Amendments to passport, Immigration controls passed in Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Bills related to passport and immigration controls have been passed in the Dewan Rakyat. The Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Passports (Amendment) Bill 2025 were tabled for the second and third readings on Thursday (Dec 4) by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. The proposed amendment to Section 2 of the Passports...

STR recipients consistent in repaying PTPTN loans, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: National Higher Education Loan Fund (PTPTN) borrowers from families who receive Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) aid recorded the highest loan repayments as well as the highest outstanding amounts, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said that as of Oct 31, more than 900,000 borrowers from STR families have...

Almost 300,000 gig workers now actively contributing to PERKESO’s Lindung Kendiri scheme, says deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 298,827 gig workers are now actively contributing to PERKESO under the Lindung Kendiri scheme as of Nov 21, signalling a sharp rise in social protection coverage for the rapidly growing sector, says Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad. The Deputy Human Resources Minister said the ministry’s principle is clear - gig workers...

Govt to table Anti-Bullying Bill on Dec 1

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will table its much-anticipated Anti-Bullying Bill in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 1, after the draft law received Cabinet approval on Nov 21, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said lawmakers would receive a detailed briefing after the first reading, covering...

Shouting match in Parliament following ‘apartheid’ comment

KUALA LUMPUR: Tensions flared in the Dewan Rakyat after an Opposition MP compared the allocation of constituency funds to an “apartheid" policy. The heated exchange broke out on Wednesday (Nov 5) after Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN–Arau) had expressed his dissatisfaction over what he claimed was the continued denial of allocations to opposition MPs, saying...

Sewer pipe structure failure caused Jalan Masjid India sinkhole, task force finds

KUALA LUMPUR: The failure of a sewer pipe structure, corroded by chemical reactions and affected by soil instability, has been identified as the main cause of the sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India in August last year. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said a special task force led...

Over 80,000 benefit from Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme

KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 90% of housing loans approved under the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme have gone to Malaysians aged 40 and below, says Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu The Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister said more than 80,000 young borrowers had benefited from the scheme since its introduction in 2008. “The scheme has approved financing for 90,779...

Global Sumud Flotilla: PAS calls for special parliamentary debate on illegal detention of M’sian volunteers

PETALING JAYA: Parliament must hold a special session to debate the illegal detention of the 23 Malaysian volunteers on the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission, says PAS. Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) proposed that the session be held when Parliament reconvenes on Oct 6. "Parliament must be proactive and not stay silent on such an...

Protestors gather outside Parliament, oppose Urban Renewal Act

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of protestors gathered outside the gates of Parliament over the Urban Renewal Act (URA) on Tuesday (Aug 26). Chants of “Reject URA” echoed as the protesters moved towards the Parliament gates before being stopped by police. The protestors also carried various sign boards displaying the message “Kill the Bill”. The protesters comprised members from...

Clarify which subjects come under STEM, Dr Wee urges Higher Education Ministry

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has raised questions regarding the government's definition of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, urging clarity on the scope of subjects classified under the category. Dr Wee said that STEM consists of 38 component subjects, yet only four are considered as pure sciences. "I would like to ask...