Selangor Sultan calls for unity, rejects proposed guidelines on Muslims at non-Muslim celebrations

KLANG: Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has shot down the proposal to set guidelines for Muslims attending non-Muslim festivities. A statement issued by Istana Alam Shah on Saturday (Feb 8) said Sultan Sharafuddin had expressed stern disagreement against the proposal, especially in Selangor. “As the head of Islam in Selangor, His Royal Highness opined that the...

Johor contributes 17.1% of Malaysia’s GDP, says Onn Hafiz

JOHOR BARU: Johor is the top contributor to the country's agricultural sector, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Onn Hafiz said the state recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) value of RM17.21bil or 17.1% of the national GDP in the agriculture sector. "Johor continues to be the leader and the largest contributor to the country's...

Sabah govt failed to fight for state’s interests, let Putrajaya decide on labour issues, says Warisan veep

KOTA KINABALU: Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong has hit out at the Sabah government for failing to protect workers as the RM1,700 minimum wage takes effect, warning that rising costs and inflation will burden businesses and consumers. He said the state government should have fought for Sabah’s interests instead of letting Putrajaya decide policies that don’t...

FBM KLCI extends winning run for fourth straight session

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI extended its rally for the fourth straight session, supported by broader optimism as markets abroad mostly closed higher. The 30-stock index rose 5.74 points, or 0.36%, to close at 1,590.91 points. For the week, the index jumped 33.99 points or 2.18%. Daily gainers for FBM KLCI constituents at 15 counters outweigh the...

Wooing Chinese tourists, Thai leader Paetongtarn says she has ‘Chinese blood in her’

BEIJING/BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand's prime minister, seeking to allay security concerns among Chinese tourists visiting Thailand, said she had "Chinese blood in her" and that she had personally looked into security protocols in place to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens. Security in Thailand has become a trending topic of conversation among Chinese nationals, by far the...

Why keep changing the scoring system BWF, questions Rexy?

KUALA LUMPUR: If it ain't broke, don't fix it! This is national coaching director Rexy Mainaky's sentiment following the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) move to change the current 21-point scoring system to 15 points. In fact, he questioned the necessity behind the experiment. The Indonesian-born coach believes that as the sport’s governing body, BWF should focus on more...

Indonesia begins talks with Britain to repatriate UK’s ‘most prolific rapist’

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia has begun talks with Britain to repatriate the most prolific rapist in British history, a senior minister said, following its move to also seek the return of a Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of being one of the Bali bomb plotters. Reynhard Sinaga, 41, was found guilty in Manchester in 2020 of assaulting 48...

Malaysian influencers apologise, admit ‘disappearance’ was only an act

BANDUNG: Malaysian influencers Ammar Mohd Nazhan and Aras came forward on Friday (Feb 7) to apologise over the production of social media content claiming a friend had "disappeared" in a forest in Kota Bandung, Indonesia, recently, Sinar Harian reports. The Malay language daily said that in a statement reported by Indonesian news outlet KumparanNews, the influencers...

No need for guidelines for Muslims visiting non-Muslim houses of worship, events, says PM

GOMBAK: There is no need for guidelines for Muslims visiting non-Muslim house of worships or events, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Ministger said that Muslims are already aware of the religious guidelines when visiting such places, especially not to participate in non-Muslim prayers. “I think that there is no need (for the guideline) because as...