said he would call Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the reports.

What is the risk?

Russia has played down the risk.

Rospotrebnadzor said Wednesday that there were no “epidemic risks to the populations of Irkutsk and the Irkutsk Region”.

The WHO initially deemed the risk for the region to be “moderate to low”, but later said it lacked information to conduct a “full risk assessment”.

The Kremlin has hit out at reports of a suspected second case of the disease, saying most of what the media was reporting was “false information”.

Public health experts have also called for calm over the incident, which comes several years after the Covid pandemic.

In previous plague outbreaks, health authorities have had to “find the affected people, find their contacts, quarantine them and give them antibiotics,” Simon Clarke — an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading in Britain — told Times Radio on Tuesday.

“It requires a lot of resources. But the Russians should be able to manage this,” he said. — AFP

GENEVA, Oct 8 — El Nino will intensify even more before peaking in December, the United Nations said Thursday, warning it could be among the strongest witnessed since at least 1950.

The naturally occurring weather phenomenon is set to bring higher temperatures to much of the planet, the UN’s weather and climate agency said, with its impact compounding the effects of man-made climate change.

“El Nino will continue to intensify ahead of its forecast peak in December,” the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update.

“It is likely to bring above-average temperatures to much of the globe and shift rainfall patterns, increasing the risk of drought and floods in different regions.”

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

It typically takes place every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months.

Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.

El Nino ‘strengthening rapidly’

“Sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific are forecast to increase to record levels during October-November-December 2026, reflecting the strengthening of the El Nino event which will drive weather patterns and impact economies, ecosystems and communities across the globe,” the WMO said.

The forecast is based on consensus across 13 leading national and international meteorological centres.

“El Nino is firmly established and strengthening rapidly,” said WMO chief Celeste Saulo.

“WMO forecasts indicate a near-100 percent likelihood that it will persist through February 2027, potentially being one of the strongest since at least 1950.”

Saulo explained that El Nino does not add new heat to the planet, but releases heat being stored in the ocean.

“The ocean it’s drawing from is the warmest we’ve ever measured it. There is simply more heat available to release,” she said.

Sea temperatures record

The index which measures sea surface temperature anomalies across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific — the region at the heart of El Nino — increased from 1.6C above normal in June to 2.5C above normal in August.

For October-November-December, the anomaly is forecast to reach approximately 3.7C above normal.

This would be the highest since observations began, eclipsing the previous record of 2.6C set in 2015-2016.

The last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high at around 1.55C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

While El Nino usually peaks between November and February, the resulting spike in temperatures typically comes later.

This El Nino is already hitting some regions hard, including in Central America, where animals and crops are dying from drought. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The Ministry of Digital, through MyDigital Corporation, is providing 100,000 learning licences to enable Malaysians to access digital and artificial intelligence (AI) courses through the online learning platform, Coursera.

MyDigital Corporation in a statement said the initiative, offered through the Rakyat Digital portal, provides three months of complimentary access to more than 16,000 courses and Professional Certificate programmes offered by leading universities and industry experts worldwide.

Under the government-funded Global Learning Pass, Malaysians with a MyDigital ID can access courses spanning AI, technology, data science, business and digital literacy from Sept 16, with the licences being rolled out in phases, subject to eligibility and availability.

“Early results show strong engagement, with 12,900 learners enrolling in 43,000 courses in the first three weeks, particularly across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang and Perak, with the most popular course being Understanding Digital Transformation, a custom course created by MyDigital Corporation using Coursera’s Course Builder.

“Designed for beginners, the approximately two-hour course introduces the technologies shaping Malaysia’s digital economy, including cloud computing, modern data centres, AI and machine learning, blockchain, IoT (Internet of Things) and 5G. Other popular courses include Google’s AI Fundamentals, Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere and Foundations of Project Management, reflecting demand for practical, job-relevant skills,” the statement said.

MyDigital Corporation said the initiative forms part of the Rakyat Digital ecosystem and supports the Malaysia Digital 2030 Action Plan (MD2030) and National AI Action Plan 2026-2030, in line with Malaysia’s AI Nation 2030 ambition.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Digital Secretary-General Datuk Fabian Bigar said the initiative reflects the ministry’s commitment to making AI and digital learning accessible across all segments of society.

“Expanding access to globally recognised courses and professional credentials through Coursera reinforces our commitment to building a future-ready workforce.

“Our primary objective is to empower Malaysians with relevant skills so they can participate confidently and equitably in the digital economy,” he said.

Coursera Global Head of Enterprise Anthony Salcito said the initiative represents a significant step towards building a culture of lifelong learning that supports Malaysia’s AI and digital transformation agenda.

“Malaysia is setting a benchmark for how a nation can prepare its people for an AI-powered future, and we’re proud to be part of that ambition,” he said.

Malaysians interested in the programme can register for the Rakyat Digital Global Learning Pass at www.rakyatdigital.gov.my. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Schools and educational institutions under the Education Ministry in areas where the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeds 180 must close from tomorrow (October 9), as authorities step up measures to protect students and teachers from the worsening haze.

Schools in areas where API readings remain above 150 for three consecutive days must also close from Monday, October 12, the ministry said in a statement today.

The directive follows concerns raised by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong over the health and safety of students amid the haze affecting parts of the country.

In the statement, Education director-general Datuk Mohd Azam Ahmad said the ministry was acting to prevent students and education personnel from being exposed to air pollution that could harm their health.

“All educational institutions under the Education Ministry in areas where API readings exceed 180, based on records from the Department of Environment, must close from Friday, October 9, 2026,” he said.

“Areas recording API readings above 150 continuously for three consecutive days must close from Monday, October 12, 2026.”

Affected schools must switch to home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) to ensure lessons continue during the closures.

“Schools and educational institutions under the ministry that are affected are required to conduct home-based teaching and learning sessions,” Mohd Azam said.

He added that schools must ensure lessons continue through appropriate methods that take into account students’ capabilities, access and needs, as well as teachers’ preparedness.

Teachers and support staff will also be permitted to work from home during the closures, the ministry said.

State Education Departments, district education offices and educational institutions have been instructed to monitor air quality continuously and take appropriate action when pollution levels exceed the stipulated thresholds.

“The Education Ministry will continue to monitor developments from time to time and seek advice from the Health Ministry and relevant agencies to ensure the safety, health and welfare of students and education personnel are protected, in accordance with the decree of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” Mohd Azam said.

The latest directive comes as haze continues to affect air quality in parts of Malaysia, raising concerns over prolonged exposure to pollutants, particularly among children and other vulnerable groups.

Under Malaysia’s API classification, readings of 101 to 200 are considered unhealthy, while those between 201 and 300 are classified as very unhealthy.

The directive does not amount to a nationwide school shutdown, with closures determined by air quality readings in the affected areas.

KUALA PILAH, Oct 8 — A Form Two male student was injured after allegedly being beaten by a Form Four student at a secondary school hostel in this district on September 27.

Kuala Pilah District Police Chief Supt Muhammad Mustafah Hussin said the incident is believed to have taken place at about 11.40pm in one of the school’s hostels.

“Preliminary investigations found that the 14-year-old victim was called by the suspect following a misunderstanding between them before being beaten by the suspect, resulting in injuries. The victim was then taken to Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah for treatment,” he said in a statement today.

He stated that an examination at the hospital revealed the victim suffered a soft tissue injury.

Mustafah said police have identified the suspect for further investigation, and the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

The public is advised to not speculate or spread unverified information and to leave the investigation entirely to the police. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hopes Budget 2027, to be tabled tomorrow, will further strengthen the national economy while easing the burden on the people.

In a post on X today, he also expressed hope that the budget would create more opportunities and ensure the benefits of development were distributed more fairly.

Earlier, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, inspected the final preparations for the Fifth Madani Budget at the Finance Ministry (MoF) in Putrajaya today ahead of its tabling in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow.

He also expressed his appreciation to the entire MoF team for their hard work in preparing the budget.

Yesterday, Anwar said the Fifth Madani Budget was underpinned by a clear commitment to further strengthen the national economy and ensure that growth translated into a better quality of life for the people.

Anwar is scheduled to table Budget 2027 at 3.30pm. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 8 — Emotions ran high in the Coroner’s Court here today as the cheerful voice of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, speaking affectionately to her mother, echoed through the courtroom during the inquest into the Form One student’s death.

The victim’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, 46, the 81st witness in the proceedings, appeared visibly emotional and choked up as she listened to the recording of her conversation with her only child before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

A total of 42 audio recordings were submitted as evidence, 35 of which captured conversations between Zara Qairina and her mother while the teenager was still alive.

Throughout the recordings, Zara Qairina could be heard speaking cheerfully and affectionately as she shared various aspects of her daily life with her mother.

The conversations included her school activities, test results, life in the hostel, friends and her questions about her mother’s whereabouts.

In one of the recordings, Zara Qairina could also be heard expressing her affection for her mother, saying, “Ma, I love you... Bye Raa...”

Questioned by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represented her, Noraidah confirmed that the recording was of a conversation between her and her daughter.

Noraidah told the court that the recordings reflected the way they communicated daily, whether at home or over the telephone.

“Yes…That was how we spoke every day, whether at home or over the telephone. I spoke to Zara Qairina as a mother, and I was also her friend,” she said, adding that they often shared various aspects of their lives.

Apart from the conversations between mother and daughter, the court also heard recordings of Noraidah’s communications with several other parties, including her colleagues, the victim’s school teachers and medical staff at the emergency ward.

Noraidah said all the telephone conversations had been automatically recorded by her mobile phone.

She said that after losing her daughter, she listened to the recordings again to identify the names of individuals mentioned by Zara Qairina during their conversations.

“I listened to these recordings again to identify the names Zara Qairina mentioned, and I had kept all the recordings on my laptop from the beginning,” she said.

Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in the early hours.

The inquest continues tomorrow with the same witness. — Bernama

RIYADH, Oct 8 — Diplomats stationed in the Saudi capital were sheltering in place and international schools took safety measures today, diplomats and residents told AFP, after explosions echoed across the city.

The explosions heard in Riyadh came hours after the Houthis in Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia, claimed their latest attack on the kingdom including the capital’s international airport.

The Iran-backed fighters have launched a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia since they began a major offensive in Yemen against the internationally-recognised, Saudi-backed government there.

Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces have struggled to contain the Houthis’ advance, despite a counter-offensive aimed at recapturing territory including the area around a waterway that is crucial to global energy flows.

In Riyadh, home to a large number of non-Saudis, diplomats were instructed to shelter in place in their respective embassies, diplomats told AFP.

There was no official statement addressing the morning’s incident or text alerts warning residents, which were sent out during earlier periods of the conflict.

A campaign by the interior ministry has repeatedly warned residents against sharing unauthorised information, images or footage of missiles, drones and their impacts, warning that violators could face legal consequences.

Several residents told AFP, meanwhile, that international schools were taking precautions, with at least one facility sending children into a basement for safety.

“My daughter called me,” one parent told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying she was “completely distraught”.

The measures came after repeated blasts were heard in the city, one of the loudest disturbances there since the start of the Middle East war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Numerous flights at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were delayed or cancelled, according to information posted on signage at the facility.

Two people working in Riyadh’s business hub, the King Abdullah Financial District, told AFP that some companies were evacuating staff from the area.

200,000 people displaced

The Yemen war predates the Iran war, but it had come to a near-standstill until last month the Houthis launched a lightning offensive against government forces.

They seized large swathes of territory including the area around the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key waterway for global shipping and, crucially, Saudi oil exports.

The fighting in Yemen has in recent weeks become the most active front of the wider regional conflict, which for months has seen violence repeatedly shift focus across the Middle East.

In Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, it is ordinary civilians paying the price, with more than 200,000 people displaced since July, according to UN data.

After declaring a counter-offensive against the Houthis, Yemen’s government claimed to have pushed the fighters out of strategic areas on the Red Sea and the port city of Mocha.

But the Houthis insist they are holding their territory, and military sources from both sides contacted by AFP have not reported any major changes on the ground.

Claims by the warring parties have been impossible to independently verify, with the situation moving fast and access for journalists difficult.

In Saudi Arabia, the latest blasts came a day after the Houthis claimed attacks on two international airports, while repeating a warning to airlines to avoid Saudi airspace.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the airports in Riyadh and Abha were “subjected to attacks” on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at Riyadh airport, the agency said.

The attacks wounded 36 people, it added.

In a subsequent statement, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis blamed them for the strikes and vowed that they “will not go unpunished”.

Humanitarian crisis

Yesterday in Yemen, clashes left at least 62 combatants dead, including 37 Houthis, military sources from both camps told AFP.

Saba also reported that a Houthi missile wounded five civilians in Taiz, a city held by government forces.

“We went out into the street to check on the wounded and saw young civilians who had been hit,” resident Al-Fateh al-Eisaei told AFP.

“The Houthi shell landed in the middle of the street, right in an area crowded with civilians.”

The humanitarian crisis caused by the war has left most of the nation’s population dependent on aid. — AFP

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to announce good news regarding an initiative to make the KTM Komuter Southern Shuttle service more affordable during the tabling of the Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the new initiative — described as welcome news — is expected to further help reduce the people’s current cost of living.

He said that the Southern Shuttle, launched in June, has so far transported approximately 20,000 passengers, averaging between 200 and 300 passengers daily.

“...for those commuting from the Kempas, Paloh, and Kulai areas to Johor Bahru using the Southern Shuttle, there will be good news announced by the Prime Minister during the tabling of the Budget tomorrow,” he said while speaking at the launching ceremony for the expansion of the BAS.MY service in Johor Bahru today.

Loke had previously said that Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) utilises existing trains to operate the Southern Shuttle service, which connects Kulai to Johor Bahru Sentral, as well as Kempas Baru, Pasir Gudang and Paloh.

He said that the two sets of Southern Shuttle trains currently in use are existing assets, serving as an interim measure while awaiting the new Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, which will take between two and three years to procure.

Meanwhile, commenting on the Tebrau Shuttle operations, Loke explained at a press conference that the scheduled commencement of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link next February would not affect the service currently operated by KTMB.

He said the service would only be discontinued six months after the RTS Link begins operations, as stipulated in the bilateral agreement between the two countries.

“As per the bilateral agreement, the Tebrau Shuttle will be discontinued six months after the RTS Link starts. So, that is already included in the agreement,” he said.

The Tebrau Shuttle service, which has been operating since July 1, 2015, connects JB Sentral and the Woodlands Train Checkpoint (WTCP), with a five-minute journey across the Malaysia-Singapore border.

With a one-way ticket price of RM5 from JB Sentral to Woodlands and SGD5 from Woodlands to JB Sentral, the service has the capacity to carry 8,635 passengers daily, with a frequency of 31 trips in both directions. — Bernama

OCTOBER 8 — “Why can’t I have it?”

It is probably a question every parent has heard.

We teach our children that they cannot have everything they want. We encourage them to save their duit raya. We explain that RM50 is more than RM10, and eventually introduce them to the familiar difference between “needs” and “wants”.

These are important lessons, and they remain important. But looking at the environment our children are growing up in today, I wonder whether teaching them about money is still enough.

Perhaps there is another question we need to teach them to ask: “Why do I want this?”

For many of us growing up, wanting something often began with seeing it in a shop, watching an advertisement on television or noticing that a friend at school had it. For children today, that journey can look very different.

They may discover a toy while watching their favourite creator. They may want a particular item because they have seen it repeatedly in short videos. A game may offer a new character, skin or upgrade. Something can suddenly become a “must-have” because everyone online seems to have it.

Sometimes children know they are looking at an advertisement. Sometimes they may not.

And this is where I think our conversation about children and money needs to go beyond simply teaching them how to save.

The internet is already an ordinary part of childhood. Unicef Malaysia reported in 2026 that 94 per cent of Malaysian children aged 12 to 17 use the internet, with nearly all of them going online daily.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. Our children learn online. They communicate, play, explore interests and discover things that previous generations could never access so easily.

But the same digital spaces are also commercial spaces.

Entertainment and consumption increasingly sit side by side. A child may watch someone unbox a toy without thinking about whether it is advertising. They may follow a creator because the content is entertaining, without necessarily recognising when a recommendation becomes commercial.

Even games now contain their own marketplaces. There are virtual currencies, upgrades, cosmetic items, rewards and limited-time offers. Children may learn what it feels like to want something rare or exclusive before they fully understand what spending RM10 here and RM20 there actually means.

This makes me wonder whether we have focused so much on financial literacy that we have overlooked another equally important skill: consumer literacy.

Financial literacy teaches a child to ask, “Do I have enough money?” Consumer literacy encourages them to ask, “Why do I want this in the first place?”

There is a subtle but important difference.

The author argues that teaching children to save money is no longer enough, as parents must also equip them with consumer literacy skills to recognise how online advertising, influencers and digital games shape their spending desires. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Financial literacy among children is already receiving attention in Malaysia. A 2023 study involving 419 primary-school children aged seven to 12 from Kedah, Penang, Perak and Perlis examined children's financial literacy and highlighted the important roles of schools, teachers and parents in strengthening financial knowledge.

Those efforts matter. But knowing how money works does not necessarily mean a child understands how the marketplace works on them.

Parents will probably recognise another familiar sentence: “But everyone has it.”

Peer influence is certainly not new. We wanted what our friends had when we were children too.

But “everyone” used to be a relatively small circle.

Today, that circle can be enormous. A child's reference point is no longer limited to classmates, cousins or neighbours. It can include YouTubers, gamers, influencers and hundreds of people appearing on their screens.

A product can become familiar very quickly simply because a child sees it repeatedly. And familiarity can easily become desire.

Adults experience this too. We see the same restaurant repeatedly on TikTok and suddenly feel curious about it. We read positive reviews and become more comfortable buying something. We watch other people using a product and begin imagining ourselves using it.

If adults can be influenced this way, we should not expect children to somehow be immune to it.

The difference is that adults have had years to develop some ability to recognise persuasion and understand financial consequences. Children are still learning both.

That is why perhaps saying “You don't need it” is sometimes not enough.

We could also ask: “Where did you see it?” “Why do you like it?” “Did someone tell you about it?” “Do you think they were trying to sell it?” “Would you still want it next week?”

These are simple questions, but they encourage children to think about their own consumption rather than simply responding to it.

Gaming makes this discussion even more interesting. Many games today are not simply games that children play. They contain small economies of their own.

Children encounter virtual currencies, collectible items, upgrades and limited-time rewards. They learn about scarcity, collecting and exclusivity. They also learn how easily waiting can sometimes be replaced by paying.

Malaysia is already beginning to recognise some of these concerns. In September 2026, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum opened a public consultation on a proposed Gaming Sub-Code. The proposal covers areas including children's account settings and parental controls, transparency around in-game spending and randomised rewards, in-game advertising and creator promotions.

This is significant because it recognises that children's digital safety is not only about harmful content. The commercial design of the spaces in which children play matters too.

Unicef Malaysia has similarly argued that protecting children online should not simply mean removing their access. Digital spaces provide important opportunities for learning, connection and participation. The challenge is to make those environments safer and more child-centred.

Regulation can help. But regulation cannot accompany a child through every future commercial decision. Neither can parents.

Eventually, children need to learn how to recognise persuasion themselves. And that is why I believe consumer literacy needs to sit alongside financial and digital literacy.

Of course, this responsibility should not fall entirely on parents.

Businesses, platforms, game developers and content creators are also shaping the marketplace our children are growing up in.

Children are consumers, but they are not simply smaller versions of adult consumers. Their understanding of money, persuasion, value and consequences is still developing.

So perhaps businesses need to move beyond asking, “Are we allowed to market this way?” and occasionally ask, “Should we market this way to a child?”

There is a difference.

This does not mean we should stop marketing children's products or remove every commercial element from their digital lives. That would hardly be realistic.

But we should be able to expect greater transparency and responsibility when the consumer on the other side of the screen is still learning what it means to be a consumer.

As parents, we will probably continue having the same conversations our parents had with us: “You don't need another one.” “Save your money.” “Think before you buy.”

Those lessons still matter. But perhaps we need to add another one.

When our children suddenly desperately want the latest toy, game, collectible or whatever trend appears next, instead of only asking whether they can afford it, perhaps we can help them understand where that desire came from.

Teaching a child that RM50 is more than RM10 is financial literacy. Teaching them to save RM5 instead of spending it is financial literacy.

But teaching them to recognise why something suddenly feels so desirable is something different.

That is consumer literacy.

And in a marketplace becoming increasingly sophisticated at understanding what children want, perhaps our children also need to become a little more sophisticated at understanding the marketplace.

So the next time a child says, “But I really want it,” perhaps there is another question worth asking.

“Why?”

The author is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Business Management, Universiti Utara Malaysia.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — A proposal by Nepal to shorten the period for declaring disaster missing persons dead from 12 years to 45 days has brought relief to families of 54 Malaysians still missing after the flood tragedy there.

Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih) welcomed the proposal, describing it as a major relief for the 54 families facing emotional and financial strain 44 days after the tragedy.

Masfih spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said all the families hoped the proposed provision could be implemented immediately to provide clarity for the next of kin of Malaysians still missing following the landslide and floods along the Nepal China border on Aug 26.

“With the 45-day period due to expire tomorrow (Oct 9) and the proposal still subject to the legal process in Nepal, we urge the Malaysian Government to provide an official explanation on the actual legal position applicable to avoid confusion,” he said in a statement today.

The landslide and floods at the Nepal-China border have left 54 Malaysians still missing, while media reports in Nepal reported on Wednesday that the government had recommended the enactment of an ordinance to amend existing laws and remove legal barriers to declaring missing persons dead.

Government spokesman and Education Minister Sasmit Pokhrel was quoted as saying that the existing provision requiring a person to be missing for 12 years before being declared dead would be reduced to 45 days following the Bhotekoshi floods.

Meanwhile, Manivannan said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) had responded positively to a request for a face-to-face meeting with five Masfih representatives next Monday to discuss a proposed moratorium and temporary assistance for personal financial commitments and financing borne by the victims’ families.

Masfih also expressed its appreciation to AmBank for being the first party to provide financial assistance to all 54 affected families through the AmBank Foundation.

“The process of gathering information is now under way to enable the assistance to be processed to ease the daily burden of the affected families,” the statement said.

Manivannan said Masfih was still awaiting a response to its request for an official meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Attorney General’s Chambers to discuss protection mechanisms and the legal direction for the missing victims.

Any party or organisation wishing to contribute to the victims’ families can contact Masfih at 012 223 1303 or email masfihmy@gmail.com. — Bernama

STOCKHOLM, Oct 8 — The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded today to Canadian poet Anne Carson, an essayist and classicist who brings a modern twist to mysticism and antiquity in her writings about love, desire and despair.

The 76-year-old was honoured “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature,” the Swedish Academy said.

The permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Ingrid Carlberg, said she had briefly spoken to Carson.

“We didn’t have so much time to speak. All she had time to tell me was that she is for the moment in Iceland, where she’s listening to the wind.”

“She was taken by surprise, but very happy. I could hear that in her voice.”

The Academy said almost all her literary production “has centred upon the intersection between the philologist’s obsession with words and the poet’s desire for new meaning”.

It singled out her poem Nox, printed on one continuous sheet of paper in homage to her dead brother, as “an unforgettable work”.

Carson has been mentioned as a possible Nobel laureate for years.

Many literary critics had predicted the award would go to a woman this year, given the frequent criticism directed at the Academy over the overrepresentation of Western white men among its picks.

There have been just 19 women laureates out of 122 since the Nobel literature prize was first awarded in 1901.

A 2018 sex assault scandal left the Academy in tatters and more than half of its 18 members were replaced.

Since then, every other literature laureate has been a woman.

Last year, the award went to Hungary’s Laszlo Krasznahorkai, whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia.

The Nobel Prize comes with a diploma, a gold medal and a US$1.2 million (RM5 million) prize sum.

Carson will receive the award from King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of scientist and prize creator Alfred Nobel. — AFP

SHAH ALAM, Oct 8 — A ‘tonto’ (lookout) pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to 55 charges of giving RM62,900 in bribes to three traffic police officers between January 2022 and February 2026.

Ang Lie Giap, 33, entered the plea after all the charges were read out before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.

According to the charges, the man was alleged to have corruptly given money to three traffic police officers from the Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters, Negeri Sembilan Contingent Police Headquarters and the Kesas Expressway EMPV Patrol Office, as an inducement for them not to inspect lorries during roadblocks.

The bribes were allegedly given in several transactions at several bank branches in Klang and Setia Alam, involving amounts ranging from RM700 to RM2,000.

In a separate case, a logistics manager of a company, R Yuvarajakumar, 42, also pleaded not guilty at the same court to 16 charges of giving RM4,200 in bribes to a Road Transport Department (JPJ) enforcement assistant between May 2023 and October 2024.

According to the charges, the father of two was alleged to have corruptly given money to an enforcement assistant at JPJ Wangsa Maju through several transactions into several bank accounts belonging to a woman at a bank branch in Sungai Buloh, as an inducement for the officer not to inspect lorries.

All the offences were allegedly committed under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) and are punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which provides for imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The prosecution in both cases was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Asmaa’ Zamri.

Earlier, Asmaa’ offered bail of RM15,000 for Ang and RM10,000 for Yuvarajakumar, with one surety each, together with additional conditions that the accused report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office once a month, surrender their passports and not interfere with prosecution witnesses.

However, lawyer K Theivaendran, representing Ang, applied for the bail to be reduced to RM10,000 and for his passport not to be surrendered to the court, as his client needed to travel abroad frequently for religious matters. He also informed the court that the accused’s wife was pregnant and expected to deliver their first child today.

“The accused is not a flight risk and works helping to manage his father’s chicken farm business, earning between RM3,000 and RM3,500 a month,” said the lawyer, who appeared together with lawyers Varghese Onny, Tee Yuan Sheng and Tee Kar Weng (PDK).

Lawyer Datuk Dr Aswandi Mohamed Hashim, representing Yuvarajakumar, meanwhile applied for the bail to be reduced to RM5,000, saying it was his client’s first offence and that he needed to support his mother, who suffers from asthma.

The court subsequently allowed Ang and Yuvarajakumar to be released on bail of RM15,000 and RM5,000 respectively, with one surety each, and ordered them to report to the MACC office once a month and not interfere with witnesses. Yuvarajakumar was also required to surrender his passport.

The court set Dec 3 for mention. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The ringgit closed higher on Thursday against most Asean currencies, but lower against the US dollar amid a renewed surge in oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, an analyst said.

At 6pm, the ringgit inched down to 4.0890/0940 against the greenback from Wednesday’s close of 4.0850/0895.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said Brent crude rose 4.08 per cent to US$104.29 per barrel as the West Asia conflict is expected to be prolonged.  “In addition, concerns about fiscal sustainability in Europe, especially in France, have led to a stronger US dollar. It appears that … traders are seeking refuge against uncertainties,” he told Bernama today.

At the close, the ringgit traded mixed against a basket of major currencies.

The local note went up against the British pound to 5.3930/3996 from 5.4049/4108 at Wednesday’s close, strengthened against the euro to 4.5719/5775 from 4.5740/5790, but eased against the Japanese yen to 2.5834/5867 from 2.5797/5827.

The ringgit was traded mostly higher against its Asean peers.

The local note edged up against the Singapore dollar to 3.1893/1934 from 3.1919/1957 at Wednesday’s close, and appreciated against the Philippine peso to 6.50/6.51 from 6.51/6.52.

It advanced against the Indonesian rupiah to 228.2/228.6 from 228.3/228.7, but weakened against the Thai baht to 12.1371/1563 from 12.1217/1386 previously. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Malaysia and Myanmar agree that relevant ministries and agencies need to take coordinated and proactive action to advance bilateral cooperation, including efforts to address the issue of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was emphasised during his meeting and bilateral talks with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing today.

He said following their joint press conference, he and Min Aung Hlaing attended the Malaysia-Myanmar Cooperation Dialogue at Kompleks Seri Perdana, organised by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.

He said the dialogue complemented efforts to strengthen understanding between Malaysia and Myanmar through the participation of academics, scholars, think tanks and business communities from both countries.

“I stressed that everything discussed during the one-to-one meeting and bilateral talks must be followed up with concrete action,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Anwar said the government supported the dialogue initiative and encouraged broader participation by academic institutions and the business community so that the discussions could be translated into cooperation that directly benefited the people.

“I believe open dialogue and committed follow-up will strengthen trust between Malaysia and Myanmar, while paving the way to resolve outstanding issues and expand cooperation that brings tangible benefits to Malaysians,” he said.

Min Aung Hlaing departed for home today after concluding his two-day official visit to Malaysia, which began yesterday. — Bernama

OCTOBER 8 — Another bullying case, another death and another number added to the statistics.

When tragedy is repeatedly reduced to numbers, there is a danger that society slowly becomes numb to it.

A child who dies after being bullied is not a statistic.

That child is someone's son or daughter, someone's friend and someone's student.

Behind every number is a family left to deal with a loss that no law, policy or government programme can ever reverse.

Malaysia has taken significant steps to address bullying.

The Anti-Bullying Act 2026 and Anti-Bullying Tribunal have strengthened the legal framework, while the government has expanded school safety measures, including CCTV coverage, additional hostel wardens, counselling and student protection initiatives.

Yet the scale of the problem remains worrying.

Ministry of Education data show that 7,681 bullying cases were recorded in schools in 2024, up from 6,528 in 2023.

More recently, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 findings reported that 27 per cent of Malaysian students experienced at least one form of bullying several times a month or more, compared with 20 per cent across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

These figures raise an uncomfortable question: What are we still missing?

Perhaps the missing piece is not another scheme, camera or regulation, but a deeper understanding of what happens before adults become aware of a problem.

The Perlis Education Department said it won’t tolerate any form of bullying in educational institutions following an alleged incident involving a Form One student in Kangar that resulted in injuries. — Unsplash pic

A child who is bullied may fear retaliation, embarrassment or being labelled a “snitch”, while some may worry that reporting will make matters worse or that adults will not understand.

This is particularly difficult when the bully is part of the victim's own peer group.

A reporting system can only work if a frightened child trusts it enough to speak.

Parents therefore have an important role, but we cannot assume children will automatically explain what is happening.

Distress may instead appear through withdrawal, anxiety, reluctance to attend school, declining interest in studies, unexplained injuries or sudden changes in behaviour.

These signs do not necessarily mean bullying, but they should prompt adults to ask questions and listen carefully.

Schools also need to look beyond whether a policy exists on paper.

They must ensure that students know where to seek help, that complaints are taken seriously and that teachers have the confidence and support to escalate troubling patterns.

This does not mean blaming schools or teachers.

Rather, we should examine whether concerns about reputation, parental complaints or public scrutiny can sometimes make difficult cases harder to confront.

Experts have made a similar point.

Malaysian Mental Health Association president Andrew Mohanraj has argued that laws and tribunals need to be accompanied by a prevention-first approach involving schools, parents and digital safety.

Child protection specialist Lee Lyn Ni has likewise stressed that laws alone cannot solve bullying and that restorative approaches should help children understand the harm they cause and develop empathy.

This is why CCTV, wardens, counselling, laws and disciplinary measures, while necessary, cannot be the entire answer.

A camera can record an incident, but it cannot explain why a child was too frightened to report it.

A law can provide accountability, but it cannot remove the fear that prevents a victim from speaking.

We therefore need to understand the culture of silence surrounding bullying.

Why are victims afraid to speak?

Why do witnesses hesitate to intervene?

Why might parents miss the warning signs?

And could individual incidents sometimes be dismissed as minor disagreements when, collectively, they reveal a much more serious pattern?

Until we answer these questions, we risk adding more schemes without addressing the reasons bullying remains hidden.

The success of Malaysia's response should not be measured simply by the number of laws passed, cameras installed or programmes launched, but by whether a vulnerable child can speak, whether someone listens and whether that child is protected before the harm becomes irreversible.

A bullied child should never have to become another statistic before we realise that something has gone terribly wrong.

*The author is from the Department of Electrical, Electronic, and System Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia made it to the last eight of the Arctic Open 2026 in Vantaa, Finland today.

The world No. 56 and 2023 champion needed 46-minutes to dispatch Su Li Yang of Taiwan 21-17, 21-12 during the second round of the Super 500 tournament held in Energia Arena.

However, a tricky task lies ahead for the unseeded Zii Jia tomorrow as he will take on second seed from France, Christo Popov.

Popov had earlier brushed aside the challenge from Tharun Mannepalli of India 21-14, 21-19.

In the meantime, it was the end of the road for national mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin who let slip the first set win 21-19 before falling to Akira Koga-Natsu Saito of Japan 7-21, 11-21. — Bernama

KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 8 — The National Registration Department (NRD) has issued a total of 169,346 New Generation MyKads nationwide between September 17 and October 6.

NRD Director-General Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said the five states recording the highest issuance are the Federal Territories with 20,592 pieces; Johor (18,871); Sarawak (15,777); Sabah (13,711) and Selangor (13,452).

He said that so far, the response received from the public has been very encouraging due to the upgrade from 23 to 53 high-tech security features capable of curbing identity forgery issues.

“To accommodate the increase in applications for the New Generation MyKad, the NRD has increased card production centres from 60 to 70 nationwide. Only one is not yet operational, which is in the Langkawi district. However, it is in its final preparation stage and is expected to operate soon.

“Based on NRD records for the month of September, male applicants recorded a higher application percentage at 57 percent compared to females. However, we would like to advise the public not to rush to change their old MyKads to the new generation if the chip is still in good condition,” he said after the Mekar Komuniti programme at Taman Sinar Harapan, here today.

Also present was Terengganu NRD Director Awatif Hannan Md Yusup.

Badrul Hisham said 25 Mekar programmes have been implemented in Terengganu this year to facilitate the public, including persons with disabilities (OKU), Orang Asli, chronic patients, mental patients, and senior citizens in obtaining their MyKads.

He said these figures are not just achievement statistics, but rather depict the lives of the people touched through NRD services.

“In addition, the Terengganu NRD has also provided 1,314 advisory service sessions to the community this year. Behind a single piece of MyKad, there is a name, a life, an identity, dignity, and a human being.

“The NRD’s task is not just to manage identity cards, but to safeguard the people’s identity and the nation’s trust. We want an NRD that is not only efficient in its systems, but has heart in its services,” he said. — Bernama

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 — Oil prices surged nearly four per cent on Thursday amid heightened concerns over an escalation in the United States (US)-Iran conflict, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Brent crude prices were up 4.1 per cent at US$104.32 a barrel, reversing losses from the previous session after The Atlantic reported that the White House had asked the Pentagon to develop options for striking Iran before the midterm elections.

No final decision has been made.

WTI crude futures soared 4 per cent to US$91.83 a barrel amid the threat of a hurricane off the US coast.

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to reach the US Gulf Coast late on Friday as a hurricane.

Oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico have begun curbing production and evacuating personnel from offshore facilities.

On Wednesday, oil prices rose on fresh concerns about West Asia supplies before falling after the International Energy Agency agreed to speed up a planned release of oil stocks and prioritise diesel in a bid to curb record-high fuel prices.

Seven commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the lowest number since July 23, after attacks in the key waterway reached their highest level last week since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.

The US State Department urged citizens to exercise heightened vigilance after Houthi strikes on two Saudi airports killed three people and injured 36. — Bernama-dpa

BEIJING, Oct 8 — Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Thursday as technology stocks retreated on concerns over a surge in corporate debt linked to artificial intelligence, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Concerns over rising bond yields and the outlook for monetary policy also weighed on markets as oil prices remained elevated in the wake of supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia.

Gold edged up 0.3 per cent to US$4,124 an ounce as the dollar pulled back from an 18-month high in subdued trading.

Brent crude prices jumped nearly four per cent towards US$104 a barrel, reversing losses from the previous session after reports suggested that the White House had asked the Pentagon to develop options to strike Iran before the midterm elections, but no final decision had been made.

On Wednesday, oil prices rose on fresh concerns about West Asia supplies before falling after the International Energy Agency agreed to speed up a planned release of oil stocks and prioritise diesel in a bid to curb record-high fuel prices.

Seven commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the lowest figure since July 23, after attacks in the key waterway reached their highest level last week since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.

The US State Department urged US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance after Houthi strikes on two Saudi airports killed three people and injured 36.

Mainland Chinese markets ended notably lower as trading resumed after the National Day Golden Week closure. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.79 per cent to 3,811.90 amid renewed US-China tensions over trade and technology restrictions.

Analysts said a US plan to prevent Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices for use in the American market could disrupt a key link in the global electronics supply chain.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slumped 1.43 per cent to 23,785.79. 

Japanese markets ended lower for a second consecutive session as oil prices surged amid renewed West Asia supply concerns. The Nikkei average fell 1.42 per cent to 69,042.11, while the broader Topix Index settled 1.51 per cent lower at 4,091.46.

Banking and semiconductor stocks succumbed to heavy selling pressure, with Japanese lender Mitsubishi UFJ Financial dropping 3.3 per cent and technology investor SoftBank Group plummeting 4.3 per cent.

Seoul stocks fell for a third consecutive session on inflation and interest-rate worries. The Kospi Index tumbled 2.62 per cent to 6,625.93.

Shares of South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics fell 2.4 per cent despite the company posting a record profit, driven by surging memory-chip prices and relentless spending on artificial-intelligence infrastructure.

Australian markets ended lower, with banks and technology stocks coming under selling pressure on bond-market woes. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.77 per cent to 8,660.90, while the broader All Ordinaries Index closed 0.8 per cent lower at 8,823.20.

New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX-50 Index finished marginally higher at 13,691.85, halting declines from the previous session.

US stocks climbed well off their lows but still ended firmly in the red overnight as oil prices fluctuated and yields on government bonds climbed to 24-year highs before pulling back in the wake of a strong US$39 billion auction of 10-year Treasury notes.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 both slid by 0.2 per cent, while the narrower Dow Jones Industrial Average gave up 0.7 per cent as minutes of the Federal Reserve’s September 15-16 meeting signalled another interest rate hike would likely be appropriate before year-end, depending on incoming information, the economic outlook and the balance of risks.

In economic releases, new data highlighted the impact of rising borrowing costs in the housing sector. — Bernama-dpa

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 8 — Malaysia and Singapore jointly decided to start the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link operations in February 2027, rather than taking a unilateral step, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

He said the project was not delayed. Instead, additional time was needed to allow an independent safety consultant to conduct a final evaluation and to secure technical approvals from authorities in both countries.

The minister said the approvals involved Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA).

“After taking these considerations into account, both parties, through the operator RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO), informed their respective authorities.

“I have also communicated with Singapore’s Transport Minister, and we agreed that the best decision is to commence operations in February so that all processes can be executed as thoroughly as possible,” he told a press conference after launching the BAS.MY service expansion at Johor Bahru Sentral here today.

He said RTS Link operations could start as early as January, but February was chosen to provide a buffer and ensure safety evaluation and technical approvals proceed smoothly.

He added that physical work on the RTS Link station and the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex building was complete, while October to December was a critical phase for testing and commissioning before the system was handed over to the operator by Dec 31.

Loke explained the government does not want to risk rushing the process, as the RTS Link is a cross-border project involving safety and will serve thousands of passengers daily.

He said February is a comfortable timeframe for both nations to complete testing, safety evaluations, and technical approvals.

Loke said the opening date will be announced only after APAD and LTA grant all approvals, and the government remains confident the service will start in February 2027.

Previously, RTSO said that all system testing and trial runs are targeted for completion by Dec 31 this year, with passenger services expected to start in February 2027, compared to the initial expectation of operations commencing in January. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Around 3,300 creditors have lodged claims against collapsed gym chains True Fitness and True Yoga, nearly a month after the fitness group abruptly shut all seven of its Singapore outlets overnight, leaving members and employees in the lurch.

The scale of the fallout emerged today as appointed liquidators RSM Singapore confirmed that both companies had entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation following extraordinary general meetings held yesterday, The Straits Times reported.

The September 10 shutdown had caught employees and members by surprise, with staff reportedly receiving an email just an hour before the closures took effect.

Many turned up at the gyms the following morning only to find locked doors and repossession notices at the entrances.

The Consumers Association of Singapore subsequently reported receiving hundreds of complaints from affected members, whose losses from unused memberships, packages and services exceeded S$609,000 (RM2 million).

According to RSM Singapore, creditors at yesterday’s meetings confirmed the appointment of the liquidators and voted to establish a Committee of Inspection comprising up to five representatives to safeguard their interests during the winding-up process.

The liquidators will now oversee the recovery of assets and the winding up of the companies, while consulting the committee and other stakeholders.

Affected members, employees, vendors and other creditors can continue to submit new claims or amend existing ones through RSM Singapore’s creditors’ claims portal.

True Fitness and True Yoga operated under the True Singapore Group, which also ran the TFX and Yoga Edition fitness brands in the city-state.

The sudden collapse came amid mounting financial difficulties at the group, despite its continued revenue generation.

Its Hong Kong-listed parent company, Kontafarma China Holdings, had previously disclosed that the Singapore operations were burdened by substantial losses and net liabilities.

As of the end of August, the group owed its parent company HK$309.7 million.

It remains unclear how much creditors will ultimately recover through the liquidation process.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — A property agent was fined RM4,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here today after pleading guilty to disobeying a police order by following the convoy escorting Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday.

Magistrate Nurul Izzah Hasan Basri imposed the fine on Bryan Marc Daniel, 27, and ordered him to serve eight months in prison if he failed to pay the fine. He subsequently paid the fine.

According to the charge, the accused, who was driving a sports utility vehicle (SUV), disobeyed a police officer’s order while the officer was carrying out his duties on the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS), from Kajang towards Subang Jaya, at 9.32am yesterday.

The offence was charged under Section 21(2) of the Police Act 1967, which provides for a fine of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both, upon conviction.

The case was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Farhanah Arul Hisham, while lawyer R. Karnan represented the accused.

Earlier, a video went viral showing an SUV driver following a police convoy escorting the Deputy Prime Minister from Kajang towards Sunway Medical Centre in Subang Jaya.

In the video, a police escorting officer warned the driver not to follow the convoy, but the man refused to comply and continued to do so. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Malaysia has highlighted the need to strengthen regional cooperation to ensure a stable and affordable energy supply, alongside efforts to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy. 

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, representing the Malaysian government, conveyed this position at the 4th Asia Zero Emission Community (Azec) Ministerial Meeting in Manila, the Philippines today. 

In a statement, the Ministry of Economy said that the Azec collaboration complements the implementation of the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), including energy efficiency, renewable energy, green mobility, infrastructure development, and transition financing. 

“Malaysia also sees opportunities for cooperation in methane emission reduction, hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies. 

“Malaysia welcomes support from Japan and Azec partners in the areas of technology, financing, and capacity building,” the statement said. 

During the discussion, Akmal Nasrullah highlighted that a just energy transition must consider people’s needs, the country’s own capacity, and economic growth. 

All 11 Azec member countries attended the meeting: Japan, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

The meeting was co-chaired by the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister’s representative Takagi Kei and Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon S Garin. 

The discussion focused on the resilience of energy supply amidst geopolitical uncertainty, including the risk of supply route disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

The members also discussed efforts to voluntarily increase oil storage capacity — subject to their respective circumstances and capabilities — as well as cooperation under the Japan-led Powerr (Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience) Asia initiative on energy security.

Earlier, Akmal Nasrullah also held a bilateral meeting with Josh Wilson, the Deputy Climate Change and Energy Minister from Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, focusing on energy supply security and gas supply between the two countries. 

Bilateral discussions were also held with Takagi, covering Malaysia’s role in Azec and opportunities for cooperation in CCUS and hydrogen. 

The session continued with a special meeting involving Middle Eastern oil-producing nations, namely Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to discuss opportunities for collaboration on strategies to ensure security of petroleum supply. 

Akmal Nasrullah also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between IHI Corporation and TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd for a feasibility study on ammonia fuel development, as well as the exchange of a letter of intent between Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti) and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) regarding energy transition. — Bernama

SHELEKHOV, Oct 8— When a woman died of suspected plague in Siberia last week, Oksana was in the maternity ward for observation.

“Everything was fine, and then they told us that a woman had died. And they wouldn’t let anyone in or out,” the 35-year-old told AFP.

For four days, she was kept in hospital in Shelekhov, the same town where a 28-year-old lab worker, Darya Shipilova, had been hospitalised before she was reported to have died of plague.

Russian authorities have downplayed the incident, saying that she died from “pneumonia of an unknown aetiology” and that post-mortem analysis showed no trace of an infection connected with her “professional work” at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute.

Local media reports suggested she could have contracted the disease after breaking a test tube at the laboratory.

The incident has triggered global concern about a possible outbreak and calls for Russia to provide more information.

It has also drawn criticism and comparisons with Moscow’s long history of downplaying or covering up the scale of health disasters — ranging from the Soviet response to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to the coronavirus pandemic.

In Shelekhov, rumours have filled the information abyss.

“I’ve read about it being some kind of unclear pneumonia or Covid, something like that. To be honest, I don’t believe in anything anymore,” Oksana, who declined to give her surname, told AFP.

“There’s so much information that I no longer know what to believe or who to listen to.”

“The day it happened, my mum rang me, shouting that 10 people had already died, even though there were no official reports,” Alexandra Iskalova, a 22-year-old who works in a medical centre, told AFP.

“I’d read somewhere that it was something like Hong Kong syphilis, and that it was actually caused by bears,” she said, referring to a fictional disease from a popular Russian TV show.

“People were absolutely panicking because there were no official statements,” she added.

‘We don’t know’ 

On the streets, the town appears outwardly calm — no panic and few masks.

Yet many told AFP they are concerned.

“It’s frightening,” said Alina, 22.

“My brother’s at primary school. They’ve already made masks compulsory, so they have to wear them everywhere. They’re even allowed to stay off school if they’re really worried.”

She said her aunt works at the anti-plague institute and was also quarantined.

Tatyana, 66, is also frustrated by the lack of official guidance from the authorities.

“Of course we’re worried ... How on earth are we supposed to protect ourselves?”

“We don’t know how the infection spreads. Or how it’s detected,” she added.

“There are a lot of rumours going around, all kinds of information, and it’s unclear what’s true. In reality, nobody is telling us what actually happened.”

Yesterday, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Moscow to clarify “media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause” from the Irkutsk institute.

When asked about a possible second case, the Kremlin appeared to reject it.

“The vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Rospotrebnadzor said yesterday that the situation in the Irkutsk region remained “stable”, and that nearly 5,000 tests had been conducted, none of which revealed dangerous pathogens.

US President Donald Trump has offered to “help” Russia and said he would call his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the reports.

That offer was widely laughed off on the streets of Shelekhov.

“It’s just funny,” said Olga, a 68-year-old former accountant.

“In his heart he was probably happy that Russia had some problems, some kind of ‘plague’,” she added.

“He’d probably be glad if we really had an epidemic in our country.” — AFP

OCTOBER 8 — Teaching in an international environment provides educators with meaningful opportunities to learn and grow alongside their students.

Under the Foundation in Science programme offered by the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science at Universiti Malaya (PASUM) at a university learning centre in China, my role extends beyond explaining chemistry concepts.

It involves guiding students through a major transition from traditional passive learning to an active English-medium university environment, all while navigating the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and reliance on digital tools in modern higher education.

My students came from a secondary education system characterised by a rigid and passive study culture.

Their high school learning experience was predominantly traditional, relying heavily on a chalkboard setup where teachers delivered one-way instruction and students sat silently listening.

When transitioning into an English-taught foundation programme, several major hurdles quickly emerged.

Because the course is delivered entirely in English, students initially felt overwhelmed and relied heavily on live translation apps on their mobile phones during class, creating a digital barrier that hindered direct scientific understanding and slowed real-time classroom engagement.

Additionally, in line with their previous schooling habits, asking questions during class was often perceived as interrupting the teacher, causing students to hesitate to speak up due to a fear of making mistakes or struggling with English vocabulary.

As generative AI tools became widely accessible, students began relying heavily on them for assignments, lab reports and tutorial exercises.

Students from Universiti Malaya's Foundation in Science programme gather for a group photograph at a university learning centre in China. — Picture courtesy of Norhafiza Roslan

While AI can be a helpful study tool, depending on it too much creates serious learning issues in science education.

Relying on automated answers prevents students from thinking through problems for themselves and replaces genuine problem-solving with copied responses.

It also deprives them of the practice needed to master chemistry concepts and build their English communication skills.

Facing these combined challenges of language barriers, passive learning habits and AI dependency, I realised that traditional teaching methods would no longer be enough.

I needed to create an approach that would gently push students out of their comfort zones while still making them feel supported.

To help them overcome their fear of speaking English and step away from digital shortcuts, I focused on creating a classroom environment where learning was active, physical and collaborative.

To address these challenges and reduce digital dependency, I redesigned our classroom dynamic around hands-on activities.

For abstract chemistry topics, I introduced tactile model-building exercises using clay and stick sets.

Instead of relying on static diagrams or AI explanations, students physically built structural models and then gave short presentations to explain their work in simple English.

This provided a two-in-one benefit by deepening their scientific understanding while building their English-speaking confidence, all while keeping AI tools out of the equation.

To further redirect their interest in digital tools towards productive learning, I integrated real-time online game platforms for formative assessments during tutorial sessions, leveraging my students’ natural enthusiasm for gaming.

By transforming routine problem sets into live interactive competitions, students engaged in healthy peer rivalry that generated high levels of excitement in the classroom.

The fast-paced, timed nature of these live games required immediate recall and rapid problem-solving, making it virtually impossible for students to rely on AI tools or translation apps during the exercises.

Students participate in interactive online games designed to encourage quick thinking and problem-solving during chemistry lessons. — Picture courtesy of Norhafiza Roslan

This gamified approach provided instant feedback and transformed assessment into an enjoyable challenge, allowing students to test their understanding without the fear of making mistakes in front of others.

Combining hands-on activities with interactive games led to clear progress in both learning and student confidence throughout the semester.

Starting with small group presentations and fun quizzes helped students overcome their fear of speaking English, encouraging them to participate more actively in class.

Students told me that building models and taking part in live games made difficult chemistry concepts easier to understand and remember.

Instead of trying to ban technology, using games and physical activities channelled their energy into real learning, which naturally reduced their need to rely on translation apps and AI tools.

Technology and AI undoubtedly have a permanent place in modern education, but they cannot replace real-time problem-solving, tactile learning and genuine human interaction.

By blending hands-on activities with live gamified assessments, educators can help students step away from automated answers, master complex scientific concepts and build lasting confidence within an international academic setting.

The author is a Foundation Lecturer at the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, Universiti Malaya (PASUM).

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

BACHOK, Oct 8 — Dogs without vaccination tags or that have not received anti-rabies vaccinations after April each year may be culled by local authorities in Kelantan to curb the risk of rabies transmission. 

State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah said the provision is in line with the Kelantan Anti-rabies Vaccination Order, which requires owners to ensure their pet dogs are vaccinated between January and April every year. 

He said every vaccinated dog would be issued a numbered metal identification tag before being licensed by the local council, and animals without the tag or that have not been vaccinated after April could face action. 

“Under the order, all dog owners are required to ensure their pets receive vaccinations between January and April every year to prevent the spread of rabies,” he said in a press conference after officiating the Peatland Fire Prevention programme hands-on standard operating procedure (SOP) training at Kampung Kual Besar, Gunong here today. 

Hilmi said Kelantan, which borders Thailand, also faces the risk of rabies transmission due to the possibility of dogs moving across the border between the two countries.

He said a rabies-related death reported in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, last month, as well as the stray dog attack involving a child in Kelantan early this month, served as a reminder of the dangers of the disease, which can be fatal. 

He said the local councils, in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Services also conducted periodic operations to catch stray dogs, with two of the five dogs identified so far having been caught and culled. 

“This year, 21 dogs in Bachok have been vaccinated, while samples from another 20 dogs have been taken for rabies testing,” he said. 

As such, Hilmi urged all dog owners to ensure that their pets are vaccinated, licensed with the local council and not allowed to roam freely to ensure public safety. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Malaysian singer-songwriter Aina Abdul has unveiled Bluest Sky, an emotional English-language power ballad she will perform as Malaysia’s representative at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 14.

Described by Aina as a love letter to someone she sees as her “bluest sky”, the song explores love, heartbreak and uncertainty, with a message of hope that even the deepest sadness will eventually pass.

“The way I sing this song, or the person I wrote it about, I see him as the bluest sky.

“So, in a way, this song is my love letter to that person,” she said during an exclusive listening session at Rex KL in Petaling Street here today.

The event brought together members of the media and some of her closest fans, who were among the first to hear the song she will take to the international competition.

The reveal comes nearly two months after Aina was announced as Malaysia’s representative at the competition during the 40th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL40) in August.

Written by Aina herself, Bluest Sky features an elaborate musical arrangement by Mac Chew, with multiple instrumental tracks contributing to its sweeping, layered sound.

For Aina, hearing the mastered version was a proud moment, bringing to life her ambition of creating a powerful, expansive ballad filled with intricate instrumentation.

But behind its grand production lies a deeply personal story of someone caught in an uncertain relationship, struggling with conflicting emotions while holding on to the hope of better days.

Aina described Bluest Sky as one of the most challenging songs she has ever recorded, particularly because of the emotional intensity required.

“It’s one of the most challenging songs to record, especially emotionally.

“Within just one minute, I have to convey so many feelings, from love, sorrow and confusion to exhaustion.

“Through its exposure on the international stage, I hope Bluest Sky can introduce who Aina Abdul really is and put our music on the world stage,” she said in a statement.

The singer also revealed that the song incorporates elements of Nusantara culture, encouraging listeners to look out for subtle clues and influences woven into the music when it is released on digital platforms tomorrow, October 9.

Her decision to perform in English was equally deliberate, driven by a desire to connect with a wider international audience.

“I love my language, of course.

“I’ve been singing in my language for a long time.

“To me, this decision is not a selfish decision.

“It’s a decision that I made because I felt that if I want to cater to a larger audience, I need to choose the path which we call universal language,” she said.

The upcoming competition marks the first Asian edition of the long-running Eurovision Song Contest, bringing together performers from across the region to compete with original songs.

Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Voxovation and S2O Productions, the inaugural event will take place in Bangkok on November 14.

For Aina, the opportunity represents a significant new chapter in her career, one she approaches with excitement and a sense of purpose.

“To be honest, I’m quite ready,” she said.

“Eurovision is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Maybe we can’t predict what will happen, but I believe that if we come with the right intention and approach it in the right way, what we do will bring something good,” she concluded.

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Canadian basketball influencer Matt Kiatipis created a huge buzz at a basketball court in Lorong Liew Lian, Upper Serangoon, where a 400-strong crowd, mostly made-up of teenagers, roared him on.

The 26-year-old, better known as MK, has built a mass following on Instagram and TikTok with videos of him taking on challengers in one-on-one games at outdoor courts around the world.

He has more than eight million followers on TikTok and Instagram, and generates more than two billion views per month.

Kiatipis announced the event at Lorong Liew Lian on his Instagram account, where he has 3.5 million followers, at around 1pm yesterday. Within hours the court was packed.

Chanting “MK, MK”, the crowd lapped up every moment of his time on court. 

Kiatipis arrived at the venue at about 6.40pm, sporting San Antonio Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama’s kit.

“MK” selected several players from the crowd for his one-on-one challenge, during which he reportedly displayed his bold personality, non-stop trash talking, taunts and physical play, giving spectators an entertaining show.

The event ended about an hour later, with the police arriving by around 7.30pm to manage the crowd, according to The Straits Times.

Kiatipis said in an Instagram later that night: “This is getting so crazy. I can’t believe it. Singapore... you filled up the entire court. You filled up the bleachers, people were watching from their (balconies) and we only announced the 1v1 six hours before.”

He added that he loved playing in front of everyone so much and updated in a story later that he plans on hosting three more 1v1 events on Oct 9, 10 and 11 while he was in town. 

“I have something special planned,” wrote Kiatipis in his update.

He said he will also plan a meet and greet so that he could meet everyone that has been supporting him.

The event at Upper Serangoon came a day after Kiatipis’ first one-on-one challenge in Singapore at Chinatown Complex’s rooftop court was cancelled due to the massive crowd. 

The police also turned up on October 6 and reportedly dispersed the crowd from the cancelled event. 

In a video posted by The Straits Times, school students in the uniform could be seen climbing onto the chain-link fence around the basketball court.

Kiatipis said his mission is to establish one-on-one basketball as a sport in its own right, separate from the traditional five-a-side and 3x3 formats.

“I’m bringing the community together, playing a new sport (which is) one-on-one. Before, it was like five-on-five in the street, and then I condensed it down to one-on-one, where more people could play,” he said.

Singapore is his second stop on his South-east Asia tour, after visiting Jakarta from October 1 to 3. — AsiaOne

PONTIAN, Oct 8 — Unconvinced that the school had been closed due to the haze today, an elder brother eventually gave in to his two younger siblings’ insistence on going to school on a motorcycle, before all three were killed in an accident at Jalan Kampung Parit Haji Siraj, Kayu Ara Pasong, here, this morning.

The victims’ mother, Julaiha Munaji, 44, said that her two children, Nor Daniel Fikri Norlizan, 11, and Puteri Naufa Raisha, eight, still wanted to go to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Parit Sapran, despite being informed that the school had been closed due to the haze.

She said that they did not believe that the school had been closed, with one of them even reportedly pleading to go to school, while wearing their school uniform and preparing their schoolwork.

As a result, their 18-year-old brother, Nor Daniel Aiman, eventually took both siblings to school on a motorcycle before they were involved in an accident with a lorry about 200 metres from their family home.

“I was informed by villagers that my children had been involved in an accident, but at first I thought it was an ordinary accident. I then told my eldest son, Nor Daniel Irwan, 22, to go to the location.

“When Irwan returned, he was crying and told me that Fikri and Naufa had died, while Aiman was in critical condition.

“I felt as though I was going to faint when I heard the news. I could only recite istighfar, and tears streamed down my face without me realising it,” she told Bernama at her home in Kampung Parit Haji Siraj, here, today.

Julaiha said that a day before the incident, Nor Daniel Fikri, her fifth child, had washed his football boots, as he was due to attend football training today, in preparation for an upcoming competition in which he was to represent his school.

She added that her son was very passionate about football and aspired to go further in the sport.

“He did not want to miss the training and had already put on his sports attire this morning. Aiman, meanwhile, was supposed to further his studies at GiatMARA, but his plans did not materialise, as he died while on the way to the hospital,” she said.

Earlier, Pontian police chief Supt Hadzrat Hussein Mion Hussain, in a statement, said that the accident, which occurred at about 7.20am, involved a Honda motorcycle ridden by an 18-year-old man with two pillion riders, aged 11 and eight, and a Hino lorry.

He said the motorcycle was travelling from Jalan Parit Haji Omar towards Kayu Ara Pasong, before it was believed to have collided with the lorry travelling in the opposite direction, with the two pillion riders pronounced dead at the scene, while the motorcycle rider died on the way to Pontian Hospital.

All schools in Johor have been closed for two days, from today, following the deterioration in air quality in the state, affecting more than 1,000 schools and about 600,000 students. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Bursa Malaysia ended lower today, remaining under selling pressure ahead of Budget 2027 announcement tomorrow, as a renewed surge in oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia further dampened risk sentiment.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 10.77 points to 1,601.01 from Wednesday’s close of 1,611.78.

The benchmark index opened 1.67 points higher at 1,613.45, marking its intraday high, and hit a low of 1,597.94 in the mid-morning session.

On the broader market, losers thumped gainers 813 to 378, while 482 counters were unchanged, 2,828 untraded and 13 suspended.

Turnover decreased to 3.51 billion units worth RM3.46 billion, compared with 3.83 billion units worth RM3.52 billion yesterday.

IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said Brent crude oil rose more than three per cent, driven by growing concerns over a potential escalation between the United States and Iran.

“For Malaysian equities, the combination of higher energy prices, geopolitical uncertainty and persistent foreign selling is becoming an increasingly important near-term headwind.

“Foreign investors have remained net sellers for 10 consecutive trading days as of yesterday, limiting the market’s ability to absorb external shocks despite expectations surrounding Budget 2027,” it said.

He expects the FBM KLCI to remain volatile in the near term, with oil price movements, foreign fund flows and developments in US-Iran tensions likely to outweigh domestic catalysts ahead of Budget 2027.

Among the heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional added four sen to RM12.90, while Maybank and CIMB eased seven sen each to RM9.80 and RM7.26, respectively, Public Bank shed four sen to RM4.55, and IHH Healthcare was two sen lower at RM7.88.

In active trade, Top Glove perked up two sen to 87.5 sen, V.S Industry put on half a sen to 33 sen, JAKS Resources edged up one sen to 18.5 sen, Zetrix AI inched down half a sen to 7.5 sen, while PUC was flat at four sen. 

Among the top gainers, Petronas Gas increased by 54 sen to RM17.80, Nestle rose 42 sen to RM89.44, Hengyuan Refining Company improved 26 sen to RM3.77, Chin Teck Plantations gained 26 sen to RM10.54, Bus Cap surged 18 sen to 99.5 sen, and Gas Malaysia climbed 15 sen to RM5.40.

Malaysian Pacific Industries led the top losers, falling RM1.70 to RM43.50, Dutch Lady Milk Industries declined 46 sen to RM29.24, United Plantations shrank 78 sen to RM30.40, Kuala Lumpur Kepong erased 56 sen to RM20.54, and UMS Integration slid 50 sen to RM8.80.

On the index board, the FBM Mid 70 Index slumped 216.42 points to 17,537.07, the FBM Emas Index declined 95.19 points to 12,029.76, the FBM Top 100 Index shrank 96.87 points to 11,805.11, the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased 87.32 points to 12,059.83, and the FBM ACE Index slid 27.60 points to 5,594.78.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 1.05 points to 178.83, the Financial Services Index dropped 184.87 points to 18,378.45, the Energy Index rose 0.37 of a point to 839.34, and the Plantation Index tumbled 106.25 points to 8,869.79.

The Main Market volume slipped to 1.88 billion units worth RM3.09 billion from 2.40 billion units worth RM3.15 billion on Wednesday.

Warrants turnover expanded to 1.08 billion units worth RM155.11 million from 939.82 million units worth RM143.09 million yesterday.

The ACE Market volume increased to 546.33 million units valued at RM217.71 million from 489.99 million units valued at RM227.12 million previously.

Meanwhile, consumer products and services counters accounted for 199.19 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (375.18 million), construction (167.81 million), technology (495.78 million), financial services (119.03 million), property (71.79 million), plantation (33.92 million), real estate investment trusts (13.51 million), closed-end fund (218,400), energy (74.29 million), healthcare (194.62 million), telecommunications and media (48.38 million), transportation and logistics (37.89 million), utilities (50.94 million), and business trusts (38,800). — Bernama

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Motorsport’s governing body said transboundary haze from Indonesian fires, which pushed air pollution in Singapore into unhealthy levels today, did not “represent a threat” to this weekend’s Formula 1 race in the city-state.

Singapore’s air quality again crossed the threshold, making it one of the most polluted cities globally, according to the Swiss-based air monitor IQAir.

“Air quality levels are being monitored by the relevant local authorities, and appropriate contingency measures are in place should conditions worsen,” the FIA said in a statement to AFP.

If the haze worsened “and depending on the pollution level, there may be some restrictions on outdoor activity focusing mainly on entertainment activities rather than the Paddock environment and the circuit,” the FIA said late on Wednesday.

But “based on the latest information available, air quality and haze are not forecast to represent a threat to track activity or the conduct of the event,” it said.

Race organisers too said they were unconcerned about the haze, despite IQAir’s website showing Singapore as the world’s third most-polluted major city after Kuala Lumpur and Kinshasa, with an Air Quality Index reading of 174.

The AQI converts measurements of pollutants into a single figure indicating air quality and potential health risks.

Readings above 150 are classified as unhealthy, while levels above 300 are considered hazardous.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency data showed all five regions in the city-state recorded “unhealthy” levels of air pollution.

Singapore and Malaysia have been surrounded by a milky haze for more than a month as smoke drifted across from uncontrolled fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands.

The possibility of haze is just one of the “many potential issues” that are covered in the overall contingency plan for the race, said Singapore GP in a statement.

“In the event that haze causes visibility, public health or operational issues, Singapore GP would work closely with the relevant agencies to assess the situation before making any collective decisions regarding the event,” it said.

An F1 spokesman told AFP: “There is absolutely no risk to the event and the conditions where the event is taking place are not at any level of concern.”

The FIA’s F1 race director Rui Marques, however, issued a heat hazard today, saying that both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s race will be run at times in a heat index greater than 31°C. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) reaped over RM345 million in economic spillover effects of the Bahrain Gulf Air Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix (GP) at Sepang International Circuit.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong added that almost half of the 261,000 spectators were foreign tourists.

“The impact reflects the important role of large-scale international sporting events in stimulating economic activities, especially through the rise in tourism expenditure and demand for local goods and services.

“The Bahrain F1 GP in Malaysia has had a very drastic impact on the SMEs, especially those in the hospitality, food and beverage, retail, transport, entertainment, tourism-related services and support industries,” he said in a statement today.

Those who attended the F1 race were projected to have spent 2.17 times more than ordinary events, he said, adding that foreign tourists usually spend more due to longer stays and expenditure spent for accommodation, food and beverages, transport, shopping and recreational activities.

Based on the success and economic spillover effect, Malaysia could benefit from international sporting events such as the G1 as a platform for SMEs to have wider opportunities and market access.

“This effort includes strengthening ties between SMEs and bigger industry players, event organisers, tourism operators and local suppliers so that the economic benefits generated by such large-scale events can be enjoyed by more small businesses,” he said. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — The Singapore Grand Prix has been declared a heat-hazard race, with temperatures forecast to exceed 31°C during the sprint and race.

“In accordance with Article B1.5.10 of the FIA F1 Regulations, having received a forecast from the official weather service predicting that the heat index will be greater than 31°C at some time during the sprint or race at this event, a heat hazard is declared for both the sprint and race,” a statement from FIA F1 race director Rui Marques reads.

Heat hazards can be declared if pre-weekend weather forecasts predict temperatures of 31°C or above at some point during a sprint or race.

Teams are then notified of the declaration by the FIA and subsequently must fit a Driver Cooling System to their cars.

These cooling devices pump liquid through a special fireproof vest worn by the driver to help regulate cockpit temperatures.

And while drivers can choose not to use the vest, they would have to carry 0.5kg of ballast in the cockpit to ensure that they do not gain a competitive advantage.

This is the fourth time the designation has been used in Formula 1 races this year, and the second weekend in a row — after it was similarly declared at the Bahrain GP held in Malaysia’s Sepang.

Singapore now joins the Austrian, Italian and last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in being declared a heat-hazard race this season. 

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore, afternoon thundery showers are expected on Friday, while morning thundery showers are forecast for Saturday. 

On race day, late-morning and early-afternoon thundery showers are forecast.

Temperatures are expected to reach 33°C over the race weekend. — AsiaOne

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) full-time national serviceman (NSF) has died after he was found unconscious at the foot of a building at Basic Military Training School 3.

In a statement posted on Facebook at about 3.45pm today, the Ministry of Defence said the incident happened at about 1.22pm.

Mindef said the NSF was immediately conveyed to the Pulau Tekong Medical Centre for emergency treatment, and subsequently evacuated via helicopter to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

According to Mindef, the NSF arrived at SGH at 2.05pm and was pronounced dead at 2.27pm.

It added that the serviceman was not involved in any training at the time of the incident.

“Mindef and the SAF extend their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. The SAF is assisting the family in their time of grief.”

Investigations into the incident are ongoing, Mindef said.

AsiaOne has reached out to the police for more information. — AsiaOne

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SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Formula One cars will receive a software update in a bid to prevent a repeat of the shambolic scenes during the previous race, which saw drivers effectively unable to power their vehicles in wet conditions, reported PA Media/dpa.

The Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia was overshadowed as F1 bosses had to abandon the start when a number of drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, were struck by gremlins — directly linked to the controversial 50-50 split between combustion and battery power — on the formation lap.

The grid eventually limped back to the pit lane, and the race got under way after a 53-minute delay. It later emerged that new software had to be downloaded to the cars.

Having pledged a full investigation, governing body the FIA revealed that a “software bug” was at fault and plans to introduce updates over the coming races should similar conditions arise.

“The review concluded that some cars running on low engine RPM in certain circuit sectors where a 250kW power reduction was applied experienced a loss of power beyond the original intent and that could not be recovered in those sectors,” an FIA statement read ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

“As a result, the configuration established for the Sepang event will be reinstated for the Singapore Grand Prix should similar weather conditions be expected. Additionally, a further update to the wet-weather software will be released for the United States (US) Grand Prix on October 25.”

The embarrassing issues in Sepang put F1’s unpopular 2026 regulations back under the spotlight, with Hamilton and Verstappen likening their problems to the “Lego race” at Silverstone, while Mercedes’ George Russell said it “didn’t feel very F1”.

Williams’ Carlos Sainz was even more critical, saying: “(F1) needs to have a hard look at themselves and see how we ended up in this situation.

“It is clear the regulations are extremely complicated for the drivers, for the teams, for the power units and for the manufacturers. Who decided five years ago that this was the direction to go?” — Bernama-PA Media/dpa

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The government has proposed expanding the powers of the Director-General of Health to publish information on food that does not comply with the Food Act 1983 (Act 281) or regulations made under it, without a court order.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the proposal under the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026 would allow such information to be published through print or electronic media in the interest of public safety.

“The existing provisions under Act 281 are no longer adequate to address current food safety challenges and protect public health,” he said when tabling the bill for second reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said the 39-clause bill also proposed amendments to Section 12 of Act 281 to allow convictions under the act to be published through print or electronic media.

In addition, he said a new Section 11A was proposed to expand the powers of the Director-General of Health to close premises that prepare or sell food containing substances injurious to health.

Dzulkefly said the amendments would also strengthen enforcement by expanding the powers of authorised officers to conduct investigations, in addition to their existing inspection powers.

He said the officers would also be given access to recorded information, computerised data and digital data to enable thorough investigations to be conducted in line with the development of transactions made online.

He added the amendments would also empower officers to obtain information on food advertising and inspect books, documents or records at relevant premises, including premises involved in producing food advertisements.

On consumer safety, Dzulkefly said the bill would strengthen controls over food contact materials, including making it an offence to prepare or sell materials that contain, or can transfer, poisonous or hazardous substances.

“Operators will also be required to immediately recall, remove or withdraw from sale any food contact materials if they know or have reason to believe that the materials contravene the provisions of Act 281,” he said.

He said the government proposed increasing the fines and maximum prison terms, including a penalty of up to RM25,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of five years, or both, for offences against regulations made under the act.

To strengthen controls on imported food, he said the bill proposed that food brought into Malaysia by land, sea or air in excess of the prescribed limit be deemed to be intended for sale unless proven otherwise.

Dzulkefly said on-site verification of overseas food facilities could also be carried out following prior consultation with the exporting country to ensure that only safe imported food is allowed to enter Malaysia.

Meanwhile, he said the food safety challenges faced by the government included chemical contamination caused by the misuse of pesticide and antibiotic residues, excessive use of food additives, as well as the emergence of new chemicals and pathogens.

He said Act 281 had never undergone a comprehensive review since it was gazetted in 1983, although it had been amended three times, in 2001, 2006 and 2024, involving specific provisions and consequential amendments arising from the enactment of other laws.

He added that engagement sessions with various stakeholders had been held from 2023 to 2026, in addition to public consultations and notification to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to obtain feedback on the proposed amendments. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — During the recent race weekend, TikTok hosted its inaugural TikTok ClubHouse in Malaysia to provide local creators with an opportunity to celebrate their passion for sports closer to the action.

It was the first time the global discovery platform brought the TikTok ClubHouse experience to Malaysia, featuring an immersive series of events that connected creators with real-world community engagements.

Nikhil Rolla, Malaysia General Manager of Global Business Solutions at TikTok, said: “The recent TikTok ClubHouse experience empowered our creators to connect with a community that shared their passion for sports. We hope that through this opportunity, creators can spark meaningful conversations beyond the screen and inspire more active lifestyles among the local community.”

A survey conducted by Kearney of nearly a thousand Malaysians using TikTok weekly found that sport is among the top 10 most-engaged content categories on the platform locally. The study also revealed that 79 per cent of respondents used TikTok to discover hobbies.

At the recent TikTok ClubHouse, creators also had the chance to engage directly with prominent Malaysian motorsport athlete Alex Yoong for expert insights and a deeper appreciation of the sport.

“Motorsport is about much more than what happens on race day. Tremendous preparation, discipline, and teamwork go into every moment on the track. It was encouraging to see Malaysian TikTok creators soaking up the sport firsthand. When we make sports accessible and relatable, we can inspire more people to be active,” said Alex.

Local creators who attended the recent TikTok ClubHouse included @yang, @mikaelaqistina, @raphael.sli, @rasyiqahjohan, @malika.johan, @triiseya, @fruityfatty, @azfarherii, @leonsmeonss, and others.

Mikaela Qistina, a Malaysian singer, TikTok creator, and motorsport enthusiast, said: “Sport can be a gateway to discovering much more than competition. It teaches us about resilience, focus, and the passion to stay active in the sports you choose. This unforgettable TikTok ClubHouse experience gave me a deeper appreciation of everything that goes into the detail of the sport. I hope to inspire my community to look beyond just simply watching and find their own ways to stay active.”

Dhabita Auji, a local TikTok creator and lifelong active lifestyle enthusiast, said: “Sport brings Malaysians of every background together. You don’t have to be an athlete to belong in it. Being a fan is often the first step towards getting active yourself. When we share our passion for sports, we can inspire spectators to become participants.”

For more insights on Malaysian creators on TikTok, please visit:

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has objected to former Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim’s application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings against the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), over its alleged unilateral cancellation of an agreement on the settlement of RM4.8 million in tax and penalties.

Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Ng Siew Wee said the application was premature as the impugned letter issued by the IRB to the former Baling MP on August 7 stated that a new tax computation would be issued in due course and did not raise a fresh assessment or demand payment of any quantified sum.

Ng said the impugned letter stated that a review of the case had uncovered new findings and facts concerning income allegedly omitted from the agreement, resulting in the cancellation of the agreement and consequently, the composite assessment with a new tax computation to be issued in due course.

“Abdul Azeez was not directed by the impugned letter to pay any additional tax. No amount of additional tax was determined. No fresh assessment had been issued at the time the present application was commenced,” she said during the hearing of the leave application by Abdul Azeez before Judge S Indra Nehru at the High Court here, today.

Lawyers Nicholas Mark Pereira, Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad and Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad appeared for Abdul Azeez, while SFC Ng appeared for the AGC, together with IRB Senior Revenue Counsel Marina Ibrahim.

In his application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings filed on September 6, Abdul Azeez is seeking to quash the IRB’s decision to unilaterally cancel the agreement dated February 9, 2022, and the subsequent notice of composite assessment dated March 22, 2022, involving the assessment years 2011 to 2020.

Among others, Abdul Azeez is contending that the agreement and subsequent composite assessment notice is final and conclusive per the law and is also asking for a court order compelling IRB to abide by said agreement.

Abdul Azeez claimed that the IRB had conducted a tax investigation against him in late 2021 or early 2022, which resulted in the agreement dated February 9, 2022.

He said under the agreement, both parties had agreed on the settlement of RM4.8 million in taxes and penalties for assessment years 2011 to 2020, adding that he had settled the amount through instalments as agreed.

Meanwhile, Nicholas submitted that the agreement was a written statutory agreement made pursuant to the power under Section 96A of the Income Tax Act 1967 and subsequently given effect through a formal composite assessment.

“Our position is that under Section 96A(6) of the Income Tax Act, once a composite assessment is made, it is final, conclusive and cannot simply be cancelled.

“This was not some letter written by a junior officer. It was a written statutory agreement, pursuant to power under the Act, which was then given effect by a formal assessment. It was signed by the respondent himself, the Director General of IRB at that time,” he said.

Justice Indra fixed November 11 to deliver her decision on the leave application. — Bernama

MANILA, Oct 8 — China’s military and coast guard presence in South China Sea waters claimed by the Philippines nearly doubled last month, Manila said Thursday.

Beijing claims most of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and confrontations between Philippine and Chinese ships have in some cases led to collisions resulting in injuries and damage.

In September, Manila monitored 101 Chinese navy and coast guard ships around Philippine-garrisoned Thitu Island and Second Thomas Shoal, as well as off Sabina Shoal and Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal.

That was nearly double the previous month’s total of 56 vessels, according to a military tally.

The Chinese buildup aims to “break our people’s resolve to keep what is ours”, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine military’s South China Sea spokesman, told AFP.

“It’s called mission kill. It seeks to destroy your capability to continue the mission,” he added.

Last weekend, Manila accused China’s military and coast guard of harassing government aircraft and boats in two areas of the South China Sea that lie within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

One incident included alleged interference by a Chinese fighter jet with a Philippine Cessna 208 turboprop that was conducting a “routine military patrol” near Scarborough Shoal on Saturday.

A China Coast Guard ship, meanwhile, “shadowed and blocked” Philippine boats trying to approach a foreign fishing vessel it accused of using dynamite to catch fish, the Philippine coast guard said.

Beijing this week warned Manila against “provocative acts” in the disputed waters, saying the Philippine Cessna near Scarborough was violating its airspace. — AFP 

OCTOBER 8 — Ten Negeri Sembilan assemblymen who previously served as state executive councillors (excos) have struck back.

They have gone to court to challenge the revocation of their appointments as excos last month, naming the state secretary and the state government as defendants in their originating summons (OS).

An OS is a mode of commencing proceedings in the civil courts.

Essentially an application, the OS seeks no fewer than 12 court orders, including declarations that:

• the power to revoke an exco’s appointment must follow the requirements and procedures in the State Constitution;
• the Ruler cannot revoke an exco’s appointment on his own, or at his pleasure alone, without the Menteri Besar (MB)’s advice;
• the revocation, which was gazetted by the state secretary, is null, void and ineffective as the State Constitution requires the MB’s advice for such a revocation.

The 10 plaintiffs also seek the court’s determination of constitutional questions concerning the power to revoke the appointments of exco members.

Under Article 38(5) of the State Constitution, an exco member other than the MB holds office “at the Ruler’s pleasure, unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Ruler on the advice of the Menteri Besar but any member of the Council may at any time resign his office”.

The provision is worded differently from the provision to be inserted in State Constitutions as set out in the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution, which states that “a member of the Executive Council other than the Menteri Besar shall hold office at the Ruler’s pleasure, but any member of the Council may at any time resign his office”.

The author argues that the revocation of 10 Negeri Sembilan executive councillors’ appointments raises constitutional questions over whether the Ruler can dismiss them without the Menteri Besar’s advice. — Pexels pic

The provision in the Eighth Schedule does not contain the words “unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Ruler on the advice of the Menteri Besar”.

The word “unless” is a conjunction that means “except if” or “if not”.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the conjunction “unless” is used to mean “except if”, with the clause that follows being a subordinate clause requiring a main clause to form a complete sentence.

For example:

She won’t go unless you go (= If you do not go, she will not go either, but if you go, she will go).

You can’t get a job unless you’ve got the experience (= You can only get a job if you have experience).

Be that as it may, the bigger question is whether the provision must be read together with the constitutional principle that a Ruler acts on advice.

Perhaps it is time for the High Court to determine the constitutional questions concerning the power to revoke the appointments of exco members.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

JERUSALEM, Oct 8 — Israel said the British consulate in Jerusalem ended its functions on Thursday but that seven diplomats would be allowed to remain in a limited capacity, with the UK saying it would continue to offer “vital services”.

The move comes after Israel ordered the closure of the consulate in September as retaliation after London led Western sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday’s move to downsize the UK presence had followed a dialogue with the British government in order to avoid an escalation of tensions between the two countries.

“As I announced, the British consulate in Jerusalem ended its role today,” Saar said in a statement, adding that 20 diplomats including the consul general were ending their missions and leaving the country.

Saar said the building is the property of the British government and that a “task force of only seven diplomats” would be allowed to operate from the premises, “which ceased to function as a consulate today”.

“Their scope of activity will be very limited,” Saar said.

Britain and Israel have “agreed on the continuation of dialogue between the governments, within which both sides will be able to raise issues important to them”, he said.

The UK government pledged to continue delivering “vital services” in Jerusalem, saying the consulate general building would remain open and would “be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem”.

“The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people,” Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said in a statement.

Israeli settlements 

An AFP photographer on Thursday saw that the diplomatic emblem and a plaque that adorned the consulate’s facade had been removed.

It was not immediately clear whether new plaques would be put up.

On September 8, Saar ordered the British consulate to close.

At the time, he said Israel would also expel British representatives at a centre monitoring the US-brokered ceasefire plan in Gaza, bar British training for Palestinian Authority forces and ban 12 Britons, mostly members of parliament, from visiting.

Saar on Thursday said the measures had been implemented.

The retaliation came after 12 countries including Britain, Canada and France announced they would sanction trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, following a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied territory.

The British consulate in Jerusalem was founded nearly 200 years ago.

It lies in east Jerusalem, part of the historically Palestinian area that Israel captured in 1967. Israel later annexed east Jerusalem and considers the holy city its undivided capital.

While Israel controls east Jerusalem, most countries including Britain do not recognise its sovereignty over the whole city.

The British consulate handles “political, commercial, security and economic interests between the UK and Palestine”, according to its website as well as providing consular services to British nationals in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. — AFP  

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — A witness told the Sessions Court here today that he met Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad, who is the former political secretary to former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, to hand over RM350,000 in cash at the Yayasan Tanah Aku office in Publika in 2020.

Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof, 51, said he handed over RM100,000 to Sayed Amir Muzzakkir at about 4pm on December 4, 2020, and RM250,000 at 3.30pm on December 16, 2020.

The 17th prosecution witness said this when re-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Hazel Tan Jia Qi at the trial of Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, who is facing three corruption charges involving RM350,000 in connection with a Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) project tender.

“I handed over RM100,000 in a paper bag to Sayed... and RM250,000, also in a paper bag, was handed over on December 16, 2020. During those handovers, it was just the two of us,” he said.

Wan Azhar also confirmed that Sayed Amir Muzzakkir had asked him, “Can you pay 350k? I need the money, in cash”.

He said the RM350,000 was part of a five per cent commission for assistance rendered to Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd (NSB) in securing a PDRM project tender worth RM381.11 million.

Wan Azhar also said he referred to the five per cent as a commission rather than an “advisory fee”, based on a conversation between him and Al Khairi Group Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khairi Mat Jahya before the “Project Advisory Agreement” between MKM Solutions Sdn Bhd and NSB was executed.

In his earlier witness statement, Wan Azhar confirmed that the agreement was drawn up to formalise a five per cent commission arrangement based on the project value, as requested by Sayed Amir Muzzakkir and Mohd Khairi.

On Sept 29, Wan Azhar denied a defence lawyer’s allegation that he had changed the term “advisory fee” in the “Project Advisory Agreement” to “commission” in his witness statement to link the case involving Sayed Amir Muzzakkir to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

On May 23, 2024, Sayed Amir Muzzakkir, 44, was charged on two counts of receiving RM350,000 in gratification from Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof as inducement for assisting NSB secure the tender for PDRM valued at RM381,112,042.44.

The offences were allegedly committed at the office of Yayasan Tanah Aku, Solaris Dutamas, here, at 4pm on December 4, 2020 and at 3.30pm on December 16, 2020, respectively.

Sayed Amir Muzzakkir was also charged with soliciting RM350,000 in gratification from the same individual, for a similar purpose, at the Shah Alam office of NSB in early December 2020.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The trial before Judge Rosli Ahmad resumes on November 11. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Singapore authorities recovered more than S$639,000 (RM2.04 million) in outstanding fines from 265 foreign motorists during an enforcement operation at Singapore’s land checkpoints from September 28 to 30.

The operation, led by the Traffic Police (TP) and supported by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Housing and Development Board, Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Environment Agency and Urban Redevelopment Authority, targeted foreign motorists with outstanding summonses.

“Foreign motorists with outstanding fines were stopped and directed to settle their fines for vehicular and traffic offences when they entered Singapore at the land checkpoints,” the authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday.

They said Singapore authorities regularly conducted operations against such motorists, and those with outstanding fines for traffic, parking or vehicular emissions offences could be denied entry into Singapore.

“Singapore takes a serious view of foreign motorists who have committed offences in Singapore and do not settle their fines,” they said.

The authorities also reminded foreign motorists that from November 2 this year, foreign-registered vehicles with outstanding fines for traffic, parking or vehicular emissions offences committed in Singapore would not be able to apply for or renew their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP).

All foreign-registered vehicles are required to have a valid VEP to enter Singapore. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — About 14,000 volunteers are needed to help make the 2027 SEA Games a success, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Johor and Penang from September 18 to 29 next year.

Malaysia Organising Committee (Masoc) and Asean Para Games 2027 Secretariat Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Rashid Yaakub said the figure included between 5,000 and 8,000 SEA Games 2027 volunteers needed for the Kuala Lumpur cluster.

“In Penang, an estimated 2,000 volunteers may be needed, while Sarawak may require between 5,000 and 6,000. The total may reach about 14,000 people for all four SEA Games 2027 clusters,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama here today.

He said the organising committee also needed 5,000 volunteers to help make the 2027 Asean Para Games (APG) a success, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 17 to 23.

“APG volunteers may require special skills and greater expertise in handling athletes with disabilities,” he said.

He said applications to become volunteers for both sporting events would open on December 5 to people of all ages, including those from overseas.

“Masoc is targeting volunteers from other countries, particularly international students who are able to communicate in the languages of participating countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid said about 1,000 pre-registration applications for volunteers for both sporting events had been received so far through government-organised programmes, including the Madani Kita programme.

Abdul Rashid said volunteers would not only receive clothing, but would also be considered for accommodation, food and transportation assistance throughout the Games.

“Our country is well known for hosting sporting events. If we look at the recent hosting of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, many fans were excited.

“With Malaysians’ willingness to get involved in sports, I am confident that many will want to participate. So, I invite everyone to join us as volunteers for the 2027 SEA Games and 2027 Asean Para Games,” he said. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — The government has been urged to consider providing financial assistance to all Malaysian families whose relatives are still missing due to the floods and landslide disaster in Nepal last August.

The matter was proposed by Jelutong Member of Parliament RSN Rayer, who also urged the relevant departments or ministries to consider a moratorium on housing loans, personal bank loans, and vehicle purchases for all victims involved.

“I wish to appeal to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), who will table the 2027 Budget tomorrow, to consider financial assistance for families of all affected victims,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament Building today.

Rayer also requested the National Registration Department (JPN) to facilitate the processing and issuance of documents such as death certificates to the affected families following the announcement that the Nepalese authorities will end search and rescue operations and declare the unrecovered victims as deceased.

Meanwhile, Rayer, who is also the Chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB), stated that the board has decided to provide a compassionate contribution of RM5,000 to each Hindu family of the tragedy victims who originate from Penang.

PHEB Deputy Chairman Senator Dr. R.A. Lingeshwaran said eligible families can apply for the assistance via a QR code displayed on PHEB’s official Facebook account and website.

A total of 54 Malaysians remain missing following the devastating floods and landslides that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on August 26. — Bernama

BANGKOK, Oct 8 — Flooding across 21 Thai provinces and parts of Bangkok has affected more than 3.13 million people, with the cumulative death toll rising to 44 since September 16.

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Director-General Nirat Pongsitthaworn said heavy rain and water flowing south from the northern region had contributed to the ongoing flooding, which has affected more than 1.14 million households.

“As of 6am Thursday, flooding was reported in 110 districts, 927 subdistricts and 6,928 villages, while 329,000 households in Bangkok were affected,” he said in a statement published on the department’s official Facebook page on Thursday.

Nirat said water levels were rising in seven provinces — Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Samut Songkhram and Chachoengsao — while falling in 10 others and remaining stable in four.

According to DDPM, Prachin Buri recorded the highest death toll at 19, followed by Samut Prakan with nine. 

Nakhon Nayok and Bangkok recorded four deaths each, while eight deaths were reported across five other provinces.

Nirat said the department had deployed disaster-response machinery to assist affected communities and was closely monitoring water levels and weather conditions.

Authorities in areas where floodwaters had receded were instructed to assess damage, speed up rehabilitation and compile household data to facilitate assistance.

Earlier, the Thailand Meteorological Department has issued a warning for October 9-13, forecasting heavy rain, strong winds, hail and scattered thunderstorms across parts of the North-east, East, Central and South. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 — Malaysian professionals could earn significantly higher working in neighbouring Singapore compared to just a median income of around RM6,000 here, according to a study, highlighting a stark wage disparity that Putrajaya is seeking to address through targeted tax incentives and wage growth initiatives.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan said in a written parliamentary reply that data from the Statistics Department’s 2025 wage survey placed the median monthly wage for professionals in Malaysia at RM6,124 ($1,430).

By contrast, a study by government agency TalentCorp showed that a majority of Malaysian professionals employed in Singapore earn between SG$4,001 (RM12,773) and SG$7,000 (RM22,348) per month.

“A 2024 study conducted by Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) titled Push and Pull Factors Influencing Malaysians to Work in Singapore and Proposes Relevant Policy Recommendations found that 94.5 per cent of respondents cited higher salaries and better earning potential as the primary factor attracting them to work in Singapore,” the minister said.

The earnings gap is most pronounced in high-tech sectors, he added, with TalentCorp finding that skilled Malaysian professionals in Singapore can command monthly salaries exceeding SG$10,000 (RM31,926), particularly in information technology.

The Anwar government has deployed a progressive wage policy model designed to uplift workers earning below RM5,000 a month to curb talent outflow and boost local compensation.

Malaysia is also rolling out tax relief mechanisms under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), introducing a flat 15 per cent personal income tax rate for eligible knowledge workers employed by companies in the zone.

The tax incentive is aimed at inducing Singapore-based firms to relocate operations across the border to Johor, allowing businesses to optimise operational costs while offering higher salaries to local workers.

Malaysian professionals earning the national median wage of RM6,124 per month are typically subject to a standard personal income tax rate of 19 per cent.

Ramanan said Putrajaya is also utilising TalentCorp’s Returning Experts Programme which also features a flat 15 per cent tax rate as part of a broader strategy to incentivise Malaysian talent abroad to return home.