Italy to extradite Ukrainian Nord Stream sabotage suspect to Germany

al Jazeera:

Italy to extradite Ukrainian Nord Stream sabotage suspect to Germany

Former Ukrainian officer Serhii Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of infrastructure

A Russian construction worker at the site of the Nord Stream pipeline construction in Portovaya Bay, about 170km (106 miles) northwest of St Petersburg, Russia, in 2010 [File: Dmitry Lovetsky/AP]



By Kevin Doyle and News Agencies
Published On 20 Nov 2025


Italy’s top court has approved the extradition to Germany of a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe in 2022.

The suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov, 49, has denied being part of a cell of saboteurs accused of placing explosives on the underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea, severing much of Russia’s gas transfers to Europe and prompting supply shortages on the continent.

After Italy originally blocked Kuznietsov’s extradition last month over an issue with a German arrest warrant, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation approved the transfer on Wednesday.

Kuznietsov “will therefore be surrendered to Germany within the next few days”, his lawyer Nicola Canestrini said.

The suspect, a former officer in the Ukrainian military, has denied any role in the attack and has fought attempts to transfer him to Germany since he was detained on a European arrest warrant in the Italian town of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his family, in August.




“However great the disappointment, I remain confident in an acquittal after the full trial in Germany,” Canestrini said in a statement.

Last month, a court in Poland ruled against handing over another Ukrainian suspect wanted by Germany in connection with the pipeline explosions and ordered his immediate release from detention.

Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of important structures.

German prosecutors said he used forged identity documents to charter a yacht that departed from the German city of Rostock to carry out the attack near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.

According to extradition documents, prosecutors said Kuznietsov organised and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs containing 14kg to 27kg (31lb to 62lb) of explosives at a depth of 70 to 80 metres (230ft to 263ft).




The explosions damaged both the Nord Stream 1 and the Nord Stream 2 pipelines so severely that no gas could be transported through them. In total, four ruptures were discovered in the pipelines after the attack.

Kuznietsov says he was a member of the Ukrainian armed forces and in Ukraine at the time of the incident, a claim his defence team has said would give him “functional immunity” under international law.

Earlier this month, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sent a letter to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing concern about Kuznietsov’s extradition.

Al Jazeera


“The destruction of the pipelines dealt a significant blow to Russia’s war machine in its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine,” the MEPs wrote.

“From the standpoint of international law, actions undertaken in defence against such aggression, including the neutralisation of the enemy’s military infrastructure, fall within the lawful conduct of a just war,” they wrote.

“We, therefore, urge the Italian government to suspend any steps toward extradition until the guarantees of functional immunity and state responsibility are thoroughly and independently assessed,” they added.

Kuznietsov, who faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty by a German court, has been held in a high security jail in Italy since his arrest and at one point staged a hunger strike to protest against his prison conditions.

Six other suspects in the case remain at large.

Kg Papan developer link: PSM calls Lip Eng's legal threat 'silencing attempt'

Kg Papan developer link: PSM calls Lip Eng's legal threat 'silencing attempt'


Published: Nov 20, 2025 11:49 AM
Updated: 2:49 PM



PSM has criticised Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng for threatening legal action against those questioning his law firm’s links to the developer of Kampung Papan in Pandamaran, Klang, calling it an attempt to silence critics.

Party deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan said his initial remarks merely urged DAP to clarify whether there was a conflict of interest in Lim representing the developer, Melati Ehsan Holdings Berhad.

This is as another DAP lawmaker, Pandamaran assemblyperson Tony Leong, was opposing the same developer over the eviction of Kampung Papan residents.

Arutchelvan said that this clarification must come from the DAP leadership, and not from Lim, who is linked to the issue.

"In his statement, Lim emphasised that his client ‘lawfully obtained the requisite eviction orders from the High Court of Shah Alam’ and is ‘under no legal obligation to make any land surrender.’

“While this may be technically true, what the MP failed to mention is that there is an ongoing appeal in the Court of Appeal, as well as a stay of eviction protecting the affected families.

“It is deeply concerning that the Kepong MP and lawyer has now resorted to subtle threats, warning against ‘defamatory statements and unfounded allegations.’

"I can only interpret this as an attempt to silence public discussion on this important issue," he added in a statement today.

Malaysiakini has contacted Lim for a response.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng


‘No conflict of interest’

Yesterday, Lim insisted that there was no professional misconduct or conflict of interest regarding his legal firm’s representation of Melati Ehsan amid the ongoing controversy over the eviction.

“Any implication of professional misconduct or conflict of interest is not only unfounded but also demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of legal professional ethics.

“The terms discussed in our dialogue constitute a conventional legal framework for settlement negotiations, wherein the withdrawal of outstanding appeals represents a standard and necessary precondition for achieving comprehensive resolution in prolonged legal matters,” Lim had said.

He also warned that those making “defamatory statements and unfounded allegations” could face legal action.

Lim explained that his firm, Stella, Lim & Co, acts as one of the solicitors for Melati Ehsan in connection with the company’s housing project.

He said that after Melati Ehsan obtained an eviction order through another appointed law firm, it subsequently instructed his firm to engage in constructive dialogue with the Selangor government regarding its voluntary land surrender proposal, which involves both the state’s affordable housing programme and the relocation of affected places of worship.

Palestine, bilateral trade top agenda as Anwar meets Ramaphosa in South Africa

Palestine, bilateral trade top agenda as Anwar meets Ramaphosa in South Africa



Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa after a press conference at the Seri Perdana Complex, Putrajaya on Oct 25, 2025. — Bernama pic

Thursday, 20 Nov 2025 10:12 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — The Palestinian issue is expected to be among the main points of discussion during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa as part of his working visit to the country.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, is expected to arrive in Johannesburg today to begin his working visit in conjunction with this week’s Group of 20 (G20) Summit.

He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Ramaphosa on Friday (Nov 21).

Malaysia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Datuk Yubazlan Yusof, said the Prime Minister will convey Malaysia’s firm stance in efforts to end the violence in Gaza, in line with South Africa’s commitment to the issue of apartheid – a shared position that continues to strengthen bilateral relations.


“One of the issues Malaysia has long championed is apartheid, and at present Malaysia and South Africa are jointly advocating for the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.

“That shared connection is what strengthens Malaysia-South Africa bilateral relations,” he said at an online media briefing on Wednesday.

Yubazlan said this was consistent with Malaysia’s steadfast position in demanding justice for Palestine and South Africa’s role in bringing Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the genocide in Gaza.


Apart from the Palestinian issue, he said both leaders are expected to explore current cooperation and new opportunities to enhance bilateral trade, as well as strengthen collaboration in the education and capacity-building sectors.

Meanwhile, Yubazlan said Malaysia’s strong support for the Palestinian struggle will also be underscored by the Prime Minister in an interview with academic and activist Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh on the second day of the working visit.

Besides attending the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday, Anwar – accompanied by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa – will meet the Muslim community and the Malaysian diaspora in Johannesburg.

During his official visit to Kuala Lumpur for the 47th Asean Summit late last month, Ramaphosa noted that relations between the two countries date back more than 300 years, rooted in shared history and struggles against slavery and colonialism.

Ramaphosa had also thanked Malaysia for recognising South Africa’s position on the Palestinian cause and for supporting its decision to file a case at the ICJ.

In 2024, South Africa was Malaysia’s largest trading partner on the African continent, with total bilateral trade valued at RM7.82 billion (US$1.71 billion).

Malaysia’s exports to South Africa amounted to RM3.84 billion, while imports stood at RM3.98 billion.

Anwar is scheduled to depart for Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov 23 for the final leg of his African tour. — Bernama

Fifa is not going to change Malaysia

Fifa is not going to change Malaysia




Thursday, 20 Nov 2025 9:11 AM MYT

By Praba Ganesan



NOVEMBER 20 — When Matt Damon’s Will Hunting uses his genius to dismantle and annihilate a plagiarising graduate student at a Harvard Bar in defence of his plain construction worker friend in the Oscar winner Good Will Hunting, the outcome was never in doubt.

He’d lose.


Class always wins, in movies and in life. Upper class, I mean, the wealthy, the powerful, those who were born to win, those with stock options and lengthy titles growing longer by the decade.

The antagonist turns to Will and says that he might be a fake but later in life he’d be holidaying at a ski resort and stop by the gas stop where the negligible like the genius flip burgers.


Because social class is permanent, was his underlying message.


All the facts in the world will not turn the true order upside down, is the argument. That Orwell’s fear of the boot on all our faces forever is too late as a message. Orwell erred to think the boot is new, it’s always stomped us.

Which best describes the bitterness I swallow knowing Fifa’s castigation of Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) — its visible and not so visible characters — will amount to very little in my tanah air.


There are no scenarios where the just prevail as it stands in Malaysia. But we can laugh. The only refuge for the powerless.

In Fifa’s Appeal Committee’s words, “the Committee wished to express both its surprise and disappointment with the FAM’s (Football Association of Malaysia) failure to identify the individuals responsible for the tampering, their rank, or their specific roles within the association is deeply troubling.” [Article 253, Decision of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee passed on 25 September 2025 (Ref. FDD-24394), passed on November 3, 2025.]

On October 9, 2025, I asked us to not in our zeal clobber FAM end up slamming our own heritage, history and feelings associated with football.

I was that little boy sitting in the living room with his father watching the match, Malaysia defeats South Korea to qualify for the 1980 Olympics.

A lot of me does not want to upset fans, my brothers and sisters that I share this passion with. The past, the present and the future they carry on with.

Yet our love cannot hide the madness perpetrated. The brazen acts executed without hesitation and even when caught, ignored. Absolutely certain they’d get away with it all, they’ve scratched remorse out of their lexicon.

It’s all about goals, the angles picked

A decision was made — not too long ago — to pursue better players to get better results for our national football team.

They found a friend, literally, Rob Friend to taskforce it. Only via a hearing in Miami, Florida, USA were Malaysians informed that the national team’s CEO unapologetically prefers to define himself as a consultant who flies in from 16 time-zones away in Canada for matchdays.

I’m no sports consultant but the self-description seems an apparent effort to water down his involvement in the fiasco.

Malaysia played Nepal two days ago, so he might still be at Wisma FAM today. I suppose Friend is one of those distance adherents — hellbent to sustain s physical distance from his brief in an earnest effort to maintain objectivity about his wards.

Twelve thousand kilometres via Narita or Incheon should do the trick. He might have to fly back in when Fifa visits to investigate.

He is nothing without the selfless agents who sourced these players.

They possess clairvoyance beyond The Matrix’s Oracle, or investigative nous superior to CSI Miami — that city again!

How else to explain their discovery of up to 27 professional footballers with at least a grandparent born in Malaysia, even if the players did not know about it.

They approached certain Malaysian individuals and the players, and both readily agreed with them. Why would football agents — famous mercenaries — reach out to people with money other than to sate their innate desire to make a better world?

The dominant version circulating is that these certain Malaysian individuals of impeachable qualities once approached said let’s give it a go.

No harm to see if the Home Ministry of one of the strictest countries in the world when it comes to citizenship can issue citizenships on demand. I mean, Netflix and Amazon do videos on demand, why can’t Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) with its super friendly officers issue passports before matchday?

They were right, KDN found a way.

On October 9, 2025, that day again, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail tells Dewan Rakyat in the aftermath of the initial Fifa ruling that all parts of Article 19 of the Federal Constitution pertaining to citizenship were diligently fulfilled, when processing the seven players.

The rules, according to the minister, are the following. Applicant files own form without agents, complies with residency requirements and speaks sufficient Malay.

The players told the Fifa committee last month, in Spanish I suppose, they only signed the documents and have no knowledge of Malay. Their deposition shows they never lived in Malaysia before.

So, I went to the parliamentary Hansard and read what the minister said verbatim in Malay. The seven did not live in Malaysia, the minister used his discretion to interpret them never being in Malaysia as the same as them being in Malaysia.

The minister’s officers said they had enough Malay by just breathing in the air at the ministry, when they first visited Malaysia earlier this year.

Guttural noises or mouthwash gargling can sound like passable Malay if the evaluating officer opens his mind and listens with his heart.



The writer argues that even Fifa’s damning verdict won’t shake a system where the powerful set the rules — and rewrite the documents. — Reuters file pic



To say they had the Maggi Mee version to citizenship is being unfair to instant noodles. The minister steered the stratagem to the finishing line utilising his prerogative to bypass requirements using Section 20(1)(e) of Article 19.

KDN thought it was sorted. They were unaware that Fifa was aware that countries might buy trophies by issuing passports liberally.

Even with passports, new citizens have to establish their residency or blood ties to this new country they want to give their last full measure of devotion on a football pitch. Including diving.

Therefore, unnamed individuals in FAM altered birth certificates to prove that and filed them. FAM admitted to administrative adjustments to birth certificates.

In Cheras, when the people who issue certificates correct their certificates, it is called a reissue. When people who receive certificate copies from other people and then tamper with them, it’s called falsification and the output a forgery. But what do we simple folks in Cheras know?

Imagine our shock that Fifa also agrees with Cheras, and not FAM?

FAM generated seven fables about seven players. Found out, they still won’t out who did it or ordered FAM to do it.

It’s criminal, Fifa concluded.

The Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh responds that she’s asked the home minister, since it is his portfolio. I suppose we should limit our questions to Yeoh pertaining to Mobile Legends and the expected low medal count at the Thai Sea Games. Fraud, forgery and the public’s trust are above her paygrade.

Suckers!

The Malaysian system of government is about wearing out the rakyat. Passing the buck has been successful for 70 years, they’d like to continue the rich tradition.

They are going to pass the Malaysian public from one statement to another, one pledge to another, one portfolio to another, one explanation to another till another scandal can draw the attention.

The rakyat can leave their comments in a social media post near them till the furore dies off.

The powerful have the means, they have the large buildings, they have the men with forms and email addresses to busy us up if we stick to this intention to bother them. They have Section 20(1)(e) of Article 19, of the Federal Constitution.

The federal government does what my seven-year-old niece Maya does when she does not like the question, she ignores you.

That’s the real outcome from this. Those who are guilty, work to look guilty somewhat, to maybe “they were guilty but we forget about what” status, to giving them a service award paid for by taxpayers.

By then we’d be flipping too many burgers to read certificates let alone know they were forged.

When KL mayor exits abruptly — Mustafa K. Anuar

 

When KL mayor exits abruptly — Mustafa K. Anuar


Thursday, 20 Nov 2025 8:35 AM MYT


NOVEMBER 20 — The sudden exit of Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif from her appointed position as Kuala Lumpur City Mayor on November 14 predictably sparked controversy.

She left long before the scheduled end of her tenure on August 16 next year. She then began her new job as Petronas Property Advisor on November 17.

Some were puzzled as well as disappointed that the competent Maimunah, who had shown remarkable leadership, had had her tenure cut short.

In particular, under her leadership, the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) successfully overcame its deficit positions, recording a current surplus of RM27.6 million in 2024, compared to a deficit of RM75.3 million in 2023 and RM283 million in 2022.


Maimunah also managed to put DBKL on the world map through various initiatives, including strategic collaboration with Unicef under the Cash Plus Programme and Child-Friendly City Initiatives.


Her leadership had also earned her various prestigious national and international awards, such as the Best Local Authority Leadership Excellence Award (City category) 2025 in conjunction with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Award.

She also received the “Women of the Decade” recognition from the Women Economic Forum and was the recipient of the Leadership Award 2025 from Fira de Barcelona at the World Smart City Expo 2025.


That is why people were taken aback when Maimunah was taken out of DBKL so soon as they felt that she had a lot more to achieve and offer at the helm of DBKL.

Former Cabinet minister and MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad called on the government to clarify this abrupt termination.

Maimunah’s untimely exit also renewed interest in reviving local council elections, which were seen as crucial in ensuring transparency and accountability in governance at the local level.

MPs such as Nik Nazmi rightly contended that Kuala Lumpur residents should have a bigger say in how the city is run.

Such reactions were largely brought about by the historical fact that local council elections were suspended after Emergency was proclaimed in late 1964 following the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.

Subsequently, the Local Government Act of 1976, which Parliament passed, abolished local government elections and allowed state governments to appoint councillors.

There were undoubtedly people who rejected the idea of resuscitating local council elections.

For example, Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz argued that DBKL election was unnecessary as what was needed was to headhunt someone who’s efficient and has creative ideas.

The thing is, we already had Maimunah who had proven to be capable and industrious, and yet she was shown the door before the designated time.

The detractors may argue that having elected councillors would not necessarily ensure the emergence of effective local councils as councillors can be incompetent, ineffective and quite possibly, corruptible.



The writer argues that Datuk Seri Maimunah’s sudden exit exposes the flaws of an unelected local government system long overdue for reform. — Picture by Firdaus Latif



If we were to follow through this argument, cynics may contend that we would have to do away with national and state elections as the past has shown that there were inefficient, ineffective and/or corrupt federal ministers and state executive councillors.

In addition, those who opposed having local elections cited high costs of holding them.

Responding to such an assertion, Asian legal studies scholar Andrew Harding argued that the inefficiency and disconnect at the federal and state levels of government were more costly than holding local elections.

What is also important for us to remember is that our democracy is incomplete without the third tier of governance, that is, local government.

It is envisaged that this is where local communities would have a say in helping to shape development in their localities together with the elected councillors.

Moreover, local councils provide the essential checks and balances in a democracy.

As intimated above, local councils have important functions to perform supposedly for the collective good of the local residents.

They are to manage public services and infrastructure, which includes urban planning, waste management, and basic amenities.

In this regard, clogged drains and potholes in the road should not be the worries of some MPs.

Also, the councils act as licensing authorities, collect assessment taxes, and enforce by-laws, with mandatory functions.

Public concern for a better public transport system, for example, should be prioritised by elected councillors to ensure that it benefits members of the public.

To reiterate, local councils should be answerable to the local taxpayers and residents, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and class backgrounds.

Councillors who do not perform or do not put enough emphasis on the interests and concerns of their constituents should be shown the door via the ballot box.

Local residents should have the democratic right to decide on the tenure of their councillors.

Replacing Hamzah as opposition leader would doom PN, says analyst

FMT:

Replacing Hamzah as opposition leader would doom PN, says analyst

4 hours ago
Anne Muhammad

This follows rumours of a push for Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin to take over the role from Hamzah Zainudin

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin is also Bersatu deputy president.

PETALING JAYA: An analyst warns that any attempt to remove Hamzah Zainudin as opposition leader would spell doom for Perikatan Nasional (PN) as the Bersatu deputy president is one of the coalition’s most important assets.

Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said Hamzah had the unique ability of bridging the more technocratic Bersatu with the Islamic PAS in PN.

He said the Bersatu top leadership also seemed aware that appointing a new opposition leader would spark greater infighting at a time when several state elections are set to be held, namely in Sabah this month and then Melaka and Johor in the coming years.

“Opening up a debate on the opposition leader’s post with these state elections approaching would leave a ticking time bomb in the party,” he told FMT.

Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.


This follows a viral letter calling for Hamzah’s removal as Bersatu deputy president and leader of the opposition in the Dewan Rakyat, claiming he was behind moves that undermined the party leadership.


The letter, which was drafted to be signed off by a Bersatu elected representative or leader, proposed that Bersatu vice-president and Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin take over the role of opposition leader.

The document was circulated online just as 19 Bersatu MPs, including Muhyiddin, convened at the former prime minister’s home for a high-profile meeting on Tuesday night.

Muhyiddin later said that all 18 MPs stated their backing for him as Bersatu president, while Sabak Bernam MP Kalam Salan said there were no discussions about replacing the opposition leader at the meeting.

Nonetheless, speculation continued to swirl as Muhyiddin had posted a video of Radzi leading the MPs, including Hamzah, in a short chant stating their support for the Bersatu president.

Syaza Shukri.


Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said the opposition leader was supposed to be a figure who was prominent and capable enough to be an alternative prime minister, pointing out that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had held the post for several years.

“Radzi replacing Hamzah as opposition leader doesn’t look right. The opposition leader is meant to be like an alternative prime minister. Is Radzi the man for PN?” she asked.

Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan did not foresee the Bersatu leadership taking such direct action on Hamzah for now, saying they would likely “target” his supporters first.

Azmi Hassan.


Azmi said it appeared that Muhyiddin wanted to lower the temperature and alleviate the party’s internal turmoil by emphasising that Bersatu’s focus was on the Sabah polls.


However, he said this was merely kicking the can down the road, and questioned how long this latest compromise after the MPs’ show of support for the president would last.

“Eventually, this leadership issue will still blow up,” he said. “It may not even be after the Sabah polls but before polling day.”

Bersatu has been facing escalating tensions since the sacking of Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and the suspension of Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, amid an apparent leadership feud between Muhyiddin and Hamzah.

***

Whenever I read news adverse to PN it's like music to my ears, not because I dislike BERSATU but more because I want to see PAS frigg-ed properly, wakakaka

Israeli airstrikes kill 25 Palestinians in Gaza, rattling ceasefire

FMT:

Israeli airstrikes kill 25 Palestinians in Gaza, rattling ceasefire

Hamas condemns the strikes as a dangerous escalation, urging the US to uphold its commitments and apply immediate pressure

Palestinians killed or wounded in the Israeli strike on al-Mawasi are brought to the Palestine-Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Yunis. (Reuters pic)

JERUSALEM: At least 25 Palestinians were killed in four Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday in a part of Gaza under Hamas control since a shaky ceasefire took effect in October, health authorities said.

The Israeli military said its forces struck Hamas targets across Gaza after members of the Palestinian militant group fired on its troops in violation of the nearly six-week-old ceasefire. No Israeli forces were injured.

Hamas condemned the Israeli strikes as a dangerous escalation, and urged the United States to “honor its stated commitments and exert immediate pressure on Israel to enforce the ceasefire and halt its attacks.”


But a US official, who spoke anonymously, said Hamas was aiming to break the ceasefire and not fulfill its commitment to demilitarise.

“These desperate tactics will fail,” the official said.


Incidents test fragile ceasefire

Medics said 10 people were killed in the Gaza City suburb of Zeitoun, two in the Shejaia suburb to the east, and the rest in two separate attacks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Repeated shooting incidents have pointed to the fragility of the ceasefire. Israel and Hamas have traded blame for what both call violations of the US-brokered truce, the first stage of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for a post-war Gaza.

All four attacks were far beyond an agreed-upon imaginary “yellow line” separating the areas under Israeli and Palestinian control, according to medics, witnesses and Palestinian media.


The Zeitoun attack was on a building belonging to Muslim religious authorities and the Khan Younis attack was on a UN-run club, both of which house displaced families.

The Oct 10 ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war has eased the conflict, enabling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza’s ruins. Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased.

But violence has not completely halted. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed 305 people in strikes on Gaza since the truce, nearly half of them in one day last week when Israel retaliated for an attack on its troops.

Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began and it has targeted scores of fighters.

***

Shailoks have an air force, navy, army with armour, artillery, tanks etc including endless wankee military, intelligence, financial, economic & political aid & support. Palestinians only have hand held guns

Despite ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, the war isn’t over for Netanyahu

al Jazeera:

Despite ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, the war isn’t over for Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump has declared peace but Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the war on Gaza is not over

US President Donald Trump gestures beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]

By Justin Salhani
Published On 19 Nov 2025



On Tuesday, Israel’s target was the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. The two missiles its forces fired killed at least 13 people. A drone attack on the same day in the city of Bint Jbeil killed another person. And the next day Israeli airstrikes hit villages in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli air raids and drone attacks continue. At least one person was killed on Wednesday, as Israel struck Rafah and Khan Younis.

The attacks have come despite ceasefire agreements in both Lebanon and Gaza and a major pronouncement by United States President Donald Trump that the Middle East is now at peace.

But as far as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned, Israel’s war on the region is not over.



In a speech to Israel’s parliament on November 10, one month to the day after a ceasefire ostensibly went into effect in Gaza, Netanyahu said the war “has not ended,” according to The Times of Israel, and he claimed that Israel’s enemies are rearming.

The ceasefire should have brought Israel’s more than two years of war on Gaza to an end but attacks have not ceased. Israel has killed more than 280 Palestinians since then.

And Israel’s war is not limited to Gaza, either. In Lebanon, Israel has killed more than 100 civilians in the last year, despite a ceasefire with Lebanon on November 27, 2024, while Israeli attacks also continue in the occupied West Bank.

Israel keeps attacking

Netanyahu’s words are of little surprise given Israel’s ongoing attacks on people in the region. In fact, analysts say, the precedent was clear even before the ceasefires were signed.

“There was never any evidence that the Israelis would respect the ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon,” Elia Ayoub, a Lebanese-Palestinian researcher, told Al Jazeera.

“Netanyahu can rely on the lack of international accountability, especially with the backing of the US, to continue his war on civilians,” Ayoub added.






On October 13, 2025, Trump gathered with political representatives from more than two dozen nations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh to declare peace in Gaza and the wider region.

“At long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump said.

But a little more than a month later, Israel’s attacks on both Gaza and Lebanon continue on a near-daily basis.

On Wednesday, November 19, the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 7 rose to 69,513 Palestinians.

Pressure had begun to build on Israel over its war on Gaza in recent months as Israeli human rights groups and the world’s top scholars joined the institutions saying that Israel was committing genocide.






But the Sharm el-Sheikh summit and the public announcement of a ceasefire seem to have eased pressure on Israel.

On the ground in Gaza and Lebanon, people from areas where Israel continues to attack are unable to go back to their lives or rebuild their homes.

Not only has Israel attacked reconstruction equipment, but, in the case of Gaza, for example, it has also stopped much of the aid promised to Palestinians in the enclave.

“As long as Netanyahu expects impunity, there is no reason to believe that anyone in Lebanon or Palestine is safe from Israel,” Ayoub said.

Why the war isn’t over

Netanyahu’s recent comments show that he “is determined to keep Israel in a perpetual state of war, as evidenced by his repeated stalling and sabotage of previous ceasefire negotiations,” Rida Abu Rass, a Palestinian political scientist, told Al Jazeera.

Protests in Israel have occasionally called for an end to the war. But they were largely centred around calls for a deal with Hamas to release the remaining Israeli captives in Gaza. The living captives have all been released, though Hamas is still reportedly looking for the remains of three captives.

Netanyahu himself says the war must continue because Israel’s enemies are regrouping.

“Those who seek to do us harm are rearming. They did not give up their aim of destroying us,” Netanyahu said during his speech to the Knesset.

Despite the widespread destruction of Gaza, Netanyahu says his goal of dismantling Hamas has not yet been completed. Israeli officials and media also report that Hezbollah is rebuilding, despite analysts saying the group is not in a position to attack Israel.
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Experts have cast doubt on Netanyahu’s justifications for continuing the war. They believe Netanyahu’s stated goals of dismantling Israel’s enemies were purposefully unachievable in order for him to keep the war going and avoid domestic and international accountability.

“His political career hangs in the balance: far-right coalition partners demand the war’s resumption, seeing a historic opportunity to advance their vision of ethnically cleansing Palestine,” Abu Rass said.

“Netanyahu would like to sell his supporters and coalition partners the narrative that the war isn’t over.”

In Israel, Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases. The cases have been delayed repeatedly due to the war, with courts citing “national security priorities”.

“Keeping Israel on a constant war footing is good for [Netanyahu] since it allows him to keep delaying his trial and the demands of his far-right coalition to reshape Israel’s internal governing principles, which caused him so much trouble in the past,” Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera.

He’s also reportedly fearful of any investigation into the failures to prevent the operation by Hamas and other Palestinian factions that took place on October 7, 2023. However, Netanyahu also has a long game, analysts say.

“Throughout his career, he has consistently worked to displace Palestinians and expand settlement. For him, the war provided an opportunity to advance these goals,” Abu Rass said.

Internationally, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.

“I view the so-called ceasefires as gaslighting campaigns designed to indefinitely delay accountability,” Ayoub said.

In this sense, Ayoub said, Netanyahu’s comments show that the conditions of the ceasefire are not applied universally.

“The Israeli strategy is clearly ‘you cease, we fire’. And if any actor fires back, the Israelis simply intensify what they’re already doing.”

These attacks seem set to continue as the international community has turned its focus away from Gaza. While the ceasefires in both Lebanon and Gaza have eased the ferocity and frequency of attacks, violence continues in both places and in the occupied West Bank. Such conditions will continue, analysts say, until the root cause is confronted.

“International stakeholders – governments, civil society groups, and media – must continue to apply pressure on the Israeli and US governments,” Abu Rass said.

“We will inevitably face new escalations unless the root causes – namely, Israeli apartheid and military occupation – are dismantled.”

Deadly Israeli attack on Gaza brings death toll since ceasefire to 280

al Jazeera:

Deadly Israeli attack on Gaza brings death toll since ceasefire to 280

The attack marks the latest of nearly 400 Israeli violations of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office

Smoke rises in an area within the so-called yellow line to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 18, 2025 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters]


By Mariamne Everett
Published On 19 Nov 2025


At least one Palestinian has been killed and two others – a woman and her child – injured in Israeli attacks on southern Gaza, according to the Wafa news agency and a medical source.

The killing came on Wednesday in the Qizan an-Najjar area, south of Khan Younis, a source from the city’s Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera.

Earlier, a woman and her child were gravely injured in a drone attack on the southern town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis.

They add to 279 killings and more than 650 injuries in nearly 400 Israeli violations recorded by the enclave’s Government Media Office since the October 10 ceasefire brokered by the United States.

The office called on “US President Donald Trump, the mediating countries, the guarantors of the agreement, and the UN Security Council to take serious and effective action to stop these attacks, restrain the occupation, and compel it to strictly adhere to the terms of the ceasefire agreement and the humanitarian protocol, thereby ensuring the protection of civilians and putting an end to the escalating violations”.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council had approved a resolution, drafted by the US as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, mandating a transitional administration and an international stabilisation force in Gaza that envisions a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood. The resolution passed in a 13-0 vote, with Russia and China abstaining.

“A lot of progress has been made with respect to Gaza and just about everything else we touch,” Trump said on Tuesday in a news conference during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Washington, DC.

“Just yesterday, the United Nations Security Council formally adopted my peace plan and officially endorsed the board of peace.”







Trump said the so-called board of peace would “end up being quite a large board because it’ll be the heads of every major country”.

Hosting MBS for dinner at the White House, Trump said, “I hope your highness will be on the board.” He also thanked MBS for his role in securing the ceasefire, without elaborating further.

Under the UNSC resolution, the board will serve as an interim administration, handling security, public services and reconstruction.

It remains unclear how it will be implemented, but its mandate will run until the end of 2027.

Immediate challenges

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Palestinians are more concerned about the immediate challenges they are facing in their daily lives than Trump’s idea of a board of peace, which is “still a political concept”.

“They worry about waking up in the morning and trying to get clean drinking water into their displacement areas,” he said.

People also wake up “worried about the next heavy rainfall, how to stay dry and how to protect their children”, Mahmoud added.

Above all, “Palestinians want to know what’s going to happen next”, Mahmoud said, adding, as if they will be allowed to return to their homes.

Palestinian women struggle to receive food at a community kitchen in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, November 19, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]


This is a complex question for those whose homes are in the eastern part of the besieged enclave, as the area “has now been officially marked as a yellow area under Israeli control, with their livelihoods, their homes, their residential clusters completely destroyed”, said Mahmoud.

The so-called yellow line is an invisible boundary dividing the Gaza Strip into Israeli-occupied and Hamas-controlled zones, established as part of the October ceasefire. Israel has been routinely firing and killing Palestinians venturing to check on the ruins of their homes in areas it controls in recent weeks.

“Political diplomacy is not changing the course of things on the ground for them so far … People need a clear roadmap into ending all forms of violence, opening the crossings and making them more operational … they want proper and efficient access to food and water supplies,” said Mahmoud.
‘Winter is coming’ for Palestinians

Under the ceasefire, aid deliveries were supposed to be significantly ramped up, with at least 600 trucks due to enter Gaza each day to fulfil the population’s needs. But the numbers have been much lower than that, and the UN has warned that the hunger crisis in Gaza remains catastrophic.

Trump also touted the return of the captives to Israel as part of his 20-point plan, though he incorrectly stated that Hamas still has two bodies left to return when the actual figure is three.

“A lot of work has been done by Hamas, and a lot of people said they wouldn’t be doing that,” Trump said.

At the start of the truce, Hamas held 20 living captives and 28 bodies of the deceased. In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of deceased Palestinians.

“We also want to thank all of the people living in Gaza … They’ve begun to move back to their homes … [They have] a lot more safety than they’ve ever had before,” Trump claimed.

In an interview with our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic, Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), disputed Trump’s claims.

“The residents of the Gaza Strip are suffering from disease and displacement, and insufficient resources are entering the Strip,” said Lazzarini. “The aid entering Gaza is insufficient, and food is unavailable due to high prices.”

“Winter is coming, and this will add further hardship to the residents of the Strip due to the rain and cold. The crossings must be opened to deliver the aid that the residents of the Gaza Strip need,” he said.

In N. Sembilan, woman changing car tyre on NSE killed after being hit by container lorry

In N. Sembilan, woman changing car tyre on NSE killed after being hit by container lorry



Seremban District Police Chief ACP Azahar Abdul Rahman said the 31-year-old victim, driving a Proton X50, suffered severe injuries to her body and was pronounced dead at the scene. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Wednesday, 19 Nov 2025 6:34 PM MYT


SEREMBAN, Nov 19 — A woman who was changing a flat tyre on her car in the emergency lane was killed after being hit by a container truck at KM 260.6 of the North-South Expressway (NSE) southbound near here this morning.

Seremban District Police Chief ACP Azahar Abdul Rahman said the 31-year-old victim, driving a Proton X50, suffered severe injuries to her body and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Preliminary investigations found that the victim was travelling from Gadong towards her workplace in Senawang when the rear right tyre of her car went flat, prompting her to stop in the emergency lane.

“While she was changing the tyre, a container truck driven by a 24-year-old man in the left lane collided with the woman,” he said in a statement today.


He added that the victim’s body was taken to Rembau Hospital for a post-mortem and urged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the investigating officer Insp Nor Fadzilah Mohd Zainuddin at 019-4611794 or visit the nearest police station to assist with the investigation. — Bernama

***

Extremely dangerous to change tyre on an expressway, especially the right side wheels in a left lane drive, in any left lane drive country - vice versa for right lane drive

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts, pyroclastic flows sweep East Java

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts, pyroclastic flows sweep East Java



The eruption began at around 4pm, according to a written report from Mukdas Sofian, an officer at Indonesia’s volcanology monitoring post. — Picture from X/@saddamovic

Wednesday, 19 Nov 2025 8:22 PM MYT


JAKARTA, Nov 19 — Indonesia’s Mount Semeru, the country’s tallest and one of its most volatile volcanoes, erupted Wednesday afternoon, sending a dense ash column high over East Java and triggering fast-moving pyroclastic flows that swept several kilometres down its slopes, officials said, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The eruption began at around 4pm (0900 GMT), according to a written report from Mukdas Sofian, an officer at Indonesia’s volcanology monitoring post.

The ash column rose roughly 2,000 metres above the summit, reaching an altitude of about 5,676 metres above sea level.


“Pyroclastic flows are still occurring, with the runout distance reaching seven kilometres from the summit, and the eruption was ongoing at the time this report was prepared,” Sofian said.

Mount Semeru, located in a densely populated region of Java, is Indonesia’s highest peak at 3,676 metres and sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a seismically active arc where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common.

The volcano has erupted repeatedly in recent years, including a deadly episode in 2021 that killed 35 people and buried villages in hot ash.

Indonesia is home to more active volcanoes than any other country, and Semeru’s frequent activity is closely monitored because of the risks it poses to nearby communities, transport routes and aviation. — Bernama-dpa

***

WHEN A VOLCANO ERUPTS WE MUST SACRIFICE A NON-VIRGIN NIPPON PM TO THE RAGING VOLCANIC DEITY, WAKAKAKA.

Protest, cases against govt to halt if Indira gets daughter back - group

Protest, cases against govt to halt if Indira gets daughter back - group

Ayesha Sheik Mazrul & Farah Solhi
Published: Nov 19, 2025 3:45 PM
Updated: 8:53 PM



M Indira Gandhi will pull the plug on the upcoming “justice march” and drop all civil cases filed against the government and the police if her daughter Prasana Diksa is returned to her, said the Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat).

Its chairperson, Arun Dorasamy, told the press today that the only objective behind all the legal action and protest is for Indira to be reunited with her daughter.

“If we have Prasana in our hands, the very next nano-minute, the entire justice march, not only that, every case that we have filed in court, whether it’s a civil suit, judicial monitoring, everything (will) cease.

“That is the promise we’ll stick by,” he said.

The protest, organised by Ingat and Agamam Ani Malaysia, will take place this Saturday, Nov 22.

Among the goals for this protest is for Indira to meet and present Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Ismail with Prasana’s teddy bear, serving as a poignant reminder of the many broken promises and years of delayed justice.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail

Arun said the rally will begin around 10.30am, with protesters walking 1.8km from the Sogo shopping centre, through Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Parlimen, Jalan Cenderawasih, and ending at Jalan Tanglin, outside the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters.

However, he stressed that the march will only end when the IGP agrees to meet them, pointing out that the police have remained silent even after evidence surfaced linking Riduan to Budi95 and Sara aid transactions.

“We will not move an inch until the IGP shows up, whether it takes hours or days.

“We need to meet the IGP because until today we have not had a substantial, substantive statement from the IGP explaining the Budi95 or the Sara (discovery).

“We have not seen a serious gesture from the police as of yet. So we will wait until the IGP shows up,” Arun said.

He added that the authorities have been notified of the march via letter, and that several notable individuals, such as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran and former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, will be attending.

A mother’s last-ditch effort

Indira, who joined the press conference online today, said that the protest is her last attempt to reunite with her daughter.

“I plead to everyone to come and support this cause… It’s been 16 years, as everybody knows, that Prasana was separated from me.

“(And I think) this is my last attempt to find her, because we have done all the legal battle, private investigating, you name it, we’ve done it.

“I don’t know what else I could do to find my daughter. This will be my last attempt, to seek help from the IGP (to return her to me),” she said.

M Indira Gandhi


Indira’s plight started in 2009, when her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, then known as K Pathmanathan, abducted the then 11-month-old Prasana, who was still nursing, and disappeared.

The following year, the Ipoh High Court granted Indira full custody, but in 2014, the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court order directing the IGP to recover Prasana.

The High Court order gave Riduan a week to bring Prasana to Indira, or be jailed. He defied the order, failing to carry it out by the deadline at noon on June 6, 2014.

In 2016, the Federal Court finally ordered the police to arrest Riduan and reunite Prasana with her mother - a mandate that remains unfulfilled to this day.

Were allegations against Terrirudin ever investigated, Latheefa asks

Were allegations against Terrirudin ever investigated, Latheefa asks


Published: Nov 19, 2025 4:02 PM
Updated: 9:54 PM



The appointment of Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) is simply unacceptable, lawyer Latheefa Koya said.

She said this is because serious allegations against Terrirudin remain unresolved.

In a statement today, she asked whether those allegations were even investigated in the first place.

"What happened to the investigation or inquiry into the allegations? Or was there any? What is the outcome? Why the silence on this from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the government?"

Latheefa (above) was referring to a purported leak of JAC meeting minutes from a session in May, in which a now-retired judge reportedly alleged that Terrirudin was interfering with the judiciary.

The authenticity of the leak has never been confirmed.

Calls for RCI

The leak had prompted calls from various quarters, including PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, for there to be a royal commission of inquiry or tribunal to investigate the claims made in the leak.

Thus far, the only investigations that have been announced on this matter are a police probe to determine the source of the leak, as well as a probe against Malaysiakini.

The probe against Malaysiakini is over questions the news portal had posed to a judge about allegations that were similar to those contained in the leak.

The judge had ordered an aide to lodge the report against Malaysiakini after the questions were asked.

However, the scandal and questions about the case ceased after Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was elevated as chief justice following the retirement of Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

Terrirudin was appointed to the JAC under the quota of five executive-picked members of the JAC.

Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh


Under that quota, the prime minister can appoint one Federal Court judge and four eminent persons who are not members of the executive or other public service.

The other four members, who are automatically appointed by virtue of their position in the judiciary, are the chief justice, who is also the commission’s chairperson, the Court of Appeal president, and the two chief judges representing East and West Malaysia.

Come clean on parking concessions award to ‘royal-linked company’, Selangor govt told

The Selangor state government has been urged to clarify issues surrounding the awarding of parking concessions in the state to a company reportedly linked to a member of the Selangor royal family. — Scoop file pic, November 19, 2025


Come clean on parking concessions award to ‘royal-linked company’, Selangor govt told


Anti-graft group C4 accuses the state administration of trying to stifle information on the matter of public interest

KUALA LUMPUR — The Selangor state government has been urged to clarify issues surrounding the awarding of parking concessions in the state to a company reportedly linked to a member of the Selangor royal family.

In a statement today, the Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4 Centre) accused the state administration of not only keeping mum on the issue, but also allegedly attempting to block public access to key documents in the matter.

The anti-graft group was commenting on a recent Malaysiakini report of Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah, owning a 16.5 per cent stake in Selmax Sdn Bhd, a company awarded three concessions under the Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP) initiative to privatise street parking.

The stake is reportedly owned through two other holding companies: Tanah Perwira Sdn Bhd and Greyscale Holdings Sdn Bhd.

In the statement, C4 pointed out that the Selangor state government had, back in July, announced that the concessions would be collected by Rantaian Mesra, a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) with local councils, on a revenue-sharing model, before announcing the involvement of a private company in the deal, just days later.

In August, Selmax reportedly signed multiple long-term concessions, and the state government in late October blocked concession documents from the public, citing the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972, alleged C4.

The royalty’s involvement was only just revealed via the Malaysiakini report.

“This sequence of events raises more questions than answers, particularly regarding the integrity of the procurement process, the management of conflicts of interest, and the use of secrecy provisions to suppress essential information,” read the statement.

C4 then raised several questions for the Selangor state government to answer, including why Selmax was brought into the concession structure despite the initial plan to place operation responsibilities on a state-linked company, and whether beneficial ownership interests involving members of the royal household were properly declared and evaluated.

“How were bidders assessed, and were all bidders competing on equal footing, given the influence of powerful individuals?

“Why has the state government not publicly justified the significant differences between its July announcements and Selmax’s subsequent Bursa filing?” asked C4.

Erodes public trust

The civil society group stressed that while parking concessions are not matters of national security, they do directly affect the daily experience of millions of Selangor residents, and involves substantial streams of public revenue.

“Shielding them behind secrecy laws erodes public trust and runs counter to the principles of open government that the state has long claimed to champion.”

On the involvement of the royal household member, C4 said the public procurement process must be structured in a way that prevents even the perception that influence, access, or status could shape commercial outcomes.

“In any public infrastructure concession – especially one involving long-term revenue streams, enforcement powers, and widespread public impact – the participation of politically influential or constitutionally recognised figures requires stricter safeguards, not looser ones.

“Royal households hold symbolic constitutional roles and carry significant moral and institutional influence, and for this reason, international procurement norms treat such individuals as politically exposed persons

(PEPs) whose involvement must trigger enhanced due diligence and disclosure mechanisms,” said C4.

In the case of SIP, the protections appear to have failed on several levels, added C4, beginning with the non-disclosure of the Raja Muda’s involvement, despite its direct relevance to public trust and the integrity of the tendering process.

Governance gaps

“Whether the state was aware of this beneficial ownership and chose not to reveal it, or was unaware due to insufficient verification, both scenarios point to serious governance gaps. Moreover, even if the request for proposal (RFP) process was followed, the presence of royalty-linked interests creates an unavoidable perception

that the playing field was not level, and that public institutions may have been placed under undue pressure, whether intentionally or otherwise,” said C4.

The group then demanded assurance from the Selangor state government that no preferential treatment influenced the concession award, and an explanation for why no conflict-of-interest checks were not conducted prior.

To remedy the situation, the state government must revert the SIP initiative concession back to the contracting stage and issue a new request for proposals, it said.

“The state government must also implement contracting processes that prioritise public disclosure regarding concession details and conflicts of interest, and that also prioritise access to information.

“Furthermore, we strongly urge the Federal government to amend the Official Secrets Act 1972 to remove broad discretionary and non-reviewable powers, while aligning it with the proposed Freedom of Information Bill.”— November 19, 2025

‘I’m still the CEO of Harimau Malaya’: Rob Friend

Harimau Malaya CEO Rob Friend has pushed back against a FIFA report that described him as a consultant to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). - Social media pic, November 18, 2025


‘I’m still the CEO of Harimau Malaya’: Rob Friend



The national squad manager has pushed back against a FIFA report that described him as a consultant to the Football Association of Malaysia



Sandru Narayanan
Updated 13 hours ago
18 November, 2025
11:12 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR — Harimau Malaya CEO Rob Friend has pushed back against a FIFA report that described him as a consultant to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), saying excerpts of his testimony were taken out of context and stressing that his official title was recorded during the hearing.


Speaking to Scoop, the 44-year-old Canadian rejected the characterisation, saying the consultancy label by FIFA referred to his advisory role in the legal matter and his match‑day technical support, not to his overall position.

“I am the CEO. “My official designation in the hearing was CEO of Malaysian National Team,” Friend told Scoop, adding that selected portions of his remarks were highlighted without the fuller context.

It was reported that FIFA’s motivated decision said Friend serves as a consultant to FAM, is based in Canada and travels to Malaysia on match days, and that his responsibilities are limited to advising on technical and coaching matters without exercising executive authority over the team or its administration.

The report noted Friend told the body he had no involvement in documentation or naturalisation procedures for heritage players that began before his engagement, saying all such procedures were managed by FAM and that he only became involved from August 22, 2025 onwards.

FIFA recorded that he was not aware of any wrongdoing and that his role was confined to providing technical guidance and match‑day support as part of FAM’s “heritage search plan.”

“My explanation was about scope of involvement, not role or title,” he said

“To be clear, I’ve never denied being CEO.”

He described his mandate as leading football performance and long‑term sporting strategy for the national team, while administrative and procedural matters remain the responsibility of FAM.

“I’ve supported leadership by identifying, engaging, and coordinating with experienced legal professionals to ensure the matter is handled appropriately.”

The FIFA disclosure prompted surprise on social media among local football fans, many of whom had previously understood Friend to be acting as CEO with more direct executive control over the squad.

Friend said he hopes the clarification will allow the national team programme to refocus on on‑field preparation and long‑term development, and that any reference to consulting work should be seen in relation to the specific legal case rather than as a redefinition of his post.

For the record, Friend was appointed CEO of the Malaysia national team in January 2025.

He previously had a playing career in Europe and North America, including spells in Germany and Major League Soccer, and was involved in football development programmes in Canada, building a reputation in technical analysis and coaching advisory roles. – November 18, 2025.