24/02/2026

TUESDAY | FEB 24, 2026

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BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE AND FAIZ RUZMAN

Refusing police reports may mean dismissal POLICE officers who refuse to take reports from the public could face dismissal, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday, as the Home Ministry insisted that existing directives are sufficient to ensure nationwide compliance. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the police have issued clear instructions prioritising the welfare, safety and needs of complainants, regardless of dress code requirements in urgent situations. “For cases requiring urgent assistance, priority must be fully given to the welfare, safety and needs of the complainant without the requirement to comply with the dress code. Examples include rape, robbery, snatch theft, domestic violence and other similar cases.” The directive, circulated to all contingent and district police headquarters via a Bukit Aman Management Department letter dated Dec 29, 2025, is aimed at ensuring uniform understanding and implementation nationwide. Shamsul Anuar stressed that the ministry considers the administrative instruction sufficient and immediately enforceable across the country. It aligns with the Public Service Administrative Circular (PKPA) No. 1 of 2025, which strengthens customer relations management in the public sector. He was responding to Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor), who questioned whether existing circulars carry the force of law and urged the government to consider legislation to ensure uniform compliance at all police stations. Responding, Shamsul Anuar said enforcement mechanisms already exist under current disciplinary frameworks. “If there is non-compliance with the directive, action can be taken under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 as well as the police’s internal mechanisms. “Failure to carry out any part of this directive may subject officers or personnel to disciplinary action for insubordination under the 1993 regulations.” He emphasised that refusing to accept police reports must be treated as a serious offence. “Under the latest directive, refusal to accept reports from the public shall be viewed as a serious offence that may result in dismissal.” The issue drew public attention after a viral incident in December last year when a woman was initially prevented from entering the Jasin district police headquarters in Malacca to lodge a report because she was deemed inappropriately dressed, reportedly wearing a skirt above her knees. The case sparked debate over access to police services and prompted authorities to reiterate that complainants’ welfare and safety must take precedence, particularly in urgent situations. Separately, Shamsul Anuar was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN Langkawi), who sought clarification on how the directive would be implemented uniformly across all police stations nationwide. The deputy minister said the directive has been disseminated to all operational levels, with compliance monitored through supervision at district and contingent levels, as well as internal audits. He added that the police received 4,128,760 reports in 2025, underscoring that report-taking remains widely practised nationwide, while the ministry will continue monitoring implementation and review the framework from time to time.

Landmark constitutional amendments tabled in House o AG, public prosecutor roles to be separated and tenure of prime minister capped at 10 years, says Azalina

“However, the incumbent prime minister and ministers may continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed, albeit with restricted executive powers.” The bill also clarifies that any period served as prime minister before the law comes into force will count towards the 10-year limit. To become law, the government must secure the support of two-thirds – or 148 – of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat. Meanwhile, the Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill 2026 was also tabled for its first reading yesterday. Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said its second reading will take place during the current parliamentary sitting. The bill seeks approval for additional expenditure not exceeding RM7.94 billion from the Consolidated Fund, covering contributions to statutory funds (RM5.29 billion), the Treasury (RM1.39 billion), the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (RM993.94 million) and the Higher Education Ministry (RM257.59 million).

KUALA Parliament yesterday witnessed the first reading of two landmark constitutional amendment bills aimed at overhauling key pillars of governance – separating the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor, and capping the prime minister’s tenure. LUMPUR:

If passed, the first bill will create a new constitutional Office of the Public Prosecutor, transferring prosecutorial powers currently held by the attorney-general (AG) to an independent office. The AG will no longer oversee criminal prosecutions, leaving the

AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT

public prosecutor with exclusive authority to institute, conduct or discontinue criminal proceedings – with the exception of the Syariah and native courts or court-martial cases, Azalina said. The second bill seeks to limit the tenure of the prime minister to a maximum of 10 years, whether served consecutively or in separate terms. “Once the 10-year threshold is reached, the Cabinet will automatically be dissolved.

Both bills were tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said under the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026. “The second reading of both bills is scheduled to take place during the current parliamentary meeting,” Azalina told the Dewan Rakyat. No formal notice yet on opposition leader THE Dewan Rakyat has yet to be formally notified of any change in the status of Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin as opposition leader representing Perikatan Nasional (PN). Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Ramli Mohd Nor said this in response to a question from RSN Rayer (Pakatan Harapan–Jelutong) during the House sitting. “As of now, although I am presiding and the matter was raised before me, it concerns the fundamental structure of the Dewan Rakyat, namely the position of opposition leader. “To date, I believe the other deputy speaker has also not received any instruction. There has been no written submission from the bloc on the left or the opposition to declare a vacancy in the post. “Any such notification must be made in black and white in accordance with the legal framework of the Dewan Rakyat,”said Ramli, who is also MP for Cameron Highlands. The opposition leader’s position has come under intense scrutiny following Hamzah’s dismissal from Bersatu after months of a power struggle with party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. A day after his sacking, Hamzah told supporters at a gathering that he would not

The opposition leader’s post has come under the microscope following Hamzah’s dismissal from Bersatu. – BERNAMAPIC

Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, PAS is set to assume the position of opposition leader in the Dewan Rakyat, with the MP’s name to be revealed at a later date. He added that the move was agreed upon by component parties during a special PN Supreme Council meeting recently at PAS headquarters.

appeal the decision, effectively closing the door on a return to the party. Meanwhile, PN on Sunday not only announced the appointment of a new chairman but also hinted at a shake-up in the opposition leader’s post. According to PN deputy secretary-general

Thalassaemia screening reveals high carrier rates: Minister MORE than 2.12 million Form Four students have undergone thalassaemia screening since 2016, revealing nearly 58,000 carriers. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the nationwide, school-based programme aims to detect carrier status early, enabling preventive intervention. overall burden, with the remainder borne directly by patients and families. The minister was responding to a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (Kuala Langat PN) on patient numbers, lifetime treatment costs and Malaysia’s plans for gene therapy.

iron accumulation, therefore iron chelation treatment and continuous monitoring are required.” Chelation treatment is a medical procedure that uses specialised medication (chelators) to remove excess iron from the blood and organs. On gene therapy, Dzulkefly said the treatment shows promise but faces hurdles. “Although this therapy has the potential to be curative, its widespread availability is still limited and implementation is challenging as it requires specialised gene therapy facilities, multidisciplinary expertise, high-standard laboratory infrastructure and a sustainable health financing mechanism.” He added that haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains a curative option in Malaysia, available at Hospital Tunku Azizah and Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-Kanak Sabah. Since 2007, 212 patients have been cured through HSCT, with treatment costs ranging from RM100,000 to RM120,000 per patient.

Explaining disease classification, Dzulkefly said patients are grouped by transfusion requirements: “Patients are categorised according to transfusion requirements, namely transfusion dependent thalassaemia (TDT) and non transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (NTDT).” “TDT patients, most of whom have thalassaemia major, require regular lifelong blood transfusions to maintain adequate haemoglobin levels and prevent serious complications.” He warned repeated transfusions can lead to iron overload, necessitating long-term management: “Repeated transfusions can cause excessive

Of the 2,461,594 students offered screening, 2,122,446 completed the test, resulting in a carrier prevalence of 59.1 per 1,000 students. The highest rates were recorded in Kedah (10.3%), Pahang (9.07%), Terengganu (8.21%) and Kelantan (7.5%). Despite prevention efforts, Malaysia currently has 9,554 thalassaemia patients. Lifetime treatment costs for transfusion-dependent patients are estimated at US$606,665 (nearly RM3 million) from childhood to age 40. Dzulkefly said the data comes from the Malaysia Thalassaemia Registry 2023 annual report, published last year, adding that healthcare expenses account for 92.5% of the