GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) has activated the Sungai Muda Contingency Plan 2026 (SMCP2026) following a critical drop in the levels of key dams in Kedah that serve as Penang’s primary raw water resource. He said that last year, PBAPP abstracted an average of 1,000 million litres per day (MLD) of raw water from the river to produce roughly 85.5% of the treated water supplied across the state. He cautioned that the corporation foresees the dam being unable to release significant volumes of raw water into the Sungai Muda system soon, possibly as early as March. The contingency plan involves maximising raw water abstraction from Sungai Muda while river levels allow it, and utilising strategic drawdowns from the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD), which currently sits at a healthy 91.5% capacity. Additionally, PBAPP will continue its Double Dam Defence programme to ensure that the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams do not run dry.

The Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, which involves multiple US government agencies, was formally launched last month with the goal of mapping out networks of drug cartel members on both sides of the US-Mexico border, US officials said. The official stressed the raid itself was a Mexican military operation. The former official added El Mencho was very high, if not at the top, of a list of US targets in Mexico. Mexican authorities killed drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as 'El Mencho', during an operation designed to capture him in the western state of Jalisco. US mapping out cartelsThere is little information publicly available about the US Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel, or JITF-CC.

KUALA LUMPUR: An American expatriate was cheated out of over half a million ringgit after being duped by an online investment scheme. According to the victim, he joined an investment scheme through the 'Moo Moo Chat' application. There, he chatted with a female suspect via WhatsApp to discuss the investment on Nov 26, 2025. "The complainant made transactions in stages into eleven different bank accounts, totaling RM664,278.00," he said. However, the victim was unable to retrieve his "profits" when he attempted to do so on Jan 30.

PORT DICKSON: A 21-year-old Myanmar national was charged at the Magistrate's Court here with the murder of his compatriot, who was found dead with 29 stab wounds. No plea was recorded from Maung Thuka Nyita after he was charged before Magistrate Mohd Farez Rahman on Monday (Feb 23), as the matter is under the purview of the High Court. Maung Thuka was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder which carries the death sentence, or between 30 and 40 years' jail and caning, upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali told the court the prosecution was not offering bail. Magistrate Mohd Farez agreed and fixed March 31 for next mention.

They are in temporary housing and authorities have yet to unveil plans for long-term resettlement after carrying out a survey of their preferences. Now they are separated into two temporary housing units on separate floors, each around 9.2sqm. — APChow still regularly returns to Tai Po for church and grocery shopping, despite the hour-long journey. Chan gazing out of a window at her temporary housing unit at a youth hostel. Isaac Tam poses for a photograph at his newly renovated temporary housing unit.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) recorded RM78.95 billion in realised investments and created more than 23,000 job opportunities in 2025, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In a post on X, he said the achievement was reported at the 35th Northern Corridor Implementation Authority meeting which he chaired today. In addition, last year NCER successfully produced 4,000 local talents who meet the investor and industry requirements through the NCER Technology Innovation Centre (NTIC) programme. The Prime Minister said the meeting also discussed plans for 2026 and the coming years focusing on strengthening its role in accelerating the realisation of high-quality investments in the northern region. "These include several potential investments related to Kedah Rubber City (KRC) and the Chuping Valley Industrial Area (CVIA) in Perlis,” he said.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will charge a Terengganu executive councillor in court Tuesday (Feb 24). In a notice Monday (Feb 23), the MACC confirmed that the exco member will be charged on Tuesday at the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court. Previously, an exco member was detained by graft busters for allegedly abusing his position to secure jobs for his two children in state-linked companies. Sources said the man, in his 60s, was detained at about 11.15am on Sunday (Feb 22) when he turned up to give his statement at the MACC office in Kemaman, Terengganu. Terengganu MACC director Hazrul Shazreen Abd Yazid confirmed the arrest when contacted at the time.

6 men’s doubles player Man Wei Chong’s preparation for the world’s oldest badminton tournament, the All-England from March 3-8, has been disrupted by a right knee injury. It is a gamble as Wei Chong revealed that the medical team had actually advised him to take a longer break, including skipping the All-England. Last year, Wei Chong-Kai Wun suffered a first round exit at the hands of China’s He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu. "This injury is on my right knee, and I had previously injured the same leg. The draw for this year’s All England will only be known on Tuesday (Feb 24), with Malaysia fielding eight men’s doubles pairs, including Wei Chong-Kai Wun.

KLUANG: A 54-year-old man died after collapsing while hiking at Gunung Lambak here on Monday (Feb 23). He said the victim, identified as Loh Yeong Keong, had begun the hike at around 11am with his 53-year-old sister-in-law. “He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel,” he said in a statement. The victim’s body was sent to the forensic unit at Hospital Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom, with a post-mortem scheduled for 8am on Tuesday to determine the cause of death. “Health Ministry personnel provided initial treatment before he was pronounced dead.

KUALA LUMPUR: Teresa Kok’s car was broken into while she was jogging at Bukit Kiara, with her handbag stolen in the incident. In a Facebook post on Monday (Feb 23), the Seputeh MP said she discovered the break-in when she returned to her car at about 7pm on Sunday. Kok added that she lodged a police report at the TTDI police station shortly afterwards. She said forensic officers later arrived to photograph the vehicle and lift fingerprints, and she only left the station at around 9.30pm. "Three fingerprints were found on the car and have been sent to Bukit Aman for analysis and identification," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Businessman Datuk Ranjeet Singh Sidhu pleaded not guilty on Monday (Feb 23) at the Sessions Court here to a charge of offering an RM8mil bribe to the former president of a bank 14 years ago. The 56-year-old is accused of providing a bribe to the former president and managing director of the bank through an intermediary, as an inducement to approve a RM400mil loan application by V Telecoms Bhd. The loan was intended to finance the development of a coastal fibre optic network covering the entirety of Peninsular Malaysia. The offence is alleged to have occurred at a bank on Jalan Sultan Ismail, here, on June 29, 2012. Judge Rosli Ahmad granted bail of RM150,000 with one surety, imposing the additional conditions as requested by the prosecution, and fixed March 30 for the next case mention.

BUKIT JALIL: No charges will be imposed on professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia should he wish to seek treatment at the National Sport Institute (NSI). Typically, BAM players enjoy free treatment at the NSI, while professional players bear their own medical expenses as they operate independently. "We are aware that Zii Jia and his team are not under BAM, so they are a separate entity. The NSI have also opened their doors to Zii Jia for any assistance required, including the use of gym facilities to help him regain peak condition. Zii Jia, who struggled with injury issues last year, sparked concern after withdrawing from this week’s German Open.

(Feb 23): President Donald Trump threatened higher tariffs on goods from countries that “play games” with their existing US trade agreements following the Supreme Court’s decision quashing his global duties. The European Union on Monday froze the ratification process for its agreement with the Trump administration. Officials in the European Parliament said they want to seek clarity on Trump’s tariff program before moving forward. But after the court’s decision, he has less flexibility to do so. “As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs,” Trump wrote in a subsequent post.

(Feb 23): The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Inc said they will be operating their markets as normal on Monday as a winter storm sweeps through the New York area. The two largest US stock exchange operators said they don’t expect any changes to Monday’s market open despite blizzard conditions that have caused travel restrictions interrupting businesses across the East Coast. We expect normal operation,” Nasdaq said in an emailed statement. NYSE, which is owned by Intercontinental Exchange Inc, also said it will be operating normally. Normal US market hours are from 9.30am to 4pm in New York.

(Feb 23): A UK government proposal to remove King Charles III’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from the line of succession to the monarchy gained momentum as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed the plan. “In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession,” Albanese wrote in a letter to UK premier Keir Starmer released by Downing Street on Monday morning. The former prince was arrested last week following revelations contained in emails with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein released by the US Department of Justice. While he was always unlikely to become king, Mountbatten-Windsor is still eighth in line to the throne. King Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining titles — including “prince” — in September.