Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the threat to civilisation does not stem from a loss of access to knowledge — of which there is now a glut — but from society’s waning love and patience for reading, reflecting, and thinking critically and deeply. — Bernama pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 10:02 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The decline of reading culture and the rise of shallow thinking in the digital age are pressing challenges that could threaten the future of civilisation, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the prime minister shared his thoughts after taking time to read the latest work by James Marriott, titled The New Dark Ages: The End of Reading and the Dawn of a Post-Literate Society.
He said the threat to civilisation does not stem from a loss of access to knowledge — of which there is now a glut — but from society’s waning love and patience for reading, reflecting, and thinking critically and deeply.
“We may be increasingly wealthy in information, yet impoverished in wisdom. The question, therefore, is not merely whether humanity still reads, but whether humanity still wants to think,” he said.
Reflecting on history, Anwar recalled society’s deep reverence for intellectual and literary traditions upon the death of great French writer Victor Hugo in 1885, which saw around two million people gather in Paris to pay their last respects.
He said a similar scene unfolded following the death of renowned Russian literary giant Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1881, when tens of thousands joined his funeral procession in Saint Petersburg, demonstrating how deeply society at the time valued literature, culture, intellectual traditions, and thought.
“Neither of them was a king nor a victorious warlord, but they were thinkers and scholars whose ideas resonated deeply in the hearts and minds of society,” he added. — Bernama
Picture for illustration purposes only. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) said 1,522 cases were recorded in the first quarter (January to March), with the number rising to 2,059 in the second quarter (April to June). — Freepik pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 8:56 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The Social Welfare Department (JKM) recorded a total of 3,581 cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse involving children in the first six months of this year.
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) said 1,522 cases were recorded in the first quarter (January to March), with the number rising to 2,059 in the second quarter (April to June).
The ministry disclosed the figures in a written reply published on the Parliament website today in response to a question from Sabri Azit (PN-Jerai) on child abuse and neglect cases recorded in the first and second quarters of 2026, as well as the number of cases brought to court.
KPWKM also highlighted an upward trend in cases involving child neglect and abandonment during the same period.
“JKM recorded 987 cases of abandonment, including child neglect, in the first quarter of 2026. The number rose to 1,292 in the second quarter, bringing the total to 2,279 cases for the first half of the year,” the ministry said.
KPWKM also said that as of June 2026, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had opened 867 investigation papers into child abuse cases, with 267 cases brought to court.
The ministry stressed that it remained committed to safeguarding children’s welfare and safety through JKM, in accordance with the provisions of the Child Act 2001 (Act 611).
It said JKM was responsible for rescuing victims, arranging safe accommodation and providing rehabilitation support.
The department had also stepped up efforts under the Child Protection Advocacy Programme: KASIH Kanak-Kanak since 2023, KPWKM said.
“A total of 220 KASIH Kanak-Kanak programmes were conducted at 220 schools between January and September 2026, involving 57,012 participants comprising children, parents and teachers.
“Since 2023, the programme has been implemented at 1,244 schools and 74 children’s activity centres, involving more than 270,000 participants,” the ministry said.
KPWKM urged the public to report cases of child neglect or abuse through the 24-hour Talian Kasih hotline at 15999 or via WhatsApp at 019-2615999 to facilitate prompt intervention and rescue efforts. — Bernama
Lim Guan Eng said he had received complaints from civil servants who were confused over which navigation app to use following the government’s ban on Waze, which was to be replaced by TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd. — Malay Mail file pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 12:45 PM MYT Last Modified: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 1:26 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng today urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to abandon the TuJu navigation app, find a reliable temporary replacement for Waze and hold an open tender for young Malaysians to design a new road navigation application.
The DAP lawmaker said he had received complaints from civil servants who were confused over which navigation app to use following the government’s ban on Waze, which was to be replaced by TuJu, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and Prosignal Consortium Sdn Bhd.
“TuJu has turned out to be a national embarrassment and failed miserably following the directive to 1.7 million civil servants by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to switch to TuJu over national security concerns,” he said in a statement today.
Lim said LLM chairman and Simpang Renggam MP Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad had “further muddied the waters” by admitting that TuJu was developed primarily to improve services along tolled highways rather than to compete directly with Waze.
He noted that Hasni had described TuJu as an additional service for tolled highway users, providing traffic updates, information on rest areas, locations of enforcement cameras and emergency assistance contacts, rather than a navigation app covering all roads.
Lim also highlighted Hasni’s remark that TuJu could perhaps be expanded to federal, municipal and village roads in 10 to 15 years.
“In other words, TuJu is not ready now for 1.7 million civil servants,” Lim said.
“Clearly the Prime Minister has been badly misled that TuJu can rival or be an adequate replacement to Waze, especially when TuJu was not selected by open tender,” he added.
Lim questioned how civil servants were expected to find their way around when they could neither use Waze nor rely on TuJu, which he said had since been disabled.
“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should bail out the country’s 1.7 million civil servants by pressing the reset button on seeking an alternative to Waze, by abandoning the failed TuJu and finding a reliable temporary replacement, as well as conducting an open tender for young Malaysians to design a new and effective road navigation application,” he said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this strong support is crucial given that the agency shoulders the heavy responsibility of safeguarding nearly 600,000 square kilometres of the nation’s waters against intrusion and cross-border crime. — Bernama pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 1:19 PM MYT
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 29 — The government remains committed to strengthening the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s (MMEA) air, sea and land asset capabilities to safeguard the country’s maritime borders.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this strong support is crucial given that the agency shoulders the heavy responsibility of safeguarding nearly 600,000 square kilometres of the nation’s waters against intrusion and cross-border crime.
Among the assets the agency will acquire are four new AW189 helicopters, a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship and two additional Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).
“We are allocating a reasonably sufficient budget to ensure that air, sea and even land assets in the form of radar and so on are managed, so that the MMEA knows the government stands firmly behind it in carrying out its major duties. That is the message I want to convey.
“If our air assets are ageing, that will certainly affect the MMEA’s ability to deliver or carry out its tasks,” he said at the Home Ministry’s (KDN) Monthly Assembly and Innovation Day celebration here today.
Also present were Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Awang Alik Jeman, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail and MMEA director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah.
Saifuddin Nasution said the government is committed to completing the construction of two more OPVs to strengthen the agency’s operations.
“Hundreds of millions have already been spent — the project cannot just be left abandoned halfway. The message I want to deliver this year is, first, that no one can question the government’s seriousness in helping the MMEA strengthen its asset capability,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution also extended his condolences to the family of MMEA member Senior Maritime Officer (Technical) Mohd Roshaimi Mohd Ridzuan, 41, who died in a boat collision off Perlis on Tuesday.
“We pray that he is received as a martyr, because he died while defending the country’s security,” he said.
Mohd Roshaimi was killed, while three other personnel were injured after the boat they were in was believed to have struck a concrete structure in the waters off Kuala Sungai Padang near Kuala Perlis.
At the time, they were pursuing a boat suspected of carrying undocumented migrants. — Bernama
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain is being redeployed to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). — Bernama pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 12:36 PM MYT Last Modified: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 12:43 PM MYT
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 29 — The Home Ministry has decided to redeploy Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), where he previously served.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the decision concerning Mohd Shuhaily, who was seconded to AKPS, was made last week.
“He was a police officer seconded to AKPS. So, we are returning him to the police force. The police will decide on his next assignment.
“We have decided to return him from his secondment to AKPS to the police force. The decision was made last week,” he told reporters at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly and Innovation Day celebration here today.
Also present were Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Awang Alik Jeman, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah.
When asked who would be appointed to head AKPS, Saifuddin Nasution only replied: “The police.”
Yesterday, Mohd Khalid said Mohd Shuhaily’s position was being reviewed and referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) before a decision was submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He said the matter had also been raised with the Police Force Commission before being submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for consent on further action.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry said in a statement that arrangements concerning Mohd Shuhaily’s service were still being finalised to ensure an orderly process in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures.
The ministry also stressed that ensuring continuity of operations and the smooth execution of AKPS duties remained among its priorities in managing the service matters of its officers.
Mohd Shuhaily was appointed AKPS director-general for a two-year term from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027.
On Oct 21, Mohd Shuhaily pleaded not guilty at the Sepang Magistrate’s Court to two charges of causing injury to two police personnel at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sept 28. — Bernama
Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir (right) and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan walk together after their bilateral meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on October 27, 2026. — AFP pic
First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 10:20 AM MYT
SINGAPORE, Oct 29 — Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto have held high-level communication amid recent bilateral challenges.
Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the communication has established political commitment on both sides to do “what is necessary,” and that the focus now is to implement and execute the plans and commitment.
“I am not at liberty to discuss the details, but just let me give you the assurance that communication has occurred at the highest level between my prime minister and with President Prabowo,” he told Singapore media following the conclusion of his working visit to Indonesia on Wednesday.
He was asked about the state of bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia following recent developments, as well as details of his meeting with Prabowo the same day. The transcript of the interview was made available by Singapore’s Foreign Ministry.
Balakrishnan described his visit to Jakarta as also involving engagement at the highest level, having met his newly appointed counterpart, Indonesia Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, as well as having called on Prabowo.
“We had good conversations, honest conversations, sincere conversations, and we have come up with a few constructive approaches, some of which we are in the midst of implementing.
Balakrishnan said their announcement yesterday (Tuesday) on the Joint Task Force “is a recognition that in the case of haze, it is a transboundary problem and it requires a collegiate, collective response on the part of both Indonesia and Singapore.”
The minister said the task force aims to facilitate a collective response, enhance information sharing, and strengthen coordination to deter companies engaging in such anti-social and, frankly, dangerous acts.
“We can also hold them accountable, and we can try our best to make sure that this does not recur,” he added. — Bernama
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem says the group will continue its resistance and reject disarmament as long as Israel’s occupation and attacks persist.
Naim Qassem said Hezbollah does not concern itself with who governs Israel. (AFP pic)
BEIRUIT: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday the Iran-backed Lebanese movement was not concerned with the results of Israel’s election, vowing to continue its “resistance” against the neighbouring country no matter who wins.
With 85% of ballots counted, the right-wing bloc of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a slight lead over the main opposition bloc, but was still short of a majority after Tuesday’s election.
“We do not concern ourselves with who governs Israel, but let it be perfectly clear that it cannot continue its occupation and must leave our land,” Qassem said in a written statement.
“The resistance will continue… and will stand up to the aggression directed against it and against Lebanon, and there is no room to discuss the disarmament” of Hezbollah “as long as the occupation persists and its aggression continues”, he added.
The group, which once dominated political life in Lebanon, has been weakened by two wars it waged against Israel since 2023.
In June, Lebanese and Israeli authorities signed a framework agreement which involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area.
But Israel continues to carry out sporadic strikes and demolitions in and around the territory it occupies, while Hezbollah refuses to submit to government plans to disarm it.
Michigan could elect the first Muslim senator in US history after a campaign shaped by extraordinary outside spending, attacks on Islam and a fierce argument over Gaza.
The Michigan Senate race between the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, and his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, is this year’s most important election.
It’s significant on a number of levels, not the least of which is that El-Sayed is an Arab American Muslim of Egyptian descent. Prior to this, there have been four Arab Americans elected to the US Senate – former Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME), James Abourezk (D-SD), James Abdnor (R-SD), and John Sununu (R-NH) – none of them Muslim.
If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim in the Senate. This is a breakthrough that hasn’t been lost on Republicans and President Trump, who have made a determined effort to exploit it at every turn. They’ve done TV ads alleging that El-Sayed’s mother was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s. The problem with this charge is that El-Sayed’s parents separated when he was three; she moved back to Egypt and he grew up with his father in Michigan. But when using slanderous attacks to tarnish a candidate is the goal, facts don’t matter. And so, the GOP has persisted in spreading the Muslim Brotherhood lie on social media and by sending paid hecklers to El-Sayed’s campaign events pestering him with questions and comments like: “Will you denounce the Muslim Brotherhood?” A recent exchange of this sort backfired on the Republican instigators.
At a town hall when a young man asked whether El-Sayed would denounce the group, El-Sayed shot back, “Yes, absolutely,” and then pivoted by asking the questioner, “Why are you asking me this?” wanting to know whether it was because of his name and how he prayed. He then made clear that the document to which he would take an oath was the US Constitution and smartly compared the attacks against his religion with those levelled against President Kennedy – that Kennedy would be more loyal to the Catholic pope than to the Constitution. El-Sayed concluded by noting that he wasn’t running to be a Muslim senator, but a senator who happened to be a Muslim.
That exchange went viral on social media, drawing more than 50 million viewers the first night. The next day it was revealed that the heckler was a former staffer for a very conservative anti-Muslim senator. He had been hired by a group that had received a very substantial contract to hire hecklers to disrupt El-Sayed events.
This brings into focus another reason why this election is so important: the role of dark money in American politics. Dark money refers to money raised by ‘super PACs’ and independent expenditure funds that are not required to report donors before elections. This has allowed billionaires and special interest groups to amass large sums and spend them to defame candidates who oppose their agendas. Increasingly, these dark money sources are raising and spending more on campaigns than the candidates raise for themselves.
In the primary, El-Sayed was confronted by dark money expenditures of $70 million ($31 million from pro-Israel groups), much of it on negative attacks against him. Despite being outspent by a margin of 11 to 1, El-Sayed won. In the general election, it is estimated that another $100 million in dark money will be spent against him. If he wins, it will demonstrate the limits of dark money and help advance the argument that dark money should be banned because of its corrosive role in our democracy.
From the beginning of his campaign, El-Sayed has been a clear and consistent critic of US support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza. This was the main reason why so much pro-Israel super PAC money was spent to defeat him. His Democratic primary opponent made support for Israel central to her campaign, at one point emotionally noting how much she loved and would always stand by Israel. Pro-Israel Jewish organisations denounced El-Sayed and did their best to tarnish him, labelling him antisemitic. This succeeded in costing El-Sayed some support from Jewish American Democratic voters. In spite of this attrition, he won the primary, with one pre-election survey saying he had nevertheless retained the support of a bloc of progressive Jewish voters.
Now in the general, El-Sayed is still being confronted by the same attacks and an organised effort among these same pro-Israel groups who are pledging to vote for his opponent. El-Sayed has made it clear that instead of spending billions to buy bombs to kill Palestinians, America’s wealth ought to go to build better schools, provide health care, and provide for people’s needs here at home. While this was once a taboo topic, it has resonated with Democrats and independent voters. This, in itself, is a breakthrough.
Finally, an El-Sayed victory will succeed in advancing a progressive agenda. Despite being attacked as a socialist, he maintains that he is a supporter of capitalism who wants to see it work to meet the needs of people. He makes this point with a mantra he uses to begin his rallies: “Money out of politics, money in your pockets, Medicare for all.”
His arguments are simple: it shouldn’t be easier for a billionaire to make another billion than it is for a family to be lifted out of poverty. Health care should be seen as a human right for all, not a privilege that can only be afforded by some. And instead of spending billions on wars, we need to invest in schools and the quality of life here at home.
These are the challenges El-Sayed presents to our politics. If he wins, he will have succeeded in shattering taboos and raising issues that will have a lasting impact. And even if, God forbid, he loses, our politics will never be the same. On so many levels, this is a historic, transformative campaign.
The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.
James Zogby
Dr. James J. Zogby is the author of Arab Voices (2010) and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organisation which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. Since 1985, Dr. Zogby and AAI have led Arab American efforts to secure political empowerment in the U.S. Through voter registration, education and mobilisation, AAI has moved Arab Americans into the political mainstream.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc has 54 seats and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s camp has 49, with neither reaching the 61-seat majority threshold as 77% of ballots are counted.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc was slightly ahead but still short of a majority in Tuesday’s election, with more than three-quarters of the vote counted. (EPA Images pic)
JERUSALEM: Results from Israel’s hard-fought election pointed Wednesday to no clear winner as a leader of the Arab minority appealed to a hesitant opposition to join forces to end the divisive reign of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
With more than three-quarters of the vote counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc was slightly ahead but still short of a majority in Tuesday’s election, the first since the Oct 7, 2023 attack, which has led Israel to wage war in Gaza and across the region.
Both Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister who is allied with far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, and Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief leading a broad opposition bloc, vowed that they would seek to form the next government.
However, neither looks set to reach the 61-seat threshold for a majority. With 77% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s bloc had 54 of the 120 seats in parliament and Eisenkot’s opposition had 49.
The final results could still change but one place of clear gains was among Israeli Arab lists which were set to jump to 17 seats.
Voters from the community, descendants of Palestinians who stayed after Israel’s creation and who make up around 20% of the population, have been enraged by the Netanyahu government’s ultra-nationalist Jewish vision for the country and the Palestinian territories.
Yousef Jabareen, head of the leftist Arab-majority Joint List, said the Israeli public had voted for new leadership, and “anyone who wants to offer a substantive and genuine alternative to Netanyahu’s blood-soaked government will have to talk to us”.
“It’s either the continuation of racism, the continuation of exclusion and the continuation of supremacy, or a genuine Jewish-Arab partnership,” he said.
Eisenkot has resisted allying with Arab parties. Netanyahu during the campaign relentlessly attacked the opposition by saying it would put Arabs in power, running on the slogan: “Either the Right or Palestine”.
Yair Golan, the head of Israel’s main left-wing party and a member of Eisenkot’s camp, became the first member of the opposition camp to call for an alliance with Arab parties.
“Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120,” Golan said in a social media post.
“We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,” Golan added.
However, Eisenkot’s camp also includes right-wingers who share many of Netanyahu’s hawkish views and have adamantly rejected working with Arab lawmakers.
Arab lawmakers could also give Eisenkot support in parliamentary votes on an ad hoc basis, enabling him to maintain a minority government without joining a coalition, although few observers believe such an arrangement would survive for long.
Iran conflict
A lack of a clear majority for either camp could mean weeks spent trying to cobble together coalitions, with possible new elections on the horizon if negotiations fail.
“Maybe everybody lost in these elections but the Arab parties. And for the Arab parties, it’s unclear that they can make use of their huge success,” Hebrew University of Jerusalem political scientist Gideon Rahat said.
A stalemate could in the immediate term benefit Netanyahu, who would remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot appeared to indicate another factor was on the horizon – a Israeli attack alongside the US on Iran.
Netanyahu ordered bombing campaigns against Iran both last year and earlier this year, reluctantly stopping only after President Donald Trump reached a now-moribund ceasefire.
In the days leading up to the election, Netanyahu repeatedly called for the overthrow of Iran’s government. News reports, which Netanyahu denied, said military top brass pushed back on his plans for pre-election action.
Trump has said that the US is no longer negotiating with Iran but will not attack until after next Tuesday’s US midterm elections, in which his Republican Party is forecast to lose ground.
Speaking to supporters at a rally, Netanyahu said that Israel had a “unique opportunity” with Trump to “forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran”.
Eisenkot in his own post-election appearance warned Israel’s security chiefs that they must serve the national interests and not the political needs of Netanyahu, who is a caretaker prime minister “without a mandate”.
“Netanyahu, don’t you dare use Israel’s security for your political needs,” Eisenkot said.
President’s role
All eyes will be on president Isaac Herzog, who usually keeps a low-key ceremonial role but who must decide whom to task with the first chance to form a government.
Herzog has reportedly supported a unity government, which could take on more urgency if Netanyahu attacks Iran, although Eisenkot has publicly ruled out serving with him.
Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister on and off for more than 19 years, has divided Israeli society.
Facing criminal charges over corruption that he denies, Netanyahu has sought to revamp the judiciary.
He has also allied with far-right champions of extremist settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank with virtual impunity.
Netanyahu is also wanted by the International Criminal Court over Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, where residents expressed uncertainty Wednesday as to what the outcome might mean for them.
“Our fear is that these elections might result in the emergence of an even worse leader and those who are more violent and bloodthirsty,” displaced Gazan Huda al-Houli told AFP.
