24/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 24, 2026 2 King to appoint new MACC chief

Littoral states aligned to keep Malacca Straits open o S’pore, M’sia and Indonesia rule out tolls and transit restrictions to safeguard regional trade amid global tensions

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, will appoint a new chief commissioner for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). In a Facebook post yesterday, Sultan Ibrahim also pointed out that there is no need for anyone to politicise the forthcoming leadership change at the anti-corruption agency. The King decreed that the role is crucial to ensure MACC continues to operate effectively as the country’s key institution against corruption, fund misuse and abuse of power. “I will choose the best candidate to lead MACC,” the King told the Royal Press Office. Under the Federal Constitution, the King can appoint heads of major government agencies on the advice of the prime minister. – Bernama 1,000 extra haj slots being finalised based on waiting list KOTA BHARU: All 1,000 additional haj quota allocated to Malaysia this year are being managed by Tabung Haji (TH) based on its existing waiting list, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Marhamah Rosli said. She explained that the allocation of the additional quota is subject to TH’s discretion, as official appeals had already closed in February. “There have been a large number of appeals, both formally submitted to TH and through ministerial channels. “However, as haj flights are already under way, the number of pilgrims should by now be finalised,” she told reporters after officiating the Little Haj by Little Caliphs programme here yesterday. On haj operations, Marhamah said a total of 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims are scheduled to travel to the Holy Land this season via 100 flights. The first group of 284 pilgrims departed last week. With three to four flights daily, operations are expected to conclude by May. Meanwhile, she said Malaysian pilgrims will continue to benefit from the Makkah Route initiative at KL International Airport (KLIA). “Under this initiative, Saudi authorities complete passport stamping and immigration procedures at KLIA itself. This means that upon arrival in Madinah, pilgrims no longer need to queue for long periods and can proceed directly to their accommodation and begin their ibadah activities as planned,” she said. On another development, Marhamah urged the public to remain calm and refrain from speculating on an ongoing Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission investigation involving an NGO over alleged misappropriation of zakat funds. She stressed that authorities must be given full space to conduct a thorough investigation without interference. “Let the authorities carry out their work. We should not speculate or become agents of division that could spread negativity. The public must remain calm.” – Bernama

“With respect to both America and China, we have told both of them that we operate on the basis of Unclos. “The right of transit passage is guaranteed for everyone. We will not participate in any attempts to close, interdict or impose tolls in our neighbourhood,” he added. Meanwhile, when asked if Singapore will choose sides between the United States and China, Balakrishnan pointed out that the republic’s long-standing position is not to take sides between the East and the West. “The way we conduct our affairs is that we assess what is in Singapore’s long-term national interest. “And if I have to say no to Washington or Beijing or anyone else, we do not flinch from that, but they will also know that when we say no, it is not at the behest of the other party; we are acting in our own long-term national interest,” said Balakrishnan. – Bernama

SINGAPORE: Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have a shared strategic interest to keep the Malacca Straits open amid ongoing global geopolitical uncertainties, said Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. He stressed that as littoral states, all three nations share a cooperative mechanism not to collect tolls on the straits but to keep them open. He said that this position will be maintained. “We do not have tolls. All of us are trade dependent economies and all of us know it is in our interest to keep it open.

“The point here is that all three countries have a strategic interest and are strategically aligned in keeping it open. That is not something which you can take for granted in many other places,” he said during an interview on CNBC’s Converge Live event on Wednesday. His remarks came in response to growing uncertainties, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could heighten the risks to passage in other critical maritime chokepoints. According to Balakrishnan, Singapore has always emphasised and reiterated its stance on upholding the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) in overseeing the Straits of Malacca.

Singapore foreign minister said all three littoral countries have a strategic interest and are strategically aligned in keeping it open. – SUNPIC

Personal loans behind 46% of 31,517 bankruptcies since 2021 JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia recorded a total of 31,517 bankruptcy cases from 2021 to March 2026, with nearly half of them stemming from personal loans. The minister was speaking at a press conference during the “Second Chance Policy Programme: Fast Track Discharge” organised by the Insolvency Department in Johor at the Temenggong Ibrahim Teachers’ Training Institute here yesterday.

communities. Musa said under the 13th Malaysia Plan, the state government will continue to intensify efforts in forest conservation and protection, strengthen forest and climate governance and promote community development and green innovation. “Among the initiatives implemented are the Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures to support the target Totally Protected Areas, the implementation of the Sabah Timber Legality Assurance System Plus as well as the use of satellite technology and Earth Observation systems,” he said. – Bernama not solely due to poor financial management, but because of misfortunes such as purchasing homes that were never completed while still having to bear the debt burden,” he said. According to him, the government has also enhanced the bankruptcy discharge criteria by raising the debt threshold from RM50,000 to RM200,000 to give greater opportunity for affected individuals to exit bankruptcy status. Meanwhile, Akmal Nasrullah said that the inflation rate for the first quarter of 2026 stood at 1.6%. He added that for March, inflation saw a slight increase to 1.7% compared with 1.4% in February, mainly driven by the transport sector and fuel costs. – Bernama

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said official data shows that 14,582 cases, or 46%, were categorised as bankruptcies due to personal debt pressures. He said that 4,704 cases, or 15% of the total, involved individuals aged 34 years and below. “The data highlights the importance of awareness about financial management and financial literacy from an early stage, especially among young families in planning their financial commitments based on their respective capabilities,” he said.

Commenting on the policy, Akmal Nasrullah said the government is currently focusing efforts on providing a “second chance” to four target groups: single parents, micro-business operators, victims of financial scams and victims of abandoned housing projects. “This policy allows those affected to restart their lives and reorganise their finances. For example, some individuals become bankrupt

Sabah to gain environmental powers under MA63: Musa KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to receive a transition of power regarding environmental management under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which is scheduled to be fully implemented in November, said Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman. said when delivering the state government policy speech at the opening of the First Meeting of the 17th State Legislative Assembly here yesterday. Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M. Yahya and the deputy speakers. governance, the state government will table an amendment Bill to the Land (Subsidiary Title) Enactment 1972 this year.

He said this involves the drafting of two new enactments, namely the Land (Subsidiary Title) Enactment and the Building Management Enactment, which aim to increase efficiency in the issuance of subsidiary titles as well as building management and maintenance in Sabah. The Forest Landscape Restoration approach will also be implemented, covering agricultural land, production forests and community areas, to restore ecological functions and improve the social and economic well-being of local

Musa said in terms of carbon governance, the state government aims to be a leader in implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in Malaysia by leveraging voluntary carbon market opportunities as a new source of funding to support forest and environmental conservation efforts. He said in terms of land and property

He said it will begin with the management of scheduled waste, and the move will be supported through efforts to draft new laws and guidelines. ”This also includes the development of a web based management system as well as a programme to improve the technical competence of officers and industry players,” he