Malaysia

Malaysia – Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today that cabinet members ordered to come home from abroad would be subject to the regular quarantine restrictions, with no special exceptions. This was in answer to a question about whether foreign ministers would be granted special exemptions from current quarantine restrictions. “At this time, even though they have returned home, they must …

Malaysia – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, head of the PKR, has called on the government to establish a committee to evaluate all policies and the responsibilities of key agencies in the country’s response to and management of disasters. It was required, he said, in order to guarantee that preparations could be carried out in a timely way and that action …

Malaysia – A disciplinary hearing was held against Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim by the Umno disciplinary board after claims that he had violated party discipline and etiquette. According to a Malay-language daily newspaper, Shahidan, the Arau Umno division chairman, arrived at the party’s headquarters in Menara Datuk Onn at around 2.45 p.m. yesterday in order to have a meeting with …

Malaysia – Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, has disputed reports that he rejected a motion to examine the current flood crisis on Monday, the last day of the Dewan Rakyat’s session. Azhar indicated that for urgent concerns and those that required prompt discussion, a move under to Standing Orders 18 (1) must be presented one …

Malaysia – The number of flood victims in Selangor’s relief centres (PPS) has increased again, while those in Kuala Lumpur and five other states have decreased. The Info Bencana webpage of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) reported yesterday that 62,795 evacuees at 401 PPS in seven states — Selangor, Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Kelantan, and Kuala Lumpur. In Selangor, InfoBencana …

Malaysia – Around 53,000 members of Penggerak Komuniti Negara (PKN) formally declared their membership in Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) recently. Nor Hizwan Ahmad, a former adviser to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, led the announcement. Nor Hizwan, who is also the chairman of PKN, said that the declaration during the party’s formal debut is consistent with the NGO‘s …

Malaysia – So far, 27 people have died as a result of the catastrophic floods that devastated the nation on Saturday, the greatest death toll since the previous big floods in 2014. Twenty of the deaths were recorded in Selangor, while seven were confirmed in Pahang. As of Friday afternoon, 20 people have been reported dead in floods in Selangor, …

Malaysia – The Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-WEZ) involves two Umno politicians directly. According to Malaysiakini, the Umno pair of Dewan Negara Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad and former Melaka Deputy Speaker Datuk Ghazale Muhamad own firms that have been given concession areas in the project. It was uncovered when checking on a new Klebang reclamation project under the M-WEZ that …

Malaysia – Despite his personal health concerns, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today called for a halt to party politics in order to concentrate on aiding the tens of thousands of people who have been affected by the recent floods throughout the Malaysian peninsula. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said that the massive size of floods that have …

Malaysia – Ten individuals have been reported missing after floods in Pahang, with eight of them suspected to have been carried away by two water surge occurrences in Bentong. Ismail Abdul Ghani, deputy director of operations at Pahang Fire and Rescue Department, said three people, including a six-year-old child, were reported missing last night in an incident at a chalet, …