PUTRAJAYA: More than 90,000 undocumented foreigners were detained in various operations nationwide last year, says Datuk Zakaria Shaaban. This year, we will intensify operations at locations identified as hotspots for undocumented foreigners,” he said in his New Year address yesterday. Zakaria said enforcement operations this year need to be more strategic and no longer focused solely on operations at factories or specific sites. Zakaria said enforcement operations against undocumented foreigners will remain a priority for the department this year. “We plan to conduct 1,200 enforcement operations this year.

PETALING JAYA: Free Malaysia Today (FMT) has issued an apology after one of its reporters posed a question during a public lecture that was believed to have carried racial overtones. "FMT wishes to put on record that it had no prior knowledge of the journalist’s intention to raise the question, nor did we approve of his comments. The statement was signed by both FMT executive chairman Nelson Fernandez and managing director Azeem Abu Bakar. A video of the question has been posted on social media, where the journalist asked if the speaker saw the parallels between "the Palestine problem and the Chinese problem in Malaysia." The journalist also asked if pro-Palestinian supporters vehemently rejected right-wing views, such as Zionism, why would they support right-wing ideals, such as anti-immigrant views.

A CENTRE has been set up in Lenggong, Hulu Perak, for locals to have shared stewardship in reinforcing the sub-district’s identity as a Unesco Global Geopark. The Lenggong Community Centre is designed for community use, providing a platform for residents, community groups, partners and visitors to engage with Lenggong’s cultural, archaeological and natural heritage. Shamsul, who launched the Lenggong Community Centre, wants Lenggong to be a global geopark education hub.Deputy Home Minister and Lenggong MP Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah launched the centre recently. LVSCD focused on strengthening awareness and understanding of Lenggong’s heritage through community learning, alongside a citizen scientist component and a grants programme that supports community-led initiatives. This is aligned with efforts to position Lenggong as a Global Geopark Education Hub initiated by Shamsul.

Before the school term started this year, she, with help from some volunteers, distributed school supplies to 300 children from poor families in the Klang Valley. Nur Syahada says she spends RM600 on school fees and exercise books for her three children.Those selected received essentials such as bags, stationery, exercise books, lunch boxes and toiletries. “I worked with schools, teachers and community leaders to identify suitable recipients,” said Megalah, who hails from Puchong, Selangor. Tok Batin (village chief) Baharuddin Bakar, 47, said the community had worked with the foundation on previous initiatives. “I spent RM600 on school fees and exercise books,” said the mother of three school-going children.

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) has implemented the “Dapur Siswa Madani” initiative to help reduce the cost of living for its students. The initiative involves provision of cooking equipment and dry food supplies so that students can make their own meals. UMK deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Prof Dr Mohammad Ismail said the university had further plans to set up five “Dapur Siswa Madani” throughout the year. UMK Student Representative Council president Saiful Azam Shamsul Amir welcomed the “Dapur Siswa Madani” initiative as it helped reduce students’ financial burden. Earlier this month, the Federal Government announced a RM15mil allocation to strengthen programmes offering free food and food banks at higher education institutions via “Dapur Siswa Madani”.

PETALING JAYA: About RM277bil has been lost in the past six years due to graft involving public funds, says Tan Sri Azam Baki. Azam also praised the dedication showed by MACC officers who he said “continue to work tirelessly” despite facing pressure and attacks on social media. He stressed that MACC’s role also includes preventive efforts to educate the public, especially the younger generation. “There is a great deal of inaccurate information on social media that can influence public perception,” he said. On issues of perceptions and online criticism, Azam noted that while perceptions cannot be prevented, they must be managed effectively.

wildlife officers are hunting a rampaging wild elephant blamed for killing at least 20 people and injuring 15 others in the forests of Jharkhand. The lone bull, is reported to have gone on the rampage for nine days beginning in early January, creating panic in the rural West Singhbhum district. Children and the elderly are among the dead, as well as a professional elephant handler. But after wreaking a trail of destruction, it had not been spotted since Friday, despite multiple patrols in the area. Fear has driven residents of more than 20 villages to abandon their farms or barricade themselves indoors at night, village head Pratap Chachar said.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians travelling abroad have several means to clear immigration as the use of the National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe) app is not mandatory for now. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said travellers currently still have several options to clear immigration at entry and exit points, such as the physical passport and via the MyBorderPass. CLICK TO ENLARGE“We announced previously that starting Jan 15, all MyNIISe registrations will use MyDigital ID. ALSO READ: MyBorderPass has raised the bar for MyNIISe“However, in terms of using MyNIISe itself, it is not mandatory at the moment. “For new users who begin using the MyNIISe app after Jan 15, registration for a MyDigital ID will be mandatory.

Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said he had called on the United Nations human rights team to “counter a surge of misinformation targeting the February 12 elections”, his office said in a statement. “There has been a flood of misinformation surrounding the elections,” Yunus told UN rights chief Volker Turk in a telephone call, according to a statement. “They have flooded social media with fake news, rumours and speculation,” Yunus added. “We are concerned about the impact this may have on the elections.”Turk, according to the Bangladesh press statement, offered the UN’s support. Yunus, who returned from exile in August 2024 at the behest of protesters to lead a caretaker government as “chief advisor”, will step down after the polls.

NEW YORK, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices rose on Wednesday. The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery increased by 87 cents, or 1.42 percent, to settle at 62.02 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery gained 1.05 dollars, or 1.6 percent, to settle at 66.52 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

PETALING JAYA: Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) has entered into a non-binding collaboration agreement with France-based Defense Conseil International to explore a potential strategic partnership. In a statement, BHIC said the agreement sets out a framework for exploration of potential sustainable collaboration in relation to spare parts and component support for rotary-wing platforms, technical and manpower support, and other related support activities in Malaysia. BHIC said the agreement is subject to applicable laws and the execution of separate definitive agreements, where required. It will not have any effect on the earnings, gearing, share capital and substantial shareholders’ shareholdings of the company.

PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed in principle to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said the decision was made during the Cabinet meeting that took place on Wednesday (Jan 14). Basically, the government agreed in principle to amend the PAA,” he added. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail later said the government enforced a moratorium on legal proceedings under Section 9(5) of the PAA as part of its agenda to reform the law. Amir also said the AGC had requested that the prosecution against him under the PAA be revived.

(Jan 15) : President Donald Trump is holding off on new tariffs targeting imports of critical minerals, following a months-long review to determine whether foreign shipments threatened US national security. Industry watchers for months have awaited the decision from the investigation, launched last April under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which concluded that imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products imperiled US national security, citing their importance to a wide swath of defense industries. Trump has been under pressure to respond after China, the world’s largest processor of many critical minerals, constrained access to rare earths crucial to advanced technologies during a trade spat last year. More broadly, the Section 232 authority behind the minerals probe is seen as a way the administration could rebuild its tariff regime if the Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s global levies. The proclamation notes uranium as one of the critical minerals “the energy sector relies on.”A major hurdle the administration will need to address, if tariffs are eventually imposed, is the lack of domestic production the US has for most of these raw materials.

The S&P 500 Index closed 0.5% lower in New York, notching its first back-to-back decline of the year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index dropped 1.1%, also adding to losses from Tuesday’s session, almost wiping out gains for the year. Wholesale inflation picked up slightly in November from a month earlier, driven by a jump in energy costs. The producer price index rose 0.2% after climbing 0.1% in the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earnings are keyBig bank earnings continued to roll in.

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - ‌The U.S. Supreme Court issued ‌three decisions on Wednesday but did ‌not decide the closely watched dispute over the legality of President Donald Trump's global tariffs. The court ‍did not announce the next ‍date when it ‌will issue rulings. It does not announce ‍in advance ​which rulings will be released on a given date. The challenge ⁠to Trump's tariffs marks a major ‌test of presidential powers as well as of ⁠the court's ‍willingness to check some of the Republican president's far-reaching assertions of authority since ‍he returned to office in ‌January 2025. Trump's administration is appealing ​rulings by lower courts that he overstepped his authority.