KL Tower: Unfair for govt to sideline bumiputera firm, Muhyiddin says

KL Tower: Unfair for govt to sideline bumiputera firm, Muhyiddin says


Published: Apr 20, 2025 6:37 PM
Updated: Apr 21, 2025 12:39 AM



Summary

• Muhyiddin Yassin calls the forced eviction of KL Tower’s former operators lawless.

• He also chastised the government for sidelining a bumiputera company.

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin has joined the criticisms against the government over the dispute over which company should manage KL Tower.

He claimed the government was being unfair, and that the eviction of the previous operators - Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd (MKLSB) and Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd - was unlawful.

“The law of the jungle can’t become the norm in administering the country. The incident of forced eviction (of the companies) shakes Malaysia’s foundations as a country of law.

“It is unfair for the government to not consider a bumiputera company that has managed KL Tower for years with a good track record.

“At the same time, the company is being treated unfairly because they are forced to bear more than RM300 million in liabilities,” Muhyiddin said in a statement today.

‘Illegal occupants’

On April 17, the federal lands commissioner evicted MKLSB and Hydroshoppe from KL Tower.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the two companies had been illegally occupying the building after management of the tower transferred to LSH Service Master on April 1.

KL Tower was originally operated by MKLSB, which at conception was fully owned by Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM).

It had been the sole operator of KL Tower since 1996 under concession contracts from the government, which were renewed every 15 years.

However, in late 2022, TM sold all of its stake in MKLSB to Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd.

When the Madani administration came to power in November 2022, it terminated MKLSB’s concession and opened a request for proposal.

In May last year, the concession was awarded to LSH Service Master - a joint-venture vehicle between two companies, LSH Best Builders Sdn Bhd and Service Master (M) Sdn Bhd.

Service Master is a bumiputera company.

Hydroshoppe said the termination of the concession resulted in it suffering more than RM300 million in liabilities incurred after acquiring the MKLSB shares.

Fare thee well Pak Lah, the old-school Malay gentleman

FMT:

Fare thee well Pak Lah, the old-school Malay gentleman


Adzhar Ibrahim


It is sad to see the closing of a chapter on a fair and decent type who truly believed in Malaysia being a home for all of us, and not just a bank account to be plundered.

Our ex-prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi passed away recently. Al-Fatihah and my sincerest condolences to his family. Their grief is truly shared by the nation.

I didn’t know Abdullah personally. I only knew him from the stuff I read or heard, some good, some bad – such are stories about any politician, dead or alive.


I saw him enough times when he was in politics, both as prime minister and earlier, just like millions of others. It’s absolutely nothing to brag about.

Here’s a secret – I don’t get calls or messages from whistleblowers or informants or political operatives, or get to meet them in smoky rooms or basement car parks for some juicy political exposé


As in most other things, I prefer to be deranged or deluded or dystopian purely by my own efforts, and I’m mostly happy not to be connected or corrected. So, you won’t hear any stories from me about the “Fourth Floor Boys”, though, if push comes to shove, I can invent some juicy stuff just like anybody else.

Personal glory

I did have one small moment of personal glory with Abdullah.

Years ago, I got to represent my company’s CEO at a big dinner to accept a big award for our company. My CEO was by nature a bit of a recluse, and always hated to be out in public for such events.


As you may have guessed, he wasn’t a Malaysian. Malaysians don’t miss such events, especially when some big VIPs are involved, but would even invent such events so they can prance around with these big cheeses.

My company then was controlled by an MNC from Europe, but was also listed on the Malaysian bourse. So, we were both a bit European and Malaysian in culture and style.

My boss led a business transformation that is talked about even today. Now I know transformation is a cheap word thrown around a lot by CEOs and poseurs alike, which is unfortunate.

But ours was a true transformation, taking a company not much respected into a powerhouse within a few short years, and along the way multiplying share prices without any of the usual Malaysian stock market shenanigans. The company has remained strong to this day, a testament to the success of the transformation carried out.


Dressing the part

We won a lot of awards, including this one, a big enough award to be presented by the prime minister himself at a fancy hotel ballroom. For the life of me, though, I can’t remember the name of the award or the occasion.

I went to the event dressed in formal business attire, which meant something better than my usual round-neck t-shirt and faded jeans. Instead I had a nice pair of jeans on, a proper shirt and jacket, but no tie.

This may not sound very strange or revolutionary today, but this was 2007 or thereabouts. Nobody among business head honchos or top civil servants wore jeans or went without a tie. None.

At the event, I was getting increasingly nervous thinking I may have gone too far with my attire and offended somebody there. I wasn’t worried about the Datuk and Tan Sri CEOs present: I can fake confidence with the best or worst of them.

But I was worried about offending the big government bosses, and especially Pak Lah, as he was and is affectionately known. That would’ve been bad for me, and especially bad for the company I represented, which would’ve been unacceptable.

When the time came and our company’s name was called out, I strutted out confidently as if I owned the whole place, while feeling slightly weak at the knees out of nervousness.

The PM’s reaction

I reached the podium where Pak Lah was standing, shook his hand and accepted the award, posed for the inevitable pictures, and went back to my table.

He didn’t seem impressed by my attire, but neither did he seem offended. I’m pretty sure I saw a twinkle in his eyes, but those twinkles are quite common in people of good heart and character. Basically, there was no reaction on his part on my sartorial elegance, or lack thereof.

And there went my moment of glory. Back at the office we put the trophy in a storeroom somewhere and forgot about it, as I have now. We had a strong belief that you celebrate an award for a microsecond, and move on.

Given that this is not about me, that’s enough about that award, whatever it was. This is about Pak Lah the human being, about whom I know even less than of Pak Lah the politician and leader.

A gentle soul

I felt gratified to hear stories of his gentleness and kind soul from many ordinary people. They’re not the usual laudatory statements about other passing political leaders, where you know the sincerity meter was probably reading very low.

That’s how I see him, too. I know enough about politics to know he wasn’t a great mover and shaker of things, and that he could probably have done more here and there.

But he came after 22 years of way too much excitement concerning our political leadership; the steadiness and especially the decency and respect he brought were much needed, and appreciated.

He wasn’t heard of much after his retirement, though we knew he was suffering from some of the usual old-age maladies. And then one day, he was gone.

Integrity above all

It was sad to see the closing of the chapter on another decent human being, another example of the “old Malay” gentleman, a fair and decent type who truly believes in Malaysia being a home for all of us, and not just a bank account to be plundered.

At the end of the day, my respect for a person’s earthly achievements, whether in power or wealth or notoriety, pales in comparison to the person’s integrity and decency as a human being.

There are too few of such people, especially in today’s more fractured and polarised world, and the passing of one such leader is a reminder of how our country is a little bit poorer for it, even if our vaults are piled ever higher with wealth.

In a world where you can be anybody, it isn’t a bad thing to be remembered the way Pak Lah is remembered.

Immigration raids Arab eateries in Bukit Bintang, nabs 45 foreign workers

FMT:

Immigration raids Arab eateries in Bukit Bintang, nabs 45 foreign workers


KL immigration chief says some of the foreigners tried to escape detention by claiming to be customers during the raid

The raid by the Kuala Lumpur immigration department resulted in 40 men and five women, from nine countries, being detained.

PETALING JAYA: A total of 45 foreign workers were detained in a raid conducted by the immigration department in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, last night.

The raid targeted foreign nationals employed by eight popular Arab eateries, Bernama reported.

Kuala Lumpur immigration director Wan Saupee Wan Yusoff said the one-hour operation, which began at 10.40pm, resulted in the arrest of 40 men and five women, aged between 21 and 45.


He said those detained comprised 14 Yemenis, 10 Bangladeshis, seven Syrians, four Pakistanis, four Egyptians, three Indonesians, one Afghan, one Filipino and a Myanmar national.

“All of them were found to have committed various immigration offences, including misuse of passes, lacking valid work permits and possessing expired documents,” he said in a statement.

According to Wan Saupee, some of the foreign workers tried to escape by claiming to be customers at the restaurants during the raid.

“Fortunately, our preliminary surveillance and intelligence gathering easily thwarted the attempts by these foreign workers to disguise themselves as customers during the raid,” he said.

He added that the operation, involving 35 officers and personnel, was conducted following public complaints about the employment of foreign workers at the restaurants.

All those detained were brought to the Bukit Jalil immigration depot for further action. The case is being investigated under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Mujahid slams Hadi over ‘voting more important than pilgrimage’

FMT:

Mujahid slams Hadi over ‘voting more important than pilgrimage’


Mujahid Yusof Rawa of Amanah says PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s claim has no basis in Islam and was made purely for political interest

Mujahid Yusof Rawa accused Abdul Hadi Awang of ‘simply riding on the issue of haj and umrah pilgrimages to get people to go out and vote’.

PETALING JAYA: Amanah deputy president Mujahid Yusof Rawa has poured scorn on a claim by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang that it is more important for Muslims to vote in elections than to perform the haj or umrah.

Mujahid, a former religious affairs minister, said Hadi’s claim, made during the Ayer Kuning by-election campaign, had no basis in Islam and was made purely for political interest.

He said the Islamic pilgrimages could not be compared with voting, as the former involved Muslims saving up money and waiting to be allocated quotas, sometimes for years. On the other hand an elected representative could die at any time, triggering a by-election.


“If a by-election is called all of a sudden, should a voter cancel their umrah trip? That’s illogical, it doesn’t make sense. This is merely a political consideration,” said Mujahid.

He said Hadi’s claim was a statement not based on any Islamic knowledge. “He is simply riding on the issue of haj and umrah pilgrimages to get people to go out and vote,” he said in a TikTok video.

Yesterday, Hadi reportedly said Muslims should postpone their umrah or haj pilgrimages if they are supposed to cast their ballots in an election. According to Berita Harian, he said political victories must have priority so that “Islam would hold power, govern and lead”.

China dismisses Zelenskyy’s claim it has supplied weapons to Russia

Guardian:


China dismisses Zelenskyy’s claim it has supplied weapons to Russia


Beijing rejects Ukrainian president’s accusation as ‘groundless’ and says it is committed to ending the conflict


Helen Davidson in Taipei and agencies

Sat 19 Apr 2025 00.13 AEST

China’s foreign ministry has dismissed as “groundless” the accusation by Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the country had been supplying weapons to Russia.

The comments, made at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, came a day after the Ukrainian president said China was supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery, and that Chinese representatives were involved in weapons production on Russian territory.


In response, the ministry’s spokesperson, Lin Jian, said China had never made lethal weapons available to any party in the Ukraine crisis.

“China’s position on the Ukrainian issue has always been clear,” Lin said. “It has been actively committed to promoting a ceasefire and ending the conflict, as well as encouraging peace talks.”


Zelenskyy made the accusations at a press conference, saying Ukraine had information about China’s alleged assistance, and would be prepared to release more details next week.

“We see the cooperation between these two countries in this area, and we must acknowledge it is happening,” he said.

Ukraine on Friday imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies, banning them from doing business in Ukraine and freezes their assets in the country. It did not give details of why they had been added to the sanctions list.

China says it is a neutral party to the conflict, although its leader, Xi Jinping, and Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, are public allies, with a “no limits” partnership between their countries.

Last week, two Chinese nationals were captured in Ukraine fighting alongside Russian forces. At the time, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to involve China “directly or indirectly” in the conflict.

He said the men were among at least 155 other Chinese members of Russia’s armed forces, and accused Russia of conducting “systemic work” in China to recruit fighters, including through social media. He claimed Beijing was “turning a blind eye” to the recruitment.

Beijing denied the accusations, suggesting the fighters were travelling to Russia independently and saying the government warned its citizens to stay away from all conflict zones.

“I would like to reiterate that China is not the initiator of the Ukrainian crisis, nor is China a participating party,” Lin said last week. “We are a firm supporter and active promoter of a peaceful settlement of the crisis.”

Should UiTM be open to the non-bumi? Some netizens think so

Should UiTM be open to the non-bumi? Some netizens think so

By CS Ming
2 hours ago






SHOULDN’T public universities be for the public? No, this is not a trick question.

Recently, netizen @SathishSarma drew some flak online with his post on X, stating that public universities are paid by all Malaysians, but not accessible to all Malaysians.

This was in reply to another post where a netizen disagreed that UiTM be open to the non-bumiputeras.

Sathish Sarma  I'm Malaysian.

@SathishSarma

·

Follow

Paid by all Malaysians. Not accessible to all Malaysians. So that's is the problem. Plus there are no thousands of other unis available in Malaysia. When the topic is about IPTA, pls remain within the issue. Do not conflate unrelated things. And B40 exists among non Bumi too.

Mama Meow

@theloratadine

Replying to @krishk_kumar92

Then? If you’re not jealous, why do y’all keep hating and demanding that UiTM be opened to non-bumis, when there are literally thousands of other universities in Malaysia y’all can go to?

3:07 PM · Apr 18, 2025

2.8K

Reply

Copy link

“By the way, 33% of intake is just for UiTM alone while all other IPTA is sharing the balance 67% intake. This is based on 2023 statistics. And UiTM has multiple branches in various states. It is not a single university alone,” he said among other things.

When bumiputera rights is being mentioned, which we all know can be an explosive topic, expect a good deal of flame throwing to follow in the cyberspace.

Take it from netizen @MBilalZA who said that the Indian and Chinese should realise that both of the respective races are adopted, that they should not feel entitled.

According to @MBilalZA, they existed in Malaya because of Britain. “If I were Tunku Abdul Rahman, I wouldn’t give jus soli citizenship and make all Indians and Chinese persona non grata,” he said.
Southeast Asian cuisine

@FairuzJumain added that if the non-bumi wanted to enter UiTM, then vernacular schools should be removed.

The picture comments were equally interesting:



One netizen further evoked a quote from Tun V.T Sambanthan.



Also, @4zharabdullah engaged X platform Ai, Grok to give @SathishSarma an advise on the Malaysian constitution and how he can be a good citizen.
Southeast Asian cuisine

This was Grok’s reply:



However, there was some rare support for @SathishSarma among the Malays, as can be seen through @kmal_kinase.

“As a Malay I agree with you. Most of my unfortunate Indian friends end up not continuing their studies because they don’t have money. But they have potential. But my Malay colleague in UiTM gets the opportunity but plays hard,” he said.

@winethespine added that if UiTM was truly about empowering the weak, it would open its doors to any Malaysians who needs a chance, and not just the ones with the right race. “Protection shouldn’t look like exclusion,” said @winethespine. —Apr 20, 2025

Main image: Universiti Teknologi MARA

al Jazeera:

Israel releases 'Gaza medics killing' probe, bombs ‘safe-zone’

By Nils Adler, Federica Marsi and Brian Osgood

Published On 20 Apr 202520 Apr 2025

• An Israeli probe into the killing of 15 Gaza medics and aid workers by its military finds that ‘errors’ were made, but denies a cover-up – despite admitting that ambulances were crushed and buried.
• Israeli forces have killed at least 29 people since dawn on Sunday, spokesman for the Gaza civil defence agency has told AFP new agency.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to intensify the war on Gaza after Hamas rejects an Israeli proposal for a temporary truce. The Palestinian group demands a deal to end the war in exchange for the release of remaining captives.
• Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 51,201 Palestinians have been confirmed dead and 116,869 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since it began 18 months ago.
• The Gaza Government Media Office updated its death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.

What we know about Israel’s killing of Palestinian paramedics

Israeli authorities initially claimed that the convoy of Palestinian ambulances and emergency vehicles were unclearly marked and had been advancing “suspiciously” when they were fired upon.

But The New York Times later obtained footage showing the final moments of the medics that strongly contradicted the Israeli version of events, showing the vehicles clearly marked with flashing lights coming under sustained gunfire for about five minutes.

Eight Palestinian Red Crescent personnel were killed, along with six Civil Defense workers and a UN staffer. Israeli forces bulldozed the bodies and the vehicles and buried them in a mass grave.

The incident caused a global outrage and brought spotlight on the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza during its 18 months of devastating war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant face an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the International Court of Justice, known as the world court, is hearing genocide case against Israel.

The Israeli military only acknowledged ‘professional failure’ after video emerged of the attack

• 
  Tareq Abu Azzoum

Reporting from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip

On the 23rd of March, 2025, the Israeli military killed 15 Palestinian emergency workers in the al-Hashaashin area in the western side of Rafah city.

The Israeli military claimed that the vehicles were moving suspiciously and without using flashing lights or markings showing they were emergency responders.

Later on, the bodies and the vehicles were put in a mass grave that was discovered a week later.

The Israeli military claimed that these vehicles were used by Hamas’s operatives, but later, following the circulation of a video [The New York Times], the Israeli military acknowledged that it was a sort of professional failure and breaches of orders…

The bodies that have been extracted from the mass grave have shown signs of execution made at close range. [Though Israel in its report denied the medics were executed]

International organisations have widely condemned the attack, calling to protect those who are working in the medical field, as they are doing nothing but their humanitarian work.

People mourn as civil defence and Palestinian Red Crescent members who were killed in the attack are brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza on March 30 [Abdallah F.S. Alattar/Anadolu]