Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Why is PKR-led S'gor govt alienating non-Muslims?

Why is PKR-led S'gor govt alienating non-Muslims?

P Gunasegaram
Published: Jun 23, 2026 8:06 AM
Updated: 10:06 AM

COMMENT | In this season of the World Cup, it looks like the PKR-led Selangor government is hell-bent on scoring own goals ahead of probable early elections.

A snap general election may be held in the coming months, although some think the prime minister may try to go full term.

How else can one explain its back-to-back flawed regulatory decisions, putting restrictive conditions on the construction of non-Muslim places of worship and the unenforceable proposal to separate halal and non-halal waste for disposal?

The rules, as stipulated under the Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Commercial Development 2025, raise serious questions of whether the Selangor government is playing the religion card to gain support among Muslim voters.

This may alienate non-Muslims whose votes would be needed to win many crucial seats in Selangor.

It’s a rather dangerous game to play for PKR, which already is losing a lot of Malay support as Umno puts relentless pressure on the Madani coalition by demanding more and more. To counter this, they may need non-Muslim support.

Why alienate non-Muslims?

To alienate the non-Muslim vote while they are losing Malay votes is folly, especially since they are bleeding non-Malay support from a Bersama assault, which is leading a serious flank attack led by ex-PKR leaders Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

At least if there is some logic to the new rules and regulations, then it is easier to explain to the public, but both sets have come under increasing attack from all sides, forcing the state government to rethink its position and review them.

Muslims form roughly 60 percent of the population in Selangor, according to official statistics, leaving some 40 percent as non-Muslims.

This reflects the religious composition of the country quite closely, with official figures showing 63.5 percent Muslims and 36.5 percent non-Muslims.

In the urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur (not under Selangor) and Petaling Jaya (which is), those figures are likely to be higher for non-Muslims, with them being in the majority even in some areas.

Any right-thinking action, as far as this is concerned, should provide a uniform set of guidelines for all religions which takes into account the population in the specific area under consideration and the distribution of religion there. The statistics are available.

One of the most criticised provisions under the Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities 2025, which sparked controversy over rules affecting non-Muslim places of worship, is the requirement that such places cannot be located in commercial zones or converted from existing buildings.

Both the Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Commercial Development 2025 and the aforementioned guidelines are among six volumes that make up the Selangor State Urban Planning Guidelines 2025.

Disruption of religious communities

Critics argue this is unrealistic because many temples, churches, and other centres already operate in shoplots due to a lack of land. These arrangements have existed for years without major issues.

The policy ignores real conditions on the ground and could disrupt existing religious communities, which have already built places of worship in these areas.

It is right that there will be no enforcement of the 2025 Selangor guidelines pending a review, but isn’t it time they were withdrawn altogether and a new one applicable to all houses of worship enforced?

In a country where well over a third of the population is non-Muslim, we need to harmonise all regulations, including those for building places of worship for each area according to the composition of the population in the area under consideration, not break it up into different rules for Muslims and non-Muslims arbitrarily.

That Selangor, said to be one of the more progressive states in Malaysia, is not heading in that direction is a major cause of concern.

The conditions for non-Muslim places of worship seem more onerous than the Malay-Muslim belt ruled by PAS of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.

Will PKR give a better deal?

Why is that? And what does it say about PKR’s policies these days? Will non-Muslims get a better deal under PKR or not? To PKR’s detriment, that question is no longer easily answered.

The separation of non-halal and halal waste in Selangor is extremely difficult to understand when even the separation of waste into different categories for recycling and disposal ran into serious problems and was eventually abandoned.

Let’s remember that the term halal is very wide-ranging and there is a certification process that involves the religious authorities.

It will be an understatement to say it will be impossible to achieve under the current circumstances.

Who is going to certify the waste as halal and non-halal? Who will enforce it? What will be the penalties? To what extent will it affect the ease with which non-Muslims dispose of waste? Are the authorities being needlessly overambitious here, and why?

It is good that the Selangor state authorities will review these provisions, which they say have been in existence since 2010.

But hopefully, the review process will result in the complete withdrawal of guidelines which are impossible to enforce.

The best decisions are made when politics are excluded, and the criteria are carefully considered and evaluated with the aim of solving the underlying problems.

Despite the repeated mandate given by the electorate to PKR in Selangor, the state government continues to magnify minor problems and tie itself up in knots.

That’s not very good for its political future.

P GUNASEGARAM says good decisions make for good politics.

Israel’s ‘quiet annexation’ grows louder

Palestine weekly wrap: Israel’s ‘quiet annexation’ grows louder

An Al Jazeera cameraman is killed in Gaza and West Bank mosques are torched, as Israeli officials describe a deliberate policy of expanding control – by stealth in Gaza, and by decree in the occupied West Bank.

By Al Jazeera Staff

This week, the campaign of land seizure that Israeli officials have largely pursued unofficially was, in places, declared aloud. In Hebron, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had “cancelled” the 1997 Hebron Agreement, stripping the Palestinian municipality of planning authority over the Old City and Ibrahimi Mosque.

In Gaza, Israeli television reported that Israel, blocked by the United States from a new ground offensive, had indeed chosen what its own officials called “creeping” or “quiet” annexation – pushing its lines of control westward without announcement.

Annexation – both quiet, and loud

The loudest move came in Hebron. Speaking at the inauguration of the new illegal settlement of Doran, Smotrich said that Israel had annulled the Hebron Accords and now held planning authority in the H2 zone of the occupied West Bank city containing Israeli settlements and the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry partially walked the claim back, saying the agreement itself had not been cancelled but that a cabinet decision months earlier had transferred planning powers over the Jewish community and holy sites. The Palestinian Authority called the move illegal, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation warned it undermined the city’s status, and even the US State Department stated it “does not support Israel annexing the West Bank”.

In Gaza, the parallel process of annexation was quieter but – by Israel’s own account – deliberate. Israel’s Channel 13 reported that after the administration of US President Donald Trump blocked a larger ground operation, Israel had opted for “creeping” annexation – expanding the so-called Yellow Line westward and conducting periodic incursions without formal announcement. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimated Israeli forces now control roughly 64 percent of Gaza, up from the 53 percent stipulated under the October 10 ceasefire that was supposed to stop Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave.

The West Bank’s louder track ran through both the illegal settlement system and a brazen expansion of Israel’s security apparatus. After the Israeli army said last week that it was building its first permanent post since the Oslo Accords were signed in the 1990s inside Area A – the area of the occupied West Bank that is supposed to be under complete Palestinian administrative control – bulldozers worked through the week to establish the military base. In the northern Jordan Valley, local Palestinian activists described work advancing on the “Crimson Thread” barrier – designed to sever the area from Nablus and Tubas – after the Israeli Supreme Court lifted an order blocking it the week before.

In a rare operation, hundreds of Israeli border police demolished homes at four settler outposts. But according to Wafa, the Israeli Civil Administration – led by Smotrich – also approved 576 new settlement housing units.

Remembering Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah’s life’s work

Post-ceasefire death toll hits 1,000; Al Jazeera journalist killed

More than eight months into a nominal ceasefire in Gaza, the killing persists. The Gaza Health Ministry’s post-ceasefire death toll passed 1,000 on June 17 and reached 1,024 by June 22, with the cumulative toll of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023 surpassing 73,000. Briefing the United Nations Security Council on June 18, UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said more than 250 of those killed since the ceasefire were children.

Amid the interminable crisis, on June 20, a strike on the Safadi family’s apartment on al-Thalathini Street in Gaza City killed a father, Hussein al-Safadi, and his daughters Lana, 14, and Zina, four, with the mother dying later of her wounds; Al Jazeera correspondents reported the area had received no warning ahead of time.

The same day, in al-Bureij, a strike on the Abu Hasna family home killed three, among them Ahmad Wishah, a cameraman for Al Jazeera Mubasher and the brother of a colleague killed in April. Al Jazeera condemned the killing as deliberate and rejected as “baseless” the Israeli military’s evidence-free claim that Wishah was a Hamas operative; he was Al Jazeera’s 12th staff member killed in Gaza since October 2023, among at least 260 Palestinian journalists who the Committee to Protect Journalists says have been killed in that time.

Also this week, Israel’s Supreme Court again rejected an appeal by Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is being held without charge and, his lawyers say, in solitary confinement with signs of torture.

As such allegations persist, pressure from abroad continues growing at a steady pace. Norway announced plans to ban trade with West Bank settlements, 85 US House of Representatives members pressed Washington to halt the E1 settlement project, and the UN warned that Israeli settler groups could be added to its blacklist for grave violations against children. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, severed contact with the European Union’s top diplomat over attributed remarks comparing Israeli policy to apartheid.

Nevertheless, the humanitarian squeeze tightened in step. The UN said fuel entering Gaza in the week of June 16 fell well short of needs, forcing partners to ration it to life-saving services. The report added that more than 520 surgical and endoscopic procedures risked suspension for lack of disinfectant. The overall humanitarian mission, it noted, is currently funded at 24 percent of what is needed.

UN relief chief Fletcher warned that no hospital in Gaza is fully operational, while Gaza is “being held together by humanitarian workarounds and Palestinian perseverance”.

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank

‘Night of the Mosques’, and a war on water

Among the farming villages of the central highlands and the region’s Bedouin herders, settlers repeatedly targeted two pillars of Palestinian society in the West Bank: mosques and water.

Early in the morning on June 17, in the villages of Jiljiliya and Mazraa al-Nubani, settlers torched mosques, scrawling Hebrew graffiti that included the phrase “Night of the Mosques” – whose construction in Hebrew evokes Kristallnacht, “Night of Broken Glass”, in which Jewish synagogues were systemically attacked and burned by Nazis in Germany in 1938 – according to Wafa, AFP and Palestinian media.

The Israeli military confirmed the mosque attacks to AFP but named no suspects; eight Arab and Muslim states condemned the attacks. The outpost from which the Jiljiliya attack originated lies inside Area A of the West Bank, which is officially off-limits to Israeli citizens.

However, the settlers’ own channels inverted the picture with a fundraising appeal for outpost firefighting gear, describing Palestinians as waging “hundreds of arson attacks” of organised “terror” against Jewish control of open land.

Alongside the rise in mosque attacks, settlers’ systemic attacks on Palestinian water systems continued as summer heat sets in. For a third consecutive week, settlers attacked the Bedouin family of Nayef Khalaife in the Arab al-Kaabneh community east of Ramallah, this time cutting both water and electricity lines. According to village mayor Marwan Sabah, settlers damaged the community of Umm Safa’s main water pipe with heavy machinery. West Bank activists also reported settlers severing pipelines around Bedouin communities in Atouf and Khan al-Ahmar, while they seized a tanker delivering water to a family in the Atouf plain.

Similar to the mosque arson trends, an Israeli newspaper report, circulated in settler networks, framed 440 Palestinian wells as unlicensed “water terror” before a Knesset committee – an inversion, Palestinian activists noted, of a reality in which Israel controls the shared aquifers under the Oslo Accords. Water access and usage by Israeli settlers have long outstripped that of what Palestinians are allotted under Israeli control.

In addition to the settler attacks, early on June 22, Palestinian activist Hamza al-Masri reported two more teenagers from Beit Ummar, Issa Awad, 19, and Rida Awad, 15, were shot dead near the Karmei Tzur settlement, and their bodies were withheld; the Israeli military said the two had thrown firebombs.

Israel’s Smotrich claims 1997 Hebron Agreement is effectively cancelled

MP SPEAKS | Good enough to vote, not govern: Malaysia's 30pct problem

MP SPEAKS | Good enough to vote, not govern: Malaysia's 30pct problem

Syerleena Abdul Rashid
Published: Jun 23, 2026 10:30 AM
Updated: 12:30 PM

MP SPEAKS | I am one of 30. Out of 222. That is how many women sit in the Dewan Rakyat - 13.5 percent of the people's house - in a country where women are more than half the population, outnumber men in our universities, and decide the result of every election with their votes.

Good enough to put us in power. Apparently not good enough to share it.

I write this not as an outsider throwing stones, but as a member of the governing coalition who believes we can do far better - because we have reformed before, and because the alternative is to keep failing in slow motion.

Let me be honest about where we stand. A parliamentary committee spent much of this year studying exactly this question, and its report makes for uncomfortable reading.

In the Global Gender Gap Index, Malaysia ranks 114th out of 146 countries overall. But on political empowerment - who holds decision-making power - we sink to 134th. Near the very bottom of the world.

Look around our own region. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Indonesia has crossed 21 percent women in Parliament. Vietnam has reached 30 percent. Timor-Leste, a nation that only restored its independence in 2002, now seats 35 percent.

The Philippines and Thailand are both ahead of us too. They began far behind Malaysia. Today, they are in front. 71 countries have already legislated candidate quotas. We are still debating whether to begin.

And at the current pace? The report warns it will take 135 years to close our political gender gap. Not 135 days. Not one electoral cycle. A century and a half. The granddaughters of today's schoolgirls will be old women before this country delivers the fairness it keeps promising.

Structural barriers

Why are we so far behind? Because for 30 years - across governments of every stripe, not the failing of any single party - we leaned on the voluntary goodwill of political parties. Three decades of good intentions.

The result: the number of women candidates rose from eight in 1982 to 127 in 2022, yet the share who won crept from five percent to barely 14.

The barriers are structural, not accidental. Party rooms dominated by men. The stale assumption that a woman belongs in the "kitchen" of a campaign - making the calls, never making the decisions.

The unpaid weight of family care. The punishing cost of contesting. A first-past-the-post system that quietly shields sitting incumbents, who are overwhelmingly male.

And then there is the part I know first-hand. Women who step into Malaysian politics are met with a flood of abuse - about our faces, our families, our faith - engineered to make the price of public life unbearable. I have lived it. I am still standing.

But how many capable women take one look at that gauntlet and quietly decide it is not worth it? That, too, is a barrier - and we almost never name it.

Let me be equally honest about the cure. A quota is not a magic wand. If we chase nomination numbers alone, parties will game them - fielding women to lose, not to win.

Any law we pass must reward victories, not just candidacies; strategic seats, not sacrificial ones; and it must be audited so the incentives cannot be abused. Justice done halfway is not justice.

Finish what we started

So what now? I am proud that this came from us. That a unity government Parliament commissioned this report and looked honestly into the mirror is itself progress. But a report that gathers dust changes nothing. Let us finish what we started.

Pass a Gender Parity in Political Representation Act, phased in by the next general election. And while legislation runs its course, let us act on what the government already controls - today, without waiting for voters: a firm 30 percent of women in the cabinet, the Senate, the boards of our GLCs, and local councils.

Then build the scaffolding that makes it real - childcare, flexible work, fair campaign financing - so that a talented woman never has to choose between her family and her country.

Thirty percent is not a ceiling. It is the floor of a serious democracy - and we are still crawling beneath it.

Malaysian women are not asking for sympathy, and they are certainly not asking for a favour. They are demanding a seat at the table where their own lives are decided.

A nation that locks half its people out of power is not guarding tradition. It is squandering its talent and gambling with its future.

We began this journey. Let us finish it - not in 135 years, but in our generation.

SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID is Bukit Bendera MP.

Rival parties cannot use same coalition logo in same seat, says EC

Rival parties cannot use same coalition logo in same seat, says EC

Election Commission deputy chairman Azmi Sharom reportedly said rival candidates contesting in the same constituency cannot use the same party or coalition logo. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2026 1:54 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — The Election Commission has reportedly said election candidates from rival parties cannot use the same party or coalition logo when standing in the same constituency.

Berita Harian reported that EC deputy chairman Azmi Sharom said the use of a logo is limited to candidates who have been authorised by the party or coalition concerned via a formal letter.

“Only one authorisation is valid. We can determine who has the authority to issue the letter,” he was quoted as saying.

The issue concerns a dispute between PAS and Bersatu, who are likely each other in the same seats while both remain part of Perikatan Nasional.

According to the report, Former EC deputy chairman Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said Regulation 11(2)(d) of the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations bars candidates from different parties from using the same logo.

He said candidates without valid approval to use a party or coalition logo could have their nomination papers rejected, but may still stand as Independents using symbols assigned by the returning officer.

Loke: Malaysia must modernise ports, secure shipping routes amid global uncertainty

Loke: Malaysia must modernise ports, secure shipping routes amid global uncertainty

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said Malaysia must strengthen its ports, energy systems, digital infrastructure, shipping security and regional cooperation to build a future-ready maritime economy. — Bernama pic

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2026 12:13 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Malaysia must build a future-ready maritime economy, anchored by resilient ports, a diversified energy architecture, innovative digital infrastructure, secure shipping corridors, and robust regional cooperation.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said this is important given the growing strategic significance of the Strait of Malacca amid evolving global development.

“With approximately one-quarter of globally traded goods and a massive share of Asia’s energy imports transiting through this corridor annually, Malaysia is strategically positioned in the centre of gravity.

“As global shipping routes recalibrate around geopolitical uncertainties, we have a significant opportunity to reinforce our standing as a premier maritime, logistics, and transhipment hub,” he said in his keynote address at the Global Maritime Economics Conference 2026, organised by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia here today.

The conference, themed ‘Advancing Resilience and Accelerating Sustainable Maritime Growth’, explores the trends influencing global maritime economic growth amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

In his speech, Loke emphasised that by accelerating port modernisation, deploying advanced automation, expanding multimodal logistics networks, and elevating maritime security, Malaysia can capture new trade opportunities while actively stabilising regional supply chains.

“This is particularly as Malaysia’s major ports already handle hundreds of millions of tonnes of cargoes annually, serving as critical links connecting Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa,” he added.

Loke also cautioned that modern economies are highly dependent on uninterrupted maritime freedoms.

“Historical milestones have shown that when maritime chokepoints are threatened, far-reaching economic shocks would follow. Shipping rates surged, insurance premiums spiked, supply chains fractured and energy markets spiralled into volatility,” he said.

Citing reports from the World Bank and the United Nations Trade and Development, Loke said that due to recent disruptions in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the average maritime shipping routes have increased to 5,200 miles today from approximately 4,800 miles in 2018.

“When more than 80 per cent of global commerce relies on maritime transport, safeguarding freedom of commerce is not just an idealised goal but an absolute economic imperative,” he said.

As such, Loke emphasised that investment in maritime cybersecurity, digital transformation, sustainable infrastructure, and regional cooperation would ensure that international trade continues to function as a powerful engine for growth and prosperity. — Bernama

Malaysian Bar ‘not optimistic’ over plan to separate AG, public prosecutor roles

Malaysian Bar ‘not optimistic’ over plan to separate AG, public prosecutor roles

Malaysian Bar president Anand Raj has reportedly raised concerns over how the government plans to implement the proposed separation of the roles of Attorney General and public prosecutor. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2026 9:52 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — The Malaysian Bar has reportedly expressed concern over the government’s proposed implementation of the separation of the roles of the Attorney-General and public prosecutor.

According to the New Straits Times, Malaysian Bar president Anand Raj said the Bar was “not optimistic” that the final outcome would reflect what it had hoped for.

“All we need to say is, the separation of Attorney-General and public prosecutor in theory and in concept is good.

“However, the way in which it is proposed to be executed, from what is available in the public domain, is far from ideal.

“We are not satisfied that enough has been done to execute the separation in the best interest of the country,” he was quoted as saying.

Anand said the Bar had been consulted before the proposal was prepared, but not all its views and suggestions to the parliamentary special select committee were adopted by the government.

He said that in some instances, none of the Bar’s proposals were adopted, while also reiterating that the separation should be carried out as soon as possible and in the best possible manner.

Singapore sentences Indian passenger to jail for molesting and cornering SIA flight attendant

Singapore sentences Indian passenger to jail for molesting and cornering SIA flight attendant

Singapore Airlines stewardesses walk through Changi Airport in Singapore on October 24, 2020. — TODAY pic

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2026 9:42 AM MYT

SINGAPORE, June 23 — A man has been sentenced to six months in jail after molesting a Singapore Airlines flight attendant and later harassing her by cornering her in the aircraft's galley.

Akash Tiwari, 35, was also ordered on June 22 to pay S$1,270.95 (RM4,000) in compensation. The Indian national, who pleaded guilty to one count each of molestation and harassment, faces an additional five days behind bars should he fail to make the payment, The Straits Times reported.

The incident occurred on February 9 during a Singapore-bound flight from Thailand. Court documents reveal that Tiwari was travelling with four friends who became rowdy during the journey, waving frantically and laughing whenever a female crew member passed by.

The harassment began before takeoff in Bangkok. While the victim was confirming meal orders, Tiwari stretched out his arm to brush against her left upper thigh and laughed, while his friends joined in.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the chief stewardess and was moved to a different aisle to avoid the offender. Despite this, Tiwari struck again, using his left elbow to nudge the victim's buttock as she collected meal trays.

“She was very upset and told the accused not to touch her. Instead of apologising, he smirked,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Lynda Lee told the court. The victim, increasingly distressed, repeated her demand for him to stay away.

When the victim and the chief stewardess confronted Tiwari, he remained unapologetic and insisted he had done nothing wrong.

As the captain announced the plane's descent, the victim retreated to the galley. Tiwari followed her, standing extremely close and ignoring her pleas for him to stay away.

“Instead of moving away, the accused persisted with the same threatening behaviour by coming even closer and cornered the victim in the galley,” the DPP said.

The victim shouted for him to stop following her and attempted to leave the galley, but Tiwari continued to pursue her. Passengers in the aisle witnessed the encounter. Tiwari only ceased his harassment when the victim sought help from the chief stewardess. By then, the victim was in tears, visibly frightened, and shaking.

Tiwari was arrested immediately after the plane landed in Singapore.

Tourism minister: Rain Rave Water Festival generated RM320m in tourism revenue, drew half a million people

Tourism minister: Rain Rave Water Festival generated RM320m in tourism revenue, drew half a million people

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing told Parliament this morning that the controversial Rain Rave event contributed nearly RM400 million to the economy. — Photo by Hari Anggara

Tuesday, 23 Jun 2026 12:17 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — The Rain Rave Water Festival held on the Labour Day holiday generated an estimated RM320.4 million in overall tourism revenue, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing told Parliament this morning.

The event, which received backlash primarily from more conservative politicians, drew close to half a million visitors across all seven states it was held in. The event was held concurrently in Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Johor, Melaka, Kedah, Pahang and Labuan. The revenue from the six states was some RM71 million.

“So estimates indicate it contributed a total of RM370 million to the economy,” Tiong said during Minister’s Question Time.

MORE TO COME

***

Penang should have one every six months - it's not only good for tourism and our economy but also as a relief for our sweltering environment.👍😂😁

Govt must maintain good relations with Malay rulers, says Anwar

Govt must maintain good relations with Malay rulers, says Anwar

Yesterday
Elill Easwaran

The prime minister says cordial ties made it easier for both sides to clear the air on issues affecting the states

Anwar Ibrahim said he had also given his views to the other sultans on separate issues and would heed their advice. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said tonight the federal government must maintain a good relationship with the Malay rulers, citing his audience today with the Johor regent.

Anwar said cordial ties made it easier for both sides to clear the air on issues affecting the state.

“The Johor regent said he considered me a friend, which is why I was able to seek an audience with him when he was in Kuala Lumpur,” he said, referring to Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

Anwar, who is the Pakatan Harapan chairman, said this before unveiling the coalition’s candidates for the Johor state election.

He also said he had given his views to the other sultans on separate issues and would heed their advice.

Anwar said he and Tunku Ismail agreed to preserve their good relations while reinforcing cooperation between the federal and state governments.

He said their discussions revolved around the welfare of Johoreans and the state’s development.

PH names ex-education minister Maszlee, Batu Pahat MP for Johor polls

PH names ex-education minister Maszlee, Batu Pahat MP for Johor polls

Yesterday
Elill Easwaran

Maszlee Malik will contest the Puteri Wangsa seat, while Onn Abu Bakar will vie for Senggarang

Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim announced the coalition’s 56 candidates for the Johor polls. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan tonight unveiled its candidates for next month’s Johor election, with a lineup that includes former education minister Maszlee Malik, Batu Pahat MP Onn Abu Bakar and Johor PKR Youth chief Faezuddin Puad.

Maszlee will contest the Puteri Wangsa seat, while Onn has been named the coalition’s candidate for Senggarang. Faezuddin will stand in Kempas.

Pulai MP Suhaizan Kaiat of Amanah, meanwhile, will stand in Larkin.

PH’s candidates were announced by chairman Anwar Ibrahim.

Also present were Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook.

In his speech, Loke said victory in Johor was crucial for the federal government’s stability.

“If we want Anwar to continue as prime minister, we need PH to win in Johor,” he said, adding that the state’s economy grew partly due to the federal government.

It was previously reported that PKR would field candidates in 20 seats, DAP 17 and Amanah 19.

In May, PH said it would contest all 56 seats in the state election, in response to Barisan Nasional’s decision to field candidates in every constituency.

The Johor election is set for July 11, with nominations on June 27 and early voting on July 7.

Here is the full list of PH candidates for the Johor state election:

Buloh Kasap – Rozy Razit
Jementah – Ng Kor Sim
Pemanis – Lee En Xiang
Kemelah – Afif Abdul Hamid
Tenang – Elia Nadira Sabudin
Bekok – Tay Yok Jiuen
Bukit Kepong – Subramani Chami
Bukit Pasir – Najib Lep
Gambir – Mohd Nor Mohd Yusof
Tangkak – Ei Chin Li
Serom – Ahmad Nazari Abdul Hamid
Bentayan – Ng Yak Howe
Simpang Jeram – Nazri Abdul Rahman
Bukit Naning – Ysauhrudin Kusni
Maharani – Taqiuddin Cheman
Sungai Balang – Soraya Badaruddin
Semerah – Khuzzan Abu Bakar
Sri Medan – Hishamuddin Misrin
Yong Peng – Yong Hui Yi
Semarang – Ramli Hamid
Parit Yaani – Ezam Taslim
Parit Raja – Shazwan Dainal
Penggaram – Poh Rui Ling
Senggarang – Onn Abu Bakar
Rengit – Yazid Bakri
Machap – Hafiz Roslan
Layang-Layang – Guna Balakrishanan
Mengkibol – Chu Poh Yee
Mahkota – Ahmad Zuhan Mohd Zain
Paloh – Ruben Arumungum
Kahang – Sabri Kadir
Endau – Saiful Nizam Samat
Tenggaroh – Yusof Dawam
Panti – Daniel Sharudin
Pasir Raja – Fakharuddin Moslim
Sedili – Amirul Husni Onn
Johor Lama – Danish Rahman
Penawar – Sawaludin Salleh
Tanjung Surat – Faizul Abdul Ghani
Tiram – Nor Zulaila Abdul Ghani
Puteri Wangsa – Maszlee Malik
Johor Jaya – Lee Wern Yiing
Permas – Teo Siew Hui
Larkin – Suhaizan Kaiat
Stulang – Chen Kah Eng
Perling – Tee Boon Tsong
Kempas – Faezuddin Puad
Skudai – Kartiyaini Jeyapalan
Kota Iskandar – Dzulkefly Ahmad
Bukit Permai – Shafwan Ani
Bukit Batu – Chiong Sen Sern
Senai – Wong Bor Yang
Benut – Abdul Razak Ismail
Pulai Sebatang – Haniff Hosman
Pekan Nanas – Yeo Tun Siong
Kukup- Cheah Chee Hong

RM2.10 diesel from July 1: Who qualifies, how it works and how much fuel you can buy

RM2.10 diesel from July 1: Who qualifies, how it works and how much fuel you can buy

The diesel subsidy works exactly as the Budi95 programme. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Monday, 22 Jun 2026 8:15 PM MYT

PUTRAJAYA, June 22 — The government will roll out a new MyKad-based diesel subsidy system from July 1, allowing eligible Malaysians to buy diesel at RM2.10 per litre while moving all diesel prices to market rates nationwide.

The move marks the biggest change to the Budi Diesel programme since targeted diesel subsidies were introduced in June 2024, replacing monthly cash assistance for individual recipients with direct fuel subsidies at the pump.

Here’s what motorists need to know.

What is changing?

Beginning July 1, diesel will be sold at unsubsidised prices nationwide.

However, eligible Malaysians who own diesel vehicles will be able to purchase subsidised diesel at RM2.10 per litre by verifying their identity using their MyKad at petrol stations.

The mechanism mirrors the existing Budi95 system for RON95 petrol, which Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah said when presenting the targeted diesel subsidy reform at the Ministry of Finance building here, has helped reduce subsidy leakages while ensuring assistance reaches intended recipients.

Who qualifies?

The scheme is open to Malaysian citizens who:

Hold a valid driving licence;
Own a diesel-powered vehicle registered with the Road Transport Department (JPJ); and
Have a valid road tax.

The government estimates around 700,000 private diesel vehicle owners will qualify.

River boat operators and owners of generators in remote areas will also be included under separate arrangements.

How does the subsidy work?

The diesel subsidy works exactly as the Budi95 programme.

Eligible recipients will use their MyKad at petrol stations to verify their entitlement before purchasing fuel.

Payment can still be made using cash, debit cards, credit cards or selected e-wallets.

The subsidy is tied to a monthly fuel quota rather than cash payments.

For existing Budi Diesel Individual recipients, the current RM400 monthly cash assistance will be discontinued and replaced automatically with the new subsidy mechanism.

No fresh application is required for current recipients.

How much subsidised fuel can I buy?

Each eligible individual will receive a basic allocation of 200 litres a month.

Unlike previous schemes, the quota can be shared between diesel and subsidised RON95 purchases.

For example, a motorist could use part of the allocation for diesel and the remainder for Ron95, with both counted against the same monthly quota.

The government says nearly 90 per cent of motorists use less than 200 litres of fuel a month, making the allocation sufficient for most recipients.

Why are pickup truck and SUV owners getting 100 litres more?

Owners of eligible diesel-powered pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) may apply for an additional 100 litres monthly.

This would raise their total entitlement to 300 litres a month.

The government said many pickup trucks are used by small traders and rural residents who travel longer distances, particularly in interior areas.

Officials estimate that 95 per cent of diesel users consume less than 300 litres monthly.

To put that into perspective, Amir Hamzah said the government had analysed fuel consumption patterns and found that a 300-litre monthly allocation would be sufficient for someone travelling daily between Marudi and Miri in Sarawak — a round trip of about 172km a day.

Amir Hamzah said owners of diesel-powered pickup trucks and SUVs who require the additional allocation must apply through the Budi Madani portal (www.budimadani.gov.my), with the extra 100 litres granted only upon approval.

Applications may also be made in person at LHDN offices, including at UTCs.

What about Sabah and Sarawak?

The system will be implemented in the same way across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

At the same time, the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS) will be expanded to East Malaysia, allowing around 70,000 eligible commercial vehicles to buy diesel at RM2.15 per litre using fleet cards.

The federal government is also working with the Sabah and Sarawak governments to ensure remote communities continue to have access to subsidised diesel.

What happens to other diesel subsidy programmes?

Several existing schemes will remain unchanged.

These include:

Diesel at RM1.65 per litre for fishermen;
Budi Agri-Komoditi assistance for farmers and smallholders; and
SKDS 1.0 diesel at RM1.88 per litre for public transport operators, including school and express buses.

When can people start checking eligibility?

Motorists can check their eligibility and monthly quota through the official Budi Madani portal from today.

Ahead of the full rollout, early access to the new Budi Diesel system will be available from June 27 for eligible private diesel vehicle owners in Peninsular Malaysia.

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