KUALA LUMPUR: Reforms under the Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) framework aim to reset Malaysia's healthcare insurance system by shifting away from fee-for-service payments towards a value-based model, in a move to curb rising premiums and improve patient access to care. He said a more integrated insurance structure would allow patients to move through the healthcare system faster, ensuring life-saving investigations and procedures are carried out without unnecessary waiting periods. He stated that the basic takaful and insurance plan is capable of assisting middle- and low-income groups affected by high medical inflation. Dr Syed noted that out-of-pocket healthcare spending in Malaysia remains high, even among those who have insurance coverage, due to rising monthly premiums. Regarding the proposed premium rates, Dr Syed said they are at a low level and could increase the public's access to private healthcare.

PETALING JAYA: The body of Insp Khairil Azhar Kamaruddin has been flown home to Perak for burial, police said. The General Operations Force (GOF) said in a Facebook post on Friday (Jan 23) that the remains were flown from Tawau Airport in Sabah. “Internal Security and Public Order Department deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi escorted the repatriation of the remains of the late Insp Khairil Azhar Kamaruddin at Tawau Airport, Sabah,” it said. “The late inspector was transported aboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force C-130 aircraft to Ipoh Airport, Perak,” he added. On Thursday (Jan 22), Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the police force confirmed the death of the VAT 69 commando following a diving exercise in Semporna, Sabah, on Jan 22.

PUTRAJAYA: Ramadan bazaar traders in Kuala Lumpur this year can rejoice as they only need to pay a maximum of RM400 to rent bazaar lots. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) bazaar lot rentals would be subsidised. "The Ramadan bazaar lot rental will be capped at RM400 regardless of whether the bazaar is managed by DBKL or traders' associations. "The three main associations involved are Pertubuhan Pasar Malam Kuala Lumpur (PMKL), Persatuan Penjaja-Penjaja dan Peniaga-Peniaga Kecil Melayu Wilayah Persekutuan (PPPKMWP) and Persatuan Peniaga dan Penjaja Bumiputera Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (PPPBWPKL)," she said. Also present at the press conference was Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Fadhlun Mak Ujud.

Failure to comply with or breaches of the stipulated provisions may result in voters being barred from entering polling centres by election officials. Early checks on information such as polling centres, polling streams and serial numbers can be made through the portal https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my, by contacting the EC hotline at 03-88927018, or via the MySPRSemak application. "Voters are reminded not to hand over their identity cards to any party other than election officials,” Khairul Shahril said. This includes activities outside polling centres as well as through social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and others. A total of 1,106 personnel will manage the polling process tomorrow, involving 36 ordinary polling centres comprising 117 polling stations or streams.

PROPERTY developer H&A Holdings Sdn Bhd and the SJK(T) Ladang Jalan Acob school board (LPS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the relocation and redevelopment of the school at the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) on Jan 19. H&A Holdings has committed approximately 1.29ha of land in Kapar, Klang, for the primary school’s relocation as an exchange and relocation arrangement. This plan has been mutually agreed upon by H&A Holdings and the school’s LPS. “We hope all matters proceed smoothly for our collective interests, especially for the schoolchildren and local community,” said H&A Holdings representative Siti Maisarah Misrom. Currently, SJK(T) Ladang Jalan Acob operates on land owned by H&A Holdings.

PETALING JAYA: Seven new political secretaries have been sworn in to seven ministerial portfolios, according to sources. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Wednesday (Jan 21) before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and it was witnessed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar, sources said. Norashekin Yusof was sworn-in as the political secretary to the Plantation and Commodities Minister, as were Willy Leong @ Rafiqi Helmy (for the Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister), and Aizuddin Abd Gaffal (to the Human Resources Minister). Also sworn-in were Ahmad Nazib Johari as a political secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), and Mohd Kamarul Ariffin Mohd Wafa as a political secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs). Mohammad Afiq Hazwan Samsudin was also sworn in as the political secretary to the Youth and Sports Minister, as well as Mohd Hafiz Mohamad (to the Economy Minister)..

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak maintains that the RM42mil deposited into his personal bank account was a donation from a Saudi monarch, says his lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. At a press conference here on Friday (Jan 23), Shafee clarified reports published the day before that Najib knew the money deposited into his bank account was not from Saudi Arabia. ALSO READ: SRC lawsuit: Najib concedes RM42mil was not Saudi donation"He never said that he had abandoned this belief,” Shafee added after proceedings in the RM42mil civil suit filed by SRC International Sdn Bhd and its subsidiary, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, against Najib. Shafee: Now, it is important in this context to consider how the issues involving both 1MDB and SRC became public, or rather, matters of public concern. Shafee: During that period, did you at any time stop or obstruct those investigations?

Do I need to use makeup brushes, or can I just use my fingers? Photo: Azmier HisyamuqrisHow often should I wash my makeup brushes and sponges? Regular cleaning of makeup brushes and sponges also helps extend the life of your tools. – Hilda, PJPrimer functions as a barrier between your skin and your makeup, to prep your skin and prevent makeup from settling into pores. Some setting sprays can also be used before makeup, after skincare, to lightly prep the skin and help makeup apply more smoothly.

WASHINGTON, Jan ‌22 (Reuters) - U.S. President ‌Donald Trump withdrew ‌on Thursday an invitation for Canada to join ‍his Board of ‍Peace initiative ‌aimed at resolving global ‍conflicts. "Please let ​this Letter serve ⁠to represent that the Board ‌of Peace is withdrawing ⁠its invitation ‍to you regarding Canada’s joining, what ‍will be, the ‌most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post ‌directed at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. (Reporting ​by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Animal rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said wildlife crime in Malaysia is overwhelmingly link­ed to organised and often transnational syndicates, rather than isolated individuals. Rajesh, who is also Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malay­sia president, questioned whether high demand alone should be blamed for wildlife crime, pointing to what he described as weak follow-through after major seizures. “It is unlikely that indivi­duals acting alone could identify, target and traffic wildlife that fetches high prices in the illegal market. “The fight against wildlife crime cannot rely on enforcement alone. On public involvement, he said Perhilitan already has a reward scheme for informants to encourage tip-offs on wildlife crimes.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 23): Umno welcomes the Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the tabling of the Urban Renewal Bill (URA) in Parliament. Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party remained firm in its position that it does not oppose urban development, but stressed that the Bill must be improved and refined. He said several amendments should be made in line with the proposals put forward by the Umno Special Committee on the URA, chaired by its vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. According to him, the committee had conducted a series of engagement sessions, including the Urban Renewal Convention on Oct 3 last year. The convention approved 14 recommendations for improvements to the Bill for the government’s consideration, he added.

(Jan 23): US stock futures dipped on Friday, signaling a second consecutive week of declines for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, as Intel's shares plunged after disappointing forecasts, while lingering geopolitical tensions weighed on sentiment. Safe-haven gold rallied to a record high in further evidence of the risk-off mood prevailing among investors. By 5.57am ET, S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were down 16.25 points, or 0.23%. Many of the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks, including Apple, Tesla and Microsoft, are set to report earnings next week. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates in the 3.5%-3.75% range after its policy meeting next week.

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 23): The government will clarify the entry requirements to public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) for students who graduate from education streams that are not based on the national education system soon. Madani Government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had instructed the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) to examine the matter during the Cabinet meeting held on Friday. “Teachers will also need to be supplied through the Teacher Education Institute (IPG) if there is an increase in student numbers. Last Tuesday, the Prime Minister launched the National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026–2035, which is jointly led by the Ministry of Education through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026–2035 and the Ministry of Higher Education through the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035. To strengthen national identity, students in all schools — including Sekolah Agama Rakyat, international schools and private schools — will be required to study Bahasa Melayu and History in accordance with the National Curriculum.

KUALA LUMPUR: Preliminary police data have shown a significant drop in fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles, down from 260 in 2024 to 163 last year. Transport Minister Anthony Loke (pic) said statistics from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) showed an encouraging downward trend in fatalities involving lorries, trailers and heavy goods vehicles. “These statistics cover accidents involving heavy vehicles, regardless of whether the vehicle was the primary cause of it or merely involved in the crash,” he said in a parliamentary written reply. Loke said the decline in accidents served as an early indicator that stricter enforcement measures on heavy vehicle safety compliance, had contributed to reducing the risk of fatal accidents. The minister explained that JPJ’s enforcement against overloaded lorries did not involve the introduction of new policies.

TOKYO (Jan 23): Japan's Inpex is working to advance the start of its Abadi project in Indonesia to meet the government's request to speed up and has seen strong interest from Western majors to buy liquefied natural gas, CEO Takayuki Ueda said. The long-delayed US$20 billion project, which will produce up to 9.5 million metric tons of LNG a year, will be a major growth driver for Inpex, Japan's top oil and gas explorer. Jakarta has requested Inpex to accelerate the project to meet fast-rising local gas demand. "We will make every effort to accelerate the project," Ueda told Reuters in an interview earlier this week, adding that the company is considering various design and contracting options despite challenges. IchthysIn Australia, Inpex is on the hunt for large gas resources to feed a third LNG train and to backfill existing capacity at its Ichthys project in Darwin, Ueda said.