KUANTAN: The Public Service Commission (PSC) is targeting 30,000 civil servant appointments this year, compared to 25,000 appointments last year, says its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus. He said the target is in line with the need to replace retiring officers as well as the government’s efforts to ensure continuity of public service delivery. He said although applications recorded a decrease from 1.2 million in 2024 to around one million last year, Ahmad Jailani remained optimistic that the number of applications would increase again for 2026 and 2027. “We expect the number to be maintained at more than one million this year,” he said, Bernama reported. Dr Ahmad Jailani explained that the lower number of application was due to the implementation of new qualification requirements under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which sets the minimum qualification at Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

JOHOR BARU: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, departed for Saint Petersburg, Russia, for a special visit. This was shared in a post on the official Facebook page of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. The King’s visit to Saint Petersburg is at the special invitation of President Vladimir Putin. The special aircraft carrying His Majesty took off from the Royal Hangar at Senai International Airport (LTAS) here at 8.25am yesterday. The Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail and Tunku Temenggong Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj, were present to bid farewell to Sultan Ibrahim.

THIS year may be another record year for the automotive sector. The sector charted growth in total industry volumes (TIV) last year, despite initial expectations to the contrary.

While supporting efforts to enhan­ce road safety, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Lorry Opera­tors Association secretary-general Alvin Choong said older lorries may require major modifications to comply with the ruling. According to Choong, most commercial vehicle operators are in the dark on this, with little to no information given on the req­ui­rement. “For newer trucks, it can be easier to comply, but for older vehicles, it’s not that feasible in a short time frame,” he said when contacted. Law said collaboration and understanding between regulators and the business sector are crucial to ensure the effectiveness of road safety matters. Recently, the Road Transport Department announced the postponement of the implementation of a new brake parameter for lorries, called brake drag force, until March 1.

PETALING JAYA: More formal engagements are needed before the authorities roll out its new brake parameter inspections, says the Association of Malaysian Hau­l­iers (AMH). Mohd Azuan also said since the introduction of Puspakom inspections in Malaysia, the industry’s common approach to trailer drum brake adjustment has evolved around ensuring the braking system meets inspection requirements. “Most trailer drum brake systems do not provide a clear, stan­dardised indicator of the remaining brake lining/pad or drum condition. “As a result, operators have historically tended to adjust settings conservatively to avoid borderline results during inspection. Brake failure was listed as one of them, though it had more to do with grease contamination of brake linings, inconsistent brake lining material composition and excessive wear of the rear left brake drum.

ISKANDAR PUTERI: A 46-year-old Indian national was kidnapped from a hotel room here and blackmailed for RM5,000 after allegedly getting involved in an affair with a woman. Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan said a report was lodged by the victim’s 30-year-old friend, also an Indian national, at about 11.08pm on Jan 19. “The friend reported that the victim was taken away by unknown individuals from a hotel room in Gelang Patah at about 3am on the same day. “The friend was later contacted by one of the suspects at about 1pm, demanding RM5,000 in exchange for the victim’s release,” he said in a statement. ACP Kumarasan added that the male suspect had prior criminal and drug-related records, and urine tests found both suspects were positive for methamphetamine.

The 155-year-old Thean Hock Keong Temple is seeking to reinstate the lane’s original name, Dragon Temple Lane, to distinguish it from the intersecting main coastal road, Jalan Pantai Bersih. Founded in 1871, the temple holds significant heritage value, with Dragon Temple Lane recorded as its registered address. As recently as 2023, government correspondence – including a letter approving nearly RM200,000 in restoration aid – recognised Dragon Temple Lane as the temple’s address. State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari pointed out that Dragon Temple Lane was never formally gazetted. “The state has never considered renaming the whole of Jalan Pantai Bersih,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has forecast a hot and dry spell in most parts of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in the northern region, until Jan 31. MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said a convergence of winds is also expected over Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan from Jan 29 to 31. “This condition has the potential to bring thunderstorms with prolonged heavy rain to these areas during that period,” he said in a post on MetMalaysia’s Facebook page yesterday, Bernama reported. He also advised the public to refer regularly to the department’s official website and social media channels, or to download the myCuaca app for the latest and verified information.

Compiled by GERARD GIMINO, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHANAN 18-year-old youth stabbed his college girlfriend in her classroom after he saw her talking to another young man, Makkal Osai reported. The teenager had been dating the girl from his college in Coimbatore, a city in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, for the past three months. When another man from the same college expressed interest in the girl, she turned him down because she had a boyfriend. When the boyfriend saw her conversing with him in her classroom, he confronted her. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies).

Drawing from family experience and refining the recipe through trial and error, they began producing handmade kuih kapit from their home kitchen. Kwong said that when he was younger, he used to help his mother fold kuih kapit during Chinese New Year. “Friends have helped resell the kuih kapit in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and even Singapore. The kuih kapit is sold in simple plastic jars, priced at about RM30, depending on quantity,” said Wei. In addition to kuih kapit, the family also produces other festive treats such as rainbow jelly cakes and arrowhead chips.

Compiled by GERARD GIMINO, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHANWITH the price of gold soaring to new highs, a man went viral on Chinese cyberspace for supposedly extracting more than 210,000 yuan (RM120,662) of gold just from SIM cards, reported Sin Chew Daily. A man from Guangdong province, who goes by the handle Qiao the Hakka Gold Refiner online, shared a video, which went viral, on how he extracted the 191.73g of gold from electronic waste. He added that his operation was a regulated precious-metal recycling process targeting specific electronic wastes, not a story about an average man refining gold from discarded SIM cards. It is understood that SIM card chips have an extremely thin layer of gold plating on their pins and circuit connections to improve conductivity and resistance to corrosion. Industry experts say that a single ordinary SIM card contains only 0.006 to 0.01mg of gold, making the process economically viable only through long-term, large-scale collection.

Flying high: Mimifly’s image graces the billboard at Times Square in New York. Mimifly, whose real name is Shamimi Amalina Norisham, 40, said she had always envisioned moments where her image would make it on big billboard screens. reported that director and producer Michael Ang said there was no need for an apology from actress Puteri Balqis, as she had not wronged him in any way. “Consider this matter resolved.”Ang was among the local celebrities who were indirectly affected after his name was mentioned amid a controversy involving actresses Janna Nick and Puteri Balqis over social media. Puteri Balqis had earlier stressed there was no issue between her and Ang and apologised for the situation.

This followed the downing since Friday of several giant Casuarina trees planted in the 1950s, as beach erosion along the stretch worsened. State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said several coastal erosion “hotspots” had been identified. Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said the coastal erosion was now hitting Tanjung Bungah, which had a direct impact on local residents. The Star first reported visible beach erosion at Batu Ferringhi in April 2021. Despite these measures, erosion has continued to worsen.

Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said Perikatan’s future hinges on the rapid appointment of a credible leader, clearer power-sharing arrangements among its component parties, and a shift away from protest politics towards a coherent governing narrative. “Perikatan’s biggest threat is leadership uncertainty, not its opponents,” he said when contacted yesterday. The coalition has been leaderless since Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation in late December, effective Jan 1. He identified Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as the most credible potential successors, while noting that names like Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar face political or structural limitations. Universiti Malaya’s Dr Moham­mad Tawfik Yaakub echoed the urgency, warning that Perikatan risks losing its direction if the leadership deadlock continues.

An estimated 33 million Americans have to put up with at least one food allergy, says the American Pharmacists Association. Closer to home, Singapore has found that food allergies in children are on the rise, with more cases of adverse reactions to food such as egg and peanut. In Malaysia, doctors say that food allergy is no longer just a childhood “phase” or a minor rash after a meal. He said MMA would like to see stronger public education on recognising food allergies and early symptoms of severe reactions, as well as better awareness among food manufacturers. “Indiscriminate allergy testing can lead to false positives, unnecessary food avoidance, and increased risk of new food allergies,” he said.