Local triads are recruiting Malaysians for Scam centres in Cambodia

Murray Hunter


Local triads are recruiting Malaysians for Scam centres in Cambodia


Dec 21, 2025




A Malaysian who escaped from a scamming farm in Cambodia held a press conference with the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) telling his story how he was recruited by a friend who worked for a job scam syndicate in Cambodia. The victim’s wife paid an RM 6,000 ransom to free the husband who returned to Malaysia at the beginning of this month. The victim Muhammad Syafiq Abdullah, who was 40 said there are up to 700 more Malaysians trapped in the Phnom Penh scam centre and subject to beatings and torture. Many of the women were repeatedly raped. Muhammad said he was forced to eat pork and call his wife requesting a ransom.

Victims are being lured to Cambodia through agents who promise high paying jobs. Once they are outside Malaysia, they are taken to Cambodia and passed onto scamming centres. Muhammed claimed the Thai police were involved and once at a casino near Phnom Penh was guarded by Cambodian military. They were forced to work in the scam farms by making phone calls using various scamming strategies. In Muhammad’s case he acted as a cybersecurity firm employee promising people high paid jobs in Cambodia.

One of the concerns is there are many missing Malaysians but authorities have not alerted the public to these dangers. The Malaysian media is not carrying these stories, like there is a ‘blackout’ on the subject.

While the Malaysian media has been quiet, the regional media in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong has highlighted the problem. In addition, a number of human rights groups have issued press releases about Malaysians entrapped into scamming farms during 2025.


On 9 September 2025, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) conducted a joint enforcement operation with the Cambodian National Police (CNP) against an Organised Criminal Group (“OCG”) involved in Government Official Impersonation Scams targeting Singapore victims. The OCG was believed to be operating from a scam compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Seven Malaysians were rescued.

Back in October, 261 Malaysian were rescued from a scam centre and repatriated from Cambodia.

The question is how many more Malaysians are trapped in Cambodia? Is the Malaysian police aware of the triads who are operating in Malaysia and recruiting people to torture rape and forced work under imprisonment and slavery?

There is no doubt that Malaysians are heavily involved in Cambodian scam centres and only too willing to sell their own as slaves to these centres.

Ex-task force chair likens UEC debate to 'political rabbit hole'

Ex-task force chair likens UEC debate to 'political rabbit hole'

Ayesha Sheik Mazrul
Published: Dec 20, 2025 8:00 PM
Updated: 11:00 PM



As the debate over the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) resurfaces on the political stage, two veteran figures have described the discourse as increasingly muddled by rhetoric and political manoeuvring, with little progress towards resolution.

Former Unified Examination Certificate Task Force chairperson Eddin Khoo likened the issue to a descent into Alice in Wonderland, where confusion prevails, and substantive policy discussions are drowned out.

“It’s like we fall into a rabbit hole and, once inside, we encounter two figures who fundamentally disagree with each other yet look the same - Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

“As long as we remain stuck in the debate between Tweedledee and Tweedledum… we will not get anywhere,” he said as a guest on KiniTV's "Explain Sikit" podcast.

According to Khoo, what is essentially a complex but technical issue has been deliberately politicised, amplified by emotionally charged language such as framing UEC recognition as a “betrayal”.

This, he said, has turned the debate into a “political ghost”, where fear and symbolism overshadow facts and feasibility.

“I think this issue is indeed haunted by politics. I have to reveal that when I was serving in the taskforce, there was a great deal of provocation from politicians.

“I believe this issue, which I continue to emphasise, is a technical matter that has long become a point of contention and a political ghost.

“So, the rhetoric surrounding it has also taken on that character,” he said.

‘Report never presented’

Khoo said that during his tenure, the task force had prepared a comprehensive report following engagements with multiple stakeholders, including Dong Zong and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia.

“I had pointed out that most members of such committees tend to be quite detached from the issue. They do not engage directly with those who are involved in it. So I tried to follow the practices of other committees.

“We tried to engage with stakeholders. Academic experts were invited, as well as groups that had voiced opinions (such as) Dong Zong and Isma (Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia),” said Khoo.

“We also organised two town hall sessions, where all these groups came together face-to-face for discussions.

“Those who were essentially adversaries sat together at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya,” he added.

However, the report was never formally presented due to changes in government and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The absence of an official platform to table the findings, Khoo said, allowed political narratives to dominate while sidelining technical solutions that had already been explored.

Pakatan Harapan had pledged in the last general election’s manifesto to recognise the UEC for entry into public universities, provided applicants obtained a credit in SPM-level Bahasa Malaysia, with the UEC assessed as equivalent to existing general entry qualifications.

Khoo also maintained that UEC recognition does not infringe the Federal Constitution, arguing that the supreme law is deliberately framed to allow for multiple interpretations on certain matters.

Article 152 of the Constitution

DAP veteran Teng Chang Kim, who also appeared on KiniTV's podcast, echoed Khoo's view and rejected arguments that cited Article 152 to oppose UEC recognition.

“If we look at it, many people refer to Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, but they do so without actually reading it.

“In fact, Article 152 not only protects and elevates Bahasa Melayu as the national language; it also safeguards the rights of other languages to be preserved by the government.

“Preservation, in this sense, does not merely mean maintenance in form, but also recognition, because we want to preserve these languages at a standard that is acceptable internationally, not just at our own local level.

“Therefore, in my view, this does not contradict Article 152 at all. In fact, it is protected by it,” Teng said.

Article 152, which affirms Bahasa Melayu as the national language, has frequently been cited by critics of UEC recognition as evidence that the certificate undermines the constitutional status of the language.

Teng rejected this notion, saying the Chinese community has taken a pragmatic approach by incorporating the national language into its education system.

He noted that about 95 percent of UEC students pass Bahasa Melayu in the SPM examination, which he said shows that mastery of the national language has not been neglected and continues to strengthen among younger non-Malay generations.

Ball tossing

Both Teng and Khoo agreed that resolving the issue requires a rational and grounded approach rather than short-term political calculations.

“Many are focused on how they can maximise support by turning this issue into a political tool. To me, this is deeply embarrassing for us as a nation,” Teng said, adding that such a prolonged debate was unbecoming of a country that has been independent for decades.

He described the issue as a “ball” tossed between rival coalitions during election cycles to mobilise voter support, while avoiding sustained policy engagement.

DAP veteran Teng Chang Kim


Khoo said this dynamic is what keeps the country trapped in an endless rabbit hole of debate.

Instead of addressing technical questions on university entry requirements and national education goals, he said, the discussion repeatedly collapses into political theatre, leaving a decades-old issue unresolved despite the existence of workable and constitutionally sound pathways forward.

Critics had accused the DAP of reviving the UEC recognition issue following the party's wipeout from Sabah at the last state election, largely due to a rejection by its mostly urban Chinese voter base.

On Dec 12, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who responded to the UEC recognition issue, reminded all parties that any demands touching on religious, racial, or ethnic sensitivities must consider the constitutional position of the national language.

***

As long as he is alive, the UEC will never be recognised

China has neither the intent nor the capability to attack us

Pearls and Irritations
John Menadue's Public Policy Journal

John Menadue

China has neither the intent nor the capability to attack us

December 20, 2025


Australia faces no credible military threat from China. The real danger lies in uncritical alignment with US strategy, fear-driven rhetoric and the steady erosion of national sovereignty.

The only potential China threat we face is acting as a proxy for the US.

On cue the Five Eyes and our intelligence agencies with the encouragement, particularly the Murdoch media, propagandise about the China threat. The China hawks have not been able to provide any credible evidence for this threat. But they keep repeating the fear mongering China threat.

We are being led in our anti-China hysteria by the United States which is not concerned that China will attack us, or even the United States, but is concerned that its world hegemony is being challenged.

That is why the US is persistently goading China into conflict and possible war. And we follow along.

What the United States really resents about China is that it is successful after almost two centuries of poverty and humiliation.

China has certainly changed but the problem is the US refuses to change and accept the fact that it’s no longer the sole hegemon.

Both major US parties have a common view about the ‘China threat’ and heavily influenced if not controlled by the military/industrial complex supported by a compliant media. We follow like a patsy.

The United States is by any measure the most aggressive and violent country in the world and will not accept a multi-polar world where countries large and small can live in peace together. The US has a dogmatic and self- righteous view that it is ‘exceptional’, a ‘chosen people’ and should set global rules for everyone.

It parrots endlessly about ‘a rules based international order’ to replace the UN order. That is really code for US hegemony and domination. And to top up its cynicism, the US then cherry picks the rules that it decides to support.

The US is a dangerous ally, as Malcom Fraser warned us many years ago.

With the complicity of our Ministers, senior public officials and journalists our national sovereignty is being seriously eroded. Our military is being fused with the US.

In the 19th and 20th Century we were drawn into United Kingdom’s Imperial wars. We are now drawn into the United States’ imperial wars. We allow others to control our thinking and behaviour.

Our ‘leaders’, like Richard Marles, have been on an American drip feed for so long they have an instinctive Washington mind set.

As China reasserts its historic world role there is no doubt that Chinese influence and footprint is growing in our region, but there is no evidence whatsoever that we are under military threat from China. Yet the assumed military threat from China guides almost everything the Albanese Government does and says on strategic and defence matters. And our captured journalists join the anti-China throng. There is almost a new daily China threat.

China has neither the intent nor the capability to attack us. But as a settler society we remain fearful of our region with echoes of the yellow peril and White Australia.

China does not have a history of military aggression beyond the defence of its own borders. It has only one foreign base in Djibouti, mainly for anti-piracy purposes.

In contrast, the US has over 800 overseas bases including in Guam, Diego Garcia, ROK and Japan that ring China. The US fleet, with our support, regularly patrols off the China coast.

Our Poseidon aircraft based in the Philippines patrol up and down the South China Sea dropping sonar buoys in support of the US. Yet our media have hysteria about Chinese vessels operating in the South Pacific.

The US would be apoplectic if Chinese vessels patrolled off the Californian coast and the Florida Keys. Or if China had B-52 type aircraft based in Mexico!

Not surprisingly, China is determined that it must have the military capability to defend its homeland. However, it does not project its military power around the globe as does the US. Americans assume that a rising power like China will act aggressively as it has. There is scant evidence that China is behaving like the US. China has not been engaged in military activity for the past 40 years. In that time, the US has overthrown numerous governments and illegally invaded many countries.

China has a large and diverse population in areas such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It has land borders with 14 other countries. Not surprisingly China focuses on domestic issues and the protection of its borders.

If China was an imperial power, it would have swallowed up Mongolia long ago, a democratic, mineral rich state which is more than twice the size of Ukraine.

Japan is the only country that has threatened Australia. China never has. Japan occupied large parts of China in WWII and was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million Chinese people. Careless of its aggressive history Japan is again leading the anti-China frenzy.

Many commentators in Pearls and Irritations have disputed the ‘China Threat:’

Joseph Camilleri Since 1949 China has engaged in few combat operations outside its borders. It is now well over 40 years since China has been at war. By contrast, the United States has repeatedly embarked on military interventions across the globe.

David Goodman Fear of China is not new in Australia. It was a driver of Federation at the end of the 19th Century and the first act of the new Federal Parliament was long recognised as ‘The White Australia Policy.’

Geoff Miller It is almost impossible to imagine any realistic circumstances, short of general war in the Asia-Pacific, under which China would launch a military attack on Australia. … The basic fact is that China has become the major resident power in the Asia-Pacific region and is, and will remain, active in it, and we simply must accept and get used to that.

Colin Mackerras China has not initiated a war since 1979, when it imposed a very short punitive war against Vietnam. But Chinese troops made no attempt to seize the Vietnamese capital or change its government. This is in sharp contrast to American behaviour.

Cavan Hogue No country is interested in invading Australia although there is a widespread assumption that China is hostile. Chinese hostility arises from our alliance with the USA.

Teow Loon Ti I have never felt that China was an enemy to Australia. In fact, I have always sensed that the idea of China as an enemy is a manufactured idea, and a convenient tool, to serve a range of needs ranging from Australia’s own domestic politics; insecurity as a Western nation adrift in an Asian region; an attempt to help maintain US hegemony in Asia to serve our security needs.

Kishore Mahbubani America’s behaviour during its period of emergence as a great power conforms to the historical norm. China’s behaviour so far, defies the norm. Of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (who represent the great powers), only one has not fought a war in 42 years; China. Indeed, China has not even fired a bullet across its borders since a naval skirmish with Vietnam in 1989

Geoff Raby China is a constrained superpower. Historically, China is still an empire with vast unresolved territorial issues inside its borders – Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan and now more recently Hong Kong. These unsettled areas from Beijing’s perspective threaten China’s territorial integrity.

As former US Ambassador Freeman said in Pearls and Irritations on December 7, 2025, Ceding the future to China

China does not seek to conquer or abridge the sovereignty of its neighbours. It is not engaged in a search for Lebensraum or foreign colonies. It has no theory of “manifest destiny.” Its “warring states” period – in which it resembled Europe or India in the viciousness of its internal rivalries – is long past. It is unlikely to follow either our path or that of other civilisations.

Tragically, whatever the source of our current approach to managing relations with China, it is not expertise. We are now led by “China hawks” who have never been to China or studied it but who are convinced they know everything they need to know about it. Our president’s first and only visit to China was as president – in the security cocoon and perceptual bubble that presidential visits involve. Neither our secretary of state, who was sanctioned by Beijing for his vituperative comments about it, nor our ‘secretary of war’ have ever been to China.

The architect of the administration’s trade and investment war on China, Peter Navarro (also known as ‘Ron Varro’) made his career with decades of China bashing but had his first and only visit to China in 2018. He has not been back.

The small army of China hands that used to populate our diplomatic and intelligence services has been decimated. Those who remain have no real input into China policy. In any event, there is no coherent policy process in today’s Washington in which their expertise might play a role.

China is only a threat to Australia if we continue to act as a proxy for a dangerous and erratic US.

We must diplomatically and strategically disengage from the US. And energetically build security in our own region.

John Menadue

John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.

Crucial week: Will Najib ring in New Year at home or behind bars?

Crucial week: Will Najib ring in New Year at home or behind bars?

Farah Solhi
Published: Dec 21, 2025 9:30 AM
Updated: 12:39 PM



The coming week is pivotal for jailed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak as the courts are set to rule on his bid for house arrest and his 1MDB criminal case.

Tomorrow, the Kuala Lumpur High Court is expected to deliver its verdict on Najib’s royal addendum. A favourable ruling could allow him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest.

Court records show that judge Alice Loke is scheduled to deliver her decision at 9am.

Najib’s lead counsel, Shafee Abdullah, told reporters on Dec 18 that the former Pekan MP must be immediately granted house arrest if the court rules in his favour.


Royal addendum case

Najib’s house arrest bid began in 2024, following his judicial review application filed on April 1. This came after the Pardons Board’s February announcement halving his 12-year SRC International sentence and reducing his RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

The sentence stems from convictions for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust (CBT), and money laundering involving RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

Najib, in his application, claimed that there was a supplementary royal decree, dated Jan 29, that allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, in addition to the main royal decree that discounted his sentence.

This encountered a roadblock in the Kuala Lumpur High Court when judge Amarjeet Singh dismissed his leave application to pursue the case on July 3. The decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal on Jan 6 this year and upheld by the Federal Court on Aug 13.

At the case hearing, the court was told that the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong is not bound by the Pardons Board’s advice as the king is not part of the board as a chairperson but was only presiding over its meeting as per Article 42(8) of the Federal Constitution.

It was also submitted, in reference to the board’s meeting minutes that were tendered as evidence by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), that the king had initially wanted to grant Najib a full pardon, despite considering advice from the board’s committee.

At the same time, Najib also filed a contempt application against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh on May 23 this year. Najib claimed that Terrirudin had direct knowledge of the royal addendum and refused to enforce it.

His application was later denied on Sept 4 as the judge, Loke, said Najib failed to establish any prima facie to warrant a permission to cite Terrirudin for contempt.


1MDB case

Meanwhile, on Dec 26, Najib would learn his fate over his 1MDB-related case involving RM2.3 billion, in which judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah is scheduled to deliver his verdict at 9am at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah

Collin had recently been elevated to the Federal Court. However, he would be delivering his final High Court criminal verdict in his capacity as a High Court judge.

If Najib is successful in his house arrest bid but is convicted in the 1MDB case, he would technically be allowed to return home to serve house arrest.

This is because the house arrest is regarding an entirely separate sentence - the SRC International case.

If he is convicted in the 1MDB case, he can automatically appeal against the verdict and apply for a stay of sentence execution pending his appeal.

Najib, 72, was accused of four counts of power abuse and 21 money laundering charges in 2018. The trial began the following year.

The former premier had allegedly used his position to obtain gratification totalling RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds between Feb 24, 2011 and Dec 19, 2014, at the AmIslamic Bank Berhad branch on Jalan Raja Chulan in Bukit Ceylon.

For the 21 money laundering charges, he is accused of committing the offence at the same bank between March 22, 2013 and Aug 30, 2013.

His power abuse charge was framed under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, carrying 20 years imprisonment and a fine of either five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

While his money laundering charges were framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act, which provides a maximum fine of RM5 million and imprisonment of up to five years or both.

He was ordered to defend himself against the charges on Oct 30, 2024, after Collin found the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.


Other cases

Apart from the SRC International case, which was disposed of in 2022, and the 1MDB case, Najib previously faced three other high-profile corruption cases. However, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on two and fully acquitted on the remaining one.

READ MORE: Why graft charges involving politicians don't stick and how to fix this

Najib was previously charged on Feb 3, 2019, with three money laundering charges involving RM27 million of funds linked to SRC, dubbed the SRC 2.0 case.

He was alleged to have received the money through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, Ambank Group Building, Jalan Raja Chulan, on July 8, 2014, and his charges were framed under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 which carries a maximum fine of RM5 million, up to five years’ imprisonment, or both.

The former Pekan MP was granted a DNAA on June 20 this year after judge K Muniandy found the prosecution failed to show that they could proceed with the case.

Ex-1MDB chairperson Irwan Serigar Abdullah


Najib and 1MDB’s former chairperson Irwan Serigar Abdullah were charged together, under their capacity as finance minister and the ministry’s secretary-general of treasury, respectively, on Oct 25, 2018, where they were accused of six counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM6.6 billion of government funds allegedly used as payments to the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | Najib, Irwan's DNAA in RM6.6b IPIC criminal breach of trust case


They were alleged to have committed the offences at the Finance Ministry complex in Putrajaya between Dec 21, 2016 and Dec 18, 2017

The charges, under Section 409 of the Penal Code for CBT by a public servant or agent, carry a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, caning, and a fine.

However, the High Court allowed their bid for DNAA on Nov 27 last year, following the prosecution’s failure to hand over several classified documents that were crucial for them to prepare their defence.

Najib was charged on Dec 12, 2018, of allegedly using his position to order amendments to the 1MDB audit report before it was tabled to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to avoid any action against him.

The charge was framed under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, which provides for imprisonment up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

He was accused of committing the offence at the complex of the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.

At that time, 1MDB’s former CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy was charged under Section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009 for abetting him. They were jointly tried in 2019.

However, the High Court fully acquitted them at the end of the prosecution’s case after finding there was no prima facie case against them.

***

No other PM of Malaysia has gone to prison - who has Najib offended so much he became the first?

Tens of thousands gather in Dhaka for funeral of assassinated student leader



Bangladeshis rally along a vehicle carrying the body of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, as the deceased is taken for burial in Dhaka December 20, 2025. — AFP pic

Sunday, 21 Dec 2025 8:38 AM MYT


DHAKA, Dec 21 — Massive crowds gathered in Bangladesh’s capital yesterday for the funeral of a slain student leader, held under tight security after two days of protests and violence.

Tens of thousands of people joined the funeral procession to pay their respects to Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in last year’s pro-democracy uprising who was set to contest the general elections in February.


He was shot by masked gunmen last week while leaving a mosque in Dhaka, and died in a hospital in Singapore on Thursday.

“You are in our hearts and you will remain in the heart of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists,” interim leader Muhammad Yunus said in an emotional speech in front of the parliament building, where funeral prayers were held.


Police wearing body cameras were deployed in the area, and flags were flown at half-mast to mark a day of state mourning.


Hadi’s body was then buried at the central mosque of Dhaka University.

Hadi, 32, was an outspoken critic of India, where Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge since fleeing Dhaka in the wake of the 2024 uprising.


Iqbal Hossain Saikot, a government employee who travelled to the capital to attend the funeral, told AFP that he believed Hadi was killed because of his staunch opposition to India.

“The millions of Bangladeshi people who love the land and its sovereign territory” will carry on Hadi’s legacy, said Saikot, 34.

Hadi’s death has triggered unrest, with protesters across the South Asian nation demanding the arrest of those responsible.

Bangladeshi police said they had launched a manhunt for his killers but have yet to report progress.

As news of Hadi’s death spread on Thursday, people set fire to several buildings in Dhaka including the offices of leading newspapers Prothom Alo and the Daily Star, accused by critics of favouring India.

‘Anarchy’

Cultural institutions and the residence of a former minister were also attacked by rampaging mobs.

Fuelled in part by growing anti-India sentiments in the majority Muslim nation, the violence this week also saw a Hindu garment worker killed following allegations of blasphemy.

Yunus said seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing of the worker, Dipu Chandra Das, in the central district of Mymensingh on Thursday.

Rights group Amnesty International yesterday expressed alarm over Das’s “lynching”, while urging Bangladesh’s interim government to carry out “prompt, thorough, independent and impartial” investigations into Hadi’s killing and the violence that followed.

Political parties across the spectrum condemned the violence and expressed concern over public order and security in the build-up to the elections — Bangladesh’s first polls since Hasina’s autocratic government was ousted.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused a “long-identified group” — a likely reference to Hasina’s Awami League party — of “trying to push the country towards anarchy”.

Awami League has been banned from contesting in the upcoming polls.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party set up largely by students who took part in the 2024 uprising, slammed the government for failing to rein in rogue elements.

“There are elements within the government opposed to the mass uprising, and they are actively at play,” he said in a statement.

Ties between neighbours Bangladesh and India have deteriorated since the uprising, with Dhaka demanding New Delhi extradite Hasina, who has been sentenced to death in absentia after being charged with crimes against humanity.

Hasina, 78, has denounced her trial and the verdict, calling it a “travesty of justice” and vowed to continue serving her people.

At a protest on Friday, a 20-year-old student told AFP he believed Hadi’s killers were also hiding in India. — AFP

Europe’s biggest rare earth find hits a snag over beetles, moss and mushrooms

Europe’s biggest rare earth find hits a snag over beetles, moss and mushrooms



An aerial view shows the space where the Fensfeltet planned industrial area could be. Plans to mine Europe’s largest rare earth deposit in Norway have stalled amid concerns that extraction could harm endangered species and fragile ecosystems. — AFP pic

Sunday, 21 Dec 2025 7:00 AM MYT


ULEFOSS (Norway), Dec 21 — As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent’s biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.

A two-hour drive southwest of Oslo, in the former mining community of Ulefoss home to 2,000 people, lies the Fensfeltet treasure: an estimated 8.8 million tonnes of rare earths.


These elements, used to make magnets crucial to the auto, electronics and defence industries, have been defined by the European Union as critical raw materials.

“You have rare earths in your pocket when you carry a smartphone,” said Tor Espen Simonsen, a local official at Rare Earths Norway, the company that owns the extraction rights.


“You’re driving with rare earths when you’re at the wheel of an electric car, and you need rare earths to make defence materiel like F-35 jets,” he added.


“Today, European industry imports almost all of the rare earths it needs — 98 per cent — from one single country: China,” he added.

“We are therefore in a situation where Europe must procure more of these raw materials on its own,” he said.


In its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) aimed at securing Europe’s supply, the EU has set as an objective that at least 10 per cent of its needs should be extracted within the bloc by 2030.

No rare earth deposits are currently being mined in Europe.

‘Rush slowly’

Due to environmental concerns, Rare Earths Norway has already been forced to push back its schedule. Now it aims to begin mining in the first half of the 2030s.

Its so-called “invisible mine” project is intended to limit the mine’s environmental footprint. It plans to use underground extraction and crushing — as opposed to an open-pit mine — and re-inject a large part of the mining residue.

But the location of the mineral processing park, where ore extracted underground would be handled and pre-processed, has posed a problem.

The company had planned to transport the minerals on an underground conveyor belt emerging above ground behind a hill, in an area out of sight from the town and largely covered by ancient natural forests, rich in biodiversity.

But experts who examined that site found 78 fauna and flora species on Norway’s “red list” — species at risk of extinction to varying degrees. They included saproxylic beetles (which depend on deadwood), wych elms, common ash trees, 40 types of mushrooms, and various mosses.

As a result, the county governor formally opposed the location during a recent consultation process.

Adding to concerns was the fact that disposing of waste rock would take place within a protected water system.

“We need to start mining as quickly as possible so we can bypass polluting value chains originating in China,” said Martin Molvaer, an adviser at Bellona, a Norwegian tech-focused environmental NGO.

“But things should not move so quickly that we destroy a large part of nature in the process: we must therefore rush slowly,” he said.

‘Lesser of two evils’

Faced with such objections, the municipality has been forced to review the plans and take a closer look at alternate locations for the above-ground part of the mine.

While there is another less environmentally sensitive zone, neither the mining developers nor the local population favour it.

“We accept that we will have to sacrifice a significant part of our nature,” local mayor Linda Thorstensen said.

“It comes down to choosing the lesser of two evils.”

Thorstensen supports the mine project, given the small town has seen jobs and young people move elsewhere for decades. It is “a new adventure”, she said.

“A lot of people live outside the job market, many receive social welfare assistance or disability pensions. So we need jobs and opportunities,” she said.

In the almost-empty streets of Ulefoss, locals were cautiously optimistic.

“We want a dynamic that makes it possible for us to become wealthy, so that the community benefits. We need money and more residents,” Inger Norendal, a 70-year-old retired teacher, told AFP.

“But mining obviously has its downsides too.” — AFP

Once every 10 years, a Hong Kong village burns a giant effigy to chase away bad luck

Once every 10 years, a Hong Kong village burns a giant effigy to chase away bad luck



Residents of Kam Tin deck out their northern corner of the city with towering flower boards and a vast bamboo stage for the Taoist Jiao festival which dates back over 300 years. — AFP pic

Sunday, 21 Dec 2025 7:00 AM MYT


HONG KONG, Dec 21 — Chanting villagers parade a giant effigy through the alleys of rural Hong Kong before setting it ablaze in a once-in-a-decade ceremony to ward off bad luck and appease their ancestors.

Residents of Kam Tin decked out their northern corner of the city with towering flower boards and a vast bamboo stage for the Taoist Jiao festival which dates back over 300 years.

The five-storey-tall, 42,000-square-foot stage won a Guinness World Record this month for being the biggest temporary bamboo structure and carries deeper resonance after a deadly fire devastated the city in November.

“I found it truly awe-inspiring,” an onlooker surnamed Lee, 30, told AFP. “It’s remarkably well-built and rich in traditional elements.”


The burning of the five-metre (16-foot) paper “ghost master” on Friday marked the climax of the festival, and was attended by thousands.




Derek Tang, leading member of the Kam Tin Rural Committee, poses for a photo during the decennial Jiao Festival of Kam Tin in Hong Kong December 18, 2025. — AFP pic



The ritual was allegedly begun by the Tang clan in 1685 to honour local officials who helped them reclaim their coastal homes after government evictions.


The multi-day festival is one of Hong Kong’s longest-running traditional events and features lion and dragon dances, Cantonese opera and puppet shows.

Dazzlingly illuminated boards around the village proclaim hopes for good weather and abundant harvests.

The event took over a year to plan and cost nearly HK$20 million (RM11 million), organiser Derek Tang said.

Locals come every 10 years to make offerings at the altar and enjoy historical crafts like bamboo construction, he told AFP.



Lai Chi-ming, a bamboo scaffolding worker who co-planned the theater altar for Jiao Festival in Kam Tin, poses for a photo during the decennial Jiao Festival of Kam Tin in Hong Kong December 18, 2025. — AFP pic



Threatened tradition

Hong Kong’s usage of bamboo construction materials has been in the spotlight since a huge fire killed at least 161 people in Tai Po District last month.

Authorities said the blaze at the under-repair housing estate was likely made worse by protective netting that failed fire-resistance standards. The netting was hung from bamboo scaffolding encasing several tower blocks.

Officials initially indicated they would consider replacing bamboo with metal scaffolding but later said a complete phase-out may not be necessary.

Scaffolder Lai Chi-ming, 52, told AFP the disappearance of the centuries-old craft would be a “great loss” for the city.



Chanting villagers parade a giant effigy through the alleys of rural Hong Kong before setting it ablaze in a once-in-a-decade ceremony to ward off bad luck and appease their ancestors. — AFP pic



With over a dozen master craftsmen, he spent two months building the altar in Kam Tin, which used about 30,000 bamboo and fir poles.

Rapid urbanisation has made villagers more anxious to maintain their local identity, said cultural anthropologist Liu Tik-sang.

“They really want to preserve their traditions in their way. The purpose (of the festival’s scale) is to tell everyone that this means a lot to them,” he said.

Organiser Tang said such events also face challenges from declining numbers of young people and waning interest in traditional culture.

“We must not abandon our traditional Chinese culture because of (urban) development,” he said. — AFP



The festival featured a five-storey bamboo stage that set a Guinness World Record as the world’s largest temporary bamboo structure. — AFP pic

‘Most handsome tomb in Penang’: Sheikh Omar’s mausoleum, a hidden gem in Air Itam’s historic Malay village

‘Most handsome tomb in Penang’: Sheikh Omar’s mausoleum, a hidden gem in Air Itam’s historic Malay village



The Makam Sheikh Omar features Moorish architecture with intricate arabesque details on its dome, Kampung Melayu, Air Itam. — Picture by Opalyn Mok

Sunday, 21 Dec 2025 7:00 AM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, Dec 21 — A centuries-old Malay village in Air Itam, home to one of Penang’s earliest Islamic scholars, may soon be gazetted as a heritage village — preserving a key piece of the state’s cultural history.

At the heart of the 'Kampung Melayu', stands the white-walled Makam Sheikh Omar, a grand mausoleum with a square tower rising 35 feet (10.7 metres) high, long described as the largest and ‘most handsome’ Muslim tomb in Penang.


The mausoleum is the resting place of Sheikh Omar Basheer Al-Khalidy, one of the early imams of Masjid Jamek in Acheen Street — also known as the Lebuh Acheh Mosque — in George Town in the 1800s.

According to an article in the Penang Heritage Trust’s November 1988 newsletter, Sheikh Omar introduced his own form of mysticism — a special meditation practice known as sulok.



Early records show that Sheikh Omar lived in a house in Kampung Melayu built by Nathaniel Bacon in 1840.


Bacon, who was the secretary of Captain Francis Light, bequeathed the house and land to his friend Syed Hassan Baharom. The latter, a disciple of Sheikh Omar, presented the house to his mentor in 1870.



The Rumah Sulok near the Makam Sheikh Omar, where religious scholar Sheikh Omar Basheer Al-Khalidy once taught religious classes, Kampung Melayu, Air Itam. — Picture by Opalyn Mok


It is believed that Sheikh Omar lived there and held religious classes in one of the wooden houses in the village until his death in 1881.

His son, Sheikh Zachariah, later hired Muslim builders from India to construct the mausoleum where his father was laid to rest.

The structure features a square tower with Moorish architectural influences, including intricate arabesque plasterwork on the dome topping the tower.

Today, the small village — surrounded by traditional Malay houses — is designated as wakaf land under the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP).

It is believed that the building where Sheikh Omar once held religious classes and practised sulok — known by villagers as Rumah Sulok — still stands near the mausoleum.

Sheikh Omar was also known to be trusted by the British authorities of his time.

Records from the Penang Museum show that following the Penang Riots of 1867, Sheikh Omar persuaded the heads of many Malay families in Penang to swear to him that they did not belong to either of the two Malay societies — the ‘Red Flag’ or Che Long People, and the ‘White Flag’ or Tuan Chee People.

These two Malay groups were linked to Chinese secret societies at the time — the Ghee Hin and the Tua Peh Kong.

Tensions between the Ghee Hin (mostly Cantonese) and the Tua Peh Kong (mostly Hokkien) groups were believed to have sparked the Penang Riots of 1867. The ‘White Flag’ group was allied with the Ghee Hin, while the ‘Red Flag’ group was aligned with the Tua Peh Kong.

The Mausoleum of Sheikh Omar — also known as Makam Sheikh Omar — is regarded by villagers as a keramat or saint’s grave, and some of his descendants are believed to still live in the village today.



The Makam Sheikh Omar, regarded as a ‘keramat’ or saint’s grave, stands at the heart of Kampung Melayu, one of Penang’s oldest Malay villages. — Picture by Opalyn Mok


Sheikh Omar and the early residents of the area likely witnessed the beginnings of Kampung Melayu as one of the oldest Malay settlements in Penang.

His grandson, Fathil Zachariah Basheer, was among a four-member committee that drew up rules for settlers in Kampung Melayu in 1931.

At that time, Kampung Melayu was planned solely for Muslim Malays born in the Straits Settlements. It was envisioned as a village for lower-income families to build traditional Malay houses while preserving the natural surroundings with minimal tree cutting.

The British later gazetted Kampung Melayu as a Malay settlement after the Second World War.



The tomb of Sheikh Omar Basheer Al-Khalidy lies within the Makam Sheikh Omar mausoleum in Kampung Melayu, Air Itam. — Picture by Opalyn Mok



Today, Kampung Melayu spans more than 55.56 hectares and includes low-cost flats as well as mixed residential and commercial areas.

Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng said he is in discussions with Sheikh Omar’s descendants, MAINPP and other stakeholders to gazette Kampung Melayu as a ‘kampung warisan’.

“We will need to have dialogue sessions with the residents on this first, but I will be meeting with them and the state heritage commissioner on this,” he said.

Ng said the rich history of the Malay settlement would make it another attractive tourism spot in Air Itam besides Penang Hill, especially for Muslim and Malay travellers.

The Makam Sheikh Omar is currently gazetted as a heritage site under the National Heritage Act 2005, and will soon also be gazetted under the Penang Heritage Enactment 2011, Ng said.

Najib should be allowed to return home immediately if court rules in his favour, says lawyer

theVibes.com:

Najib should be allowed to return home immediately if court rules in his favour, says lawyer


The former prime minister’s legal team requests expedited High Court ruling on royal decree, with defence insisting he should immediately begin house arrest if court rules in his favour

Updated 2 days ago · Published on 18 Dec 2025 4:30PM

On the AGC submitting a possible appeal, Shafee says it would not affect the immediate implementation of the ruling - December 18, 2025



FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may serve the remainder of his prison sentence under home confinement immediately if the High Court grants his judicial review application regarding a royal decree on December 22, his legal team said on Wednesday.


Najib’s lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex that the judicial review concerns his client’s personal liberty.

“I wish to emphasise that if the decision goes in our favour, he must serve the remainder of his prison sentence under home detention immediately,” he said.

Shafee acknowledged that preparations at Najib’s residence would be necessary but insisted, “I believe he must be allowed to return home without further delay.”

Asked about the possibility of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) filing an appeal should the court rule in Najib’s favour, Shafee said it would not affect the immediate implementation of the ruling.

The High Court, originally set to deliver its decision on January 5, advanced the date to December 22 following a request from Najib through his law firm, Shafee & Co, for the ruling to be made earlier, subject to judicial discretion.

In the judicial review, Najib seeks an order that, if the royal decree exists, all or any of the respondents must implement it by transferring him from Kajang Prison to his residence in Kuala Lumpur to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.

Najib has named the Home Minister, the Prisons Commissioner General, the Attorney General, the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reforms), the Director General of the Legal Affairs Division in the Prime Minister’s Department, and the Government of Malaysia as respondents.

Among the reliefs sought is a copy of the principal decree from the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong concerning the reduction of Najib’s prison term and fine.

Najib has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. He filed a royal pardon petition on September 2, 2022, leading the Pardons Board to reduce his prison term from 12 to six years and cut his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.

On July 3 last year, the High Court had dismissed Najib’s initial application to commence judicial review proceedings, a decision he subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal.

The High Court also previously ruled that four affidavits supporting Najib’s claims, including statements from UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Vice President Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, amounted to hearsay and could not be admitted as evidence. - December 18, 2025

BN supreme council meeting in Jan to determine MIC's fate - Zahid

BN supreme council meeting in Jan to determine MIC's fate - Zahid


Published: Dec 20, 2025 3:11 PM
Updated: 6:11 PM


BN’s supreme council will be meeting next month to determine the fate of its component member MIC, said the coalition’s chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid also implied that talks on MIC’s potential departure from BN are unlikely to result in a motion at Umno’s upcoming annual general assembly, scheduled to take place from Jan 14-17 next year.

“(The matter) has nothing to do with Umno’s general assembly, as Umno and MIC share the same status within BN.

“We will have a BN supreme council meeting in January next year, and at that time we will decide,” the Umno president told reporters at the sidelines of an event in Sabak Bernam today when asked about the situation surrounding MIC.

Earlier, the deputy prime minister said BN has yet to receive a letter from MIC regarding the party’s motion to leave the coalition.

He also reminded BN component parties to think carefully before deciding to leave a coalition they had been part of for so long, especially given the constantly changing political landscape.

“Among us, don’t say one thing by day and another by night,” Zahid reportedly said on Dec 14 after officiating the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) annual general assembly in Semenyih, Selangor.

“Politics is very dynamic… don’t let it be merely because of being drunk on power from consuming too much intoxicating drink. Decisions are then made without considering that we have been friends for over 70 years.”

‘We’ll decide soon’

In response to Zahid’s apparent warning for MIC not to regret its decision if the party chooses to leave the coalition, MIC president SA Vigneswaran said that while his party is in no rush to decide on the matter, Zahid appeared overly eager for MIC to make a determination.

"MIC does not need to be pressured into making a decision in an unstable political climate.

"Whatever it is, MIC will make a decision soon and inform the BN leadership via letter in the near future," Vigneswaran told Malaysiakini.

MIC president SA Vigneswaran


MIC is understood to be assessing the possibility of leaving BN, partly due to dissatisfaction with its political position, especially after Umno, under Zahid’s leadership, formed a cooperation with Pakatan Harapan to establish the unity government.

In addition to MIC, MCA is also concerned about the allocation of election seats, which they feel favours incumbent parties.

Under the BN–Harapan seat allocation formula, MCA and MIC are expected to receive only a small number of seats to contest in the next general election.

Warisan open to alliances for GE16 - Shafie

Warisan open to alliances for GE16 - Shafie

Jason Santos
Published: Dec 20, 2025 7:00 PM
Updated: 10:00 PM


Contrary to its emphasis on single and local-party strength in the recent Sabah election, Warisan president Shafie Apdal today said the party remains open to cooperation when it comes to the next general election due to be called by 2027.

Shafie said Warisan, the single opposition bloc with 25 seats in the Sabah assembly, had prior opportunities to align with various groups and form a state government but chose instead to hold to its principles of a local party.

“I could have worked with others or formed arrangements to take power. But we have our values.

“For Sabah, I have always said it should ideally be governed by local Sabah-based parties,” he said during a press conference after Warisan's Annual General Meeting in Kota Kinabalu.

Shafie maintained that Warisan is not opposed to collaborating with parties from Peninsular Malaysia, but believes such cooperation is best placed at the national level, rather than being used to shape Sabah’s political direction.

“In the peninsula, we are not against anyone. At the federal level, we cooperate.

“But at the state level, let us govern. We understand what Sabahans want,” he said.

He also noted that Warisan is already cooperating with the federal administration and views the importance of political stability ahead of the next general election.

“We are aligned with the federal government. We must strengthen Sabah, and at the same time ensure stability for the country.

“We do not know what the political situation will look like when the next election comes,” said Shafie, adding that national-level politics remains volatile.

In Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent administrative reshuffle, Shafie's brother, Yusof Apdal, also Lahad Datu MP, retained his position as deputy science, technology and innovations minister.

Shafie further cautioned that parties holding strong positions now could easily gain or lose support by the next election, depending on the shifting voters’ sentiments.

Lamag, Kinabatangan by-elections

On the Jan 24 twin by-elections for the Lamag state seat and the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, Shafie said Warisan has yet to decide whether it will contest, adding that discussions within the party are still ongoing.

“No decision yet. We are not sure whether Umno or other parties will contest.

“We have to listen to the voters first,” he said, expressing concern over another overcrowded contest like the recent Sabah election, where up to 14 candidates contested in a single seat, namely Tulid.

The two seats fell vacant following the passing of the incumbent, former Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, on Dec 5.

Earlier today, BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed that Umno will be fielding Bung's son, Naim Kurniawan, in Kinabatangan, while state Umno chief Jafry Arifin has been tasked to decide and announce the candidate for Lamag.

In Lamag, Warisan's candidate Saifullah Lokman polled 372 votes in a six-cornered contest and lost his deposit.

Election complaints

At the same time, Shafie also said Warisan is reviewing alleged election offences before deciding whether to file petitions in several state constituencies.

Expressing dissatisfaction with some of the election losses, he said, “We will look into it. The deadline to file a petition is Jan 29. If there is clear evidence, enforcing the law is very important.”

Shafie, however, said he remains unsure how many seats the party may challenge.

“Do not talk about integrity if there is evidence that election laws were violated.

“We will study it carefully,” he said, adding that the party’s post-mortem is still in progress.

Shafie also encouraged members of the public to come forward if they have credible information.

Warisan previously succeeded in overturning the election result for the Kimanis seat after the 2018 general election, leading to a by-election in 2020.

Bait – A Chinese FT Minister Not Enough To Appease Chinese

Bait – A Chinese FT Minister Not Enough To Appease Chinese


December 19th, 2025 by financetwitter


Before Hannah Yeoh could even begin her new job as the Federal Territories Minister following a major cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition has started attacking her. Not only has she become the first non-Malay to hold the portfolio, which traditionally was reserved to Malay only, she is also the first DAP MP to be given the high-profile job.

With opposition Bersatu in self-destruction, busy with internal power struggle and rebellion, the extremist Islamist party PAS has taken charge in turning the cabinet reshuffle into a racial and political issue. PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan has criticized Anwar for appointing two Chinese as the minister and deputy minister for the Federal Territories Ministry.


First created in 1979, the Federal Territories Ministry was formed to directly manage and coordinate development for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan, ensuring focused administration – especially after capital Kuala Lumpur’s split from Selangor in 1974 due to the May 13, 1969 racial riots – to prevent clashes between state and federal governments and drive national progress.


It was not actually a very important portfolio. In late 2022, the FT Ministry was downgraded into a “department” under the Prime Minister’s Department. However, it becomes sensitive when a Chinese becomes its minister, largely due to the scope of jurisdiction of the ministry – covering existing local governments and administrators of the federal territories.

Because Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan represent the political and administrative heart of the nation, it’s easy to create a perception that the Malay has lost power to the Chinese. It didn’t help that Hannah Yeoh replaced Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who was dropped from the cabinet. Worse, Hannah is from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a party accused of Chinese chauvinism and prioritizing Chinese interests.


But PAS religious extremist was not the only one who is politicizing Hannah’s appointment. Federal Territory UMNO Youth Chief Aliff Firdaus too has jumped onto the bandwagon, stirring up racial and religious sentiments among the Malays that the strategic position could be misused in the potential implementation of agendas such as local authority elections and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).


The UMNO racist bigots and PAS religious extremists talked as if DAP would start some sort of “ethnic cleansing” or genocide programmes to kick out all Malays from the federal territories. They try to create a false and dangerous narrative that PM Anwar is giving DAP an absolute power that not even the Agong (King) can interfere in shaping an anti-Malay urbanization policy, land use, housing and local government.

Despite Malays holding 17 ministerial posts compared to DAP’s 5, Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Minister are Malays, all 13 Monarchs and Governors are Malays, Malays leading all armed institutions and dominating 98% civil services, the ultra racist Malay politicians continue to spread fake narratives that a Chinese FT Minister could destroy the Malays.

If Hannah and her deputy, Lo Su Fui, who is actually from GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah), could single-handedly undermine millions of Malay urbanites despite the Kuala Lumpur mayor being a Malay and that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) being dominated by Malays, then it means these two Chinese must be genius for being able to bulldoze anti-Malay policies under the nose of a Malay PM, two Malay Deputy PM, 17 Malay ministers, and 13 Malay Rulers.


As far as UMNO and PAS are concerned, the FT Ministry is the birthright of the Malays. A Malay FT Minister can do no wrong even if she deliberately targets the Chinese business community. But a Chinese FT Minister is always wrong even before she enters her new office. The racists just want the Chinese to forever play second fiddle in line with “Ketuanan Melayu” or Malay supremacy.



However, if Hannah’s previous portfolio as Youth and Sports Minister is any indicator, her performance was at best average.Perhaps it was a job mismatch and she is more suitable for running the federal territories. Her “promotion” as the FT Minister was made out of political reasons rather than job competency. Unless DAP foolishly asked for it, Hannah’s new job might be Anwar’s deliberate move to sabotage DAP.

Yes, Hannah Yeoh as FT Minister is like Lim Guan Eng as the Finance Minister under the previous PM Mahathir’s 22-month short stint (May 2018 – March 2022). On the surface, PM Anwar might be seen as rewarding ally DAP in an effort to appease the Chinese voters after the recent Sabah election annihilation, the same way the Chinese applauded Guan Eng’s appointment some 7 years ago.


However, it could easily backfire with “ultra-Malay” from both PAS and UMNO fighting tooth and nail trying to project themselves as the Malay heroes by making DAP and Hannah the “punching bag”. You just need the notorious DBKL to demolish some Malay-run street stalls to spark mini riots – even mega protests – under the pretext that Malays are being bullied and attacked by DAP Chinese.

And you can bet your last penny that opposition Perikatan Nasional would use the golden opportunity to spark “anti-Chinese” sentiments, instigate Malays to hate Chinese, and provoke ethnic Malays to pressure Anwar to reverse Hannah Yeoh’s promotion. At best, Hannah could be made a scapegoat. At worst, Madani could be overthrown if racial riots are triggered in Kuala Lumpur.

In turn, Prime Minister Anwar could use the Malays’ protest to threaten DAP to back down on its demands, including UEC recognition. The spineless Anthony Loke would panic, forcing him to warn the second-class ethnic Chinese citizen to sacrifice and “not to spook the Malays”, and throws more empty promises that DAP would continue to voice the minority ethnic demands by “whispering” into Anwar’s ears.




While giving ammunition to the opposition to attack his own ally DAP in order to silence displeasure from the ethnic Chinese, Anwar could also at the same time claim credit for appointing the first Chinese as the FT Minister. There’s a reason why Anwar dropped loyalist Dr Zaliha Mustafa when the overwhelming demand was to sack Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

The incompetent Fadhlina was appointed as education minister because she is the daughter of the late Dr Siddiq Fadzil, former president of ABIM, a radical movement co-founded by a young Anwar Ibrahim in the 1970s. As the president of ABIM (Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia) for eight years (1974-1982), Anwar is the same radical Islamist who used Islam as a platform to achieve his political ambition.

Trying to project his boss as more Malay than the Malays and more Islamic than the Islamist party PAS, Fadhlina, who hastily rolled out “Imam Al-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith” module for national schools, has done an excellent job in strengthening the Malay schools as religious schools. She also did a splendid job when she led a group of students in a chant of “Happy Birthday PMX, We Love You” during a school event in August 2025.


Meanwhile, despite claims that former FT Minister Dr Zaliha did not deserve to be fired as she had done nothing wrong, in truth, she had made many Chinese business owners very angry over Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) enforcement action on business signboards last year. She was seen as “Chinese-unfriendly” trying to create problems for Chinese businesses.

The business disruption saw demands to make not only Malay the primary language on signboards with larger fonts, but also requires all signboards to obtain visual verification from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) as a mandatory document to apply for DBKL approval. Replacing Zaliha with Hannah was Anwar’s desperate move to boost Chinese support for the increasingly unpopular Madani government.



Anwar had to fire someone to pacify the ethnic Chinese, and he could only sack someone from his own party. And since he can’t fire Fadhlina, the only candidate left was Dr Zaliha, a loyalist who would quietly go without fighting back. In the same breath, Anwar also appointed Steven Sim as Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister to win Chinese votes.


Regardless of whether it was Loke’s demand for the FT Ministry or Anwar’s bait to pressure both DAP and the Chinese into submission, the appointment of Hannah Yeoh is insufficient to satisfy the angry Chinese, especially the increasing number of Gen-Z eagers to teach Pakatan Harapan a lesson in the next 16th General Election.

It’s not rocket science why Yeoh would most likely be a “lame duck” Federal Territories Minister. Facing the embarrassing “FAM forgery” scandal involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) submitting falsified documents to FIFA for seven foreign-born players to play for Malaysia, Sports Minister Yeoh had chosen to keep silent and play “tai chi” instead of getting her hands dirty.

Do you think 46-year-old Hannah, a Christian who has worn a hijab on several occasions to show that she could be more Malay than the Malays, would dare to spook the Malays with anti-Malay policies? On the contrary, with all eyes on her, you can expect Hannah to do everything to appease urban Malays just to prove her critics wrong, in line with her boss Anthony’s “don’t spook the Malay” mantra.


With just two years before the next national polls, it’s not hard to see how the newly minted FT Minister would play safe by maintaining basic government services, safeguarding green spaces and public parks, and tackling potholes, clogged drains and the issue of abandoned houses and cars rather than pushing for major reforms or mega policy changes like local council elections.



The appointment of a Chinese as FT Minister is merely a symbolic and political move to create a feel-good factor for the ethnic Chinese. An overrated DAP lawmaker, Hannah failed to carry out any meaningful reforms for the Sports Ministry because she was terrified of rocking the boat. What the Chinese want is not local council elections, but to do business and to earn a living without unnecessary government disruptions.