KUALA LUMPUR: A foreign man allegedly attempting to steal cables has been detained near the railway track at KM 37.478 along the Telok Gadong-Teluk Pulai sector. In a statement on Thursday (March 5), KTMB said the suspect was spotted acting suspiciously by KTMB auxiliary police on patrol in the cable theft 'hotspot' area at about 6.45pm on Wednesday (March 4). "The suspect attempted to flee but was successfully detained by the KTMB auxiliary police. The suspect was detained under the Railways Act 1991 and the Land Public Transport Act 2010 for trespassing and damaging railway property, offences which carry a fine, imprisonment or both. Those with information on any suspicious activity along railway tracks are urged to contact the KTMB auxiliary police at 03-2263 1194 (24 hours) or the nearest police station.

PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has hit back at Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, saying that the Bersatu President is also not the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate. Samsuri, fondly known as Dr Sam, said the issue of who will be named as the coalition's prime minister candidate remains uncertain. Recently replacing Muhyiddin as the Perikatan chairman, Samsuri said the priority now is to empower Perikatan. Muhyiddin had earlier said Samsuri’s appointment as Perikatan chairman does not automatically make the Terengganu Menteri Besar the coalition’s candidate for prime minister if it wins the next general election. Samsuri was appointed Perikatan chairman on Feb 22 following Muhyiddin’s resignation from the post on Dec 30 last year.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operations, carried out on March 2 and 3, were conducted by the department’s Intelligence and Special Operations Division from its Putrajaya headquarters in collaboration with the Johor Immigration Department. “In the first operation on March 2 around Taman Setia Tropika in Johor Baru, the enforcement team detained 11 foreign nationals. "Those arrested comprised eight Thai women, two Vietnamese women and a Vietnamese man," he said in a statement on Thursday (March 5). "Five foreign women were detained - four Vietnamese nationals and one Indonesian - along with a local man believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate. The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, including Sections 6(3), 15(1)(c) and 56(1)(k).

KUALA LUMPUR (March 5): The government is still conducting further studies to expand the category of fresh items under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The ministry said that for fresh items, the government is carrying out additional research to ensure that quality, food safety, and consumer protection are properly safeguarded before any final decision is made. “The government is open to continuous suggestions and input to improve the existing Sara programme. The MOF said this in response to a question from Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim on whether the ministry plans to expand all basic necessities under the RM100 Sara assistance, including fresh items such as chicken, meat, and vegetables. Meanwhile, the ministry said the government will continue to examine and study the expansion of Sara assistance to students in higher education institutions (IPT) from the asnaf, B40, and M40 groups, by first holding engagement sessions with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

KUALA LUMPUR (March 5): The restructuring of subsidies has been implemented in a controlled and targeted manner so as not to burden the majority of the population, particularly low- and middle-income groups. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said this approach allows assistance to be more accurately targeted, reduces leakages, and ensures that fiscal resources are used more efficiently and progressively. “From a macroeconomic perspective, the restructuring of subsidies has not triggered widespread price pressures. The MOF was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Halim Suleiman regarding the actual impact of subsidy restructuring on the cost of living for low- and middle-income households. Meanwhile, for the M40 group, spending increased from around RM575 to RM606 per month during the same period.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 5): The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has closed the case against Sin Chew Daily over the publication of an incomplete image of the Jalur Gemilang. The decision follows a review of the investigation papers, after which the AGC classified the matter as no further action (NFA), according to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. In April 2025, Sin Chew Daily published an incomplete illustration of the Jalur Gemilang on its front page in conjunction with coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia. Although Sin Chew issued an immediate apology and attributed the mistake to a "technical error" during the design process, the police detained the newspaper's chief editor and deputy chief sub-editor for an investigation. Compound and settlementWhile criminal proceedings have been dropped, the daily's publisher, Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd, faced administrative penalties.

PETALING JAYA: Service errors and a lack of clear communication cost mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei dearly after they crashed out in the first round of the All-England. “I think our communication on court, especially regarding positional switches, needs to improve. That is one of the lessons we must take from this match,” added Tang Jie. Since making their All-England debut together in 2023, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have struggled to get past the early rounds. Professional pair Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing were again left disappointed after going down 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei-Nicole Chan.

In its latest note, Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB) named several listed Malaysian companies with exposure to the Middle East. These include DXN Holdings Bhd , MNRB Holdings Bhd , Wasco Bhd , Malakoff Corp Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd . DXN, which has a manufacturing plant in Dubai, sees about 10% of its revenue from the Middle East region. As for MNRB, the Middle East and North Africa region contributes about 10% of its reinsurance division’s gross written premiums. The domestic oil and gas sector should also be attracting greater investor interest, especially those with directly-benefitting upstream assets, stated Maybank IB.

JOHOR BARU: A technician has entered a guilty plea after initially pleading not guilty to seven charges of sexual assault and producing pornography content involving three young children. The 29-year-old man changed his plea before Sessions Court judges Nor Aziati Jaafar and Madihah Zainol yesterday. The technician faces four charges of sexual assault involving three girls, aged five, six and seven, for inappropriately touching them. The charges come under Section 14(a) and Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and caning, if convicted. The offence is framed under Section 5 of the same Act, which stipulates a maximum prison sentence of 30 years and may also entail up to six strokes of whipping upon conviction.

Following the withdrawal, Court of Appeal judge Justice Wong Kian Kheong – who chaired a three-judge panel – ordered Anwar to pay RM50,000 in costs to Muhammed Yusoff Rawther by 5pm on April 6. Earlier, Anwar’s lawyer Sanjay Mohan informed the Court of Appeal of his client’s intention to withdraw the appeal and asked the court to fix RM15,000 in costs. Anwar’s application was based on a lawsuit filed by Muhammed Yusoff on July 14, 2021, where he accused Anwar of sexually assaulting him. Anwar had also filed a counterclaim against Muhammed Yusoff. He claimed the alleged sexual assault could not have happened because he was entertaining family and friends at his Bukit Segambut residence.

In oil palm, monocropping may be efficient. Without weevils, the oil palm may stand tall and proud but it yields poorly. In Sarawak, “lah” and “bah” share the stage: “bah” more common in northern Sarawak, “lah” elsewhere. “Come, we go-bah.” “Never mind bah.” “Slowly-bah.” “Bah” carries patience like well-managed soil retains moisture. In oil palm, after 25 years, we cut down to start again.

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield jumped as much as 5 basis points (bps) in Asia to a three-week high of 4.131%. It was last up 3 bps for the day and was on track for its biggest weekly rise since April 2025 at 15 bps. The two-year yield was meanwhile up about 2 bps to 3.566%, having risen more than 18 bps this week. That has kept oil prices elevated, and with shipping through the key Strait of Hormuz paralysed, investor focus has quickly shifted to the risk of a resurgence in inflation. Benchmark US oil prices CLc1 rose to US$78.09 a barrel on Thursday, the highest since June, and were last up 2.3% at US$76.33 a barrel.

1 Leong Jun Hao now faces the challenge of staying the course at the All-England after pulling off a stunning first round upset on Tuesday. Jun Hao, who was not tipped to go far, produced a stirring performance to knock out world No. Today I managed to come back and win,” said Jun Hao. Jun Hao will next face another Japanese player, Koki Watanabe, in the second round. It is a result that Jun Hao must take note of, even though he holds a favourable 4-1 head-to-head record against Watanabe.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 5): EPB Group Bhd (KL:EPB), which debuted on the ACE Market in August 2024, has proposed to transfer its listing to the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. EPB is primarily engaged in designing, customising, fabricating, integrating and automating production lines for food manufacturing and processing companies. The company is also involved in the trading of cellulose casings, as well as the manufacturing and trading of flexible packaging materials. The company also held cash and bank balances of RM42.7 million, along with RM29.44 million in fixed deposits with banks. The transfer, which is subject to approval from the Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia Securities, is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026.

PUTRAJAYA (March 5): The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is not an option, but a strategic requirement for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in planning its operations and assignments more systematically, thereby streamlining the management of maintenance and logistics. "This is to ensure the agency remains relevant and is always one step ahead. "AI can help the MMEA identify the actual strength of its assets at sea, detect the requirement gap, plan assignments more systematically and streamline the management of maintenance and logistics,” he said in a statement on Thursday. We must plan much earlier, stay one step ahead, including in the aspects of operations, logistics and human capital development,” he said. He said that AI was a key tool for organisations to think ahead and improve administrative efficiency.