The Day After Genocide in Gaza

Consortium News
Volume 30, Number 204 —Thursday, July 24, 2025


The Day After Genocide in Gaza


Neither the Abu Shabab gang nor the Hebron “emirate” will govern Palestinians, either in Gaza or the West Bank, writes Ramzy Baroud

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the U.N. General Assembly holding a map that omits Palestine and shows Iran’s allies as a dark crescent across the Middle East, Sept. 27, 2024. (UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

By Ramzy Baroud
Z Network

Israel is aggressively implementing plans to shape Palestine’s future and the broader region, sculpting its vision for the ‘day after’ its genocide in Gaza.

The latest, bizarre iteration of this strategy proposes fragmenting the occupied West Bank into so-called emirates, starting with the “emirate of Hebron.”

This unexpected twist in Israel’s protracted search for alternative Palestinian leadership first surfaced in the staunchly pro-Israeli U.S. newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. It then quickly dominated all Israeli media.

The report details a letter from a person identified by the WSJ as “the leader of Hebron’s most influential clan.” Addressed to Nir Barakat, Jerusalem’s former Israeli mayor, the letter from Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari appeals for “cooperation with Israel” in the name of “co-existence.”

This “co-existence,” according to the “clan leader,” would materialize in the “Emirate of Hebron.” This “emirate” would “recognize the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people,” in exchange for reciprocal recognition of the “Emirate of Hebron as the Representative of the Arab residents in the Hebron District.”

The story may seem perplexing. This is because Palestinian discourse, regardless of geography or political affiliation, has never entertained such an absurd concept as united West Bank “emirates.”

Another element of absurdity is that Palestinian national identity and pride in their people’s unwavering resilience, especially in Gaza, are at an unprecedented apex. To float such clan-based alternatives to legitimate Palestinian leadership seems ill-conceived and is destined to fail.

Israel’s desperation is palpable. In Gaza, it cannot defeat Hamas and other Palestinian factions who have resisted the Israeli takeover of the Strip for 21 months. All attempts to engineer an alternative Palestinian leadership there have utterly collapsed.


The Desperation of Failure

This failure has compelled Israel to arm and fund a criminal gang that operated before Oct. 7, 2023, in Gaza. This gang functions under the command of Yasser Abu Shabab.

The gang has been implicated in a litany of violent activities. These include hijacking humanitarian aid to perpetuate famine in Gaza and orchestrating violence associated with aid distribution, among other egregious crimes.

Like the clan leader of Hebron, the Abu Shabab criminal gang possesses no legitimacy and no public support among Palestinians. But why would Israel resort to such disreputable figures when the Palestinian Authority (PA), already engaged in “security coordination” with Israel in the West Bank, is ostensibly willing to comply?

The answer lies in the current Israeli extremist government’s adamant refusal to acknowledge Palestine as a nation. Thus, even a collaborating Palestinian nationalist entity would be deemed problematic from an Israeli perspective.

While Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is not the first Israeli leadership to explore clan-based alternatives among Palestinians, the Israeli prime minister and his extremist allies are exceptionally determined to dismantle any Palestinian claim to nationhood.

This was explicitly stated by extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He famously declared in Paris, in March 2023, that a Palestinian nation is an “invention.”

Smotrich celebrating election victory in March 2021. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Thus, despite the PA’s willingness to cooperate with Israel in controlling Gaza, Israel remains apprehensive. Empowering the PA as a nationalist model fundamentally contravenes Israel’s overarching objectives of denying the Palestinian people their very claim to nationhood and, consequently, sovereignty.

Though Israel has consistently failed to establish and sustain its own alternative Palestinian leadership, its repeated efforts have invariably proven disruptive and violent.

Prior to the Nakba of 1948, the Zionist movement, alongside British authorities colonizing Palestine, heavily invested in undermining the Arab Higher Committee, a nationalist body comprising several political parties. They achieved this by empowering collaborating clans, hoping to dilute the Palestinian nationalist movement.

Lord Peel and Sir Horace Rumbold, chairman of the Palestine Royal Commission, after taking evidence from the Arab Higher Committee on the “Palestine disturbances,” 1937. (U.S Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

When Israel occupied the remainder of historic Palestine in 1967, it reverted to the same divide-and-conquer tactics. For instance, it established a Palestinian police force directly commanded by Israeli military administrations, in addition to creating an underground network of collaborators.

Following the overwhelming victory of nationalist candidates in the 1976 elections in occupied Palestine, Israel responded by cracking down on PLO-affiliated politicians, arresting, deporting and assassinating some.

Two years later, in 1978, it launched its “Village Leagues” project. It hand-picked compliant traditional figures, designating them as the legitimate representatives of Palestinians.

These individuals, armed, protected and financed by the Israeli occupation army, were positioned to represent their respective clans in Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Gaza and elsewhere.

Palestinians immediately denounced them as collaborators. They were widely boycotted and socially ostracized.

Eventually, it became evident that Israel had no alternative but to engage directly with the PLO. This culminated in the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the subsequent formation of the PA.

The fundamental problem, however, persisted: the PA’s insistence on a Palestinian state remains anathema to an Israel that has shifted dramatically to the right.

This explains the Netanyahu’s government’s unwavering insistence that the PA has no role in Gaza in any “day after” scenario. While the PA could serve Israel’s interest in containing the rebellious Strip, such a triumph would inevitably recenter the discussion of a Palestinian state — a concept repugnant to most Israelis.

There is no doubt that neither the Abu Shabab gang nor the Hebron emirate will govern Palestinians, either in Gaza or the West Bank. Israel’s insistence on fabricating these alternatives, however, underscores its historic determination to deny Palestinians any sense of nationhood.

Israel’s persistent fantasies of control invariably fail. Despite their profound wounds, Palestinians are more unified than ever, their collective identity and nationhood hardened by relentless resistance and countless sacrifices.

Ramzy Baroud is a U.S.-Palestinian journalist, media consultant, author, internationally-syndicated columnist, editor of Palestine Chronicle (1999-present), former managing editor of London-based Middle East Eye, former editor-in-chief of The Brunei Times and former deputy managing editor of Al Jazeera online.

This article is from Z Network.

Military Watch:

German General Urges Ukraine to Attack Russian Airfields and Arms Factories: How Does NATO Benefit?

North America, Western Europe and Oceania , Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

July-22nd-2025

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Kamikaze Drone and Russian Airbases After Ukrainian Strikes

German Army Major General Christian Freuding has advocated for further Ukrainian attacks targeting airfields Russia, stressing that this could play an important role in weakening the country’s offensive power. “You can also indirectly affect the offensive potential of Russian strike forces before they are deployed,” Freuding said, adding: “Use long-range air warfare assets to strike aircraft and airfields before they are used. Also, target weapons production facilities.” He also lamented that Russia had achieved major successes in increasing the production of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, stating that it was vital to re-assess sanctions to see of the Western world could cause further disruption to industry. Russia’s defence sector has since mid-2022 considerably expanded its capacity to produce attack drones, with The Economist in May reporting that output of the Geran-2 single use aircraft had increased more than tenfold from 300 a month, to over 100 per day. Industry was reported at the time to be on track to be able to produce 500 of the aircraft daily. Annual output of Iskander-M ballistic missile systems and Kh-101 cruise missiles are also several times as high today as they were three years ago. 

Production Facility for Geran-2 Drones

Freuding also commented on the donations of MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, noting that they would be far from effective in countering drone attacks. “It [a drone] costs around €30,000-50,000 ($34,000–58,000) depending on the model. It’s wasteful to shoot it down with a Patriot missile costing over €5 million. We need countermeasures that cost €2,000–€4,000, especially as Russia aims to further increase its production capacity,” he stated. He follows a growing number of Western and Ukrainian sources in questioning the effectiveness of the systems.

Germany has since 2022 played a much larger and more active military role within NATO not only in Eastern Europe, but also in the Middle East and the Pacific, and has been particularly active in seeking to support the Ukrainian war effort. On May 22 the German Army inaugurated the 45th Armoured Brigade stationed in Vilnius, Lithuania, which is expected to provide an elite forward deployed mechanised warfare capability on the territory of the former USSR, located just 150 kilometres from the Belarusian capital Minsk, and less than 800 kilometres from Moscow. Despite economic crisis domestically, a major surge in German defence spending is expected to place further pressure on Russian defences. 

Tu-95MS Bomber in Flames During Ukrainian Strike on June 1

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have achieved significant success in targeting Russian airfields, and on June 1 launched a highly successful large scale drone attack on multiple  airbases across the country’s northern and western regions. Satellite footage confirmed the destruction of multiple Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, causing losses from which the Russian strategic aviation fleet is expected to take years to recover. Prior strikes have targeted airbases hosting tactical combat jets such as Su-34 strike fighters and MiG-31 interceptors, while attacks on Engels Airbase hosting Russia’s most valuable class of combat jet the Tu-160 strategic bomber have been attempted multiple times, often destroying fuel or infrastructure. These attacks have relied heavily on support from Western personnel on the ground and access to satellite intelligence, and provide an effective means for NATO members such as Germany to weaken Russian air power by proxy. 

Two Americans arrested for allegedly stealing perfumes, luxury goods at Changi Airport

Two Americans arrested for allegedly stealing perfumes, luxury goods at Changi Airport



Singapore police said in a statement yesterday that staff working at Changi Airport had discovered three missing bottles of perfume worth S$488 (RM1,700) during a stock-take, prompting them to lodge a report. — Reuters pic

Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025 4:41 PM MYT




SINGAPORE, July 23 — Two American nationals have been arrested in Singapore over their suspected involvement in multiple thefts at Changi Airport’s transit area, including from high-end retail outlets.

According to The Straits Times, the suspects — a 35-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman — were arrested following reports of missing items from The Shilla Cosmetics & Perfumes outlet at Terminal 1 on June 23.

Singapore police said in a statement yesterday that staff had discovered three missing bottles of perfume worth S$488 (RM1,700) during a stock-take, prompting them to lodge a report.


Preliminary investigations found that the man had allegedly taken the items without paying and exited the store. Follow-up investigations by the Changi Airport police division identified the suspects, who were nabbed before they could leave the country.


According to the report, police also revealed that the man was believed to have stolen a cardholder worth S$596.33 from another retail outlet in Terminal 1, and a bottle of perfume worth S$158.40 from another Shilla outlet in Terminal 3.

The woman is alleged to have acted as a lookout during the incidents.


All five stolen items were recovered from the suspects, who are expected to be charged today.

In a stern warning, Singapore police said shop theft cases are taken seriously and that offenders will be dealt with firmly.

“Offenders should not think that they can evade capture by quickly boarding a flight,” the police were quoted as saying, adding that they continue to work closely with stakeholders to prevent and deter such cases.

A more just Malaysia begins with ending the death penalty — Suresraj Therambarajoo

 

A more just Malaysia begins with ending the death penalty — Suresraj Therambarajoo


Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025 9:17 AM MYT


JULY 23 — Minister Azalina Othman Said’s recent announcement on the formation of a task force to review Malaysia’s death penalty policy signals a moment of real possibility — a chance for our nation to reflect, to listen, and to lead.

For too long, the death penalty has been seen as a necessary instrument of justice — a symbol of deterrence, of moral reckoning.

But we know now, through the wisdom of experience and the clarity of data, that capital punishment does not bring back the lives lost. It does not heal broken families. And it does not make us safer.

What it does do is place a permanent, irrevocable judgment in the hands of a justice system that, however well-intentioned, is not immune to error.


We’ve seen this around the world — and we are not immune. No system designed by humans is infallible. And when the stakes are life and death, even one mistake is one too many.

The shift away from mandatory death sentencing in 2023 was a courageous first step.

Now, with this task force, we have the opportunity to complete the journey.

Abolishing the death penalty in its entirety would not be an act of weakness — it would be a show of strength. It would signal to the world that Malaysia believes in redemption. T

hat we are committed to justice that is restorative, not merely retributive.

There are alternatives that protect society while affirming human dignity: life imprisonment with the possibility of rehabilitation, sentencing reforms that prioritise proportionality and deterrence, and expanded support systems for victims and their families.

These approaches allow for accountability without surrendering our moral compass.

President Obama once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

But it does not bend on its own. It bends because people choose to pull it in the right direction.

Minister Azalina has opened the door to that choice. Let us walk through it with courage and compassion.

Trump unveils ‘AI Action Plan’ to cement US dominance, calls for sweeping deregulation and single federal standard

Trump unveils ‘AI Action Plan’ to cement US dominance, calls for sweeping deregulation and single federal standard



ChatGPT said:US President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on artificial intelligence after signing it during the "Winning the AI Race" summit at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. — AFP pic

Thursday, 24 Jul 2025 9:54 AM MYT


WASHINGTON, July 24 — President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy yesterday to boost big tech’s race to stay ahead of China on artificial intelligence and cement US dominance in the fast-expanding field.

Trump’s 25-page “America’s AI Action Plan” outlines three aims: accelerating innovation, building infrastructure, and leading internationally on AI.

The administration frames AI advancement as critical to maintaining economic and military supremacy. Environmental consequences are sidelined in the planning document.

“America is the country that started the AI race, and as president of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it,” Trump told an AI event in Washington.


“Winning this competition will be a test of our capacities unlike anything since the dawn of the space age,” he said, before signing several executive orders to give components of the strategy additional legal weight.


In its collection of more than 90 government proposals, Trump’s plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to “remove red tape and onerous regulation” that could hinder private sector AI development.

In his wide-ranging speech, Trump insisted that “winning the AI race will demand a new spirit of patriotism and national loyalty in Silicon Valley and beyond.”


Trump complained that for too long “many of our largest tech companies have reaped the blessings of American freedom while building their factories in China, hiring workers in India and slashing profits in Ireland.”


‘Single standard’

The plan also asked federal agencies to find ways to legally stop US states from implementing their own AI regulations and threatened to rescind federal aid to states that did so.

“We have to have a single federal standard, not 50 different states, regulating this industry of the future,” Trump said.

The American Civil Liberties Union warned this would thwart “initiatives to uphold civil rights and shield communities from biased AI systems in areas like employment, education, health care, and policing.”

The Trump action plan also calls for AI systems to be “free from ideological bias” and designed to pursue objective truth rather than what the administration calls “social engineering agendas,” such as diversity and inclusion.

This criterion would apply to AI companies wanting to do business with the US government.

Trump also called for AI development to be broadly immune from copyright claims—currently the subject of legal battles—saying it was a “common sense” approach.

“You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for,” he said.

A major focus in the plan involves building AI infrastructure, including streamlined permitting for data centers and energy facilities that would overlook environmental concerns to build as swiftly as possible.

The administration, which rejects international science showing a growing climate crisis, proposes creating new environmental review exemptions for data center construction and expanding access to federal lands for AI infrastructure development.

Trump also called for the swift construction of coal and nuclear plants to help provide the energy needed to power the data centers.


‘Gilded Age’

The strategy also calls for efforts to “counter Chinese influence in international governance bodies” and strengthen export controls on advanced AI computing technology.

At the same time, the strategy calls on the government to champion US technology in conquering overseas markets, a priority that was spelled out in an executive order.

These plans will help “ensure America sets the technological gold standard worldwide, and that the world continues to run on American technology,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Critics of the plan said the policies were a gift to US tech giants that were scaling back their goals for zero carbon emissions in order to meet the acute computing needs for AI.

“Trump’s plan reads like a twisted Gilded Age playbook that rewards the rich while punishing everyday Americans and the environment,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. — AFP

Anwar succeeds to postpone Rawther’s civil suit: How the odds are stacked against the little guy in Malaysia

Anwar succeeds to postpone Rawther’s civil suit: How the odds are stacked against the little guy in Malaysia


24 Jul 2025 • 7:00 AM MYT


TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher

Image credit: SK Studio


When news broke that Yusoff Rawther’s case against Anwar Ibrahim has once again been postponed indefinitely—even though it was filed in 2021 and relates to an alleged incident from 2018—I couldn’t help but feel that the odds are truly stacked against the little guy in Malaysia.


Now, let me be clear: I’m not saying Yusoff is right or wrong in his claims against Anwar. What I am saying is that Yusoff is a small guy compared to Anwar, and the fact that he’s had to wait four long years just to have his case heard speaks volumes about how hard it is to get justice in this country when you're not one of the big players.


It’s no secret that Malaysia has never really been a place that champions the small guy. Everything here—access, opportunities, protection—is controlled by the big guys: corporations, political elites, and entrenched institutions. That’s why people here rush to align themselves with powerful patrons, parties, or companies. Deep down, we all know that merit alone won’t get you very far unless you have the backing of someone powerful.


It wasn’t always supposed to be this way.


Right after Merdeka, there was a genuine effort to break this feudal mindset. Reform-minded leaders like Tunku Abdul Rahman understood how the concentration of privilege and power in the hands of a few, a few that he himself was actually a part of, had weakened the nation to the point that it could be colonized by a handful of foreigners.


Despite being royalty and Prime Minister, and despite never referring to himself as a reformist, Tunku was probably a truly reform minded person, because the government that he instituted, was truly made with sacrifice and selflessness in mind. If Tunku wanted it , he could have easily continued to rule as a feudal overlord, and maintain the practises that had long benefited an elite like him, although it weakened the country as a whole.



Instead, like a person who truly believed in something greater than him, Tunku decided to build fair institutions and educating the rakyat so that one could succeed not through blind loyalty or subservience, but through merit and by engaging with a fair, rules-based system, even when his decision ultimately led to the weakening of the powers that he himself held.


Tunku's sacrifice and selflessness, did bear fruit, at least for a while.


Through his efforts, example and leadership, our institutions like our universities, civil service and judiciary earned praise for their professionalism and independence. These institutions that were built to empower the people then began to attract prosperity and international respect, to the point that in few decades after Tunku was no longer the PM, our country had grown so impressively that we became admired by many other nations, who were also looking for ways to improve themselves and rise out of backwardness.


But then came the irony. The wealth and progress born from those early reforms began to fuel greed. A new generation—armed with education but lacking in ethics—began infiltrating the system, not to improve it, but to bend it to their will. They had no interest in merit or fairness. Only power and profit.


And now, in 2025, it seems like we’ve come full circle. Through such practises as a corruption, nepotism, crony-capitalism and exploitation, we have again returned to our pre-merdeka condition, where the country seems to belong to just a few, instead of all of us , as how our founding fathers envisioned it.


Things have likely deteriorated to such an extent, that today, the small guy doesn’t just need to bribe or bow to thrive—he might have to do it just to survive.


In 1998, Anwar Ibrahim rose to lead the Reformasi movement, vowing to fight corruption, nepotism, and cronyism. After years of imprisonment and exile, he finally ascended to the Prime Minister’s office in 2022. Many "little guys" rejoiced, believing that a new dawn had arrived.


I wasn’t so sure.


Anwar wasn’t an outsider to the system. He was once its rising star. His fallout with the old regime wasn’t because he opposed its values—it was because he tried to take the top spot. How much difference can you expect from someone who came from within the system, and who left it not voluntarily, but because they were forced to leave it?


Reform requires self-reflection, humility, and a willingness to correct one's own flaws before correcting others. That requires a nobility of spirit. I think Anwar is a great man who will have a wide range influence on many people and events, but there is a difference between a great man and a noble spirit. A great man is not necessarily a noble spirit, and a noble spirit is not necessarily a great man.


So while I lack the legal expertise to fully dissect the implications of the postponed case involving Yusoff Rawther and Anwar, I can say with common sense however: this feels like yet another instance of the system failing the small guy.


It feels that in Malaysia, if you’re a big guy, you don’t have to face your accuser in court. You don’t have to finish your prison sentence. If you steal millions, just return some of it and walk away with a slap on the wrist.


But if you’re a small guy? You might have wait years for justice that might never come ,and you may also perhaps need to wave a parang just to prevent your road side from being demolished, despite it having operated there for many years .


Malaysia Boleh.

Anwar, govt cleared as court strikes their names from Mukhriz Mahathir’s RM5m tax challenge

Anwar, govt cleared as court strikes their names from Mukhriz Mahathir’s RM5m tax challenge



High Court Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh allowed the application by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as Finance Minister, and the government to strike out their names as respondents in the judicial review proceedings. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Thursday, 24 Jul 2025 4:49 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the government succeeded today in having their names removed from a judicial review application filed by Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mukhriz is challenging the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) issuance of additional tax assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, demanding payment of over RM5 million.


High Court Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh allowed the application by Anwar, in his capacity as Finance Minister, and the government to strike out their names as respondents in the judicial review proceedings.

However, the court dismissed their bid to expunge several paragraphs in Mukhriz’s affidavit that made reference to both respondents, and fixed December 16 for the hearing of the substantive judicial review application.


On January 2, Judge Amarjeet granted leave for Mukhriz to commence judicial review proceedings, having found that the case raised arguable grounds.



Earlier, senior federal counsel Nur Irmawatie Daud, representing both the second and third respondents, argued that the additional assessment notices were issued by the first respondent, the Inland Revenue’s chief executive officer or director-general.

“The judicial review application is scandalous, frivolous and an abuse of court process,” she submitted.


However, Mukhriz’s counsel, Syed Afiq Syed Albakri, contended that the second respondent had influenced the first respondent in the issuance of the said notices against his client.

Mukhriz, 60, filed the judicial review application on December 20 last year, naming the IRB’s CEO or Director-General, Anwar and the government as the first to third respondents respectively.

The businessman sought an order to quash the decision of the first respondent to issue additional assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, amounting to RM5,020,707.18, on the grounds that the decision was unlawful and unreasonable.

The Pejuang president also sought a declaration that the imposition of penalties under Section 113(2) of the Income Tax Act 1967 was null and void, as well as ultra vires.

The former Kedah Menteri Besar further sought a declaration that the second respondent (Anwar) had abused his powers in causing the first respondent (the government) to issue the said notices.

Finally, he sought a declaration that the second respondent had similarly abused his powers in directing the issuance of a certificate under subsection 104(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967. — Bernama

DAP Leaders and the Legacy of Teoh Beng Hock: From Protest to Power

DAP Leaders and the Legacy of Teoh Beng Hock: From Protest to Power


24 Jul 2025 • 9:00 AM MYT



Annan Vaithegi
From sharing insights to creating content that connects and inspires

Image Source; Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Gobind Singh Deo, Anthony Loke, and Teo Nie Ching. Edited by Annan Vaithegi


A Bow Isn’t Justice: Why Teoh Beng Hock Still Matters! Sixteen years after Teoh Beng Hock died in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) custody, his family remains defiant. This week, they rejected an official apology and a so-called "goodwill payment." Their message is simple and unflinching: no bow, no cheque, and no ceremony can substitute for truth and justice.


They are not asking for pity. They are asking for accountability.


Many Malaysians offer condolences. Some ask why the family won't just move on. But what Teoh’s family has done for the past sixteen years demanding answers, rejecting compensation, refusing to let his name be quietly buried isn’t just about grief. It’s a form of civic resistance. It’s what any ordinary person would wish to do in the face of injustice, if they had the strength and support to do so.


Still, let's be honest: fighting the system in Malaysia is no small thing. It wears you down. The legal fees, the bureaucracy, the endless waiting, the emotional cost it’s all designed to outlast you. That’s why many say, “Take the money and let it go.” Not because they don’t care, but because they’ve been conditioned to believe that the system never changes.


But Teoh’s family refused to let his death be reduced to a transaction. Because to them, justice isn’t about compensation it’s about conscience.



In Malaysia, truth often behaves like a hidden stream. You won’t always see it, but it runs beneath the surface, bending around political obstacles, stifled by bureaucracy and media silence. But given time, pressure, and moral courage it resurfaces.


The Teoh Beng Hock case is that hidden stream. For years, it was buried beneath legal loopholes, official silence, and shifting political winds. But the family’s unwavering pursuit of the truth keeps it flowing. They aren’t mourning in private. They are doing something most of us can't: confronting a nation’s conscience.


Back in 2009, Teoh was just 30. A political aide to a DAP state assemblyman. Engaged to be married. Preparing for a future. And then he was gone found dead after an overnight MACC interrogation. The explanation given was as thin as the public outrage was thick. Yet no one was held accountable.


In the aftermath, DAP leaders stood firm. And it wasn't just them leaders from PKR were also vocal in their support at the time. They stood beside DAP in condemning the injustice, demanding investigations, and calling for reforms. But today, many of those once-loud voices have fallen silent. Some aren’t even in government, yet still choose not to speak up. That silence is more telling than any apology.


Names like Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Gobind Singh Deo, Anthony Loke, and Teo Nie Ching championed the cause. Parliament thundered. Streets filled with vigils. “Justice for Teoh Beng Hock” was more than a slogan it was a moral line.


That moment helped define DAP’s rise. It strengthened their reformist image. And when voters gave them power in 2018, it was partly because they remembered where these leaders stood in 2009.


But today, in 2025, the question is more uncomfortable: With power now in their hands, have they done enough? Have they kept that promise alive, or allowed it to settle into a memory?



The family’s answer is clear. They say the system has not changed. They say the officers involved have not been held accountable. And they say no amount of money will buy their silence.


Some may scoff and say: It’s been too long. But that’s exactly why the family’s stand matters. When the rest of the nation forgets, someone must remember. When the headlines fade, someone must speak. When governments change, justice shouldn’t.


For DAP, this is no longer just a historical moment it is a present-day test. A bow is not a verdict. A cheque is not a solution. Justice requires more than gestures. It requires political will.


Teoh Beng Hock was not a martyr. He was a young man with a public duty. What happened to him should trouble every public servant. What his family continues to do should remind us all: democracy means holding power to account even when it’s your own side in charge.



Justice delayed, if left to die in silence, becomes justice denied. And while many leaders today have lost the courage or the will to stand with Teoh’s family, a deeper force persists.


Truth does not die in headlines, and justice does not vanish in silence. Malaysians have long memories and deeper instincts. The pulse of conscience may weaken, but it never flatlines. Though political winds shift and leaders grow quiet, the moral weight of Teoh’s death remains.


He may have died alone in a government building, but the soul of a nation was watching. And today, even in quiet corners of the rakyat’s heart, his name lives on not in stone, but in fire.


That’s why no one truly dies alone. Because conscience, once awakened, does not easily sleep again.


A growing number of Malaysians continue that conscience through action. A group of concerned citizens has launched a petition titled "Demand Justice for Teoh Beng Hock - End Impunity and Ensure Accountability Within Law Enforcement Agencies".


If you believe justice must prevail and impunity must end, we urge you to read and sign the petition. This isn’t just about Teoh it’s about making sure no one else faces the same fate in silence.


👉 Sign the Petition Here


But when remembered and acted on it still has a chance to be justice delivered.


Annan Vaithegi

Writes what some fear to whisper. Justice, truth, and public conscience.


(This op-ed follows from "Remembering Teoh Beng Hock: From Political Aide to Symbol of Justice Denied," and "We Don't Want Compensation - We Want Accountability”: Teoh Beng Hock’s Family Stands Firm 16 Years On continuing the reflection on how a young man’s death became a national reckoning for truth, power, and conscience.)

Anwar’s working-class-friendly goody bag makes him look a lot better today than a few days ago #DemiMalaysia

Anwar’s working-class-friendly goody bag makes him look a lot better today than a few days ago #DemiMalaysia


24 Jul 2025 • 2:00 PM MYT



TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher

Image credit: Malay Mail


As promised, Anwar has revealed the “goody bag” and “appreciation” he has for the rakyat today — and I must say, what he’s offered didn’t disappoint.


RM100 for every adult Malaysian and a 6 sen drop in RON95 petrol to RM1.99 — this is exactly the kind of news that working Malaysians are happy to receive. It’s simple, direct, and actually useful in daily life.


Of course, the opposition won’t be thrilled. These goodies have definitely thrown a spanner into their plans for the big anti-Anwar rally on July 26. They were counting on a wave of public anger — some were even boldly claiming a turnout of 500,000. But now? With a little more money in their e-wallets and cheaper petrol at the pump, the working class might just stay home.


Now, the upper classes might sneer: “You’re supporting a government just because of RM100 and a few sen off fuel?” But maybe what really bothers them is that Anwar seems to be running a pro-working class government — not a government for the elites, as previous administrations so often were.


From introducing a RM1,700 minimum wage this August, to making it compulsory for doctors to display medicine prices, Anwar’s policies are starting to show a pattern — and it’s a pattern that favours workers over the wealthy.


So for those of us who believe in honest work — who feel that we must create value before asking for income — maybe it’s time we thank Anwar and tell him: “Bro, if you’re for us, we’re for you.”


Sure, we all have our complaints about Anwar. Some say he does too much for Palestine, others say too little. Almost everyone feels that he doesn’t do enough to defend their race or religion. Many say he lies every time he opens his mouth.


But in this world, who’s perfect?


To borrow a thought from Giulio Andreotti, the former Italian Prime Minister: when we look at Anwar, we can his flaws — but when we look around him, we don’t see him surrounded by giants either.


Whatever his faults are, they are not exceptional when compared to the flaws of his peers and rivals.


And if we focus on what he’s doing right, we might see something important: Anwar seems to be placing his bet on the working class. That alone sets him apart. Maybe the only other time we saw this was under Najib — but unlike Najib, at least Anwar’s wife isn’t running around with Birkin bags and RM 1200 haircuts.


For decades, the upper class had governments that favoured them. They suppressed wages, inflated property and education costs, and imported millions of foreign workers. The result? They won — and the working class lost.

But with Anwar, for once, it looks like someone is willing to tax their imported luxuries, push them to pay us fairer wages, and use public funds to help us instead of always protecting them.


And let’s not be fooled — the elites have always taken government handouts. Foreign labour? That’s a workforce subsidy. Price controls? Utility subsidies? They’ve enjoyed all of it. So don’t let them shame you now that the benefits are finally reaching your hands.


Still, while we credit Anwar for this working-class pivot, let’s not forget who helped push him there — the judiciary crisis, Yusoff Rawther’s case, and the organisers of the Turun Anwar rally. Without the pressure they applied, maybe we wouldn’t be seeing these incentives today.


So yes — support Anwar while he supports us. But also give thanks to those who made him move.


But most importantly, I think we should also show Anwar, that if we can count on him, he can count on us too. That if he continues to pay attention to our situation and circumstances and use his powers to improve our interests and prospect, he can rest assured that we will do whatever we can, to ensure that he will always be in power.

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Mines, mistrust, and the mirage of Asean Unity: Why Cambodia–Thailand tensions are escalating again — Phar Kim Beng and Luthfy Hamzah

Mines, mistrust, and the mirage of Asean Unity: Why Cambodia–Thailand tensions are escalating again — Phar Kim Beng and Luthfy Hamzah



Thursday, 24 Jul 2025 3:11 PM MYT


JULY 24 — When three Thai soldiers were maimed by landmines near the tranquil hills of Chong Bok on July 16, few could have predicted how quickly the incident would spiral into a full-blown diplomatic standoff. But it has.

And the sudden escalation in tensions between Thailand and Cambodia reveals not just the fragility of bilateral ties, but the deeper structural failures of Asean in managing recurring border disputes that threaten regional stability.


At the heart of the crisis is a tragic yet dangerous development: over 100 newly-planted landmines—Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel devices—discovered within Thai territory.

The Thai military, shocked by the blast that injured their soldiers, quickly accused Cambodia of crossing into Thai soil and violating both international law and the Ottawa Convention, to which both countries are signatories. Cambodia’s retort was swift and unequivocal: the Thai troops had strayed into Cambodian land, and any explosion was likely due to unexploded ordnance from past conflicts.


But this is not just a tale of overlapping maps or murky topography.




A Cambodian BM-21 multiple rocket launcher returns from the Cambodia-Thai border as troops clash in Preah Vihear province on July 24, 2025. — AFP pic



The emotional fuse had already been lit in May 2025, when a firefight broke out between Thai and Cambodian forces, killing a Cambodian soldier. That clash took place near the Emerald Triangle, a notoriously contested region where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos converge.


Through previous skirmishes in the 2008–2011 era had largely subsided, the ghosts of nationalism, colonial cartography, and military brinkmanship never truly disappeared.

Instead, they have been revived by political insecurities at home.

Under former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s tenuous leadership in Thailand—shaken by internal dissent and the recent leak of a sensitive call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen—has become entangled with border politics.

Cambodia’s new leader, Hun Manet, son of the very man embroiled in the leaked call, is also under pressure to assert national sovereignty and military strength. Thus, what began as a tragic mine incident has become the centrepiece of a nationalist contest for legitimacy.

The tragedy, however, extends beyond the personal losses and political theatre.

Civilians living along the border have been forced to suspend cross-border trade, cancel market days, and live in fear of triggering mines that should have never been there. Local livelihoods, already strained by Covid-19’s economic aftershocks, are now undermined by geopolitics disguised as territorial vigilance.

Even more troubling is Asean’s silence.

As always, the bloc’s timeworn principle of non-interference has rendered it inert in the face of looming conflict. Asean’s mechanisms—the Asean Regional Forum, the High Council of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation—remain on paper but not in motion.

No urgent convening has occurred, no fact-finding mission dispatched, and certainly no collective voice raised to call for calm. In theory, Asean is supposed to be the custodian of regional peace and security. In practice, it watches from the sidelines.

Cambodia has now filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), attempting to internationalise the dispute. Thailand, predictably, has rejected the court’s jurisdiction, citing sovereignty and prior legal outcomes.

This legalistic joust may stretch into years while tensions on the ground continue to smoulder—fuelled by unresolved border demarcations and a bilateral relationship long haunted by history.

History matters. The Preah Vihear dispute, ruled upon by the ICJ in 1962 and revisited in 2013, remains a scar that never fully healed.

The people on both sides of the border have lived through previous rounds of artillery fire and minefields. The memory of war is not academic—it is intimate, lived, and feared.

That is precisely why this crisis cannot be allowed to fester.

If left unattended, it may embolden further militarisation. The Thai military has already begun reinforcing its patrols, while Cambodian troops remain on high alert.

A single misstep or miscommunication could lead to another fatal clash. In the age of drones, social media, and nationalist fervour, conflict can spread faster than diplomacy can contain.

The irony is that both Cambodia and Thailand are parties to peace treaties, members of the same regional community, and beneficiaries of decades of trade and tourism across their shared borders. Yet they are caught in a cycle of escalation and denial, enabled by Asean’s passivity and the international community’s distraction.

This is a moment for clarity.

Asean must urgently step in—not merely as a convener but as a mediator. It must deploy impartial monitors, perhaps in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service, to verify the landmine claims.

A joint investigation can provide the transparency needed to defuse the blame game. More importantly, both nations must recommit to demarcating their shared boundary with integrity and technical precision, based on agreed maps and international norms—not on emotive political posturing.

Ultimately, no dispute is worth the life of a soldier, the foot of a young man, or the daily fear of a rice farmer navigating his land.

Borders may define countries, but the wisdom to prevent war defines statesmanship. It is time for both Thailand and Cambodia—and Asean—to choose wisdom.



* Phar Kim Beng is Professor of Asean Studies and Director of the Institute of Internationalization and Asean Studies (IINTAS). Luthfy Hamzah is a research fellow at IINTAS

Thanks for the Pocket Money, Uncle Anwar. But Next Time, Don’t Potong Stim Like That Lah

Thanks for the Pocket Money, Uncle Anwar. But Next Time, Don’t Potong Stim Like That Lah


24 Jul 2025 • 9:00 AM MYT



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

National excitement: built up like a Bollywood drama, ended like a bad Cerekarama. (Image from Anwar Ibrahim FB Page )


For days, our dear Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim kept teasing us like a TikTok influencer trying to go viral: “Wait ah... wait... got big announcement... very good news... we Madani government understand your struggles...”


Wah. Excited lah we all. Some people cancelled their plans. Others refreshed their news app every 10 minutes. I even postponed my facial appointment – because surely, something extraordinary is coming, right?


And then, bam! The long-awaited announcement finally dropped like an overhyped sequel. And what did we get?


Public holiday on 15 September.


RM100 “duit poket” for those above 18.


RON95 turun 6 sen per litre.


And a sprinkle of meh things no one asked for - most probably to make the list look longer.


Excuse me, apa ni? After all that build-up, you gave us... this? This is the definition of potong stim, okay. This is like going on a first date after weeks of flirting, only to find out he still lives with his mother and forgot his wallet.


Let’s break it down.


Public Holiday on 15th September?


Okay, fine. Malaysians love public holidays, we collect them like Shopee vouchers and free KFC chilli sauce packs. But one day off isn’t going to suddenly make us love the country more, or cure inflation, or make our lives better. Most of us will end up stuck in traffic jams on the way to a mall we cannot afford to shop in anyway.

From Anwar Ibrahim FB Page


RM100 Duit Poket?

Seriously? You hyped this up like we were all going to get keys to a new house or something. RM100? That’s one trip to the petrol station and four packets of Maggi Kari. If you really want to help the rakyat, give us affordable groceries, fair wages, electricity bills that don’t cause heart palpitations, and a rental market that doesn’t look like it’s being run by loan sharks.


Also, let’s do basic math, shall we?


Malaysia has around 22 million people above 18.


22 million x RM100 = RM2.2 billion.


RM2.2 billion in duit poket for Merdeka? For what? A national shopping spree to celebrate how broke we all are? Why do we have this weird obsession with throwing money around - even to people who clearly don’t need it - just to look generous? What’s next? Duit poket for owning a MyKad? And seriously, where is this money coming from? Are we secretly running a side hustle printing cash in someone’s basement in Putrajaya? Or is this just another “buy now, tax later” stunt that’ll return in the form of higher SST or sneaky surcharge?

You say it's to ease our burdens. But RM100 won’t even cover our burden’s toe. It's the government equivalent of someone seeing you drowning and throwing you a rubber duck!

From Anwar Ibrahim FB Page


RON95 turun 6 sen?

Do you want a round of applause or just a polite clap? Petrol prices have been yo-yoing for years - up today, down tomorrow, then up again for fun. We’re so numb, even a 6 sen drop feels like white noise. That’s not news, that’s small change and a big yawn.

From Anwar Ibrahim FB Page


Highway Toll Increment “Postponed”?

Postponed is not abolished, okay. Don’t come and tell us to be grateful when what we really want is for tolls to disappear like all the election promises politicians tend to forget. It’s 2025. We’re still paying to use roads built before TikTok existed.


Honestly, if this was meant to be your great gesture to show how connected the Madani government is with the rakyat, I think the rakyat’s Wi-Fi signal is still better than yours.


If all you had was this, you could have just updated your Facebook status like a normal uncle: “Public holiday next Friday, ya. Petrol turun sikit. RM100 also got. Jangan marah ya.” Done. No need for full-blown press statements, suspense, and drama like we’re launching a Marvel movie.

From Anwar Ibrahim FB Page


We get it - running a country isn’t easy. But maybe next time, skip the PR stunts. Because this one? This was one of the worst in Malaysian history. No climax, no substance - just a big, wasteful meh.


At this point, the only thing Madani about this government is how mad we feel after every ‘extraordinary announcement’ turns into disappointment.


Thanks for the holiday, though. I’ll spend it calculating how long my RM100 will last, while stuck at a toll plaza, paying to enter a shopping mall I can’t afford.

Military Watch:

Stranded 39 Days: British F-35 Incident in India Could Not Have Come at a Worse Time

South Asia , Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

July-23rd-2025

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British Armed Forces F35B

A British F-35B fifth generation jet that was forced to land at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in southern India on June 14 has finally departed, after remaining grounded for 39 days. “A UK engineering team, deployed since July 6 completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service,” a British High Commission spokesperson confirmed. The aircraft departed for Darwin, Australia, where it may rejoin the air wing of the carrier HMS Prince of Wales. It was previously expected that the fighter would need to be partly dismantled and flown to the United Kingdom on a C-17 Globemaster transport. The incident has drawn attention to the deficiencies in reliability which have plagued the F-35 program for close to two decades, as well as the complexity of its maintenance which have resulted in by far the lowest availably rates in the U.S. Air Force other than those of the heavier and more problematic F-22. A far higher proportion of the world’s F-35 fleets remain grounded compared to other American fighters such as the F-18E/F and F-16.

F-35B During Vertical Landing

The protracted grounding of an F-35B in India has drawn significant ridicule from local netizens and media outlets, at a time when the United States had escalated efforts to market the F-35 to the country. The timing of the F-35’s prolonged grounding was particularly unfortunate for these efforts, with a sale to India having already been considered unlikely due primarily to the extensive controls the United States imposes on how its fighters are utilised. The highlighting of the F-35’s issues is expected to provide new opportunities to the fighter’s Russian rival, the Su-57, to gain Indian orders. Indian interest in the Su-57 was already expected to have risen due to the perceived insufficiency of its Su-30MKI and French supplied Rafale fighters to counter advances in Chinese and Pakistani air power, which was demonstrated in early May after Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighters were credited with shooting down at least one Rafale. The shortcomings of these older aircraft were previously expected to provide both the United States and Russia with opportunities to market their fifth generation fighters.