Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Johor palace advised Onn Hafiz to make peace with Zahid after PRU15 backlash

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Johor palace advised Onn Hafiz to make peace with Zahid after PRU15 backlash

26 May 2026 • 8:30 AM MYT

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JOHOR Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has disclosed that advice from the Johor royal institution prompted him to personally apologise to UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi after he openly called for Zahid to step down following Barisan Nasional’s poor showing in the 15th General Election.

Speaking on the 200th episode of the Keluar Sekejap political podcast, Onn Hafiz said both the Sultan of Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, and the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, had privately advised him that his remarks had gone too far and that reconciliation was the best course forward.

“They told me it was good to apologise and go and meet my president. We have a state to govern,” he said.

The admission sheds new light on the aftermath of Barisan Nasional’s historic collapse in the 15th Malaysian General Election, when the coalition secured only 30 parliamentary seats, and pressure mounted within UMNO for Zahid to emulate former prime minister Najib Razak by relinquishing his leadership role after electoral defeat.

Onn Hafiz said he later met Zahid personally and apologised without placing any conditions on the meeting.

“I apologised if my statement had offended him. Alhamdulillah, I believe he has forgiven me.

“As far as party relations and administrative matters are concerned, the issue is now considered settled,” he said.

The revelation emerged after podcast co-host Shahril Hamdan pointed out that Onn Hafiz had been the first UMNO leader to publicly demand Zahid’s resignation after PRU15, yet escaped disciplinary action, while Shahril himself was suspended over similar remarks.

“You were the first to say it. I was only the second, but I was the one suspended,” Shahril remarked during the programme.

Onn Hafiz did not avoid the comparison, instead attributing his subsequent approach to guidance from the Johor palace.

“At that time, I received advice from the Johor palace. And I also prayed a great deal,” he said, drawing

laughter from the hosts. - May 26, 2026

Islamic State-linked families in Syria return to Australia

Islamic State-linked families in Syria return to Australia

6 hours ago
Lana Lam

Sydney

Getty Images
Another group of IS-linked Australian families departed Syria's al-Roj camp earlier this year

A group of Australian women and children with links to Islamic State (IS) returned to Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday, after being stranded for years in a Syrian camp.

A plane carrying two women and their children landed in Melbourne just after 16:30 local time on Tuesday (07:30 BST), followed by another plane in Sydney about an hour later, with four women and their children, authorities said.

Some of the women may face charges over their decision to travel to Syria about a decade ago.

One woman, who has been banned from returning to Australia for two years for national security reasons, is understood to still be in Syria with her child.

Earlier in May, three of four Australian women who returned home with nine children were arrested and charged with offences including crimes against humanity and joining IS.

In confirming the more recent group's return, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government "has not and will not provide any assistance to this group".

"These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation," he said.

"As we have said many times - any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law."

Authorities have been preparing for the group's return since 2014, Burke said, and they have "long-standing plans in place to manage and monitor them".

The group arriving on Tuesday are understood to be the last Australians in the al-Roj camp in north-east Syria where families of IS fighters have been held since 2019.

They reportedly left the camp on Thursday and boarded planes to Australia on Monday in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Australian media have reported that the returning women include Kirsty Rosse-Emile, who left Australia when she was 19 and who told the ABC last year it was "not my choice" to be in Syria.

Others include Nesrine Zahab, who has said she was tricked into travelling to Syria by her cousin, IS recruiter Muhammad Zahab; Sumaya Zahab, Muhammad's sister, and Aminah Zahab, Muhammad's mother.

The woman who remains in Syria due to the government's temporary exclusion order is understood to have decided to keep her child with her. The child, an Australian citizen who has a passport, is not prohibited from returning home.

On 7 May, four women and nine children from the same camp returned home to Australia with police arresting three of the women and charging them with various offences including crimes against humanity and entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone.

***

Above post explains why I blocked TS' mossad-manufactured kerbau

Venezuelan prison director sacked as inmates allege mistreatment

Venezuelan prison director sacked as inmates allege mistreatment

3 hours ago
Vanessa Buschschlüter

Latin America editor, News Online

'We want justice': Inmates in Venezuela occupy prison alleging prison abuse

The director of a prison in the Venezuelan state of Barinas has been sacked after violent clashes between security forces and inmates protesting over their alleged mistreatment.

Elvis Macuare Guerrero, who had been in charge of the penitentiary for just a week, was dismissed on Monday, state officials said.

Prisoners had accused him of stopping family visits and punishing them by keeping them in solitary confinement. Macuare has not publicly commented.

Organisations lobbying for prisoners' rights have long denounced the poor conditions at many of Venezuela's penitentiaries.

Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images

Relatives have been congregating outside the prison, anxious for news

The prosecutor's office has announced an investigation after prisoners at the jail in Barinas, which is known as Injuba, alleged that the director had ordered violent searches of their cells and kept them in solitary confinement.

They also said they had been subjected to beatings and "torture".

The inmates said that their complaints had gone unheard for a week, triggering a protest which saw them climb the prison roof and burn mattresses and bed sheets.

Extra security forces were deployed on Sunday. Witnesses reported hearing explosions and what they said sounded like shots being fired.

In footage published by non-governmental organisation Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), a man can be seen showing wounds on his torso and his arm, with another man shouting "they're shooting at us".

Others can be heard joining into chants of "we want justice".

On Monday, small groups of inmates remained on the roof, even after the prison director's sacking had been announced.

Meanwhile, more than 100 prisoners were moved by bus to other penitentiaries.

Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images

Busloads of prisoners were moved from Injuba to other jails

Rights group OVP said that relatives of the inmates had not been given any information about the possible transfers of their loved ones and were growing increasingly anxious.

Israeli attacks on eastern Lebanon village kill at least 11 people

The attacks hit the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley late Monday as Israeli intensified its assault across Lebanon.

Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

By Al Jazeera Staff and AP

Israeli air attacks have killed at least 11 people and wounded 15 others in eastern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, as a fragile ceasefire comes under growing strain.

The air attacks hit the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley late on Monday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Israeli air attacks kill seven Palestinians in Gaza

At least five Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on a refugee camp in central Gaza, officials said.

A mourner carries a body. — A mourner carries the body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in an Israeli strike on a tent encampment in Gaza for displaced families, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, May 25, 2026 [Ramadan Abed/Reuters]

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters

Israeli air attacks have killed at least seven people in Gaza, Palestinian health authorities said, as Israel continues to violate the “ceasefire” during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

At least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone attack on Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday, the civil defence and hospital officials said.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

NST: "month-on-month increase" in job losses. Time For GE. What If It Gets Worse?

7,057 workers lost jobs in April, 21% increase from 5,855 in March
Economy Minister said matter requiring attention
10,658 job losses recorded in Jan, 7,512 in Feb
month-on-month increase warranted close monitoring.
needs to be given attention
S'gor, KL bear brunt of job losses in March
S'gor accounted for 29.3% of total job losses
Kuala Lumpur 25.6% of job losses

My Comments: Let me tell you directly. There is little that could have been done to avoid these job losses in Malaysia. You cannot blame it entirely on higher fuel prices either.

Because there are other countries like the USA, Japan, Singapore which are seeing strong employment and shortages of labour supply. South Korea has reported +108,000 new jobs in Jan 2026, +234,000 new jobs in Feb 2026, +206,000 new jobs in Mar 2026.

They have all been affected by higher fuel prices too but obviously they are much better at managing their economies. They are creating jobs.

The more relevant question is will the situation inside the country get better or will it get worse? Will there be more job losses, and say on an annual basis? If the situation does not improve then it will certainly affect the prospects for the ruling coalition in a General Election.

If the situation does not improve they will face increasing unpopularity and higher risks at the polls. There is no need for rocket science to understand simple things like that. The more time passes, I think their goose is going to get really burnt.

PAS’s strength, entrenched loyalty give Hadi clout in PN, say analysts

PAS’s strength, entrenched loyalty give Hadi clout in PN, say analysts

12 hours ago
Anne Muhammad

Though no longer a member of the PN Supreme Council, Abdul Hadi Awang continues to assert undeniable influence over the crisis-ridden coalition, they say

Analyst Syaza Shukri said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has a right to speak his mind, but decisions by the PN Supreme Council should be considered final.

PETALING JAYA: PAS’s overwhelming strength in numbers and the unwavering loyalty of members to the party president have essentially given Abdul Hadi Awang sway akin to “veto powers” over Perikatan Nasional (PN), say analysts.

While Hadi no longer sits on the PN Supreme Council, the analysts said he remains president of PN’s largest component party, which over the years has established party discipline that is rarely broken.

Syaza Shukri.

Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar is also a trusted lieutenant of Hadi’s, having served as the seven-term Marang MP’s political secretary from 2008 to 2018.

Hadi holds undeniable influence over PN, and handling this public perception is the coalition’s real challenge, Syaza said.

“Hadi has a right to speak up, but decisions (by the PN Supreme Council) should be considered final. Otherwise, PN will be perceived as not having its own stand or strong leadership,” she told FMT.

Last week, Hadi announced that PAS was reassessing its ties with Bersatu with a view of possibly contesting the next general election (GE16) without the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party.

He cited several issues that strained relations, including the change of Perlis menteri besar and Bersatu’s opposition to admitting new Malay-Muslim parties into PN, warning that “patience has its limits”.

This came several days after the PN Supreme Council met and announced that it would form electoral pacts with like-minded external parties for GE16 instead of admitting new components.

This was reportedly due to Bersatu’s fears that one of the parties that applied to join PN, which include Mukhriz Mahathir’s Pejuang, Ibrahim Ali’s Putra, and Berjasa, would soon be taken over by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.

Bersatu expressed regret over Hadi’s remarks, saying he should have aired them internally within the PN Supreme Council.

PN won 74 seats in the 2022 general election, 43 of which were secured by PAS – the most by a single party. Bersatu won 31, but has been left with 19 following a series of defections and the purging of Muhyiddin’s opponents, including Hamzah.

PAS’s culture of loyalty

Global Asia Consulting’s Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said PAS’s strong culture of loyalty (wala’) was what enabled it to stand the test of time, even thriving despite the departure of several senior leaders who went on to form Amanah.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.

He said loyalty is built into the party’s struggle, and that this is the norm for most parties established based on religious-centric ideologies.

He said this is why Hadi essentially has the final say in a PAS-led coalition not directly headed by him.

“PAS adapted this principle in Malaysia’s context, whereby the leadership’s decision isn’t merely a suggestion but the guiding principles of the party’s struggle. This is what makes PAS more organised and stable.

“Compared with Umno and Bersatu, which often grapple with compromises and internal divisions, PAS stands out in that its collective discipline rarely wavers,” Zaharuddin said.

“Loyalty to its leader is the soul of its struggle.”

Anwar says yet to meet Zahid over Johor polls

Anwar says yet to meet Zahid over Johor polls

The Pakatan Harapan chairman said on May 17 that he planned to meet with his BN counterpart to discuss matters pertaining to the Johor polls

Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim speaking to reporters in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim said today he has yet to meet with his Barisan Nasional counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to discuss joining forces at the upcoming Johor state election.

“No, not yet,” Anwar, who is the prime minister, was quoted as saying in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, by Sinar Harian.

On May 17, Anwar said he planned to meet Zahid to discuss matters pertaining to the Johor polls, a day after Johor BN chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that the coalition would contest all 56 seats in the next Johor election.

Onn’s remarks prompted Johor PH to announce that it would also vie for all 56 seats.

Anwar also said PH was prepared to contest every seat in several other states, including Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang and Pahang, if BN pressed ahead with a full-scale electoral challenge.

He said that if other parties chose confrontation, PH would meet the challenge.

The Johor assembly will dissolve automatically in April next year if elections are not called earlier, with polls required within 60 days of dissolution.

BN formed the Johor government after winning 40 of the 56 seats in the 2022 state election. PH won 12 seats while Perikatan Nasional secured three and Muda one.

Will MCA back PN again if GE16 yields no winner, asks Liew

Will MCA back PN again if GE16 yields no winner, asks Liew

DAP strategic director urges MCA president Wee Ka Siong to be honest so that voters can know what the BN component stands for

DAP strategic director Liew Chin Tong said MCA president Wee Ka Siong backed then PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to form the government after GE15 resulted in a hung Parliament.

PETALING JAYA: DAP strategic director Liew Chin Tong has asked MCA whether it will back Perikatan Nasional (PN) if the 16th general election (GE16) results in a hung Parliament, as was the case in 2022.

Liew said MCA president Wee Ka Siong signed a statutory declaration to support then PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin in forming the government after the 2022 general election (GE15).

He also said that Wee had been a strong proponent of Barisan Nasional (BN) going solo in GE16, which would set up potential three-cornered clashes with PN and current ally Pakatan Harapan (PH).

“This is because he believes a three-way contest would allow MCA to contest more seats, not just be confined to its two incumbent seats.

“Since this MCA president has chosen to bring up this issue, and given that he is one of the strongest proponents of a three-cornered fight, he has to make clear whether he will support the now PAS-led PN in forming the government should the political situation of 2022 recur.

“At least by being honest, voters can know what MCA stands for,” the Iskandar Puteri MP said in a Facebook post.

Liew was responding to a media report quoting Wee as defending MCA’s decision to back PN after GE15, which ended with no single party having a simple majority to form the government.

Wee, a former minister, said he signed the declaration because of the “chaotic” political situation at the time, and due to Umno’s initial stand against working with PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim or DAP.

GE15 ended with PH winning 82 seats, followed by PN (74), BN (30), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (23) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six). A simple majority of 112 seats is needed to form the government.

MCA won two seats, including Ayer Hitam which Wee is representing for a fifth term now.

Despite the declarations signed by MCA as well as several other BN MPs, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi decided that the coalition would back Anwar in forming the unity government, along with GPS and GRS.

Heads must roll in Taiping prison top management, says MP

Heads must roll in Taiping prison top management, says MP

Lim Lip Eng calls for firm punishment, including suspension, disciplinary action, and criminal prosecution where offences are disclosed

More than 100 inmates at Taiping prison were assaulted by about 60 wardens during a relocation exercise in January 2025, resulting in the death of one detainee. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A backbencher has called for heads to roll among Taiping prison’s top management after Suhakam’s findings on the assault of over 100 inmates in January 2025, which resulted in one detainee’s death.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said Suhakam’s findings were damning and shameful for Taiping prison, especially the discovery of false claims in police reports lodged by prison officers against detainees.

Suhakam also found that prison officers inflicted excessive physical violence, including through the use of weapons, which Lim described as “brutality behind prison walls”.

“The top management of Taiping prison cannot escape responsibility for what appears to be a cover-up of violence, false reporting, and abuse of weapons that occurred on their watch.

“I call for firm punishment against the top management and prison staff involved in the incident, including suspension, disciplinary action, and criminal prosecution where offences are disclosed,” he said in a statement.

More than 100 inmates at Taiping prison were assaulted by about 60 wardens during a relocation exercise from Hall B to Block E in January 2025. One of the detainees, Gan Chin Eng, died in the incident.

During Suhakam’s public inquiry, the prisons department’s federal counsel admitted that prison officers were at fault for violating the detainees’ basic rights.

Yesterday, Suhakam called for criminal charges to be filed against Taiping prison officers involved in the assault, saying there was clear and direct evidence of wrongdoing from CCTV footage and witness testimony.

Although a warden has already been charged with culpable homicide, Suhakam chairman Hishamudin Yunus said criminal investigations should be launched into other officers involved in the incident.

The human rights commission also found that the prison management proceeded with the transfer despite knowing that Block E suffered from serious structural damage and unsafe living conditions, which was why inmates had refused to move.

KTemoc Konsiders ........

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Johor palace advised Onn Hafiz to make peace with Zahid after PRU15 backlash

Islamic State-linked families in Syria return to Australia

Venezuelan prison director sacked as inmates allege mistreatment

Israeli attacks on eastern Lebanon village kill at least 11 people

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