Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR- In the short term, Malaysia did not hesitate to extend its fiscal stance to support counter-cyclical economic recovery packages and RM322.5 billion in the nation’s largest national budget for 2021. Even though it was Malaysia’s largest budget ever, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said it was thought about with a simple fiscal consolidation strategy to, …

Flooding has worsened in three Malaysian eastern coast states, with more than 21,000 people sheltering in centers for flood relief and sections of the East Coast Expressway (ECE) closed to traffic, the authorities said yesterday. In the annual monsoon season, at least four flood-related deaths have been confirmed. A 41-year-old man who died from electrocution while wading through the waters …

KUALA LUMPUR: The request for registration of a new political party headed by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was denied, party lawyer Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi said on Thursday (Jan 7). The proposal of Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) was denied by the Registrar of the Society (ROS) because it was wrongly performed, Mr Mior Nor Haidir said, adding …

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have been urged by a medical think tank to trust the science behind the approved vaccines, particularly the mRNA variants developed by companies such as Pfizer/BioNTech, as the effects of rejecting them have far greater health consequences. A statement by the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, endorsed by 20 medical leaders, said Malaysians need to …

Malaysia: The fee to be paid to Singapore by Malaysia after the termination of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project cannot be revealed publicly because the agreement between the two countries includes a secrecy clause, said Mustapa Mohamed, Malaysia’s Minister in the Department of the Prime Minister (Economy). After the HSR agreement expired on Dec 31, 2020, the project …

KUALA LUMPUR: If the virus mutates, the Covid-19 vaccine will still be safe, an expert said last night. A consultant pediatrician at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital, Dr. Musa Mohd Nordin, said this is because the human body itself is “intelligent” because it not only releases antibodies to destroy a virus but also creates antibodies with immune memory. Musa said that …

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno instructed his MPs to step down by the end of this month from their positions in government and government agencies in an attempt to press for a general election to take place as soon as possible. Two division leaders told reporters that the order was given by Party President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a meeting with leaders …

PETALING JAYA: Two Umno leaders have denied arguments that the party is not strong enough to stand on its own should it go to the opposite side of Perikatan Nasional in the next general election. In the 2018 general election campaign, former Supreme Council member Nazri Aziz and Sabah Umno leader Bung Moktar Radin both believed that Umno had weathered …

PUTRAJAYA: Today, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin planted a Merbau tree in the Seri Perdana garden, his official residence, to kick off the 2020-2025 100 Million Tree Planting Programme. The Prime Minister called on people to take part in the initiative and to ensure the progress of Malaysia’s green agenda. “To all Malaysians, let’s come together by planting 100 million trees …

PETALING JAYA: Over the holiday season, health experts have expressed concern over noticeable breaches of Covid-19 SOPs. On New Year’s Eve, pictures of large crowds gathering at KLCC and the Bukit Bintang area in Kuala Lumpur on social media appeared amid the suspension of annual fireworks displays and a government appeal to individuals at home or with their families to …