25/02/2026

WEDNESDAY | FEB 25, 2026

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BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI AND FAIZ RUZMAN

Backlog of decade long entry permit applications cleared THE government has cleared a backlog of 19,205 entry permit applications dating from 2013 to 2023, the Dewan Rakyat was told. In a written parliamentary reply dated Feb 23, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the cleanup formed part of efforts to resolve long-standing delays in the permit processing system. “As of June 30 last year the ministry together with the Immigration Department had successfully resolved all 19,205 backlog entry permit applications for the period 2013 to 2023. “At the same time, as of Dec 31 last year, a total of 1,005 entry permit applications received in 2024 and 2025 had been processed and approved,” Saifuddin disclosed. The reply was in response to Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng (BN-Tanjung Piai), who sought the average processing time for entry permit applications, the main causes of delays and steps taken to speed up decisions while ensuring transparent status updates for applicants. Saifuddin said delays were largely driven by a heavy accumulation of applications requiring detailed checks. “The main cause of delay was the high number of accumulated applications. “This is due to the need for police and the Immigration Department to conduct detailed security screening and thorough verification of the authenticity of marriages to ensure that every foreign national granted an entry permit is truly eligible under the Immigration Act 1959/63.” Saifuddin said the issuance of entry permits is governed under Section 10 of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which empowers the director-general of Immigration to approve applications based on prescribed conditions. He said entry permits are generally issued under two categories – foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens and other eligible foreign nationals. “To enhance the efficiency of entry permit management, the application requirements have been refined. For wives of Malaysian citizens, applications may be submitted after the applicant has registered the marriage for three years and held a one-year spouse pass. “For husbands of Malaysian citizens, applications may be submitted after the applicant has registered the marriage for five years and held a five-year spouse pass,” Saifuddin clarified. To improve processing efficiency, he said a new standard operating procedure introduced on Sept 1 last year sets a six-month decision timeline for complete applications. 5,133 electricity thefts detected with smart meters DEPUTY Prime Minister II Fadillah Yusof said the installation of the distribution transformer meter and smart meter systems since 2021 has boosted the detection of electricity theft. He said the rise in reported cases reflects the improved ability to spot violations. “Before these systems, detection was limited, but now we can curb theft and reduce losses.” Fadillah, who is also Energy Transition and Water Transformation minister, said between 2021 and 2025, authorities detected 5,133 cases involving smart meter users, resulting in losses of RM41 million. Replying to a follow-up question from Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah (PN-Rompin) on enforcement effectiveness, he said the number of cases detected has steadily increased with 379 in 2021, 647 in 2022, 909 in 2023, 1,298 in 2024 and 1,900 in 2025. “By 2025, a total of 5.56 million smart meters have been installed throughout Peninsular Malaysia, greatly aiding efforts to reduce electricity theft.”

Govt to gazette 30km/h speed cap in school zones

involvement of multiple ministries and agencies, including the Works Ministry, the Public Works Department, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, PLANMalaysia, the Education Ministry, the police and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research. The minister was responding to Kalam Salan (PN-Sabak Bernam), who asked about the enforcement mechanism for reducing the maximum speed limit from 50km/h to 30km/h in school zones. The 30 km/h limit has previously been applied in selected school zones. In 2024, a Cabinet-backed decision reduced the speed limit from 50 km/h after data showed that every additional 10 km/h increases the risk of death in accidents. Authorities reported an average of 70 fatal accidents annually in school zones. Earlier initiatives also focused on improving road infrastructure, including warning signs, yellow lines and community-based interventions through the My Safe Road programme, which targeted high-risk areas to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Transport authorities said the approach required a shift beyond blaming driver behaviour to boosting compliance, improving road conditions and lowering vehicle speeds.

o Amendments to Road Transport Act under way, combining enforcement, engineering and education to cut fatalities: Loke

PETALING JAYA: The government is moving to standardise a 30km-per hour (km/h) speed limit in school zones nationwide, elevating earlier localised measures into a national road safety policy framework. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry is reviewing

Loke stressed that enforcement alone would not be sufficient, noting that the Safe School Zone project is being implemented as a pilot initiative in high-risk schools through the Malaysian Road Safety Council to support the policy rollout. He said physical interventions

AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT

under the project include: 0 lane narrowing and the construction of sidewalks; 0 raised pedestrian crossings; 0 the construction of refuge islands and medians; and 0 improvements to signage and street furniture. “The government is confident that the combination of engineering, education and enforcement approaches will reduce the risk of serious injuries and fatalities in school areas, in line with the aspirations of the Malaysia Road Safety Plan 2022–2030,” he added. Loke said the amendments are being undertaken comprehensively with the

amendments to the relevant rules under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) to formally provide for the 30 km/h limit in school areas. “From the enforcement perspective, once the gazettement of the 30 km/h speed limit is finalised, legal action may be taken under the existing provisions of Act 333 by the police and the Road Transport Department (RTD). “Enforcement will be carried out through the following approaches, including integrated operations in selected school areas, installation of new speed limit signage and clear road markings, the use of automated enforcement cameras subject to location suitability and periodic monitoring during peak school hours.” THE government is reviewing a fresh proposal to complete the long-delayed MEX II expressway or MEX extension more than five years after the project stalled amid financial woes and allegations of false claims totalling RM360 million. In a written parliamentary reply, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the proposal, submitted by the project’s Receivers and Managers (R&M) in Dec 2025, is being evaluated by the public-private partnership unit under the Prime Minister’s Department before being presented to the Cabinet for a final decision. “The concession company for MEX II was issued a notice of default by the sukuk holders in Jan 2022. “Consequently, all concession obligations were handed over to the R&M appointed by the sukuk holders to resolve the financial issues and subsequently complete the remaining construction works.” Nanta added that completion of the remaining works has yet to proceed due to unresolved issues involving cash flow, financing costs, traffic impact analysis, concession period, toll rates and other factors affecting the project’s overall viability. Construction of the 18km open-toll, three lane dual carriageway linking the MEX Putrajaya interchange to the KLIA highway began in early 2017 and was originally scheduled for completion in Dec 2019. The project has come under renewed

MEX II revival plan under evaluation, says Nanta

Construction of the MEX extension began in 2017 and was scheduled for completion in 2019, but got halted following financial woes and allegations of false claims. The expressway would link the MEX Putrajaya interchange to the KLIA highway. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

was intensifying engagement with stakeholders to address the prolonged delays, citing persistent cash flow constraints as the main cause of the project’s stalling.

scrutiny following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigations into alleged false claims amounting to RM360 million. In May last year, Nanta said the government

Enforcement drive nets thousands of illegal migrants THE Immigration Department has intensified enforcement nationwide, conducting 1,855 operations between Jan 1 and Feb 19 this year that led to 7,043 arrests of undocumented migrants. In a statement issued yesterday, Immigration deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli said a total of 30,177 individuals were inspected during the period as authorities stepped up action against foreigners breaching immigration laws. the Immigration Act 1959/63, which is being in Malaysia without a valid pass or travel document, involving 4,804 cases. “This was followed by 1,250 cases recorded under Section 15(1)(c) for overstaying and 806 cases under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for breaching pass conditions, while another 183 cases involved other offences.” He added that the eight nationalities recording the highest number of arrests were Indonesians, Myanmarese, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Thais, Pakistanis, Indians and Chinese. No breakdown of “Based on the total arrests, the highest number of offences recorded was under Section 6(1)(c) of

arrest numbers by nationality was provided. Lokman said the department will maintain a firm enforcement posture moving forward. “The Immigration Department stressed that enforcement operations will continue to be intensified in a consistent and focused manner, without compromise against any individual who violates immigration laws. “The public is also encouraged to channel information on any immigration offences to the authorities to support more effective enforcement efforts.”