KUALA LUMPUR: Despite stepping down as Perikatan Nasional chairman, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stressed that Bersatu remains a principled, consistent and loyal partner in the coalition. The Bersatu president also called on party members to strengthen cooperation and unity, and to close all gaps within the party as the New Year begins. I stress and urge that all Bersatu members remain steadfast, disciplined and uphold a culture of mutual respect as well as resolve any differences maturely and privately in the interests of the party," he said. On Dec 30, Muhyiddin announced he would step down as Perikatan chairman effective Jan 1. Several Bersatu leaders also resigned from their Perikatan positions, including Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and Mohamad Hanifah.

JOHOR BARU: A housewife, together with an unemployed man, have been jointly charged at the Sessions Court here with allegedly attempting to murder her husband. Mother of two N. Egavalli, 46, and R. Kamala Sarna, 39, claimed trial in front of Sessions Judge Mohd Zamir Suhaimee here on Friday (Jan 2). According to the charge sheet, both were accused of allegedly attempting to murder Egavalli’s husband, G. Kumaresan, 48, by pressing a pillow over his face. Egavalli and Kamala Sarna allegedly committed the offence at a house along Jalan EJ 9/6 in Taman Ehsan here at around 9.30pm on Dec 22. Judge Mohd Zamir then set Feb 3 for next mention to hand over documents, and set bail at RM20,000 each for each of the two accused.

KUCHING: Sarawak's own airline AirBorneo took to the skies for its inaugural flights on Friday (Jan 2) after completing the acquisition of MASwings Sdn Bhd the previous day. The flights to Mukah and Tanjung Manis took off from Kuching International Airport at 8.25am and 8.45am with 54 and 15 passengers respectively, in ATR72-500 and Twin Otter aircraft bearing the AirBorneo livery. "For Sarawak, air connectivity is not a luxury, it is a necessity. AirBorneo cabin crew modelling their new uniforms at Kuching International Airport during the launch of the airline's inaugural flights on Friday (Jan 2). Lee said it was premature to say what aircraft AirBorneo will acquire for its future regional operations.

Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani took his midnight oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City uses Islam’s holy text to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city. It is part of the collection at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. "It’s a small Quran, but it brings together elements of faith and identity in New York City history,” Abid said. Unlike ornate religious manuscripts associated with royalty or elites, the copy of the Quran that Mamdani will use is modest in design. Following the inauguration, the Quran will go on public display at the New York Public Library.

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore’s economy grew by 5.7 per cent on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in the fourth quarter of 2025 (4Q 2025), extending the 4.3 per cent growth in the previous quarter, according to advance estimates from the republic’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the economy grew by 1.9 per cent, easing from the 2.4 per cent expansion in the third quarter, MTI said in a statement today. For the full year of 2025, the economy expanded by 4.8 per cent, building on the 4.4 per cent growth in 2024. Output expansions in the biomedical and electronics clusters drove the sector’s growth. The information and communications, finance and insurance, and professional services sectors expanded by 4.2 per cent y-o-y in 4Q 2025, extending the 4.5 per cent growth in 3Q 2025.

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim said the proposals, aimed at assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), were submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a meeting today. - Bernama picPUTRAJAYA: Taxation measures, bureaucracy reduction and improved access to capital are among the proposed policies to be tabled at this Monday's cabinet meeting for consideration. Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim said the proposals, aimed at assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), were submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a meeting today. "The proposals involve cross-ministry cooperation and will be brought to the cabinet meeting this Monday," he said. In a Facebook post today, Sim thanked the prime minister for his trust and support.

CHINESE actress Datuk Fan Bingbing (pic) has finally received her trophy for Best Leading Actress one month after bagging it at the prestigious Golden Horse Awards 2025 for her role in the Malaysian film Mother Bhumi, reported China Press. "Before 2025 ends, I carried out my final duty for the year as a director by personally handing the Best Leading Actress trophy to its rightful recipient," Chong said on social media. He added that watching Fan holding the trophy made him recall the hard work she had put in to make the film a success. It was one of the Golden Horse Awards’ ­biggest winners, taking home three prizes, including for Best Cinematography and Best Original Film Song. The man, whose surname was Hou, claimed that his father had disciplined him harshly during his childhood.

KUANTAN: A temporary evacuation centre (PPS) was opened in the Raub district early on Friday (Jan 2) morning to accommodate victims affected by flooding following Sungai Ulu Atok overflowing its banks. The Raub District Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said that as of 10.22am, a total of 68 victims from 15 families had been evacuated to the PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Ulu Atok, which has been operating since 6am. "All affected victims have been moved to the nearby PPS,” it said in a statement on Friday. It said the flooding occurred due to the overflow of Sungai Ulu Atok following continuous heavy rain in the area since Thursday (Jan 1). "The victims involved are residents who have been affected by floods for the first time in the 2025/2026 monsoon season,” it said.

PETALING JAYA: Several other individuals have been identified by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as people of interest in the ongoing corruption probe involving military contract tenders. In a statement on their official TikTok account, the MACC said that the main person, previously identified as a high-ranking military official, was still under investigation and was still being treated at the hospital. Initial investigations revealed that between 2023 and 2025, there were 158 military procurement projects valued at more than RM500,000 each, while another 4,521 projects were worth below RM500,000. Sources said that checks on these projects found that several companies repeatedly secured high-value contracts, leading to suspicions. The MACC also received a complaint and recorded a statement from activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, at its headquarters.

KUALA LUMPUR: Internet users in Malaysia can expect to see significant changes in online safety following the enforcement of the Online Safety Act, which took effect yesterday. The law establishes clearer obligations for service providers to safeguard the public, especially at-risk groups, from harmful online content. According to the MCMC, the Act applies to service providers licensed under the Communi­cations and Multimedia Act. These include Application Service Providers (ASPs), Content Application Service Providers (CASPs) and Network Service Providers (NSPs), collectively referred to as Licensed Service Providers. “All regulatory responsibilities under the Online Safety Act are imposed on Licensed Service Pro­vi­ders.

A baby boy was found abandoned in the women’s toilet at a petrol station in Bongawan early yesterday morning. - Pic courtesy of PolicePAPAR: A baby boy was found abandoned in the women's toilet at a petrol station in Bongawan early yesterday morning. "She initially claimed that she found the baby in the petrol station toilet. He said the baby boy is currently in stable condition and remains under hospital supervision, while the woman has been detained to assist with further investigations. "The police take this matter seriously, and the welfare and safety of the baby remain our top priority," he said.

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has rejected the Perikatan Nasional chairman post despite being nominated to replace Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who has resigned. Instead, the Kedah Mentri Besar suggested his Terengganu counterpart, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, saying that the latter is a more suitable candidate to lead the coalition. “He (Ahmad Samsuri) is better than the previous chairman. Since then, PAS has been pushing for the chairman of Perikatan position to be handed over to its party's leadership. Kedah PAS commissioner Datuk Ahmad Yahaya, on Thursday (Dec 31), also expressed his support for Sanusi to replace Muhyiddin as Perikatan Nasional chairman.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 2): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has identified several other individuals suspected to be involved in the corruption case related to several procurement projects involving a senior army officer. "The MACC respects the individual’s health aspects and rights in accordance with legal provisions and will take his statement as soon as he is confirmed well by medical officials. The commission also confirmed that tracking and freezing of assets are underway, but did not reveal the value of the assets or bank accounts as investigations are currently ongoing. “The MACC stresses that the investigation is being conducted transparently, professionally and in accordance to the law without any interference. The commission will not compromise with any form of corruption and stern action will be taken against any party found involved,” it said.

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday (Jan 2) directed that funds be allocated for the immediate replacement of the collapsed suspension bridge at Lata Rek, Kuala Krai, Kelantan, on Thursday (Jan 1). The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement said that the Prime Minister’s directive was aimed at ensuring public safety and convenience. The PMO said Anwar viewed seriously the incident involving the collapse of the suspension bridge, which resulted in injuries to several members of the public and disrupted daily access for residents around Kampung Pasir Jering, Dusun Ban, Dusun Bunut and Kampung Batu Pagar. "The Prime Minister expressed his sympathy and deep concern to more than 50 victims involved in the incident, particularly the newlywed couple and their family who were tested by this misfortune,” the statement said. On Thursday, it was reported that the festive atmosphere of a wedding reception for a newlywed couple turned chaotic when a suspension bridge used by their guests suddenly collapsed, causing more than 50 victims to fall into Sungai Chatel Damai, Lata Rek.

The 53-year-old also has a six-year-old son, Kuson, with his wife Lorraine Chan, 57. Ku and Chan dated in secret for some two decades before they registered their marriage in Las Vegas in 2014. He announced the birth of Kuson in March 2020, when the baby was about three months old. By giving birth at the age of 57, Chan almost matched the record set in 2025 by Hong Kong actor Brian Wong’s wife Lilian Chan. Lilian gave birth to a girl, her second child with Wong, at the age of 58.