Party island to piety island? Tourists flee as PAS tightens grip on Langkawi, claims columnist

Party island to piety island? Tourists flee as PAS tightens grip on Langkawi, claims columnist






LANGKAWI, once proudly called the “Jewel of Kedah”, is losing its shine, and veteran Sarawak columnist Francis Paul Siah squarely points the finger at the conservative policies of PAS, which has governed Kedah since 2023.


In his latest column for the English edition of Sin Chew Daily, Siah writes that the island he once loved for its relaxed, duty-free, cosmopolitan vibe now feels neglected and overly moralistic.


He cites widespread complaints about fading infrastructure, over-commercialisation, and most controversially, the chilling effect of PAS-led enforcement on dress codes and alcohol.

“I’m not sure if PAS people understand that alcohol is not just about lifestyle. It’s a significant revenue driver, especially for international tourists,” he said.

“Restrictions or negative publicity about alcohol could deter high-spending tourists, affecting hotels, restaurants and bars,” Siah added.


According to him, news of “tourist-unfriendly” rules, whether or not they are fully enforced, spreads quickly, especially via social media. For budget-conscious or image-conscious travellers, the risk of being hassled or judged may be enough to choose other destinations.

Siah recalls the public spat between federal Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, where Tiong accused local authorities of harassing tourists over shorts and alcohol purchases. Sanusi dismissed the claims as unfounded.

“Part of Langkawi’s charm was its party-friendly holiday feel,” Siah argues.

The columnist warns that while PAS insists it is protecting a certain values, its approach risks killing the golden goose that has made Langkawi one of Malaysia’s top revenue earners. —Nov 30, 2025

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Teresa Kok has been right in suggesting that Langkawi be turned into a federal territory and governed as such (thus putting the island out of the lebais' reach)

Muhyiddin’s supporters using PN’s Sabah defeat to push ‘Hamzah’s fault’ narrative: Johan

The founder and former head of Bersatu Sarawak, Johan Mohamad, said the leadership of PN should be handed over to PAS, with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin replacing Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Bersatu president. - Scoop file pic, November 30, 2025
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Muhyiddin’s supporters using PN’s Sabah defeat to push ‘Hamzah’s fault’ narrative: Johan


Former Sarawak Bersatu chief blames Muhyiddin’s outdated ‘Abah’ image for PN’s poor showing and calls for leadership change



Habibah Omar
Updated 5 hours ago
30 November, 2025
6:33 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin must take responsibility for the crushing defeat of Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the Sabah state election by stepping down as president of Bersatu and chairman of PN.




Johan Mohamad, the founder and former head of Bersatu Sarawak, said the leadership of PN should be handed over to PAS, with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin replacing Muhyiddin as Bersatu president.

He explained that Muhyiddin’s supporters are now attempting to shift the blame from the Pagoh MP by constructing a narrative that pins the blame on Hamzah, who served as the party’s election director.

“Actually, Hamzah had an almost impossible role to play. In a situation where Muhyiddin had become stale and unappealing, Hamzah was forced to sell the ‘Abah’ brand to the voters,” Johan said in a statement today.

He added that while the ‘Abah’ image worked in the 2020 state election, it no longer had the same effect today.

“Back then, the voters were drawn to ‘Abah,’ but today it has become ‘Atok’—boring and outdated. Even the most renowned salesperson wouldn’t be able to sell stale food,” Johan quipped.

In the 17th Sabah state election, PN contested in 42 seats but only managed to win a single seat, Karambunai, through PAS’s Dr Aliakhbar Gulasan.

Johan also mentioned that Muhyiddin’s positioning as the Prime Ministerial candidate hurt PN’s message during the campaign.

“During the campaign, PN tried to garner votes by presenting their candidates as fresh faces and young people. However, voters saw this message as contradictory because the ‘poster boy’ of PN, Muhyiddin, is an elderly figure,” he added.

He noted that under Muhyiddin’s leadership, Bersatu saw a dramatic decline, from 11 seats in the 2020 state election to now holding none—marking not just disappointment, but a complete collapse.

Johan emphasized that Muhyiddin must accept the reality that his influence has faded, and he no longer holds the power to lead.

“Muhyiddin must take responsibility by stepping down as president of Bersatu and chairman of PN. Otherwise, Bersatu and PN will continue to decline,” he said.

“The only silver lining for PN was PAS’s victory in Karambunai. This win shows that the multi-ethnic electorate is now open to PAS as a leader,” Johan concluded. – November 30, 2025

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects

BBC:

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects

4 hours ago
Hafsa Khalil

Reuters


At least 146 people are now known to have died in the devastating fire that tore through high-rise buildings in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Police announced the new death toll on Sunday, cautioning that they "cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities". There still 150 people missing, and the blaze left 79 injured.

Seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northerly Tai Po district rapidly went up in flames. Accusations that the fire was spread by flammable construction materials have sparked widespread anger.

Three days of national mourning started on Saturday, and thousands have gathered at the scene to mourn the victims.

There have been queues stretching a long as 2km (1.2 miles), as people wait to lay flowers and handwritten notes.

Indonesian worker Romlah Rosidah said she was "very surprised" at how many people had turned up to pray for the victims.

"This event was only spread on social media, but [it] turned out their hearts moved," she told news agency Reuters.

A Filipino worker said they had joined the prayers to "show the Hong Kong community that we are one in this situation".

Officials observed three minutes' silence to begin the mourning period, and the flags of China and Hong Kong are flying at half-staff.

The fire is Hong Kong's deadliest in more than 70 years, and the death toll has been rising each day, as officials work to recover and identify bodies.

The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovations that had been taking place on the towers, while three others were detained on manslaughter charges.

Ching Sze Yip/BBC

Ching Sze Yip/BBC

Among the tributes added are handwritten messages for the victims of the fire

Hundreds of flower bouquets have been laid down as people queue to mourn and pay their respects


The fire - which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks - was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Police official Tsang Shuk-yin said on Sunday that officers had so far completed searches of four of the tower blocks.

Indonesia's consulate in Hong Kong said at least seven of its nationals had died from the fire, while the Philippines' consulate said one of its citizens had died.

Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, has been identified as among those killed. He was found collapsed at the scene on Wednesday, about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.





The fire department said the blaze had reached a peak temperature of 500C (932F), and 12 firefighters were injured.

The flames spread quickly across the separate tower blocks on plastic netting and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings, officials have said.

The buildings were also covered in bamboo scaffolding, which is commonly used for construction work in Hong Kong. The fire has renewed a debate about whether it should still be used.

Several residents have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said that those arrested in the corruption investigation included directors at an engineering company and scaffolding subcontractors.

A police spokesperson previously said they had reason to believe "those in charge at the company were grossly negligent", which led to the fire and caused it to "spread uncontrollably".

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.