Bill on compulsory secondary education to be tabled next February, says Education Minister

PUTRAJAYA: The bill to amend the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) to make secondary education compulsory is expected to be tabled at Dewan Rakyat in February next year, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She stated that the Education Ministry has submitted the bill to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) for review and aims to present it during...

Batu Puteh: Why did the Cabinet stay quiet, asks Syed Saddiq

KUALA LUMPUR: Only one lawmaker voiced disagreement with the decision on the Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah, and Tubir Selatan sovereignty issue in 2018, according to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar). The MP made this point while debating the Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah, and Tubir Selatan Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report at the Dewan Rakyat...

Franchise industry, Malaysian ombudsman status in focus at Parliament today

KUALA LUMPUR: The direction of the development of the franchise industry, the distribution of aid to flood-affected farmers and the status of the establishment of the Malaysian Ombudsman, are among topics that will be discussed on the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting Thursday (Dec 12). According to the Order Paper, Young Syefura Othman (PH-Bentong)...

3R issues investigated without fear, favour, probe into Muhyiddin’s remarks ongoing, says Home Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: All 3R (race, religion and royalty) cases are investigated by the police without fear or favour, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail assures the Dewan Rakyat. “The Home Ministry would like to give the assurance that all 3R cases are investigated by the police without fear and favour, regardless of one’s political leaning,” he said...

New terminals, fourth runway being considered for KLIA expansion, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) will get new terminals and increased capacity to accommodate the ever-increasing number of passengers, says the Transport Ministry. It said several terminal expansion projects based on the KLIA Masterplan are being considered through Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB). Among the proposals for long-term expansion are phased upgrade projects for both...

India’s palm oil import duty hike a ‘temporary challenge’, says ministry

KUALA LUMPUR: The tariff change in palm oil import duty by India is a "temporary challenge" for Malaysia's resilience and the competitiveness of its palm oil export, says the Plantation and Commodities Ministry. "From experience, these tariff changes are usually temporary, and their impact on Malaysian palm oil... is only short-term," it said in a parliamentary...

Rising medical fees may be monitored like basic necessities, says deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The escalating cost of medical procedures may soon be monitored similarly to essential goods like rice, sugar, and eggs, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the Health Ministry is exploring ways to address the increasing healthcare costs, which have become a growing concern. “We will monitor within our...

Leasing helicopters more transparent, avoids maintenance costs, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The leasing of helicopters is a more transparent process and avoids the financial burden of maintenance costs, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said leasing also saw negotiations only held between governments without the need for any agents. “Leasing avoids the financial burden of maintenance which has been a big problem, costing billions...

Law on fake info, RFID inefficiencies among focus of Parliament today

KUALA LUMPUR: The need for legislation on the dissemination of fake information, inefficiencies in the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, and the standardisation of toll payments are among the issues set to be discussed in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday. According to the Order Paper, Riduan Rubin (Independent-Tenom) will ask the Communications Minister whether the ministry...

Submit medical reports by Nov 11 or be named on Parliament website, MPs told

KUALA LUMPUR: Members of Parliament have been reminded that they have 12 days left to submit their health status. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul (pic) reminded MPs that they must undergo mandatory health screenings and submit their medical reports by Nov 11. "I informed them that it is mandatory ... on July 17 and Oct...