PAS decides to sever ties with Bersatu

PAS decides to sever ties with Bersatu


The Islamic party decides to form a new electoral pact to 'unite the ummah' as it faces the upcoming state elections and GE16

On May 22, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (right) said his party was reassessing its ties with Bersatu and would possibly contest GE16 without Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.

PETALING JAYA: PAS has decided to sever ties with Bersatu, nearly three weeks after the party’s president, Abdul Hadi Awang, accused Bersatu of straining ties between both parties.

This was decided by the Islamic party’s central committee, which convened at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tonight to make a decision on its relationship with Bersatu.

In a statement, Hadi said the PAS leadership had thoroughly reviewed the position and direction of its alliance with Bersatu based on reports and evaluations.


“The PAS central committee meeting today has decided to halt its political cooperation with Bersatu,” he said.

Instead, PAS will explore forming a new political pact to face the upcoming state elections and the next general election (GE16), with the goal of “uniting the ummah”.



Hadi said PAS welcomes academics, professionals, political leaders and community activists to join its ranks.

On May 22, Hadi had said PAS was reassessing its ties with Bersatu and would possibly contest GE16 without Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.

He said several issues had strained ties between the two parties, including the move to unseat the Perlis menteri besar, alleged interference in appointments involving Kedah and Kelantan, and Bersatu’s opposition to admitting new Malay-Muslim parties into Perikatan Nasional.

On May 25, Muhyiddin sent a letter to PAS leaders rebuffing Hadi’s allegations and justifying his party’s actions on the issues raised by the PAS president.

The strained ties between PAS and Bersatu have also been followed by calls for the Islamic party to revive its Muafakat Nasional alliance with Umno, a key component of the unity government.

Last week, Hadi confirmed that PAS and Umno leaders had met at a “regular meeting”.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, however, the leaders involved did not discuss reviving their defunct pact with PAS.


***

PAS remains in PN for now, says Shahidan


6 hours ago
Faiz Zainudin


The PAS leader points out that Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement on ending the party’s alliance with Bersatu does not touch on PN

PAS central committee member Shahidan Kassim said the party’s existing position in PN remains. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS remains a component of Perikatan Nasional for now despite the Islamic party deciding to end its political alliance with Bersatu.

PAS central committee member Shahidan Kassim pointed out that party president Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement on the decision did not touch on PN at all.

“So our existing position (in PN) remains,” Shahidan told reporters as he left the PAS headquarters at Jalan Raja Laut here tonight.


Separately, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari sidestepped questions on what the decision would mean for the opposition coalition.

“I don’t want to comment on that for now,” he said.

Fadhli also declined to disclose if the decision to cut ties with Bersatu was unanimous.

In a statement earlier, Hadi announced that the party’s central committee had decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu after reviewing the direction of the alliance.

Hadi said PAS will instead form a new political pact to face the upcoming state elections and the next general election (GE16), with the goal of “uniting the ummah”.

FMT has reached out to Gerakan president Dominic Lau and Malaysian Indian People’s Party president P Punithan for comment.


PN, the coalition jointly formed by Bersatu and PAS in 2020, is currently led by the Islamic party’s vice-president, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

On May 22, the Marang MP said PAS was reassessing its ties with Bersatu and would possibly contest GE16 without Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.

The strained ties between PAS and Bersatu were also followed by calls for PAS to revive its Muafakat Nasional alliance with Umno, a key component of the unity government.

Last week, Hadi confirmed that PAS and Umno leaders had met at a “regular meeting” but Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the leaders involved did not discuss reviving their defunct pact with PAS.

***

... meaning PAS still wants Gerakan and MIPP, wakakaka

Dashcam footage of road accidents may be deemed ‘online harm’ content: Fahmi

The bodies of a family that died in a fatal road accident involving a Proton X50 SUV and a lorry, the video of which was shared widely on social media, are laid to rest in Merbok, Kedah, this morning. - Bernama pic, June 8, 2026


Dashcam footage of road accidents may be deemed ‘online harm’ content: Fahmi


Communications Minister urges Online Safety Committee to review the definition of online harm and expand it to include videos and photos of road accidents


Scoop Reporters
Updated 9 hours ago
8 June, 2026
6:47 PM MYT


PUTRAJAYA — The government may expand the definition of online harm to include content showing road accidents, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.

He urged the government’s Online Safety Committee to be prepared to conduct a review of content that can be considered disturbing or graphic.

Including footage of road accidents in the definition of online harm can protect public sensitivities, victims and their families, as well as prevent interference with investigations, he added.

Fahmi cited the fatal crash involving six members of a family in their brand new Proton X50 in Kedah yesterday, noting that dashcam footage of the incident had been widely circulated online.

“Imagine if the family were to see the unfiltered footage? I hope the Online Safety Committee will consider this and invite stakeholders from social media platforms to take appropriate action. We want the platforms themselves to take action,” he said at a press conference today, Bernama reports.

The minister earlier attended the Media Roundtable on Safe and Responsible Suicide Reporting, where Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was also present.

The family of six involved in the road accident in Pinang Tunggal, Sungai Petani, Kedah at 3.50pm yesterday had been riding in a Proton X50 SUV that strayed into the opposite lane on a straight stretch of road, colliding with a lorry carrying soil.

Five of them, including a baby, died, while a three-year-old girl survived with serious injuries.

The child is reported to be in stable condition today at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar.

The five family members who perished were buried at Kampung Simpang Tiga Pasir in Merbok, Kedah, this morning. They were Ahmad Shafiq Ahmad Shukri, 29, his wife Jamaliah Sannusi, 29, their two-month-old baby boy Ahmad Mikail, his mother Nora Mhd Husin, 55, and his younger brother Ahmad Fahim, 21.

Another victim, Iskandar Affan Ibrahim, seven, Ahmad Shafiq’s nephew, was laid to rest at the Permatang Kuang Mosque Muslim Cemetery in Penaga, Penang

Police applied for a remand order against the lorry driver but were rejected by the Sungai Petani Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Mohamad Azlan Basri allowed the 49-year-old man to be released today following his arrest immediately after the incident.

The lorry driver tested negative for drugs, had a valid driving license, and had been driving at 60 kilometres per hour at the time of the incident, according to Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah. – June 8, 2026

[WATCH] Ronnie Liu: Pahang durian case shows compromise can work for Selangor pig farms

PODABOOM


[WATCH] Ronnie Liu: Pahang durian case shows compromise can work for Selangor pig farms



Former exco member believes court proceedings can lead to beneficial out-of-court solutions.


Keran Raj
Updated 9 minutes ago
8 June, 2026
9:00 PM MYT



KUALA LUMPUR – The ongoing dispute over pig farming in Selangor could have been resolved through negotiations similar to those that ended the long-running durian orchard conflict in Pahang, according to former Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu.


Speaking in a recent Scoop Insight podcast, Liu argued that legal action should not be viewed solely as a confrontation but as a mechanism that could eventually lead to negotiations and a mutually beneficial settlement between farmers and the state government.

He cited the Royal Pahang Durian dispute as an example of how court proceedings can create opportunities for compromise.

“Once you start legal matters and legal actions and all that, there is always an opportunity for out-of-court settlement. But if you don’t take legal action, then you don’t have a chance of out-of-court settlement,” Liu said to podcast hosts, Scoop Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez and News Editor Azim Idris.

Liu, a former DAP politician, noted that the eventual resolution of the Pahang durian orchard issue benefited multiple parties through a negotiated arrangement in which the farmers can secure long-term rights to farm the land by sub-leasing from the state government and selling their produce to a designated company.

“Royal Pahang (Durian Export Sdn Bhd) as a company, gets the fruits to sell, (and) make some profits. And the state government gets the rent, land tax and all that. And then the federal government gets the income tax, corporate tax, that kind of thing. So it’s a win-win situation,” Liu said.

He said a similar approach could still be adopted for pig farmers affected by the Selangor’s decision to phase out farming operations in Tanjong Sepat, adding that discussions on relocation, compensation and restructuring could have taken place if all parties were willing to engage.

His previous criticism of Selangor’s decision to end large-scale pig farming sparked strong reactions after some interpreted his remarks as disrespect for Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and thus the monarchy.

The Sultan subsequently stressed that the ban on pig farming in the state was necessary to protect public health and the environment.

However, Liu maintained that any proposed legal action by pig farmers would be against the state government, rather than the palace.

The former exco member also noted that the roots of the pig farming controversy predated the current administration.

Plans to modernise pig farming in Selangor were first explored under the Barisan Nasional state government led by former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, prior to the “political tsunami” in 2008.

Fernandez, who reported on the matter that year, revealed that then-Tanjung Sepat assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Mansor had participated in an official study trip to Germany and the Netherlands to examine modern pig farming methods.

The Selangor delegation later proposed a modern pig farming project to the state government before the political transition.

Fernandez reported that photographs from the visit showed Abdul Karim visiting pig farming facilities and endorsing proposals for a centralised pig farming project in Kuala Langat.

The article also noted that documents related to the study trip had initially been classified as official secrets by the previous state administration before being declassified later.

Excerpts from an article in 2008 on a visit to a modern pig farm overseas by Selangor assemblymen.

In response, Liu said the Pakatan Rakyat administration had continued exploration of the modernisation proposal.

“I remember very well that when the late Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was alerted about this issue, he brought the matter up in the state exco.”

“We then gave Ean Yong Hian Wah, who was handling the Chinese new village portfolio, the task of exploring the possibility and viability of modern pig farming in Tanjung Sepat.”

However, he said the proposal eventually stalled due to financial constraints, as it required significant funding that pig farmers could not afford.

Liu stressed that even at the time the farms were operating without any major issue, which meant that the farms were clean and there were no complaints of bad smells and pollution.

“So this controversy that came about is a bit unusual,” he added.

Liu claimed the current dispute only escalated last year when farmers were informed that they would have to comply with additional requirements to continue operating.

“So they list out certain things for them that they must improve and all that. And then they did try to improve, but no follow-up. Then suddenly, they were verbally told that you guys cannot do (pig farming) any more,” he said.

According to Liu, farmers subsequently sought meetings with state leaders in an effort to find a solution before the matter became public.

“Then after that, the news broke, the farmers did a peaceful rally, and the state government said that they will look into it.”

However, Liu said the state government had yet to fully explore alternative solutions, including relocation options, insisting that farmers had never ruled out moving if a viable plan was offered.

The pig farming issue remains one of Selangor’s most contentious policy debates, with affected farmers continuing to weigh legal action, while the state government proceeds with plans to close farms in Tanjung Sepat.

Despite ongoing criticism from affected parties, the Selangor government indicated the process of clearing pig farms is now in its final stage, with about 11,000 pigs still remaining across roughly 30 operational farms.

Selangor Infrastructure and Agriculture Exco Datuk Izham Hashim said the farms are being closed in stages after an enforcement order issued in February, but the process is delayed because many of the animals have not yet reached suitable weight and maturity for slaughter.

He added that no new piglets are being introduced, and all remaining pigs will be sent to the Rawang slaughterhouse once ready.

The phased approach is meant to ensure an orderly shutdown while managing animal welfare and logistics, with authorities expecting the process to be completed soon.

The state government had earlier decided to stop issuing pig farming licences and phase out existing operations following policy changes linked to environmental concerns and the Sultan of Selangor’s stance on pig farming.

Meanwhile, farmers are being guided through a transition process, including relocation and possible shifts into other agricultural activities. – June 8, 2026

The Bibi Break-Up Begins, As Does The IC Purge...

 

Badlands Brief The Bibi Break-Up Begins, As Does The IC Purge... GhostofBasedPatrickHenry Jun 8   READ IN APP   The Badlands Brief is your daily drop of Badlands’ takes on the narratives dominating the info war. Read on, and join the conversation in the comments section. Netanyahu Defies Trump; Strikes Iran to Restart War President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran following an Iranian missile attack, according to Axios, which cited a senior U.S. official and an Israeli source. Trump separately told the Financial Times that Netanyahu would have “no choice” but to accept any agreement the United States negotiates with Iran and said he “calls the shots” in the talks. The diplomatic pressure came as regional tensions escalated. Iran launched 11 ballistic missiles toward Israel on June 8, according to Israeli officials cited by Axios, marking the first direct Iranian attack since an April 8 ceasefire. In response, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes against military targets in central and western Iran, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the operation focused on missile launch sites and related infrastructure and did not target energy facilities. Explosions were reported in multiple Iranian cities. A U.S. defense official told Axios that American forces did not participate in the Israeli strikes. Iran has warned that further Israeli attacks could prompt additional responses, raising concerns about broader regional escalation. GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: And here we have yet another phone call between President Trump and Israeli journalist Barak Ravid. These are now happening every few weeks. There isn’t another journalist with that level of access to President Trump; nor is there another journalist to whom Trump has expressed anti-Netanyahu sentiments. Pattern recognition. Here’s what Ravid posted following his phone call with the President. President Trump then did a phone interview with the Financial Times of London. When asked whether he thought Netanyahu would accept the deal Trump was negotiating with Iran, Trump replied: “He won’t have any choice. I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots.” More from the Financial Times article: The president separately told Fox News that he would instruct Netanyahu to refrain from taking retaliatory action against Iran — a position at odds with statements from the Israeli military. Trump said that Iran’s strikes had not changed his desire to conclude US-Iran negotiations. “It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” he told the FT. “We’ll see how it ends up. But they [the missile strikes on Israel] were attacks that did not kick at all. It’s one of those things that’s been going for 3,000 years, or 47 years, depending on how you count.” So Trump just straight up said that Iran attacking Israel would not deter his pursuit of peace. That it would not deter his pursuit of making a deal with Iran. Perhaps that is why Netanyahu pursued war in defiance of President Trump. Exactly one month ago, on May 9th, Netanyahu spoke at the Yad Vashem—the World Holocaust Remembrance Center—in Jerusalem. He said, “If Israel is forced to stand alone - Israel will stand alone.” That is exactly what President Trump has baited Netanyahu into doing, using Game Theory. Because it is election season, the knives are out for Bibi. All of his political opponents are now calling him weak for capitulating to Trump, and failing to finish the job with Hezbollah and Iran. Even Israeli mouthpieces are seeing the writing on the wall. They finally understand the trap that I saw being set years ago. The impetus for Iran’s attack on Israel was retaliation to Israel’s strike on Beirut (the capital of Lebanon). While many speculated that the US played a hand in this operation, it was this attack that provoked President Trump into chewing out Netanyahu last week. Barak Ravid reported yesterday that two separate sources at the White House confirmed that the US played no part, and did not give the blessing to do it. Anshel Pfeffer from The Economist summarized the situation: These are the circumstances that will drive Israel deeper into war, as Netanyahu clings to power, and President Trump negotiates peace with Iran and exits the stage. This is everything that we have been anticipating ever since we started studying Israeli domestic politics in the News Brief over two years ago. And now we are watching it unfold. Accelerate.

Lebanon says Israel has bombed it nearly 3,500 times during ceasefire

Lebanon says Israel has bombed it nearly 3,500 times during ceasefire

June 8, 2026

8:33 PM GMT+10

Updated 1 hour ago


BEIRUT, June 8 (Reuters) - Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes on Lebanon ​and hundreds of controlled explosions since the U.S. announced a ceasefire ‌for the country on April 16, Lebanon's defence minister, Michel Menassa, said on Monday.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect just after midnight on April 17, with Israeli troops still positioned deep inside ​southern Lebanon. While it has largely halted air strikes on Beirut ​and its suburbs, the truce has failed to halt fighting in ⁠southern Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

During a cabinet meeting, Menassa ​said that from April 17 to June 7, Israel had carried out 3,491 air ​strikes, 407 controlled demolitions and six "razing" operations, or demolitions - which have left some entire villages in the southernmost strip of Lebanon entirely flattened. The statistics were later published on X by ​the office of Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

The Israeli military did not immediately ​respond to a request for comment.

Salam said the latest escalation between Iran and Israel had ‌caused additional ⁠waves of displacement, straining Lebanon's ability to host fleeing families.

Already, more than 1 million people - a fifth of Lebanon's population - have been displaced by Israel's strikes and evacuation warnings across Lebanon since the war erupted on March 2.

The latest conflict ​broke out when Hezbollah ​fired rockets on ⁠Israel in support of its ally Iran, which was being struck by Israel and the United States.

Hezbollah has continued firing ​at Israel and has rejected U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanese and ​Israeli officials ⁠aimed at bolstering the ceasefire with a lasting agreement.

On Sunday, Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs in retaliation for Hezbollah fire on northern Israel. In response, Tehran bombed northern ⁠Israel, ​which has fired back on various locations in Iran.

U.S. ​President Donald Trump said last week that ceasefires in the Middle East involved "shooting in a more moderate manner", ​rather than a total halt in fighting.

A Senator's Slap and the Shame That Lingers at Janda Baik Leadership Programme

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OPINION | A Senator's Slap and the Shame That Lingers at Janda Baik Leadership Programme


8 Jun 2026 • 10:00 AM MYT

Mihar Dias
A behaviourist by training, a consultant and executive coach by profession

Mihar Dias on Microsoft Copilot


A Senator's Slap, and the Shame That Lingers at Janda Baik Leadership Programme

By Mihar Dias June 2026


The incident at Janda Baik was not merely an assault on a young man's face. It was an assault on every student leader in that room — and on the dignity of public life itself.



Let us be absolutely clear about what happened at the Institut Latihan Memperkasa Ummah in Janda Baik on the evening of May 20.


A senator — introduced to the gathering as a guest speaker and a board member of a university — allegedly struck a student leader across the left cheek with his right hand following a conversation that had drifted into politics. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18aaYChdDn/



The student, Nik Alif Aiman Abdul Ariffahmi, the elected Yang Dipertua of his university's Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar, did not retaliate. He held his composure, absorbed the humiliation, and declined the senator's subsequent invitation to dine together as a quiet, dignified act of protest. https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/782088


That restraint, frankly, was more senatorial than anything the senator demonstrated that evening.


Now, one can already anticipate the noise that will follow this column — the tribal closing of ranks, the parsing of context, the whispered suggestion that perhaps the young man provoked it, said something out of turn, touched a nerve. Let me pre-empt all of that. None of it matters. Nothing a student says in a post-lecture conversation warrants a grown man in public office raising his hand against him. Nothing. Full stop.



And the argument that "it caused no physical injury" is precisely the kind of moral hairsplitting that should embarrass anyone who attempts it. The impact was forceful enough to snap the young man's head to the right. It occurred in front of ten to fifteen witnesses, including senior university officers and fellow student representatives. https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/782088


The physical bruise may have been absent. The institutional bruise — to the student body, to the concept of mentorship, to the very idea that our upper house is populated by people deserving of deference — that bruise runs deep.



Some will note, as a kind of contextual footnote, that Nik Alif Aiman is the grandson of the late Tok Guru Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the revered former Menteri Besar of Kelantan and one of Malaysia's most consequential religious figures of the 20th century. And yes, the conversation reportedly turned hostile precisely after a university officer introduced Nik Alif Aiman in those terms, after which the senator allegedly made remarks critical of PAS before delivering the blow.


https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/782088



That lineage adds a particular sting — the family has filed their objections through proper channels, and a police report has been made.


But here is where this column diverges from the obvious narrative. This should not primarily be a story about whose grandson was slapped. The grandsons of no one in particular deserve the same protection from the arrogance of officialdom. The outrage must be universal or it means nothing.


What we witnessed — allegedly, pending investigation — was a senator behaving as if the trappings of appointment had placed him beyond the ordinary courtesies owed to every human being. That a man of his standing was present at a programme ostensibly designed to empower the Ummah, to uplift the young, and then proceeded to humiliate a youth leader in front of his peers, is an irony so thick it could insulate a roof.



The Dewan Negara is not a throne room. A senatorship is an appointment, not an ennoblement. The title does not purchase the right to lay a hand on another person simply because a political conversation turned disagreeable. If anything, the dignity of the office demands more restraint, not licence for petulance.


An apology, should one materialise, will not be sufficient. Apologies in Malaysian public life have a troubling tendency to function as full stops when they should be commas — as closures rather than the beginning of accountability. What is required here is a proper investigation, transparent findings, and consequences proportionate to the act. The police report has been filed. The witnesses were present. The facts are not in hiding.



There is also a word owed to the university administration, whose senior officers were reportedly in that room. What exactly was the institutional response in the immediate aftermath? Was the student leader supported? Was the senator challenged? Or did the room collectively exhale and move on, as rooms in Malaysia so often do when someone powerful misbehaves?


Student leaders are not props at government-adjacent programmes. They are not there to be photographed, patted on the head, and reminded of their place in the hierarchy. They are — at their best — the conscience of our campuses, doing unglamorous democratic work that most of their peers avoid. They deserve the full protection and respect of every adult in any room they enter.



What happened in Janda Baik on May 20 was not merely an interpersonal incident. It was a glimpse — sharp and ugly — of what happens when power goes unexamined and unchecked for too long. A grown man in high office struck a young student leader across the face, in public, over politics.


That senator must be held to account. Not because of who the young man's grandfather was. But because of who we are supposed to be.

Just what are Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza?

Just what are Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza?


Despite an apparent ceasefire, Israel’s leaders continue to hint at annexation and ethnic cleansing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran [File: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]

By Simon Speakman Cordall
Published On 29 May 2026


After two years of relentless bombardment and ground invasions, Israel’s future in Gaza had appeared to be settled with the signing of United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan on October 9, 2025.

Under the terms of that agreement, Israeli forces were meant to withdraw behind what planners called the “Yellow Line”, maintaining control of 58 percent of the territory, with their full withdrawal to be set at a date to be determined.

That withdrawal hasn’t happened. In fact, in the months since, as well as killing at least 922 people in near-daily strikes on the enclave during the “ceasefire”, Israel has expanded its territory by about 11 percent.

According to satellite data gathered in March, it has also established at least 32 military outposts, a ground barrier and infrastructure along what was supposed to be a temporary line.

Since October last year, numerous humanitarian agencies, including Oxfam, have accused Israel of compounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by restricting deliveries of aid and other essential goods.

Then, on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will take over yet more territory in Gaza, telling a conference: “We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60 percent of the territory of the Strip – you know this. We were at 50. My directive is to move to …,” he said, pausing briefly as someone in the crowd yelled, “100!”

“Let’s go step by step,” he responded, “First of all, 70. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them from all sides, we’ll deal with the remnants.”

Al Jazeera contacted the Israeli prime minister’s office for clarification of this, but received no response by the time of publishing.



Netanyahu orders Israeli army to seize 70 percent of Gaza



Israel’s war in Gaza destroys vital therapy centres for disabled children



Iran spokesman says US to blame for resumption of hostilities


Can Israel just grab more land in Gaza?

“If Israel’s ultimate plan is to exercise permanent effective control over the entirety of the Gaza Strip, we are talking about unlawful annexation,” Michael Becker, a professor of international human rights law at Trinity College in Dublin, told Al Jazeera.

“As the International Court of Justice reaffirmed in a 2024 advisory opinion, annexation constitutes a violation of the bedrock prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force.”

Nevertheless, to date, since the onset of its war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 72,819 men, women and children in Gaza, with many thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

By 2025, Israel had caused a confirmed famine in the enclave and has now decimated nearly all infrastructure needed to support life. It has done all this without experiencing any meaningful international sanctions and still takes part in numerous international sporting and entertainment competitions – despite protests.

Hopes that the US might enforce its own conditions on Israel also appear ill-founded. Since announcing a ceasefire in the enclave in October last year, the US has failed to react as Israel has expanded and entrenched its presence in Gaza, choking off access to about two-thirds of the enclave for its inhabitants by April 2026.

A US State Department spokesperson, contacted by Al Jazeera, avoided addressing Israel’s ceasefire violations and instead placed all responsibility on Hamas for obstructing peace, disarmament and Gaza’s reconstruction.

Can Gaza’s population survive in such a reduced territory?

It’s very hard to tell. Several agencies, including the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), have expressed deep concern about how Gaza’s remaining population can continue to subsist in an ever-shrinking space.

Israel’s answer to this is simple. “The plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza will also be implemented, all at the proper time and in the proper manner,” Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote in a statement marking the killing of Hamas leader Mohammed Odeh on Wednesday this week.

“Voluntary emigration” is a term used by a number of Israel’s government ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Observers typically acknowledge that this means the ethnic cleansing of the enclave.

Israel’s Ministry of Defence did not respond to questions about this from Al Jazeera.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has referred to the ‘voluntary emigration’ of Gaza’s population, a term generally regarded as referring to its ethnic cleansing [File: Menahem Kahana/ AFP]

Is any of this legal?

No.

“The idea of permanently removing Palestinians from Gaza smacks of forced displacement and would also violate the fundamental right to self-determination of the Palestinian people,” Becker said. The principle of self-determination serves as a “cornerstone” of the UN Charter, he said.

However, Becker said, the spotlight of international attention has now shifted from the crisis in Gaza to the US and Israel’s war on Iran, as well as Israel’s actions in Lebanon, where it has occupied large swaths of the south of the country.

“While the Trump administration may be willing to diverge from Israel’s interests in seeking a resolution to the disastrous and illegal war that the United States started against Iran, the United States seems to have lost interest in Gaza or pushing for restraint on the part of Netanyahu’s government. It is unclear what role the so-called Board of Peace is willing to play in terms of maintaining a future for the Palestinians of Gaza,” he said.

BEING CHINESE IS BIGGER THAN DAP

From the FB page of:




Anas Zubedy

edropnSost0807820glm30l8t4mcht8lc20a4u76cft7lg01g3m0mf17gf90 ·


BEING CHINESE IS BIGGER THAN DAP


DAP does not have a monopoly on what it means to be Chinese, just as UMNO does not have a monopoly on what it means to be Malay.

Being Chinese is bigger than DAP. Being Malay is bigger than UMNO.

We should not assume that being anti-DAP is anti-Chinese, just as we should not assume that being anti-UMNO is anti-Malay. That is a fundamental political mistake.

In fact, many politicians encourage this confusion because it serves their political interests. If a party can convince voters that it represents an entire race, then criticism of the party can be portrayed as criticism of the race itself. Likewise, support for the party can be portrayed as loyalty to the race.

This is one of the oldest tricks in politics. It is also one of the most damaging for a diverse country like Malaysia.

Just as PAS cannot claim to be the sole representative of Islam and Muslims, no political party can claim ownership of an entire race, religion, or community.

No race or religion belongs to any one party. A race is a community. A religious community is also a community. A political party is merely a vehicle.

The argument is even more difficult to sustain in DAP's case. For decades, DAP leaders have presented their party as a multiracial party that speaks for all Malaysians. If that is true, then criticism of DAP cannot automatically be equated with criticism of the Chinese community.

One cannot claim to be a multiracial party when convenient and then claim to exclusively represent one race when under attack. You cannot have the cake and eat it too.

The Chinese community is not a branch of DAP, just as the Malay community is not a branch of UMNO.
The Chinese community existed before DAP, and it will remain long after DAP is gone.

Being Chinese is bigger than DAP. The two should never be conflated.

It is my hope that Anthony Loke, Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, and other senior DAP leaders will step forward and reaffirm this simple principle: no political party has a monopoly over any race, religion, or community.

Peace,

Anas Zubedy

Israel’s strikes on Iran expose Trump’s failure to restrain Netanyahu

Israel’s strikes on Iran expose Trump’s failure to restrain Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump says he’d urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint following Iran’s missile attack on Israel. Al Jazeera’s Manuel Rapalo explains how Israel firing back regardless raises questions about the US’s influence over Israel.

‘You asked for DAP’s help in Mahkota’: Johor party branch rebukes Onn Hafiz

‘You asked for DAP’s help in Mahkota’: Johor party branch rebukes Onn Hafiz


DAP Johor argues that the spirit of cooperation underpinning the Federal Unity Government should take precedence over partisan rhetoric

Updated 2 hours ago

Published on 08 Jun 2026 2:07PM

DAP Johor chastises Onn Hafiz over refusal to work with party after state polls (Photo from Utusan) - June 8, 2026



A FRESH political dispute has emerged within Johor’s governing landscape after the Democratic Action Party (DAP) leaders criticised remarks by Johor Barisan Nasional chairman and Menteri Besar-designate hopeful Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who declared he would rather forgo the top state post than work alongside DAP in the state administration after the next Johor state election.


The comments prompted a sharp response from Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, who accused Onn Hafiz of political hypocrisy and arrogance, pointing to the cooperation extended by DAP during previous election campaigns.

“Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s remarks are highly arrogant. When Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah was contesting the Mahkota by-election, he repeatedly appealed to DAP for assistance,” he said.

His criticism followed remarks made by Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi at the launch of Johor Barisan Nasional’s election machinery, where he stressed that BN Johor had never cooperated with DAP and insisted that he did not wish to govern alongside the party.

Sheikh Umar argued that responsible political leadership requires parties to look beyond ideological differences and place public welfare above partisan interests, particularly when stable and effective governance is at stake.

“The Unity Government at the federal level has demonstrated that parties from different backgrounds are capable of working together for the sake of national stability, economic recovery and the well-being of the people.

“Such cooperation does not mean that all parties must agree on every issue. Rather, it reflects the maturity to place the interests of the people above partisan interests,” Utusan Malaysia reported him saying.

He said the experience of the Federal Unity Government had demonstrated that parties with differing political traditions could work together constructively to safeguard national stability, support economic recovery and improve public well-being.

According to Sheikh Umar, political cooperation should not be judged by complete agreement on every issue but by a willingness to prioritise the interests of citizens over narrow party considerations.

Reaffirming DAP and Pakatan Harapan’s position in Johor, he said both remained committed to a politics of inclusion and constructive engagement rather than division.

“We respect the mandate of the people, democratic institutions, and the role of all parties in developing Johor into a progressive, inclusive and prosperous state.

“Therefore, discussions about Johor’s future should focus on policies, performance and what can be offered to the people, rather than rhetoric that risks widening divisions and undermining opportunities for cooperation in the interests of the state and the nation,” he said.

The exchange highlights growing tensions over potential post-election alignments in Johor, despite the cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan at the federal level, and signals that questions surrounding future state-level alliances may become a key issue ahead of the next state polls. - June 8, 2026