Police on the hunt for individual impersonating DIGP Ayob Khan on WhatsApp ‘Friendship Group’ chat

Police on the hunt for individual impersonating DIGP Ayob Khan on WhatsApp ‘Friendship Group’ chat

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the impersonation was discovered in a WhatsApp chat group named ‘FRIENDSHIP GROUP’. — Bernama pic

Monday, 21 Oct 2024 8:18 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Police are tracking down an individual impersonating Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay on WhatsApp.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the impersonation was discovered in a WhatsApp chat group named “FRIENDSHIP GROUP”.


“In the chat group, police detected a message from an individual claiming to be ‘Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin’ and inviting others to join the group.

“The Royal Malaysia Police would like to emphasise that Ayob Khan has never managed any special chat group on WhatsApp,” he said in a statement today.


Rusdi said the actions of the irresponsible individual could cause confusion among the public and potentially damage the image of the police force.


He said police would take firm action and investigate the phone number and individual using the name of the police leadership or anyone else.

Rusdi also advised the public to be careful and not be easily deceived by online scams. — Bernama

Sabah has pulled out of co-hosting SEA Games, says Hannah

FMT: 

Sabah has pulled out of co-

hosting SEA Games, says

Hannah

FMT Reporters

-21 Oct 2024, 10:40 PM

The state decided to withdraw from co-hosting the 2027 edition of the games due to a lack of proper facilities.

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The 2027 SEA Games is expected to cost about RM700 million. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Sabah state government has pulled out of co-hosting the 2027 SEA Games, says youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.

The Sabah government, which earlier agreed to co-host the games with an allocation of RM100.52 million, has decided to withdraw due to a lack of proper facilities,

 she said in a written parliamentary reply.

With the total cost to hold the games estimated at RM700 million, Yeoh reiterated that the Sarawak and Penang governments have committed to allocate RM365 million and RM15 million, respectively, to co-host the games.

The costs of holding the 2027 SEA Games will be jointly borne by the federal government, relevant state governments and corporate bodies,

 she said.

She added that the ministry would hold further discussions with the private and corporate sectors to get them as sponsors.

Yeoh was replying to Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Batu Kawan), who is also Penang chief minister, who asked about the allocations that have been set aside for the SEA Games.

The youth and sports minister previously said Sabah had offered to cover RM100 million to co-host the games.

However, Sabah finance minister Masidi Manjun later said the state government had yet to make any financial commitment involving the games given its inadequate sports facilities.

On Sept 5, the state Cabinet unanimously agreed to consider co-hosting the 2027 edition of the regional games.

'Why announce T15 policies when you haven't even defined group?'

'Why announce T15 policies when you haven't even defined group?'


Published: Oct 21, 2024 3:19 PM


BUDGET 2025 | Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has taken the government to task for referring to the T15 (top 15 percent) income group in the Budget 2025 tabled last Friday even though its parameters have yet to be defined.

In response to Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli saying the T15 classification was being refined, Syed Saddiq (above) questioned why policies impacting the group were being announced at this point.

“How come the government could announce in the budget that the ‘mahakaya’ (extremely rich) enjoys RM8 billion in (RON95) petrol subsidies (a year)?

“Don’t ‘announce first, (and then) think later’. People’s lives are at stake,” he said in a post on X.

In tabling the budget, Prime Minister Anwar said foreigners and the T15 were enjoying some 40 percent of the government’s RON95 subsidies.

He announced that the government would implement targeted RON95 subsidies from the middle of next year, though 85 percent of the population would not be affected.

On education subsidies, Anwar added that the government plans to increase fees for children of the T15 studying in government boarding schools like science institutes - referring to MRSM - as well as in public higher education institutions.

The finance minister said 30 percent of students in these elite schools and public universities are from higher-income families.

Rafizi said yesterday that income classifications including for B40 and T15 would be based on net household income instead of gross household income, and that other factors would also be taken into consideration.

He also said that the government would introduce a two-tier system for RON95 subsidies.

***

kt comments:

Syed is right

Can Madani govt assure Act 355 bill won't affect non-Muslims?

Can Madani govt assure Act 355 bill won't affect non-Muslims?

S Thayaparan
Published: Oct 21, 2024 1:58 PM


“The fact is the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Amendment) Bill will never be enforced on non-Muslims because the act itself states that it only involves Muslims.”

- Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan

COMMENT | RUU355 is coming down the pipeline. Over the decades ever since these amendments were proposed, the religious far right, the deep Islamic state and culture war warriors have been pushing for these amendments as an amelioration of secular democratic first principles.

Indeed in 2018, PAS’ big cheese, Abdul Hadi Awang, said in the party’s muktamar that this project was long in gestation and that it was a virtue of PAS to play the long game - “This proves the determination of PAS, with patience and wisdom (hikmah), to realise this agenda.”

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just last year in the midst of brewing the law in Madaniville claimed that PAS bringing up this issue now that they were in the opposition was just “cheap politics”.

As reported in the press - “That’s not Islamic, that’s cheap politics,” he told the media when asked to comment about PAS asking Putrajaya when it will table the amendments to Act 355.

The prime minister is right though. Why didn’t PAS or Bersatu bring up this issue when they were in power? Keep in mind that Bersatu was accused of being in DAP’s pocket when they would not touch this issue with a 10-foot pole back in the day.

In 2017, then-Umno information chief Annuar Musa as reported in the press said that the failure of Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin in stating the party’s stand could be because he could be overshadowed by the decision of the DAP-dominated opposition pact, which openly rejected the bill.


Why stir issue now?

So rational people have to ask themselves why all these religious uber alles agitators did not want to raise this issue when they were in power.

The answer is simple. They did not want to be in a position of power when this act blew back against the ruling democratic regime. They did not want to be in power when the religious apparatus flexed its power and there was conflict between the civil and religious apparatus of this country.

The question then becomes, why would Anwar want to stir this issue up now? Together with the mufti bill, this only consolidates power with the religious class, which includes PAS and the far religious elements in all mainstream Malaysian parties and further diminishes the influence of the supposedly secular DAP.

And what of the DAP? Lim Guan Eng in 2017 described the “cheap politics” of Umno and its allies and wondered why anyone would continue to support Umno after its mass deception with regard to the political gamesmanship of this Act.

As reported in the press - “Clearly the perks and privileges of government office are more important than principles. Yet, the non-Umno BN component parties try to cover up their failure by pinning the blame on DAP.”

Furthermore, just three years ago, Lim said that Malaysians don’t buy that this Act will not affect non-Muslims.


Religion’s conflict with secularism

Just last year the prime minister made two statements when it came to the religion of the state and its conflict with secular democratic norms.

The first was “There is no issue about complete separation of state and religion because Islam is the religion of the federation, but it is not a theocratic state where you can impose Islamic laws on everybody, including non-Muslims.”

The second was “The majority of Muslims have been told that secularism means complete separation of state and religion based on the influence and experience of the Holy Roman Empire.

“Now, that’s not how Muslims should understand it. The state has secular elements but religious values must be embedded.”

When anyone talks about “embedded” in the Malaysian context, we have to be clear about one thing. What we are talking about is not only legal measures but also norms and observances by not only the federal government but also state governments.

What we are talking about is a bundle of legal, cultural and religious diktats merged with political narratives that determine policy. This has led to numerous cases where non-Muslims have been subject to religious laws over the decades.


Some examples

Here are but a few examples. Non-Muslims have had their children unilaterally converted and kidnapped, with the state security apparatus colluding with the religious bureaucracy to undermine civil law.

Non-Muslims have been prohibited from using certain words deemed appropriate only for Muslims. Non-Muslims have been told who can and cannot enter our religious places of worship.

Non-Muslims economic livelihoods have been threatened by religious policy because our business is deemed haram. Non-Muslims have had religious vigilantes walking around shopping malls demanding we submit to their sensitivities.

Non-Muslim school-going children have been subjected to religious enticement by teachers. Non-Muslim religious texts have been vilified by foreign or local preachers.

Non-Muslim places of worship have been subjected to the scrutiny of provocateurs who claim we are secretly converting Muslims. Non-Muslims have had our religions demonised by the political establishment to secure votes.

Non-Muslim religious personalities have been kidnapped. Non-Muslims have been told that our religious beliefs are a threat to Muslims.

Non-Muslims have been told to dress decently as though they are, by nature, indecent people and little napoleons hold court in government buildings. Non-Muslims have been told that they are the cause of corruption in this country.

Non-Muslims have had their economic livelihood determined by religious dogma. Non-Muslims have been vilified because they engage in the political process.


Consultation?

Hence this farcical idea that laws and religious norms embedded in the political system will not affect non-Muslims is pure horse manure.

Of course, the narrative now is that this Act is not the same as when PAS had advocated for it and apparently non-Muslim stakeholders would be involved in this process.

So wait, non-Muslims have been warned not to interfere in the religion of the state and now we are expected to believe that non-Muslim stakeholders’ input would be considered?

God’s honest truth is that the narrative that religious laws will not affect non-Muslims is merely a talking point. No government will ever give this talking point legal effect.

Indeed no political coalition will ever guarantee that religious laws will not affect non-Muslims. Why, because those who advocate for these kinds of laws understand that religious laws influence and erode democratic guardrails.

That is the plan.



S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

More evidence the MCMC is protecting Crony business interests

Murray Hunter

More evidence the MCMC is protecting Crony business interests

The current management of the MCMC don’t want corporate crony corruption exposed to the public

Oct 17, 2024





The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is being portrayed as a body that is protecting Malaysia against 3R (race, religious, and royalty) comments and hate speech. However, the MCMC is also protecting business cronies against public criticism of greed, scams, corruption and abuse of power.

This is an abuse of Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which deems the MCMC can take action against people and websites that engage in “Improper use of network facilities or services”. Any site which fails to meet this arbitrary defined standard will be subject to criminal measures including imprisonment, raises concerns regarding necessity and proportionality.

Blocking sites acting in the public interest against corruption is an abuse of power by the MCMC.

In February 2016, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) used its powers for the first time to blanket block websites that published content related to Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal.

This practice is now being continued under the present management of the MCMC, which has blocked a website called The Corporate Secret 9 times. Every time the website is revived through a new link, it has been blocked. What does Corporate Secrets publish. Nothing political, nothing about the 3Rs, no hate speech, just exposes of corporate crony corruption and abuses of power.

The Corporate Secret undertakes corporate reporting the mainstream media won’t do. Websites such as The Corporate Secret undertake a great service in exposing corporate corruption in Malaysia. The current management of the MCMC don’t want that.

The MCMC’s reckless suppression of those who expose corporate corruption is not limited to The Corporate Secret. The former MP Wee Choo Keong’s website has also been blocked by the MCMC. What was his crime, exposing corporate corruption. Wee’s site has been blocked for more than a year now. Wee is in the process of taking action against the MCMC, and won a judicial review against them. Wee now operates through X, were the MCMC has very little influence. Have a look, no 3R or hate speech there, just exposes on cronyism and corruption.

Fighting corruption just doesn’t rely upon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) alone. The fight against corruption needs brave and intrepid sites that are willing to do the investigative journalism and exposes for the authorities to take up.

Unfortunately, the MCMC is on the side of the corrupt.

Hamzah: If PM has no income, does his food appear out of thin air?

Hamzah: If PM has no income, does his food appear out of thin air?

Hariz Mohd & N Faizal Ghazali
Published: Oct 21, 2024 8:52 PM


PARLIAMENT | Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin has raised doubt on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that he would not accept his salaries as the country’s top executive and finance minister, saying the man still has to eat.

In his debate speech at the Dewan Rakyat, Hamzah said the prime minister should come clean about whether he still receives income from other sources, like allowances from government-linked companies.

“There is a difference. It’s true he is not taking his salaries, but how about allowances? And where do these allowances come from? Because there are allowances that come from GLCs (government-linked companies) and such.

“If he really wants to do it, he should announce that he is receiving zero income instead. But if he gets zero income, what is he going to eat?

“Unless he can get food just by praying for it,” the Larut MP said when debating the Supply Bill 2025, which Anwar tabled last Friday.

PM Anwar Ibrahim


Hamzah then joked about how food would magically appear before Anwar when he prayed for it.

“If he can pray and foom there’s rice from Kota Raja (Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu) in front of him, and it’s local rice,” he said, taking a jab at the reported scarcity of local rice on the market.

Hamzah delivered another jab, this time aimed at the sales and services tax increase for non-essentials that the government is proposing under Budget 2025.

“Don’t let it be that when he prays ‘Ya Allah, Ya Tuhanku’ foom there’s an apple in front of him... or an avocado just falls (before Anwar),” he said.

Avocados were one of the items Anwar specifically mentioned would be taxed next year.


READ MORE: PM salary lower than six state MBs or CMs


Questioning Anwar’s sincerity

The Perikatan Nasional secretary-general was responding to Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian), who questioned the sincerity behind the prime minister’s announcement that he will continue to forgo his salaries while his cabinet and political appointees will also continue to maintain their 20 percent pay cut, in light of the economic challenges facing the nation.

Kubang Kerian MP Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man


Tuan Ibrahim said even God allowed Prophet Muhammad to draw a salary when he was leading a country.

“Even the Prophet was allowed some provisions by Allah. But this (Anwar) looks to be even better than the Prophet, maybe he is an angel who does not need a salary.”

Previously, Anwar also declared that he would return the allowance he received as Khazanah Nasional chairperson and instructed the body not to deposit any money into his bank account.

This came after Khazanah reportedly transferred allowances into Anwar’s bank account.

***

kt comments:

Anwar can easily reply: My wife is a doctor, daughter an engineer and s-i-l a senior research associate with Khazanah Research Institute - they provide for me lah, wakakaka

Ex-BN communications man suggests petrol levy on T15 group

FMT: 

Ex-BN communications

man suggests petrol levy

on T15 group

FMT Reporters

-21 Oct 2024, 12:34 PM

Eric See-To says it would be easier to make those in the T15 group pay a levy when they renew their road tax.

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Former Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To said a two-tier pricing for RON95 fuel would increase costs for petrol station owners.

PETALING JAYA: 

The government should impose a levy on the ultra-rich when they renew their road tax instead of implementing a two-tier pricing mechanism for RON95, says former Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To.

Economy minister Rafizi Ramli previously said a dual pricing system would be introduced for RON95.

Under the plan, the T15 group will no longer be eligible for subsidised fuel and will have to purchase petrol at the market rate.

However, See-To, who participated in a debate with Rafizi last month, said such a system would prove to be complicated and would increase the cost of managing the sale of RON95 fuel for the petrol station owners.

Instead, he suggested that the government impose a levy based on the annual amount of fuel consumed by the T15 group, a new classification introduced to refer to those in the top 15% bracket of society who earn a household income of RM13,000 or more.

“If the government has already identified those in the T15 group, why not simply impose a petrol levy on this group when they renew their road tax?

The government could also impose a petrol levy on new petrol vehicles valued at RM300,000 and above,

 See-To said in a Facebook post.

“Let’s say each vehicle in the T15 group refuels 50 litres per week, or around 2,500 litres per year – with the subsidy costing RM1 per litre. The government could then impose a petrol levy of RM2,500 per year on these vehicles’ road tax.

If they truly belong to the T15 group or can afford to buy cars worth over RM300,000, I believe it wouldn’t be a problem for them to pay RM2,500 per year for each vehicle they own.

He said this approach would see only one price for subsidised RON95 petrol being sold at petrol stations.

See-To said another approach would be to emulate the system currently used for diesel under the Budi Madani system, where prices are floated but 85% of eligible Malaysians receive monthly payments.

Last month, Rafizi’s 

Yang Bakar Menteri

 podcast unveiled See-To as  the social media influencer 

Lim Sian See

, one of Rafizi’s fiercest critics.