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Malay Unity assembly attracts thousands of participants – Bernama - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, February 28, 2015.Thousands of Malay youths and veterans gathered tonight at the Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur to attend the Malay Unity Movement assembly aimed to strengthen unity in empowering the Malay community. The event which will see various high profile Malay leaders attending, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was scheduled to begin with Maghrib prayers. At the climax of the event, Najib is scheduled to deliver a special mandate in which the contents of the message is not only to be cherished by the audience at the stadium, but also for all the Malays who prioritised unity nationwide. The event's itinerary also includes events such as the launch of the big agendas of the 21st century, signing of the 21st century Malay "Waad", mandates by Malay leaders, and launch of the permanent secretariat of the Malay Renaissance Movement.
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New petrol, diesel price to take effect at midnight – Bernama - The Malaysian Insider
– Pic courtesy of Nestle, February 28, 2015.The new retail price for petrol and diesel for March will take effect after midnight tonight, says Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek. On February 1, the government announced a reduction in the retail prices for fuel, by 21 sen and 11 sen per litre, respectively for RON95 and RON97 petrol, and 23 sen per litre for diesel. To that effect, the fuel price for the month of February was R1.70 per litre for RON95, RM2 per litre for RON97, while the price of diesel was RM1.70 per litre. On the campaign by Nestle, Hasan said Nestle's proactive step to offer consumers a price reduction of between 8% and 33% under a good value for money campaign was laudable and a move in the right direction to enrich the lives of consumers by offering high-quality products at the most affordable prices.
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Mainland Chinese family ejected from flight over seatbelt dispute - Nation | The Star Online
PETALING JAYA: A three-year-old boy who refused to fasten his seatbelt during a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight caused his family to be ejected from the aircraft, but not before sparking a commotion on board and delaying the flight. The Straits Times reported that the boy’s parents, a mainland Chinese couple, were urged to secure their three-year-old in his seat moments before flight CX564 was due to take-off from Bangkok at 3.15pm on Tuesday. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported a passenger by the surname Lau telling Apple Daily that the boy had refused to sit down and wear his seatbelt. A video taken by Lau showed another female passenger getting irritated with the commotion and asking the flight crew to “call the police”.
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Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Khairuddin sacked - Nation | The Star Online
GEORGE TOWN: Umno has sacked Datuk Seri Paduka Khairuddin Abu Hassan (pic) as the party's Batu Kawan division vice-chairman. The party's Penang state secretary Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir said Saturday he had received a copy of the letter from Umno headquarters, which decided to sack Khairuddin, who had lodged two police reports against 1Malaysia Development Berhad. “His sacking is in accordance with the Umno Constitution and Umno Conference Regulations.
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Ghosts of MH370 to haunt new MAS CEO’s first week, UK paper says
— AFP picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Christoph R. Mueller faces a daunting week ahead of him when he assumes his role as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of ailing flag carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS), just days shy of the one year anniversary to Flight MH370’s disappearance. UK newspaper The Independent said in a report that Mueller’s to-do list will be “unappetising”, as he not only has to restore public confidence in the airline but will also have to cut jobs as part of the airline’s restructuring plan. “Next weekend, he (Mueller) and his airline will be in a media spotlight as the world remembers MH370. While his staff grieve for lost colleagues, he knows that many of them will also lose their jobs as the airline ‘restructures’,” the UK paper said yesterday, referring to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukrainian airspace back in July last year.
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Service charge at hotels, restaurants not compulsory, says Ahmad Maslan – Bernama - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider pic, February 28, 2015.The 10% service charge imposed by hotels and restaurants need not be paid after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is implemented, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said today. He said the proposal to rename the service tax to hotel or restaurant charge should also be implemented immediately so that consumers did not confuse it with the GST. "The service tax imposed by hotels and restaurants does not go to the government. "So I want to inform that you don’t have to pay the 10% service charge if their service is not good," he told reporters in Bukit Gantang today.
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Despite threats, Muslim evangelical group invites critics to discuss Islam
― Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — An Islamic evangelical group accused of covertly amending the religious records of non-Muslims today urged critics of Islam to come forward and discuss their fears about the religion with them. The group called the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) said despite having received numerous threats against them and their family members, they would not respond in kind. MRM president Firdaus Wong Wai Hung said he does not understand why some non-Muslims have reacted aggressively against the non-governmental organisation (NGO) as the body has not forced anyone to accept free Qurans. “Accepting the Quran does not make one Muslim… I don’t know why non-Muslims are afraid and angry… must only ask them,” he told a press conference at the NGO’s office here.
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The Dress That Broke The Internet
Blue and black? Gold and white? It's a debate that still rages on. The stars weigh in! Plus, meet the woman who started the whole thing!
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Ridhuan, if this happens to your little girl would you fault her body for rape? ― Zhu Mohammad
FEBRUARY 27 ― Su-Lyn, I read your column and am outraged by Ridhuan Tee's comment that a woman's body on its own is an invitation to rape. Like a lot of kids at that age who are attached to their grandparents, I was to my grandfather on my father's side, who I think at that time was about 67 or so.
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U.S.-led coalition launches air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq, Syria - World | The Star Online
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S.-led coalition launched 11 air strikes in Iraq and nine in Syria since early Friday against Islamic State militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said.
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Thousands protest against Newcastle march of anti-Islam group Pegida - The Malaysian Insider
– Reuters pic, February 28, 2015.More than 2,000 people protested today in Newcastle, northeast England, against a march held by the British branch of Germany's anti-Islam group Pegida which drew around 400 people, a Reuters witness said. Although in Britain the local branch has had little exposure in the national media, the Facebook page of Pegida United Kingdom shows it has had over 17,000 "likes". The Reuters photographer on the scene said police were in strong attendance for the protests, which were kept apart and passed off peacefully. Fears that anti-Islam sentiment is growing in Britain have intensified as violence by Islamist militants in the Middle East dominate the headlines and after actual and threatened attacks in Europe.
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Famous Thai temple to build separate toilets for non-Chinese | theSundaily
BANGKOK: A famous temple in northern Thailand will build separate toilets for Thais and other non-Chinese tourists, officials confirmed Saturday.
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Ismail Sabri, Pasar Tani traders are neither stupid nor ignorant – TK Chua - The Malaysian Insider
A few days ago, Agriculture and Agri-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob made a statement that the licences of Pasar Tani traders will not be renewed if they continue to buy from the middlemen by June. He said traders should instead buy directly from producers or Fama collection centres throughout the country. Threatening not to renew the traders’ licences will only make the supply situation worse if he is not careful. What assurances has he got that the prices charged by the producers/Fama collection centres and the final cost incurred by the traders will be more competitive compared with buying the supplies from the middlemen?
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1MDB complainant loses Umno post over bankruptcy case
— AFP pic KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — The Penang Umno leader who made headlines for lodging complaints against 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has been relieved of his party post over a bankruptcy case last year. According to Penang Umno liaison committee secretary datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan’s sacking order was in accordance with the party’s constitution and conference rules, national news agency Bernama reported. “He (Khairuddin) had been declared as a bankrupt by the court on May 24 last year and a report on the status had been made to the national Umno headquarters,” he was quoted saying in a statement. He added, however, that despite losing his position as Batu Kawan Umno Youth vice-chairman, Khairuddin still remains a party member and is allowed to attend Umno’s annual conference at the branch level.
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1MDB cash flow under pressure - The Malaysian Insider
– The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 28, 2015.1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) failure to get a RM3 billion cash injection from the Finance Ministry will put more pressure on its cash flow, as it has interest payments of some RM750 million due in the next three months on the four RM28 billion worth of bonds it has issued. A US$66 million (RM238 million) half-year interest payment on the US$3 billion bond issued by 1MDB Global Investments Ltd is due in March. The other half-year interest payment amounting to US$105 million (RM378 million) is due in May for the two bonds totalling US$3.5 billion raised to buy its power assets. The total interest payment each year is US$342 million (RM1.23 billion).
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Top self-defence tips - Community | The Star Online
Metro Online looks at some tips to better prepare you in the event of an attack.
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‘AG has powers to commute death sentence'
This is to get around the Australian law preventing his extradition back home.
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Zahid blames ‘masterminds’ behind drug trafficking syndicates
— Picture by Choo Choy May SEREMBAN, Feb 28 — There are currently 3,276 prisoners on death row in the country, for drug trafficking. Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the death sentence has not deterred drug traffickers. “This is because there are masterminds supporting them with lawyers to free them of the charge and escape the law,” he told reporters after launching the National Anti Drugs Day 2015, here today. Ahmad Zahid said while the country’s laws were considered adequate for the culprits, cooperation from the society was crucial in curbing drug abuse.
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Was judge Hishamudin overlooked for promotion due to Ayer Molek case, asks DAP - The Malaysian Insider
The opposition party’s parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria, as chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), should explain this. He also speculated that this could be a case of former Chief Justice Tun Eusoffe Chin exacting his final vengeance. "Is the Ayer Molek case one reason why Justice Hishamudin has been denied elevation to the Federal Court twice – a case of former CJ Eusoffe Chin exacting his final vengeance?
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Rafizi calls PM’s bluff over Harakah suit threat
— File picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — PKR’s Rafizi Ramli invited Malaysians today to openly criticise Datuk Seri Najib Razak, saying the public should not be cowed by his threat to sue PAS organ Harakah as the prime minister would not likely proceed with the legal challenge. In a statement here, the PKR secretary-general pointed out that Najib had similarly threatened to sue him last year for criticising his administration’s removal of fuel subsidies but has yet to file the case in court. “Therefore, I would advise Najib to sue me first before threatening to sue others,” Rafizi said. “I would also like to encourage more people to criticise Najib and not to be afraid by his suit threats because up until today, he has yet to sue anyone, not even his number one critic Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” the Pandan MP pointed out.
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