Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU: Employers in Sabah cannot afford to pay RM1,500 to recruit new employees, as proposed under the Penjana 2.0 hiring incentive scheme, according to a party, and the government should rethink the ruling. The government is subsidizing RM600 of the RM1,500 for six months as part of the scheme, which lasts until June, but employees will have to pay …

KUCHING: Those calling for Putrajaya to appeal the “Allah” ruling, according to a Sarawak deputy chief minister, are being “ridiculous” because Malaysia is a multi-religious country. According to James Masing, the High Court’s decision that Christians should use “Allah” in their religious education demonstrates Malaysia’s religious freedom. “I believe the judge had considered all aspects of religious and cultural sensitivity …

KUALA LUMPUR: Zulkifly Md Said, director-general of Tourism Malaysia, has warned industry players not to overlook domestic tourism once the Covid-19 pandemic is under control and borders are reopened. After the opening ceremony of the world’s largest tourism trade fair, Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin, also known as ITB Berlin, he told reporters, “I advise all industry players not to ignore domestic …

PETALING JAYA: After all state, conventions have been held, the DAP national convention, which will see Lim Guan Eng stepping down as party secretary-general after nearly 17 years, will be held before June 30. State conventions will be held between March 14 and June 5, according to national organizing secretary Loke Siew Fook, in accordance with the government’s decision to …

KUALA LUMPUR : The withdrawal of RM17.9 million from Yayasan Akalbudi assets, according to the High Court, was a criminal breach of trust because it was done without the permission of the other charity foundation’s board of trustees. According to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Muhammad Fazli Zulkifli, 36, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi directed the money to be …

KUCHING: A three-and-a-half-month resettlement program for illegal immigrants in Sarawak is projected to gradually alleviate the shortage of 5,000 workers in the construction industry. Several other industries, according to Sim Kiang Chiok, the Kuching chairman of the Sarawak housing and real estate development association, face the same issue. Many foreign workers who had left the country before the March 2017 …

PETALING JAYA: According to the DAP, police reports will be filed against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Cabinet for refusing to allow Parliament to sit during the emergency despite the King’s order. Lim Guan Eng, the party’s secretary-general, said Muhyiddin and the Cabinet were “stubbornly refusing” to heed the King’s order to reconvene Parliament. Since the King has already …

PETALING JAYA: In step two and three of the national immunisation program, the government has decided to enlist the help of general practitioners (GPs) to administer Covid-19 vaccines.  “We have agreed to involve private GPs to maximise the administration of the vaccine to the people. At a joint press conference with science, technology, and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin, he said, …

A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer testified before the High Court in Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s trial that the inquiry into the former deputy prime minister for alleged RM13.25 million in corruption had no element of bias. The MACC investigation into Zahid began in June 2018, according to investigating officer Mohd Zamri Abdul Rashid. “We went to the law firm of …

KANGAR: There is no need to be worried about the brands of Covid-19 vaccines used in the country’s immunization program because the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency has approved each vaccine (NPRA). All vaccines used in the national Covid-19 immunization program have been tested and found to be safe and reliable, according to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. “They (vaccines) have all …