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Angry housewives go to police after Rosmah’s picture on pig - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 2, 2015.A Facebook posting showing Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor superimposed with a pig's body has caused an uproar among a group of housewives in Penang. The group, made up of Umno members, women non-governmental organisations, single mothers and housewives from Bayan Baru, lodged 11 police reports against a Facebook user, identified as Peter Lee, urging swift investigations by the authorities. Bayan Baru Umno information chief Kuraishah Syed Mohamad said it was unfortunate that people these days go to such extremes to offend leaders in the country. "The person who did this must face the music," she said outside the Bayan Baru police station.
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Flight path over Penang a ‘last farewell’ for MH370 pilot, reports UK daily - The Malaysian Insider
– March 2, 2015.Just days before the first anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a senior Boeing 777 captain with a major commercial airline has weighed in on the mystery, alleging that it was the work of the pilot. Captain Simon Hardy's theory was reported in UK newspaper Daily Mail today, where he said the main clue was that after flying across the border between Thailand and Malaysia, the aircraft made a sharp u-turn towards Penang, one of three turns made in quick succession. According to Hardy, the doomed MAS flight seemed to be taken on an emotional "last farewell", as in a fly-past of the pilot's home island of Penang. "The unusual overflying of Penang is ‘perhaps the only clue to the perpetrator'.
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Stop blaming the Chinese for your own weaknesses, Azmin tells Putrajaya - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, March 2, 2015.Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said today that blaming the Chinese community for inflation was just an excuse to cover up Putrajaya's own failures in managing the country's economy. “Don't blame the Chinese whenever there is inflation and play up racial sentiments to cover up your own weaknesses,” he said. It does not matter if you are Malay, Chinese, Indians or Kadazans," the Bahasa Malaysia daily reported him as saying. Azmin's remark comes after Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob started a firestorm last month after he urged Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businesses over the latter’s refusal to lower prices after the drop in oil prices.
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Japan offers degree scholarships for Malaysians | theSundaily
KUALA LUMPUR: The Japanese government has opened application for Malaysians to pursue their studies for bachelor and masters degree programme under its government of Japan sponsored scholarships, better known as Monbukagakusho. The programme offers a monthly allowance of 117,000 yen (RM3,500) for bachelor degree level and 143,000 yen (RM4,300) for masters level with the application closed on March 20, 2015 for civil servants and March 27 for non government employees, said a statement from the Japanese embassy here today. The scholarship for the bachelor degree programme will start from April 2016 for five to seven years and the masters degree from April or October 2016 for 18 months or two years.
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Azmin assures Christians of religious freedom
He meets the Archbishop of Sarawak and other Christian leaders in Kuching today.
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AirAsia offers 20pct discount for all seats and flights
Bookings may be made at airasia.com from March 3 to 8, 2015, the airline says.
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QPR owners write off RM34bil loans
The move strengthens QPR’s balance sheet, the club said in a statement.
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After Islamic dress code furore, Terengganu MB says come as you are
― Bernama picKUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman denied that the state issued an Islamic dress code barring tourists from wearing revealing attire, claiming today he was surprised to hear that the story went viral. He added that such rules to police tourists’ attire were unnecessary as there were already sufficient laws to ensure public modesty. “I've already asked the exco chairman to explain the statement … The state government has never planned to issue dressing guidelines for tourists,” Ahmad Razif said as quoted by news portal Sin Chew Daily, referring to State Tourism and Cultural Affairs executive committee (exco) chairman Datuk Mohd Jidin Shafee.
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Ringgit falls, leading retreat in Asian currencies on China rate cut
— AFP picKUALA LUMPUR, Mar 2 — The ringgit fell, leading losses among Asian currencies, on concern China’s latest interest-rate cut will spur weakness in the yuan and hurt Malaysia’s exports. The People’s Bank of China lowered its benchmark lending and deposit rates by a quarter percentage point effective yesterday to shore up growth in the world’s second-largest economy. China is Malaysia’s second-biggest export market, after Singapore, and the yuan dropped to a two-year low against the dollar today. “The weekend rate cut affirms the easing bias that the Chinese authorities have,” said Jonathan Cavenagh, a currency strategist at Westpac Banking Corp in Singapore.
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Baggage on MAS flights go missing | theSundaily
PETALING JAYA: Several passengers of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flights have taken to Twitter to voice their frustrations about their missing luggage. According to tweets that were directed to MAS' twitter account, these passengers who were on various different flights during the weekend, complained that they had not received their bags despite having already arrived at their destinations. "You have just failed to connect a plane's worth of luggage, including mine, from London to Phnom Penh. Feels great after 17 hours [of] travel," tweeted one of the passengers, known as Katy Oglethorpe, in her twitter account on Saturday.
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What good are world university rankings? Ridhuan Tee asks
— Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Controversial lecturer Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah downplayed the importance of world university rankings today, chiding local learning institutions for trying playing catch-up with a grading that he claimed was “rigged” by the Western world. The Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) lecturer expressed his worry that Malaysian graduates of the world’s best universities have instead ended up in the “anti-establishment” camp, in addition to trying to ape “white folks” or Chinese nationals. What is the guarantee that graduates of world’s best university can become the best in their careers, and useful towards religion, race and nation?” Tee asked in his column published by Malay news portal Sinar Harian Online. Tee also warned local universities from being trapped in the Western world’s “education market politics”, where academics have to pay a lot of money to be published in peer-reviewed literature databases such as Scopus and the Institute for Scientific Information.
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Man survives gun attack | theSundaily
KAJANG: A 38-year-old man cheated death today despite being shot several times by a gunman at Jalan Reko here today, in an attack believed to be linked to a feud between underworld gangs. The victim who suffered at least three gunshot wounds, was reported to be in stable condition at the Kajang Hospital. Police said the man was driving his Honda Accord, and was at waiting at a traffic lights junction at about 12.30pm, when a motorcyclist and his pillion rider pulled up next to his car. The pillion rider whipped out a pistol and fired six shots before the motorcyclist sped off.
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The Netherlands offers expertise to help develop Penang - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, March 2, 2015.The Netherlands has expressed interest in working with Penang to turn the city into an international city of the future, Dutch Ambassador to Malaysia Harry Molenaar said today. He said his country, which has a strong bond with Malaysia, would like to "team up" with Penang to realise the plan. He said The Netherlands would like to be a part of Penang's ambitious plan.
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Break up in PAS imminent and it’s all PasMa’s fault, party man claims
— Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — There is no saving PAS from breaking apart come its annual muktamar or general assembly this June due to concerted efforts by a group bent on challenging the current leadership, the Islamist party's research operating officer warned today. PAS Research Centre operating officer Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marsuki said the creation of PasMa — a non-governmental organisation founded by Kuala Kedah PAS division chief Datuk Phahrolrazi Zawawi — is a far greater threat to party unity compared to the long standing disagreements between the ulama and professional factions. "For example, the existence of Pasma now is no longer as a NGO but instead it is seen as working towards becoming a political party," Mohd Zuhdi was quoted as saying by Malay daily Sinar Harian. "They (PasMa) are seen as more accepted by DAP compared to PAS in issues related to religion because PasMa are seen as more accomodative compared to us (PAS) who are more strict in upholding the sanctity of Islam," he added.
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PAS stands by Harakah piece, tells Najib ‘see us in court’
— Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — PAS today refused to retract an article by party mouthpiece Harakah Daily linking Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s stepson to 1 Malaysia Development Bhd funds or apologise as demanded by the prime minister. The Islamist party’s lawyer and central working committee member Hanipa Maidin said Harakah Daily was entitled to publish the report as it was matter of public interest, adding that PAS was prepared to defend its newsletter against Najib’s legal action. “We are ready to meet him in court... this is an issue of public interest and we are not afraid as it involves public funds,” Hanipa, who is also Sepang MP, told a press conference at the party’s head office here. PAS received the letter of demand from Najib’s lawyers last Thursday in which the prime minister gave the party paper two days to retract the article and refrain from publishing similar ones in future.
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No contest for PAS top post, number 2 to see challenge, says party secretary-general – Bernama - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, March 2, 2015.PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali is confident that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang will not be challenged at the party polls in June. On the number two post which is held by Mohamad Sabu, Mustafa said the incumbent was likely to be challenged. Mustafa also said Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, would be called up by a special investigation committee set up by the party to probe an alleged plot to unseat Hadi at the polls. In Kuala Lumpur, PAS research centre executive director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad reminded those who would be contesting in the polls to watch their emotions and not do anything that could tarnish the image of the party and their own campaigns.
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1MDB’s first US$1billion money trail - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, March 1, 2015.From 2009 to 2014, 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) initial US$1 billion was shuffled and swapped around, in an apparent bid to avoid scrutiny by its string of external auditors, The Edge Malaysia reported. 1MDB invested US$1 billion into a US$2.5 billion joint venture with PetroSaudi Holdings Cayman Ltd, a private Saudi Arabian company whose main shareholder was a businessman named Tarek Obaid. However, PetroSaudi Holdings did not inject any money into the joint venture, and its 60% equity was in the form of a valuation of assets worth US$1.5 billion. Once it was formed, the joint venture firm immediately had to repay a mysterious “loan” of US$700 million to PetroSaudi Holdings, leaving it with only US$300 million before it had even begun operations.
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MAS expects to save 25% in bills through settlement with caterer - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, March 2, 2015.Loss-making national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is expected to save 25% in monthly bills after it signed a settlement agreement with caterer Brahim’s Airline Catering Sdn Bhd (BAC) last Friday. The agreement is part of the airline’s recovery plan announced last year to overhaul all its operations and return the company to profitability, said Khazanah Nasional Berhad, which is in charge of the turnaround plan. In a statement today, Khazanah said part of that recovery plan involved MAS renegotiating some 4,000 supply contracts. The settlement agreement will also see MAS paying BAC RM37.95 million out of a total sum of RM94.03 million that has been held back by MAS to its caterer.
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'1MDB funds went to PetroSaudi, no one else'
The Saudi Arabian oil company says news reports on its 1MDB deal are 'malicious'.
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Two petrol stations temporarily shuttered for closing before fuel hike
— File picture by Shahir OmarKUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The government has temporarily suspended two petrol stations in Kelantan for closing almost two hours ahead of the 25 sen fuel price hike on Sunday, despite having adequate fuel supply. Local daily Utusan Malaysia reported today Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Kelantan director Datuk Abdul Ghani Harun as saying that the two petrol stations were the only ones out of 167 operators in the east coast state that had stopped selling fuel early. According to Ghani, the two petrol stations had claimed that they had faulty pumps and that their fuel supply was cut off.
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