30/09/2025

TUESDAY | SEPT 30, 2025

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New transport hub dubbed ‘gateway’ to East Coast

Cybercrime clean-up draining resources: Ministry KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s fight against cybercrime is being dragged down by the sheer volume of illicit online ads, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) warning that the clean-up has become a colossal drain on resources. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said 150,000 scam and gambling ads were detected on Facebook in the past nine months. Each takedown requires around 30 minutes, translating into the equivalent of a year’s working hours every month spent just to police the platform. “It is a tremendous waste of resources,” he said, stressing that responsibility should not fall solely on regulators. To address the problem, MCMC will meet major platforms in Singapore next week to push for electronic Know Your Customer checks and faster ad removals. The requirement would compel users to verify their identity with a MyKad, passport or the upcoming MyDigital ID, making it harder for anonymous criminals to operate. Fahmi said the government will no longer rely on voluntary cooperation, and companies that fail to act decisively against harmful content would face legal consequences. The new Online Safety Act 2025, expected to come into force by year-end, would oblige platforms to swiftly remove scam ads, gambling promotions, drug sales and impersonation content or face penalties. Enforcement would be monitored by a compliance committee under the law minister. Fahmi noted that cybercriminals are exploiting Malaysia’s high-speed, low-cost internet to spread illicit content, from scams to narcotics and gambling. Impersonation scams are also on the rise, with public figures targeted to trick Malaysians into buying fake products. A high-profile case is ophthalmologist Prof Dr Muhaya Mohamad, whose name and photo have been misused for over two years to market bogus “miracle” eye drops and other remedies. “This kind of fraud harms Malaysians who place their trust in these personalities,” said Fahmi. He also urged Meta to take stronger action. He was speaking after launching the 29th Public Service Psychology Conference at Angkasapuri yesterday. The conference carried the theme “AI and Personal Identity: Strengthening Self-Reliance Amid the Infodemic”. Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will soon roll out the Non-Employment Injury Scheme to ensure workers remain protected even beyond office hours, announced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday. He said the scheme reflects a recognition that the pressures of modern work do not end at the factory gate or office door. “In an age of flexible and remote arrangements, this reform would align protection with the realities of how people live and work today. “It would extend coverage around the clock, recognising that accidents and injuries do not keep to a

rubbish is still thrown here and there, it undermines everything. When we build something this big, it cannot become another monument. It must serve the people and it must reflect our values, namely cleanliness, order and pride in our shared spaces.” He also flagged the terminal’s location next to the upcoming East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) station as a catalyst for growth in Kelantan, Pahang and beyond. “Integrated hubs such as this must go beyond transport. They should provide access to markets, housing, health, education and even government services,” he said. Anwar said unlike some countries that charge private vehicles to enter city centres, Malaysia is not headed down that road, at least not yet. “Our public transport infrastructure is still being developed and we do not want to burden the people,” he said. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said TBG was designed as a 24-hour integrated hub with 36 bus bays, more than 1,000 parking spaces, food courts, retail outlets, prayer rooms, waiting areas and direct walkalator access to the ECRL station. Once fully operational, the terminal is expected to handle tens of thousands of passengers daily, but for now, express bus operators have not been compelled to relocate their East Coast routes. He said the shift would be gradual to avoid teething problems. Developed under the build-lease-maintain- operate-transfer model, TBG would be managed by concessionaire Tegas for 25 years before being handed back to the government. “We want this terminal to be more than a transport facility. It must be a vibrant hub, with safety, cleanliness, customer service and proper maintenance as top priorities,” said Loke. He added that surrounding commercial and residential projects would complement the terminal, consistent with the government’s Transit-Oriented Development strategy. He also suggested bringing back the Urban Transformation Centre concept, with Immigration, NRD and RTD counters right inside the terminal, to boost convenience for the public. “Imagine being able to renew your passport or MyKad with direct LRT access, without parking hassles,” he said, noting that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has already agreed in principle. Delayed for nearly a decade, the project is finally ready for passengers. With its strategic position as the East Coast’s front door to the Klang Valley, TBG is expected to sharpen connectivity between the nation’s western and eastern corridors while fuelling regional economic growth.

o Facility represents federal-state teamwork and private-sector partnership: PM

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who launched the RM307.4 million hub today, said the facility is more than just bricks and mortar as it also represents federal-state teamwork and private-sector partnership. However, he warned that its success hinges on Malaysians. “With facilities this beautiful and first-class in quality, what is important now is our culture. If

GOMBAK: The newly opened Terminal Bersepadu Gombak (TBG) is being billed as the Klang Valley’s “gateway” to the East Coast, a long-delayed project now poised to do for Gombak what Terminal Bersepadu Selatan did for Bandar Tasik Selatan.

Anwar (right) and Loke at an event showcasing the facilities available at the Gombak Integrated Terminal. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

Extended injury scheme for workers to roll out soon

Association president Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed were also in attendance. Earlier this month, Sim said the Human Resources Ministry is drafting amendments to the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 to provide 24-hour protection for employees under the Social Security Organisation. Anwar also stressed that Malaysia is embedding digital systems to deliver protection more effectively and ensure no community, however remote, is left behind. “Progress is ongoing, although far from perfect. But the conviction that guides us is clear, true prosperity is

timetable,” he said in his keynote address at the World Social Security Forum here. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad and International Social Security

extending security to those who have long stood outside the net, including informal workers, homemakers and gig riders. Themed “Shaping Social Security For A World In Transition”, the five-day forum gathers more than 1,500 participants from over 135 countries to discuss a global roadmap for an inclusive, sustainable and future-ready social security system. The forum would culminate in the World Social Security Summit on Friday, during which leaders are expected to set the tone for the next decade of global social security. – Bernama

not measured by the size of our skyscrapers or GDP but by the dignity with which ordinary citizens live their daily lives,” he said. He underlined that social protection is not merely a bureaucratic system of benefits, but a moral infrastructure. “Earlier civilisations understood this. In the Islamic tradition, the baitulmal ensured wealth served the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and the elderly. That legacy of justice and solidarity continues to inspire us.” Anwar said guided by these principles, Malaysia is reshaping its social protection landscape by