PETALING JAYA: Japan's shuttlers Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita are fast emerging as a thorn in the side of Malaysian men's doubles pairs. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik 21-10, 13-21, 21-11 in the Indian Open semi-finals at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Saturday. The Japanese pair eventually went down in three games to South Korea's reigning world champions Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho in the final. Aaron-Wooi Yik could next face a quick re-match against Midorikawa-Yamashita in the second round of the Indonesian tourney. "In the match against the Japanese pair in India, Aaron-Wooi Yik were slow in their rotation on court and their quality of shots were not consistent enough," said Kim Wai.

PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao has an opportunity to reignite his season with a positive performance in the Indonesian Masters starting on Tuesday in Jakarta. Jun Hao was struck by misfortune in the Indian Open when high fever forced him to retire from his first round match against Japan's Yushi Tanaka in New Delhi. If Jun Hao can overcome Hyeok-jin, he will face the winner of the all-Taiwanese match between world No. Zii Jia, who is still finding his feet after an injury-hit 2025, has a tricky first round match against India's world No. Taiwan's Wen Chi-hsu stands in Letshanaa's way in the opening round while Ling Ching will start from the qualifying round against Japan's Kaoru Sugiyama.

Firemen putting out the fire on one of the vehicles involved in the crash near Sungai Kob. District deputy police chief, Deputy Superintendent Tengku Mohd Faisal Tengku Yeng, said the victims were Muhammad Syazwan Mohd Surodjidin and his sons, Muhammad Aqeel Afnan Muhammad Syazwan, 4, and Muhammad Affan Mikhael, 2. Tengku Mohd Faisal said the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. "The vehicles involved in the accident were later taken to the Kulim Traffic Police Station for Puspakom inspection," he said. It was reported earlier that two children were among the three people killed in the collision.

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick has responded to criticisms regarding his appointment as the new KKIP Sdn Bhd chairman. This follows backlash against his appointment to the post, with politicians and non-governmental organisations calling him greedy for holding various portfolios in the government. Apart from the Deputy Chief Minister position, Ewon is also Kadamaian assemblyman, Penampang MP, the Sabah Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship, and Transport Minister, and the Upko party president. Ewon later claimed he was misquoted, stating his stance was that GLC appointments should balance political and corporate figures. KKIP Sdn Bhd, a strategic state-owned company responsible for managing and developing key industrial areas in Sabah, including attracting investments and developing the industrial ecosystem, falls under the jurisdiction of Ewon’s ministry.

KUCHING: A 40-year-old woman has lost RM339,486 after she was allegedly defrauded by a non-existent stock investment scheme. Kuching police chief, ACP Alexson Naga Chabu, said the victim was enticed by an investment opportunity advertised on Facebook in December last year. "She received a link to download an investment application via the website naviscapital.co before being added to a WhatsApp investment group. "She then made a series of payments into three different company bank accounts, involving 22 online money transfers," he added in a statement issued on Sunday (Jan 18). Alexson explained that the victim realised she had been scammed when she was unable to withdraw the investment profits.

KUANTAN: Another Bangladeshi oil palm plantation worker has been reported dead after the lorry he was travelling in skidded off the road in a crash along Jalan Selancar-Redong near Kampung Perwira Jaya, Rompin, on Saturday (Jan 17). Rompin District Police chief Supt Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi said the man was identified as Mohamad Askar, 41, at 4.15pm today at Segamat Hospital, Johor. His death brought the total number of fatalities from the crash to three. Urine screening tests on the 45-year-old Bangladeshi driver were negative for drugs. The crash is believed to have occurred when the lorry driver, who was ferrying the three passengers, attempted to overtake a car but lost control, causing the lorry skid to the left side of the road and overturn.

But what if we could prevent potentially dangerous drivers from driving in the first place? This, it seems, is also how the government is starting to think about artificial intelligence (AI) tools. This is directly related to the Malaysian government’s push to regulate who can use social media, including proposals requiring platforms to verify users using government-issued IDs. Please note this is not quite the same as requiring drivers to hold licences before they’re allowed on the road. Yes, it’s right that we can punish the Ferrari driver and, if necessary, take away his ability to drive.

We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion. Kindly fill the form belowDisclaimer: by clicking the Submit button, it is deemed that you consent to the rules and terms set forth in the Privacy Policy as well as Terms and Conditions set forth by this site.

He dropped his favourite Ultraman toy, he feels “tight” being strapped in the child seat, and he wants to get out. While we worry about dengue or influenza, the silent killer on our doorstep is the road. According to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), we lost an average of 434 children each year between 2014 and 2023 to road traffic accidents. The statistics are terrifying: three in four road deaths among children aged 11 to 15 years occur when they are operating the vehicle. It is the conviction to wrestle a crying toddler into a car seat because you love them too much to risk their life.

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has denied claims that Bersatu has held discussions with Umno and PAS on forming a new “grand collaboration” to unite the Malays. However, the party president said Bersatu remained open to hearing Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s proposal through proper party channels. He stressed that any cross-party talks involving cooperation between Bersatu and Umno must be conducted via official party channels and attended by the top leadership of both parties. Nevertheless, Muhyiddin said Bersatu would adopt an open stance and consider any proposal put forward by Zahid once clearer details are provided. “Bersatu will consider the proposal submitted by the Umno president after receiving more comprehensive input and clarification,” he said.

KOTA KINABALU: Upko continues to urge the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the appeal on the grounds of the judgment pertaining to a Court Order mandating the government to review Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement. Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick said if the federal government was sincere in returning what was owed to Sabah, and genuinely wanted to solve this matter, they would drop the appeal on the Court order. He said in Upko, their stance to fight for state rights, push for reform agenda would continue to be their objective and drive. Earlier, he mentioned that as a local-based party fighting for genuine Sabahans, there was still much work to be done. He urged party members, leaders and supporters to serve as ambassadors for the party by doing their best in bringing development for the people.

PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Loo Bing Kun-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan captured their maiden title in the Swedish Open. Bing Kun-Noraqilah secured the breakthrough after beating Canada’s Timothy Lock-Chloe Hoang 21-16, 21-16 in the final in Uppsala on Sunday (Jan 18). The pair were only competing in their third tournament together after they were combined at the end of last year. It was back-to-back titles for the versatile Noraqilah after she triumphed in the women’s doubles with Low Zi Yu in the Estonian International last week.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 18): The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) takes a serious view of the irresponsible actions of certain parties who have boldly spread speculative narratives on social media concerning strategic appointment matters within the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF). In a statement Sunday, the ministry stressed that such actions, including circulating a list of senior MAF officers’ names, constituted misconduct that clearly undermines the credibility of the country’s defence management system. “Any appointments and promotions of MAF officers are subject to the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, as the Supreme Commander of the MAF, on the advice of the Armed Forces Council (MAT). “Therefore, any premature announcement is considered an act of disrespect towards the royal institution and the MAF leadership hierarchy,” the statement said. Mindef cautioned that the open dissemination of confidential or internal information could pose a threat to information security and national sovereignty.

A husband and wife were killed, while six others escaped unhurt, after a fire destroyed a plantation workers’ quarters at the Woodman Estate in Baram, Miri. PIC COURTESY OF THE LOPENG FIRE AND RESCUE STATIONSIBU: A husband and wife were killed, while six others escaped unhurt, after a fire destroyed a plantation workers' quarters at the Woodman Estate in Baram, Miri, early this morning. "The survivors, comprising five adults and one child who occupied Unit B, managed to escape the burning building in time. "The semi-detached, single-storey quarters, measuring approximately 40 by 30 square feet, were completely razed in the incident," the spokesman said in a statement today. Before firefighters arrived, plantation workers had begun firefighting efforts and managed to extinguish the blaze using 30 fire extinguishers and three water pumps.

International students bring diverse perspectives from their cultural backgrounds. Their presence enriches learning by bringing diverse perspectives into the classroom, strengthening critical thinking, cultural intelligence and global awareness among all students. Attracting international students is not about short-term numbers, but also about building a globally competitive institution anchored in the region. Monash University Malaysia president and pro-vice-chancellor Emerita Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba KamarulzamanInternational students create a dynamic and globally relevant learning environment. International students also add to the country’s intellectual capital.