Work on Mutiara Line LRT project commences

GEORGE TOWN: Good news for Penangites. Before this Chinese New Year, the much awaited Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project will go ahead with the groundwork starting in Bandar Sri Pinang. Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has begun land-clearing activities for the Mutiara Line, which will span 29km and feature 21 stations. Sungai Pinang...

Housewife shocked by 1.4m crocodile near her front door in Pasir Mas

KOTA BARU: A housewife was stunned by an encounter with a 1.4m-long crocodile in a stream at the front of her house at Lorong Masjid Tal 7, Pasir Mas on Tuesday (Dec 31) Ong Lian Hui, 56, said she initially thought it was just a large monitor lizard. "I was stunned when I realised it was a...

Haniff Khatri sues gov’t, Health Minister over smoking ban in private offices

PETALING JAYA: Lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla' has filed a judicial review at the Kuala Lumpur High Court regarding the smoking ban in office areas, including private ones, made by the government through the Health Ministry, which will be implemented from Jan 1. Following this, Mohamed Haniff Khatri named the Malaysian Government and the Health Minister...

Floods expected to hit nine Kelantan districts this weekend

KOTA BARU: The Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) has forecast potential flooding in the river basins of nine districts in Kelantan from this Saturday (Jan 4) to Monday next week. It said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 1) that the districts potentially affected are Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Bharu, Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Tanah Merah, Machang,...

Teens caught riding ‘basikal lajak’ in KL made to do squats

KUALA LUMPUR: Teenagers caught playing with 'basikal lajak' in the capital were not issued summonses by the police or Road Transport Department (JPJ) but were instead made to do "ketuk-ketampi" (squats). A viral video shared by Majoriti on Instagram on Wednesday (Jan 1) shows a group of teenagers, believed to be underage, being punished by traffic...

E-filing only for income tax returns from YA2024, says Inland Revenue Board

PETALING JAYA: Individual taxpayers need to submit their income tax returns via e-filing beginning from the assessment year 2024, says the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB). It said this also applies to those in the categories of partnerships, Hindu joint families, associations and deceased persons' estates. "Consequently, IRB will no longer accept submissions manually or via...

Muslims must reject religious polemics, urges Na’im

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has urged Malaysian Muslims to remain vigilant against attempts by certain parties to create religious polemics for their own interests. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) expressed regret over the actions of some political leaders who, he said, deliberately politicise the concept and approach of Madani,...

Police detain suspect in connection with Ipoh man’s death

PETALING JAYA: Police have detained an individual to assist in the investigation of the discovery of a local man's body in a bedroom at a private treatment centre in Pasir Puteh, Ipoh, on Tuesday (Dec 31). Ipoh District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad, said his team received information regarding the 25-year-old victim...

Ryanair flight to Austria diverted to Czech Republic after GPS issue

DUBLIN (Reuters) - A Ryanair flight bound for the Austrian capital Vienna had to land in the neighbouring Czech Republic late on Monday after encountering GPS problems and poor visibility, the company said. The Irish airline was responding to an Austrian media report that the flight from Riga had diverted to the Czech city of Brno...

Two plane crashes lead to deadliest year in skies since 2018; plane fatalities this year jumped to 318

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Commercial aviation has suffered its deadliest year since 2018 after the Jeju Air Co. disaster in South Korea and last week’s downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane. Onboard passenger plane fatalities this year jumped to 318 with the two recent crashes, data compiled by Cirium shows. That’s by far the highest death toll since...