MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon has strongly refuted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s campaign claims regarding the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), accusing him of disregarding history and erasing MCA’s decades-long contributions to Chinese education.
“Anwar claimed that the Madani Government has resolved the issue of the UEC and criticised MCA for failing to do so over the past decades. Such remarks disregard history and seek to erase MCA’s decades of contributions towards Chinese education.
“The progress made on UEC recognition did not happen overnight. It was built through MCA’s consistent efforts over many years.
“In 2010, the government allowed UEC holders to apply for PTPTN loans to pursue higher education at private institutions, significantly expanding opportunities for Chinese independent secondary school leavers,” he wrote on Facebook today.
Chong countered that current UEC admission requirements for selected public university programmes – requiring passes in SPM Bahasa Melayu and History – mirror Barisan Nasional’s previous proposals.
He noted that this falls far short of full recognition, highlighting that DAP’s past promise of an unconditional, single-subject requirement has quietly vanished.
Additionally, Chong credited MCA’s public disclosure for the Cabinet’s decision to restore a full 10-year tax exemption for the TARC Education Foundation.
This reversed a Finance Ministry directive that had quietly slashed the exemption to three years. Chong stressed that MCA will continue to hold the government accountable and defend vernacular education from being manipulated for political narratives.
“Facts do not change to suit political narratives,” he said.
“As the nation’s leader, especially during an election campaign, the prime minister should credit the process that produced this outcome accurately, rather than presenting a reversal secured through public pressure as though it required none. “MCA will continue to defend vernacular education, safeguard the interests of the TARC Education Foundation, and hold government to its commitments so that Malaysians can make informed and fair judgements.” — July 11, 2026
As he waited for an X-ray, the lights cut out, rendering much of the hospital’s medical equipment inoperable, including the machine doctors needed to inspect his wound.
After a six-hour wait in the ward, Omar left tired and frustrated, without an X-ray or proper treatment for his injured hand. This is a repeated experience for patients in Gaza, including those rushed to hospital to receive potentially lifesaving surgery.
“I waited for many hours inside the hospital hoping for electricity to return and the medical devices to start working again. During that time, I was in pain and anxious because I did not know the nature of my injury or whether my condition required urgent medical intervention,” he told Al Jazeera.
“I saw children, elderly people and injured individuals waiting just as I was. Some needed medical tests, while others kept asking about when electricity would return so they could continue their treatment. The crisis affected everyone.”
Israel’s genocide has already caused immense damage to Gaza’s healthcare sector, with Israeli bombing since October 7, 2023 destroying 38 hospitals and 96 primary healthcare centres or rendering them inoperable.
Bombing has almost completely decimated Gaza’s national grid, with about 90 percent of power lines destroyed, forcing hospitals to rely on generators for power.
But an ongoing blockade on Gaza has resulted in severe shortages of fuel needed for generators, which power essential life-saving medical equipment at hospitals such as ventilators, incubators and monitoring devices. The use of non-original engine oils due to the blockade has resulted in generators malfunctioning or affected their performance.
It comes as Israel continues its near-daily air raids on Gaza with at least 1,092 people killed and 3,507 injured since a so-called “ceasefire” came into effect in October 2025.
The consequential routine power cuts have rendered hospitals semi-dysfunctional and affected thousands of patients and medical staff in Gaza, where the flow of patients caused by new waves of bombings and disease continues.
Most of Al-Aqsa’s main generators went out of service in early May 2026, when doctors and nurses were already struggling to cope, leaving the hospital to use secondary generators and solar energy or simply cut back on operations.
A Palestinian doctor checks a drip at the dialysis treatment centre at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on February 1, 2026 [AFP]
Surgeon Omar al-Ashtal said medical teams at the hospital are struggling to provide proper and essential services to patients due to erratic power supplies, especially in operating rooms, where electricity is essential. Surgeons and doctors are having to shorten or delay important operations until stable energy supplies are available, leading to serious consequences for patients.
“What we are witnessing today is not only a shortage of electricity, but a cumulative crisis that includes worn-out generators, fuel shortages and a lack of spare parts needed for maintenance,” al-Ashtal told Al Jazeera. “The continuation of this situation threatens the hospital’s ability to respond to emergencies and increases the suffering of patients waiting for treatment and medical care.”
Intensive care units, operating rooms, anaesthesia departments and neonatal care are the most affected by the latest power crisis. Any interruptions to these departments can lead to serious life-threatening complications for patients, including babies in incubators.
Outages of internet and electronic systems also prevent administrative teams and nurses from fulfilling the essential tasks of accessing or recording patient data, tracking cases and communicating between different departments.
Nurse Hamza Nawas said that medical teams were coping as well as they could under the circumstances.
But an ongoing blockade on Gaza has resulted in severe shortages of fuel needed for generators, which power essential life-saving medical equipment at hospitals such as ventilators, incubators and monitoring devices. The use of non-original engine oils due to the blockade has resulted in generators malfunctioning or affected their performance.
It comes as Israel continues its near-daily air raids on Gaza with at least 1,092 people killed and 3,507 injured since a so-called “ceasefire” came into effect in October 2025.
The consequential routine power cuts have rendered hospitals semi-dysfunctional and affected thousands of patients and medical staff in Gaza, where the flow of patients caused by new waves of bombings and disease continues.
Most of Al-Aqsa’s main generators went out of service in early May 2026, when doctors and nurses were already struggling to cope, leaving the hospital to use secondary generators and solar energy or simply cut back on operations.
A Palestinian doctor checks a drip at the dialysis treatment centre at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on February 1, 2026 [AFP]
Surgeon Omar al-Ashtal said medical teams at the hospital are struggling to provide proper and essential services to patients due to erratic power supplies, especially in operating rooms, where electricity is essential. Surgeons and doctors are having to shorten or delay important operations until stable energy supplies are available, leading to serious consequences for patients.
“What we are witnessing today is not only a shortage of electricity, but a cumulative crisis that includes worn-out generators, fuel shortages and a lack of spare parts needed for maintenance,” al-Ashtal told Al Jazeera. “The continuation of this situation threatens the hospital’s ability to respond to emergencies and increases the suffering of patients waiting for treatment and medical care.”
Intensive care units, operating rooms, anaesthesia departments and neonatal care are the most affected by the latest power crisis. Any interruptions to these departments can lead to serious life-threatening complications for patients, including babies in incubators.
Outages of internet and electronic systems also prevent administrative teams and nurses from fulfilling the essential tasks of accessing or recording patient data, tracking cases and communicating between different departments.
Nurse Hamza Nawas said that medical teams were coping as well as they could under the circumstances.
Party members celebrate after viewing unofficial results showing Barisan Nasional leading in several seats during the Johor state election at the Johor Umno Liaison Body headquarters today. — Bernama pic
First Published: Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 6:09 PM MYT Last Modified: Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 9:09 PM MYT
JOHOR BAHRU, July 11 — [9pm:] Johor BN chief Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has thanked voters for reelecting the coalition, pledging to serve all Johoreans regardless of race or political affiliation.
“Now is the time to build Johor together,” he said.
Onn Hafiz, who retained the Machap state seat, said the focus now would be on continuing efforts to develop the state and improve the wellbeing of its people.
[8.40pm:] Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition will continue close cooperation with Unity Government for stability and public welfare.
[8.40pm:] Unofficial results show Barisan Nasional (BN) has won 31 of the 56 Johor state seats, giving the coalition enough seats to form the next state government with a simple majority.
Ambulances line up on a pier to help victims of a boating accident after a tourist vessel capsized off Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam’s An Giang Province on July 11, 2026. — AFP pic
First Published: Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 7:09 PM MYT
HANOI, July 11 — A speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized off southern Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island today, killing at least 15 people, state media reported.
The boat was carrying 36 people when it overturned around 400 metres off May Rut Ngoai islet, according to the VNExpress website.
Multiple tourist and coast guard boats participated in a rescue effort during which some people were plucked safely from the water.
Nguyen Tien Hai, a provincial official of the ruling Communist Party, said authorities were still confirming the exact number of survivors, according to the state media report.
Hai said initial assessments suggested that the speedboat may have overturned due to heavy winds and high waves.
Located just south of Vietnam’s largest island Phu Quoc, May Rut Ngoai is known for its pristine blue waters, white sand beaches and accessible diving reefs.
Visitors often access the islet by speedboat from the main island.
Phu Quoc has seen a major tourism boom in recent years, with more than 1.8 million foreigners visiting the island last year. — AFP
A U.N. commission has called on Israeli authorities to free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, provide him with medical care and free all other arbitrarily detained Palestinian medical personnel, Jessica Corbett reports
U.N. headquarters in New York. (LPulecio-WMF/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 4.0)
Just over 1,000 days into Israeli forces’ genocidal violence against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a United Nations commission has forcefully denounced Israel’s treatment of health workers from the besieged territory and specifically demanded “the immediate, unconditional, and safe release” of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
Israel has detained Abu Safiya without charge since capturing him at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, where he was the director, in December 2024. Renewed calls for Abu Safiya’s release have mounted in recent days following his transfer to the underground Rakefet interrogation facility at Nitzan Prison, where his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said that his life is at risk.
“I have visited Dr. Abu Safiya several times since his detention, but the individual I encountered during this latest visit was not the same person I had previously met,” Odeh said after visiting the prison last week.
“His physical and psychological state, the severe injuries visible on his body, and his personal testimony leave no room for doubt: his life is in immediate danger.”
The U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel — established in 2021 by the U.N. Human Rights Council — on Wednesday urged Israeli authorities to immediately free the doctor and provide him with independent medical care.
Abu Safiya “has been subjected to continued and severe abuse” throughout his detention, and his current grave condition “is the direct result” of reported actions by Israel Prison Service guards, the panel said. It “reflects a broader pattern of violations previously identified in the commission’s reports.”
The U.N. experts pointed to their 2025 conclusion that Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza and a 2024 publication that found
“Israeli security forces deliberately killed, wounded, detained, and severely mistreated medical personnel, constituting the war crimes of wilful killing and torture and the crime against humanity of extermination.”
They further demanded freedom for all arbitrarily detained Palestinian medical personnel, declaring that their continued detention “and the severe mistreatment they are subjected to are deplorable and flagrant violations of international law.”
In addition to Abu Safiya, Israel is holding at least 13 other senior doctors without charge — and they are among around 9,300 Palestinians “currently in Israeli custody, including thousands held arbitrarily without charge or trial,” according to the U.N. Human Rights Office in the territory. At least 91 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention since Oct. 7, 2023.
Since the Hamas-led attack that day, the U.S. government has stood by Israel under both the Biden and Trump administrations, even amid growing alarm among the American public and civil society over mounting civilian deaths in Gaza.
Amnesty InternationalUSA Executive Director Nadia Daar urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intervene to free Abu Safiya.
Noting research that Amnesty previously sent to the State Department in July 2024, suggesting that “US assistance may be funding units of a foreign security force implicated in the commission of gross violations of human rights,” Daar wrote:
“In addition to reviewing US security assistance for Leahy violations, we call on you to swiftly take action to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya. Pending his release, we further call on you to ensure that he is fully protected from further abuses and is provided with adequate access to medical care, food, and hygiene.”
The local UN Human Rights Office urged Israel to either free Abu Safiya, or “promptly charge him with a recognizable criminal offense and grant him a fair trial,” and either way, ensure he is transferred to a civilian hospital to receive necessary medical care.
“Israel must ensure that its laws governing the detention of Palestinians living under occupation comply with international legal norms and standards, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention and fair trial guarantees, and that its detention officials abide by those standards,” the office also said. “All arbitrarily detained Palestinians must be released with immediate effect.”
Efforts to secure their freedom through Israeli courts have been unsuccessful. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said “in its response to the High Court petition on the 14 detained Gaza doctors, the state says that Dr. Abu Safiya has been examined by medical personnel several times since being transferred,” but “does not explain why those examinations were necessary, what their findings were, or how they are consistent with its claim that his life is not in danger.”
“The response also does not address the serious allegations detailed in the sworn affidavit of Dr. Abu Safiya’s lawyer, including severe injuries, repeated loss of consciousness, and a serious concern for his life,” the group detailed. “At the same time, the state asks the court to dismiss, without a hearing, the petition by Physicians for Human Rights Israel petition seeking the release of 14 doctors from Gaza who are being held in Israel without charge.”
PHRI said that the group
“rejects the state’s position, arguing that its response fails to address the central issue raised by the petition: The continued detention of 14 doctors without charge or trial despite the catastrophic shortage of medical personnel in Gaza and the ongoing collapse of its healthcare system.”
Israel faces a South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice — the U.N.’s top tribunal — over its mass slaughter in Gaza.
Additionally, the International Criminal Court has issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes in the territory.
The U.N. commission nodded to those cases in its statement, stressing that
“Israel must adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” and reiterating panel’s “intent on ensuring legal accountability, including individual criminal and command responsibility.
To that end, the commission is committed to investigating alleged violations of international law and identifying those responsible,” it said, “and will continue sharing information collected with relevant judicial authorities.”
Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.
COMMENT | The findings were never in doubt. They lied. They stalled. They denied. And still, the truth emerged. Beneath the bravado and defiance lies something more troubling - the erosion of trust in institutions meant to safeguard citizenship.
For ordinary Malaysians who wait years, sometimes decades, for recognition of their rightful status, watching seven foreign footballers breeze through a flawed process is not just infuriating, it is heartbreaking.
The National Registration Department (NRD) rushed through the procedures to grant Malaysian citizenship to these players in an irregular fashion.
This is not new. Commentators, this writer included, had flagged the flaws as early as September last year, but as the issue dragged on, the evidence recorded by the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) Appeals Committee revealed falsification and forgery of documents.
The players could not speak Malay, did not meet the 10-year residency requirement, and yet excuses were piled high to justify the unjustifiable.
NRD head, Badrul Hisham Alias, and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail insisted they had exercised powers that were later proven non-existent. They clung to procedure as a shield, even as the cracks widened.
Exposing NRD’s failings
Yesterday, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) delivered a fitting riposte, exposing not only the NRD’s failings but also drawing in a third government department - immigration - into this sham.
It has laid bare the irregularities that critics long suspected. Citizenship approvals were rushed through in an unusually short period, entry permits were issued without proper interviews or security screenings, and the Malay language test was mishandled.
More damning still, the players failed to surrender their foreign passports, and authorities did not properly verify renunciation of their original citizenships.
The EAIC concluded that ministerial discretion was exercised without safeguards, and urged reforms - from clear standard operating procedures to mandatory timelines for renunciation - to prevent future abuse.
These findings are not minor technicalities; they are systemic failures that cheapen citizenship and betray Malaysians who wait years for recognition.
The findings were damning: from the issuance of entry passes by Immigration to the failure to submit the players’ original passports, every step reeked of irregularity. The brazenness of seven foreigners, newly arrived and already defiant, suggests the presence of “heavyweights” lurking in the shadows.
Don’t let report gather dust
Ordinary Malaysians, meanwhile, are left to wonder why their own painstaking applications are treated with suspicion while shortcuts are carved out for outsiders in the name of football glory.
This fiasco is not just about seven footballers. It is about the betrayal of trust, the corrosion of integrity, and the mockery of citizenship itself. For every Malaysian child born stateless, for every family waiting years for recognition, this episode is a slap in the face.
The seven ‘heritage’ footballers at the centre of the scandal
Citizenship is not a commodity to be traded for sporting advantage. It is a solemn bond between the individual and the nation. When institutions bend the rules for convenience, they erode the very foundation of belonging.
The EAIC’s findings must not end as another report gathering dust. Accountability must be demanded, reforms must be enacted, and those who orchestrated this charade must be named and shamed.
Is it a Malaysian malaise or a convention that errant civil servants are beyond reproach? Will those whose hands were soiled in such a disreputable exercise walk free? Or perhaps get a promotion and collect a healthy pension upon retirement.
Malaysia deserves better than a system where power is abused, documents are forged, and citizenship is cheapened. The lesson is clear: if we allow shadows to dictate the fate of our nation, we are all doomed.
R NADESWARAN says the NRD’s “instant citizenship” approval for foreign (not heritage) footballers has been called out by the EAIC, but offers little comfort to thousands of locals who have been waiting for years, if not decades, for citizenship. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com
JOHOR POLLS | Election Commission deputy chairperson Azmi Sharom clarified that there is no official dress code preventing voters from wearing shorts to polling stations.
He told Malaysiakini that the only restriction was clothing that carried political party logos or candidate branding.
This was in response to a voter who was allegedly barred from entering a polling station for the Skudai seat at SMK Taman Tun Aminah for wearing shorts.
“No such dress code. The only restriction is clothes with party logo or candidate,” Azmi (above) said.
The incident came to light after an individual posted photos in a Facebook group showing a man in a yellow T-shirt and above-the-knee khaki shorts standing outside the school.
The caption, written in Malay and Chinese, read: “Wearing shorts not allowed to enter to vote at SMK Tun Aminah.”
The person who was allegedly barred from the polling station
The photos also show the man speaking with a school security guard who purportedly denied him entry, as well as a sign on the school gate of an “Etika Pakaian Pelawat” (Visitor Dress Code) which prohibits male visitors from wearing shorts, ripped jeans, sleeveless tops, and slippers.
It is unclear if the Facebook poster is the individual who was turned away.
Apart from schools, polling is also conducted from 8am to 6pm at public halls that do not impose a dress code.
During the 2022 general election, Azmi similarly reminded the public to disregard viral misinformation claiming voters in shorts and slippers would be turned away.
IT has been the longest two weeks of Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s life, and Saturday (July 11) could decide whether his political career will go forward or otherwise
The caretaker Johor Mentri Besar has to do better or, at least, match the 40-seats that Barisan Nasional won in 2022.
But many can feel a special wind blowing as the big day approaches. A great deal of this wind has to do with the fact that it is quite difficult to find ordinary Johoreans, whatever their skin colour, say anything bad about the 47-year-old Onn.
The only people running him down are the opposition politicians who mock his boyish appearance and harp on his remark about not working with DAP.
If one has to summarise what Johoreans appreciate about Onn, it would be that he is not racist, he is immensely hard-working and unlike many politicians, does not spend his time playing politics.
Johor is arguably the only state where one gets the sense that there is an economic boom in the making and where job opportunities are drawing young people from neighbouring states.
After years of being scolded, cursed and shunned by the Chinese, many Barisan Nasional leaders can hardly believe their ears to hear Chinese say they are planning to vote for Barisan.
“I joined some Chinese aunties doing Zumba. They said they are voting for Ann Giap,” said Segamat Umno deputy division chief Dato Bastien Onn who has been campaigning for Barisan’s Jementah candidate See Ann Giap.
Bastien felt the same vibes when he attended the wake of a family member of the well-known Siang Hai Kee Restaurant in Segamat.
One of the locals told Bastien that, “state we give to Barisan, parliament to Pakatan”.
A Chinese newspaper columnist said 90% of Chinese support used to go to DAP, but three to four out of every 10 Chinese will likely go with Barisan in the Johor election.
Chinese in Johor are still unhappy about many things - they want fairness, to be treated as equals under the Malaysian sun, to have education opportunities in universities.
They will complain, complain, complain, then they suddenly stop and say: “But we like the MB”.
“He is hard-working, his policies are business friendly, and he knows how to bring in investments,” said How Yong Chang, the CEO of a development company who was born in Melaka but now sees himself as part of Bangsa Johor.
Realtor Kenny Wong also dismissed reports that many Chinese will stay home on polling day.
”Those who live here will definitely come out to vote, but I don’t know about those working outside of Johor,” said Wong.
Asked whether he knew how his friends and relatives would be voting, he said in a solemn tone: “They are angry”.
Angry with Umno?
His reply was shocking: “They are angry with Pakatan”.
The urban and more sophisticated folk do not take politicians and what they say seriously, but rural folk in the Malay kampungs and Chinese new villages tend to believe every word said; hence, the deep sense of disappointment.
However, DAP is still able to bring out the crowd at their ceramah and dinner gatherings. There are still many who will sink or swim with DAP.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the final stretch of the campaign is the way DAP has dropped all pretence about wooing multi-racial support. Their gatherings are almost entirely Chinese, with perhaps only the emcees being from another race.
DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming has thrown his heart and soul into the campaign. He has compared July 11 to “leaving a light for the future” and urged voters to “push change to the last step”.
Pakatan’s problem is that it has been unable to spell out what they have to offer Johoreans that is better than what Barisan has put in place.
Moreover, the Pakatan state government in 2018 was a disaster and was best remembered for having two mentri besar in two years.
China Press has predicted that DAP will be able to win only six of its 10 seats and that MCA may go from four to eight seats.
It is now Pakatan’s turn to press the panic button.
The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall joined the fray in urging voters to return to vote so that the government’s reform agenda can go on.
The SOS siren is blaring, and the party even brought out Lim Kit Siang, known as Lao Da (elder brother), to join the campaign, as well as another leader who is fighting two corruption charges in Penang.
If the Chinese vote is on the line, why then did Pakatan leaders try to play politics over the issue of tax exemptions for Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT)?
The MCA-inspired tertiary body is highly regarded by the community, and the issue erupted like a volcano in the Chinese media after MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong revealed that the Finance Ministry had shaved the institution’s 10-year tax exemption to three years with new conditions imposed.
Education is close to the Chinese heart, and Sin Chew Daily published an editorial defending Wee against those who criticised him for bringing it up at this critical junction.
The editorial asked: “You scolded MCA for bringing it up now. If not now, then when?”
Did Pakatan not learn from the Tanjung Piah debacle when moves against the same institution cost them the seat in Johor and were a catalyst for the Sheraton Move?
Had the Prime Minister not acted swiftly to reinstate the 10-year tax exemption, DAP might have gone home with another tray of eggs like what happened in Sabah.
Those residing in Johor have largely made up their minds about what and who they want.
But questions are still swirling about whether those outside will return to vote and who they will vote for.
Election workers bring ballot paper and indelible ink to the woman, who said she could not climb the stairs to the polling booth
An election worker helping the woman to mark her finger with indelible ink.
JOHOR BAHRU: A woman was allowed to cast her vote outside her designated polling station today after telling election workers she was unable to climb the stairs.
After verifying her particulars against the voters’ list, several election workers brought the ballot paper and a pot of indelible ink to her at the ground floor of Sekolah Rendah Agama Bersepadu Johor Bahru.
They helped her to mark her finger with indelible ink and looked away to give her privacy to mark her vote.
She then placed the ballot paper in an envelope, which was then sealed and dropped into a ballot box.
Polling agents representing the contesting parties were present to ensure the voting process, which took less than 10 minutes, went smoothly.
A police officer at the polling centre, who said he had been briefed by the Election Commission, told FMT the arrangement did not breach election rules as the entire process took place within the compound of the polling station.
“Since the voter couldn’t go upstairs because she had trouble climbing the stairs, the EC allowed her to vote outside, but in privacy,” the officer said.
College students Chen Sheng and Shan Sheng, both 21, say they do not want to miss the opportunity to carry out their civic responsibility
Polling centres across Johor opened at 8am today for the 16th state election.
PETALING JAYA: A pair of first-time voters started queuing at the SK Taman Molek polling centre at 6am, clearly excited to cast their ballots in the Johor state election.
College students Chen Sheng and Shan Sheng, both 21, left Kuala Lumpur at 2am by car so they could reach the polling centre in Johor Bahru early in the morning.
Chen Sheng said they arrived in their hometown at 5.30am and managed to squeeze in a quick breakfast before forming a line outside the polling centre, Berita Harian reported.
“We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to vote. It’s our first time voting so we’re very excited. Every Malaysian should carry out their civic responsibility (and vote),” he said.
At the Sekolah Agama Taman Molek polling centre, disabled retiree Abdul Razak Hussain, 66, was among the early-birds this morning.
Razak said he booked an e-hailing vehicle to fetch him from his home in Taman Pelangi Indah to the polling centre, and officers at the polling centre assisted him upon his arrival.
“I still come out and vote (despite his disability) because it is important for the country. I hope youngsters do not miss this opportunity to vote as well,” he said.
The Puteri Wangsa seat is being contested by five candidates, including former education minister Maszlee Malik for Pakatan Harapan.
Muda president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, who is not contesting this time around, won the seat with a solid 7,114-vote majority in the 2022 state polls under an election pact with PH.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul officiate the opening of a new road alignment linking the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex with Thailand’s Sadao Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex. — Bernama pic
First Published: Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 8:44 AM MYT
SIMPANG RENGGAM, July 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today expressed disappointment over Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s continued political attacks against him despite the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to drive development in the state.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman described the attacks as unwarranted, saying he has consistently worked hard to advance Kedah’s development agenda for the benefit of its people.
“I read in the media that the Kedah Menteri Besar was in Johor and attacked me. When I went to Kedah, he did not even turn up, yet we brought the Thai Prime Minister there (to Bukit Kayu Hitam), not to Kuala Lumpur but to that remote area,” he said when speaking at the PH Grand Finale programme for the Layang-Layang state constituency here last night.
He said bringing Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Bukit Kayu Hitam yesterday was aimed at officiating the opening of a new road alignment as part of efforts to boost the border economy, thereby benefiting the people of Perlis and Kedah.
Anwar stressed that he would not sideline any state, including those governed by the opposition, because his responsibility is to all Malaysians.
“Even though Kedah is governed by PAS, I do not think that way. I think about my responsibility. I want to help my people, I want to help Malaysia,” he said.
Earlier, media reports quoted Muhammad Sanusi as mocking the Prime Minister by claiming that Anwar behaved as though every state depended on the Federal Government after coming to power.
Earlier today, Anwar and Anutin officiated the opening of the new road alignment linking the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex with Thailand’s Sadao Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex.
In a separate development, the Prime Minister said the government plans to increase the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance if the Federal Government remains stable and PH continues to receive the people’s mandate.
He said the increase would be possible because the government is managing the country’s finances prudently without any leakage.
The PH Grand Finale programme for the Layang-Layang state constituency was one of five events attended by Anwar in Johor to support PH candidates and campaign machinery ahead of the Johor state election today. — Bernama
US President Donald Trump’s private Boeing 757, nicknamed “Trump Force One”, is seen parked at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 9, 2026. Trump’s use of a Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 as Air Force One has come under renewed scrutiny after reports raised questions about the aircraft’s security features. — AFP pic
First Published: Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 8:44 AM MYT
WASHINGTON, July 11 — US President Donald Trump faces questions about the security of his new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, after he took an older jet home from a Nato summit this week.
The billionaire president has barely been able to contain his excitement over the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which took him to Ankara on its maiden trip outside the United States.
But then Trump abruptly announced in Turkey that he was sending the luxury plane on ahead to a British airbase – saying it was so US troops could tour the plane donated by the Qatari royal family.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the new plane lacked the same security countermeasures boasted by the older jet, including anti-missile defences. US media also reported that the Secret Service had advised the switch.
Speculation was fuelled by the fact that US hostilities had flared again with Iran, which borders Turkey, and because journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also told to keep their window blinds down, a step normally reserved for war zones.
Trump himself denied any security concerns – but after switching back to the new plane for the flight from the UK to Washington, he referred to alleged Iranian assassination attempts.
“You’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with,” he said.
‘Every tool at our disposal’
The White House defended the new plane’s safety.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement to AFP on Friday.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
In a similar statement to some US media on Thursday, Cheung said those tools included “distraction and misdirection,” in an apparent reference to the plane swap.
The Secret Service referred queries to the White House.
While US officials never disclose details, the older Air Force Ones are widely reported to have sophisticated countermeasures that can jam enemy radar and infrared tracking systems.
They also reportedly have dispensers for chaff – metal shavings that distract radar-guided missiles – and flares that blind heat-seeking missiles.
It is unclear which, if any, of those measures are on the Qatari plane, although it lacks some of the specialised external equipment fairings that are visible on the older jets.
Qatar’s royal family donated the luxury airliner last year after Trump complained about the state of the two ageing Boeing 747 jets that had served as Air Force One since 1990.
The plane was then rapidly retrofitted and flew Trump for the first time on July 1, to North Dakota.
‘Real national security concerns’
But the US military has previously admitted it had to make compromises – mainly on the internal décor – to get the aircraft into service as quickly as possible for Trump.
“No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years,” the US Air Force said in a June statement.
But Senate Democrats asked the Air Force in a letter sent the day Trump arrived in Turkey to explain “real national security concerns” about the Qatari plane.
Former US security officials also expressed doubts.
“No matter what you do to retrofit a Qatari jet, it’s never going to be built from scratch to have the defensive capabilities like a tailor-made Air Force One,” retired Brigadier General John Teichert, former US Air Force assistant deputy under secretary, told Fox News.
The Qatari jet is acting as a stopgap until two brand new Boeing Air Force Ones are delivered later this decade following a series of delays. After that, it is due to be donated to Trump’s planned presidential library.
But Qatar’s donation of a jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars has also raised ethical questions about whether a US president should receive or use such a gift from a foreign power. — AFP
The ongoing corporate espionage trial involving an alleged leak of Petronas business secrets to Petros has added another layer of complexity to efforts to resolve the Petronas-Petros dispute and broader federal-state oil and gas issues. - Scoop combo pic, July 9, 2026
A zero-sum outcome where the winner takes all will ensure everyone loses
Zainul Arifin Updated 18 hours ago 10 July, 2026 8:00 AM MYT
AN ongoing trial of what is likely to be the highest profile corporate espionage in Malaysia may well be the impetus to resolve soonest the current legal imbroglio between Petronas and Sarawak’s own Petros, as well as the seeming standoff between Putrajaya and Kuching on oil and gas matters in the state.
The allegation of Petronas business secrets being leaked to Petros when both are having talks can only suggest mistrust, and if that is true it is an underhanded move to get clarity of another’s strength and vulnerabilities that will surely be beneficial at the negotiating table.
Alas, the alleged leak is yet another layer weighing in on top of an already difficult and protracted effort for a solution that will address Sarawak’s ambitions as well as the national interest in the oil and gas sector.
Of course, this may all be untrue and the conclusion on the on-going trial of an ex-Petronas employee charged with spilling company secrets to Petros may prove to be just that, too.
It must be noted that Petros has publicly distanced itself from the allegation, adding that it has not been privy to the unauthorised document allegedly sent to its chief executive officer and financial controller. It also said that it respects and will not interfere with the legal proceedings.
But the optics, man, are not great.
For Petronas, not only will the alleged leak affect how it interacts with Petros, but for a corporation with many huge international deals and partners such an incident is not helpful to its image as a top notch oil and gas player.
The trial of the Petronas employee, who has since been removed from the company, for illegally sharing the company’s restricted documents of its the upstream unit thus far has not unearthed what was the motive of the employee to do what he is alleged to have done – was he induced or was he acting on his own accord? Was it a friendly sharing of information without any nefarious intent?
The alleged incident in late 2024 would have happened when the two companies were talking of how to divvy up the state’s gas business, as well as to determine the national oil company’s conduct and operations there.
Not much progress has been made on the issue, in fact they found themselves at the opposite end of several issues that both companies have been going to the courts to plead their cases and to help them arrive at something that they cannot.
Notwithstanding the legalese and representations on oil and gas operations in the state, things have evolved into philosophical musings with real world consequences. The courts are asked to decide which of the laws, Federal or Sarawak’s, reigns supreme when it comes to the oil and gas reserves in Sarawak – between the Petroleum Development Act, 1974, and Sarawak’s Oil Mining Ordinance, 1958.
In fact this may even be an existential threat to the sanctity of the national constitution since if a law of the land is not deemed to be supreme, what is to become of the rest of them? But that of course is an alarmist point of view.
Similarly, on the political front, despite various pronouncements over the past few years from Putrajaya and Kuching that the matter is close to a resolution, it clearly has not. And it is likely not to be resolved so soon as a State-Federal dispute can be an appealing grist for the political wheel. Perhaps ahead of an election, be it the State or Federal, the issue will be fodder on campaign rounds when hustings for votes, too. But, I digress.
For Petronas, not only will the alleged leak affect how it interacts with Petros, but for a corporation with many huge international deals and partners such an incident is not helpful to its image as a top notch oil and gas player. – Bernama file pic, July 10, 2026
Despite murmurings and protestations, Petronas for 50 years has been the sole body to coordinate and develop oil and gas resources in the country,
The murmurings have gone louder over the past few years, especially from Sarawak, and subsequently other producing states like Sabah and Terengganu, too. Essentially, they argue that they have not benefitted as much from the exploitation of the resources in their states.
And with Sarawak and Sabah there are also the promises that were made when the two agreed to join Malaya and Singapore, which left soon after, to form Malaysia. This has been a highly emotional and political issue that is not going away any time soon, and is a potent component in the heady mix of Sabah/Sarawak-Semenanjung politics.
With this in the background, the corporate espionage case, and all the other cases, once adjudicated will not end the dispute between the parties.
Also, in the courts, someone will lose, and the losers of a protracted and messy legal process are unlikely to be happy. It can also be argued that the winners will also not be able to crow either.
Perhaps we should look beyond the courts, as seeking arbitration and adjudication suggests adversarial positions that cannot be resolved with talks and compromise. In fact, being of one nation, we should try to smooth things at the table.
The Petros-Petronas issue does not have to be a zero sum game, where the winner takes all. Let’s not let the courts be the arbiter of who will be the winner, and the loser. In an issue between a state and the country, the winner will unfortunately be the loser, too.
We can take a leaf from the various joint development models that Malaysia is in when faced with overlapping maritime boundary claims with its neighbours. The joint developments, without prejudices, allow Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia to put on the shelves their territorial claims, and yet not be paralysed from developing and economically benefitting from the disputed territories.
Ideally, all decisions must be made with Petros, Petronas, Sarawak and Malaysia in mind. Despite competing claims and interests, at the end, like the joint development areas, it must be a business decision that benefits everyone.
It will be a series of compromises, that all parties must commit to, lest the issue be hijacked as the hobby horse for politicians looking for quick wins. – July 10, 2026
Datuk Zainul Arifin is the Chief Executive Officer of Big Boom Media that publishes Scoop.my
The result will be the loss of PH representation in the Johor state assembly, only to be likely replaced by conservative candidates who are a reflection of the past 60 years of governance. Murray Hunter Jul 10, 2026
AS we get closer to the Johor state election on July 11, it is becoming apparent that many voters have the intention to ‘punish’ Pakatan Harapan at the polls.
Such a protest by not voting is a right voters have. However, there is a ‘catch-22’ in undertaking such an action by staying home.
Yes, not turning out to vote for Pakatan Harapan will certainly ‘punish’ PH. Those who take out their anger will feel a temporary surge of satisfaction.
However, the result will be the loss of PH representation in the Johor state assembly, only to be likely replaced by conservative candidates who are a reflection of the past 60 years of governance.
Those that primarily looked after the interests of one section of the population and allowed the ‘elite’ to greatly benefit at the cost of the rakyat.
This means that ‘punishing’ PH will only return Malaysia to this dark period, where non-Malays were greatly disadvantaged in education, social services, and even in becoming part of the civil service.
Many may indeed want to ‘punish’ PH for allegedly not achieving many promised reforms.
However, by doing this, the groups that have played a major role in sabotaging PH will be in direct power once again. They are waiting in the corners to possibly free their past leader, and look to building up wealth again at a great cost to the Rakyat.
The Johor state election aims to build up the momentum of these conservative forces that harbour the ‘deep state’ that profits from the operations of government through opaque means.
Not voting on Saturday will be the beginning of bringing back the dark ages once again to Malaysia.
Sadly, once this happens, it will never be allowed to be reversed.
Malaysia will be flung back into the dark ages and sit idly by watching the rest of Asia march ahead.
Many voters may be very angry at PH, but the consequences of not voting will have deep repercussions.
How you vote on Saturday will go far in determining the future of Malaysia. Please think about your actions as voters on Saturday and the potential repercussions. – July 9, 2026
BREAKING NEWS: Ukrainian authority officers killed a woman who set off a bomb in Monaco, a court heard today.
A serving Ukraine army intelligence agent and a former Kyiv security bureau officer took her to the woods, killed her with a gun, and buried the corpse, a court was told.
She was “disposable” after doing her job, one source was quoted as saying by the UK Guardian.
Other law enforcement authorities caught the two men and made them reveal where the body was buried.
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THE JOB SHE DID
The bomb she planted in Monaco hit a Ukrainian family – a man, woman and child – who had been sanctioned by the Ukraine government.
The Zelensky administration is expected to deny any knowledge of the current crimes.
But it looks awkward. The country’s government was widely acknowledged to be the most corrupt in Europe before the 2022 conflict caused a dramatic change of tune about Ukraine in western mainstream media.
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LONG, WINDING TALE
This whole murder mystery is a bizarre, winding tale.
In 2023, the Ukraine government imposed sanctions on a Ukrainian citizen named Vadym Iermolaiev, a wealthy businessman who ran an alcohol business in Crimea.
Crimea was taken back by Russia, but the man continued his trade and paid tax to the new rulers of the area, as he was obliged to do. This angered Zelensky’s government—who hit him with sanctions.
Iermolaiev felt this was unfair, and made donations to Ukraine’s military to show his loyalty. But he did give up his citizenship, Ukrainian media said.
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RUCKSACK BOMB
On June 29, a woman named Anastasia Berezovska left a rucksack outside a Monaco residential block. It blew up in the face of Iermolaiev, his partner, and their child, aged 13. The two adults were gravely injured, the child less so.
But the bomber’s image was caught on a security camera, and she was identified.
Anastasia Berezovska, 39, who sometimes disguised herself as a man, investigators said, drove away from the scene in a car with German registration plates, crossing into France, then Italy, and then reaching Ukraine on Wednesday 1 July.
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BODY FOUND
On Tuesday this week, investigators said Berezovska’s body had been found in a shallow grave in the woods near Kiev, the capital city.
One of the men accused, Vladyslav Reut, has just appeared in court, accused of her murder. He worked for army intelligence.
He said that it was his companion who actually killed the woman, naming him as a former Kyiv security bureau officer named Vitaliy Zhykovych.
The court hearing will continue.
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ALL VERY AWKWARD
The Ukrainian government will argue that the attack was to do with criminal matters, and there is no political angle.
But of course, that’s the whole issue when it comes to governments with high levels of corruption. That gap, all too often, is rather small.
