Tommy Thomas’s daughter charged over pro-Palestinian protest

FMT:

Tommy Thomas’s daughter charged over pro-Palestinian protest

The 35-year-old was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries after allegedly resisting police orders to disperse during a protest

Hannah Thomas was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries which her lawyer said could cause the loss of sight in one eye. (hannah4grayndler/Instagram pic)

PETALING JAYA: Australian police have charged the daughter of former attorney-general Tommy Thomas with obstructing officers during a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney on Friday.

According to ABC News, Hannah Thomas was issued a future court attendance notice for allegedly hindering or resisting a police officer and refusing to follow an order to disperse.

The 35-year-old was arrested during the incident and suffered serious facial injuries. She is currently receiving treatment in hospital. Her lawyer, Peter O’Brien, said the injuries were severe and could potentially cause her to lose sight in one eye.


Thomas is expected to appear in the Bankstown local court on Aug 12.

New South Wales police said earlier the case was not being formally investigated as a critical incident. “The incident remains under investigation and police continue to seek further information,” according to a police statement. Four others were also arrested at the protest, including a 24-year-old man who allegedly stole a police body camera.


All four were charged with various offences and granted conditional bail. They are due to appear in court on July 15.

***

kt comments:

The Ozzie establishment is mainly pro-Shailoks (political parties highly funded by Shailoks, and very influenced by the Wankees and the Church) though there has been a perceptible change in the political tide, especially among the youth and 'educated'.

I salute Hannah.

FMT:

Trump blasts ‘communist’ winner of New York Democratic primary

You Clown, you drove the voters over to him

Bijak pilih isu jika nak tarik pengundi bukan Melayu

FMT:

Bijak pilih isu jika nak tarik pengundi bukan Melayu, PN diberitahu

In the immortalised words of Kedah MB Muhammad Sanusi bin Md Nor: "Lan Cheow"

The missing reform agenda: A failure of political will in Malaysia’s Madani government

Murray Hunter


The missing reform agenda: A failure of political will in Malaysia’s Madani government

P Ramasamy
Jun 29, 2025





Political analysts should stop defending the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition’s lack of meaningful reforms by pointing to the absence of prior arrangements between coalition partners. The formation of the government through a hastily assembled coalition may explain the initial political urgency, but it does not justify the prolonged neglect of reform.

From the outset, the coalition’s main priority was forming the federal government amidst political uncertainty. In doing so, the reform agenda—once the core of PH’s identity—was sacrificed to political expediency. Even if immediate survival was necessary, this does not account for the inaction in the months and years that followed.

Some analysts have suggested that the government could have emulated the example of Germany’s ruling coalition, where structural reforms became central to governance. However, over two years have passed since the formation of the Madani government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and meaningful reforms remain elusive.

While the early period may have been dominated by issues of political stability, the coalition has since had ample time to develop, institutionalise, and implement a clear reform framework. Such a framework—covering both short- and long-term goals—could have guided structured, sustainable changes. Instead, reforms have been reduced to rhetorical flourishes and superficial, piecemeal adjustments.

This failure has left the public increasingly disillusioned. Rather than embodying a transformative government, the Madani administration appears to be using the idea of reform as a political tool for maintaining power. Without concrete action, Malaysians are left questioning the sincerity of the coalition’s reformist claims.

The continued manufacturing of excuses does nothing to address the fundamental issue: the urgent need for structural and institutional reform. Pointing to foreign examples, however well-intentioned, does little to change the domestic reality that Malaysia’s reform agenda lacks clarity, commitment, and most importantly—political will.

***

Wakakaka

PM Anwar need not be a “dictator” to address the DNNA question

Murray Hunter


PM Anwar need not be a “dictator” to address the DNNA question

P Ramasamy
Jun 28, 2025





Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim cannot become a dictator even when he has those proclivities.

I am sure he wants his term in the office unperturbed and that people adhere to his wishes.

Unfortunately, Malaysia might not be fully functioning democracy, but certainly a large section of the population want a government democratically elected and functions in the best interest of all Malaysians.

Malaysians want their prime minister to adhere to democratic norms in the governance of the country.

If the Attorney General is responsible to the Parliament, I am sure the public grievances associated with the granting of discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNNA) in the recent case of the former prime minister Najib Razak and earlier in relation to the deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would not have been directed at Anwar.

Since the AG reports directly to Anwar, the prime minister, it is only normal that dissatisfaction with the grant of the DNNA is directed at him.

I don’t think the granting of the DNNA would have happened without the knowledge of Anwar.

Anwar cannot pretend that he cannot interfere in the decisions of the AG.

Remember, if Anwar has forgotten, the AG was appointed by him and not the Parliament.

Just like the case of the royal addendum, Anwar, for a while refused to acknowledge the existence of it until the last moment.

Anwar can shout to the world that the AG functions independently of him, but I am sure there are few takers.

Even if Anwar wants to be dictator, he knows very well that he wouldn’t last in his office for long. Anwar might not be the dictator, but there are creeping dictatorial tendency being exhibited by his government in general and him in particular.

The controls exercised on the media, the role of MACC in selective persecution of the critics of the Madani government and others paint a negative picture of the government that seems to have authoritarian tendencies.

Anwar might not be dictator, but he cannot deny that he has been less than honest on the issuance of the DNNA on selected individuals.

Perhaps to clear the “good name” of the Madani government, he should ask the AGC to explain why DNNA was given to politicians who had allegedly involved in corruption.

The issuance of the DNNA, royal addendum, the controversial role of the MACC and others public issues that any responsible government must faithfully address. Anwar cannot come up with tantrums “they want me to be dictator” and others to sidestep crucial social and political issues in the country. Anwar need not be a dictator to address issues pertaining to the DNNA.

***

kt comments:

Poor Anwar but alas lah, no rest for the wicked, wakakaka. Tambee Rama is not giving you any rest, is he? Wakakaka again.

** DNNA should be DNAA

Military Watch:

Russian TOS-1 ‘Vacuum Artillery’ Eliminates Ukrainian Forces in Frontline Settlement: Pressure in Donbas Continues to Mount

Eastern Europe and Central Asia , Ground

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

June-29th-2025

---

Thermobaric Strike on Ukrainian Forces in Settlement and TOS-1A Launch

Footage released from an unknown location on the frontlines between Russian-Ukrainian forces has shown the extensive use of TOS-1A 220 millimetre thermobaric artillery to devastate Ukrainian forces in cover, in what appears to be a small industrial settlement reported to be in the disputed Donbas regions. The attack was launched as Russia has intensified bombardment of Ukrainian positions, with the launch of over 400 drones and 77 cruise and ballistic missiles agains targets across multiple regions including Lviv, Ternopil and Rivne among others. These strikes are part of a gradual intensification of pressure on Ukrainian and supporting Western contractor forces on the frontlines, as after the securing of the Kursk region with the assistance of North Korean personnel, Russia has been able to allocate more forces to engagements in disputed territories in the Donbas. Russian forces have since mid-April been making continuous advances, with a recent landmark in its successes being the capture one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe near the village of Shevchenko. Heavy losses among Ukraine’s elite units in Kursk, and the extreme depletion of inventories of much of its most capable equipment from Patriot and S-300 air defence systems to M1A1 Abrams, Leopard 2A6 and T-80 tanks, have been among the factors raising questions regarding the country’s ability to sustain its war effort.

Russian Thermobaric Bombardment in Ukraine in 2022 and TOS-1A Rocket Launcher

The performance of the TOS-1A has gained significant attention due to its combat performance in the Ukrainian theatre, with the system being well optimised for neutralising forces fortified in settlements, as seen on the recent footage, as well as in bunkers, caves or trenches. The system’s thermobaric ammunition works by dispersing a gaseous cloud of chemicals into the air, which are subsequently detonated by a vacuum explosive, which releasees a high pressure shock wave that sucks air out of confined areas with tremendous force, rupturing the lungs of all present in the vicinity. The system first demonstrated its capabilities during counterinsurgency operations against  a number of Turkish-sponsored terror groups in Syria and Iraq such as the Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State in the mid-2010s, but has been employed on a far larger scale in Ukraine. Its advanced performance has led Russian defence conglomerate Rostec to announce the development of a more capable successor in April 2024 under the designation TOS-3.

Nurul’s comments on native land divisive for unity government

Murray Hunter


Nurul’s comments on native land divisive for unity government


Murray Hunter
Jun 29, 2025





Last week while Nurul Izzah Anwar made a visit as deputy president of PKR, her comments over native titles for indigenous groups ruffled feathers within the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). The GPS is primarily made up of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) generally are not happy when politicians from the peninsula come across to Sarawak and criticize the governing coalition. Many Malaysian politicians have been denied entry for these very reasons.

Secondly GRS frowns upon peninsula political party’s trying to make a foothold in Sarawak. In the 2021 state election PKR won no seats. Nurul is claiming that PKR can win 13 seats in the coming Sabah state election.

GPS has a code that there would be no public criticism of other parties within the coalition for the purposes of showing public unit and harmony. Nurul has clearly breached this code. GPS’ policy is that any criticisms be voiced out in private so that any grievances can be resolved behind closed doors.

Nurul has trodden over the code of conduct within GPS, which could potentially damage the harmony within the ‘unity coalition’. Nurul’s comments reported by FMT appear to be cheap campaigning in Sarawak to erode support from GPS.

Further, Nurul’s comments when the ‘unity coalition’ is already under strain over the dismal performance of Anwar Ibrahim as leader may have influence over future important coalition related decisions GPS may have to make in the future. Kuching has well taken note of Anwar Ibrahim’s declining popularity.

Many people believe that it was as if Nurul had some intention to damage the standing federal coalition. This is why her comments were surprising to many in Sarawak during her visit.

Meanwhile, back on the peninsula the Orang Asli feel humiliated that Nurul did not mention them when she was talking about native title rights. Some are questioning is there one set of rules for Sarawak and a different set for the Peninsula?

After the next general election, the support of GPS will be critical of who will be able to form the next government and become prime minister. Nurul doesn’t appear to be helping her father’s chances of support in Sarawak.

No GPS, no rest breaks: JPJ chief flags major safety lapses at 85 transport companies, including failure to monitor driver hours

No GPS, no rest breaks: JPJ chief flags major safety lapses at 85 transport companies, including failure to monitor driver hours



PA June 23, 2025 JPJ audit of 133 companies running commercial vehicles in Malaysia saw only 48 transport companies passing, while the remaining 85 failed to meet mandatory safety requirements. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Sunday, 29 Jun 2025 4:01 PM MYT


KOTA BARU, June 29 — The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has found that 64 per cent of commercial vehicle operators audited during the Special Operation on Safety Audit System Guidelines (Ops Khas JISA) failed to meet mandatory safety requirements.

Its director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the nationwide operation, which began on June 23, involved audits on 133 companies operating commercial vehicles. Of these, 85 companies failed to comply with JISA guidelines, while only 48 passed.

“The non-compliant companies comprised 43 lorry operators and 42 tour and express bus operators,” he said after attending JPJ’s Setia Khas Assembly here today.

Among the key violations were the failure to appoint occupational safety and health officers, lack of GPS installation in all vehicles, and poor GPS monitoring practices.


Many companies also failed to record drivers’ working hours, which must not exceed eight hours a day, and did not ensure a minimum 30-minute break every four hours of driving.

He added that some companies had no safety action plans in place and did not display hotline numbers or the names of responsible officers on their vehicles for public complaints.



JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli speaks to reporters at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan in Pengkalan Chepa on June 29, 2025. — Bernama pic


“The department will submit the list of non-compliant companies to the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) for further action, including possible suspension or cancellation of operating licences.” he said.

Aedy Fadly stressed that JPJ will not compromise on safety and will continue to take firm enforcement action as part of efforts to enhance road safety and uphold the integrity of the national transport system. — Bernama

A preacher asked me out. When I turned her down, the stalking began

BBC:

A preacher asked me out. When I turned her down, the stalking began


Aleem Maqbool, religion editor & Steve Swann
File on 4 Investigates

BBC


It seemed like a harmless encounter.

It was the summer of 2021, and Jay Hulme, a volunteer at St Nicholas Church in Leicester, was on the door, welcoming people. That's when Venessa walked in.

"There was something awkward about her," he recalls. "But I assumed it was about being in a new church with new people, and we were just coming out of the pandemic. There was no red flag."

Venessa Pinto, employed by the Leicester diocese of the Church of England as a lay preacher - a non-ordained person who can lead worship - returned a few more times to Jay's church.

A few weeks later, they both happened to be at a midweek service in Leicester Cathedral. When it was over, she approached him and asked to speak privately. They stepped into the quiet of the old cathedral graveyard.

Then she asked him out.

"I was very taken aback, because I didn't know her. And I was like, 'I'm gay, but thank you for asking.' But she asked me if it was because she was black."

Jay was startled by the question. He gently reiterated that he could not go out on a date because he was gay - and also not in the right place for a relationship.

"I left it thinking, 'That was very awkward', but I think, 'That's the end of that.'"

It wasn't.

In fact, it was the beginning of a devastating campaign of stalking and harassment. And when Jay complained, the highest authority in the Church in Leicester - a top contender to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury - said he didn't believe him. Instead, he accused Jay of witchcraft.



St Nicholas Church, Leicester


'Vile man'

That summer, Jay Hulme, then in his mid-twenties, was at a very happy juncture in his life. He was a poet and author, an assistant warden at the LGBT-friendly St Nicholas Church and known on social media for his love of church buildings and theology.

He was exploring his Christian faith and considering the possibility of training to become a priest in the coming years.

"I'm also trans, I'd come out a number of years before, and I'd finally come to a place of full and complete happiness with who I was. I saw my future unfurling before me in a way that had felt impossible before," he reminisces.

After being rejected, Venessa, also then in her mid-twenties, sent Jay a series of "angry and accusatory" messages, saying he was gossiping about her. Though he tried to reassure her he wasn't, she was adamant.

To try to resolve things, Jay agreed to a demand from her to meet. He had been determined that the meeting happened outside in public but a heavy rainstorm meant they ended up inside, alone together at her place of work.

He says she yelled at him, telling him he was a liar, a racist and an awful person - demanding an apology over and over again without telling him what he was supposed to have done.

Unsettled, Jay stopped interacting with Venessa and avoided her when she continued to come to his church. But then he started to get messages from anonymous online accounts which could be seen by his social media followers.






Jay quickly worked out the author was Venessa. She even sent him an email from her personal account apologising for what she described as the "pain" she'd caused.

But the nastiness online escalated, with Venessa publicly making false allegations and threats.






Jay was concerned for his safety. He reported the harassment to Leicestershire Police. He says he didn't want Venessa prosecuted at that point - just for the abuse to stop.

But he heard nothing back and the abuse continued relentlessly. Each time he blocked an account, another would spring up. Jay felt he had no way of escaping it.

"I felt like she was in my pocket, and in my house, and in my brain all of the time, saying these horrendous things and I couldn't get away," he says.

Jay needed to stay online because of his writing and speaking commitments. But he was beginning to lose contracts. He suspects that was because of the allegations about him online.

Finally, weeks after reporting it, the police did visit Venessa. The outcome was far from satisfactory for Jay.

"She told the officer that it was her friends who were sending the messages, and the officer told her to tell them to stop. I was told by the police that I should just delete my social media," he says.

Jay says he got the impression the police did not appreciate the seriousness of the abuse because it was online.


Stalker books onto same retreat

The police visit triggered even more angry messages from Venessa.

Jay then started assembling a powerful body of evidence, now on a mission to prove the messages had not been sent by Venessa's friends, but by Venessa herself.

He compiled a detailed spreadsheet setting out the connections between the numerous anonymous accounts which had sent abuse or posted allegations about him. They all led back to Venessa.

Having lost faith in the police, Jay handed all this evidence to the Church of England, which promised to investigate his formal complaint.

While he waited, he thought he would get some respite by going to a silent Jesuit retreat in rural Wales. Days later, a colleague told him Venessa had booked to go to the very same retreat.

Jay had booked last minute and says there were not many slots left. "It's in the middle of nowhere. As far as I'm concerned there is no way that could have happened naturally."

Jay left the retreat just hours before Venessa arrived. It left him terrified, feeling the stalking had now gone beyond the confines of the internet.


Accused of witchcraft

Finally, there was some positive news for Jay.

Back in Leicester, the Church HR investigation concluded Venessa had been responsible for the abuse, to Jay's huge relief. He assumed that would be the end of it.

But almost as soon as that happened, there was an unexpected turn.

He was called into a meeting with the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow - who's seen as a favourite to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England.

House of Lords/Roger Harris
Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow


Jay thought Venessa was going to lose her job. But it turned out the bishop had conducted his own investigation.

"I go in and the bishop sits down with this thick folder on his knee. And he begins to question me about my complaint. He actually states that 'It's he said, she said'."

The bishop said he didn't believe that Venessa had been responsible for the harassment. And he wouldn't uphold Jay's complaint against her.

Then he made an extraordinary accusation about Jay.

"Somebody had given a statement that I had been seen in the church, in the darkness, with a candle – and they thought I was conducting a seance. For clarity, I was praying with a candle in the dark, because that's a thing that Christians do," says Jay.

It got worse.

Bishop Snow accused him of practising witchcraft - both because of the "seance" and the fact Jay happened to have a close friend who was a tarot card reader.

"It felt like an enormous gut punch. These made-up allegations were being presented to me by a person with the power of a bishop, in a meeting which I suddenly realised I had no control over," says Jay.

"She [Venessa] had somehow managed to make a bishop become part of her stalking campaign of harassment and threats, and use his power and position, and I couldn't believe it was happening."

Jay says he was told Venessa would not lose her licence to preach, but he would be punished.

Jay Hulme


He says Bishop Snow told him the process to begin his training for priesthood – something he decided he wanted to pursue – would be "slowed down".

Jay was devastated. He went home feeling trapped. And after the complaint was dismissed, more messages were posted.

"Really horrific things, saying that I raped children, that I stole money, that I was a racist, a bully. She created fake accounts that were me saying really racist things and would then screenshot them and share those things," he says.

Bishop Snow suggested to Jay that his allegations were not in keeping with Venessa's character. But Jay soon learned he wasn't the only person affected by Venessa's behaviour.


Complaints 'from 30 people'

A colleague who worked closely with Venessa, Kat Gibson, had been complaining about her for more than a year before the campaign against Jay began.

Kat says Venessa was unpredictable and adversarial in the extreme. "I was just really scared when I was around her, thinking, 'what's she going to explode at me for this time?' with these explosive angry outbursts that I can't prevent."

She adds that as the months went on, "around 30 people" from eight churches approached her to informally complain about Venessa's behaviour. She calls the issue an "open secret" but one that managers felt unable to tackle.

In a joint statement, Kat's manager, Lusa Nsenga Ngoy - now a bishop in London - and Leicester Diocese said pastoral support and counselling were offered to those affected. The Church of England says Kat's complaints were treated with care and seriousness.



Kat Gibson


She was a lay preacher in Leicester, but Venessa soon gained increasing prominence on a national level.

In 2022, several months into her stalking campaign against Jay Hulme, she was elected onto the Church of England's national assembly – the General Synod.

Soon after, she was one of just a handful of people from Synod appointed to the Crown Nominations Commission, a panel that selects new bishops and archbishops. But all the while, she was sending countless sinister messages to Jay.






The online harassment from Venessa now included extreme pornographic content posted on his social media. Then she tweeted Jay's address.

He went to the police a second time, but again felt no sense of urgency.

"There was a period where every night, I would wake up screaming because I dreamed that I was being murdered by Venessa. I had extra locks put on my door," Jay says.


Apologies and conviction

Though there appeared to be inaction, behind the scenes the Church was clearly starting to realise it had a problem on its hands.

While Jay had been told in summer 2022 that a Leicester Diocese investigation found Venessa had been responsible for Jay's harassment, he was also told that the Bishop of Leicester decided quite the opposite.

The BBC has now learned that shortly before that, the bishop did tell Venessa to step back from ministry because of "her behaviour", though it is not known what this refers to.

He also later revoked her licence to preach, after what's described as "new evidence" coming to light. The diocese also suggested she go on leave.

But none of these things were made public and did not stop the unrelenting stalking of Jay.

Leicester Cathedral


All of a sudden, in late 2022, Leicester Diocese announced Venessa would be leaving.

It said she would "pursue other opportunities" and thanked her for the positive contributions she had made.

Again, this appeared to have no impact on the hate-filled barrages coming Jay's way.

"I wrote my own will because…I felt that I'd been let down by the police, I'd been let down by the diocese and as far as I was concerned, this would continue until one of us died," he says.

In desperation, in December 2022 he went to the police again.

In March 2023, 21 months after the stalking campaign against Jay began (and eight months after the Bishop of Leicester told Jay he did not believe him) the police finally took action against Venessa.

"I get a phone call from Leicestershire Police [who] basically acknowledged that they made a mess of it. And very soon Venessa was arrested. Her devices were confiscated," says Jay.

In a statement, Leicestershire Police acknowledged their initial response fell short of the standards expected, adding it continued "to develop its knowledge and training in relation to preventing and detecting stalking offences".

By the end of 2023, Venessa had been charged. In May 2024 she pleaded guilty to stalking, involving serious distress or harm and was given an 18-month community order and banned from contacting Jay for a year.

After Venessa's conviction, Jay asked for a meeting with the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, who now apologised. "He did acknowledge in some way his own part in it and that he should have done better, and I agree," says Jay.

Leicester Diocese told us it took legal advice and is confident it followed HR practice and due process in handling Jay's complaint. But wouldn't say why it did not sack Venessa for months after concluding she had sent the messages to Jay.

A spokesperson for the Church of England says they are "appalled by the serious criminal behaviour that led to Venessa Pinto's conviction."

Venessa's colleague Kat Gibson was recently made redundant from her post in Leicester. She says she's much better, physically and mentally, and is pleased to be out of Church of England employment.


'Everybody failed to protect me'

And what of Venessa Pinto? Having carried out her community service and abided by the restraining order, she is once again preaching – and has also done missionary work in Brazil.

In a statement to the BBC she said one aspect of the court case in particular changed everything for her.

"Reading [Jay's] victim impact statement brought into sharp focus the pain I caused and strengthened my resolve to take responsibility and make amends," Venessa says.

"I acknowledge the seriousness of my past conduct and do not seek to diminish its impact. I have moved forward in my life and hope those affected in Leicester and elsewhere can find it in their hearts to allow space for healing and growth," she says.

But while Venessa admits to the harassment she was convicted of, she denies some other allegations, including the frequent angry outbursts Kat and others reported. In fact she says accusations of aggressive behaviour were never formally raised with her in Leicester.

Venessa says she was going through a difficult period and was struggling with her mental health during her time in Leicester.

Her targeting of Jay has left him scarred. He struggles to open his email for fear of what he'll find and he says his finances have been destroyed by years of sporadic work.

"I feel that everybody failed to protect me. I almost feel like I was naive that when the police failed to protect me, I thought the Church, which talks about safeguarding, [would]," says Jay.

"It fails because people are scared to do the right thing. In James, my favourite book of the Bible, there's a bit that says that anybody who knows the right thing and fails to do it, commits sin. And that's the problem at the heart of this Church."



Photography by the BBC's Emma Lynch

A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line

***

kt comments:

Still waiting for a hottie to stalk me 😁😂😅😆😊

Over 600 dogs, no space, no vets: Sandakan SPCA’s crisis amid stray dog crackdown

Over 600 dogs, no space, no vets: Sandakan SPCA’s crisis amid stray dog crackdown



Animal welfare activists said that without proper care, there is an increased risk of disease outbreaks, which could force the authorities to resort to mass culling the stray dogs in shelters. — Picture from Facebook/SPCA Sandakan

Sunday, 29 Jun 2025 10:48 AM MYT


SANDAKAN, June 29 — The Sandakan Municipal Council has ramped up efforts to tackle the town’s stray dog population, capturing more than 600 dogs in recent operations.

However, the sudden success has created a new crisis.

The influx has overwhelmed the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Sandakan shelter, which is now operating far beyond its capacity and urgently calling for help.

Many of the captured dogs require immediate health checks, quarantine and medical treatment, but the shelter lacks adequate facilities, medicine and volunteer veterinarians.

Without proper care, there is an increased risk of disease outbreaks, which could force the authorities to resort to mass culling.

Overcrowding has made the situation worse. Shelter operators say they need to quickly build more kennels to separate the animals and prevent the spread of contagious diseases, which pose risks to both the dogs and volunteers.

In the short term, the SPCA Sandakan is appealing for donations of food, medicine and building materials. Volunteers are also needed to help with feeding, cleaning and daily maintenance.

Animal welfare groups stress that this crisis shows the need for a more sustainable approach. A proven method, used successfully in countries like Turkiye, involves catching, neutering and ear-tagging stray dogs to keep the population under control.

Cooperation between the Sabah State Veterinary Services Department and local animal welfare organisations is key to ensuring that stray management is both effective and humane.

Community involvement in tracking and reporting strays could also help gather data to improve future measures.

Animal advocate Remy Majangkim urged the community to remember that stray animals rely entirely on human compassion.

“The creators do not make mistakes in their creations; rather, it is we who often ignore their existence and plight,” Remy said recently.

He added that every contribution counts — whether it is through donations, volunteering, or simply raising awareness.

“Together, we can create a safer, healthier future for Sandakan’s stray dogs,” he said.

For donations or volunteer opportunities, the public can contact SPCA Sandakan directly. — The Borneo Post

Ramkarpal joins chorus urging govt to retain Tengku Maimun as CJ

Ramkarpal joins chorus urging govt to retain Tengku Maimun as CJ


Published: Jun 29, 2025 5:46 PM
Updated: 8:15 PM


Former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh has joined the chorus of those urging the government to extend the tenure of Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat as chief justice.

In a statement today, Ramkarpal (above) said the government should also extend the tenures of Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and senior Federal Court judge Nallini Pathmanathan.

"The government has stated on many occasions that institutional reform remains one of its top priorities, and it is difficult to comprehend why the tenure extension of the said judges does not align with such an agenda, particularly at a time when many Federal Court judges have retired or are due to retire.

"In the circumstances, it is imperative to allow for a continuation of the status quo of the current administration of the judiciary to ensure a smooth transition when the new batch of Federal Court judges takes over," the DAP lawmaker said.

Tengku Maimun will reach the mandatory age of retirement for judges, 66, on Tuesday, July 1, with Abang Iskandar hitting the milestone the very next day. Nallini's 66th birthday will be on Aug 22.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tengku Mat


The Federal Constitution allows retired judges to continue serving for an additional six months, with consent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Ramkarpal said if the government chooses not to extend their tenures, it must explain why.

'Echoes of 1988': PSM slams Anwar, Harapan over CJ's tenure

'Echoes of 1988': PSM slams Anwar, Harapan over CJ's tenure

Published: Jun 29, 2025 10:00 AM
Updated: 2:57 PM


Summary

• PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan calls Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat “one of the finest” judges, and the government’s refusal to extend her tenure is a betrayal.

• He also questions the silence of the “so-called reformist coalition” Pakatan Harapan and compares it to the 1988 judicial crisis.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s refusal to extend the tenure of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat would be nothing short of a betrayal, emphasised PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan.

He hailed the country’s first female chief justice as one of the finest, noting that she never succumbed to executive pressure and always spoke her mind without fear or favour.

“She could have taken an easier path, perhaps even secured an extension, yet she chose the principled stand most Malaysians would respect,” he added in a strongly worded statement.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat


Questioning if Malaysia is in the throes of another judicial crisis since the removal of Lord President Salleh Abas and five Supreme Court Judges in 1988, Arutchelvan criticised the silence of Pakatan Harapan on the matter.

“This silence of our so-called reformist coalition is so telling. What happened to the democratic conscience of DAP, Amanah, and PKR; these were the very parties that once championed judicial independence when in the opposition.

“Have they become so entrenched in power that they now hide behind the term ‘the prime minister’s prerogative’?” he asked.


‘Anwar learned from Dr M’

Arutchelvan said there have been numerous disappointments with Anwar since he became prime minister, and his actions are often justified as political survival.

“Yet his refusal to extend Tengku Maimun’s tenure would be a betrayal of the judiciary and the nation. Anwar’s popularity would have soared overnight had he retained her, as she remains a beacon of hope for institutional integrity.

“Instead, Anwar has mastered the art of clinging to power - a lesson likely learned from (former premier Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad).

“No one expected Mahathir to be a democrat or reformer, but we pinned our hopes on Anwar: the former student leader jailed under the ISA, assaulted in detention, and imprisoned on trumped-up charges by Mahathir and we believed Malaysia had progressed since the executive’s attack on judicial independence in 1988,” he added.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim


However, Aructhelvan argued that the same pattern is re-emerging under Anwar’s leadership.

“The civil society, former Bar presidents, legal experts, and countless others have united in calling for Tengku Maimun’s retention - a rare consensus in our fractured nation.

“With no separation of powers, a toe-the-line attorney-general, and an MACC chief commissioner focused on harassing the opposition, the judiciary has been our last bastion of hope. But come July, even that may erode,” he added.

Tengku Maimun is scheduled to go on mandatory retirement on July 1, at the age of 66. She was appointed as chief justice in 2019 under the Harapan government led by Mahathir.

***

kt comments:

While I support the extension of Tengku Maimun's service, to compare the lack of any PM-indication as to an 'extension of service' for her as CJ, to the 1988 Constitutional Crisis is sheer bunkum. Arutchelvan has been tokking-kok. In 1988, serving judges were forcefully ousted by a draconian PM, whilst that is not so in Tengku Maimun's case

Dei Aru, don't kerbau okay?

Phuket monk guns down fellow cleric in temple bathroom over loud phone, alleged bullying

Phuket monk guns down fellow cleric in temple bathroom over loud phone, alleged bullying



Buddhist monks make merit during Wesak Day celebrations at Wat Dhammakaya Buddhist temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok, May 11, 2025. — AFP pic

Sunday, 29 Jun 2025 4:08 PM MYT



PHUKET, June 29 — A Buddhist monk in Phuket has been arrested after fatally shooting a fellow monk at a temple this morning, allegedly following months of bullying.

Bangkok Post reported that the shooting occurred at around 6am at Wat Khao Rung in Talad Yai, Muang district.



Police said the victim, 36-year-old Phra Niwat, was found dead in a temple bathroom with gunshot wounds to his neck, arm and chest.

Four spent .38 calibre cartridges and a bullet casing were recovered at the scene, according to Pol Lt Jaruwit Juabkwarmsuk of Muang Phuket police station.


The suspected gunman, 47-year-old Phra Jaruek, initially barricaded himself in his room after the shooting but later surrendered. Officers found a loaded .38 revolver and 14 rounds of ammunition in his possession.


In his statement to police, Phra Jaruek claimed that he had endured prolonged bullying by the victim and was provoked again on the morning of the incident.

“He went into the bathroom without locking the door and played something loudly on his phone. It irritated me,” he said.


“So I took the gun from my room, shot him, and reloaded another six rounds.”

Following his arrest, Phra Jaruek was taken before the ecclesiastical district governor and formally defrocked. He is now in custody and faces criminal prosecution.

***

kt comments:

The Buddhist temples in Thailand have been 'sanctuaries' for thugs and draft-dodgers for aeons. Those who sought 'sanctuary' from the law (including military) would be safe until they leave the temple precincts. Thus the above news is not strange as those two opponents would have been fellow thugs-in-sanctuary.

Sanctuary in holy places have been a tradition, eg. both Adonijah (Solomon's brother) and Joab (David's military commander) had also sought sanctuary in a temple by holding on to the horns of the bronze altar:

 “Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.” (1 Kings 1:50NLT). 

In the Old Testament there is a piece of furniture referred to as the bronze altar. On it were four bronze “horns.” (Ezek. 43:15). It seems that all worshipers had access to the altar and fugitives seeking asylum might cling to the horns of the altar (Exodus  21:13-14).

The verse above come from a time where rightful King of Israel was Solomon. But one of his brothers Adonijah got it in his mind that he was to be King. Once David found out he proclaims Solomon as King and Adonijah was afraid that Solomon might kill him. His immediate reaction was to run the place of worship and grab the horns of the altar and ask for mercy. He received it that day.

- Soul Health Care