'Jealous' PAS should be 'thanked' for breaking up PN - Ramasamy

'Jealous' PAS should be 'thanked' for breaking up PN - Ramasamy

Published: Jun 19, 2026 11:10 AM
Updated: 1:36 PM



In a sarcastic swipe against PAS, Urimai chairperson P Ramasamy “thanked” the Islamist party for breaking up the Perikatan Nasional coalition’s unity.

He also attributed PAS’ recent moves to jealousy over Bersatu’s growing political strength.

Lamenting the situation, Ramasamy said that if PN had consolidated itself as a unified opposition bloc, the coalition would have had a good chance of winning the next general election.

However, Ramasamy stated that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is unable to recognise the opportunity, which turned into a setback for PN.

“As the saying goes, history is made not under circumstances of our own choosing, but when opportunities present themselves at the right moment.

“Unfortunately, PAS, with all its political rhetoric, failed to grasp the essence of politics crucial for electoral victory.

“As a result of the severing of ties with Bersatu, it is doubtful that a PAS-led opposition can make a significant mark in national politics.

“There is a possibility that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim might congratulate the PAS leadership for accomplishing a feat that Pakatan Harapan itself could not achieve,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.

Urimai is part of Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat, a loose pact aligned with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.


Divorce

On June 9, PAS terminated political ties with Bersatu, adding that it would pursue a form of political understanding and electoral pact in the interest of ummah unity.

Subsequently, PN chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar removed Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin as PN’s election director and replaced him with PAS election director Sanusi Nor.

Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali was also removed as PN’s deputy secretary-general.

Hamzah Zainudin


PAS had also aligned itself with Parti Wawasan Negara, led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, adding that the Larut MP will be reappointed as parliamentary opposition leader.

Miscalculation

Criticising the purge of Bersatu leaders from the PN leadership and the reappointment of Hamzah, Ramasamy accused PAS of failing to adopt a national perspective in politics.

Instead, he said PAS chose to base its political strength on a handful of states.

“It miscalculated the political requirements necessary for a broader and more inclusive outlook.

“Had PAS possessed a truly national political orientation, it could have mended ties with Bersatu,” he said.

However, Ramasamy cautioned detractors against writing off Bersatu’s political future.

Without having to deal with PAS, he said Bersatu now has an opportunity to broaden its political horizons.

“Politics is not one-dimensional; it is about emerging from the doldrums with renewed strength and vigour.

“In this respect, Bersatu, freed from the burden of PAS, might well emerge as a qualitatively different political party from what it was before,” he added.

Oil prices rise as Lebanon fighting erupts and Hormuz traffic still slow

Brent crude reverses slide after oil, LNG tankers cross critical waterway.

By John Power

Published On 19 Jun 202619 Jun 2026

Oil prices have begun rising again as an agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 0.65 percent on Friday, after falling as much as 0.9 percent earlier in the day, as traders continued to weigh the practical effect of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding on ending their war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 items

• list 1 of 4Paint peeling after $14 million memorial pool renovation
• list 2 of 4Obama opens presidential centre with call for unity
• list 3 of 46-0, Kone injury, 2 red cards: All to know about Canada vs Qatar match
• list 4 of 4Andy Burnham wins key UK by-election, paving way to challenge Keir Starmer

end of list

Brent futures for August delivery stood at $80.37 as of 06:30 GMT, taking the benchmark above the $80 threshold for the first time since Wednesday, after an earlier slide spurred by an uptick in commercial vessels transporting energy supplies through the strait.

It comes after Israel launched a series of attacks on Lebanon, killing 16 people and threatening the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.

Shailoks must feed their Lord Moloch with child sacrifices

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah forces in southern Israel on Friday killed four Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli media.

A planned meeting between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland has been cancelled, reportedly due to the attacks, although the Strait of Hormuz still appeared to be open to shipping.

Japan and South Korea’s stock markets also had a volatile trading session.

Seoul’s Kospi surged more than 2.5 percent to reach an all-time high shortly after market opening, then fell 1.8 percent before rebounding to a 0.8 percent gain.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225, which rose about 0.6 percent shortly after market opening, was 0.08 percent in the red.

Stock markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei were closed for the day.

Three Saudi Arabia-flagged oil supertankers carrying about 6 million barrels of crude exited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, broadcasting their locations after spending weeks in the Gulf with their transponders turned off, according to maritime analysis firm Kpler.

The Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker Tong Lin Wan and the France-flagged LNG tanker Mraikh also passed through the waterway on Thursday, according to shiptracking data.

Despite the transits, traffic in the waterway remains a fraction of what it was before the war, when the channel saw 120-130 transits a day.

More than 500 vessels are estimated to be waiting to exit the Gulf through the strait, which in peacetime carries about one-fifth of the global oil supply.

While Iran and the US have committed to reopening the waterway, ship operators have expressed doubt about the safety of their vessels and crew after nearly four months of threats and attacks.

At least 46 attacks have been carried out against ships in the vicinity of the channel since the start of the conflict in late February, killing 14 seafarers, according to the International Maritime Organization.

The strait is also believed to contain an unknown number of Iranian naval mines, necessitating mine-sweeping operations that could take weeks.

On Thursday, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), one of the world’s largest organisations representing tanker owners and operators, called for greater clarity on the practical steps needed to facilitate safe passage through the waterway.

“Without clarity on these issues, ships will be unsure whether to transit the Strait of Hormuz,” INTERTANKO Managing Director Tim Wilkins said in a statement.

“Some ships will, of course, start to move. That will be natural. But ship owners have adopted a very cautious approach,” Wilkins said.

“The safety and security of seafarers have been uppermost in their minds, and no one wishes to jeopardise that safety-first approach when things appear to be moving in the right direction.”

UEC becomes political football and students pay the price

UEC becomes political football and students pay the price

Mariam Mokhtar
Published: Jun 19, 2026 10:48 AM
Updated: 2:24 PM



COMMENT | By the time many Malaysian students sit for their examinations, they would have been dragged into arguments they never asked to inherit. Even before they were old enough to vote, their education had already become political property.

That is the tragedy of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) debate.

For decades, the UEC has moved in and out of public controversy like a recurring national ritual.

Politicians revive it when convenient. Nationalists warn of division. Supporters speak of recognition and equality. Social media fractures into predictable camps.

The same outrage returns, the same anxieties resurface, and the same unresolved arguments are recycled once more.

Activists protesting the UEC outside Parliament in January 2026


Meanwhile, students remain trapped in the middle, kicked back and forth like a political football in a game they never chose to play.

They are the collateral damage of a game played by adults who speak endlessly about education, while using the pitch of identity politics to score ideological points.

If the UEC were academically weak, the intensity of the hostility might at least make sense, but that is precisely where the contradiction begins.

The UEC is internationally recognised, academically rigorous, and accepted by universities across multiple countries. Its students routinely continue their studies abroad and contribute meaningfully across professions and industries.

So what exactly is the real fear?


Identity politics

Increasingly, even students themselves understand that the debate is no longer truly about academic standards.

It is about identity.

To some, the UEC symbolises educational plurality within a multicultural nation. To others, it symbolises fragmentation from a singular national framework.

The examination certificate itself has therefore become something far larger than an educational qualification: it became a political proxy for unresolved anxieties about nationhood, identity, integration, and legitimacy.

And in the process, students are no longer treated simply as learners. They are treated like symbols in political arguments about race and nationhood, rather than being seen as real individuals with their own futures.

What makes this even more frustrating is the glaring inconsistency surrounding the debate.

Malaysia already operates with multiple educational pathways: international schools, religious schools, tahfiz institutions, private education systems, foreign syllabuses, homeschooling structures, and various language streams.

Educational plurality already exists as a lived reality across the country. Yet somehow, the UEC repeatedly becomes the national emergency. Why?

An anti-UEC protest, circa July 2018

Because, unlike many other educational models, the UEC sits directly inside Malaysia’s unresolved politics of identity. And that reality can no longer honestly be denied.


Multi-stream education existed before independence

The roots of this tension stretch far deeper than contemporary politics. In colonial Malaya, education developed through parallel streams rather than a single national system.

Malay education was largely centred on vernacular and religious village schools, Chinese communities established and sustained Chinese-medium schools, and many Indian children were educated within estate-based systems tied to plantation life.

Christian mission schools also played a significant role, often providing English-medium education in urban areas alongside government schools.

After independence, the nation inherited this fragmented educational structure while attempting to forge a national identity through a unified framework. But not all educational streams were fully absorbed into the national system.

Within the Chinese independent school network, the UEC later emerged in the 1970s as a standardised qualification system designed to unify assessment and provide students with recognised academic pathways, including internationally.

In other words, the UEC did not create Malaysia’s educational plurality. It inherited it.

And yet, decades later, the country still struggles to decide whether educational diversity should be treated as part of the Malaysian story, or as a threat to it.


Pugnacious and pussyfooting politicians

This unresolved contradiction has produced a cycle of half-measures and political hesitation.

Governments periodically attempt partial accommodation while avoiding full recognition. Conditional pathways are offered, limitations imposed, technicalities introduced, and compromises carefully managed.

The result is symbolic inclusion without genuine resolution.

The political system appears trapped between two competing instincts: acknowledging educational reality while simultaneously reassuring those who continue to fear what that reality symbolises.

And while this endless balancing act continues, the country quietly bleeds talent. Students leave. Families look elsewhere.

Young Malaysians who could contribute meaningfully to the nation increasingly build their futures abroad, not necessarily because they reject Malaysia, but because they no longer believe Malaysia fully recognises them.

That may be the cruellest irony of all. In trying so hard to control educational identity, the nation risks losing the very people it claims to be protecting.

A mature and confident nation should not fear educational plurality so long as students share common civic responsibilities, linguistic competency, constitutional understanding, and participation in national life.

Diversity within education does not automatically weaken nationhood. Insecure politics does.

Perhaps that is the uncomfortable truth sitting quietly beneath the entire UEC debate. The issue persists not because solutions do not exist, but because genuine political courage remains absent.

So the cycle continues. Politicians perform, nationalists react, communities defend themselves, and students continue carrying the emotional burden of a conflict they did not create.

The question is not whether differences exist, but whether they are accepted without becoming political problems.

At some point, Malaysia must finally decide: Is education meant to build citizens? Or merely preserve the appearance of unity?

Because while politicians continue playing their political flute, an entire generation’s faith in educational fairness risks burning in the background. They overlooked the human cost and the emotional burden carried by students caught in the middle.

Solutions exist. What is missing is the political will to act and the enormous courage required to reform the national education system.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Find her on her website and on X.

***

One 'man' has always stood against the UEC. Google AI explains:

• 1975 Education Ministry Stance: During his tenure as Education Minister in the 1970s, Dr Mahathir Mohamad refused to allow Dong Zong (the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia) to hold and conduct the UEC examination, fundamentally rejecting its integration into the national public education system. 

• Malay Sensitivities: When the UEC issue was revived during his second term as Prime Minister (2018–2020), Mahathir explicitly warned advocates that recognizing the UEC required carefully considering the feelings and concerns of the Malay community. 

So, in the end, it's all about 'Malay Sensitivities'. 😡😡😡

Can we interpret that as "Malays being sensitive about Chinese educational progression"?

PAS needs moderate ally as support base nears ceiling, says KJ

PAS needs moderate ally as support base nears ceiling, says KJ


2 hours ago
Dineskumar Ragu


Ex-Umno Youth chief says PAS sees Hamzah Zainudin and Parti Wawasan Negara as a vehicle to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base

Khairy Jamaluddin said PAS is hitting the ceiling on its voter base and has failed to broaden its appeal through technocratic rebranding.

PETALING JAYA: PAS needs to work with another Malay party, particularly a moderate one, as its traditional religious support base is nearing saturation, says former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Speaking on the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Khairy said the Islamic party might be the largest Malay party by Dewan Rakyat seats, but was hitting the ceiling on its voter base.

He said PAS had attempted to broaden its appeal by bringing more professionals into its ranks and placing its technocratic vice-president, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, at the forefront. However, he said its growth remained constrained by its long-standing Islamic identity.


“Right now, PAS sees Hamzah Zainudin and his party as the moderate Malay partner to ensure that the Malay market that PAS might have gotten all this time, which is at best 50%, could rise up to 70% – because there is a partner who might be more acceptable to moderate Malays or professional Malays in the form of Hamzah and Wawasan,” he said.

Khairy said Hamzah also presented PAS with an alternative at a time when the party was finding it difficult to work with Umno under Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.


He described Hamzah as “the ultimate operator” who had the ability to bring together parties that would otherwise struggle to cooperate.

Khairy said the Johor election, set for July 11, could be the first signal of whether such back-channel diplomacy was already bearing fruit.

“Let’s not be surprised if PAS decides not to contest most of the seats in Johor, to give an easy path to Umno and Barisan Nasional as a goodwill gesture,” he said, adding that Hamzah might already have been facilitating such an arrangement.

Khairy said PAS could then use that gesture to persuade Umno to reciprocate in the Negeri Sembilan election or, eventually, in the 16th general election.

“Hamzah, I think, plays an important role in connecting PAS and Umno to create a grand collaboration between the main Malay parties.”

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, the podcast’s co-host, said Umno stood to benefit from PAS’s apparent overtures, as the party no longer faces attacks from PAS over its alliance with DAP in the unity government.

“If PAS’s aim today is to ‘propose’ to Umno, then it would not be attacking Umno. So Umno has gotten off one of its attackers,” he said.

On the turmoil in Perikatan Nasional following the PAS-Bersatu split, Khairy said the removal of Radzi Jidin and Azmin Ali from key roles in the coalition was a clear sign of what was coming.

“I am confident that in the next few days, Bersatu will be officially booted out of PN,” he said.

True number of refugees in Malaysia exceeds UNHCR figures, says immigration DG

True number of refugees in Malaysia exceeds UNHCR figures, says immigration DG


Zakaria Shaaban says the authorities no longer fully rely on the agency’s data as they believe many more refugees remain unregistered

Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said the first phase of the government’s refugee registration exercise will continue until the end of the year.

PORT DICKSON: The true number of refugees in Malaysia is much higher than the 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers recorded by UNHCR, immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said today.

He said the authorities no longer fully rely on UNHCR data because they believe many more refugees remain unregistered with the agency.

“As such, we are working to register all refugees in the country, whether they have UNHCR cards or not,” Kosmo reported him as saying here.


Zakaria said the first phase of the refugee registration exercise, managed by the government through the National Security Council, would continue until the end of the year.

According to the UNHCR website, there were some 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February.


Around 193,824 are from Myanmar, including 126,144 Rohingya.

The rest are from countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Palestine, and Iraq.

Man gets 33 years’ jail for raping, sexually assaulting granddaughters

Man gets 33 years’ jail for raping, sexually assaulting granddaughters


The 67‑year‑old pleaded guilty to the five charges against him

The Muar sessions court ordered the 67‑year‑old man to undergo counselling sessions during his detention and to be placed under police supervision for three years after completing his sentence. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA: A man was sentenced to 33 years in prison and 14 strokes of the rotan by the Muar sessions court today for raping and sexually assaulting his two granddaughters, aged 12 and nine, last year.

Berita Harian reported that judge Khairi Haron handed down the sentence after the 67‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to the five charges against him.

In the first and fourth charges, the father of three was accused of sexually assaulting his 12‑year‑old granddaughter at a house in Batu Pahat.


The charge was framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for sexual assault, read together with Section 16, which relates to offences committed by someone in a relationship of trust with the victim.

Section 14 provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping, while Section 16 allows for up to five years’ additional imprisonment and no fewer than two strokes of the rotan.


In the second and third charges, the accused was charged with raping the victim at the same house between January and December last year. The charges were framed under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code, which provides for up to 30 years’ imprisonment or whipping for each charge.

In the fifth charge, the accused was charged with sexually assaulting his nine‑year‑old granddaughter at the same location last year.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Ameerah Allaudeen led the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.

The court also ordered the accused to undergo counselling sessions during his detention and to be placed under police supervision for three years after completing his sentence.

***

Worse than a beast

Hadi keeps mum on Perikatan turmoil, says Ahmad Samsuri’s statement is ‘enough’

Hadi keeps mum on Perikatan turmoil, says Ahmad Samsuri’s statement is ‘enough’



PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said he will only comment next week on current developments in Perikatan Nasional, including PAS and Bersatu’s position in the coalition — Bernama file pic

Friday, 19 Jun 2026 12:40 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has declined to comment on current developments in Perikatan Nasional (PN), including the position of PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the coalition.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the Marang MP said PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s recent statement on the coalition was sufficient for now.

“Samsuri’s statement is enough. I will issue a statement next week,” he was quoted as saying briefly after delivering a religious lecture at Masjid Rusila in Marang today.

Ahmad Samsuri announced yesterday that Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali had been removed from the post of PN deputy secretary-general .

He also said Datuk Radzi Jidin’s service as PN election director had been terminated, with Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor appointed as his replacement.

Ahmad Samsuri said the changes were part of a restructuring of PN’s administration ahead of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, with an emergency meeting of the coalition’s Supreme Council to be held soon.

The developments come after Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that his party would contest under the PN logo in the two state elections and remain in the coalition.

PAS and Bersatu have both insisted on remaining in PN and using the coalition’s logo despite the breakdown in political cooperation between the two parties, raising questions over the coalition’s direction ahead of the polls.

***

Ayatollah 'dah titah 😁😁😁

‘No excuse’ for poor maintenance, Hannah Yeoh says after complaints over Putrajaya facilities

‘No excuse’ for poor maintenance, Hannah Yeoh says after complaints over Putrajaya facilities



Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud attend the Lestari Niaga programme at UTC Sentul in Kuala Lumpur, June 19, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa

Friday, 19 Jun 2026 11:09 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh today said there should be “no excuse” for poor maintenance of public facilities, following complaints about broken lifts, faulty escalators and deteriorating infrastructure in Putrajaya.

Yeoh said Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) had already begun carrying out repairs, but stressed that maintenance standards should be upheld consistently rather than only after public complaints gain traction online.

“Putrajaya is a tourism hub and the PPj leadership has gone to the ground and carried out some repairs,” she told reporters during a site visit to Mini UTC Sentul.

“But moving forward, when it comes to maintenance issues, I think all local authorities, especially in places that receive large numbers of visitors.

“We have no excuse when it comes to cleanliness. We must ensure cleanliness is maintained,” she added.

Her remarks come after recent reports and viral social media posts highlighted problems in parts of the administrative capital, including non-functioning lifts and escalators, cracked tiles and signs of wear at several public facilities, prompting PPj to pledge faster repairs.

Yeoh acknowledged that some facilities would require additional funding for upgrades but said local authorities should prioritise basic maintenance, cleanliness and safety.


“There are locations that require additional budgets for upgrading works, but from now on I want cleanliness and safety to be prioritised first.

“I would like everyone to conduct site inspections more frequently and monitor the situation,” she said.

Asked whether she would raise the matter directly with PPj, Yeoh said communication with the local authority was already ongoing and some repairs had been completed.

“We are already in contact with them and they have already carried out some of the repairs.

“As I said, if it is a housekeeping issue, it should be dealt with consistently and not only because a video has gone viral,” she said.

Yeoh also cautioned against drawing conclusions based solely on viral social media content, saying videos often presented only a fraction of the full picture.

“In Kuala Lumpur alone, we have millions of residents. Anyone can make a video and make it go viral.

“For every issue, there are several perspectives that need to be heard, not just the perspective of the person making the video.

“For example, a trader can make a video that goes viral, but we have not yet heard from residents who may be complaining, or even from the local authority itself.

“There are many different views,” she said.

While acknowledging the role of social media in highlighting issues, Yeoh said users should exercise caution before accepting viral claims at face value.

“I think social media users should always remember that there are many angles and aspects that need to be considered before something is amplified online,” she said.

“Today, everyone can be a reporter. But the information and facts being presented may only represent 10 per cent of the full picture.

“Social media users need to be wise and discerning when assessing what they see online,” she added.

***

Malaysia's long time No 1 Culprit = Piss Poor Maintenance, usually due to neglect which in turn could be caused by tidakapathy, corruption (maintenance money gone missing)

Reported missing from Johor at 15, woman now 21 found with child in Langkawi

Reported missing from Johor at 15, woman now 21 found with child in Langkawi



Superintendent Samsulmuddin Sulaiman said Langkawi police found a 21-year-old woman with a child at a house in Kuah, adding that she confirmed to have left her home in Majidee, Johor in 2019. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Friday, 19 Jun 2026 12:18 PM MYT


ALOR SETAR, June 19 — A woman who had been reported missing since 2019 after leaving her family home in Johor Bahru was found safe at a house in Taman Helang Perdana, Kuah, Wednesday.

Langkawi deputy police chief Supt Samsulmuddin Sulaiman said a police team conducted an inspection at the house at about 11pm after receiving information from members of the public and found a 21-year-old woman living there with a child.

“Further checks based on missing persons records found that the woman was still listed as a missing person following a police report lodged in Majidee, Johor, in 2019.

“The woman admitted to leaving her family home in Johor Bahru before settling in Langkawi. She also claimed to have married a foreigner, but her husband was not at home during the inspection,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He added that the woman’s family had been informed of her discovery, which went viral on social media yesterday. — Bernama

Anwar praises Putin, Xi for condemning Gaza, Iran attacks

Anwar praises Putin, Xi for condemning Gaza, Iran attacks



Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (centre) during the Asean-Russia Business Forum in Kazan, Russia on June 18, 2026 as part of the programmes held in conjunction with the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit. — Bernama pic

Friday, 19 Jun 2026 12:07 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has commended Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping for advocating peace and condemning atrocities against the people of Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.

Anwar said Malaysia has consistently taken a firm position against attacks by the Zionist regime while upholding its principles independently of any superpower.

“That’s why we took a very strong position against the initial attack by the Zionist regime, which was carried out with the support of the United States.

“We took a decision in Parliament, bipartisan, and continued to engage,” he said during an exclusive interview with Russian international television network RT.


The interview was held on the sidelines of his official visit to Kazan, Russia, where he attended the Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of Asean-Russia relations.

Anwar said he had also engaged with leaders from the Gulf, Pakistan and Türkiye, as well as Iran, as part of efforts to seek a fair resolution to the conflict.

Expressing hope that those efforts would yield a fair outcome, he said: “And that’s why I have publicly commended and thanked President Putin and President Xi Jinping for taking a position for peace and to condemn the atrocities against the people of Iran, Gaza and now Lebanon.”


He stressed that Malaysia and Asean uphold the principle of centrality rather than neutrality and would not remain silent in the face of atrocities.

“For Malaysia in particular, and of course for Asean, we don’t even use the word neutrality because we are not neutral when it comes to Gaza or the atrocities inflicted or the attack against Lebanon.

“So we use the term centrality. It means that we are not tied to any particular ideological position or superpower,” he said, adding that centrality did not prevent Asean from taking positions on human rights violations, abuses and atrocities committed against minorities.

Anwar said it was not easy to navigate such issues but Malaysia continued to take an independent view despite geopolitical concerns involving major powers.

The prime minister also criticised what he described as Western hypocrisy in condoning Israel’s actions.

“How do you then condone a position taken by a country like Israel, and then backed by the United States, to attack another independent nation or country?

“And the ramifications and repercussions spread all over the Gulf, and now the international community. I’m not talking about the economic hardships because of the war. I’m talking about the core principle.

“Do we condone this? Or can we allow this sort of hypocrisy to persist in this small, modern, civilised world?” he said.

Anwar said while some may criticise Iran over its response, there should not be silence over the aggression against the country.

“But why is there complete silence when it comes to the atrocities, the aggression against Iran? So you see, there is this contradiction, which I call hypocrisy, that must be stopped,” he said. — Bernama

***

Oh dearie me, my visitor 'Monsterball' will be most annoyed at PMX for the temerity in criticising the Wanks, wakakaka

Vance warns Israel against criticising US-Iran deal

Vance warns Israel against criticising US-Iran deal


US vice-president JD Vance warned Israeli critics not to alienate their 'only powerful ally' left in the world

US vice-president JD Vance explicitly raised the huge amounts of military aid that the US gives Israel. (AFP pic)

WASHINGTON: US vice-president JD Vance on Thursday issued an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli critics of the Iran deal, warning them not to alienate their “only powerful ally” left in the world.

Vance told members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to “wake up and smell the reality”, amid growing tensions between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world superpower,” Vance told reporters in a briefing at the White House.


“If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

Vance credited Netanyahu for not personally criticising the deal, but explicitly raised the huge amounts of military aid that the US gives Israel, its key ally in the Middle East.

The two countries jointly launched the war on Iran on February 28 but Trump has chastised Israel for continuing attacks on Lebanon that threatened to derail the deal with Tehran.

“Over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars,” Vance added.

\

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump — and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation.”

In an interview with the New York Times published Thursday, Vance directly named Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich as having attacked the deal.

“I guess my response to them would be — what is your exact proposal? You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have,” Vance told the Times.

Trump himself has been increasingly critical of the high death toll from Israeli attacks, particularly on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

“When two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly they could do a better job,” Trump said in a press conference at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday.

Trump on Thursday urged Israel and other Middle Eastern countries to stick to the truce.

“We expect a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

***

Frigging high time man, you're now doing it right!!!

OPINION | Dear Datuk Onn Hafiz, why NO to DAP?

Malaysia's #1 Content Aggregator


OPINION | Dear Datuk Onn Hafiz, why NO to DAP?


18 Jun 2026 • 5:00 PM MYT

FLK
Used to do a bit of work in corporate restructuring, corporate `undertaker

Image credit: The Sun Malaysia


Your insistence on NO to DAP in the next government in Johor was made full of confidence in front of all BN / UMNO supporters.


What you stated is not something that is revealing or earth shattering.


In the 1st place, there are no DAP representatives in the just dissolved Johor State Executive Council (Exco).



Zero.


Zilch.


The recently dissolved Exco lineup consists entirely of representatives from Barisan Nasional component parties (UMNO) along with Barisan-friendly parties (MCA and MIC).


No Pakatan Harapan (PH) or DAP members hold Exco positions in Johor.


What you declared was never an issue because it wasn’t an issue to begin with.



It is merely a continuation of your policies in your preceding administration.


DAP has yet and probably won’t be able to even if they wish to, table a vote of no confidence against your government under your tenure.


Unlike BN/UMNO who caused the collapse of the administration led by PM8 and PM9.


Not that they have the numbers but DAP has also not objected or put up any attempts to limit or restricts any of your policies.


Not that the lives or infrastructure facilities for those voters in the 10 constituencies that voted for the DAP representatives in Johor are any different from before and now.



And these voters know it.


Whether DAP is represented and included in the next Exco by you is totally irrelevant to them.


The voters who voted for DAP are aware that DAP state assemblymen don’t even get the same direct financial allocations as government backbenchers to function and serve their constituencies.


Life just goes on for them.


It doesn’t make a difference to their lives whether the representatives they voted for are in your Exco or not.


Unless you explicitly tell those voters in that 10 constituencies that voted for DAP in the last election that if they still remain defiant and vote in the same party again in this coming election, whatever pittance the state government used to give them will be completely withdrawn.



If BN / UMNO is returned with the same number of seats or more in this election, like your earlier term, you are not going to co-opt them into your administration too.


So why single out and say NO to DAP for the next term?


You have exhibited full confidence that the voters will return BN / UMNO to govern and administer Johor.


Unless you are not confident of obtaining a majority mandate from the voters, leaving you the possibility of having to negotiate with your political rivals.


It appears that you feared that there is a possibility that BN / UMNO will not get the mininum 29 seats required for a majority to govern the state on its own.



Having thrown down the gauntlet now and in the event that BN / UMNO failed to secure the majority number of seats, you have effectively limited your options to work with either PAS or Bersatu or MUDA.


You have clearly set a precedent for leaders in other states where BN/UMNO leads the administration in those states.


At the Federal level, your party President has already said BN / UMNO will contest 115 seats in the next GE, effectively ending any collaboration with PH going into the 16th GE.


But then, having seen him reversing his NO DAP, No Anwar, NO Bersatu stance taken in UMNO’s AGM in 2021, voters are not averse nor surprise if he were to enter into a collaboration post the 16th GE with PH or PAS or Bersatu.



Presently, representatives from DAP represents 10 constituencies in Johor that collectively has almost 660,000 registered voters voting in these constituencies.


For sure, your stance of NO to DAP has given those voters in that 10 constituencies more reason to continue to vote back the representatives from DAP.


Unless you reveal and make public clear cogent reasons supporting your stance of NO to DAP.

Why HAMAS has to defend itself against Israel

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

PAS Youth defends 'campus conversion' rights, cites constitutional protections

PAS Youth defends 'campus conversion' rights, cites constitutional protections

Published: Jun 18, 2026 3:19 PM
Updated: 5:32 PM


PAS Youth has defended “dakwah” (religious propagation) activities at higher learning institutions, insisting that such programmes are lawful, constitutional, and in line with the nation’s identity.

Taking aim at recent statements by Dr RA Lingeshwaran, PAS Youth’s Dakwah and Islamic Defence Committee chairperson Sukri Omar stressed that Muslims have always respected the rights of followers of other religions to practise their beliefs.

However, he said the right of Muslims to carry out “dakwah” peacefully and prudently should be afforded the same level of respect, urging all parties to halt polemics that supposedly question such rights.

In particular, Sukri (above), who is also the Selangor PAS Youth chief, pointed to Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, which stipulates that Islam is the religion of the federation, while also guaranteeing that all other religions may be practised in peace and harmony anywhere in the country.

“Article 11(1) guarantees freedom of religion, while Article 11(4) empowers the states to control or restrict the propagation of other religions to Muslims,” he said on Facebook today.

“These provisions clearly demonstrate that the Constitution recognises the special position of Islam, as well as the right for Islam to be propagated and developed peacefully, prudently, and in accordance with the law.

“As long as the implementation (of dakwah) is voluntary, free from coercion, ethical, and compliant with the law, no party has the right to obstruct, question, or cast suspicion on ‘dakwah’ activities on campus,” he asserted.


No exploitation

Sukri’s statement today comes after Lingeshwaran yesterday hit back against an Umno ulama council leader for saying that Islam can be spread anywhere in Malaysia without obstruction.

DAP senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran


Umno ulama council deputy chairperson Khairuddin Aman Razali had argued that Malaysia is an Islamic country while pointing to the special privileges granted to the religion in the Federal Constitution, such as the prohibition against converting Muslims.

Lingeshwaran, however, said that public educational institutes belong to every citizen, regardless of race or religion, and should therefore not be “exploited” as a platform for religious conversion.

The debates started after Lingeshwaran had earlier called for an investigation into a poster bearing the name of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) and promoting the registration of new Muslim converts.

Acknowledging the Perak institution’s clarification that the poster was not approved before being circulated, he said a thorough probe involving various authorities should be carried out as the matter has raised public concern and generated many questions among Malaysians.

While he stressed that he is not against any religion, nor questioning anyone's constitutional right to embrace and practise the faith of their choice, the public university has a responsibility to acknowledge the sensitivities of all Malaysians and ensure adherence to established procedures.


Selective interpretation of Constitution

In his statement today, Sukri said it is inappropriate to demand that public educational institutions adopt a stance of “neutrality” to the extent of denying “Malaysia’s own identity and nationhood foundations”.

“Neutrality”, he said, does not mean erasing the position of Islam, which was agreed upon by the nation’s founders and clearly enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

He further accused Lingeshwaran of selectively interpreting the Constitution to suit DAP’s supposed agenda.

“(Lingeshwaran’s) statement appears inclined to interpret the Constitution through the narrow framework of ‘Malaysian Malaysia’, often championed by DAP (as) an idea that has repeatedly sought to relativise the position of Islam, the institution of the Malay rulers, the Malay language, and constitutional rights.

“Such an approach not only contradicts the spirit of the Constitution, but also risks eroding the foundations of national understanding that have long been the pillar of the country’s stability,” Sukri said.

“Malaysian Malaysia” is a political concept that has been associated with DAP, advocating equal treatment and opportunities for all Malaysians regardless of race or religion, while upholding the Federal Constitution and rights of communities.”

Sukri also pressed DAP and its allies to respect the Constitution, rather than “continuously challenging” fundamental matters that underpin harmony in a plural society.

“They should not behave like kaduk naik junjung (someone who oversteps boundaries); having been given space within the democratic system, they now seek to question the very foundations of the Constitution.

“Any attempt to erode the position of Islam in the name of a narrowly and excessively interpreted pluralism will only undermine the country’s harmony and stability,” he said.

DAP names lawyer Chu Poh Yee as Mengkibol candidate

DAP names lawyer Chu Poh Yee as Mengkibol candidate


2 hours ago
Predeep Nambiar


The 33-year-old Kluang native will replace DAP incumbent Chew Chong Sin

Chu Poh Yee with DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook and Johor DAP chief Teo Nie Ching at a party rally in Kluang tonight. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: DAP has named lawyer Chu Poh Yee as its candidate for the Mengkibol seat in the Johor state election.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook announced the 33-year-old Kluang native as Pakatan Harapan’s candidate at a rally in Kluang tonight.

Chu will replace incumbent assemblyman Chew Chong Sin, who retained the seat for PH in the 2022 state election.

At the same event, Loke announced that Chew will be DAP’s candidate for the Labis parliamentary seat in the next general election, following incumbent MP Pang Hok Liong’s decision not to seek re-election.

Mengkibol, which is in the Kluang parliamentary constituency, is one of DAP’s strongest seats in Johor. In the 2022 state polls, Chew won the seat with a 10,107-vote majority in a three-cornered contest against Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.

Group demands update on sexual harassment probe into UM prof

Group demands update on sexual harassment probe into UM prof


NewGen UM says the university has yet to announce the outcome of its investigation despite stating last September that it was in its final stages

Last September, UM announced that its investigation into sexual harassment allegations against a professor was almost complete.

PETALING JAYA: A student group has urged Universiti Malaya (UM) to disclose the outcome of its internal investigation into sexual harassment allegations against a professor, saying students and the public have been left waiting for answers more than a year after the claims first surfaced.

The allegations, which emerged in December 2024, involved a professor accused of sharing explicit photos of himself with students.

Last September, UM announced that its investigation was almost complete, and that the investigation committee was preparing its report on the matter.


However, New Generation Universiti Malaya (NewGen UM) today noted that the outcome of the probe has not been made public.

“More than a year has passed, yet critical questions remain unanswered,” the group said in a statement.


NewGen UM also expressed concern that the professor had reportedly resumed academic duties, including assessing final-year projects and examinations.

It stated that allowing a lecturer facing sexual harassment allegations to continue exercising academic authority and evaluating students was a “clear failure” on the part of the university to safeguard student welfare and safety.

It also called on UM to suspend the professor from grading and assessment duties as well as strengthen campus safeguards against sexual harassment.

“A university is not only an institution of academic excellence. It must also be a space where every student feels safe, respected and protected from any form of abuse of power,” it said.

FMT has reached out to the university for comment.

***

Jaga "member kami" 😡😡😡