KUALA LUMPUR: High Court judge Justice Alice Loke has begun delivering her decision in the judicial review filed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is seeking to serve the remainder of his prison sentence at home. On Monday (Dec 22) morning, Justice Loke stated: “As the existence (of the addendum order) is no longer in dispute, the production of the original document is no longer the case.”She added that the validity or otherwise of the addendum order will determine its enforceability. Najib, the former prime minister, is currently serving a six-year jail sentence for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42mil siphoned from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary. He is asking the court to verify whether an alleged addendum order - supposedly issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and granting him house arrest - is genuine. On Feb 2 last year, the Pardons Board reduced Najib’s original 12-year jail term and RM210mil fine to six years’ imprisonment and a RM50mil fine.

KUALA LUMPUR: The King and Queen of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, congratulated the Malaysian contingent on winning a total of 231 medals at the SEA Games Thailand 2025. In a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page yesterday, Their Majesties expressed pride in the fighting spirit and high level of commitment displayed by the country’s athletes throughout the Games. The King and Queen also expressed their appreciation to the National Sports Council, coaching staff, officials and all parties involved, both directly and indirectly, in ensuring the success of the national contingent. A new blueprint: The Malaysian contingent’s achievement in this year’s SEA Games serves as a catalyst for the country’s sporting excellence and an inspiration for the younger generation to continue striving for greater heights, say Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah. The SEA Games Thailand 2025, which officially concluded on Saturday, saw Malaysia finish fourth overall with a haul of 57 gold, 57 silver and 117 bronze medals, while host nation Thailand topped the medal standings with 233 gold, 154 silver and 112 bronze medals.

(Dec 22): A Chinese smelter and Antofagasta plc agreed to set fees for processing copper concentrate at a record low for 2026, after tough negotiations that reflected a market facing abundant refining capacity but tight global ore supplies. The people did not name the Chinese smelter. The global copper market has come under strain this year as a number of trends coincided. That combination has spurred expectations for a further slump in processing fees and, potentially, a breakdown of the industry’s benchmark pricing system. The fees typically account for about one-third of their incomes, according to Wood Mackenzie Ltd.Spokespeople at top Chinese smelters Jiangxi Copper Co and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group declined to comment.

More than half a million people in the country have been displaced from their homes by two weeks of deadly border clashes with neighbouring Thailand, Phnom Penh’s interior ministry said. The renewed fighting between the South-East Asian neighbours this month, including with tanks, drones and artillery, has killed at least 22 people in Thailand and 19 in Cambodia, according to officials. Around 400,000 people have been displaced in Thailand due to the reignited border conflict, Bangkok has said. Foreign ministers of Asean nations, including Cambodia and Thailand, are set to meet today in Kuala Lumpur for talks aimed at finding a diplomatic solution. China sent its special envoy for Asian affairs to Cambodia and Thailand last week, with Beijing aiming to “rebuild peace”.

KUALA LUMPUR: Gold futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are likely to trade higher this week, tracking gains in US Commodity Exchange (Comex) gold, as investors position ahead of key economic data. RHB Research said in a note last Friday that Comex gold is likely to make a renewed attempt to break above resistance at US$4,400 per troy ounce. Market attention this week will turn to the US third-quarter gross domestic product data, due tomorrow. On a week-on-week basis, the spot-month December contract edged up to US$4,331.30 per troy ounce from US$4,324.50 previously. The January 2026 contract rose to US$4,349 per troy ounce from US$4,341.40 a week earlier.

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya has saved RM800mil through the implementation of the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) programme since Sept 30, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the savings resulted from better targeting of fuel subsidies so that they are enjoyed only by Malaysians. Anwar said targeted fuel subsidies had been debated for more than 20 years by successive governments. Since the Budi95 initiative was launched on Sept 30, 16.55 million Malaysians have been approved to enjoy subsidised RON95. Average usage among private recipients stood at 98.2 litres per month in October, well below the 300-litre monthly quota.

BUTTERWORTH: Barisan Nasional will look into reintroducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) after the next general election, says coalition chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said while Barisan is willing to allow the existing Sales and Service Tax (SST) to continue for now, it intends to demand the reinstatement of GST after the 16th General Election. He added that due to constraints in Barisan’s Constitution, the inclusion of Friends of Barisan Nasional parties, also known as the coalition’s affiliate members, as core members cannot be carried out. At present, Barisan comprises four core component parties – Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) – while Friends of Barisan Nasional holds affiliate party status. Also present were Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Makkal Sakti president Datuk Seri RS Thanenthiran.

KUALA LUMPUR: Young adults, aged between 21 and 30, formed the majority of victims of telecommunications fraud from January to November this year. There were 8,789 victims from this age category. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) said in a statement shared on its Facebook page yesterday that a total of 28,698 telecommunications crime cases were reported nationwide during the period with losses amounting to RM715mil. “The 31 to 40 age group recorded the second highest number of victims, totalling 6,825, followed by those aged 41 to 50, involving 4,977 victims,” it said. Members of the public who fall victim to such crimes are advised to lodge a report with the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997, verify information through the Semak Mule portal and report the incident to the police for further action.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has to complete his imprisonment at the Kajang Prison following the High Court's decision that dismissed his judicial review on his bid to serve his sentence under house arrest. Justice Alice Loke, in her decision, said while the existence of the addendum order no longer became an issue, the order itself was not deliberated nor decided at the 61st Pardons Board meeting, held on Jan 29, 2024. ALSO READ: No discussion of house arrest order at Pardons Board meeting, says judgeShe said the addendum order did not comply with Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, and consequently became invalid. The judicial review is therefore dismissed," Justice Loke said here on Monday. The court did not make any order as to cost.

JOHOR Baru City Council (MBJB) wants to clear the city of street begging and homelessness in the countdown to Visit Johor 2026 (VJ2026) in January. Mohd Haffiz said the city council has received public complaints about the existence of street beggars and homeless folk in the city centre. An MBJB building in Jalan Kamunting, Kebun Teh, acted as a transit home, accommodating up to 50 residents at a time, he said. He added that the night flea market could attract more customers with programmes such as cultural shows, music events and street performances held at the two premises. Mohd Haffiz said MBJB would also discuss with Perbadanan Pengangkutan Awam Johor about free shuttle bus services to the new flea market site.

WITH little over a week left in the year, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has yet to table its 2026 budget, an unusual delay that has raised concerns over transparency and accountability. Civic groups and several Kuala Lumpur MPs described the delay as worrying, citing DBKL’s large budget and its direct impact on residents’ daily lives. “This raises questions about transparency and public participation,” he said, adding that DBKL’s budget was larger than even some state governments, making public engagement and disclosure even more critical. “DBKL has not been transparent enough in its budget cycle, with public involvement largely ending at the budget town hall session. After Pakatan Harapan won the 14th General Election in 2018, Kuala Lumpur lawmakers were, for the first time, allowed to provide input on DBKL’s budget.

PUTRAJAYA: The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) will not impose penalties during the first year of the Self-Assessment Stamp Duty System (STSDS) for applications submitted from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026, in efforts to ease duty payers into the new regime. It said the concession covers errors in Stamp Duty Return Form submissions, inaccurate information affecting stamp duty assessment, and offences identified under subsection 72D(2) of the Stamp Act. “The measure is intended to ease duty payers into the new system, encourage voluntary compliance and allow time to familiarise themselves with electronic self-stamping,” it said in a statement, Bernama reported.

Negri Sembilan deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm Muhammad Idzam Jaafar said preliminary investigations indicated that the victim and the main suspect were involved in an argument prior to the incident. “The conflict is believed to have stemmed from the victim allegedly asking the ­suspect for money,” he said. SAC Muhammad Idzam added that the main suspect was remanded and police were still recording his statement. “The fight was caused by financial issues and further investigations are still ongoing,” he said, Bernama reported. On Friday, SAC Muhammad Idzam said police arrested the main suspect in Genting Sempah, Pahang.

NEW YORK: President Donald Trump announced deals with nine pharmaceutical companies last Friday, the latest in a series of pacts designed to lower drug prices for some Americans in exchange for a three-year reprieve from threatened tariffs. “American drug prices will come down fast and furious, and will soon be among the lowest in the developed world,” Trump said during an event in the Oval Office. The programme is designed to cut review times from 10 to 12 months down to one or two months. In an aside, Trump also said he plans to call a meeting with insurance companies to see if they’ll lower prices, an issue he has focused on in recent days. The group welcomes “any opportunity to discuss common-sense solutions to lower costs for everyone,” AHIP CEO Mike Tuffin said in an emailed statement.

PETALING JAYA: A slew of new laws that will better protect consumers are set to come into effect next year. According to the Federal Gazette, the Online Safety Act will come into effect on Jan 1. With the amendments, the long-criticised flat rate and Rule 78 interest methods will be rep­la­ced with the reducing balance system and effective interest rate calculation. Consumer groups are looking forward to these laws but they also want the Lemon Law to be implemented. National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) senior manager Saral James Maniam said the new laws are a much-needed boost for consumer protection.