Monday, January 19, 2026

Israeli attacks wound civilians across Gaza in latest ceasefire violations

Israeli attacks wound civilians across Gaza in latest ceasefire violations

Gaza City, al-Mawasi, Bureij refugee camp and Rafah all come under Israeli air attacks and gunfire

Displaced Palestinians live in the rubble and debris of homes and businesses destroyed by the Israeli military in more than two years of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]

By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies
Published On 18 Jan 2026

Israeli forces have wounded several Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, firing on civilians and launching air and artillery attacks in the latest near-daily violations of the ceasefire in place since October, as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave continues unabated.

Medical sources told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that Israeli drone fire on Sunday injured civilians in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southern Gaza City. In southern Gaza, two people, including a girl, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

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Additional injuries were reported in areas from which Israeli forces were meant to have withdrawn under the ceasefire.

Medical staff at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in eastern Gaza City said three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire near Netzarim, south of the city. Witnesses told the Anadolu news agency that an Israeli drone opened fire on the group.

At Nasser Medical Complex, medics confirmed that two more Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire in al-Mawasi. In central Gaza, doctors at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said Israeli forces shot a Palestinian man in the head in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, describing his condition as serious.

The Israeli military also carried out air attacks on buildings in Rafah in the south while Israeli artillery shelled areas east of Jabalia in the north and the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Gaza buried under millions of tonnes of rubble

Helicopter gunfire was reported near the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, and Israeli naval forces fired towards the coast of Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The latest attacks were carried out as Hamas has welcomed the establishment of a 15-member technocratic committee of Palestinians that would operate under the overall supervision of a “board of peace” to be chaired by United States President Donald Trump.

The administrative body will be tasked with providing public services to the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, but it faces towering challenges and unanswered questions, including about its operations and financing and whether Israel will block its operations.

Palestinian officials said Israel has repeatedly violated the US-brokered ceasefire, killing more than 460 Palestinians and wounding over 1,200 since it came into effect on October 10.

Israel continues to restrict the entry of food, medical aid and shelter materials into Gaza, where about 2.2 million people face acute humanitarian need in cold weather, barely shielded by flimsy tents.

Israel still has a military control of large swaths of Gaza, including much of the south, east and north, according to Israeli military data, but effectively occupies the entire territory.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, most of them women and children.

The assault has destroyed about 90 percent of civilian infrastructure with the United Nations estimating reconstruction costs at $50bn.

***

S-Wholes shailoks and complicit wanks

ISU BASI DI SELAYANG - SEJAK BERBELAS TAHUN. HANYA MEMPERBODOHKAN UMUM

Sunday, January 18, 2026

ISU BASI DI SELAYANG - SEJAK BERBELAS TAHUN. HANYA MEMPERBODOHKAN UMUM

Sila baca berita ini dulu (adapted, edited). Komen saya pada penghujungnya.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2026/01/16/foreign-traders-resume-operations-days-after-local-council-raid-in-selayang-baru

MPI-PETRONAS JOURNALISM AWARDS 2024Gold Winner, Best News Reporting

Foreign traders resume operations days after local council raid in Selayang Baru

By GRACE CHEN

Metro News
Friday, 16 Jan 2026

THE swift return of foreign traders to Selayang Baru following a Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) enforcement raid has sparked public concern.

MPS operation on Jan 8 to check business licences, monitor hawker, and address public complaints in Selayang.

The raid, which included the police, resulted in 49 compound notices issued along with three seizure actions against premises and hawkers.

Despite these efforts, residents reported that it was business as usual by Jan 11.

meat and poultry sellers − whose stalls were seized − back in business.

video showed foreign trader operating poultry stall near Fama market

The footage showed the trader dumping wastewater and blood directly onto the street.

Another comment was from a netizen who claimed he witnessed a lookout warning traders before the local council arrived.

“I heard her saying, ‘Standby, keep your things, they are about to arrive,’” he wrote, questioning how information regarding the operation had leaked.

illegal foreign hawkers creating unfair competition for local traders who comply with licensing rules.

MPS said local council aware of complaints and would provide a formal response at a later date.

MY COMMENTS:

Ini adalah berita basi. Kaum Myanmar dan Rohingya sudah lama 'menguasai' kawasan Selayang. Sejak berbelas tahun atau berpuluh tahun mereka telah sewa rumah dan apartmen di kawasan Selayang. Beberapa bangunan apartmen di kawasan Selayang sudah begitu lama menjadi 'perkampungan' orang Myanmar dan Rohingya.

Saya pernah dengar kes orang Myanmar mampu sewa apartmen dan kemudian disewa semula (sublet) kepada orang Myanmar yang lain pula. Selain daripada menjadi peniaga haram di pasar di Selayang mereka boleh jadi taukeh sewa apartmen pula.

Dalam satu kes, tuan rumah itu sudah menjual apartmen kepada orang lain - kepada satu keluarga Melayu tempatan. Setelah keluarga Melayu itu menduduki apartmen yang mereka baru beli seorang Myanmar telah 'minta' sewa dari mereka pula!! Sebab dia kata dia 'taukeh sewa' apartmen itu. Dia tidak faham rumah itu sudah dijual kepada orang lain.

Sebenarnya ini bukan kurang sopan atau kurang ajar orang Myanmar. Ini memang kebodohan mereka. Kalau mereka bukan bodoh takkan negara mereka hancur terbakar, dengan keseronokkan bunuh membunuh sesama mereka. Begitu juga Rohingya - kita tidak boleh salahkan mereka sangat. Memang mereka hampir tidak bertamaddun. Ataupun apa yang mereka anggap sebagai 'bertamaddun' jauh daripada budaya dan cara hidup kita.

Pada keseluruhannya kita hidup secara beradab, sopan, ikut tertib yang kurang lebih adalah sama antara semua kaum negara kita. Tak kira Melayu, Cina, India, Dayak, Dusun kita hidup mengikut cara bermasyarakat, respect law and order, saling menghormati antara manusia.

Tetapi this is not the same bagi orang Myanmar, Rohingya, Nigeria, Arab dsbnya. Mereka banyak bermasalah. Kalau mereka tidak bermasalah mereka tidak perlu datang ke sini. Dengan membawa cara-cara mereka yang bermasalah itu.

Tapi soalan yang TIDAK BOLEH dijawab ialah bagaimana kaum Myanmar dan Rohingya boleh jadi 'illegal trader' selama berbelas tahun dan berpuluh tahun di Selayang?

Bagaimana pula mereka boleh duduk di rumah apartmen di sekitar Selayang sampai boleh jadi taukeh 'sewa apartmen' lagi?

Jawapannya terletak kepada buncit pihak berkuasa kita. Lagi buncit perut depa maka lagi ramai lah Myanmar dan Rohingya dapat masuk 'laluan tikus'.

Bacalah berita itu sekali lagi. 8hb telah dibuat operasi banteras peniaga asing. Tiga hari kemudian mereka sudah back in business.

Tak kiralah siapa yang membentuk kerajaan - barisan tak lurus ke, ikatan tak ingat ke, tak ada harapan ke - there is no difference.

Tuan-Tuan biar saya buat prediction atau ramalan. Sekarang Januari 2026. Kita tengok lah sampai 2036 - sepuluh tahun lagi. Agak-agak masalah Myanmar dan Rohingya di Selayang ini selesai tak? I dont think so.

Kenapa? Why I dont think so? Sebab generasi muda pegawai belum buncit ramai lagi.

A Gaza Forum, One Bad Question, and Too Much Outrage

OPINION | A Gaza Forum, One Bad Question, and Too Much Outrage

18 Jan 2026 • 6:00 PM MYT

Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)

Photo credit: Mohamad Sabu's Facebook

Recently, a question asked by a reporter at a public Gaza forum in Malaysia sparked controversy and conversation across social media and news outlets.

The event took place on January 12, 2026, during a forum titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors”, featuring British politician George Galloway as the guest speaker. The forum was meant to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where civilians have endured prolonged conflict, displacement, and suffering.

During the question-and-answer session, a journalist identified as working for Free Malaysia Today (FMT) asked whether there were parallels between “the Palestine problem and the Chinese problem in Malaysia.” He also questioned why pro-Palestinian supporters reject certain right-wing views yet, in his words, might support others. The question was widely seen as misframed and insensitive given the context of the forum.

In response to the backlash, FMT issued an official statement saying that the organisation did not have prior knowledge of the reporter’s intent and did not approve the question. FMT explained that, after the issue spread on social media, it opened an internal investigation and took disciplinary action against the journalist for airing his personal opinions in a forum unrelated to FMT’s editorial stance. It also clarified that the reporter did not use the word “apartheid” - contrary to some online claims - but acknowledged that his comments were sensitive and regrettable.

Here’s why I think the question itself was wrong.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza involves large-scale violence, destruction of homes and infrastructure, and ongoing loss of life. It is a specific and devastating context that deserves focused discussion. While Malaysia, like many countries, continues to grapple with its own challenges around race, equality, and inclusion, comparing these very different experiences in a single breath risks trivialising the suffering of people living under siege. Different struggles deserve their own space and care in how we talk about them.

At the same time, I strongly support freedom of speech - including the right of a reporter or any individual to express their views. Speech that is wrong or poorly phrased should be challenged, not silenced. The forum chair, Mr George Galloway, exercised his right to respond and rejected the comparison during the event. That exchange - open, immediate and public - is precisely how freedom of speech functions in healthy debate.

We can say, without contradiction, that the question was misguided, and that the reporter still has the right to think and speak for himself. Calling out an unsound argument should not become an attack on the principle of open expression itself. Freedom of speech matters, but so does striving for thoughtful, respectful discussion.

In moments like this, we are reminded that words carry weight, especially when spoken in public spaces meant for serious reflection. We should aim to ask better questions, not louder ones. At the same time, we must protect the space for disagreement, correction, and learning. If every wrong question is met with outrage instead of reason, we risk shrinking the very conversations we claim to care about.

The goal should not be to silence voices, but to raise the quality of what we say - with care, context, and a sense of responsibility to one another.

No Matter What He Does, the Malays Still Won’t Accept Nga Kor Ming — Why?

OPINION | No Matter What He Does, the Malays Still Won’t Accept Nga Kor Ming — Why?

18 Jan 2026 • 12:00 PM MYT

TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image credit: Malay Mail / World of Buzz

Poor Nga Kor Ming.

No matter what he does to win over the Malays, nothing ever seems to work. The Malay community remains cold to every attempt he makes to warm relations with them. To the point that no matter what initiative he launches, the first instinct is not to acknowledge the effort, but to scrutinise it for faults.

And they will always find one.

In the latest iteration of this tragic and familiar interaction, Nga Kor Ming—Minister of Housing and Local Government—proudly showcased a newly opened store in a Kuala Lumpur shopping centre that highlights and sells products from local Malaysian communities.

Taking to his X page, Nga introduced Kampung & Co 新村好店, a store aligned with the government’s Satu Kampung Satu Produk (1K1P) initiative. He lauded the fact that Kampung Baru products had successfully made their way into Bukit Bintang, one of Kuala Lumpur’s most commercial and tourist-heavy districts.

“In line with the principle of 1K1P,” Nga wrote, “we are happy to witness the opening of the first Kampung & Co store that sells quality goods produced by the people of Kampung Baru.”

On the surface, this was a textbook example of a minister attempting to bridge cultural and economic divides: rural products entering an urban, globalised space; kampung goods showcased alongside cosmopolitan consumption.

But predictably, that was not how the gesture was received.

Almost immediately, Malaysians—particularly Malays—zeroed in on what they perceived to be the store’s fatal flaw: the absence of Bahasa Melayu signage. The signboard, they noted, was written only in English and Mandarin.

“Why is there no Bahasa Melayu, the national language that must be prioritised?” one commenter asked.

“This is Malaysia—where is the Bahasa Melayu?” another demanded.

“The name is ‘Kampung’, but there’s no Bahasa Melayu at all. Instead, there’s Mandarin,” came yet another critique.

And just like that, the initiative itself faded into the background. The intent was ignored. The symbolism was dismissed. The entire effort was reduced to a single alleged transgression.

Now, as Asians—and more specifically, as Malaysians—we understand exactly what is happening here.

Seen from an Asian point of view, the treatment that Nga Kor Ming is receiving here is called a case “thumbing someone down to put them in their place.”

When Asians decide to “thumb someone down,” they exaggerate that person’s flaws while completely ignoring their virtues. The purpose is not correction or dialogue, but humiliation. It is meant to break the person’s confidence—to remind them that they are not as good, not as noble, and certainly not as welcome as they might imagine themselves to be.

As a rule, I would argue that there is no one from DAP that is received warmly by the Malay community. But even within DAP, some figures face far more resistance than others.

Nga Kor Ming, in my view, falls squarely into the second category—he faces so much resistence from the Malay community, that I daresay that they reject his overtures with a great amount of relish. They Malays, it appears to me, not only shut down cold any of Nga Kor Ming's attempts to reach out to them, they shut it down with a great amount of delight.

I daresay that tomorrow, even if Nga Kor Ming were to don a full Baju Melayu , the response would either be studied indifference—or mockery. His songkok is senget, or his samping londeh, I imagine it would be said, to dismiss his attempts as insincere or performative.

Why does this happen?

One reason, I suspect, lies in a deep-seated Malaysian tendency: the preference for being the “giving hand” rather than the “receiving hand.”

Malaysians, as rule, like to be in the position of uplifting others, with the expectations that those they uplift remain perpetually grateful to them. When someone rises on their own, without your help, and then turns around to be generous or accommodating toward you, it creates discomfort.

Because suddenly, you are the receiving hand.

And being on the receiving end—especially from someone you once looked down on, or competed against—can feel humiliating.

This “anti–receiving hand syndrome” affects minority politicians far more severely than it does those from the majority race.

In Malaysia, almost every politician—whether from the majority or a minority—rises by championing one group or another. Even if a politician champions a non-racial cause like anti-corruption or reformasi, somehow or other the cause will be interpreted in a racial frame of reference, and and translated euphemistically as a case of being for one community and against another.

But once power is attained, politicians inevitably attempt to soften their racial rhetoric and rebrand themselves as national leaders who represent all Malaysians.

Here is where the asymmetry appears.

Majority politicians transition from racial champions to national leaders with relative ease. Najib, Anwar, and Mahathir were once fiercely vocal in championing Malay interests. Yet once they assumed national leadership, their overtures to minorities were eventually accepted, even welcomed.

Minority politicians, however, are rarely afforded the same grace.

Figures like Nga Kor Ming likely had to be far more aggressive in championing their own communities during their climb up the political ladder. But once they reach power and attempt to extend olive branches to other races, those gestures are viewed with suspicion.

Some DAP leaders manage this transition better than others. Steven Sim and Anthony Loke, for instance, appear to encounter less resistance as they transition. Perhaps it is their disposition, or perhaps they were never perceived as having played the racial card too fiercely, or perhaps they entered DAP at a time when DAP was already close to power or in power, so they did not have to play the racial card as intensely as the veterans before them, but whatever be the reason, somehow, some DAP politiicans like Anthony and Steven, seem to be able to bridge the racial gap with less of an issue than most.

Others, however, like Nga Kor Ming and Lim Guan Eng, face endless resistance that seems almost insurmountable.

During his 22 months as Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng never truly managed to be accepted as a national minister by the Malays. Nearly three years into the Madani government, Nga Kor Ming also seems to be quite far from that same acceptance.

Yet to his credit, I must say that I feel that at least Nga Kor Ming has not stopped trying. Hopefully, someday, maybe he will find his “never say never" attitude rewarded.

As the saying goes, a river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

Who knows, perhaps 2026 will be the year that Nga Kor Ming will finally have a breakthrough.

Perhaps.

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Felda residents urge Sultan to halt pig farm relocation to Bukit Tagar

Felda residents urge Sultan to halt pig farm relocation to Bukit Tagar

RESIDENTS from four Felda settlements have urged the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, to step in and stop the state government’s plan to relocate pig farming activities to Bukit Tagar, arguing that the proposed site is located dangerously close to homes and vital water sources.

Around 200 people turned up for the protest, including Felda settlers, nearby residents, community leaders and representatives from non-governmental organisations.

The Selangor government has yet to name an alternative site to replace Bukit Tagar as the proposed relocation area for pig farms, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said.

However, he stressed that the state remains open to dialogue with all stakeholders in its efforts to implement a more structured and comprehensive livestock management system.

According to Amirudin, the proposed approach will adopt a zero-emission model and must be implemented without delay, as the authorities can no longer allow existing sites to continue operating unchecked.

He added that the decision to move pig farms to Bukit Tagar was made in accordance with a decree by the Sultan of Selangor, aimed at closing existing facilities to safeguard rivers and the surrounding environment.

Residents, however, remain unconvinced. A Felda Sungai Tengi Selatan resident said the community’s greatest fear is the potential contamination of water sources, noting that the proposed location is closer to Felda settlements than other residential areas.

“We sincerely hope Tuanku will intervene and instruct the state government not to proceed with the development of a pig farm in Bukit Tagar,” he said after attending a peaceful demonstration against the proposal last Friday.

Echoing these concerns, a representative from Kampung Bestari Jaya pointed out that water from Bukit Tagar eventually flows into the Selangor River, which supplies three to four water treatment plants serving the Klang Valley.

“Any pollution there would not only affect nearby communities but could disrupt the water supply for millions of people,” he said, adding that the issue also raises concerns over hygiene and religious sensitivities, given the proximity to predominantly Malay Muslim communities. —Jan 18, 2025

***

Everywhere in Peninsula there are Malays, so pig farms aren't welcomed anywhere - well, to be fair, not even Chinese or Indians welcome such malodorously offensive farms.

Lateral thinking - maybe time for pig farmers to lease land in southern Thailand (or Khmer Republic or even southern Vietnam) for a huge, very huge MODERN pig farming complex, and then to 'import' the pork from the complex.

Penang PKR youth against Guan Eng's proposal to rename Jalan Pantai Bersih to Dragon Temple Lane

theVibes.com:

Penang PKR youth against Guan Eng's proposal to rename Jalan Pantai Bersih to Dragon Temple Lane

Its chief, Muhammad Zakwan Mustafa Kamal, said that his party did not agree with the proposal to change the name of Jalan Pantai Bersih as requested by the DAP advisor.

Updated 1 day ago · Published on 17 Jan 2026 2:01PM

Previously, a report in a Chinese-language newspaper went viral about Guan Eng's proposal - Image from https://www.penang-traveltips.com/, January 17, 2026

PENANG PKR youth (AMK) has objected to the proposal by Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng to change the name of Jalan Pantai Bersih to Dragon Temple Lane.

Its chief, Muhammad Zakwan Mustafa Kamal, said that his party did not agree with the proposal to change the name of Jalan Pantai Bersih as requested by the DAP advisor.

He said that regardless of the reason given, AMK Penang stressed that the name Jalan Pantai Bersih had become ingrained in the local population and reflected the identity of the area, history and collective memory of the community.

"Any effort to change the name of a road that has been used for a long time without urgent need will only confuse the residents and cause public discomfort.

"AMK Penang is of the view that such actions are not inclusive, and are completely unreasonable and do not reflect the true priorities of the people who are more in need of solutions to the cost of living, housing and welfare issues," he said in a statement.

Muhammad Zakwan said AMK Penang expressed confidence that the Penang Chief Minister would take into account the sentiments of the local people and prioritise public interest by not considering the proposal to change the name of this street, to preserve the harmony of the multi-racial community and respect local history and identity.

He said that AMK Penang will continue to consistently defend the interests of the people and reject any symbolic actions that do not add value and bring real benefits to the community.

Previously, a report in a Chinese-language newspaper went viral about Guan Eng's proposal urging the Penang Chief Minister to rename Jalan Pantai Bersih to Dragon Temple Lane.

It is understood that the proposal is to fulfil the wishes of the temple management committee and consider it as the 'ang pau' of Chinese New Year (CNY) for the residents of Butterworth.

Quoting the newspaper report, he said that the Chief Minister informed that he would consider the proposal and had instructed Penang Infrastructure, Transport and Utilities Exco, Zairil Khir Johari to handle the matter.

He hoped that the Chief Minister could use his existing powers to deliver good news to the public before the Chinese New Year celebration. – January 17, 2026

***

Guanee should know better, that it's virtually impossible to change a road ALREADY named in Bahasa into another language.