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China investigating top general over serious violations, says defence ministry

Reuters:

China investigating top general over serious violations, says defence ministry

By Reuters

January 26, 2026

9:36 PM GMT+11

Updated 2 hours ago

Summary

• General under investigation over discipline, legal violations
• Zhang is Xi's closest ally in People's Liberation Army
• Zhang a key modernising figure in Chinese military
• Diplomats, analysts watching for impact of probe on China's military posture

Jan 24 (Reuters) - (This Jan 24 story has been corrected to remove the incorrect reference to Zhang's Moscow visit in November as his last public appearance and to add his December appearance, in paragraph 7)

China's most senior general is under investigation, China's defence ministry said on Saturday, in the highest-profile purge to date of senior military leadership just as Beijing modernises its forces and tries to further project its might.

Zhang Youxia is second-in-command under President Xi Jinping as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission - the supreme command body - and has long been seen as Xi's closest military ally.

The ministry said Zhang and Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC's Joint Staff Department, were under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.

Zhang is also a member of the elite Politburo of the ruling Communist Party and is one of just a few leading officers with combat experience.

SWEEPING CRACKDOWN TARGETS MILITARY

The military was one of the main targets of a broad corruption crackdown ordered by Xi in 2012. That drive reached the upper echelons of the People's Liberation Army in 2023 when the elite Rocket Force was targeted.

Zhang's removal is the second of a sitting general on the Central Military Commission since the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

Zhang and Liu Zhenli both appeared with Xi at a military promotion event on December 22, according to a report and photo on a Chinese government announcement at the time.

Foreign diplomats and security analysts are watching developments closely, given Zhang's closeness to Xi and the importance of the commission's work in terms of command as well as the PLA's ongoing military modernisation and posture.

CHINA IS FLEXING MIGHT

While China has not fought a war in decades, it is taking an increasingly muscular line in the disputed East China Sea and South China Sea, as well as over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which is claimed by China. Beijing staged the largest military exercises to date around Taiwan late last year.

This Indo-Pacific leopard shark is taking its first swim in the wild.

Singapore-based China security scholar James Char said the military's daily operations could carry on as normal despite the purges, but the targeting of Zhang showed Xi was reacting to criticism that the crackdown had been too selective.

"Xi has been tapping on second-line PLA officers to fill those roles vacated by their predecessors – on an interim basis in most cases," said Char, a scholar at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

"China’s military modernizers will continue to push for the two goals Xi has set for the PLA – namely, 2035 to basically complete its modernisation and 2049 to become a world-class armed forces."

Zhang is the second vice-chair of the CMC to fall from grace in recent months. Former CMC vice chair He Weidong was expelled from the party and PLA in October last year for corruption. He was replaced by Zhang Shengmin.

Eight top generals were expelled from the Communist Party on graft charges in October 2025, including He Weidong.

Two former defence ministers were also purged from the ruling party in recent years for corruption. The crackdown is slowing procurement of advanced weaponry and hitting the revenues of some of China's biggest defence firms.

CHILDREN OF CIVIL WAR VETERANS

Both Xi and Zhang are from the northwestern province of Shaanxi and are the children of former senior officials who fought together in the 1940s civil war.

Born in Beijing, Zhang joined the army in 1968, rising through the ranks and joining the military commission in late 2012 as the PLA's modernisation drive gathered pace.

A Pentagon profile of Zhang in late 2023 noted that Zhang had been expected to retire in 2022, aged 72, given usual military practice.

"However, Zhang's retention on the CMC for a third term probably reflects Xi's desire to keep a close and experienced ally as his top military adviser," the profile said, contained within the Pentagon's annual report on China's military that year.

Zhang fought in a brief but bloody border war in 1979 that China launched in punishment for Vietnam invading Cambodia the previous year and ousting the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge.

Zhang was 26 when he was sent to the front lines to fight the Vietnamese and was quickly promoted, according to state media. He also fought in another border clash with Vietnam in 1984 as the conflict rumbled on.

"During the battle, whether attacking or defending, Zhang Youxia performed excellently," the official China Youth Daily wrote in a 2017 piece entitled, "These Chinese generals have killed the enemy on the battlefield".

Some China scholars have noted that Zhang emerged from the conflict an avowed moderniser in terms of military tactics, weapons and the need for a better trained force.

 al Jazeera:

Trump administration, MAGA allies spread misinformation on Pretti killing

Video footage of fatal shooting contradicts narrative spun by officials and right-wing influencers.

A sign at a makeshift memorial at the site where Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, January 25, 2026 [Tim Evans/Reuters]

ByErin Hale

Published On 26 Jan 202626 Jan 2026

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US President Donald Trump’s administration and his (Make America Great Again) MAGA allies have disseminated a flurry of misinformation about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in the US city of Minneapolis.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Sunday claimed that Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, had “approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun”, and that agents had “attempted to disarm the suspect, but the armed suspect violently resisted”.

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Video footage shot by bystanders shows Pretti filming a group of US Border Patrol agents on Saturday before stepping in to defend a woman who was shoved to the ground by one agent.

In footage shared by US-based Drop Site news, Pretti can be seen trying to help the woman before at least five agents tackle him to the ground and shoot him multiple times after a scuffle on the icy road.

Analysis of footage by US media and Bellingcat, a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group, shows that Pretti’s gun had already been confiscated by an agent before he was shot dead.

Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara later told reporters that Pretti was a “lawful gun owner” with a permit, and that his only criminal history was a few traffic tickets.

Despite the video evidence, Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino told a news conference that Pretti’s gun showed that he “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement”.

Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security, claimed without evidence that Pretti was an “assassin” who tried to “murder federal agents”, while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said he had “violently” resisted arrest.

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Popular right-wing influencers amplified the Trump administration’s claims on X.

The MAGA-allied account “Libs of TikTok” labelled Pretti a “lunatic” and an “assassin”.

Right-wing influencer Alexander Muse told his 681,000 followers that Pretti was “expecting a firefight at a distance” with federal agents despite there being no evidence that he ever took out or brandished his gun.

Some right-wing influencers went even further than echoing the Trump administration’s narrative, piling blatant misinformation on top of officials’ baseless accusations.

Trump ally Nick Sorter, who has 1.4 million followers on X, falsely claimed that Pretti, a US citizen, was an “illegal alien” who was “armed with a gun and attempted to PULL IT on agents as he was being apprehended”.

Conservative podcaster Jesse Kelly smeared Pretti as a “soldier for the communist revolution” who had “died fighting in a war” in an X post that included a photo of Pretti on a hike.

MAGA-affiliated accounts also shared digitally altered images purporting to be pictures of Pretti dressed in female clothing.

In a statement, Pretti’s parents said their son was a “kindhearted soul” and that the administration’s “sickening lies” about him were “reprehensible and disgusting”.

Claims that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” and scrutiny of his political beliefs mirror similar accusations levelled at Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was also fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Trump administration officials also described Good as a “terrorist” and claimed that she was trying to run over an immigration officer with her vehicle despite video evidence casting doubt on those claims.

Officials have also spread misleading information seemingly aimed at discrediting protests against Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown more generally.

The White House last week shared an image of an arrested activist, Nekima Levy Armstrong, that had been altered with artificial intelligence to make her look emotionally distressed.

Some Republicans have pushed back on the narrative pushed around Pretti’s death, including Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who said on X that “carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right”.

The National Rifle Association, a pro-gun lobby group, also rejected a suggestion by a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor  that approaching a law enforcement officer with a gun could be grounds for being shot.

Minnesota law enforcement officials have also contested statements by Trump administration officials, including a claim by Vice President JD Vance that local authorities refused to assist their federal counterparts in the investigation into Pretti’s killing.

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The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said on Sunday that it was state authorities who were being obstructed, stating on X that its officers had been denied access to the crime scene by the DHS.

'This is horrifying' - Minneapolis residents reel from second deadly shooting

BBC:


'This is horrifying' - Minneapolis residents reel from second deadly shooting

8 hours ago
Ana Faguy

Minneapolis

EPA
Volunteers and church staff handed out coffee, snacks and hand warmers at this church in Minneapolis on Sunday


At the Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the doors swung open and shut as locals sought refuge from the biting cold on Sunday.

The 140-year-old building sits just blocks away from where Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot dead by federal immigration agents during a confrontation on Saturday morning.

In the wake of the shooting, which marked the second time in less than a month that a US citizen has been killed by agents in the city, the church has become what locals describe as a haven from the unrest and uncertainty outside.

There was no service here on Sunday. Instead volunteers and church staff, such as Ann Hotz, who works at the church's daycare centre, handed out coffee, snacks and hand warmers to those who stopped by.

Some were on their way to lay flowers at a nearby memorial for Pretti, while others visited on their way home from protests against the weeks-long federal immigration enforcement operation in the city.

"Yesterday, I fell apart," Hotz told the BBC as she helped move cases of water outside. "Today I'm here to stand with my community and help our neighbours as they remember Alex and mourn him."

"But I do have to say, the helpers are getting really tired," she added. "This is exhausting, and so we need there to be a change."


Republican senators join calls for fuller investigation into Minneapolis killing

Video shows moments around fatal shooting in Minneapolis

What we know about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti


"This is what America is now," Dean Caldwell-Tautges, the church administrator, said of the actions of federal immigration agents in his hometown in recent weeks.

Caldwell-Tautges, who was handing out whistles which have been used to alert people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, said supporting the community in this way was "the Christian thing to do".



"This is exhausting, and so we need there to be a change," Ann Hotz said


The city of Minneapolis now finds itself at the forefront of the national immigration debate for the second time this month. Renee Nicole Good, another Minnesota resident, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on 7 January.

Videos of both shootings quickly spread on social media. They prompted angry protests from those who want to see an end to an immigration enforcement operation that has seen thousands of agents deployed to the city's streets.

Getty Images
Several memorials to Alex Pretti have been built since his death on Saturday


President Trump ordered the agents to the Democrat-held state in December, pledging a massive deportation of undocumented migrants. A crackdown on illegal immigration was central to his successful re-election campaign and is backed by many around the country.

The administration has characterised the Minneapolis operation as a public safety efffort aimed at deporting criminals illegally in the US. Critics warn migrants with no criminal record and US citizens are being detained, too.

On Sunday, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump praised the agents' work but suggested the operation would eventually end, although he did not specify when.

"At some point we will leave," Trump said. "They've done a phenomenal job."

The state's Governor Tim Walz has urged the president to remove the agents immediately. "We believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street," he said on Sunday. Other state and local officials have echoed Walz's view.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the agents fired in self-defence after Pretti, who they say had a handgun, resisted their attempts to disarm him on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses, local officials and the victim's family have challenged that account, pointing out Pretti had a phone in his hand, not a weapon. His parents, meanwhile, have accused the administration of spreading "sickening lies" about what happened.



Contains upsetting scenes.
Unpicking the second Minneapolis shooting frame by frame


Over the course of the weekend, multiple vigils were held in the city as residents sought to remember and celebrate Pretti's life.

At the site where he was killed in south Minneapolis, close to the Calvary Baptist Church, mourners gathered at all hours to lay flowers and light candles in his honour. One sign, drawn with red paint and directed at federal agents, read "stop killing us".

Lifelong Minneapolis resident Pege Miller, 69, was among those gathered on Sunday afternoon to protest against ICE and pay her respects to Pretti.

"I'm tired of protesting," she said. "We can't comprehend how this is happening. Why are we letting this happen?"

"We're on tenterhooks," she added. "We don't know what's going to happen next."



"I don't understand how they can come in and just start snatching people," Felix Johnson said


Hundreds of people gathered for an impromptu protest downtown later on Sunday. Many there expressed anger and sadness about the immigration operation. Protesters repeatedly chanted: "No more Minnesota nice, Minneapolis will strike."

Among those chanting was Felix Johnson, who said he protested for the first time in his life a few weeks ago when he saw a video which appeared to show a four-year-old girl who was left in a car after her father was detained by ICE.

He held a sign that read "ICE out", while dozens of other posters in the crowd included profanities directed at immigration officials.

"I don't understand how they can come in and just start snatching people that are citizens and start treating them like they're animals," Johnson said.

Few Minnesotans the BBC spoke to said they supported ICE operations, but several polls suggest about half of voters nationwide support President Trump's efforts to deport those living in the US illegally.

Other polls indicate voters are split on how Trump is carrying out that crackdown on undocumented immigrants. One conducted by Politico shortly after Renee Good's death this month suggested about half of Americans felt the mass deportation campaign was too aggressive.

At the protest in downtown Minneapolis on Sunday, one man held a sign that read "Veterans Against ICE".

"I joined [the military] to serve a country that, while never perfect, was a country that was improving, that was growing," he said.

"I joined to support the tenets of freedom of this country and what we're seeing here, this is the opposite, this is not promoting freedom. This is horrifying."

Trump, Greenland and Australia’s alliance reality check

Pearls and Irritations
John Menadue's Public Policy Journal

John McCarthy

Trump, Greenland and Australia’s alliance reality check


January 26, 2026


Trump’s behaviour towards Greenland is a warning sign for alliances, values and Western credibility. Australia may need to weigh ANZUS more hard-headedly and build greater strategic autonomy.

Six months ago this writer spent a week in Greenland.

Greenlanders were predictably opposed to becoming part of the United States. They did not discount President Trump’s adventurism. They hoped that the American leadership would drop its ambition to take them over. On that, the jury is still out.

While the immediate crisis on Greenland has been tempered, the issues around American ambitions there, and hence its leadership and values more generally, remain.

Greenland is about as far from Australia as it is possible to be. It is not in our strategic orbit. The world is not waiting for our policy perspective.

But on leaving Greenland last year, one niggling thought remained.

If American coercion of Greenlanders, Danes and the rest of NATO, continued – particularly if that coercion involved force – the position Australia took would reflect the sort of people we are.

We could not duck and weave. We would have to speak truth to power – and publicly. The issues are too big for discreet admonishment. Would we have the mettle?

Because if we did display mettle, we might be given the same treatment as our NATO friends. What sort of alliance would we then have?

Trump’s threat of use of force he now tells us, is off the table. But the problems inherent in his approach to Greenland remain.

They include:

• A sense of derision towards allies and alliances.
• The threat of coercive takeover of Greenland by the Americans can be used by the Russians to justify the invasion of Ukraine.
• Ukraine ‘s capacity to negotiate an acceptable end to its war with Russia is further weakened. NATO’s eastern flank is more vulnerable to Russia.
• Western arguments against Chinese intentions towards Taiwan lose cogency.
• If NATO, the most significant part of the global alliance system centred on America is enfeebled, what confidence can the rest of that system have?

Western soft power – already diminished – is further eroded. China and Russia will gain.

What do we, in Australia, do about it?

Trump’s behaviour towards Greenland – and as an ally more generally – suggests it is time to re-examine the weight of the American alliance in our overall external outlook.

Since 1945 that external outlook has had three main planks: the American alliance; regional engagement; and our role in the international machinery designed to deal with global questions: nuclear issues and disarmament; international commerce; climate; health; people movements, and so on.

The relative significance of these three planks – and the political energy we have put into them – has varied. However, the alliance plank has been dominant most of the time.

This has, in practice, dampened our capacity for strategic autonomy.

Alliances generally depend on a mutual interest by one party in the welfare of the others; trust; and an alignment of values.

Trump’s behaviour has trashed these features. Most allies have suffered economically from the tariff war; NATO countries feel endangered because of Trump’s handling of Ukraine. Trust is a joke. And values? Let’s not go there.

Looking more narrowly at Australia’s and the United States’s mutual security interests, both countries have an interest in management of China’s ambitions in the region.

But given Trump’s overall unpredictability – and uncertainty about Trump’s policy on China – an obvious decline in trust and a widening gap in values, our national addiction to the alliance relationship needs scrutiny.

This is not an argument to weaken – let alone eventually relinquish – the alliance. In due course Trump will go and elements of Trumpism will hopefully diminish. An American regional presence remains in our interest. And there is the practical question about handling the AUKUS albatross around our neck.

But it is now time to move from the sanctification of the alliance and develop about it a mindset which espouses greater strategic autonomy. We must lose our fear of abandonment. We must hard-headedly weigh the advantage of ANZUS to us. Like Trump, we should be more transactional. We need to be more self-reliant, harnessing the benefits of the alliance but without the automatic expectation that the United States will fight our battles for us.

Such an approach should over time give us more political space to navigate other relationships.

One means of addressing these issues would be to commission a new white paper on external policy which has input from all relevant agencies. We must think more about self-reliance, our regional role and what middle powers can do to save or replace the furniture in the international system.

And crucially, the paper should examine the place and weight of the alliance in our external outlook. This is not as sinful as it sounds. We had an ANZUS review in 1983. Different times, different politics. But the precedent is there.



This piece was originally published by the _Financial Review_.


The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.

John McCarthy


John McCarthy AO FAIIA is Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at Melbourne University, a senior adviser to Asialink, and a former ambassador and high commissioner to the United States and numerous Asian countries.

2,000 kg of Pork Smuggled into Malaysia Just Before Chinese New Year

2,000 kg of Pork Smuggled into Malaysia Just Before Chinese New Year


25 Jan 2026 • 1:00 PM MYT



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

Have you ever wondered why a truckload of pork trying to enter Malaysia from Thailand made national headlines? Why would someone risk tens of thousands of ringgit to smuggle forbidden meat across a busy checkpoint? This is not a small roadside bust. Malaysian border forces recently stopped 2,000 kg of pork carcasses coming in without proper import papers, right at one of the nation’s busiest checkpoints on the Malaysia–Thailand border. (BERNAMA)


This is a story about enforcement, economics, disease risk, and the hidden world of cross‑border trade that most Malaysians never see. It is more than just pork on a truck. It shows how Malaysia protects its economy, public health, and borders amidst rising smuggling pressure.


A border bust with big numbers

Malaysia’s Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) stopped a cargo vehicle at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex that was carrying 2,000 kg of pig carcasses. The meat had no valid import documents and was destined for the Malaysian market. (Sinar Daily)


AKPS commander SAC Mohd Nasarudin M. Nasir said the driver was pulled over at about 6.30 am. A closer inspection revealed the heavy cargo. The pork was estimated to be worth about RM66,000. (Sinar Daily)


Importantly, the import of pork from Thailand is completely banned due to African Swine Fever (ASF), a highly contagious pig disease that can devastate livestock industries. (Sinar Daily)


ASF does not affect humans, but it wipes out pig herds. Many countries, including China, Vietnam and Malaysia, have strict controls to avoid outbreaks. Recent pork bans from Thailand aim to prevent ASF from entering Malaysian farms. This makes illicit pork a high‑risk product.


Why pork smuggling happens


To understand why smugglers risk arrest, we need to look at market forces.


In Malaysia, pork is relatively expensive. A recent report discussed how prices for live pigs had soared, with some wholesalers arguing Malaysian pork is among the most expensive in the world. (Reddit)


High prices create profit incentives for smugglers. They buy cheaper pork across the border and try to bring it in illegally to sell at a margin. But high rewards come with high risks. The ASF ban means heavy fines and possible jail.


Smuggling is not limited to pork. Malaysian Customs reported 7,215 smuggling cases in 2024, with total seizures valued at RM1.64 billion. These included drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and other goods. (Malay Mail)


The broader border enforcement landscape


Bukit Kayu Hitam is one of Malaysia’s busiest land checkpoints. It sits on the main road from Thailand into Kedah, handling thousands of travellers and tonnes of goods daily. The checkpoint also acts as an entry point for many products moving between the two countries.


Border enforcement has intensified in recent years. Malaysian authorities coordinate Customs, Immigration, and AKPS operations to stop illegal goods, people trafficking, and public health risks. In the same operation that seized the pork, AKPS also denied entry to nine foreign nationals due to immigration violations. (Sinar Daily)


These efforts mirror wider national action. The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has shifted its strategy to target high‑impact smuggling cases to protect revenue and security. (Malay Mail)


African Swine Fever threat


African Swine Fever has hit Asia hard. Countries like China and Vietnam lost millions of pigs in recent years due to ASF outbreaks. ASF spreads easily through pork products, contaminated equipment, and even clothing or vehicles. That makes stringent border controls essential.


Malaysia’s ban on pork imports from high‑risk areas like Thailand is a precaution to keep local livestock free of ASF. Stopping unregulated pork at the border helps protect Malaysian farms and rural economies.


If ASF were to spread to Malaysia, it could decimate local pig farms, threaten food supplies, and push up prices even further. That inching cost rise is already visible to consumers.


The economics of illegal meat


Smugglers are often driven by dollar signs. When legal trade barriers exist, underground markets emerge. A shipment of pork worth RM66,000 on paper might bring far more in cash sales once distributed illegally.


Market pressures are clear. With pork more expensive in Malaysia than in neighbouring countries, the incentive to bypass the rules remains strong. This is especially true for well‑organised smuggling groups that can move large volumes undetected.


Smuggling networks often diversify. Malaysian authorities regularly intercept large shipments of cigarettes, fuel, and even diesel being moved illegally. These goods can result in massive tax losses for the government, sometimes hundreds of millions of ringgit. (The Star)



The human toll and societal impact


Smuggling is not a victimless crime. It affects legal businesses that follow the rules. Legitimate farmers, butchers, and distributors pay taxes and comply with health and safety standards. When illegal meat floods local markets, it puts these businesses at a disadvantage.


Public trust erodes when markets are skewed by illicit trade. Worse, products without proper inspection pose health risks. Smuggled pork could bypass food safety checks, increasing the chance of contamination or disease spread.


Authorities also face pressure. Border guards and inspectors must work long hours. They face sophisticated smuggling tactics, such as hidden compartments, falsified paperwork, and bribery attempts.


What needs to change


Stopping smuggling is not just about catching offenders at the checkpoint. It requires a mix of policy, technology, and public cooperation.


One idea is better legal trade mechanisms so demand for certain goods like pork can be met through verified sources that comply with health standards. This could reduce the profitability of illegal channels.


Investing in better surveillance tools, such as advanced scanning technology and AI‑driven cargo inspection, would help detect hidden contraband faster. Modernised facilities also reduce delays and corruption opportunities.


Public awareness campaigns can discourage demand for illegal goods. When consumers understand the health and economic consequences, they are less likely to seek bargain deals that fuel smuggling syndicates.


Finally, collaboration with neighbouring countries is vital. Sharing intelligence, harmonising controls, and co‑operating on enforcement can close loopholes smugglers exploit.


What do you think? I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section.


The Bukit Kayu Hitam pork bust is more than a quirky headline. It highlights deep tensions at Malaysia’s borders between enforcement, economics, health, and human behaviour.


Malaysia’s rising smuggling figures show that without proactive solutions, smugglers will keep finding ways to move illegal goods. Strong enforcement alone is not enough. Policy reform, technology upgrades, and regional cooperation must work hand in hand.

PN forming presidential council to create role for Muhyiddin?

PN forming presidential council to create role for Muhyiddin?

Haspaizi Zain
Published: Jan 26, 2026 12:13 PM
Updated: 5:27 PM


Bersatu and PAS were said to have reached an agreement to establish a Perikatan Nasional presidential council, with Muhyiddin Yassin holding its top post.

According to a source, the deal was made during a recent meeting between the parties’ top leaders as a compromise for the Bersatu president to continue serving in PN after his resignation as the coalition’s chairperson.

“I was made to understand that during the meeting between Abdul Hadi Awang, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Takiyuddin Hassan, Muhyiddin, and Azmin Ali, they have reached an agreement to give executive power to the presidential council, while the PN executive council would be in charge of its administrative affairs.

“Muhyiddin would be made the chairperson of the presidential council, which would be established soon. PAS leaders, meanwhile, would lead the PN administration. To allow this to happen, some amendments would have to be made to the PN constitution.

“The executive council would handle administrative duties and daily operations, and it can also bring up proposals, but any decision would only be made at the presidential council level,” said the source, a Bersatu leader speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin (left) and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang


Search for a chair

The PN leadership issue started when Muhyiddin resigned as its chairperson, effective Jan 1.

This followed mounting pressure from PAS MPs over the ousting of PAS’ Shukri Ramli from the Perlis menteri besar post, who stepped down on Dec 25 after five state assembly members from Bersatu and three from PAS withdrew their support via statutory declarations (SDs).

On Saturday (Jan 24), Malaysiakini reported that PAS has submitted three names as its candidates to replace Muhyiddin.

According to a source, the three are Tuan Ibrahim, the PAS deputy president, Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor.

However, the source explained that the final decision rests with the PAS central leadership, while Sanusi has openly declined to be nominated as PN chairperson.

Meanwhile, a PAS source also confirmed there was a discussion to form a PN presidential council with Muhyiddin as its leader.

“Yes, that was about what has been discussed; perhaps it’s a way of compromise by having Muhyiddin leading the presidential council,” said the party leader.

Wheeled to court for money laundering charge, public shaming of ex-army chief’s 27 y.o. 3rd wife shows no abating

Wheeled to court for money laundering charge, public shaming of ex-army chief’s 27 y.o. 3rd wife shows no abating






THE mocking of Salwani Anuar @ Kamaruddin, the 27-year-old third wife of former Army chief Tan Sri Hafizuddeain Jantan arriving on a wheelchair at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court recently to face the charge of ‘abetting’ her husband in a money laundering case has become ‘more ingenious’ to say the least


This came about after a self-proclaimed troubleshooter cheekily ‘imagined’ how the black hijab-clad young woman who had also worn a face mask would look like prior to her court case.




“Some people have to don the orange T-shirt (typical practice for corruption case) while some need not,” jibed Lina Irfan in a Facebook post. “This is what we call tatakertahi (mocking the Madani government’s infamous tatakelola a.k.a. governance). ”

Baju oren.. Ada org kena pakai ada org tak kena pakai..ini kita panggil.. Tatakertahi..
(sekadar gambar hiasan) 😁

960

339

314

Recall that Salwani has recently pleaded not guilty to four money-laundering charges involving RM77,000 allegedly received through Wany Venture, a company she is said to control. She faces up to 15 years’ jail and a fine of up to RM5 mil if convicted.

Earlier, her husband and his two wives were also detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over an investigation into an army procurement cartel.

In fact, Hafizuddeain, 58, had also pleaded not guilty at the KL Sessions Court to four counts of money laundering involving RM2.12 mil. He is accused of receiving the funds in four tranches between Feb 2, 2024, and Nov 7, 2025 at two banks in KL.

Editor’s Note: It has been revealed by her lawyer Fahmi Abd. Moin that Salwani from Kuala Besut, Terengganu, had make her court appearance in a wheelchair due to a chronic ‘bisul’ (boil) on her thigh following which she would undergo a surgical procedure “tomorrow (Jan 27) or the day after in Kuala Lumpur”.



In fact, she faced a second charge at the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court today (Jan 26) with receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM5,000 which was deposited into her bank account.

According to Bernama, the offence was allegedly committed at a bank branch in Kerteh near Besut on Jan 16, 2025.

The online mocking of Salwani became more intense after opposition-slant Naratif Rakyat  (@NaratifRakyat) who is said to be linked to former Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy director of strategic communications Datuk Eric See-To re-posted the “Before Court Case” and “After Court Case” image by Lina Irfan with a potshot: “Wow, serious ka? Shameful.”

Naratif Rakyat 

@NaratifRakyat

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Wow serious ka? Shame

9:16 PM · Jan 24, 2026

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Pursuant to this, a commenter proposed what he termed as “Malaysia Corruption Charge Court Case Starter Pack” comprising wheelchair, tongkat (walking stick), dark glasses, face mash and the Toyota Vellfire executive MPV which can become handy if one faces corruption charges in court.



Another wondered if a 26-year-old (some media cited 27-year-old) had already mastered the deemed “wheelchair arc” level for court appearance, “wouldn’t oxygen tank” be her next level”?



One commenter was ticked off for his sweeping statement that Salwani’s hijab attire which makes her look angelic “is how the Malays use religion to get away from their crimes”.



“Not because of religion, you dumb … you have to wear proper attire that cover your body to present yourselves in court,” justified another commenter.

“In most cases, it’s easier to just don one single wear and tudung. Do you think she should wear the same style as the left one?”



While one commenter did sort of insinuate the pain and discomfort of suffering from “chronic boil”, many netizens are seemingly unfazed with Salwani’s condition but instead poked fun at her (as she is faking her physical condition).

Madam K  #AyuhMalaysia

@oreo_koshka330

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Kasihanilah dia … dia ada bisul … Cannot wear like that, nanti nampak bisul

10:54 AM · Jan 24, 2026

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One commenter lashed out at high-ranking military officers for high tendency of power abuse, hence proposed that the power that be” makes it mandatory for army chiefs to refrain from having more than one wife as well as to ensure that the spouse isn’t a pisau cukur (literally ‘razor blade’ but proverbial meaning is equivalent to ‘gold digger’)”. – Jan 26, 2026

Ladeez Washarum

@13Mr_Mayhem

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Satu bagi budak-budak sekolah makan makanan basi. Satu lagi songlap duit sampai naik wheelchair pi court. Rasanya kena letak requirement nak naik panglima kena ada satu bini ja lepastu bini bukan pisau cukur

Ladeez Washarum

@13Mr_Mayhem

Example. Taste in women pun teruk tapi expected into defend negara, jaga kebajikan anggota bawahan dan support panglima atasan yang tengah try improve organization tentera. Typical toxic mid level management, cuma bezanya yang mid level management ni pakai baju celoreng

8:55 PM · Jan 23, 2026

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