The government’s announcement two weeks ago that the Ministry of Education Malaysia Training Management System (SPLKPM) would be abolished to reduce teachers’ workload was of little comfort to Leah, 45. The SPLKPM was an online platform, which required teachers to record their participation in training programmes, such as workshops and seminars, and accumulate the required credits. The abolition of SPLKPM is a relief for many teachers,” said the 55-year-old. National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon, when contacted, said the Education Ministry should reduce non-teaching administrative burdens and the non-core administrative tasks. “Weak or inefficient systems continue to contribute to emotional stress among teachers and must be addressed.”Sabah Teacher’s Union president Shahril Liwangsah acknowledged that there were teachers who refused to go for courses as stated under the SPLKPM.

Checks by the New Straits Times found several posts where Grok depicted women and minors in bikinis or revealing attire without their consent. KUALA LUMPUR: A lawyer has outlined steps Malaysian women can take if X users use Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok to digitally remove their clothes or tudungs from photos. This follows reports that X users have been using Elon Musks artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, to remove clothing or tudungs from photos of women. Checks by the New Straits Times found several posts where Grok depicted women and minors in bikinis or revealing attire without their consent. AFP reported today that Grok is scrambling to fix flaws following claims it turned images of children and women into erotic content.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police uncovered a mini casino operating out of a house in Jalan Sentul Pasar following a raid early Friday morning. The 12.30am operation by a team from the city police headquarters led to the arrest of five men aged between 23 and 42. Police seized gambling equipment during the raid, including decks of cards, a poker tabletop, and chips used as currency. The case is being investigated under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act for gaming in a common gaming house, which carries a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum six-month jail term, or both. Investigations are also being carried out under Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act for residing in Malaysia without a valid pass.

A spokesman for Hartal Doktor Kontrak said an application submitted on Nov 20 has yet to be approved. - NSTP FILE PICKUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of doctors are currently practising medicine without valid Annual Practising Certificates (APC), as the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has yet to approve their renewal applications, claims a report. Without a valid APC, medical practitioners are not permitted to provide medical services, Utusan Malaysia reported today. "In a Facebook group for general practitioners, thousands of doctors reported they still have not received their APC for 2026." "Any medical practitioner who has successfully made payment for their APC application before Dec 1, 2025, will not be subject to any penalty."

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump postponed planned tariff hikes on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping the current 25% rate in place. For some local manufacturers, Tan said, the extension of the 25% tariff would have only a modest impact, as it mainly affects kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered furniture. Malaysia’s key furniture exports include solid wood, dining tables, chairs and upholstered sofas, with modular furniture also playing a growing role. The United States remained the largest market at RM6.05bil, followed by Singapore (RM1.18bil), Australia (RM683.6mil), Japan (RM629.8mil) and the United Kingdom (RM543.5mil). However, new 25% tariffs which affected kitchen cabinets and upholstered furniture were imposed in September and took effect in October.

HOUSTON: Oil prices settled lower on Friday on the first trading day of 2026 after registering their biggest annual loss since 2020, as investors weighed oversupply concerns against geopolitical risks, including the war in Ukraine and Venezuela exports. Brent crude futures closed down 10 cents to US$60.75 a barrel, ‌while US West Texas Intermediate crude eased 10 cents to US$57.32.

Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship unfolded amid rising geopolitical tensions, renewed protectionism, and a fragmented trading system shaped by unilateral reciprocal tariffs from the United States. Malaysia's Asean chairmanship unfolded amid rising geopolitical tensions, renewed protectionism, and a fragmented trading system shaped by unilateral reciprocal tariffs from the United States. For these reasons, 2025 was a consequential year for Asean and for Malaysia's role within it. Budget 2026 and the 13th Malaysia Plan provide a coherent framework for strengthening household resilience, improving competitiveness, and raising investment quality. Malaysia enters 2026 from a position of relative strength: a diversified economy, improving macroeconomic stability, and stronger regional standing.

KUALA LUMPUR: Profit taking continues to drag FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) deeper into the red on the first trading day of the year. The FBM KLCI opened at 1,675.20, down 4.9 points or 0.3 per cent from its closing price of 1,680.11 on Dec 31, 2025. Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said the FBM KLCI is likely to see some profit-taking activities after the year-end rally. "As we enter 2026, selected consumer and tourism-related counters such as Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd, Aquawalk Group Bhd and Life Water Bhd are expected to benefit from Visit Malaysia 2026 and a stronger ringgit environment. FIRST DAY ACTIVES, GAINERS, LOSERSTanco Holdings Bhd topped the most active list on the local bourse on Friday.

PETALING JAYA: Singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has had to change his training methods after the national players struggled to adapt to the European style. The Dane then had to switch to the Asian training approach. People may think we are still following the European training style, but actually, we are not," Jonassen said. "The Asian approach is actually not very different, and now I understand that we will eventually reach the same goal, just in a slightly different manner," Jonassen said. With the more familiar Asian training approach in place, Jun Hao and Justin will be keen to improve their performances this year.

When Singaporean actor Leon Jay Williams looks ahead to 2026, the future feels like a fragile gift. “Initially, I was devastated at the news, thinking I wouldn’t be able to see my daughter grow up,” the actor says. He has a 10-year-old daughter with his Taiwan-born wife, who is known only as Joyce. We are not alone.”In 2026, Williams intends to move at a gentler pace, both physically and mentally. Or if I don’t work at all.

SHAH ALAM (Jan 2): Puspakom Sdn Bhd will revise the Vehicle Inspection Booking Processing Fee to RM5 from RM3.50 effective this Sunday, as part of efforts to enhance the vehicle inspection booking system to make it more stable, transparent and customer-friendly. The vehicle inspection service provider said the adjustment is in line with preparations to implement a new vehicle inspection booking system, which is currently in its final phase and includes automatic integration with the Road Transport Department’s mySIKAP portal, as well as improvements to create a more orderly refund process. “The fee adjustment is made in tandem with preparations to launch a new booking system featuring rebranding, improved interface and enhanced functions to elevate customer experience and booking efficiency,” Puspakom said in a statement on Friday. Puspakom also noted that the existing processing fee has not been reviewed since the online vehicle inspection booking system was introduced in 2017, and that the adjustment is necessary to ensure the system remains relevant to current automotive industry needs and user expectations. Full details of the new booking system will be announced next Monday.

The search and rescue operation for a teenage boy believed to have been attacked by a crocodile in Pulau Bruit, Daro, seven days ago was called off today. MUKAH: The search and rescue operation for a teenage boy believed to have been attacked by a crocodile in Pulau Bruit, Daro, seven days ago was called off today. The search was also hampered by heavy rain and rough river conditions. "Following discussions and mutual agreement among all agencies, the victim's family and villagers, the search and rescue operation was fully terminated at 4.10pm," the statement added. The Form Two student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Semop was reported missing last Friday after he was believed to have been attacked by a crocodile.

Verdict:FALSEWhatsApp does not send any links or messages warning users before blocking their accounts, according to an investigation by MyCheck Malaysia. The genuine WhatsApp website is whatsapp.com. Commenters confirmed it was a scam, with one revealing that their cousin's WhatsApp account had been hacked after clicking such a link. Users only discover their account has been blocked when they open WhatsApp and see the notification: "This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp". If users believe their account has been banned by mistake, they must tap "request a review" within the WhatsApp application itself.

PETALING JAYA: Injured men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is inching closer to a return to full court training. Tze Yong underwent surgery last July in Doha to repair an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear on his right knee. Singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is optimistic that the 25-year-old could return to full training soon provided he passes a few tests. "Tze Yong has been doing skills training for the past two to three months but has not returned to full training yet," said Jonassen. The injury was a huge blow to Tze Yong, who only returned to competitions in April after a one-year layoff following two back surgeries.

He said the names that come from PAS will need the green light from its partners in Perikatan and a consensus from the Perikatan supreme council. “I believe PAS will consider the option of Opposition chief Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as the next Perikatan chairman. Hamzah will need his own party’s blessings and support if he were to be the chairman of Perikatan. “The intention to attract non-Malay voters to Perikatan may not succeed as well if PAS is at the forefront of Perikatan’s leadership,” he added. “In this context, Takiyuddin is seen as a candidate with the most potential and a realistic choice,” he said, referring to PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.