KLUANG: A motorcyclist has died while his wife and baby suffered head injuries after crashing into a stationary lorry at Simpang Renggam here. “He entered the opposite lane and then crashed into the back of a lorry that was parked on the road shoulder. He added that the wife and baby are currently being treated for head injuries at the emergency ward of Hospital Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom in Kluang. He said the 42-year-old lorry driver who parked the lorry on the road tested negative for drugs. The case is investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

“Stop dismissing concerning behaviours.”That is the core message Sunway University School of Psychology senior lecturer Dr Wu Shin Ling has for parents. “Often, parents themselves lack the skills to communicate expectations and gain cooperation effectively because they are repeating the parenting strategies modelled by their own parents,” he said. Hidden triggersCompounding the problem, Lee added, is that children are increasingly navigating online spaces where harmful content can spread rapidly. However, Lui cautioned against viewing social media as the sole culprit. From a systemic perspective, Lui stressed that no single factor drives youth violence or harmful behaviour.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed grave concern over recent developments in Venezuela after its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife were captured in a United States military operation. - BERNAMA PIC & FB/anwaribrahimofficialKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed grave concern over recent developments in Venezuela after its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife were captured in a United States military operation. "President Maduro and his wife must be released without any undue delay. "Whatever the reasons may be, the forcible removal of a sitting head of government through external action sets a dangerous precedent. Reaffirming Malaysia's foreign policy principles, Anwar said respect for international law and national sovereignty remains central to peaceful relations between states.

Lee Zii Jia (right) training at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Sunday ahead of the Malaysia Open. - PIC BY FATHIL ASRIKUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia is taking a "calculated risk" by returning from injury at the Malaysia Open to revive his world ranking before his protected status expires next month. The protected ranking ends in February, and that's why I have to come back," said Zii Jia after a training session at the Axiata Arena on Sunday. Despite his current low ranking, Zii Jia said he does not consider himself an underdog for the home tournament. Zii Jia moved comfortably on court during training and is scheduled to compete in the India Open, Indonesia Masters, and Thailand Masters following his home campaign.

LABUAN: The Labuan Public Works Department (PWD) has carried out a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to help mitigate flooding in several parts of the island, following continuous heavy rain and high tide conditions affecting villages and residential areas. "During this current rainy season combined with high tides, a number of villages and housing areas have been affected. "As part of our CSR, PWD has gone down to the ground to assess the situation and implement mitigation measures where assistance is most urgently needed," he told Bernama today. He said the initiative reflects department's commitment not only to infrastructure development but also to community well-being, particularly in assisting residents during challenging weather conditions. Residents in affected areas have been advised to remain vigilant and to report drainage or flood-related issues to the relevant authorities to enable prompt action.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari fuelled talk of a renewed alliance by posting a cryptic teaser on social media. “Wait for the emergence of Muafakat Nasional 2.0!” he wrote in a Facebook post at 6pm yesterday. His remarks followed reports last week suggesting that PAS was sounding out both Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional on the possibility of reviving Muafakat Nasional, the Umno-PAS political pact formed in 2019. Woo said references to the imprisonment of a former prime minister over corruption charges were factual. “The matter of a former prime minister being jailed for corruption is a fact that cannot be denied.

A Thai national died yesterday after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car on the Kuala Besut Bridge here. - PIC CREDIT: Besut district policeJERTIH: A Thai national died yesterday after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car on the Kuala Besut Bridge here. Acting Besut district police chief DSP Md Sani Md Saleh said that police were alerted at 3.30pm to an accident involving two vehicles. He said the victim, identified as Adnan Bueraheng, 51, died on the spot, while his 48-year-old wife, who was riding pillion, sustained injuries. "The victim's body was sent to Besut Hospital for a post-mortem," he said in a statement today, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

GEORGE TOWN (Jan 4): The police are stepping up nationwide security measures in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the move is part of routine police operations carried out during festive seasons or the staging of large-scale events. “Whenever there are festive seasons such as the New Year, security controls are enhanced. Moreover, this year is Visit Malaysia Year, so this forms part of our routine operations. The official flag-off of the cycling event was performed by the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, on Saturday (Jan 3) night.

DUBAI (Jan 3): Yemen's southern separatists welcomed on Saturday a call for dialogue by Saudi Arabia to end a recent military escalation, a potential sign that an unusually public confrontation between the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates may be easing. STC forces blocked roads leading to Aden from the northern provinces, residents said. Saudi Arabia accepted his request, extending invitations to southern factions to meet in Riyadh. The STC and Saudi Arabia have accused each other of responsibility for shutting off air traffic. The STC in its statement on Saturday said southern Yemen was being subjected to a land, sea and air blockade.

SEOUL (Jan 4): North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang towards the sea off its east coast at around 7:50am local time on Sunday, South Korea's military said. The first launch of North Korea's ballistic missiles in two months comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to China starting on Sunday, where Seoul has said peace on the Korean peninsula would be discussed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than double the production capacity of tactical guided weapons on his latest visit to a munitions factory on Saturday, North Korea's state media reported. China's President Xi Jinping will host Lee on a state visit starting on Sunday. Lee's agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee's outreach.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s success in the tourism sector is due to the country’s harmony among all races, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister stressed that Malaysians must take pride in the diverse cultures across the country and to always defend it. “We can see diverse cultures all the way from Perlis to Sabah and Sarawak and we must defend this. “We are a great nation,” Anwar said in his speech at the launch of the “I Lite U” project here on Saturday (Jan 3). "I Lite U" is an acronym for the Innovative Lighting Infrastructure Towards Eco-elegance Urbanisation project.

The Bukit Bintang location for the initiative features four key components – gateway lighting, a Visit Malaysia 2026 sculpture, upgraded pedestrian crossings with brighter and safer lighting as well as newly installed pedestrian crossings with improved illumination to enhance night-time walkability and safety. Eager onlookers: Costumed visitors posing for a photo during the ‘I Lite U’ launch event in Kuala Lumpur. In his speech, Anwar said Malaysians must take pride in the country’s cultural diversity and to always defend it. “Now, let us see the city as our set and the world as our audience,” said the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Road Safety and Sustainable Development Goals. I Lite U is jointly led by Housing and Local Government Ministry, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minis­try, Federal Territories Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

ETHNIC languages in Malaysia are not only vital for cultural preservation but also serve as a key tool for national unity and character-building, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said while the Malaysia Education Blueprint continues to empower ethnic languages, it is equally important to consider students’ engagement with these initiatives through the new 2027 school curriculum and education development strategies. “In the context of Khalsa Diwan Malaysia and education unity, my colleagues have shown a strong understanding of how we should lead education, recognising that one of the most important issues in nation-building is unity,” she added. She also said the focus of education must return to the fundamentals for children, giving priority to key languages – Bahasa Malaysia, English and other languages. She said the funds are intended to empower existing programmes aimed at developing Punjabi language education.

PETALING JAYA: The national professional doubles camp have been working tirelessly in preparation for the Malaysian Open, which gets under way on Tuesday at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. 1 men’s doubles player Koo Kien Keat. Kien Keat, when contacted, said he has spent the past two weeks training alongside the professional doubles players and noted several positive developments within the squad under the guidance of coach Teo Kok Siang. Kien Keat also shared his experience to help boost the confidence of the players, particularly men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who struggled to find consistency in several tournaments last year. Also competing are the mixed doubles pairs Goh Soon Huat–Shevon Lai Jemie, Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing and Wong Tien Ci–Lim Chiew Sien.

KANGAR: The Malaysian Foreign Fish Hunting Squad (SPIA) recorded a catch of about 75 tonnes of suckermouth catfish or ikan bandaraya throughout Peninsular Malaysia from the end of 2023 to last December. SPIA Malaysia founder Mohamad Haziq A. Rahman said the ikan bandaraya were caught through the integrated efforts of his party with various government agencies and skills institutions as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Haziq told reporters at the Sungai Perlis Inland Fisheries Resource Conservation Programme Bake With Love 4.0: 'Sinar Bawah Air' organised jointly with the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) Naka, Kedah in Sungai Perlis here on Saturday (Jan 3). Meanwhile, he said the organisation of the programme from 8am to 3pm was triggered by complaints from local residents regarding the dumping of foreign fish species that were affecting the Sungai Perlis ecosystem, especially ikan bandaraya. For the record, SPIA Malaysia is a community founded by anglers and land fishermen who voluntarily and actively combat ikan bandaraya, with more than 1,000 members throughout Peninsular Malaysia.- Bernama