Denmark reportedly flew blood bags to Greenland in preparation for a US attack

Denmark reportedly flew blood bags to Greenland in preparation for a US attack

Amid Trump threats, Copenhagen also sent over explosives intended to blow up runways, according to Danish media

Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent

Fri 20 Mar 2026 03.00 AEDT

Denmark reportedly readied itself for potential attack from the US in January – flying bags of blood to Greenland and explosives to blow up runways in case of a battle with its former closest ally.

During the tense days when Donald Trump threatened to take over Greenland – a largely autonomous territory that is part of the Danish commonwealth – “the hard way”, Copenhagen was so shaken that it started preparing for US invasion, according to Danish public broadcaster DR.

When, in January, Danish soldiers were flown to Greenland, they were reportedly carrying explosives to destroy runways in the capital, Nuuk, and in Kangerlussuaq, a small town north of the capital, to prevent US aircraft from landing in the event of an invasion.

They also carried supplies from Danish blood banks to treat wounded people in the event of battle, according to DR, which had spoken to sources from across the Danish government, authorities and intelligence services in Denmark, France and Germany.

Denmark reportedly started seeking political support from European leaders in a series of secret talks that started soon after the 2024 US election.

The 3 January US attack on Venezuela was a crucial turning point, many of the sources told DR. The following day, Trump said the US needed Greenland “very badly” – renewing fears of a US invasion. The following day, Frederiksen said that an attack by the US on a Nato ally would mean the end of both the military alliance and “post-second world war security”.

According to DR, there was already reportedly a plan for Danish and European forces to send soldiers to Greenland later in they year, but this was rapidly brought forward.

An unnamed top French official told DR that the unprecedented situation had brought Europe closer together. “With the Greenland crisis, Europe realised once and for all that we need to be able to take care of our own security,” the source said.
Although Copenhagen wanted to avoid escalation with the US, it did not want to do nothing in the event of a US attack.

An advance command of Danish, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish soldiers touched down in Greenland, followed by a main force including elite soldiers. Danish fighter planes and a French naval vessel were also sent in the direction of the North Atlantic.

The aim was reportedly to have as many different nationalities of soldiers as possible to force the US to take a significant hostile action if it was to occupy Greenland. “We have not been in such a situation since April 1940,” a Danish defence source told DR.

The Danish ministry of defence and the offices of the Greenlandic prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, declined to comment.

***

It also means Denmark and her European allies were/are ready to fight the wanks.

West Point analysis warns that strait of Hormuz blockade will strangle US defense industry

West Point analysis warns that strait of Hormuz blockade will strangle US defense industry


Report shows how minerals critical to defense readiness have seen a ‘near total’ disruption in seaborne trade


Jason Wilson

Thu 19 Mar 2026 22.00 AEDT


The closure of the strait of Hormuz is causing a “paralyzing, real-time problem” for any prospective manufacturing surge in the US defense industrial base, and even for the repair of defense equipment damaged by Iranian attacks, according to analysis published by West Point’s Modern War Institute.

In particular sulphur, a vital upstream input in the extraction of critical minerals including copper and cobalt, has seen a “near total” disruption of seaborne trade in the straits, which makes up half the world’s total shipments, and prices have spiked nearly 25% since the war began, and seen a 165% rise year on year, the report said.


According to the analysis, these minerals – used in everything from microprocessors to jet engines to drone batteries – “dictate how fast things can be built and scaled under the pressure of an ongoing war”, and the effects of a sudden supply shock on US defense readiness have never been modeled.


Trump waives US shipping law for oil and gas in bid to lower prices

Read more

One of the authors of that analysis, USAF lieutenant colonel and nonresident fellow at the US Naval War College Jahara “Franky” Matisek, told the Guardian in a telephone conversation that it’s “a cascading issue” raising the possibility that a “knock-on effect of this war is that it may cost double or more than double to replace all these weapons because all the mineral demand is going to go way up”.

Matisek warned of another possibility: “Markets are not going to be able to provide the amount of minerals that are needed to replace all these radars that have been destroyed and all these munitions that have to be replaced. It’s a really precarious spot to be in right now.”


The sulphur used as an industrial and agricultural inputs is mostly created as a byproduct of refining crude oil. The Middle East produces about 24% of the world’s supply, and around half of the world’s seaborne trade in the substance passes through the strait of Hormuz.

Sulphur is an input in the manufacture of artificial fertilizers, and international organizations, industry bodies and media reports have drawn attention to the possible downstream effects on agriculture and food supplies, especially in low-income countries whose farmers need to buy in the same markets as their counterparts in wealthy countries.

But sulphur is also burned to make sulphuric acid – the world’s most produced industrial chemical – which is used to extract copper and cobalt from low-grade ores.

And these very metals, the Modern War Institute warns, are crucial for replenishing and repairing US military equipment being used or damaged in the current war in the Middle East, pointing out that “copper is a designated strategic material embedded in the transformers, motors, and communications hardware that enable bases to operate and defense factories to function”.

The authors offer specific estimates for materials damaged in the early days of the war, writing that “it will take over thirty thousand kilograms of copper just to replace the two major US radars destroyed in Bahrain and Qatar” and “thousands of kilograms of additional copper to fix or replace other damaged US communication equipment, sensors, and radars in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE”.


They add: “The current sulfur shock is becoming a copper problem, and that copper problem risks quickly becoming a readiness and resilience problem.”

They call this a “prelogistical crisis” that previous “military planning treated as background noise”.

According to a separate February analysis, also co-written by Matisek, only 6% of US defense contractors have fully transparent supply chains. In the newer report, he and his co-authors write that this has now resulted in a military effort constrained by “upstream conditions it cannot control and a US joint force discovering that its combat endurance is capped by the invisible industrial foundations needed to replenish it”.

Matisek told the Guardian that this had arisen partly from the dependence on large defense contractors, and the opacity of their supply chains to military planners.

“All the big prime defense industrial base companies, this is all proprietary information. They don’t want anyone knowing how many minerals they’re buying to make a missile,” he said.

“From a strategic sort or great power competition perspective, we can’t actually allow them to do that any more because we actually need to know this,” Matisek added.

“We don’t know who their vendors are,” he said, adding that beyond a few steps in long chains of subcontractors, “nobody actually knows who’s providing these metals, these minerals, the parts. And it just becomes a maze.”

He added that apart from copper, sulphur is a key ingredient in the explosives that are at the business end of US military activity.

“There’s only two companies that make energetics and make the high explosives. If they have not gotten any orders or requests to increase their production, that is highly problematic, especially as we get to the sulphur crunch here”.

He added: “But [there is] just sort of like a crunch for all these minerals that you need to actually spin up to make all this stuff.”

The Guardian reached out to the US Department of Defense for comment.

No timeframe for ending US war against Iran, says Pete Hegseth

No timeframe for ending US war against Iran, says Pete Hegseth


US defense secretary suggests Thursday will be ‘largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above’


David Smith in Washington

Fri 20 Mar 2026 02.02 AEDT



The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no “timeframe” for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.

The military US-Israeli offensive began three weeks ago and continues to widen. Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to “massively blow up” the world’s biggest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to escalate strikes on oil and gas facilities around the Gulf.


Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Hegseth suggested that Thursday would bring the biggest US onslaught so far. “To date, we’ve struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure,” the defense secretary said. “Today will be the largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above.”

Even as oil prices soar and the US president’s approval rating plummets further, Hegseth declined to offer an exit plan. “We wouldn’t want to set a definitive timeframe,” he said, adding that “we’re very much on track” and Trump will be the one to decide when to stop.

Why gasfield attacks are a major escalation in Iran war


“It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to.’”

The scale of the campaign has grown markedly. In the Gulf, US aircraft and naval units have targeted dozens of vessels, including mine-layers and submarines, as part of an effort to reopen the strategically vital strait of Hormuz, effectively closed by Tehran in the early days of the war.

Hegseth brushed aside suggestions of mission creep as a media invention. The campaign’s goals, he said, are to dismantle Iran’s missile-launching capability, cripple its defense-industrial base and naval fleet and ensure it can never acquire a nuclear weapon.

“Our objectives, given directly from our America-first president, remain exactly what they were on day one. These are not the media’s objectives, not Iran’s objectives, not new objectives. Our objectives – unchanged, on target and on plan.”

In a fresh broadside at the media, Hegseth said: “A dishonest and anti-Trump press will stop at nothing – we know this at this point – to downplay progress, amplify every cost and call into question every step. Sadly, TDS [Trump derangement syndrome] is in their DNA. They want President Trump to fail.”

But he also addressed a media report that the Pentagon has requested more than $200bn in additional funding from Congress to pay for the conflict. The first six days cost close to an estimated $13bn, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

“As far as $200bn, I think that number could move. Obviously it takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said. “We’re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future.”



The war on Iran cost the US $12.7bn by day six. Here’s how it’s been spent – in charts

Read more

Top US military officer Gen Dan Caine, who spoke alongside Hegseth, said the military was “on track” and pushing ever deeper into Iranian territory. Long-range strikes are now penetrating farther east, he said, targeting underground storage facilities, drone garrisons and coastal missile sites with bunker-busting munitions.

Caine outlined the widening geographical scope of the conflict. In the Gulf, A-10 “Warthog” aircraft are being used to hunt fast-attack craft in the strait of Hormuz while, in Iraq, AH-64 Apache helicopters are striking Iran-aligned militia groups. Allied forces have begun deploying similar systems against Tehran’s one-way attack drones.

Hegseth, who has previously expressed sympathy for Christian nationalism, ended his remarks with an overtly religious plea for Americans to pray for US troops “on bended knee with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ”.

He said at the start of the press conference that his address was aimed more at the American public watching than at the media gathered at the Pentagon.

Hegseth said: “The world, the Middle East, our ungrateful allies in Europe, even segments of our own press should be saying one thing to President Trump – thank you.” He added: “Thank you for the courage to stop this terror state from holding the world hostage with missiles while building or attempting to build a nuclear bomb. Thank you for doing the work of the free world.”

***

Well, if they want to, they can stay at war with Iran for the next 10 years, as in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Yes, I hope they do.

Apart from a low IQ, Hegseth is one mighty balls-carrier in the way he puji his deranged Boss, wakakaka.

Israeli officials push back on US claim that Trump knew nothing about gasfield attack

Middle East crisis: Israeli officials push back on US claim that Trump knew nothing about gasfield attack


Three Israeli officials tell Reuters that the US actually helped coordinate Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield

Large fire at South Pars gasfield after Israeli strike


Lucy Campbell (now) ; Tom Ambrose, Taz Ali, Hamish Mackay and Adam Fulton (earlier)

Fri 20 Mar 2026 04.51 AEDT


00.29 AEDT

Israel says US helped coordinate gasfield attack, despite Trump's claim he knew nothing about it

We’ve just heard from Pete Hegseth. He reiterated the claim from Donald Trump that the US president knew nothing about the attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield.

However, Reuters is reporting that Israel says its attack on the gas facilities was coordinated with the United States.

Israel has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the South Pars attack. On Wednesday night, Trump said in a social media post that Washington “knew nothing about this particular attack” and that Israel would not attack the gas field further unless Iran again attacked Qatar.

The three Israeli officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that Israel was not surprised by Trump’s comments.

They described the dynamic as similar to one that played out after Israel struck fuel depots in Iran several weeks ago. After those attacks, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that in “that particular case those weren’t our strikes”.

Updated at 00.49 AEDT

5m ago 04.51 AEDT
Lucy Campbell

Asked about Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, Donald Trump confirmed that he spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu about it – though he was not explicit about when exactly they spoke – and said he told the Israeli prime minister not to carry out further attacks on Iran’s oil and gas facilities.

He told reporters:

Yeah I did, I told him don’t do that … And he won’t do that … We’re independent. We get along great. It’s coordinated. But on occasion, he’ll do something, and if I don’t like it … So, we’re not doing that any more.

Yesterday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Washington “knew nothing about this particular attack” and that Israel would not attack the gasfield further unless Iran again attacked Qatar. In that case, he said, the US would “massively blow up” the gasfield.

23m ago 04.33 AEDT

Iranian attack damages Israeli oil refinery in Haifa

An Iranian missile attack hit Israel’s Oil Refineries in the northern port city of Haifa but did not cause “significant damage“, Israel’s energy ministry said on Thursday.

Energy minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most of those who were affected, Reuters reported.

“The damage to the power grid in the north is localized and not significant,” Cohen said. “Also, in the barrage towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites.“

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted refineries in Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, and in Ashdod, in the country’s south, “along with a range of security targets and military support centres of the Zionist regime“, which it said “were hit by pinpoint missiles“.

There was no immediate word on whether the Ashdod refinery was hit.

43m ago 04.13 AEDT

Trump says he is not putting US troops in region amid Iran war

US president Donald Trump on Thursday suggested he was not looking at deploying more soldiers to the Middle East amid the Iran war.

“I’m not putting troops anywhere,” Trump said, asked by a reporter whether he was planning to send more service members to the region.

“If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you. But I’m not putting troops.”

Trump spoke at the White House during an Oval Office meeting with Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to reinforce the Iran operation, citing a US official and three people familiar with the matter.Share

54m ago 04.02 AEDT

The UN’s maritime body called Thursday for the creation of a safe shipping “corridor” in the Gulf to evacuate stranded vessels and seafarers, after an emergency meeting that also condemned Iran.

Following two days of urgent talks in London convened due to the Middle East war, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said the “safe maritime corridor” should be established as “a provisional and urgent measure”.

IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the “humanitarian corridor” would “evacuate ships in the Persian Gulf through the strait of Hormuz”.

The UN agency – responsible for regulating international shipping safety – noted the focus should be on “those currently confined within the Gulf region through peaceful means and on a voluntary basis”.

1h ago 03.42 AEDT

Hannah Ellis-Petersen


Oman’s foreign minister has claimed the US has “lost control of its own foreign policy” and accused Israel of persuading Donald Trump’s administration to go to war with Iran – a conflict he described as a “catastrophe” and “grave miscalculation”.

Writing in the Economist, Badr Albusaidi, the Omani minister who mediated the latest nuclear talks between Iran and the US, offered an unusually damning assessment of events leading up to the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran and the war that it has triggered across the Middle East.

“It was a shock but not a surprise when on 28 February – just a few hours after the latest and most substantive talks – Israel and America again launched an unlawful military strike against the peace that had briefly appeared really possible,” wrote Albusaidi.

Of all the Gulf countries, Oman was the most vocal and publicly proactive in trying to halt a US attack on Iran, although other states – including the UAE and Qatar – also worked hard to find diplomatic solutions and warned Trump that a war would be devastating for the region.

According to Albusaidi, Iran and the US had been on the “verge of a real deal” in the nuclear negotiations held in Geneva in February, describing the talks as “substantive”.

Oman claims Israel pushed US into Iran war when deal was possible

Read more



***

We can "depend" on the shailoks to "order" their wankee Ma Cai into attacking Iran.

And we can "depend" on the idiotic wanks to blindly obey the "order" of their Lord & Master, even if at their own (wankee) expense.

Think Twice Before Heading to Thailand This Hari Raya

Think Twice Before Heading to Thailand This Hari Raya

19 Mar 2026 • 4:30 PM MYT



TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image generated by ChatGPT

March 17, 2026


If you’re planning to travel to Thailand this Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it’s time to pause. Thailand is grappling with an acute fuel shortage, and for Malaysian travellers, what should be a festive escape could quickly turn into a logistical nightmare. Petrol stations in Satun, Hat Yai, Narathiwat, and other popular tourist areas are already running dry or rationing fuel. Cars can only fill up to 500 baht (about RM60) per refill, motorcycles a mere 50 baht (around RM6).


Abdul Halim Othman, a Malaysian tourism operator based in Satun, warns travellers to plan carefully. “Do not wait until your tank is near empty. With the current unpredictability, running out of fuel far from the border is a real risk,” he says. Even stations that remain open are often selling only premium fuel at higher prices, while smaller independent stations are shutting down entirely due to soaring wholesale costs and government price caps.


The fuel crisis is only the tip of the iceberg. Escalating conflicts in West Asia involving Iran, the US, and Israel have disrupted global energy flows, affecting Thailand’s heavy reliance on imported Middle Eastern crude. Roughly half of Thailand’s crude oil shipments come from the region. Any prolonged disruption could immediately affect domestic fuel availability, pushing costs even higher and straining the economy.



The ripple effects of the shortage are being felt across multiple sectors. Work-from-home orders for civil servants and restrictions on state agency travel have been introduced to reduce fuel consumption. Diesel shortages are disrupting agricultural production, with fertiliser deliveries delayed and local prices rising. Farmers face increased costs for tractors and irrigation, threatening both yields and livelihoods. Small petrol stations, lacking financial resilience, are closing because they cannot sell at government-mandated prices without incurring losses.


Tourism, one of Thailand’s largest economic pillars, is already taking a hit. Hotel bookings from Malaysian tourists are only at 40% of normal festive-season occupancy, while long-haul arrivals from Europe and the Middle East could decline by as much as 50% if the crisis persists. Airlines, hotels, and tour operators are forced to adjust schedules, cancel services, and manage frustrated customers. Even local businesses dependent on tourism—restaurants, souvenir shops, and transport operators—are feeling the pressure.


Manufacturing is not spared either. Rising diesel and electricity costs, coupled with delays in importing raw materials, are affecting production schedules. Rural communities are stockpiling fuel in anticipation of shortages, further straining supply chains. Urban centres are struggling to maintain public transport and essential services. Economists warn that if these conditions persist, Thailand could face slower economic growth, higher inflation, and increased financial strain on households and businesses.


For Malaysian travellers, the practical advice is clear: this is not the year to take risks. Refuel whenever possible, plan journeys conservatively, and consider postponing trips to destinations far from the border. Being stranded with no petrol, rising costs, and limited services is a very real possibility.


Meanwhile, Malaysia offers a safer and more predictable alternative. Starting March 18, a 50% toll discount is in effect for Hari Raya travel, making domestic journeys cheaper and far less stressful. With fuel available, roads open, and far fewer uncertainties, returning home or exploring local destinations provides convenience, safety, and peace of mind.


This crisis is a stark reminder of how global events ripple into everyday life. A conflict thousands of kilometres away can suddenly affect your holiday plans, your fuel costs, and your access to basic services. Prudence should outweigh impulse—sometimes the wisest choice is to celebrate closer to home, where preparation and planning can make a real difference.


Thailand may remain a tempting destination, but this year, Malaysians would do well to prioritise safety and stability. Travel smart, plan carefully, and remember: a memorable Hari Raya does not require crossing borders—it requires foresight, caution, and peace of mind.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry Sparks Controversy With Expanded Aidilfitri Road Ban

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry Sparks Controversy With Expanded Aidilfitri Road Ban


19 Mar 2026 • 12:00 PM MYT



AM World
A writer capturing headlines & hidden places, turning moments into words

Malaymail


As millions of Malaysians prepare for the annual Aidilfitri exodus, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) has announced a stringent enforcement of road bans on heavy vehicles surrounding the festive period. The policy, aimed at reducing road accidents and easing congestion, will see large trucks, trailers, and goods carriers barred from major highways on March 19–20 and March 28–29 days before and after the celebration itself. This has prompted debate among industry stakeholders, logistics firms, and ordinary motorists about the true impact of the ban. (The Star)


This investigation explores the government’s rationale, enforcement strategy, historical data on compliance and violations, and the broader economic and safety implications of the road ban. Using official statements, enforcement records, expert analysis, and regional case studies, we assess whether the policy delivers on its promises or creates avoidable disruption to the nation’s transport ecosystem.


What Is the Aidilfitri Road Ban?


Scope of the Ban


The Transport Ministry, through the Road Transport Department (JPJ), has implemented a temporary driving prohibition (road ban) targeting heavy goods vehicles during peak travel periods associated with Aidilfitri. The ban is scheduled for four days in total: before and after the festival on March 19–20 and March 28–29. (The Star)


Vehicles Affected


Although the official statement from the ministry does not detail exact vehicle categories, heavy and goods vehicles typically include large lorries, trailers, and commercial transport above specified weight thresholds. Previous iterations of road bans included detailed classifications with tiered restrictions based on vehicle type and time of day. (Carz Automedia Malaysia)


Stated Intent


Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the road ban aims to reduce road accidents, which historically spike during festive travel, and to ease traffic flow by reducing mixing between slow-moving commercial vehicles and private cars undertaking the annual balik kampung (return to hometown) journeys. (Malay Mail)


The Logic Behind the Ban: Safety and Congestion


Accident Trends During Aidilfitri


Festive travel has long been identified by Malaysian road safety agencies as a high‑risk period for traffic incidents. Contributing factors include:High vehicle volumes exceeding capacity on major highways.
Fatigue among long‑distance drivers.
Interactions between faster personal vehicles and slower, heavy‑load trucks.

According to enforcement operations during the previous Aidilfitri period, more than 122,000 vehicles were inspected, and over 15,000 actions were taken against violations during a nationwide Festive Road Operation. (Portal Berita RTM)


Enforcement Results


On the first day of last year’s road ban enforcement, JPJ detected 62 goods vehicles violating the prohibition and issued 41 summonses. Twenty‑one vehicles were detained under Section 59 of the Road Transport Act 1987. (Portal Berita RTM)


This enforcement record shows both the challenges of compliance and the willingness of authorities to act. However, critics point out that enforcement alone may not substantially reduce congestion without complementary traffic management strategies.


Logistics Industry Pushback and Economic Impact


Industry Concerns


Malaysia’s freight and logistics industry has voiced concerns over repeated road bans. These include:

• Disruption to supply chains during peak production cycles.
• Increased costs from rescheduling deliveries and idle drivers.
• Pressure on storage facilities as cargo accumulates at distribution points.

Industry sources note that bans can cause a temporary surge in heavy vehicle movements just before and after the prohibited periods, as companies rush to complete deliveries inadvertently contributing to congestion rather than reducing it.


Case in Point: Previous road bans saw complaints from transport operators who reported bottlenecks as the ban dates approached, with logistics activities concentrated in narrow time windows. While anecdotal, these accounts suggest that bans may shift, rather than reduce, traffic pressures. (Reddit)


Comparative Analysis: Other Countries’ Approaches


Countries with high seasonal travel see similar challenges, but their approaches vary:

• Japan restricts large trucks on expressways during peak holiday travel on designated days with dynamic signage.
• Germany enforces weekend and holiday bans for heavy vehicles on major autobahns, with tiered exceptions for essential deliveries.
• France imposes strict restrictions on heavy vehicles during summer peak travel periods to manage congestion.

Malaysia’s model aligns with these strategies, though enforcement intensity and public compliance vary by jurisdiction.


Is the Ban Effective?


Safety Outcomes


There is mixed evidence on whether temporary bans directly improve road safety:Enforcement during Chinese New Year last year showed a 10% reduction in traffic accidents compared to the previous period, attributed partly to coordinated special operations including road bans. (Malay Mail)

However, correlating accident reductions solely with heavy vehicle bans is complex, as other factors like police traffic management and public safety campaigns also play roles.


Traffic Flow Observations


Traffic reports during previous Aidilfitri bans showed that delays still occurred, particularly at major expressway bottlenecks in the Klang Valley and north‑south routes, even when heavy vehicles were restricted. Congestion often peaked late morning and early afternoon, suggesting that private vehicle volume remains the dominant factor. (Reddit)



Broader Implications for Malaysia’s Transport Policy


Urban vs Rural Balance


The ban has sparked debate about equity between urban and rural logistics needs. Rural communities rely on timely deliveries of food and goods, and restrictions on heavy vehicles can delay these essential services.


Supply Chain Resilience


As Malaysia positions itself as a regional logistics hub, repeated disruptive bans raise questions about resilience and adaptability in transport planning. Balancing festival travel safety with continuous goods movement is a persistent challenge.


Technological Enforcement


Experts suggest that integrating smart traffic systems, GPS‑based vehicle tracking, and dynamic routing could offer more targeted solutions than blanket bans. These technologies can help divert heavy vehicles from crowded corridors during peak times without full‑day prohibitions.



Public Reaction and Political Dimensions


Public Opinion


On social platforms, many motorists expressed frustration at pre‑ban rush conditions, where heavy vehicles were concentrated on roads just before restrictions began. Others argued that bans unfairly punish commercial drivers and ignore root causes like insufficient public transport capacity. (Reddit)


Political Considerations


Transport policy during high‑profile national festivities is politically sensitive. Officials must balance public safety, economic stability, and voter sentiment. Critics of the policy have asked for deeper engagement with stakeholders, including logistics associations and highway concessionaires, to refine timing and scope.


What Do You Think? I’d Love to Hear Your Opinion in the Comments Section.


Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport has unveiled an expanded Aidilfitri road ban targeting heavy vehicles for specific days surrounding the festive period to improve road safety and ease congestion. Official data and enforcement records show active compliance efforts by the Road Transport Department, but challenges remain in achieving seamless traffic flow and in mitigating economic disruption to freight operators. (The Star)


While the policy aligns with global practices of diverting heavy traffic during peak travel days, its effectiveness hinges on integrated planning, technological enforcement, and stakeholder collaboration. The result may reduce accidents and empower safer journeys, but it may also accentuate pre‑ and post‑ban traffic surges and strain logistics operations.


The road ban is more than a traffic rule. It reflects Malaysia’s broader struggle to balance human mobility, economic continuity, and public safety during one of the nation’s most important cultural events.

***

I would love to see goods transported mainly by trains, with lorries only at train stations distributing the goods to specific locations. This way will see less lorries on the main highways / interstate trunk roads.

Anthony Loke’s Public Rebuke of Steven Sim Reveals More Than Meets the Eye

OPINION | Anthony Loke’s Public Rebuke of Steven Sim Reveals More Than Meets the Eye


18 Mar 2026 • 9:00 AM MYT



TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image credit: MICSea

Recently, Anthony Loke publicly singled out and rebuked Steven Sim over speculation surrounding the next Chief Minister of Penang.


At first glance, the matter may appear administrative. But in politics, public rebukes are rarely insignificant.


Speaking on the Oriental Daily podcast Critical Landing, the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party said Sim should stop mentioning possible successors to the current Chief Minister, Chow Kon Yeow. According to Loke, the decision on the next Chief Minister must be made by the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), not discussed publicly by individual leaders.


“I want to say publicly that Sim should no longer mention any names, should not discuss them, and should not speculate,” Loke said. “It is not his place to speculate either.”


Sim had reportedly cited two potential successors to Chow, who is serving his final term. The names mentioned were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying and Tourism Malaysia Board deputy chairperson Yeoh Soon Hin.


Lim Hui Ying is the daughter of DAP founding figure Lim Kit Siang and sister to party adviser Lim Guan Eng. Yeoh Soon Hin, meanwhile, is a senior party figure and currently chairs the Penang Port Commission.


Loke stressed that although the party leadership has indeed discussed succession internally, the time to announce a decision has not yet come. The party, he said, must continue to support Chow fully while he remains in office.



“There is still a Chief Minister in office, and we will definitely support Chow. Everyone must respect that Chow is still the Chief Minister,” Loke said.


He also made it clear that the party will only announce a successor after the Penang state legislative assembly is dissolved ahead of the next election.


Yet what stands out in this episode is not merely the reminder of party discipline, but the fact that Loke chose to publicly single out Steven Sim. Anthony, after all, had the option of either rebuking Steven personally or rebuking his statement generally, without singling him out. That Anthony chose neither is a decision, not an accident.


In politics, such incidents matter. Politics is fundamentally a field of ambition and ego expansion. Leaders strive to rise precisely because they seek to shape their organisation — be it their party or the country — according to their own vision. Publicly puncturing the ego of a rising figure is therefore rarely a trivial act. If a leader succeeds in puncturing the ego of another in a public manner, it will be taken as a sign that the leader with the punctured ego will not be able to shape the organisation in their image. That is equivalent to saying that everyone in the organisation should stop seeing the leader with the punctured ego as a leader. To prevent such a signal from being established, the leader with the punctured ego will have to prevent their ego from being so punctured.


Steven Sim is widely regarded as one of the rising leaders within the DAP. Since entering government in 2018 as Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, he has served in several portfolios, including Finance and Human Resources, before becoming the first non-Malay to head the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development. He is also the Penang DAP chairman, placing him at the centre of the state’s political future.


But Sim’s political rise has been marked by a particular style: he has consistently chosen conciliation over confrontation.


A telling example occurred in 2025 when a fellow DAP member would publicly berate Steven by calling him a “traitor” during a dinner event celebrating Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday at Han Chiang College in Penang. The individual who confronted Sim was reportedly an aide to Lim Guan Eng.


Instead of responding aggressively, Sim downplayed the incident, describing it as a “storm in a teacup”. He called for the party to move forward together rather than escalate the dispute.


“Let us move on and go forward, together and stronger,” Sim said at the time.


Rather than make a fuss about the incident, Steven would choose instead to publicly bestow lavish praises on Lim Kit Siang, who also happesn to be Lim Guan Eng's father, just a few days later.


The episode demonstrated Sim’s instinctive preference for maintaining harmony within the party rather than engaging in open factional conflict.


This penchant for a concilitiory approach has helped Steven maintain relationships not only across different factions within the DAP, but also different parties and races. But politics is also an inherently competitive arena. Those who ultimately shape the direction of their people - be it party, race or nation - are often those willing to assert themselves forcefully when the moment demands it.


In that sense, Anthony Loke’s public rebuke places Steven Sim at a significant political crossroads.


If Sim responds by apologising or acknowledging that he spoke out of turn, it would signal that he is comfortable maintaining his current position within the party hierarchy and does not intend to push beyond it.


If he does not, however, it will signal that Steven still has much more ambition to fulfil, and that we can expect him to evolve from a conciliatory figure into a more assertive one in the days to come.


A sheep can be the vizier to the lion. But to become the king of the jungle, the sheep must itself become a lion.


The question, however, is whether Steven Sim is capable of making such a transition.


This is not an easy question to answer.


On one hand, we must acknowledge that nature plays a powerful role in shaping our temperament. Some individuals are naturally combative; others are inclined towards conciliation and harmony. These instincts often guide how politicians navigate conflict and ambition.


On the other hand, we must also recognise that power is the ultimate temptress. When a person comes close enough to power to feel its allure, it is not uncommon for them to go against their own nature in order to obtain it.


In that sense, the recent episode between Steven Sim and Anthony Loke may end up revealing far more than it initially appears to.


It may tell us how Steven Sim intends to conduct himself from this point forward — whether he will remain the conciliatory figure he has always been, or whether he will begin to reveal the sharper political instincts required to climb higher in the ruthless world of politics.

***

OK, Loke could have advised or even reprimanded Sim in private instead of doing that in public - just like Guanee berating Chow, wakakaka. Nonetheless I wonder what in the world made Sim recommend Lim Hui Ying as the next CM of Penang.

I have no intention of insulting her but I just have to say this - Everyone can see (has seen) she is definitely NOT CM-material. If she is eventually promoted as Penang's new CM I dare say she'll be nothing more than a puppet of her brother.

So what the frig was Steven Sim up to when he has been already anointed as Penang's next CM?

US president Trump says Israel ‘violently lashed out’ on Iran gas field, warns of massive retaliation if Qatar attacked

US president Trump says Israel ‘violently lashed out’ on Iran gas field, warns of massive retaliation if Qatar attacked



US president Donald Trump said the United States did not have advance knowledge of Israel’s attack, adding that Qatar had not been involved. — AFP pic

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 1:47 PM MYT


RIYADH, March 19 — US President Donald Trump said an angry Israel “violently lashed out” and attacked Iran’s major gas field, a significant escalation in the US-Israeli war, but ruled out further such attacks by Israel unless Iran retaliated.


Wednesday’s attack on the huge South Pars gas ‌field drove oil prices higher and prompted a threat by Iran to attack oil and gas targets across the Gulf, while it fired missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The escalation heightens the unprecedented disruption of global energy supplies that has raised the political stakes for Trump, who joined Israel in attacking Iran nearly four weeks ago.


Qatar’s state oil giant QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” after Iranian missiles hit the Ras Laffan Industrial City that processes about a fifth of global gas supply.


Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in its east.

Today, Iran again targeted Qatar’s gas facilities and its missiles also targeted the Saudi capital.


QatarEnergy “sizeable fires” and extensive damage at several of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities targeted in missile attacks early today.

Trump said the United States did not have advance knowledge of Israel’s attack, adding that Qatar had not been involved.

“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran,” Trump posted on X yesterday.

“Unfortunately, Iran did not know ‌this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility.

“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL ⁠BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field ⁠unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar.

“In which instance the United States of ⁠America, with or without the help or consent of ⁠Israel 😖😖😖, will massively blow up the entirety ⁠of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal said Trump had approved of Israel’s plan to attack Iran’s natural gas field.

South Pars is the Iranian sector of the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar, a close U.S. ally ⁠and host of the United States’ biggest military base in the Gulf.

Since the start of the conflict, Tehran has targeted not just Israel, but U.S. diplomatic and military facilities across the Gulf and warned its neighbours not to host attacks on Iran.

With de-escalation nowhere in sight, Trump is considering sending thousands more U.S. troops to the Middle East, according to a U.S. official and three people familiar with the planning.

Those troops could be used restore the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil trade.

Islamic foreign minister condemns attacks

The foreign ministers of 12 Muslim-majority countries meeting in Riyadh denounced Iran’s ⁠strikes on Gulf neighbours and called for an immediate halt.

Iran’s targeting of residential areas and civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities, airports and desalination plants, could not be justified under any circumstances, the ministers said in a statement.

“This pressure from Iran will backfire politically and morally and certainly we ⁠reserve the right to take military actions, if deemed necessary,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a press conference after the diplomats met in Riyadh.

Interceptors were seen fired ⁠from near the Riyadh ⁠hotel where the conference was held around the time the ministers gathered for the consultative meeting on the Iran war.

The UAE shut down its Habshan gas facility after it intercepted missiles fired in what its foreign ministry called a “terrorist attack” by Iran.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began on February 28, the U.S.-based Iran human rights group ‌HRANA estimates.

Authorities in Lebanon say 900 have been killed there and 800,000 forced to flee their homes.

Iranian attacks have killed people in Iraq and across the Gulf states, and at least 13 US military service members have been killed in the war— Reuters