KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a meeting with the top leadership of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) at Wisma Perwira here Tuesday (Feb 24). The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was also attended by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Chief of Defence Forces General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman. Also present were Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) director-general Datuk Seri Sollehuddin Alyubi Zakaria and Deputy Public Service director-general (Operations) Datuk Mohd Shaiful Ibrahim. It is learnt that the discussions focused on national security and defence preparedness, strengthening governance, and the welfare of MAF personnel. After the meeting, Anwar also attended the Defence Ministry's Ihya Ramadan programme at the Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque, and joined the congregants for Zohor prayers before distributing bubur lambuk (savoury porridge) to those present.

The 66-year-old Chukai assemblyman entered his plea after the charges were read before Judge Azman Mustapha. The second charge alleges he committed the same act for another son on June 18, 2020, at the same location. Mohd Fadly also sought to exempt Hanafiah from surrendering his passport, arguing that his family and official duties require him to remain in the country, eliminating any flight risk. The court approved bail of RM30,000 with one surety and ordered Hanafiah to report monthly to the MACC office. Earlier media reports alleged that Hanafiah abused his position as a state exco member and chairman of a government-linked company to secure employment for his two sons at state-owned subsidiaries.

PETALING JAYA: Controversial conservative influencer Nick Adams's nomination as the US ambassador has been removed. You might want to consider waiting a few days so you can break the news to your dozens of readers. Good luck on your hit piece, son,” he replied to an email from the Australian publication on Feb 24. It was also reported that Adams was absent from a long list of nominations resubmitted to the Senate in January. The nomination was met with an uproar from Malaysians protesting it, following Adams disparaging remarks about Islam and the Palestinian cause.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he is friendly with newly minted Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. Anwar said it's a norm to be warm, especially with friends. At the start of the event, Anwar was seen sharing a firm handshake and exchanging pleasantries with Ahmad Samsuri. Ahmad Samsuri, a PAS vice-president, became the new Perikatan chief following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. On another issue, Anwar remained tight-lipped when asked if a Royal Commission of Inquiry would be formed to look into allegations involving MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki's ownership of shares.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24): The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has issued nearly 200,000 Tax Installment Payment Notices (CP500) to taxpayers with an estimated tax amount of RM1.1 billion, up to January 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The MOF said the government is aware of the situation where there are taxpayers who do not actually receive income other than employment income who have also received the CP500. “The IRB review found that the taxpayers in question have made inaccurate reporting in the Income Tax Return Form (ITRF), where part of the employment income has been reported as income other than employment. The MOF was replying to questions from Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) and Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) who wanted to know the basis on which the CP500 installment payment form was issued, how many taxpayers were involved and the amount expected to be collected. “Taxpayers are also advised to update their income reporting information in the 2025 ITRF to avoid receiving CP500 in the future,” it added.

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is fully cooperating with Bukit Aman regarding audit findings involving financial management and student fee collections, says Adam Adli. These funds must be managed with integrity, transparency and accountability,” he said when winding up debates on the Auditor-General’s Report (AG’s Report) 1/2026 in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Feb 24). The A-G’s Report highlighted several governance issues at UKM, including irregularities in the collection of student fees and expenditure amounting to millions of ringgit. Among the highlighted issues were irregular student fee collections, invalid collaboration agreements and delayed or unremitted fee distributions. This involves the recruitment and fee collection for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (DPLI), which is now fully managed by the university.

RESIDENTS of Lorong Utara in Section 52, Petaling Jaya, are sounding the alarm over a collapsed retaining wall along the Astaka field, fearing the "substandard" structure poses an imminent threat to their homes. The collapse, which occurred last week, follows years of warnings from the Lorong Utara Residents Association (RA). Despite StarMetro highlighting these concerns in July 2024, the wall - described by locals as more "aesthetic" than functional - has finally given way. He argued the wall lacks the structural integrity required for the slope’s demands, calling for urgent action from Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). However, the city council has yet to provide an official explanation for the structural failure or outline a timeline for repairs.

IPOH: A 71-year-old woman has been killed and two others injured in a three-vehicle accident on the North-South Expressway near Tapah. He said due to impact, the lorry and the MPV veered off the road and plunged into a 15m-deep ravine. "Firefighters from the Tapah station arrived at the scene at 2.26pm and found three victims trapped inside the MPV, while the car driver and the lorry driver escaped unhurt. "The victims in the MPV were identified as the 43-year-old male driver, a 77-year-old man in the front passenger seat, and a 71-year-old woman seated at the rear. He said firemen used special rescue equipment to extricate the trapped victims before carrying them up to the road on stretchers.

PETALING JAYA: Immigration checks at a Ramadan bazaar in Bandar Baru Bangi have led to the arrest of 13 foreign nationals. Immigration deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli said the inspection was conducted on Monday (Feb 23) following monitoring of the area for compliance issues. That led to the arrest of 13 Indonesians, aged between 18 and 40, for various immigration offences. "The department emphasises that throughout the month of Ramadan, inspection and enforcement actions will continue to be carried out periodically at Ramadan Bazaars nationwide. "The department will not compromise with foreign nationals who conduct business illegally and fail to comply with immigration laws.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested five suspects after a man was injured in a mob attack involving weapons. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Rosdi Daud said police were alerted to the fight on Feb 21 after receiving a report from the complainant. “Five suspects, aged between 18 and their 40s, were subsequently arrested on Feb 21 and Feb 23 in the same area," he said in a statement. He added that the complainant suffered injuries to the hand and was still being treated at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. "Investigations showed that the fight started after one of the suspects had used abusive language toward the complainant's wife," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sabah early yesterday morning is the strongest to hit the country in recent memory. Malaysian Meteorological Depart­ment (MetMalaysia) director-­general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said that based on the department’s records, the previous strongest earthquake in Malaysia occurred on June 5, 2015, in Ranau, Sabah. In a statement earlier, MetMalaysia reported that a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sabah at 12.57am, but posed no tsunami threat. The epicentre was located about 49km west of Kudat, Sabah, and tremors were felt across parts of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. He advised residents in nearby areas to stay alert, follow instructions from the authorities, remain calm and avoid panic.

The doctors told me that it was a result of my chain smoking,” said the widower, who has been smo­king since he was a teenager. To save his life, doctors quickly operated on Ismail, performing a laryngectomy that left him permanently without his voice. “Now, I feel lonely as I can no longer hear my own voice. It makes me sound funny, but at least I can speak,” said Ismail. But on one occasion, the can blew up in shreds and a shrapnel hit my right eye and damaged the cornea.

KUCHING: A 57-year-old man lost more than RM1.1mil after falling victim to a non-existent stock investment scheme promoted via the WhatsApp application. Kuching District Police Chief, ACP Alexson Naga Chabu, said that on Dec 9, the victim received a message offering an investment opportunity with lucrative returns within a short period. "Attracted by the offer, the victim joined a WhatsApp group named 'FYCMAX VIP' and was instructed to download an application known as 'FYC' and deal with several individuals acting as group administrators. "The victim, becoming increasingly confident after seeing displayed profits within the app, carried out 23 money transfer transactions into four different bank accounts. Alexson added that the victim only realised he had been cheated when he failed to withdraw his investment funds and the profits he had supposedly earned.

PETALING JAYA: Over 7,000 undocumented migrants have been arrested since the beginning of the year, according to the Immigration Department. Department deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli said that from Jan 1 to Feb 19 the department had conducted 1,855 operations, with around 30,177 people being inspected. "From this total, 7,043 arrests of undocumented migrants of various nationalities were recorded," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 24). He added that the department recorded 4,804 cases involving those found without valid travel passes and documents, with a further 1,250 cases of overstaying. "The Immigration Department emphasised that enforcement operations will continue to be intensified consistently and in a focused manner, without compromise, against any individual who violates immigration laws," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: A government backbencher called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe the Bloomberg reports on the corporate mafia and the allegations of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki’s shareholding. Hassan Abdul Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) said it's time for the government to heed the people’s call. He said the special investigation committee established by the government will not be enough because its scope is limited. It is a different matter, if gold bars, cash, luxury bags and jewellery were found in Pandan (Rafizi’s) safe house. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar had previously said that the Special Investigation Committee convened on Thursday (Feb 19) to record Azam's explanation about his alleged shareholding.