This cannot be done in one shot,” he said in an interview on Bernama TV’s World programme titled “Online Safety in Focus: Understanding Malaysia’s ONSA 2025” yesterday. In balancing regulation with freedom of speech, Selvakumar stressed the need for transparency and independent oversight, proposing an independent online safety body involving civil society and academic experts. “We need to have an online safety Appeal Tribunal. This gives both our users and platforms a fair opportunity to challenge decisions.”While the government has created an Online Safety Committee under the Online Safety Act to provide strategic guidance on online safety issues, Selvakumar said there remains a need to strengthen independent oversight mechanisms, mainly in ensuring transparency and fair avenues for appeal involving users and platforms. We want to work with them.”On cross-border digital crimes, Selvakumar noted that regional coordination was critical given the borderless nature of online platforms.

KINABATANGAN (Jan 20): As of 10am on Tuesday, 80 police personnel, representing 47.09% of those eligible, have cast their votes in the early voting process for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election. In the Lamag state by-election, 34 police personnel, or 47.34%, have also cast their votes. The Election Commission (EC) reported that out of the 196 eligible police personnel, 189 are voting in person, while seven have opted for postal voting. Early voting is being held at the Kinabatangan District Police Headquarters, which opened at 8am and will close at 5pm on Tuesday. The Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency covers three state seats: Sukau, Lamag, and Kuamut, with a total of 48,722 registered voters.

LONDON: Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, son of the British celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham, said he did not want to reconcile with his parents after a family rift he described in a lengthy post on social media on Monday (Jan 19). The 26-year-old said that his parents have been controlling narratives in the press about his family and tried to "ruin" his relationship with his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham. Brooklyn married Nicola, an American actress and the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner Peltz, in 2022. Spokespeople for David and Victoria Beckham did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on their son's statements. "My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn't stopped," Brooklyn Peltz Beckham said.

Was Taiwanese-American singer Will Pan being modest when he said Mandopop star Jay Chou could be his tennis coach? Pan, 45, said on social media on Jan 17 that he has emerged as the singles champion at the 1st Annual Taipei Tennis Cup. The singer, who is also known as Wilber Pan, posted on Instagram a photo of himself holding aloft the trophy on a tennis court and a selfie capturing a close-up of the trophy. On Jan 18, the day Chou turned 47, the Australian Open wished him happy birthday in a social media post that included the clip. The 1.74m-tall artiste even disclosed on social media in July 2022 that his weight had reached an all-time high of 93kg in May that year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Phase 1 of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) for 2026 will be rolled out from Tuesday (Jan 20) to five million recipients, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "As I announced in my New Year message this year, the Madani Govt began disbursing the Phase 1 of the STR payments today (Jan 20). "A total of five million recipients - comprising 3.7 million households and 1.3 million single senior citizens will receive between RM100 and RM500, according to their respective eligibility. Anwar said STR is provided as additional assistance on a quarterly basis to provide financial help during peak times of expenditure such as festive seasons, while SARA functions as stable monthly basic support. "I hope that this assistance can be fully utilised by the recipients," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, decreed that the national language, Bahasa Malaysia, must continue to be given priority. Sultan Ibrahim said that any education system in Malaysia seeking recognition must include Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History. “If there are quarters that cannot accept Bahasa Melayu, it is best for them not to live in Malaysia,” His Majesty said. Sultan Ibrahim said the national education system must be strengthened as the foundation for nation-building, national identity and the country’s future. On Dec 12, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said any calls for recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate and other languages must take into account the fact that Bahasa Malaysia is the country’s national language.

PETALING JAYA: A tricky path once again awaits former Asian champion Lee Zii Jia as he faces world No. Prannoy is no stranger to Zii Jia, having dashed the Malaysian’s hopes in the battle for a semi-final spot at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago. However, Zii Jia could take confidence from his recent rise in the world rankings ahead of the clash with the Indian. Zii Jia, who has only recently recovered from a back injury, has set his sights on breaking back into the world’s top 20 by the end of the year. Zii Jia will also be joined by Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh, with both eager to secure wins in the opening round.

LANGKAWI: Two ferries docked at a pier in Langkawi were destroyed in a fire at Northern Shipyard Jalan Bukit Malut on Monday (Jan 19) night. A Kedah fire and rescue department spokesman said they received a call from 999 informing them about the incident at 9.46pm. The spokesman said a new ferry, Marin Star 2, at the dock also caught fire but only suffered about 5% damage. He said another two ferries, Marin Star 1 and Feri Langkawi, docked nearby at the pier were successfully saved while My Feri 2 managed to leave the jetty and was secured at a floating buoy offshore. The firefighting operation involved personnel from the Persiaran Putra, Langkawi and Langkawi fire stations.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia can be a regional hub for specialised medical care, with medical tourism keeping prices under control. Dr Thirunavukarasu said medical tourists usually seek treatment in private hospitals. He said foreign patients are not prioritised over local patients in private hospitals as there is sufficient staffing to serve both local and international patients. “Medical tourists make up a relatively small proportion of the total number of patients in private hospitals. “If the demand from medical tourists grows, private hospitals will expand capacity rather than re-allocating resources away from local patients,” he said.

One of the names currently linked to that plan is Indonesian men’s singles assistant coach Harry Hartono. He did not rule out, though, that an Indonesian coach could be on the shortlist. Harry recently returned to the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) as an assistant coach for the men’s singles squad, replacing Marleve Mainaky. If BAM secure Harry’s services, he would join the existing Indonesian coaches in Malaysia, including Rexy Mainaky (doubles coaching director), Herry Iman Pierngadi, Muhammad Miftakh (men’s doubles) and Nova Widianto (mixed doubles). Previously, several local coaches, including Yeoh Kay Bin and Mohd Zakry Latif, were linked to BAM’s new coaching structure.

PETALING JAYA: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd yesterday launched its new headquarters at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, its first owned building. The opening marked a defining milestone as the bank entered a new phase of growth, sustainability leadership, and future-ready transformation under its Acceler8 2027 strategy. Chief executive officer of Alliance Bank Group, Kellee Kam (pic, below), said: “Menara Alliance Bank reflects who we are today as an organisation. Menara Alliance Bank is also on track to achieve Green Mark Gold for the base building and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for its fit-out works by 2026. Menara Alliance Bank supports digital-first operations, hybrid work arrangements, cross-functional collaboration, and talent development, ensuring the organisation remains agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

HLIB Research maintained its 2026 GDP growth forecast at 4.5%, citing healthy investment momentum and improving tourism. Meanwhile, CIMB Research sees the advance 4Q25 GDP estimates as lifting annual growth to 4.9%. As such the brokerage revised its 2026 GDP growth projection to 4.4%, citing strength in services and construction, balanced by moderation in manufacturing. Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB) noted that the strong advance GDP estimate for 4Q25 was in line with its high-frequency monthly indicators. “That implies a smaller/negative contribution of net external demand to GDP growth,” it pointed out.

Commuters in the Klang Valley and Penang can expect better connectivity as Prasarana Malaysia Bhd will be adding 53 new zones to its Rapid On- Demand service by end-2028. Of these, 31 will be in the Klang Valley and the rest in Penang. Prasarana planning and strategy head Sharul Azwa Abd Rani said eight of the zones would complement the Shah Alam LRT line. “We are still assessing the cost of the vans,” Sharul Azwa said during a media briefing yesterday at Menara Prasarana in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Ku Jamil and Sharul Azwa later demonstrated the mechanism of the chair operated via remote control.

According to the United Chinese School Teachers Association (Jiao Zong), the number of pupils enrolled in SJK(C)s fell by 26,526 last year from a total of 490,514 in 2024. In a report titled ‘Issues Facing Chinese Vernacular Schools’, Jiao Zong pointed out that of the 1,303 schools nationwide, half had fewer than 150 pupils and 13 of these schools had fewer than 10 pupils. However, the enrolment of non-Chinese pupils in SJK(C)s saw an increase, with the educationist group estimating that they make up 20% of the pupil population. The group also pointed out that a more diverse student body also meant that pupils from non-Mandarin-speaking families could face challenges learning in Chinese verna­cular schools. “Teachers must make extra efforts to ensure that non-Chinese pupils can keep up academically and adapt to the learning environment,” it said.

PETALING JAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia’s address to Parliament highlighted the importance of integrity and accountability in governance, with analysts saying the anti-corruption message in it was firm and timely. Sivamurugan said the King’s remarks on education also highlighted its broader role in nation-building beyond just meeting labour market needs. Besides corruption, Tawfik said the King’s emphasis on the use and status of Bahasa Malaysia during the royal address sent a clear signal that the issue should not be politicised. Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said Sultan Ibrahim is known for delivering messages in a direct and unambiguous manner which was evident yesterday. “Sultan Ibrahim speaks plainly and without concealment.