WITH teachers among the most vulnerable to money troubles, financial literacy must be prioritised in schools, starting with educators, stakeholders urge. Fouzi They are calling for more targeted programmes to help teachers not only manage their debt, but also improve their financial literacy, so they are better equipped to educate the younger generation. “Teachers’ unions can provide structured debt counselling and advisory support. Inspiration in actionFinancial confidence in teachers can strongly influence how students perceive money because teachers are some of the most consistent role models in our lives. Teachers who lead by example in financial responsibility don’t just prepare students academically; they shape how we envision our own future.

PETALING JAYA: Coach Rosman Razak will not stop believing in Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's dream of winning the All-England title one day. 2 Pearly-Thinaah's All-England campaign ended in the women doubles' semi-finals after they went down fighting 17-21, 18-21 to South Korea’s Baek Ha-na-Lee Soo-hee in a 68-minute battle in Birmingham on Saturday. Despite the defeat, the Malaysians can take pride in ending the country’s 19-year wait for a women’s doubles semi-final appearance, last achieved by Wong Pei Tty-Chin Ee Hui in 2007. Rosman believes the setback will only make them stronger, echoing the saying that falling down is temporary but getting up is permanent. "What some people don’t know is that despite all the pressure, Pearly and Thinaah always give their maximum effort in training and competitions.

PONTIAN: The absence of toll hikes or toll discounts during the festive seasons is costing the government RM500mil, says Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan. Ahmad added the government also bears a financial implication of around RM80mil per year to compensate all toll highway concessionaires following the 50% toll discount given to the people during festive seasons. He said that the amount needed to be paid to highway concession companies for toll discounts during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas celebrations. The discounts were given to alleviate the cost of living for the people, especially during the festive seasons when they return to their hometowns. “During the contracted period, an increase in the toll rate was anticipated.

SEREMBAN: The Cabinet has approved an evacuation plan for Malaysians in the Middle East should the conflict escalate further, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic). The Cabinet, he said, had approved the plan to allow the government to quickly trigger the measures in case the situation worsens. At present, there are some 31,000 Malaysians in countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The minister urged Malaysians there to register and stay in contact with their respective missions to allow authorities to stay in touch. In January, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said his administration was prepared to table a motion during the next state assembly sitting to limit the tenure of the mentri besar to two terms.

SEPANG: In a tragic incident on March 7, a 39-year-old foreign national studying at a local university fell to his death from the fifth floor of an apartment building in Sepang. According to a statement from Sepang Police Chief ACP Norhizam Bahaman on Sunday (March 8), authorities received a report about the fall and promptly dispatched a team from the Cyberjaya police station to investigate the scene. Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim lying face down in the lobby, with obvious signs of injury. The police have since classified the incident as a Sudden Death Report (SDR). The body has been transferred to Cyberjaya Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 649 Malaysians are currently still stranded across several locations in the Middle East following the escalating conflict in parts of the region, says the Foreign Ministry. ALSO READ: Evacuation plan approvedIt said efforts remain focused on assisting Malaysians stranded due to the conflict and facilitating their return through available commercial flights. In the United Arab Emirates, 246 stranded Malaysians in Dubai have departed, leaving 176 Malaysians on the mission’s active list. In Abu Dhabi, 25 Malaysians remain stranded while five travellers have departed. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, 243 Malaysians remain stranded, mostly Umrah pilgrims.

Committee to examine possible factors, including workplace stress, following the incident at Kuala Krai hospital hostel. - NSTP file picKOTA BARU: The Kelantan Health Department has set up a committee to investigate the death of a female trainee doctor at the hostel of Hospital Sultan Ismail Petra (HSIP) in Kuala Krai. He said the 29-year-old trainee doctor was a graduate of Mansoura University in Egypt and had been undergoing practical training at the hospital. Yesterday, media reported that the doctor was found dead in a room at the hospital hostel. Preliminary investigations found the woman had been discovered unresponsive in her hostel room, he said.

PETALING JAYA: The latest search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has scanned more than 7,500 sq km of seabed in the southern Indian Ocean but still has not located the missing aircraft. ALSO READ: New search launched for MH370The Malaysian government signed an agreement with Ocean Infinity on March 25, 2025, to undertake seabed search operations in a new 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean. The search was conducted under a “no find, no fee” arrangement. In total, 28 operational search days were completed across both phases, covering about 7,571 sq km of seabed within the designated search zone. The Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

She came away from the workshop with a toolkit of creative ideas – from planning speaking activities using advertisements to incorporating listening exercises. Since its inception in 1997, the Star-NiE programme has supported English language teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. Star-NiE activities are available in StarEdu on Sundays, and in StarLifestyle on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities. The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional must go into the next general election by strenuously protecting its traditional seats, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. From left Ling Tian Soon, Datuk Lawrence Low, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, Datuk Dr Mah. From right were Datuk Wong You Fong, Datuk Tan Teik Cheng, Datuk Lim Ban Hong and Datuk Chong Sin Woon. On Malaysia’s “electoral schedule”, Dr Wee said MCA expected the Melaka state election to be held this year, followed by the Johor polls in early 2027. Dr Wee set two objectives: MCA must win more state seats than in the previous election, and Barisan must win both state elections under its own banner.

LIMA, March 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 31 people were injured in an explosion at a nightclub in northern Peru's La Libertad region early Saturday. The explosion, which occurred inside the "Dali" nightclub in the Victor Larco Herrera district of Trujillo, is being investigated by authorities as a possible criminal attack. Local health official Gerardo Florian said the injured, including three minors, were evacuated to hospitals for medical treatment. Local media noted that the venue was targeted in a tear gas bomb attack weeks ago during Valentine's Day celebrations.

SEPANG: Three travel agencies have merged under a single consortium known as One Umrah to facilitate the repatriation of umrah pilgrims who were stran­ded following the closure of airspace in the Middle East due to the United States-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Safarbuddies Travel and Services Sdn Bhd director Mohd Fadzrull Bakri said the consor­tium comprised Safarbuddies Travel and Services, UHR Travel, and Jawahir Travel and Tours with each playing a specific role in pilgrim management. He explained that Safarbuddies was responsible for operations, including on-ground management in Saudi Arabia and flight bookings, while Jawahir focused on marketing and UHR Travel provided guidance and briefings to the pilgrims. “From early morning, we star­ted looking for replacement flights, trying to fit pilgrims into any available slots. A total of 25 pilgrims accompanied by a mutawif (guide) arrived safely at KLIA Terminal 1 at 10.09pm on Friday night via Emirates flight EK342 after being stranded since Feb 28.

JERLUN: The water level of dams under the supervision of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) has been affected by the drought currently plaguing the state, thus impacting padI production this season. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the water level at the main dams, particularly the Pedu Dam, has dropped to around 40 per cent due to the extremely hot weather and unstable weather conditions. "For now, Mada is planning to implement the dry sowing method while waiting for the dam water supply to be channeled as usual. According to the official Mada website, the water level at Pedu Dam was at 42.23%, the Muda Dam (11.12%) and the Ahning Dam (55.96%) with a total water reservoir rate of 41.55%. We are concerned that if it continues, oil prices will rise and affect the prices of goods in the market so we hope that a ceasefire can be expedited," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated national track cycling ace Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang for winning the gold medal in the keirin event at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup series in Perth, Australia, on Saturday (March 7). In a Facebook post Sunday (March 8), Anwar expressed hope that the rider, nicknamed "The Pocket Rocketman", would continue to excel and bring more success to the country in upcoming tournaments. Mohd Azizulhasni delivered a powerful ride in the event to edge past Matthew Richardson of Great Britain at the finish line, clocking 9.862 seconds, while the bronze medal went to home rider Leigh Hoffman.

Indonesian actress Olla Ramlan confirms she is dating 21-year-old model Tristan Molina, highlighting his maturity and humble nature as key attractions. Pic from IGKUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian actress Olla Ramlan, 46, has confirmed her new romance with professional actor and model Tristan Molina. The relationship has caught public attention as the 21-year-old Tristan is the same age as Olla's eldest son, Sean Mikael Alexander. We never know if we will be matched with someone younger or of a similar age," she told reporters. Her eldest son, Sean, has struck up a friendship with Tristan, while her younger daughters have also grown close to him.