Picking a national favourite
Contenders to durian, pineapple also mulledPETALING JAYA: Perhaps it’s time to harvest ideas from Malaysians on what should be recognised as the country’s national fruit. Both sides are seeking recognition as Malaysia’s official national fruit. The group also wanted July 7 to be declared National Durian Day. In June, the LPNM proposed that pineapple be designated as the national fruit. It also declared June 27 as National Pineapple Day.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:12 UTC
Umno Youth to convene on Jan 3 to weigh severing ties with Pakatan, says Akmal
PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth will hold a special convention to determine whether the party should sever its ties with coalition partner Pakatan Harapan. In a TikTok video on Sunday (Dec 28), Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the convention aims to gather grassroots opinions on the party’s continued support for the unity government. The convention – titled ‘Hala Tuju Umno, Sama Ada Kekal Atau Keluar Dari Kerajaan’ (Umno’s Direction: Stay or Leave the Government?) The post triggered backlash from several Umno leaders, who condemned the remarks as insensitive, sarcastic and disrespectful. On Saturday (Dec 27), the Umno’s Puchong division announced that it had severed all political cooperation with Puchong Pakatan Harapan after Yeo failed to issue an apology within the given 24-hour period.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:10 UTC
Conflict kept me from saying goodbye to my father
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Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:08 UTC
‘Stability delivers results’
PM says stronger economy and global ties are benefiting M’siansKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government’s achievements now are the result of policy stability, the courage to implement reforms and the trust of the people. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creations and an inclusive growth agenda. “In fact, at the international level, the relationship between governments, various countries and groups of leaders, opens up space for strategic investment and strengthens Malaysia’s position in the eyes of the world,” he said in a social media post yesterday. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. “They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities to a more resilient future.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:05 UTC
Areca steps up regional push
“We are currently managing about RM5 billion across equity, fixed income and private market strategies. The Areca equityTrust Fund (AETF) won the Best Equity Malaysia Fund at the LSEG Lipper Fund Awards for nine years in a row. The Areca Premier Wealth Fund, a regional fund that invests in regional equities, including Asean, was launched under her watch. We do direct investment via private capital funding into the private market, rather than indirectly through peer-to-peer financing platforms. However, global and regional markets, including South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore, have shown strong performance.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 28, 2025 23:03 UTC
Police warn public against scams involving impersonation of Singapore’s top cop
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The public should stay vigilant against scams where impostors pretend to be the Commissioner of Police, who is the highest-ranking police official. The e-mail, the police said, contains a “warning letter” which claims that the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore have started investigating the e-mail’s recipients for their involvement in criminal activities. In that “warning letter”, the police said, victims would be told to submit their written statement to a designated e-mail address. In their statement on Dec 28, the police underscored that these e-mails are not issued by them or by any government officials. People should never transfer or hand over monies, cryptocurrencies or other valuables to unknown people or to anyone whose identify one has not verified, the police said.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 23:00 UTC
Putin says Russia will achieve its Ukraine aims by force if Kyiv doesn't want peace
MOSCOW, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace and if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force. Putin's remarks on Saturday, carried by state news agency TASS, followed a vast Russian drone and missile attack that prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to say Russia was demonstrating its wish to continue the war while Kyiv wanted peace. Zelenskiy is to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to seek a resolution to the war Putin launched nearly four years ago with a full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour. The Southern Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Telegram "fierce fighting" continued in Huliaipole. "However, a substantial part of Huliaipole continues to be held by the Defence Forces of Ukraine."
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
Government success driven by stable policies, people’s trust, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The success of the government today is the result of stable policies, the courage to have reform and the trust of the people, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creation and an inclusive growth agenda. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. "They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities, to a more resilient future. "With the strong support of family, friends and the Malaysian people, I believe the Madani Government will continue to move forward, serve with trust and build a fair, prosperous and competitive country for all," he said.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 21:45 UTC
Teen motorcyclist killed in collision with 4WD near Kluang, bike was stolen, say cops
KLUANG: A 19-year-old motorcyclist was killed after losing control of his motorcycle, veering into the opposite lane and colliding with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Kluang OCPD Asst Comm Bahrin Mohd Noh said the incident occurred at KM84 Jalan Kota Tinggi–Kluang at about 10.48pm on Saturday (Dec 27). “The four-wheel-drive vehicle was driven by a 29-year-old local man who was travelling from Kluang towards Kota Tinggi, accompanied by a 28-year-old local woman. “The passenger of the four-wheel-drive vehicle suffered injuries to both hands and sustained minor wounds. He added that checks on the motorcycle’s chassis number revealed that it had been reported stolen and was still listed as wanted.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 21:40 UTC
Over 4,000 schools closed in South Korea, with 82 left unused for 30 years
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): More than 4,000 schools nationwide have closed due to a lack of students, a South Korean lawmaker said on Dec 28. Elementary schools accounted for the majority, at 3,674, followed by 264 middle schools and 70 high schools. Over the past five years, 158 schools closed, and another 107 are expected to shut down over the next five years. Of the 4,008 closed schools, 376 remain unused. “A significant number of schools have already closed, and more are expected to shut down due to declining student numbers,” Mr Jin said.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 21:16 UTC
Chess-Irate Carlsen pushes away camera after World Blitz Championships loss
Dec 28 (Reuters) - Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over. Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before he was beaten by Artemiev. When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the Norwegian pushed away the camera. Carlsen attracted attention for slamming his fist on the table after losing to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. Also last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when governing body FIDE barred him from a round for wearing jeans.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 21:10 UTC
Datu Anif-Clarissa seal back-to-back titles in Bangladesh
KUALA LUMPUR: National junior mixed doubles pair Datu Anif Isaac-Clarissa San captured their second title in Bangladesh within a week after being crowned Bangladesh International Series 2025 champions in Dhaka on Friday. Fresh from securing the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 crown on Dec 20, Datu Anif-Clarissa continued their fine momentum by brushing aside compatriots Wee Yee Tern-Tan Zhing Hui 21-14, 21-15 in the final at Sahid Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan. Last week, Datu Anif-Clarissa landed the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 title following a straight sets victory over home pair Jumar Al-Amin-Urmi Akter 27-25, 21-14. Meanwhile, it was a double blow for Zhing Hui, who was also denied a women’s doubles title, this time with Gan Min Yee following a hard-fought rubber set defeat to Thailand’s Thitiwarada Buakaew-Sarisa Janpeng 13-21, 21-18, 17-21. Women’s singles player Lim Zhi Shin also endured a similar fate as she missed out on a title after going down to India’s Tanvi Reddy Andluri 19-21, 10-21.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 19:26 UTC
2025 in review
March> AppointmentsScience, Technology and Innovation Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim was appointed to the same post at the Education Ministry, taking over from Datuk Ruji Ubi. > Social media circularThe Education Ministry issued a circular prohibiting teachers from making inappropriate social media posts. October> Budget 2026The education sector received the largest allocation with RM66.2bil going to the Education Ministry and RM18.6bil to the Higher Education Ministry. November> SPM 2025 kicks offSPM 2025, involving 413,372 candidates, started on Nov 3, and ended on Dec 23 at 3,350 exam centres nationwide. It would replace the existing Science, Health Education, Visual Arts Education, and Music Education subjects.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 18:54 UTC
Empowering Sabah's talent
KUALA LUMPUR: In line with its mandate to identify, nurture and develop Bumiputera talent to compete on a global scale, Yayasan Peneraju (YP) recently completed its Bah, Upgrade Kita Bersama YP programme, an initiative aimed at broadening access to Bumiputera talent development opportunities and strengthening YP’s presence across Sabah’s diverse communities. These themes were implemented selectively across 21 different locations based on local needs, ensuring that each community received programmes most relevant to their talent development priorities. The Bah, Upgrade Kita Bersama YP initiative has dramatically shifted that trajectory. Through this single initiative, that number has more than tripled, and more than 150 people have already applied for our long-term, high-value programmes in technology and professional development. Under its Talent Bank direction, the agency is working towards developing 10,000 Value Creators across Business, Community and Professional leadership streams to strengthen the nation’s future talent pool.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 18:02 UTC
China’s anti-corruption campaign claims three more top military officers
BEIJING (Agencies): In a significant development within China’s military leadership, three high-ranking officers have been expelled from the national legislature as part of an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has intensified across the armed forces. All three remain full members of the Central Committee, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Wang Renhua, who served as the head of the Central Military Commission’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee, has been under scrutiny in recent months. Notably, all three individuals continue to hold positions as full members of the Central Committee, the top decision-making body within the Communist Party. Wang Renhua, 63, had only recently been elevated to the rank of admiral by President Xi Jinping, receiving the promotion less than a year ago.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:49 UTC