Feeling lonely during the holidays? Millions feel the same
According to the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) "2025 Social Connections and Loneliness Report", up to 14% of people in member countries feel lonely most or all of the time. “No matter the part of the world, holidays come with a lot of ‘shoulds’ and unrealistic social expectations of happiness and connectedness. According to the 2025 “Festive Feeling” study from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, more than one in three people feel tired “for no good reason” and lonely this holiday season. "When that happens, it’s much harder to regulate emotions or make considered decisions, thus social cues can feel harsher. Even simple actions like reaching out to an old friend or setting up a video call with family can help ease the loneliness many feel this holiday season.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:36 UTC
Najib's donation not the same money seized by MACC in 2019, says SUPP
SIBU: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has re-emphasised that the RMRM188,132.26 seized by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has no connection with a donation it received from the then Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak before 2013. In a statement on Sunday (Dec 28), SUPP said political parties in Malaysia, including SUPP, relied on donations from members, the public and, at times, contributions from coalition partners to fund their operations. SUPP explained that the donation in question was received before 2013, well before any court findings involving the former prime minister and 1MDB. The party said MACC conducted investigations, interviewed relevant parties and was provided with all documents requested to support SUPP’s position that the seized funds and pre-2013 donation were not related. MACC later filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal but eventually withdrew it after several postponements," the party added.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:20 UTC
Perlis PAS Youth chief claims he was invited to sign SD against ex-Perlis MB
PETALING JAYA: Perlis PAS Youth Chief Haziq Asyraf Dun claims that he was among the state assemblymen invited to sign a statutory declaration (SD) withdrawing support for former Perlis Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli. “As an assemblyman chosen by the party, my principle is to consult the PAS Central Committee and state chapter leadership before taking any actions. “I did not participate (in the signing of the SD) as the invitation was not made officially,” he wrote. Betrayal remains betrayal, and this should serve as a lesson for all PAS members, not only in Perlis but nationwide,” he added. On Sunday (Dec 28), Kuala Perlis assemblyman and state Bersatu chief Abu Bakar Hamzah was sworn in as the new Mentri Besar of Perlis at Istana Arau.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:17 UTC
Authorities to investigate dolphin stranding in Karambunai after viral videos
KOTA KINABALU: Viral videos showing a dolphin stranded along the beach in Karambunai have prompted investigations by the relevant authorities, with officials confirming that a report has been received. The incident is believed to have occurred on Saturday (Dec 27), though the exact time could not be ascertained. Several videos circulating on social media show the dolphin alive but struggling on the shoreline, while another clip shows a young man pulling the animal by its tail back into the sea. Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said the department was aware of the incident and would provide further updates once all information had been verified. We will update once all information is ready to be published,” he said when contacted.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:11 UTC
Taiping woman loses over RM300,000 to phone scam
IPOH: An elderly woman suffered a loss of RM318,521 after being duped by a phone scam syndicate impersonating the authorities. Taiping OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Nasir Ismail said the 74-year-old victim, a government retiree, lodged a police report at approximately 2pm on Friday (Dec 26). Initial investigations revealed that the victim received a phone call on Dec 2 from a man claiming to be a representative of Tenaga Nasional Berhad. "The victim was asked to provide her personal information and disclose all the money and jewellery she owned for investigation purposes," he said. "The victim was asked to list her movements from Dec 10 to 23, and was also asked to provide her ATM card password for investigation purposes.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:10 UTC
New Perlis MB pledges to maintain unity among state Perikatan assemblymen
ARAU: Newly appointed Perlis Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah has pledged to maintain unity and rapport among Perikatan Nasional state assemblymen, comprising PAS and Bersatu representatives. Abu Bakar, who is the Kuala Perlis assemblyman, welcomed the decree from the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, urging all Perikatan assemblymen to unite and collaborate for the well-being of the state and its people. He told reporters this after his appointment and swearing-in ceremony as the new Perlis Mentri Besar at Istana Arau here on Sunday (Dec 28). On the state executive council lineup, he said minor reshuffles will be undertaken and that the portfolio distribution will be balanced between PAS and Bersatu assemblymen. Abu Bakar also conveyed his appreciation to former Perlis Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli for his contributions in the three years he led the state, which ended on Dec 25 due to health reasons.- Bernama
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 16:05 UTC
MIMOS Hopes To Turn Ambitions Into Reality Next Year
MIMOS continues to serve as Malaysia’s bridge between policy and innovation, ensuring that national R&D investments translate into real socioeconomic outcomes." “Deep-tech sovereignty is the freedom for Malaysia to innovate, own and control its critical national technologies,” says Dr Shukri. The second pillar is the development of a sovereign AI cloud, built on integrated cybersecurity, strong governance models and trusted national datasets. MIMOS TO LEVERAGE GROUNDWORK SET IN 2025The national R&D centre, which celebrated its 40th anniversaryrecently, launched several major initiatives in 2025. On its part, the agency will move towards faster tech-to-market execution through disciplined R&D-to-commercialisation gates, ensuring that sovereign technologies transition smoothly from prototypes to deployment.
Source:The Edge Markets
December 28, 2025 16:02 UTC
Warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain in six states until 7pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds across six states until 7pm on Sunday (Dec 28). It said in a statement that the severe weather forecast covers Kulim and Bandar Baharu in Kedah, all of Penang, Kerian, Manjung, Bagan Datuk, as well as Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak and Pontian, Kulai and Johor Baru in Johor. The warning also covers Kuching (Bau and Kuching), Serian, Samarahan (Samarahan and Asajaya) and Kapit (Song, Kapit and Bukit Mabong) in Sarawak, as well as the interior (Nabawan and Tambunan), west coast (Putatan, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Ranau and Kota Belud), Tawau and Kudat in Sabah. "The warning is issued when there are signs of thunderstorms with rainfall exceeding 20mm per hour that are expected to last more than an hour,” it added. MetMalaysia said a thunderstorm warning is a short-term alert valid for up to six hours.- Bernama
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 12:19 UTC
One year after Jeju Air disaster, questions remain unanswered
One year on, Ko and other bereaved families say the investigation has failed to meet basic standards of transparency and fairness. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, an investigative body under the Transportation Ministry, has led the probe since the crash. A year of stalled findings and unanswered questions has taken a growing psychological toll on bereaved families, including those who remain near the airport awaiting answers. An internal survey conducted by South Jeolla Province found that up to 89 per cent of bereaved families showed symptoms consistent with clinical depression. Experts warn that bereaved families, exhausted by the shock of the tragedy and the prolonged process of seeking answers, may become increasingly isolated.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 12:05 UTC
Keeping dialects alive
Malaysia’s indigenous tongues and community dialects, they stress, must continue to be preserved, especially among the young. “What this means is that there is little or no transmission of heritage languages from older to younger generations. “The nuances and knowledge that come with heritage languages may be lost, or may not be translated in the same way,” she told StarEdu. Mohammed Azlan said all parties, including individuals, communities and the government, play a role in preserving Malaysia’s dialect heritage. “Among the strategies that can be implemented are activities outside the classroom that use dialects, special programmes related to regional languages or dialects in Malaysia, exhibitions, traditional games and sports featuring dialects, as well as language campaigns promoting Malay and its dialects,” he suggested, adding that families play a crucial role by using dialects at home.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 12:05 UTC
Teaching for better lives in AI era
Today, with information at our fingertips and literacy widely recognised as a human right, modern teaching and learning (T&L) face new implications. Teaching with AI matters, but reflecting on how AI shapes learners matters even more. Authentic knowledge, especially local knowledge, remains the bedrock of meaningful progress. This keeps human learning at the heart of education and prevents technology from becoming the main driver of human progress. Despite ongoing technological advancements, it is the ingenuity of human thinking that will ultimately ensure the sustainability of the human race.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 12:05 UTC
Education Ministry backs multilingualism
Recognising this, the Education Ministry says it remains committed to heritage preservation. The ministry added that it continuously monitors and records data on the registration of elective language subjects for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination each year. “Over the past five years (2020 to 2024), the number of candidates taking elective language subjects has shown a consistent trend (see infographic),” it highlighted. “Elective language offerings are also guided by consultations with stakeholders such as state education departments, community representatives and subject experts. The ministry underscored that striking this balance requires ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, evidence-based planning, and continuous monitoring so that multilingualism remains sustainable and meaningful for future generations.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 11:59 UTC
New rules for safer Internet
PUTRAJAYA: The government will roll out a regulatory sandbox from Jan 1 to assess child protection mechanisms and ensure consumer safety in the digital space ahead of full-scale enforcement. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic) said the initiative would involve the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and a number of identified social media platforms. Fahmi also said the sandbox implementation provides both the government and the platform with time and space to evaluate the mechanism’s effectiveness before rolling it out. He added that the advancement of AI should not be viewed in isolation, but must go hand in hand with society’s capacity to assess information. “As recipients of information, what kind of attitudes do we need to adopt to ensure we are able to distinguish between true and false information?” he said.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 11:59 UTC
Learning with two teachers
But when it became clearer that the approach would only be implemented for two integrated learning subjects at the primary level (see infographic), I began imagining how students at higher levels could also benefit. Picture this: a renewable energy project co-taught by Science and Design and Technology (RBT) teachers. The Science teacher explains how a turbine works, while the RBT teacher shows us how to design one and turn it into a viable product. Get the ‘how’ rightYou can’t expect silver bullets by asking teachers to figure things out themselves during recess or after school. In others, both teachers may teach together one day, then split students into groups the next based on who needs more support.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 11:55 UTC
Irish honour for M’sian nurse leader
It is a commitment Rajpal Singh Baldev Singh first observed in his mentor Datuk Dr Balakrishnan Ratnam, an orthopaedic surgeon who received training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). The honour recognises nursing leaders who have contributed significantly to the advancement of the profession and to the improvement of patient care. Rajpal’s siblings and wife also serve in the healthcare profession in different capacities. His achievements include greenfield hospital commissioning, international accreditation, nursing workforce development, patient experience innovation and digital healthcare transformation. It allows fellows to join an extensive professional network across the world and access numerous research and networking event opportunities.
Source:The Star
December 28, 2025 11:55 UTC