KUALA LUMPUR: A balance must be struck between policies on meritocracy and affirmative action to ensure fairness in the country's administration, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said there is currently a disconnect over the issue, where the "elite are obsessed with meritocracy" at the expense of those requiring government assistance through affirmative action. "Meritocracy...
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has never neglected the middle 40% (M40) group, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the allegation by certain parties that the government’s approach was more focused on the low-income or bottom 40% (B40) group to the extent of neglecting the middle-income group is not true. "We have taken several approaches but to...
BANGKOK (Bloomberg): Srettha Thavisin, a former property tycoon and a political newcomer, is set to take a shot at becoming Thailand’s next prime minister in a vote scheduled on Tuesday that may help resolve a monthslong political impasse. While backed by a coalition of populist and conservative parties, Srettha’s fate rests on the military-appointed Senate, whose...
SUNGAI BULOH: Firemen took about 13 hours to extinguish the blaze that engulfed six mattress factories in Kampung Baru Sungai here. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Wan Md Razali Wan Ismail said the fire, which started at 4pm on Sunday (Aug 20), was finally put out at 6.05am on Monday (Aug 21). "A team of firemen...
KUALA LUMPUR: Two senators took their oath of office before Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on Monday (Aug 21). They are Tabung Amanah Pendidikan Negeri Melaka general manager Datuk Mustafa Musa and Susan Chemerai Anding, who was reappointed as a senator for the second term. Mustafa's appointment is the choice of Melaka...
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Datin Maznah Salleh, the wife of Penang Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, died on Sunday (Aug 20) at a private medical centre in Seberang Jaya. She was 70. Musa said his wife died at about 7.40pm while receiving treatment at the private hospital due to stroke. "She had suffered a stroke earlier...
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's defence team requested that their eight witness, Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, be allowed to wear sunglasses while testifying in the High Court here on Monday (Aug 21). Lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh, representing the Deputy Prime Minister, said Khalid, better known as Datuk K, was recovering from recent...
BATU GAJAH: It is common to see people of other races speaking Malay in the country, but Wee Fook Seong is not only fluent in the language but speaks it in the Perak dialect (Loghat Perak). Wee's ability to speak the language flawlessly in the local dialect has made him a social media sensation, gaining him...
JOHOR BARU: A former receptionist's dream of moving into a house and travelling to Taiwan crumbled after she was victimised by loan sharks. The 25-year-old woman, who asked to be identified only as Chong, said she wanted to move with her siblings into a house after renting rooms for five years working in Singapore. She decided to...
GEORGE TOWN: Police arrested eight foreign women, including a civil servant from a neighbouring country on Friday (Aug 18), believed to be involved in prostitution activities in the Timur Laut district. District police chief ACP Soffian Santong said that police carried out operations from 6pm to 10pm by conducting seven raids on several premises such as...
