Shuhaily declines FAM integrity committee deputy chairman’s post

Shuhaily declines FAM integrity committee deputy chairman’s post

3 hours ago

FMT Reporters

The AKPS director-general cites time constraints and his responsibilities at the border control agency.

FAM said on Sept 30 that Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay had been appointed to chair the integrity committee, with Shuhaily Zain as his deputy.

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Shuhaily Zain has declined his appointment as deputy chairman of the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) integrity committee.

FAM said Shuhaily turned down the appointment due to time constraints and his responsibilities at AKPS.

“FAM respects his decision and expresses its appreciation to Shuhaily for his earlier readiness and commitment to help the association strengthen its integrity and management,” the association said in a Facebook post today.

This comes after FAM said on Sept 30 that it had appointed former deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay as the integrity committee’s chairman and Shuhaily as his deputy.

Ayob’s appointment followed a forgery case involving seven naturalised Harimau Malaya players that made global headlines last year.

FAM and the seven players were penalised by Fifa after the world football body said the national football body had submitted falsified birth certificates to confirm the players’ eligibility for Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam last June.

 

Bar fails in bid to challenge Terrirudin’s appointment to JAC

Bar fails in bid to challenge Terrirudin’s appointment to JAC

3 hours ago

Faisal Asyraf

The High Court rules that the requirements under Section 5(1)(e) of the JAC Act 2009 had been met in Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh’s appointment.

Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh, a former attorney-general, was elevated to the Federal Court in November 2024.

KUALA LUMPUR:

The High Court today dismissed the Malaysian Bar’s application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings to challenge the appointment of Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh to the Judicial Appointments Commission.

In delivering her decision, Justice Norliza Othman held that Section 5(1)(e) of the JAC Act 2009 was unambiguous.

“Section 5(1)(e) is plain. It specifies the category of person: a Federal Court judge; and the appointing authority: the prime minister, and stops there,” she said.

Since both conditions were met, she said, the court could not read non-statutory criteria such as seniority, length of service, and freedom from unresolved allegations into the provision, as none of those requirements appeared in the legislation.

The court rejected the Bar’s arguments on illegality and irrationality, stating that unproven allegations and inferences could not form the basis of judicial review.

Norliza also emphasised that the court’s role was to interpret the law as enacted by Parliament.

Terrirudin, a former attorney-general, was elevated to the Federal Court in November 2024.

The Bar, which represents about 24,000 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, filed the application in February, seeking 11 orders, including a certiorari order to quash the prime minister’s decision to appoint Terrirudin to the JAC on Nov 15 last year.

Terrirudin is to serve as a JAC member for a two-year term, from the date of his appointment until Nov 14, 2027.

The Bar also sought a mandamus order compelling the prime minister to exercise his prerogative to appoint a member to the JAC in accordance with the law, established conventions, and the JAC Act 2009.

It further sought an order compelling Terrirudin to show cause and disclose the basis of his appointment to the JAC.

It named Terrirudin, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the government as the first to third respondents.

Lawyers Zainur Zakaria, Ambiga Sreenevasan and Steven Thiru represented the Bar, while senior federal counsels Shamsul Bolhassan and Nurhafizza Azizan appeared for the attorney-general.

 

IMF clears the way for Sri Lanka to draw US$345mil

IMF clears the way for Sri Lanka to draw US$345mil

4 hours ago

AFP

The agreement marks the latest milestone in Sri Lanka’s recovery from its worst economic crisis, which led to a US$46 billion sovereign debt default in 2022.

The IMF also warned that higher energy prices, the El Nino climate phenomenon and the Middle East conflict could threaten Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. (EPA Images pic)

COLOMBO:

The International Monetary Fund said Monday it had reached a preliminary agreement with Sri Lanka that will allow it to access about US$345 million from its US$2.9 billion bailout programme.

The Washington-based lender also warned that higher energy prices, the El Nino climate phenomenon and the Middle East conflict could threaten its economic recovery.

The agreement marks the latest milestone in Sri Lanka’s recovery from its worst economic crisis, which culminated in a sovereign default on US$46 billion of external debt in 2022.

The South Asian nation secured a four-year US$2.9 billion IMF rescue package in 2023.

“Sri Lanka’s economy has proved remarkably resilient to successive shocks,” the IMF said in a statement, noting the economy had recorded 11 consecutive quarters of expansion after contracting 7.3% in 2022.

But the country “continues to face downside risks from uncertainty over the duration and intensity of the Middle East war, global trade policy, and the impact of El Nino”, it added.

The IMF also criticised the government’s decision earlier this month to reinstate a US$126 million diesel subsidy, saying fuel prices should continue to adjust in line with international markets while protecting vulnerable households.

It said the central bank should be prepared to tighten monetary policy further if higher energy prices trigger a second round of inflation.

Sri Lanka’s central bank recently raised interest rates 100 basis points to 8.75% but has resisted calls for further increases, arguing that they could undermine growth.

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The latest agreement clears the way for what is expected to be the penultimate disbursement under the programme, which is due to expire in March.

Sri Lankan authorities have yet to decide whether they will seek a new arrangement with the IMF when the programme ends.