Ngeh’s statement on appointment of non-Muslim was an oversight, says Loke

PETALING JAYA: The statement by Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to have a non-Muslim legal expert to be part of the special committee studying the functions of the Syariah Court was an oversight, says Anthony Loke. Loke said the National Islamic Council (MKI) chaired by the Sultan of Selangor formed the special committee to study...

8% tax on TCM will encourage underground practices and quacks, says MCA

KOTA KINABALU: The introduction of an 8% tax on traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) services would encourage underground practices and quacks, says Dr Pamela Yong (pic). The MCA deputy secretary-general said the new tax would adversely affect its integration into general healthy living. She said in a move to increase coffers and revenue, it seems that the...

‘What did she do to deserve this?’, laments father of teen acid attack victim

PETALING JAYA: Nearly two months after 19-year-old Nadia Fasha Qistina suffered life-threatening injuries from an acid attack, the only question lingering on her father's mind is “Why?”. The question continues to plague Azman Shah Mohammad’s mind after spending almost his entire savings to pay for his daughter’s life-saving treatment and corrective surgeries. “It has been almost two...

Non-Muslims must respect and refrain from interfering in Islamic matters, says Selangor Sultan

PETALING JAYA: Non-Muslims must respect and refrain from interfering in matters relating to Islam, says Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Sharafuddin, who is also the National Islamic Council chairman, said so in response to a proposal by Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to include a non-Muslim legal expert in the special committee to...

Conservative Cardinal Burke says he is ‘still alive’ after rare pope meeting

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of Pope Francis' fiercest critics, had his first private audience with the pontiff in seven years on Friday, a month after the pope said he was stripping him of some of his Vatican privileges. Asked by Reuters outside his residence in Rome if the meeting had...

Alleged blackmailer of ‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun taken into custody

SEOUL: A woman suspected of blackmailing actor Lee Sun-kyun was taken into custody by local police on (Wednesday) Dec 27, a few hours after the actor was found dead in an apparent suicide. According to reports, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency apprehended the suspect, in her 20s, after she failed to appear at Incheon District Court on...

Giving old clothes a new life

A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading. Uniqlo is a major player in an industry blamed for immense carbon emissions and other pollutants like microplastics. It has ridden a wave of...

Prosecutors reject police report against Siam Paragon shooting suspect

BANGKOK: Public prosecutors have rejected a police investigation report in the Siam Paragon mass shooting incident involving a 14-year-old boy, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) said on Thursday (Dec 28). The office’s deputy spokesman, Naken Thongpraiwan, said the prosecutors discovered that the police had started interrogating the suspect and filed five charges against him before...

Rosemary Chow’s death a loss for the party, says Dr Wee

PETALING JAYA: The passing of Tan Sri Rosemary Chow Poh Kheng is a great loss to the nation and MCA, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Rosemary, who passed away on Thursday (Dec 28) at the age of 96. “On behalf of the...

Nothing but a political witch-hunt, Tun Daim breaks his silence

PETALING JAYA: Tun Daim Zainuddin has hit out at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations on him and his family, saying that it is nothing short of a political witch-hunt due to the "animus" of the Prime Minister. In a statement on Thursday (Dec 28), the former finance minister broke his silence and said that until...