Education Ministry fires back at MCA, says all 10A SPM students got matriculation offers

Education Ministry fires back at MCA, says all 10A SPM students got matriculation offers



Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said all students had therefore been offered places before MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong’s public remarks. — Bernama pic

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 1:43 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Education Ministry has refuted claims that several top SPM scorers were denied places in the matriculation programme, saying all eligible 10A students had already been offered admission, according to a Facebook post by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.

Wong said MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had recently alleged that the Madani government failed to fulfil its promise of offering Matriculation Programme places to 10A SPM high achievers, claiming he had received at least 11 cases of students allegedly left out.

He said the claim was inaccurate and unfounded, adding that he had challenged Wee to submit the students’ names to the Education Ministry for verification.

On May 4, Wong said Wee later claimed that all 11 students had secured places in the matriculation programme following MCA’s intervention.

However, Wong said Ministry of Education (KPM) records showed that all the students had already been offered places earlier under the government’s automatic placement policy for 10A SPM scorers.

He outlined a timeline, saying the ministry had announced on April 8, 2026, that all 10A students applying for matriculation would be automatically considered for admission for the 2026/2027 intake.

He said initial offers were issued on April 27 via the Matriculation portal, but some students who obtained their results after rechecking were still pending due to incomplete data at the time.


Wong added that 286 students who received updated 10A results were later notified of their offers on April 29 via SMS, with formal acceptance available from May 6.

On May 1, Wee allegedly repeated claims that the government had failed to deliver on its promise.

Wong said he again asked Wee to provide the names of the 11 students, and the ministry also requested the list through MCA president’s Facebook page.

He said the list was only provided after about 48 hours, following which ministry officials verified the cases.

According to Wong, one student had already been offered a place on April 27, while the remaining 10 had received notifications on April 29 at around 11.01am.

He said all students had therefore been offered places before Wee’s public remarks.

Wong also criticised claims that the admissions were due to MCA’s intervention, saying the intake was the result of government policy changes.

He added that credit for the admissions should go to stakeholders supporting the Madani government’s policy reforms.

Umno to stay in Negeri Sembilan unity government, says Zahid

Umno to stay in Negeri Sembilan unity government, says Zahid



Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi speaks to reporters after the Kami Gen MARA gathering at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, alongside MARA chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, 
Tuesday, 05 May 2026 3:04 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Umno has no intention of becoming the opposition in Negeri Sembilan and will continue supporting and remain as part of the state’s Unity Government, party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said the party’s national leadership has finalised the position of all 14 Umno assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan to continue backing the existing state government.

“We have no intention of becoming the opposition. Umno at the national level has decided that all 14 assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan will remain part of the Unity Government,” he told reporters after the Kami Gen Mara Gathering here today.

Ahmad Zahid said this in response to speculation over the party’s position in the state, adding that Umno has not discussed any proposal to appoint a Menteri Besar from its ranks.

On preparations for possible snap elections in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, he said all component parties have begun groundwork to ensure readiness, but it is still too early to identify potential candidates.

Commenting on a proposal by economists to make Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) the core of a dedicated ministry for Bumiputera development, Ahmad Zahid said the idea has never been considered.

“It has never been our intention, even if it is a proposal. Mara will remain, for now, as a key agency under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development,” he said.


He added that strengthening the Bumiputera agenda through Mara is in line with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and the social contract, aimed at improving the community’s wellbeing without neglecting the interests of other groups. — Bernama

Rafizi says has ‘nothing to hide’ in RM1.1b probe, declines further comment

Rafizi says has ‘nothing to hide’ in RM1.1b probe, declines further comment



Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli arrived at the MACC headquarters at about 9.30am in a dark-coloured Volvo XC60 SUV, wearing a white shirt and black suit, to continue his statement recording for a second session. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 11:42 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said he has “nothing to hide” over investigations linked to a RM1.1 billion investment project, but declined to comment further as the matter remains under probe.

The Pandan MP made the remarks when met at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here today, where he was present to continue giving his statement, according to Harian Metro.

“I cannot really comment, but those who have gone through questioning will know the process. It follows its own timeline.

“Nothing to hide,” he said.


Rafizi arrived at the MACC headquarters at about 9.30am in a dark-coloured Volvo XC60 SUV, wearing a white shirt and black suit, to continue his statement recording for a second session.

Asked about the process yesterday, he said he had no complaints over how he was treated.

“No issues with the process. That’s how it works.


“Also, it’s straightforward because, as far as I understand, this investigation is not about money or bribery. It’s about procedure.

“So I think the relevant records are all there — government records,” he said.

MACC senior director of investigations Datuk Mohd Hafaz Nazar was previously reported as saying the case is being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.

Rafizi’s statement was recorded after his former aide Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, was questioned over three consecutive days last week.

Mohd Hafaz was reported as saying 22 statements have been recorded so far, including from ministers and senior government officials since investigations began on February 13, 2025.

The MACC opened the case on February 16 following complaints from several non-governmental organisations alleging that agreements linked to the project were rushed and one-sided, resulting in possible financial implications for the government.

Investigators are also looking into possible conflicts of interest involving individuals allegedly appointed to positions in a foreign-linked company after leaving government service.

DAP backs Aminuddin to stay MB but still prepares for snap polls in Negeri, Melaka, Johor

DAP backs Aminuddin to stay MB but still prepares for snap polls in Negeri, Melaka, Johor



The statement, signed by secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, said the party also reaffirmed its respect for the constitutional monarchy and stressed that any matters involving the royal institution and Negeri Sembilan’s Adat Perpatih customs must be handled with due respect and in accordance with the law. — Bernama pic

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 9:31 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — DAP is putting its entire party machinery on standby to face the possibility of snap elections in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor, the party announced today following a high-level meeting.

The directive comes in response to the ongoing political crisis in Negeri Sembilan, which the party described as a failed attempt to bring down the state’s Unity Government.

In a statement following its monthly Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke also reaffirmed the party’s complete support for incumbent Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

“DAP will continue to support and give its full backing to Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun as menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan,” Loke said.

“DAP will not agree to any proposal for a change of menteri besar at this time.”

The party also pledged its loyalty to the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, and acknowledged his recent decree that the state government should continue to function as usual under Aminuddin’s administration.

DAP added that all issues involving the royal institution must be handled with full respect for the state’s constitution.

Last month, Negeri Sembilan Umno briefly threw the state government into crisis when its lawmakers openly withdrew their support from Aminuddin as MB, ostensibly over his handling of a rare royal dispute in the state.

The group reversed course before the move could be cemented in a vote of no-confidence, although there are still pockets within the party that insist on breaking the alliance with Pakatan Harapan.

Penang ramps up bid for global conferences, eyeing events displaced by Middle East tensions

Penang ramps up bid for global conferences, eyeing events displaced by Middle East tensions



Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang remains a competitive destination for business events.— Picture by Opalyn Mok

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 1:41 PM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, May 5 — Penang is bidding for over 20 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) that have been relocated due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) chief executive officer G. Ashwin said a majority of MICE events in the Middle East have to be relocated to the Asia Pacific.


“So far, we have shortlisted more than 20 events to bid for and this shortlist may increase as time goes,” he told reporters at a press conference after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between PCEB and Marriott International Malaysia to promote the Penang Golf Challenge.


He said there are procedures to follow in bidding for events including looking for a local host in Penang to take the lead in some of these events.

Elaborating, he said among the events they are bidding for are management, finance and medical sectors related conferences.


“The number of participants for these events are more than 1,000 each,” he said.

He added that the events are not only for this year but are spread out to 2027, 2028 and even up to 2032.


“The events we have this year were booked last year or two or three years ago, so the events we book this year could be for the next few years, including one that was confirmed in 2032,” he said.

When asked if there is an estimated percentage of increase in MICE events in Penang, he said they will be able to have a clearer picture by the third quarter of this year.

“So, I would say towards Q3 we will have an indication of the percentage of events being confirmed, but it wouldn’t stop there, it still goes to 2027, 2028, 2029,” he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang remains a competitive destination for business events.

He said global uncertainty is creating a shift in how organisers make decisions in terms of business events.

“There is now a stronger push towards destinations that offer value, efficiency and quality experiences at a competitive cost,” he said.

He said Penang is well-positioned as the state offers a strong balance of infrastructure, connectivity and affordability.

“This presents us with an opportunity to attract business events that are actively looking for high-value, budget-conscious destinations without compromising on quality,” he said.

He said this is why Penang is seizing the opportunity to bid for over 20 business events that are seeking to relocate to the Asia Pacific.

Teoh Beng Hock murder probe: Family seeks court order for fresh investigation

Teoh Beng Hock murder probe: Family seeks court order for fresh investigation



Lead counsel Ramkarpal Singh said the family is seeking a court declaration that Teoh Beng Hock’s death should be investigated as murder, as well as an order compelling police to complete the investigation within 120 days of the court order. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 1:34 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The family of the late Teoh Beng Hock has filed a fresh application seeking to compel police to open a murder investigation into his death 17 years ago.

The application for leave to commence judicial review was filed at the High Court last month, said lead counsel Ramkarpal Singh at a press conference today, according to Free Malaysia Today.

He said the family is seeking a court declaration that Teoh’s death should be investigated as murder, as well as an order compelling police to complete the investigation within 120 days of the court order.

The court has fixed May 18 for hearing, and the cause papers will be served to the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Ramkarpal said the family had previously written to police asking whether any past investigation papers on Teoh’s death were opened for murder.

He said police replied on January 20 stating that the probe was only for “wrongful confinement” under Section 342 of the Penal Code.

Co-counsel Lim Wei Jiet said the wrongful confinement probe had no connection to Teoh’s death, describing it as a minor offence.

He also said some investigation papers had been opened before 2018, but the focus of those probes remained unclear.

Teoh, an aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead in July 2009 on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after being questioned at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office.

An inquest returned an open verdict, but the Court of Appeal in 2014 ruled that his death was caused by “one or more unknown persons”, including MACC officers.

Two special investigation teams were set up in 2011 and 2015, but both cases were classified as no further action by the public prosecutor.

Police completed the wrongful confinement investigation last year following a court order in 2024, and the Attorney General’s Chambers later classified the case as NFA, citing insufficient evidence to prosecute any individual.

Despite global tensions, Penang semiconductor sector remains resilient says CM

Despite global tensions, Penang semiconductor sector remains resilient says CM



Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry, including semiconductors, continues to record encouraging performance despite global economic disruptions. — Picture by Opalyn Mok

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 2:37 PM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, May 5 — Penang’s semiconductor sector remains stable and has yet to show any significant impact from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry, including semiconductors, continues to record encouraging performance despite global economic disruptions.


He said demand for semiconductor products remains strong, driven by rapid advancements in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and global digitalisation.

“I believe the E&E and semiconductor sector remains robust,” he said in a press conference after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) and Marriott International Malaysia here today.


He said the state expect demand to continue to rise.


Earlier, senior political advisor to the Prime Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz reportedly said the effects of the global supply crisis are expected to be felt by Malaysians within the next one to two months.

Chow said current technological developments are a key driver of the sector’s growth, boosting investor confidence to continue investing in the state.


He said although geopolitical conflicts could potentially affect global supply chains, Penang has so far not faced any serious disruptions in industry operations.

“If there is any impact, it may be in logistics, such as slightly higher shipping costs, but overall the sector remains strong,” he said.

He said the state government remains optimistic about the semiconductor industry’s prospects in the medium and long term.

“Penang’s position as a key E&E hub in Malaysia continues to attract multinational companies and foreign investors,” he said.

“With technological shifts such as AI and digital innovation, we see this demand remaining and continuing to grow,” he added.

He said the state government will continue to monitor ongoing developments, including any risks arising from global conflicts that could affect the local economy.

Rafizi’s political noise: A distraction Malaysia doesn’t need – Stephen Ng

Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli as the MACC investigation draws public attention. - Rafizi Ramli Facebook pic, May 5, 2026

Rafizi’s political noise: A distraction Malaysia doesn’t need – Stephen Ng


Rafizi’s theatrics risk political irrelevance as MACC follows standard procedure


Updated 51 minutes ago
5 May, 2026
9:53 AM MYT

The Unnecessary Rumblings Surrounding Rafizi

I thought this title may attract readers more, but I decided to use the other topic in view of my desire to see this country coming back together again, and nothing else.

Someone sent me a message that made me fume. It accused the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of exercising selective investigations.

To me, this kind of message is baseless. And the way former Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli’s former aide, James Chai, staged it over a few weeks showed that both Rafizi and Chai were very determined to create drama out of something that is normal for MACC or the police to conduct an investigation when a report is lodged.

Often, the authorities are accused of sidestepping the investigation; the truth is the evidence provided is not strong enough to be produced in court, or at the very least, convincing the officers that there could be a case.

The public must understand that an investigation may be carried out, but it is not “selective” investigation, as alleged by certain quarters. In fact, I was surprised that Rafizi did not immediately advise Chai to appear before the MACC to provide the full story of what transpired. He allowed Chai to prolong the case for a few weeks. Chai only complied after the MACC offered to pay for his air ticket to return home; otherwise, the MACC would apply through Interpol to have Chai arrested and brought home.

Usually, an investigation is initiated when a report to the MACC is lodged. It is not often that the MACC would start an investigation unless it has reasons to be suspicious that some form of corruption had taken place. However, it does not mean that the investigation will always end up with a person being charged in court. Chai knew that he could thereafter face another charge for not cooperating with the investigator.

Meanwhile, Rafizi had threatened right from the beginning to sue the MACC if the investigation did not find fault with him or Chai.

Personally, I think Rafizi was too presumptuous when he made that statement. What the public must realise is that Rafizi is good at saying things that will attract attention to himself as though he is now the victim of a regime that is seeking to silence him.

To clear the air, an investigation by the police or the MACC may not necessarily end up with a prosecution. There are many instances where, after a statement is made, the case is given the “No Further Action (NFA)” status unless some fresh evidence emerges. So, please do not be deceived by this kind of empty talk by Rafizi just to hype up his case.

Observe this with me, won’t you? While Rafizi is creating the perception that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is victimising him, Anwar has not uttered a word against Rafizi. Although Anwar is well-known for his slogan, “Lawan Tetap Lawan,” I think so far, Anwar still has a soft spot for Rafizi. Of course, he would have wished that Rafizi bury the hatchet and work together with the Madani government and the people of Malaysia to rebuild the nation.

And when I say that Anwar may still have a soft spot for Rafizi, the relationship may not necessarily be reconcilable, especially if the rift is too big between the two. Ultimately, Rafizi risks political irrelevance, as an increasing number of observers except those who are aligned with him, feel that he is risking overplaying his hand.

Anwar’s focus now is on the country’s economy, something which Rafizi himself had not been very actively working to bring the local business community together to boost the country’s economy. I wonder within the tenure that Rafizi had served as Economy Minister, how many meetings did he have with the business associations to discuss how the government could help their businesses to thrive.

The game that Rafizi and James Chai were playing all along shows that they have a personal agenda: to attack the Prime Minister and Azam Baki. To put it bluntly, I have mentioned that James Chai was only a “man of interest” to the MACC. He wasn’t even a suspect, but Chai’s political gimmicks were to discredit the MACC and Azam Baki. A “man of interest” is because he was the main person who was expediting the process of obtaining approval. Before the MACC could get a statement from Rafizi, they had to establish the background facts first on what transpired.

No one is saying that Rafizi signed the agreement in a hurry with ARM Holdings, a chip design company. It was signed by Tengku Zafrul in his capacity as Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Tengku Zafrul may be called for an investigation. I am not saying that Anwar would be questioned. His role as the one launching the agreement is too remote from the way this deal was struck within the shortest time possible.

The bottom line is whether Rafizi and Chai followed the standard procedures for any procurement. If yes, they are safe. If not, and if any form of gratification was received, then, they will surely face the music.

The MACC can charge Chai if his hotel accommodation in London, and all the expenses incurred, were paid for by ARM Holdings but at the end of the day, the prosecution will have to prove that ARM provided all this kind of support in return for the contract. It is not easy for the Prosecution to prove it unless the MACC can provide strong evidence that the accommodation and pocket money was all part of the gratification package promised by ARM Holdings.


Conclusion

Ultimately, whether the matter proceeds to court will depend on the strength of the evidence gathered by the MACC and forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). I believe this is why some cases which were rushed through back in 2018–2020 had to be dropped. Such evidence must meet the legal threshold required to prove bribery beyond reasonable doubt. If it falls short, the court is duty-bound to acquit. This is an inherent feature of our justice system, and it inevitably leads to situations where even serious offenders escape conviction. Bottom line: do not let yourself be led into the bonfire. – May 5, 2026

***Political observer and blogger Stephen Ng is a former journalist

Exclude T20 from BUDI95 to save RM1.5bil a month, says economist

Exclude T20 from BUDI95 to save RM1.5bil a month, says economist


2 hours ago
Anne Muhammad


Another economist suggests giving those in the high-income bracket a lower monthly quota compared with lower income groups

The BUDI95 fuel subsidy programme enables all Malaysians with a MyKad and driving licence to purchase RON95 petrol at a subsidised rate.

PETALING JAYA: An economist has suggested that the BUDI95 subsidy scheme be limited to those in the B40 and M40 income categories as this can save Putrajaya up to RM1.5 billion a month.

Pointing out that those in the T20 still get to enjoy RON95 subsidies, Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff of Putra Business School said this could be a targeted measure to manage the cost of living.

Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff.


“The government can consider restructuring existing subsidies so that only those in need would receive them. For example, BUDI95 now applies to all Malaysians with a valid driving licence. Perhaps this can be limited to the B40 and M40.


“It was previously said that over 30% of RON95 is used by the T20. If RM5 billion is spent on RON95 subsidies a month, that 30% would equal to the government saving RM1.5 billion a month if the T20 don’t get the subsidies,” he told FMT.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the rising cost of living pressures, but said responses must be targeted and measured.


He said not all issues could be fully resolved because of the country’s financial constraints, especially given the uncertain global environment.

Bank Muamalat chief economist Afzanizam Abdul Rashid also said Putrajaya should review the RON95 subsidy structure, maintaining it for the vulnerable and limiting the high-income group from receiving it, given the government’s fiscal pressures.

He said it was uncertain when the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz restrictions would end, having already impacted global energy supply and prices.

Afzanizam Abdul Rashid.


“The savings from the subsidies for the high-income would be quite significant since these users typically use high-powered vehicles. The lower-income benefit more from the subsidies,” he said.


Afzanizam said World Bank and International Monetary Fund studies have also shown that rationalised subsidies for the higher-income groups were implementable.

Instead of removing the T20 from BUDI95 as a whole, he suggested giving them a lower monthly quota compared with the lower income groups.

PKR GE16 analysis flags 'marginal', 'red zone' seats for Anwar and top leaders

PKR GE16 analysis flags 'marginal', 'red zone' seats for Anwar and top leaders

B Nantha Kumar
Published: May 5, 2026 9:00 AM
Updated: 11:22 AM



EXCLUSIVE | The unity government in Putrajaya may project an image of stability, but beneath that polished façade, a far more uncertain picture is emerging.

An internal PKR strategic analysis for the 16th general election, presented by deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, exposes the fault lines beginning to surface.

The document, titled “GE16 Strategic Analysis: Tier-Based Summary” and sighted by Malaysiakini, shows that PKR is on the defensive, with its grip on key seats steadily eroding.

Based on the analysis presented by Nurul Izzah at the Bandar Utama 11 Community Hall in Petaling Jaya on May 2, attended by nearly 900 party leaders nationwide, 66 parliamentary seats have been identified as PKR’s main focus in the upcoming election.

These seats have been categorised into four tiers to map the party’s strengths and risks ahead of GE16.

PKR targeting 66 seats in GE16?

The analysis divides the 66 seats into seven Tier 1 (strong/safe), 13 Tier 2A (leaning strong), 17 Tier 2B (marginal/competitive), and 29 Tier 3 (difficult/recovery).

This breakdown shows that the majority of the seats studied - 46 in total (Tier 2B and Tier 3) - fall into high-risk zones or require significant image recovery.

For context, in GE15 (2022), PKR won 31 out of the 81 parliamentary seats it contested - a drop from GE14 (2018), where it secured 47 seats.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, more than five party sources acknowledged that the decline in PKR’s performance since 2018 was the key reason behind this “tiering” analysis, aimed at identifying constituencies that are becoming increasingly fragile due to shifting voter support.

With only seven seats considered truly safe (Tier 1), the Anwar Ibrahim-led party is bracing for intense battles across the remaining 59 seats to maintain its dominance within the unity government in GE16.


PM status no guarantee

Among the seats won in GE15, several have now been placed in the Tier 2B (marginal) category, including Tambun, held by the party president.

In GE15, Anwar won the seat with a slim majority of 3,735 votes in a tight contest against Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (right) beat Bersatu leader Ahmad Faizal Azumu in Tambun during GE15


“Despite his status as prime minister, PKR’s internal data shows that sentiment in Tambun has not shifted into a safe zone. The analysis emphasises the need for ‘micro-level operations’ at the polling district machinery level.

“This means PKR can no longer rely on Anwar’s appeal as a national leader but must instead resolve highly localised and technical issues.

“Failure to retain Tambun would not only unseat an MP but would symbolically undermine the stability of the unity government,” a party headquarters source told Malaysiakini.

Gombak and Sungai Buloh in the red

Another major shock in the analysis is the placement of Gombak and Sungai Buloh into Tier 3, both held by PKR vice-presidents Amirudin Shari and R Ramanan, respectively.

Amirudin is also the Selangor menteri besar, while Ramanan is the human resources minister.

In electoral terms, Tier 3 represents a red zone requiring extraordinary intervention or special assistance from the central leadership.

Gombak MP Amirudin Shari


“The inclusion of Gombak in Tier 3 shows PKR is concerned about the resurgence of Perikatan Nasional’s influence in Selangor, particularly among young Malay voters.

“The same goes for Sungai Buloh. Ramanan’s victory over Khairy Jamaluddin in GE15 was seen as a near-miracle that may be difficult to repeat,” the source said.

With changing demographics, PKR views Sungai Buloh as highly vulnerable to shifting political currents if support is not quickly rebuilt.


Mixed seats also at risk

The analysis also lists Tanjong Malim under Tier 2B.

As a mixed constituency in Perak held by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, its position is considered highly critical.

“PKR’s analysis shows that mixed seats like Tanjong Malim can no longer be treated as fixed deposits.

“Erosion of non-Malay support or low turnout from these communities could easily cause the seat to fall to the opposition.

“The proposed strategy prioritises ‘local candidates’ with organic ties to residents rather than parachute candidates from the centre,” said a source from Perak.

Other mixed parliamentary seats listed under Tier 2A and 2B include Lembah Pantai (Fahmi Fadzil), Nibong Tebal (Fadhlina Sidek), Johor Bahru (Akmal Nasrullah Nasir), and Sungai Petani (Taufiq Johari).


Permatang Pauh and an unhealed wound

Perhaps the most painful point for reform supporters is the continued placement of Permatang Pauh in Tier 2B.

The loss of this traditional stronghold of Anwar’s family to a PAS candidate in GE15 remains a political trauma for the party.

“Nurul Izzah’s slides suggest focusing on ‘machinery recovery’ and micro-targeted strategies.

“Placing Permatang Pauh in Tier 2B instead of Tier 3 shows PKR still believes the seat can be recaptured.

“However, it will require a drastic overhaul in how the party engages rural voters, who are now more inclined towards PN narratives,” the source added.

Rafizi and allies in Tier 1

Interestingly, of the seven seats classified as Tier 1, four are held by former deputy president Rafizi Ramli and his allies.

Besides Rafizi (Pandan), the safest seats are Subang (Wong Chen), Petaling Jaya (Lee Chean Chung), and Ampang (Rodziah Ismail) - all considered close to Rafizi.

The other three Tier 1 seats are Selayang (William Leong), Bayan Baru (Sim Tze Zin), and Batu (P Prabakaran).

The analysis also touches on logistics and financial strategy for these safe zones.

“For Tier 1 seats, the strategic directive is to avoid resource wastage. PKR plans to conserve funds, machinery, and logistics here so they can be redirected to critical Tier 2B and Tier 3 areas.

“This is a pragmatic approach rarely disclosed publicly, showing the party is carefully managing limited resources,” the source said.


Targeting 29 lost seats

PKR is also seen targeting the 29 seats it lost in the previous general election.

Among them are Kuantan (contested by secretary-general Fuziah Salleh in GE15), Kulim-Bandar Baharu (Saifuddin Nasution Ismail), Indera Mahkota - where Anwar’s political secretary Ahmad Farhan Fauzi has been named a prospective candidate - and Pagoh, held by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Strategies for these 29 red-zone seats include deploying support from central leaders and cabinet ministers.

“The party is also prepared to channel extraordinary logistical and financial resources into these constituencies.

“The aim is to reduce the opposition’s majority and retain deposits in GE16, while also building long-term groundwork for GE17,” the source said.

Malaysiakini has contacted Nurul Izzah, Fuziah, and Fahmi for comment.

‘Might makes right’ world driving energy instability, says EU envoy

‘Might makes right’ world driving energy instability, says EU envoy


Maria Castillo Fernandez says global issues are caused by breakdown in rules-based order rather than Western alliances clashing with Eastern pacts

Special envoy Maria Castillo Fernandez sees the EU’s partnership with the Indo-Pacific as one of true engagement and commitment in the midst of overlapping global crises.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suggestions that tensions over the Strait of Hormuz reflect a clash between Western and Eastern blocs are inaccurate, according to a European Union envoy.

The EU’s special envoy to the Indo-Pacific, Maria Castillo Fernandez, said the current instability was the result of a world of “might makes right”, where power governs trade and security instead of rules and laws.

“It’s not about a Western or Eastern alliance,” she said in an interview with FMT. “We are in a very critical moment where there is an enormous erosion of multilateralism and international rule-based order.”


Fernandez said the real risk the world faces now is a situation in which countries abandon agreed upon rules and rely instead on force.

“We need a world with rules. We need a world where, once we commit to rules, we stick to them. Otherwise, it will be a law of the jungle, of the one who has more force wins.

“Middle countries and middle democracies would not be able to survive,” the diplomat warned.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Iran, Israel and the US has heightened concerns over disruptions to energy supplies and maritime trade routes passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Closer to home, the Straits of Malacca — one of the world’s busiest and most critical maritime routes — faces similar vulnerabilities.

While the Straits of Malacca is shorter than the Hormuz Strait, Fernandez said, the sea route serves as a key passageway for much of the world’s trade, reflecting the importance of upholding international maritime laws.

She pointed out that the current rules-based order includes various laws covering nuclear non-proliferation to the Paris Agreement on climate change, and even the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — the latter having been used to reject Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.

“We have to uphold international rules. It is key and existential for all of us,” she added.

Fernandez also stressed that Europe and the Indo-Pacific are deeply interconnected, with crises in one region quickly affecting the other.

“Whatever happens on this side of the world has an impact on us. Whatever happens in Europe has an impact here — whether it is a war, a health crisis like Covid-19, or an energy crisis caused by a conflict.”

She said the EU’s partnership with the Indo-Pacific is one of true engagement and commitment at a time of overlapping global crises.

The EU–Indo-Pacific pact currently spans trade and investment deals, as well as cooperation in renewable energy, digital, and other areas.

“If you see all we have done — digital partnerships, security partnerships, green alliances, agreements for science and innovation, free trade agreements with many of the partners in the region — it’s a lot of substance and it touches people,” she pointed out.

No topless dancing, please. We’re Malaysians

No topless dancing, please. We’re Malaysians


2 HOURS AGO


The Rain Rave Water Music Festival over the Labour Day weekend has shown that we do not need self-appointed champions of morality to tell us how to behave in a proper manner

The much deliberated on water festival has come and gone, and the country and people are none the worse for it.

While revellers were busy getting drenched, money was flowing into our economy.


Estimates of the number of participants at the Rain Rave Water Music Festival 2026 range from 80,000 to as high as 180,000, with tourists accounting for 20% to 25% of them.

Even as the most conservative estimate, that would roughly be 20,000 to 40,000 additional foreign visitors to KL over the Labour Day weekend.


Tourists don’t stay for just one event. Some may already be on the way to Langkawi, Penang or Kelantan where they will spend even more money.

That, according to some estimates, is likely to leave an additional RM200 million into the country’s economy.

The main beneficiaries are the hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and retail outlets, not just in the city but also across the country.

For businesses, that would have been a welcome change from worries about the impact of a war being fought thousands of miles away.


Everyone benefits. What is so immoral about that?


Plenty, if you are a self-proclaimed guardian of righteousness. And we have many of them in our midst, most of whom are in the business of politicising everything, citing religious taboos or societal standards to back their arguments.

But most of them sound more irrational than logical.

PAS has described it as a large-scale disco that does not align with Malaysian culture or Islamic values.


If it is a misalignment with our culture, how was the Songkran water festival staged in PAS-ruled Kedah on April 18 in tune with our values — religious or cultural?

How is having fun while getting drenched in KL any less okay than doing the same in Kedah?

The moral policing by our self-appointed defenders of virtue is not confined to water festivals.

Various foreign artistes have faced opposition or had their concerts cancelled based on our standards of decency in their attire or their music. Even those who agree to abide by our dress code have had the door shut on them anyway.

For instance, PAS Youth objected to Selena Gomez’s 2016 performance based on allegations that she promoted “Western culture and hedonism”.

Heavy metal band Megadeth had its concert cancelled and its CDs removed from the shelves in 2001 based on our moral police’s perception that they portrayed a negative image.

Fans of these musicians end up spending thousands of ringgit flying to Singapore or Manila to watch these performances. That’s foreign exchange lost.

Imagine the economic benefits we could have reaped by welcoming Singaporeans, Indonesians and Filipinos to dance to the same music in KL or Penang.

What impact such restrictions will have on our Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign is anyone’s guess.

But who are we, with all our sins, to judge?

***

In today's Malaysian weather, having water-festivals with the participants getting cooled by being fun-drenched is a brilliant idea. More of it please and frigg the detractors.

Iran says had ‘no pre-planned programme’ to attack UAE

Iran says had ‘no pre-planned programme’ to attack UAE

Iran denied any pre-planned attack on the oil facilities, blaming US military 'adventurism' aimed at creating an illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and said Washington must be held accountable

The latest strike injured three Indian nationals at the energy installation, with the UAE calling the Iranian barrage a ‘dangerous escalation’. (AFP pic)

TEHRAN: Iran had “no pre-planned programme” to attack oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iranian state TV said Monday, after the UAE blamed the Islamic republic for a drone strike at an energy installation in Fujairah.

Authorities in the emirate said the strike injured three Indian nationals who were taken to hospital. The UAE meanwhile said it had been targeted by a fresh Iranian barrage which it described as a “dangerous escalation”, amid a ceasefire in the Middle East war.

“The Islamic Republic had no pre-planned programme to attack the oil facilities in question, and what happened was the product of the US military’s adventurism to create a passage for ships to illegally pass through the forbidden passages of the Strait of Hormuz, and the US military must be held accountable for it,” an Iranian military official told state TV.


“US officials must end the ugly behaviour of using force in the diplomatic process and stop military adventurism in this sensitive oil region that affects the economies of all countries in the world.”

US President Donald Trump had announced on Sunday a plan to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a humanitarian effort to help their stranded crews.


Iran’s navy fired “warning shots” at US warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media said, after the American military sent destroyers into the Gulf.

Trump said US forces had “shot down” seven small Iranian military boats. A US admiral earlier said six such vessels were destroyed, but Tehran denied any had been sunk.

Simplified: Why Tuanku Muhriz is legally still the Negeri Sembilan ruler, and why Undangs’ attempt to ‘sack’ him is invalid, experts say

Simplified: Why Tuanku Muhriz is legally still the Negeri Sembilan ruler, and why Undangs’ attempt to ‘sack’ him is invalid, experts say



Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir should still remain the Negeri Sembilan ruler, based on the Negeri Sembilan state constitution, legal experts have said. — Picture by Yusof Isa

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 7:00 AM MYT

• The four “Undangs” or ruling chiefs of Negeri Sembilan have to follow the procedures in the state’s Constitution, legal experts said.
• Based on the Negeri Sembilan State Constitution, the Undangs’ recent attempt to “sack” Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as Negeri Sembilan’s Yang di-Pertuan Besar is invalid.
• This is because procedures in the State Constitution were not followed, constitutional experts said.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Over the past few weeks, Negeri Sembilan was rocked by an attempt by four traditional ruling chiefs (“Undangs”) to remove the state ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

But legal and constitutional experts have said that this attempted removal of Tuanku Muhriz is invalid, and that he is legally still the ruler of Negeri Sembilan.

Here are six things you need to know:

1. Firstly, who are the Undangs and what role do they play?

Based on the Adat Perpatih or custom practised in Negeri Sembilan, there are four Undangs or ruling chiefs for four traditional territories (Sungai Ujong, Rembau, Jelebu, Johol).

Under Negeri Sembilan’s written State Constitution, the Undangs’ roles include electing the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and being able to call for him to temporarily withdraw or permanently give up his position.

The Yang di-Pertuan Besar is Negeri Sembilan’s ruler, and this position is equivalent to that of the Sultans of other states.

When asked by Malay Mail, both former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus and constitutional lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar confirmed this:

• The Undangs have to carry out their roles and functions according to the Negeri Sembilan State Constitution.
• The Undangs have to act according to the procedures in the State Constitution.

In summarising the entire situation in Negeri Sembilan, former Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof said the Negeri Sembilan state constitution must be followed, as the provisions inside are not just “formalities” but would ultimately determine what is legal and valid.

“The current controversies are not merely a matter of adat, but involves interpretations of constitutional provisions in the State Constitution, some expressly stated,” he told Malay Mail, adding that he based his views regarding this issue on accepted principles of constitutional interpretation.

“Where words in the Constitution are clear, they must be given effect to promote the intention behind these words.

“It is not a question of mere formality to be ignored, but one of legality and ultimately validity,” said Ariff, who is also a former Dewan Rakyat Speaker.

2. How did the Undangs try to ‘sack’ Tuanku Muhriz?

On April 17, the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar announced that Datuk Mubarak Dohak was no longer the Undang of Sungai Ujong, based on a meeting by the “Dewan Keadilan dan Undang” (“The Council of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Ruling Chiefs”) where the Yang di-Pertuan Besar was present and led.

Just two days later, Mubarak and three Undangs declared — in a video streamed “live” on Facebook — that Tuanku Muhriz was purportedly “sacked” or deposed, and also named a new ruler.

But Hishamudin said Tuanku Muhriz remains the Negeri Sembilan ruler: “The declaration was not valid. The declaration, since it was not valid, has no effect on the position of His Highness. In other words, His Highness is still the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.”

3. What does the law say about the procedure to remove a Negeri Sembilan ruler?

Based on the State Constitution’s Article X, the Undangs can ask the Negeri Sembilan ruler to temporarily withdraw or permanently give up his position and powers — but only if one of four conditions have been met.

And how will the Undangs decide if any of these four conditions are met?

There must be a “full and complete enquiry”.

Hishamudin said the Undangs’ April 19 move to attempt to remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar under Article X is “unprecedented” in the state’s centuries-old history.

“It has never happened before in the history of Negeri Sembilan, ever since the installation at Penajis, Rembau, in 1773 by the Undangs of the invited Minangkabau Prince, Raja Melewar, from the Pagaruyung kingdom, as the first Yang di-Pertuan Besar.”

4. What should a “full and complete enquiry” look like?

Imtiaz said that there are no court decisions on how Article X should be interpreted, including what a “full and complete enquiry” covers.

“However, it stands to reason that the enquiry must be one which is carried out in a manner which entails the Ruler being given a right to be heard and the Undangs having considered all relevant matters.”

Pointing out the seriousness of removing the Negeri Sembilan ruler as it would involve a loss of powers and affect his reputation, Imtiaz said a ruler should have a chance to answer allegations against him in a hearing before an impartial panel.

“A determination that the Ruler is to be removed on grounds of an alleged defect would self-evidently deprive the Ruler of vested powers and privileges, as well as have a bearing on his reputation, and he would thus be entitled to a determination which accords with law and the rules of natural justice i.e. a right to be heard before an impartial tribunal,” he said.

Imtiaz pointed out that the Federal Constitution’s Article 8(1), which guarantees the right to equal protection of the law and equality before the law, “applies to all persons”.



Constitutional lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said a ‘full and complete enquiry’ should mean an impartial hearing for a Negeri Sembilan ruler.—Picture by Shafwan Zaidon



Based on practices of the courts and tribunals, Hishamudin said the words “full and complete” enquiry on such a grave matter as the removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar can only mean this: “There must be a proper formal inquiry that complies with the necessary procedure to ensure that justice is not only done, but must be seen to be done.

“The rules of natural justice must be strictly adhered to. This means that any Undang that has an interest in the case must recuse himself,” he said.

Hishamudin said “it is obvious” that Mubarak should have recused himself from participating in the Undangs’ decision-making process to remove the Negeri Sembilan ruler.

This is because Mubarak’s May 13, 2025 removal as Undang by the Sungai Ujong adat authority had subsequently been confirmed via an April 17 advice of the Dewan Keadilan and Undang presided by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

“Datuk Mubarak is disputing his removal. That makes him a person having an interest in the Undangs’ decision against His Highness. It is a basic principle of law that no man shall be a judge of his own cause.

“Further, the Undangs conducting the inquiry must ensure that the complaints or allegations against His Highness are not frivolous,” he said.

Hishamudin added that the allegations or complaints to be considered by the Undangs in the enquiry must only be on the four matters specifically listed in Article X(1).

Hishamudin, however, also said there has been no news reports on what are the allegations against the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, or whether the Undangs had ever carried out any enquiry.

Based on basic principles of administrative law and similar procedures by tribunals in the process to remove persons in high places, Hishamudin also explained the process that should be present in a “full and complete enquiry” by the Undangs:

“For the purpose of the enquiry, the relevant witnesses relied upon by the Undangs must be called and carefully examined to ensure their credibility. The relevant incriminating documents (if any) must be carefully scrutinised as to their authenticity and contents.

“The rule of natural justice must be observed. This means that His Highness should be given an opportunity to appear at the inquiry; to know what are the charges against him, to cross examine the witnesses and to inspect the documents (if any). His Highness should have the right to engage a counsel and to reply to all the allegations, including the calling of witness to testify on his behalf,” he said.

Previously, Ariff said the Menteri Besar’s position of not recognising the Undangs’ “declaration” to remove Tuanku Muhriz is “constitutionally and legally correct”, as the constitutional requirements under Article X(1) — including to have a full and complete enquiry — appear to have been ignored.



Former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus said the failure to have a valid written joint proclamation by the Undangs and Menteri Besar would make the removal of a ruler invalid. ‘Under the hands’ typically means a document needs to be signed. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa


5. What is this requirement for a “proclamation” by the Undangs and MB?

Under the Negeri Sembilan State Constitution’s Article X, a “proclamation” has to be issued “under the hands of the Undangs and the Menteri Besar” on the temporary withdrawal from duties or abdication of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

Hishamudin said this would “obviously” need to be a written proclamation and that “it must be gazetted for public information”.

“No, it is not just a formality. The Proclamation is an important piece of instrument. Without a Proclamation signed by the Yang Teramat Mulia (YTM) Undangs and the Hon. Menteri Besar, any decision made by the YTM Undangs pursuant to Article X(1) has no force of law,” he said when explaining how this would result in any move to remove a ruler having no legal effect.

Imtiaz also said such a proclamation “must be in writing”, highlighting that this would ensure the power to remove a ruler is exercised properly as the menteri besar would not be involved in the enquiry of the ruler.

“I do not think this requirement can be dismissed as a mere formality. The requirement that it be under the hands of the Undangs and the MB (who is not part of the tribunal) points to this being a part of the checks and balances under Article X to ensure that the power is invoked properly and for proper purpose,” he said.

6. No ‘full and complete enquiry’, no valid ‘proclamation’ = Ruler’s removal is invalid

Asked whether the Undangs’ declaration to remove Tuanku Muhriz was valid, Imtiaz said this would depend on whether Mubarak was removed as an Undang, as there could not have been a valid enquiry if he was no longer an Undang.

“If Datuk Mubarak participated notwithstanding his removal (assuming this to be the case), then the enquiry and the decision reached would not have been valid as, in effect, a non-undang was involved. As I recall, his statement on 19th April implied that he had been involved,” he said.

If the process and decision to remove Tuanku Muhriz were not valid, then the remaining three Undangs can carry out a fresh enquiry, he said.

But if Mubarak had not been removed, then the validity of the bid to remove the Negeri Sembilan ruler would depend on whether Article X had been complied with, Imtiaz said.

The Undangs’ declaration to remove Tuanku Muhriz would be invalid regardless of Mubarak’s status, if there was no “full and complete enquiry” and if there was no valid “proclamation”, Hishamudin said.

“The absence of the two points alone would be enough to make the purported ‘proclamation’ by the Undangs on 19 April 2026 invalid, without the need to take into account the status of YTM Datuk Mubarak,” he said.

Assuming that Mubarak had been validly removed, “that would be an added reason as to why the Undangs’ ‘proclamation’ was invalid”, the ex-judge added.



Recommended reading:

Negeri Sembilan’s unique ruler selection system: Who are the Undang Yang Empat and what role are they playing?

No authority, no validity: Negeri Sembilan MB rejects bid to unseat state Ruler

The death of a Lebanese village: Israel’s demolitions erase Kfar Kila from the map

The death of a Lebanese village: Israel’s demolitions erase Kfar Kila from the map



Israeli forces had destroyed over 90 per cent of homes in Kfar Kila, an Israeli military official told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss security matters. — Reuters pic

Tuesday, 05 May 2026 7:00 AM MYT


BEIRUT, May 5 — In a parking lot strewn with rubbish near Beirut’s Mediterranean coast, Hassan Yahya has taped a cardboard sign to a traffic signal pole beside the tarp tent that now serves as his home.


“Kfar Kila welcomes you,” read the lines scrawled in thin pen.


The flimsy board recalls a signpost that once stood dozens of miles away at the ‌entrance of the centuries-old village of that name. Kfar Kila is one of about a dozen villages along Lebanon’s southern border that have been progressively flattened by waves of Israeli bombardment over the past two and a half years.

Now, as Israeli forces move in with controlled detonations and bulldozers, the villages are being effectively erased, vibrant communities reduced to lifeless moonscapes.

Like tens of thousands of other southerners, Yahya has watched his ancestral lands transformed into a “buffer zone” that Israel is clearing to secure its border.


In Lebanon, villages occupy a profound psychological and cultural space: centres of gravity where families converge from across the country and world, maintaining roots by investing in homes and forging communal ties to the rhythm ‌of weddings, holidays and olive harvests.

Practically everyone knows their family’s village — “day’a” in the local dialect — even if they left generations ago. The sudden disappearance of these settlements has cut hundreds of thousands adrift.


“It’s like fish, if they leave the water, they die,” said 58-year-old Yahya, squatting on a plastic chair in his tent as a generator thrummed behind him. “We can’t leave. We die.”

Israeli forces say Kfar Kila and other levelled villages are havens for Hezbollah, the political and military movement they have fought since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel of October 7, 2023, hurled the region into conflict.

The Israeli military told Reuters that Kfar Kila had been designated a “flagship village of Hezbollah” and had hosted “extensive terrorist infrastructure”, including in homes and schools. It said Israeli forces had seized more than 90 truck-loads worth of weapons there in 2024 and more this year, adding that the military strived to mitigate harm to civilians. Reuters was unable to independently verify their assertions.

The latest round of fighting, which broke out early last month when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with its attacked ally Iran, has forced 1.2 million Lebanese people from their homes, about a fifth of the population.

To reconstruct life in one of Lebanon’s vanished villages, Reuters spoke to five former residents of Kfar Kila now scattered across the country and used satellite images, social media posts, and photos and videos shared by them and others to see what has become of their communities.

Some of the earliest mentions of Kfar Kila appear in the 10th-century travelogues of the Arab geographer Al-Maqdisi and later in the records of Ottoman tax collectors and colonial-era British surveyors.

Before war erupted in 2023, about 5,500 people lived there, according to Kfar Kila mayor Hassan Sheet. Farming dominated life, the climate supporting crops from wheat and grapes to watermelons, tobacco, tomatoes, parsley, fava beans and olives.

The village prized its olive oil, sold nationwide and drawing buyers from as far as Beirut, he added.

Daily life revolved around bakeries, restaurants and cafes where residents gathered to play cards and trade gossip and jokes. During weddings, the community would come together for a week of feasting funded by gifts to the groom. On ‌the day of Ashura, commemorating the death of the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Imam Hussein, crowds thronged in the village centre, climbing onto rooftops to watch men in medieval dress reenact the Battle of Karbala, where Hussein was killed 1,300 years ago.



Hassan Yahya, a displaced man from Kfar Kila village, hangs the name of his village, Kfar Kila, on his tent in Beirut, Lebanon, April 3, 2026. — Reuters pic



‘It all went up in smoke’

Much of the two decades preceding the ⁠October 7 attacks saw relative prosperity for Kfar Kila, Sheet said. Schools and clinics opened, literacy rose, roads to the city of Nabatieh and other nearby hubs ⁠expanded horizons. Expats sent money home from Europe, the Gulf and Africa.

Yahya’s brother’s children, who lived in Sweden, built a house beside the Fatima Gate, a historic border crossing which became a local attraction as restaurants ⁠sprang up near a replica of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock and a graffiti-covered wall ⁠built by Israel along the frontier. Yahya himself built a three-storey house ⁠of cement and stone in the village, and installed an oven in the basement to serve pastries to friends.

Within days of the attacks, though, Hezbollah launched a “war of support” for Hamas, firing missiles into Israel. The Israeli border town of Metula was particularly heavily hit, with hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed, according to Israeli media outlets.

Israel responded with a ferocious air and ground campaign, concentrated heavily in the south. By January 2024, Kfar Kila was nearly empty, Sheet said.

In the months that followed, Israel said it destroyed dozens of underground structures and hundreds of Hezbollah weapons found in the village.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly condemned the village demolitions and denied ⁠the group places military infrastructure in areas where civilians live. Its media office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the demolitions and the Israeli military’s statement about Kfar Kila.

Before the war, Hezbollah made no secret of its plans to invade northern Israel, even inviting reporters to observe its fighters simulate such an attack, and described its tunnel network as extensive. At least one of four tunnels found by Israel in 2018 ran from Kfar Kila under the border and up to Metula.

Soon after the conflict broke out, Yahya went north from Kfar Kila before ending up in Beirut. His neighbour and childhood friend, Kheder Hammoud, settled near the Syrian border. Grocery store owner Jameel Fawwaz, whose shop and home were destroyed, fled first to the southern town of Habbouch and later to a school in the coastal city of Sidon that sheltered hundreds of people who had lost their homes.

“It all went up in smoke,” Fawwaz said, sitting by a wall at the school bearing dozens of paper signs put on display by displaced residents to remember the names of villages hit by the war, including Kfar Kila.

Iran war brings fresh pain

A ceasefire in November 2024 prompted some residents to return. But by then nearly 85 per cent of ⁠buildings in Kfar Kila had been destroyed, Sheet said. Among them was the newly built home of Yahya’s extended family, completed just before the war.

A few residents, including Hammoud, set up prefabricated homes near the ruins, hoping to rebuild. In February this year, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Kfar Kila and promised impatient residents that reconstruction would start soon.

Instead, war returned within a month. This time, Israeli forces used controlled demolitions and bulldozers.

In one video, verified by Reuters and first posted on social media in late March, ⁠an earthmover can be seen moving on the western outskirts of the village. Reuters could not confirm who was operating the machine.

By late April, Israeli forces had destroyed over 90 per cent of homes in Kfar Kila, an Israeli military official told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss security matters.

With little hope of returning soon, many former ⁠Kfar Kila residents now rely on sporadic calls ⁠to maintain ties. When someone dies, Yahya said, “We just pick up the phone. That’s it.” Marriages, if they happen at all, often take place without fanfare, Sheet said.

Though Israel says the buffer zone is temporary, many Lebanese fear it will become permanent. The Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war, was annexed in 1981. The West Bank, captured from Jordan in the same war, is now home to hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers.

One day this month, Hammoud drove his battered sedan from the northern mountains to the Beirut parking lot to visit Yahya.

They paced together, Hammoud leaning on his late mother’s walking stick, one of the few items salvaged from his home, and recalling ‌the days of their youth.

“Everything in the old village has meaning and significance for us — the historic houses, our family’s homes, the homes of our ancestors,” he said. “These things are impossible to bring back.”

Sheet, the mayor, echoed this as he sat in his uncle’s home in a village in the country’s central mountains, where he’d taken refuge.

“There’s a spiritual connection, psychological connection, a connection with your roots - a very strong one. This is fundamental for Kfar Kila,” he said. “It’ll take time, for sure, but when we get back, we’ll rebuild.”

He paused.

“This isn’t just talk,” he said. “We’re going back.” — Reuters

‘Profound sense of betrayal’ as UK govt blocks ‘UK degrees’ from Malaysia

‘Profound sense of betrayal’ as UK govt blocks ‘UK degrees’ from Malaysia


Recent changes in the recognition of degrees offered by British university franchises overseas are leaving students stranded and crushing the reputation of UK universities

For decades, UK universities have marketed their degree courses in Malaysia on the promise of a prestigious British qualification at a fraction of the cost of studying in the UK.

Through this UK transnational education (TNE) model, 43,155 Malaysian students pursued UK qualifications in 2023-24. Yet, a recent legislative pivot in London has left nearly 850 medical students at Newcastle University Malaysia (NUMed) in limbo.


On March 5, 2026, the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act fundamentally altered eligibility for the UK Foundation Programme (UKFP), the mandatory two-year bridge for medical graduates to achieve full UK General Medical Council (GMC) registration.


While the degree awarded by NUMed in Johor is marketed as “equivalent” to the UK degree, the new law requires a “physical presence”. Training posts are now reserved exclusively for students who complete their studies within the UK.


For the current graduating cohort of 107 NUMed students and the 750 following them, this creates a “policy wall”. They have been relegated to a “reserve list”, which is effectively a career dead end in a system where UK-based graduates fill available slots.

The financial implications are staggering. Malaysian students at NUMed pay almost RM500,000 for the five-year programme and international students pay nearly RM700,000. The university’s revenue from these cohorts is estimated between RM494 million and RM527 million.

For the 40% to 50% international students there is no exit strategy. They are excluded from the UK system by the 2026 Act and barred from the Malaysian healthcare system due to rigid citizenship requirements for local housemanships.

This creates a “vacancy paradox”. Malaysia has a shortage of medical staff, with over 5,000 vacant housemanship spots in the ministry of health system. Despite being trained locally, these international NUMed graduates represent a trapped pool of talent. They are highly trained “stranded assets” who cannot be deployed to address local shortages due to a lack of regulatory coordination.


While NUMed is not responsible for the changes in British law, it is responsible for the transparency of the “product” it sells. If a qualification no longer provides the professional access to the UK as it once did, the recruitment narrative must reflect that diminished utility.

Internal guidance suggests that students on the reserve list are simply advised to “look at different countries”. For students who enrolled under the explicit promise of a pathway to the UK National Health Service (NHS), this is a profound departure from the marketed value.

Continuing aggressive recruitment ramping up batches to 170 students despite the legislative lockout, raises serious questions regarding institutional responsibility and consumer protection.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one student said, “there is a profound sense of betrayal”, among the NUMed students. “We invested years and significant fees into a UK-accredited degree, only to be retroactively devalued and left professionally stranded.”


A spokesperson for NUMed said: “We recognise that the UK government’s recent changes to medical training prioritisation in the UK are deeply distressing and unsettling for our students, particularly those who had hoped to pursue their careers in the UK.

“We have consistently been clear that access to postgraduate training is not guaranteed. However, we fully acknowledge that the ability of many graduates to progress into the UK Foundation Programme in recent years has understandably shaped student expectations.

“Our immediate priority is to support our students by helping them explore all available options.”

If this continues, “UK universities” in Malaysia risk being viewed not as “golden ticket” agencies to a global career but as “Willy Wonka’s Certificate Factories” selling diplomas leading to a career graveyard. This must end before UK universities in Malaysia lose their credibility entirely.

Modi's BJP conquers Bengal, one of India's toughest political frontiers

Modi's BJP conquers Bengal, one of India's toughest political frontiers

2 hours ago
Soutik Biswas

India correspondent

Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a road show in support of BJP candidates in Bengal


For years, India's West Bengal state was the great exception to Narendra Modi's political advance.

His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had swept through India's Hindi-speaking heartland, expanded into the west and north-east, and overwhelmed once-formidable regional rivals. Yet Bengal - argumentative and steeped in a self-image of cultural exceptionalism - remained stubbornly resistant.

That made this state election unusually consequential. With more than 100 million people, West Bengal's electorate is larger than Germany's, turning its election into something closer to a nation choosing a government than a routine Indian state poll.

Monday's BJP victory there would rank among the most significant breakthroughs of Modi's 12-year reign. It is not merely the defeat of a three-term incumbent, but the completion of the party's long march into eastern India.

"Winning Bengal is a big victory for the BJP - a land of promise that has long eluded its grasp," says author and journalist Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.

Monday produced an extraordinary political churn across India's south as well.

Hindustan Times via Getty Images

A defeat in Bengal would end Mamata Banerjee's 15-year rule in the state

Modi's party headed for victory in West Bengal state


In Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin's DMK government was swept aside by actor-turned-politician Vijay and his fledgling TVK party, marking the dramatic return of film-star politics to the state.

In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) defeated the Left Democratic Front (LDF) after two consecutive terms, ending the last remaining Communist-led state government in India. Only in Assam did the BJP buck the broader anti-incumbent tide and retain power, while the party and its allies also held on to the federal territory of Puducherry.

Yet nowhere were the results more politically significant than in Bengal.

The state has seen only one change of government in nearly half a century: the Communist Left Front ruled for 34 years before the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by the firebrand populist Mamata Banerjee, dominated the next 15 years until now. Political scientists have long described Bengal as a system that favours "hegemonic" parties.

Analysts see the outcome not as a sudden upheaval but as the culmination of a decade-long political project. Unlike the BJP's rapid rise in Tripura or its earlier breakthrough in Assam, Bengal was never a lightning conquest.

"The BJP has been a major force in Bengal for three successive elections, consistently polling around 39% of the popular vote," says Rahul Verma, who is a fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.

Once it established itself near the 39-40% mark, he argues, "the party really needed only another 5-6% to cross the line". Voting trends show the BJP mopping up more than 44% of the vote this time.

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Exit polls had predicted a tight contest between the BJP and Trinamool Congress



What makes the result particularly striking is that the BJP achieved this despite still lacking the kind of deep organisational machinery that regional parties historically required to win Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress retained a denser grassroots network and the charismatic dominance of Banerjee. Yet the BJP repeatedly sustained a commanding vote share despite allegations of rival political intimidation and the challenge of taking on one of India's most entrenched regional parties.

"That suggests," Verma says, "the party's support now extends beyond the limits of its relatively thin organisational structure."


So what shifted the election so sharply towards the BJP?

For years, Banerjee's party forged a formidable social coalition: women, Muslims and large sections of the Hindu vote across both rural and urban Bengal.

Women, in particular, formed the backbone of the party's welfare-driven politics. The Lokniti-CSDS post-poll survey in 2021 found the TMC's support among women touching 50% - four percentage points higher than among men - reflecting the impact of years of female-focused welfare schemes and Banerjee's efforts to expand women's political representation.

This time, however, the BJP sought to directly challenge that advantage by promising larger cash transfers and expanded welfare benefits of its own.

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Home Minister Amit Shah spearheaded the BJP's campaign in West Bengal


"Banerjee's long electoral success rested on a delicate equilibrium between welfare and organisation. But the very organisation that sustained her for 15 years also became her Achilles' heel," says political scientist Bhanu Joshi.

"That balance broke down as the party machinery weakened and welfare politics appeared to reach its limits - voters began to see benefits as routine rather than transformative.

"The BJP's opening was to translate this anti-TMC fatigue into a sharper language of Hindu consolidation. So this is not simply a story of welfare failing; it is a story of welfare and organisation no longer being strong enough to contain polarisation," says Joshi.

The election also once again highlighted the centrality of Muslim voters to Bengal's political arithmetic, even if the precise contours of voting patterns remain unclear.

Muslims make up roughly 27% of the population, and nearly a third of the state's seats have substantial Muslim populations.

In 2021, the TMC swept 84 of 88 Muslim-dominated seats, reflecting a broad consolidation behind Banerjee. While early indications suggest the party retained significant Muslim support this time too, the BJP has increasingly sought to offset that advantage through wider Hindu consolidation and competing welfare promises.

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The BJP has made significant inroads into Kolkata and other urban regions



"The BJP combined an aggressive welfare pitch with sharper polarisation. It promised to double cash benefits, while visible communalisation consolidated sections of the Bengali Hindu vote behind the party," says Maidul Islam, a political scientist at Kolkata's Centre for Studies in Social Sciences.

BJP leaders, however, framed the result less as ideological consolidation than as a rejection of the Trinamool Congress itself.

The TMC created a "crisis of leadership for itself," BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan told one news network. He accused the party of "arrogance" and claimed that "voters, particularly women angered by atrocities and law-and-order failures, had decisively rejected the Trinamool Congress".

The other elephant in the room was the fiercely contested revision of Bengal's electoral rolls.

The Election Commission said the exercise, known as the special intensive revision, was intended to clean up voter lists by removing duplicate or ineligible names.

But with nearly three million voters still awaiting tribunal decisions before polling, Banerjee along with activists and civil society groups alleged that Bengal had effectively gone into the election after a "mass disenfranchisement exercise". This, they said, had disproportionately affecting poor and minority voters, especially Muslims and migrant communities in border districts.

Analysts say the exercise is now likely to come under even sharper scrutiny in closely fought seats where victory margins are much narrower than the number of deleted voters. "The revision of polls will come into play [once the results are in]," politician and activist Yogendra Yadav told NDTV news network.

But the electoral-roll controversy alone cannot explain the scale of the BJP's surge, many believe.

What also worked in the party's favour was a tightly focused campaign centred on alleged corruption and governance failures within the Trinamool Congress, hammering scandals such as a teachers' recruitment scam rather than relying primarily on personal attacks against Banerjee.

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BJP supporters celebrating the results of Bengal elections on Monday


With the BJP firmly on course for victory, the implications will extend far beyond Bengal.

Unlike in neighbouring Bihar, where the party governs through alliances, or even Odisha, where its 2024 breakthrough came against a weakened regional incumbent, a victory in Bengal would represent a standalone conquest of one of India's most politically formidable states.

"It would strengthen Modi enormously," says Mukhopadhyay.

"More than Odisha, this would be seen as a personal political victory not only for Narendra Modi, but also for Home Minister Amit Shah, who effectively ran the campaign."

Within the BJP, Shah would almost certainly emerge as the informal "man of the match" - echoing the way Modi elevated him after the party's landmark victory in Uttar Pradesh in 2014.

A Bengal breakthrough could also reshape the BJP's succession politics, says Mukhopadhyay.

It would reinforce Shah's standing as Modi's most likely heir, potentially placing him ahead of rivals such as Yogi Adityanath, Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh in the party's next-generation power hierarchy.

That would make Bengal's verdict consequential far beyond the state itself.

For decades, Bengal prided itself on resisting the political currents reshaping the rest of India.

Now that the BJP has finally breached one of India's most enduring regional strongholds, it may mark not just the end of an era in Bengal, but the beginning of a new phase in the Modi project itself.