Police raided Pavilion Residence unit after CCTV showed govt vehicles moving boxes, bags, High Court told

Police raided Pavilion Residence unit after CCTV showed govt vehicles moving boxes, bags, High Court told



Former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Amar Singh is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex on April 14, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa

Tuesday, 14 Apr 2026 1:55 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — A former senior police officer told the High Court today that the order to raid an unoccupied unit at Pavilion Residences in May 2018 was prompted by closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing several boxes and bags being transported in vehicles bearing the official markings of the Prime Minister’s Department, just days after the 14th General Election.

Former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Amar Singh said he was informed by a subordinate that CCTV footage from Tower A of Pavilion Residences, dated May 11, 2018, showed several individuals moving a trolley laden with orange-coloured boxes into a unit on Level 45.

He said the information was relayed to him by Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Nordin Ismail — one of five team leaders appointed by him to conduct searches at premises belonging to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his family members in connection with the 1MDB case.

“On May 17, 2018 at 1030am, Ahmad Nordin gave me further information after viewing the CCTV record that was given to him by the Pavilion Residence Management and it was shown that two persons who are working as house maids at the unit that he is currently conducting the search were seen together with some other persons carrying things into Unit B-45-02.


Thereafter, Amar said he instructed another subordinate of his, SAC Datuk Mohd Sakri Arifin to conduct a search at the aforementioned unit on the same day once a search warrant was obtained.

“Based on all the information that has been gathered on Unit B-45-02, there is reasonable suspicion that the said unit is being used by the ex-PM and credible information that boxes of items related to 1MDB case have been moved into the unit,” he said in his witness statement.

Amar, who led the federal CCID between October 2017 until December 2018, is testifying for the Royal Malaysia Police as a third party in a lawsuit filed by Lebanese firm Global Royalty Trading SAL (GRTS) against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.


Amar said he had later ordered the CCID’s cybercrime and multimedia division to conduct an in-dept analysis of the video recordings showing movements of bags and boxes into the unit after the police raid on May 17, 2018.

He said this was to determine when and how the bags and boxes were moved into Unit B-45-02, identify the individuals responsible for carrying the items into the unit, establish which vehicles were used to transport them and trace their point of origin.

“Investigations reveal that the bags and boxes were moved into Unit B-45-02 from the May 11, 2018 till the early hours of May 12, 2018 around 4am.

“All in 11 police personel, 8 army personel and 4 house helpers were responsible for the movement of the boxes and bags into Unit B-45-02 using the basement 2 Block B lift.

“The exhibits were moved from the residence at Jalan Duta to Pavillion using government vehicles and personal vehicles belonging to the above personnel,” he said in reference to Najib’s Langgak Duta residence.

He also said several trips were made transporting the bags and boxes into the unit.

Amar said two individuals entered the unit after the bags and boxes were moved in, one being a local air-conditioning contractor (on May 14) and another a Khazakhstani national (on May 16).

“The statements of these persons were all recorded except the Khazakhstani national since he had left the country on May 25, 2018 as soon as we found his details,” he said.

To a question from Rosmah’s lawyer Rajivan Nambiar whether the authorities had attempted to contact his client or Najib to be present at the unit during the raid, Amar said his subordinates did attempt but to no avail.

Separately, former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (Intelligence and Operations) deputy director Datuk Mohd Sakri Arifin told the court that police found Unit B-45-02 locked upon arrival to conduct the raid after obtaining a search warrant.

He said a locksmith was later called in to unlock the unit, which was still under renovation.

“Its condition was messy and there was no electricity supply.

“In one of the rooms, I discovered several arranged luggage bags that were unlocked and zipped of which later contained various currencies and jewelry.

“In the next room, there were orange-coloured boxes filled with luxury bags arranged against the wall,” he said.

Sakri said he later contacted Amar to request his presence at the premises since the number of items seized were too many.

In the current suit, GRTS claims that of the 44 pieces of jewellery it had sent to Rosmah, only one (a diamond bracelet) had been recovered from the police following a raid conducted by the police in Pavilion Residences Kuala Lumpur and returned to the Lebanese firm in 2022.

Rosmah later brought in the Malaysian government as a third party in the suit due to her claim that the items could have been missing as a result of police seizure.

The trial before High Court judge Datuk Quay Chew Soon continues tomorrow.

***

The late RPK (bless his soul) wrote a post on the police "check" of the Najib's assets. Pet must be having a quiet chuckle in the beyond about this.

Student safety top priority: Anwar orders swift action after fire destroys three school blocks in Kelantan

Student safety top priority: Anwar orders swift action after fire destroys three school blocks in Kelantan



Three buildings at the Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Darul Ulum Muhammadiah in Kolam, Pak Badol, Kelantan were damaged by fire on April 12, 2026 with no injuries reported. —- Picture from Facebook/Bernama

Tuesday, 14 Apr 2026 2:30 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today ordered immediate government action to smoothen the learning process after a fire destroyed three buildings at Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Darul Ulum Muhammadiah in Bachok, Kelantan.

He named the Ministry of Education, the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department, and other relevant agencies.

“This incident is a major test for the SMU(A) Darul Ulum Muhammadiah community. I have instructed the Ministry of Education, the ICU of the Prime Minister’s Department, and other relevant agencies to expedite comprehensive action,” he said in a Facebook post.

Anwar said the government’s priority is to ensure student safety and minimise disruption to learning.

“Our priority now is to ensure the safety of students and the smooth continuation of learning that has been disrupted by the incident,” he said.

He added that his Madani government will expedite assistance and work with all parties to accelerate recovery efforts and restore normal school operations.

Anwar also stressed that student safety, comfort and welfare remain a key priority for the government.

Three blocks at the Bachok religious school were 98 per cent damaged by a fire yesterday.

No casualties were reported.

The school later announced a move to online classes until Thursday amid repairs.

Iran war live: Trump says Tehran wants deal amid US blockade in Hormuz

By Stephen Quillen and Zaid Sabah

Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026

• The US blockade of Iran’s ports is in effect, but US President Donald Trump says Iranian officials have called and “want to work a deal”.
• Diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks continue, with Pakistan reportedly offering to host the next round of talks in Islamabad.
• Iran accuses the US of committing piracy as thousands of Iranians rally in Tehran against the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejects upcoming talks between the Lebanese government and Israel, which are set for 11am in Washington, DC (15:00 GMT).
• Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff’s opposition to the war in Iran was “wrong” and accusing him of being “weak on crime”.

Let’s bring you up to speed:

• Diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks are continuing, with Pakistan offering to host a second round of negotiations in Islamabad this week, according to the AP
• Israel’s military says one soldier has been killed and three others have been wounded during battle in southern Lebanon.
• Israeli forces continue to bomb southern and eastern Lebanon, with an air raid damaging the Tebnin government hospital and resulting in casualties.
• Lebanon’s and Israel’s envoys are due to meet in Washington, DC, at 11am local time (15:00 GMT) for what the Lebanese government has described as a “preliminary meeting”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also join the talks.
• US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says oil prices could keep rising until “we get meaningful ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz”.

• 20m ago

   (04:50 GMT)

  

  Israel ‘more concerned’ about Iran’s ballistic missiles than US

  Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has told Al Jazeera that Israel is far more focused on Iran’s ballistic missile programme than the US, creating a growing “divergence” in their perspectives on the war.

  “The US and Israel went into this war together, but increasingly, you’re seeing a divergence, where the Israelis are much, much more concerned about [Iran’s] ballistic missile programme than we are,” Feltman said.

  “And now, I would suspect our Gulf allies are much more concerned about their ballistic missile programme, given that the security blanket they thought was there has been penetrated repeatedly.”
• 30m ago

   (04:40 GMT)

  Nearly 100 people arrested at New York protest against arms sales to Israel

  Police in New York City have arrested about 90 protesters in Manhattan as they stopped traffic to protest against the war on Iran and the US’s arms sales to Israel.

  Jewish Voice for Peace, the group leading the protest, said those taken into custody included whistleblower Chelsea Manning, actor Hari Nef and New York City Council Member Alexa Aviles.

  According to The Associated Press news agency, the crowd of hundreds initially attempted to stage a sit-in inside the Manhattan offices of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whom they accused of abetting Israel’s intensifying attacks in Lebanon and the US-Israel war on Iran.

  After security blocked the demonstrators from entering the building, they stopped traffic outside, chanting “Fund people, not bombs!” as they were arrested and loaded onto three buses.

The curse of being “not bad” – Howard Lee

Governments that cushion external shocks risk creating a dangerous illusion: that the storm was never real. - Howard Lee Facebook pic, April 14, 2026

The curse of being “not bad” – Howard Lee


Shielding Malaysians from global disorder is necessary. But unless the truth of the crisis is told plainly, resilience may dissolve into complacency—and opportunists will thrive


Updated 3 hours ago
14 April, 2026
8:37 AM MYT


TRUMP’S move towards a U.S. counter-blockade in Hormuz would once have sounded too reckless even for fiction. Whether it followed the collapse of the Islamabad talks or was part of a predetermined diplomatic plan, or a process already too fragile to hold, the result is the same: the phrase “the worst is yet to come” no longer feels rhetorical. The outline of that worst-case scenario is sharpening by the day.

Here in Malaysia, however, those in business who are exposed to price and supply squeezes, those plugged into the news, and those tracking commodities and trade are beginning to speak with a jitter in their voices. The more this worst-case scenario comes into focus, the more unsettling it feels for me to work, live, and witness lives in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur carrying on as though nothing is amiss. Traffic jams are as bad as they have always been. Shopping malls and hospitality venues continue to thrive with an eerie sense of normalcy.

Is this the failure of Malaysians to comprehend the severity of what is brewing globally?

Or is it Malaysia’s inability to inform us of the true gravity of the crisis we are already ankle-deep in?

Or are we simply too well shielded?

And that brings me to a peculiar curse in politics.

Outright failure is terrible, but at least it is visible. When a house is burning, people see the flames, smell the smoke, and understand that survival demands discipline, sacrifice and unity. A nation in obvious distress tends to find clarity, however painful.

The harder curse is subtler and more unforgiving.

It is the curse of being “not bad.”

It is when the economy is under pressure, but not broken. When the world beyond your borders is convulsed by shortages, controls and closures, yet your people are shielded just enough for daily life to remain recognisable. Fuel is more expensive, but there is still a subsidy and stations are open. Groceries cost more, but shelves are stocked. Factories are strained, procurement teams are tightening, finance departments are anxious, yet workers have not tipped into panic.

And because the pain is real without becoming catastrophic, a dangerous illusion takes hold: perhaps there is no real storm at all.

That is one of the deepest injustices of governance. If a government fails in crisis, everyone sees it. But if it succeeds in cushioning the blow, buying time and preventing collapse, the evidence of that success dissolves into ordinary life. People feel inconvenience, but not the abyss that was held back.

That matters greatly for Malaysia.

For us, Hormuz is not a distant morality play. It is tied directly to energy costs, shipping routes, industrial inputs and household budgets. If maritime risk rises, freight and insurance costs rise with it. If fuel markets tighten, subsidy pressure and transport costs intensify. If fertiliser and feedstock flows are disrupted, food production becomes more expensive. If supply chains fray, manufacturers face slower inputs, higher costs and weaker margins. What happens there reaches our ports, our factories, our markets and our homes.

In recent weeks, through bilateral engagements, multilateral conversations, industry discussions, and candid exchanges with friends in policy and intelligence circles, including some from the American establishment, one impression keeps returning to me: there are no elegant options left.

There is no neat military solution waiting to be discovered by the next burst of bravado. What is becoming more consistent from the American and Israeli aggressors is not strategy in any credible sense, but a pattern of graver transgressions and deeper madness. The risks are compounding faster than the solutions. Markets are reacting. Trade routes are tightening. Supply chains are fraying. Serious people are no longer asking whether the shock is real, but how much worse it may get, and how quickly.

That is why I keep returning to the political danger of partial protection.

If Malaysians are shielded just enough through subsidies, emergency measures, rerouting and diplomacy, the national mood can drift in exactly the wrong direction: away from seriousness and unity, and back towards complacency and familiar domestic quarrels. The shield works, and because it works, people begin to doubt the danger was ever so great.

That is the trap.

The better a government is at cushioning an external shock, the easier it becomes for cynics to pretend the shock was never serious. And into that space always walks the opportunist.

The opportunist thrives not in total collapse, but in partial stability. He needs enough frustration to weaponise, and enough normalcy to deny the scale of the danger. He calls prudence weakness, trade-offs incompetence, resilience stagnation. He feeds on the gap between what the country has avoided and what the public can still see.

Malaysia’s position, in truth, is an awkward one. We have real capacity to lead regionally, even globally. We matter in fuel, trade, shipping and diplomacy. We can still speak in different rooms without sounding like somebody else’s proxy. We can engage the West without becoming its echo, and speak to the Global South without sounding performative. That credibility is not accidental. It is the product of history, restraint and strategic autonomy.

Yet we remain hampered by a domestic instinct that says, again and again, take care of your own backyard first. There is wisdom in that, up to a point. But there is also a siege mentality that mistakes inwardness for prudence. In a world like this, the backyard is already connected to the shipping lane, the refinery, the fertiliser plant, the exchange rate, the port, the factory floor and the supermarket shelf. To speak as though home is insulated from the world is no longer realism. It is a comforting fiction.

My deeper worry is this: we may succeed just enough in shielding Malaysians from the full force of global disorder that we also shield them from understanding the age we have entered. We may cushion the blow, yet fail to build the seriousness needed for a truly national response. That would be a dangerous success.

Government must therefore do two difficult things at once: shield the people from the storm, and tell them plainly that the storm is still raging outside. Fear of panic is no excuse for withholding the truth. The people have a right to know, and a responsibility to know, so that they may act with the maturity this moment demands, rather than drift through crowded roads, full malls and busy restaurants as if normalcy itself were proof that the danger is not real.

Sometimes the greatest danger is not collapse.

Sometimes it is comfort without understanding.

Howard Lee Chuan How is the Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor

Related:

Politics needs to wait as Malaysia faces oil crisis

Has Saudi Arabia acquired a nuclear option via Pakistan?

Murray Hunter

Apr 13, 2026


Has Saudi Arabia acquired a nuclear option via Pakistan?

Saudi Arabia now going alone in the gulf conflict



Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, during the former's official visit to Riyadh last year (Times Now World)



The September 2025 Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) between Saudia Arabia and Pakistan has sparked some speculation about a possible “nuclear umbrella,” where Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent could implicitly cover Saudi Arabia in cases of aggression.

A joint statement made by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on the signing SMDA said that any aggression against one as aggression against both, although nuclear weapons were not specifically mentioned. A senior Saudi official was report to have told Reuters that the agreement “encompasses all military means”. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif stated in a September 18, 2025 in a GeoTV interview that Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia according to the agreement, in response to a question about extending nuclear deterrence. He described it as part of joint defense against aggression.

Over the last 6 weeks, it has become very clear that the US-Israeli war against Iran has become an existential on for Saudi Arabia. Iran has threatened “irreversible destruction” of water infrastructure, particularly desalination facilities which Saudi Arabia depends upon for 60 percent of its water needs. The Iranian threat was made in response to US President Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s electricity grid. Consequently, Saudi Arabia has no control or influence over the events going on within the gulf. The Iranian war is beginning to threatened the very existence of some of the gulf state monarchies.

With the Strait of Hormuz already closed and the new US blockade expected to cause more problems, it is expected that this will deepen Saudi dependence on the Red Sea to ship out oil. If the Houthis in Yemen enter the war, there is the possibility the Red Sea could be closed where Saudi oil is now going by pipeline through the port of Yanbu to customers. Yanbu itself is a target and if hit Saudi would find itself without any income.

It has also become very apparent that housing US forces in Saudi Arabia is now detrimental for Saudi Arabia’s own defence.

With the Iranian war expected to continue after failed talks between US Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation in Islamabad over the last weekend, the war is expected to take a turn for the worse with the gulf states and Saudi Arabia feeling the brunt of it.

Its now possible that Saudi Arabia has prepared to take matters into its own hands, as the US have failed deeply to act in Saudi’s best interests.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence announced in mid-April the arrival of some 10-18 Pakistani F-16 Block 52 variant fighter jets and support aircraft at the base to boost security, enhance joint military coordination, and raise operational readiness amid regional tensions. They were also accompanied by ground personnel and troops. Reports claim there are 13,000 Pakistani troops now in Saudi Arabia.

The F-16s are believed to be capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. Pakistan has approximately 36 nuclear warheads capable of being carried on the F-16 platform. It is believed that Pakistan Squadron 5 is in Saudi Arabia. Squadron 5 is Pakistan’s most elite fighter group.

While it is publicly claimed these aircraft are in Saudi Arabia for training purposes, its questionable as only Pakistani pilots crew these aircraft. It would not be logical for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to be undertaking training in a war zone where these aircraft would be in danger.

Saudi Arabia’s rhetoric and behavior must now be closely examined as they may now act on their own behalf, rather than rely on US presence and action. This could also explain why Iran has spared Saudi Arabia from some of the aggressive missile attacks the rest of the gulf experienced.

Inequality in Malaysia rooted in failure of education policy

FMT:

Inequality in Malaysia rooted in failure of education policy

2 DAYS AGO
Rosli Khan

Many students, especially from lower-income Bumiputera families, enter the workforce without the skills needed for a modern economy

If, as I wrote previously, income and housing reflect inequality in the country today, then education has helped to reproduce it — again and again.

Access to education in Malaysia is not the problem — we can have our children begin schooling as early as six, or even younger. The real challenges lie in the quality of teaching, the relevance of the curriculum, and the choice of medium of instruction.


Since the late 1990s, the expansion of tahfiz and other non-standard religious schooling pathways has created a parallel system, often operating outside the national curriculum and with limited emphasis on STEM or technical skills, not to mention using untrained and unqualified teachers.

Religious education has its place. But allowing these parallel systems to expand without integration into the national framework has been a huge policy failure, resulting in societal deficits.

Today, the consequences are visible.

A large segment of students, largely from lower-income Bumiputera families, enters the workforce without the skills required for a modern economy.

Their options are constrained not by choice, but by design.

This is not a failure of individuals. It is a failure of our education policy, compounded by political indecision, a tendency toward analysis-paralysis, as well as an unjustified and prolonged fear of political backlash.


At a critical moment at the turn of this century, the government had the opportunity to regulate and integrate these institutions. That opportunity was not taken.

The legacy of decisions made during the era of Dr Mahathir Mohamad continues to shape outcomes today.

Ignoring this reality does not make it disappear.


Jobs and mobility: a system that cannot scale

These structural weaknesses carry directly into the labour market.

Graduate underemployment remains a persistent issue, with many diploma and degree holders working in roles that do not match their qualifications.

Employers frequently cite gaps in critical thinking, technical capability and job readiness.

Although Bumiputeras remain heavily represented in the public sector, which employs around 1.7 million people, this model and approach is no longer sustainable as a primary pathway for upward mobility.

The more decent, productive and well-paid jobs are found in the private sector, particularly in high-growth industries that reward skills, networks and exposure. However, these positions are beyond the reach of the current education systems and pathways.


Resetting the system

If inequality, particularly among the B40 and lower M40, is to be addressed meaningfully, the next generation of political leaders must move beyond defending legacy policies.

They must be willing to reset them.

First, shift from race-based to needs-based policies. Assistance should prioritise the bottom 40% across all communities to ensure it reaches those who genuinely need it.

Second, overhaul how opportunities are allocated. Scholarships, government contracts, and GLC-linked programmes must be transparently awarded based on merit and clear socio-economic criteria.

Third, rebuild education around skills. Strengthening TVET, STEM and entrepreneurship must take precedence over pathways that limit employability.

Fourth, expand access to financing. Without more inclusive lending models, entrepreneurship will remain confined to those with existing capital and political connections.

Fifth, reduce structural barriers to enterprise. Streamlining regulations and dismantling monopolistic practices are essential to enable fair competition.

Sixth, invest beyond Klang Valley. Transport and connectivity are not luxuries, they are prerequisites for economic participation and should be standardised across all regions.

Finally, redefine the role of the state. The government must act as an enabler, not a dominant market participant. It should get out of businesses. Madani Mart would not exist if price controls had been more effective and efficient.

The government cannot be both player and referee in the same arena.


A test of political courage

The New Economic Policy was shaped by the realities of the 1970s. Malaysia today is a very different country.

Continuing to recycle old frameworks without confronting their failures risks deepening the very inequalities they were meant to resolve.

The responsibility now lies with a new generation of political leaders.

If they are serious about governing the country, then they must be equally serious about reform.

They must be willing to confront the policies that have failed, and take decisive action to correct them. This includes restructuring or even dismantling institutions that no longer serve their purpose.

Not rebranding. Not repackaging.

Reform.

Inequality is no longer a peripheral issue. It is central to Malaysia’s economic future, social and political stability.

The new political grouping must have the political courage to deliver it.

Read also: The NEP’s legacy: a visible elite, persistent inequality


The author can be reached at: rosli@mdsconsultancy.com

Cops identify KL hit-and-run suspect as police inspector with schizophrenia, facing medical retirement

Cops identify KL hit-and-run suspect as police inspector with schizophrenia, facing medical retirement



The driver suspected of injuring a traffic constable on duty is a 40-year-old police inspector who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently on special medical leave, as well as in the process of being retired on medical grounds upon the recommendation of the Medical Board. — File picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Tuesday, 14 Apr 2026 9:55 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — The driver detained for allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run case involving a traffic policeman last Friday is a police inspector who suffers from a mental health condition, according to police.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the 40-year-old male suspect has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently on special medical leave, as well as in the process of being retired on medical grounds upon the recommendation of the Medical Board.

He said the suspect was arrested at 3.45 pm yesterday at Jalan Empat, Chan Sow Lin after personnel from the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department tracked down his vehicle in the Jalan Cheras area through intelligence and closed-circuit television footage checks.

“However, attempts to stop the vehicle failed when the driver fled in a dangerous manner.

“In his attempt to escape, the suspect rammed several public vehicles, including a police multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), before he was eventually surrounded and arrested,” he said in a statement today.

According to Fadil, a breathalyser test conducted on the suspect returned a negative result, while a urine screening test will be carried out to complete the investigation.

He said seven vehicles have so far been reported damaged in the collisions, involving five civilian cars, a police MPV and a motorcycle belonging to a police officer.


The case is being investigated under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless driving and Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his duties.

In the first incident at 10.47 pm last Friday, Constable Roslan Salleh, 27, was reported to have sustained injuries to his hand, the back of his head and his ribs after being hit from behind by the suspect’s vehicle while he was controlling traffic at Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra.

Police have also urged any other vehicle owners affected by the latest incident to come forward and lodge reports at the nearest traffic police station to assist in the investigation. — Bernama

Penang obtains approval for international logistics aeropark, earthworks underway

Penang obtains approval for international logistics aeropark, earthworks underway



Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said authorities have approved the PILA masterplan to develop a new cargo terminal. — Picture courtesy of Penang Development Corporation

Tuesday, 14 Apr 2026 11:06 AM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, April 14 — Penang has obtained planning permission for the masterplan of the Penang International Logistics Aeropark (PILA).

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project, a joint venture between Penang Development Corporation and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), is aimed at developing a new cargo terminal to strengthen the logistics ecosystem in the northern region.

“PDC is currently undertaking earthworks and soil treatment,” he said in a statement issued today.

He said the first phase of the new air cargo warehouse, which is designated as a Free Commercial Zone facility, is expected to be completed and begin operations in 2029.


“The PILA development, with over two million square feet of warehouse space, is expected to accommodate cargo capacity of up to 500,000 tonnes annually by 2050,” he said.


He said the first phase of the air cargo warehouse is expected to support an additional capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes per year.

Chow said PILA has already secured leasing commitments from international logistics companies as well as local industry players.


“This collaboration between PDC and MAHB in realising this project is important to meet future logistics demands of the semiconductor and electrical and electronics industries,” he said.

He said the project is also in line with the aspirations of Penang 2030 vision, the state’s 2030 structure plan and the expansion of Penang International Airport.

“Preparations are underway for the PILA launch ceremony and the event is expected to be officiated by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE: THOSE U.S.-IRAN TALKS IN FULL

From the FB page of:

Nury Vittachi 

 ·

EXCLUSIVE: THOSE U.S.-IRAN TALKS IN FULL

VANCE: Now here’s what we want you to -

ARAGHCHI: Wait. You dropped 21,000 bombs on our home. You need to fix everything. Reparations?

VANCE: What? Repar-? No. We can’t fix all that. We’re busy people.

ARAGHCHI: You break it, you pay for it.

VANCE: Look, we had to destroy your country, you were going to nuke us in two weeks.

ARAGHCHI: That was just a lie that you made up as an excuse, you know that, JD.

VANCE: Well, okay, that’s true, but you killed 70,000 peaceful demonstrators in like a few hours.

ARAGHCHI: That was ANOTHER lie that you made up as an excuse.

VANCE: Okay, that’s also true. But, Abbas, we had no choice.

ARAGHCHI: You had a choice, JD. Netanyahu came to the White House on February 11 and told you guys to attack us. You could have said NO.

VANCE: We deny that meeting ever happened, that’s just press speculation. Besides I was at that meeting and I said no, we shouldn’t do it. But you know what Trump and Bibi are like. Trigger-happy boys playing war games.

ARAGHCHI: Yeah. I almost feel sorry for you.

VANCE: Yeah. Sucks to be me. So you’re not going to agree to the stuff on our list? By the way, where is our list?

ARAGHCHI: Hanging on a nail in the toilet. Goodbye.

[Iranians exit]