Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: A plan by a PPBM senator to pass laws to prosecute anyone found insulting the prime minister has been slammed by lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla, claiming it is worse than the Anti-Fake News Act passed by the government of Barisan Nasional (BN). He told FMT that while former Prime Minister Najib Razak was often criticized and assaulted during …

KUALA LUMPUR: As Putrajaya launches its immunisation program at the end of February, foreigners residing in Malaysia can receive the COVID-19 vaccine for free. Malaysia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Committee emphasized in a media statement released on Thursday (Feb 11) that Malaysians would be prioritized to receive the vaccination doses, but maintained that the decision to include foreigners is …

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has agreed to exempt Cabinet ministers traveling abroad on official visits from having to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine upon returning to the country, prompting fresh criticism of double-standard treatment for Malaysian political elites and common citizens. According to a new federal gazette signed by Health Minister Adham Baba, which came into effect on Tuesday, ministers …

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 9): Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to foster greater cooperation, especially in boosting economic opportunities, as both countries are focused on a strong and resilient economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic situation. In a statement today, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said its Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and United Arab Emirates (UAE) …

KUALA LUMPUR – Despite a United Nations study showing that it experienced the worst decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country last year, Malaysia has said it remains attractive to investors. On Monday (Feb 8), the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) insisted that trust in foreign investors remained strong despite the study in The Straits Times on Feb …

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that a gazetted order allowing ministers to forgo the compulsory 10-day Covid-19 quarantine upon returning from official trips abroad could result in them importing new variants of the coronavirus into Malaysia. The Pekan MP noted on Facebook that the average incubation time before infection with Covid-19 …

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — If these lead to the neglect of minority groups, racial considerations in national policies would hamper the growth of the country, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said. The former two-time prime minister said in an interview with Free Malaysia Today (FMT) that the government must recognize the multiracial fabric of Malaysia and factor …

PETALING JAYA: Unemployment rates among low-income urban households in Malaysia doubled in the Klang Valley during the conditional lockdown implemented last year, says a report by Unicef, the United Nations children’s fund. A survey of 500 households in Kuala Lumpur’s low-cost flats showed that unemployment had risen from 7% in September to 15% in December, with one in three unemployed …

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is asking the government to put tourism and hospitality staff second in line for the national immunization plan with the industry struggling after domestic and foreign tourism came to a standstill. The first to be immunized would be frontliners and high-risk groups, beginning later this month. Perbincangan ini turut disertai wakil persatuan …

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — After fleeing a refugee camp in neighboring Indonesia, dozens of Rohingya, mostly women, and children, were captured as they arrived by boat in Malaysia last month, police said Friday. Last year, after risky journeys, nearly 400 members of the persecuted Muslim community from Myanmar arrived in Indonesia by sea, and just over 100 now remain in a camp …