26/02/2026

THURSDAY | FEB 26, 2026

3 Public universities record 37 student deaths in five years

Defence Ministry anti-corruption plan updated Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry is revamping its anti-corruption plan and tightening procurement procedures following a high-level army corruption scandal, with its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin pledging zero tolerance for abuse of power in defence procurement. He said tender and procurement processes would be reviewed to align with international best practices as part of a broader reform agenda to address leakage and restore integrity in the acquisition of high-value defence assets. “The ministry will improve governance by ensuring He was responding to Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN–Padang Serai), who sought details on measures to guarantee transparency in the procurement of high-value defence assets. Mohamed Khaled said the ministry would expand digitalisation to reduce human intervention and close loopholes, with upgraded monitoring systems to track projects, delivery, compliance and finances, supported by clear audit trails. “The ministry plans to optimise the use of AI to enhance monitoring capabilities, identify potential leakage, benchmark costs against comparable countries and support data-driven decision-making. “A dedicated board will also be established to strengthen integrity and public trust, providing a structured and credible channel for complaints and disclosures to be investigated independently without interference.” He added that internal control mechanisms would be reinforced through compliance, risk-based and governance audits to ensure all procurement processes strictly adhere to financial regulations, SOP and accountability principles. “We will undertake efforts to rehabilitate and strengthen integrity systems and governance frameworks to eliminate all avenues for misconduct and abuse of authority,” he said in response to Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor (PN–Ketereh), who asked about measures to restore public confidence following the scandal. He also said operational readiness in strategic areas remains at its peak despite the ongoing reforms. procurement decisions are no longer made by a single individual, but instead handled by committees of technical, financial, legal and strategic experts with checks and balances at every stage, including Cabinet approval,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Cases resulted from accidents and other causes, with no criminal elements involved: Higher Education deputy minister

A reference manual on the use of non-university vehicles has been developed with Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Public University Student Welfare Task Force to ensure vehicle use is properly managed and compliant with safety, financial and governance standards. “We are ensuring close cooperation with police and local authorities to enhance the presence of community police and security patrols around higher education institution areas, not limited to within campuses but also the surrounding areas. All these measures are efforts to ensure short, medium and long term student safety continues to be protected and our campus communities remain safe.”

PETALING JAYA: A total of 37 student deaths were recorded at public universities nationwide over the past five years, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday. Higher Education Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim said the incidents, occurring between 2021 and 2025, were largely due to accidents and sudden deaths, with no criminal elements involved. In reply to a question

higher education institutions to implement holistic and periodic safety inspections, covering reviews of safety systems on campus and in student residences. “This includes the effectiveness of CCTV access control, installation of CCTV cameras and ensuring safety routes are well lit and secure.” Adam said the ministry is reviewing security and emergency SOP, including hostel visitor management and emergency response readiness.

matter lightly. “If we compare it with the overall number of students over the five-year period, the number of cases is relatively small. However, of course, if possible, we do not want any incidents to occur at all.” Adam added that 18 deaths were accidental while 19 were sudden deaths. “For future improvements, we are continuously strengthening new measures, including issuing official instructions to public and private

from Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut), he said the figure is small compared with the overall student population, but the ministry does not take the

AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT

Govt improving road safety measures PETALING JAYA: More than 4,300 motorcyclists died on Malaysian roads in 2025, prompting the Works Ministry to ramp up safety measures, including doubling the number of dedicated shelters for riders. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi told the Dewan Negara that over 200 motorcycle shelters have been built, with a target of 400 in the near future. “We have introduced, together with highway concessionaires, motorcycle lanes for new highways. However, many existing highways were built in earlier years, so widening is not always possible. “We have built more than 200 shelters and our target is 400 so that motorcyclists do not have to stop under trees or flyovers, which can be dangerous.” He was responding to Senator Datuk Dr Mustafa Musa, who raised concerns about rider safety and road upkeep. Mustafa cited Transport Ministry data showing that out of 6,537 fatal road crashes in 2025, 4,340 involved motorcycles, and asked how road improvements could better protect riders. On road complaints, Nanta said only about 30% of the 54,055 issues logged via MyJalan as of January involved roads under the Works Ministry and its agencies, with the remaining 70% under state governments, local authorities and other agencies. He added that district engineers are tasked with addressing hazards, such as water puddles and faded lane markings, through preventive maintenance and strict key performance indicators. “The Public Works Department will act on complaints within 24 hours, especially for matters that could reduce accident risks.” He said increased road maintenance allocations this year would help ensure pavement conditions remain optimal for road users. – BY FAIZ RUZMAN

Transport Ministry data showing that out of 6,537 fatal road crashes in 2025, 4,340 involved motorcycles. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

Strengthening of ringgit boosting investor confidence PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian ringgit is on the rise, reflecting strong economic fundamentals and boosting investor confidence, with exports holding steady despite the currency’s gains, the Dewan Negara was told yesterday. Bobbey Ah Fang Suan, he added that the ringgit recorded the strongest gains among regional peers in 2025. “As of Tuesday, it has further strengthened by 4.09% to RM3.89 against the US dollar.” Amir Hamzah attributed the trend partly to global monetary developments. “This strengthening was Malaysia, along with continued inflows of foreign direct and portfolio investments, have contributed to the ringgit’s performance.” He added that the currency’s resilience is underpinned by robust domestic fundamentals.

Amir Hamzah emphasised that trade remains strong. Exports grew 6.5% in 2025, led by the electrical and electronics sector, which expanded 18.3% to RM711.6 billion. “Major exporters are taking proactive steps, with many implementing hedging strategies to manage currency fluctuations,” he said, underlining that the trade sector remains resilient. – BY FAIZ RUZMAN

“The recent strengthening of the ringgit reflects improvements in the external environment and Malaysia’s strong economic prospects. “The currency appreciated between 1.5% and 13.9% against major and regional currencies while the nominal effective exchange rate rose 6.1% over the same period.

Malaysia’s GDP grew 5.2% in 2025, with fourth-quarter growth accelerating to 6.3%, the fastest in three years, driven mainly by the services and manufacturing sectors. On export competitiveness,

supported by declining US interest rates and expectations of a lower interest rate environment among major economies. “Positive investor sentiment towards emerging markets, including

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the ringgit’s recent performance signals improving global conditions and a resilient domestic economy. Responding to Senator Datuk