KOTA KINABALU: Tawau became the latest district in Sabah to be declared a flood disaster zone, with 245 displaced victims from 55 families. This follows gradual flooding resulting from rainfall that hit parts of the district starting late Saturday (Feb 21). Pitas recorded the most displaced victims (2,210 people, 1,054 households), followed by Kota Marudu (1,929 victims, 781 families) and Paitan (847 people, 270 families). A total of 80 relief centres remain operational to house flood victims. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud and Sugut assemblyman Datuk James Ratib are among the leaders monitoring the situation on the ground.

PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested a 22-year-old man believed to be involved in a series of vehicle break-ins around MRT stations in Kuala Lumpur, closing six such cases. Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Basri Sagoni said the suspect was detained at about 8.30pm in the Damansara area here on Saturday (Feb 21). He said the arrest followed a police report lodged by a 31-year-old woman at about 1pm on Tuesday (Feb 17). Checks revealed the suspect has six previous criminal offences and one drug offence on his record. "Investigations found that the suspect targeted parking areas at MRT stations and secluded locations, using ceramic fragments from a spark plug to shatter car windows before fleeing with valuables," ACP Basri said.

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating an individual believed to have uploaded threatening, insulting and grossly offensive content against the Terengganu royal family via his X account. MCMC said the content touched on sensitivities surrounding the 3R elements of race, religion and royalty, while containing insults and threats that could potentially incite hatred, public tension and disrupt national harmony. MCMC stressed that it would not compromise on any misuse of social media involving threats, incitement of hatred or insults against the Royal Institution. It added that firm enforcement action would be taken in such cases regardless of the background of those involved. It also reminded the public not to misuse digital platforms to disseminate unlawful content.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police are hunting down three suspects believed to have hypnotised and cheated a retired civil servant, causing the 70-year-old woman to lose jewellery worth about RM10,000 at a shopping centre. “The suspects claimed they possessed a lottery ticket worth RM300,000 and sought the victim’s help to redeem it on the grounds that they did not have identification cards. However, he said the suspects demanded a RM30,000 deposit from the victim as a guarantee that she would not abscond while cashing the cheque. “As she did not have cash, the victim handed over a gold necklace and bracelet worth about RM10,000 as collateral to the suspects. “The victim was then taken to the Ampang Point Maybank branch to cash the cheque but once she was dropped off from the car, all the suspects fled,” he said.

PETALING JAYA: World junior silver medallist Low Zi Yu (pic) is hoping to earn her debut with the national women’s squad for the Uber Cup in Horsens, Denmark, in April. For the 16 year old, featuring in the prestigious women’s world team championship has long been a dream and she is determined not to let the opportunity slip should the coaching panel place their faith in her. Zi Yu and Noraqilah stunned Wang Tingge and Luo Yi 21-13, 21-18 in a spirited display. I now know how to adjust my own game,” said Zi Yu. Zi Yu is currently ranked world No.

KOTA KINABALU: Threats against the protected pangolin, including poaching, have reduced in Sabah, but it doesn’t mean these species are safe now. Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director Prof. Dr Benoît Goossens said that while the cases reported and recorded have reduced, poaching of pangolins was still ongoing. He said the creation of the Sabah Forestry Department’s Protect unit and the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Rapid Response Teams, funded by Yayasan Sime Darby, has also contributed to this improvement. “The setting up of an intelligence unit at Sabah Wildlife Department, with support from DGFC and funding from the United States Department of State have played important roles too,” added Goossens. The public is urged to report incidents of wildlife trade or poaching if they know or see such activities to the Sabah Wildlife Department immediately.

DON’T you miss the days when two heavyweights – Barisan Nasional led by its chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pakatan Rakyat/Pakatan Harapan led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim/Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad traded – hammer blows? Think back to Bersih V in November 2016.

(Feb 22): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the idea of immigration cuts or tighter border checks, even as electoral polls show a surge in support for the country’s hard-right One Nation Party. p>“We have tight checks,” Labor leader Albanese said in an interview with Sky News aired on Sunday, when asked if he planned to harden restrictions or take fewer immigrants from certain nations. The figures represent a growing backlash against immigration, an issue One Nation and its leader, Senator Pauline Hanson, have campaigned against for decades. A federal election in Australia is due before May 2028. One Nation’s surge mirrors the rise of the populist right in the US, the UK and Europe, as voters turn away from the traditional post-World War II parties that have formed governments.

Top Perikatan component leaders, including PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau, are expected to attend the extraordinary supreme council meeting at 3pm. The post of Opposition Leader is up for the taking after Muhyiddin announced his resignation as Perikatan chairman on Dec 30 last year. On Feb 13, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said in a statement that the party’s supreme council had been informed that the disciplinary board decided to expel its former deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin under Clause 22.5 of the Bersatu’s constitution. Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the meeting comes at a critical juncture following internal crisis and shifting dynamics in the opposition leadership. “This is not merely a routine coordination session, but a test of coalition cohesion and future direction.”He added that three key issues are likely to dominate the meeting; leadership clarity within Perikatan, PAS’ positioning and electoral strategy.

YONG PENG: MCA will not close its doors on former Bersatu affiliate wing members who have exited the party following its ongoing internal crisis, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA president said his party would not, however, reach out to “pull them in” but maintains that it is ready to work with the ex-Bersatu members for a common struggle. “Actually, many of the (ex-Bersatu associate wing) members are former MCA members. On Feb 13, Bersatu sacked 17 members, including several supreme council members and its deputy president, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. Meanwhile, Dr Wee said discussions on seat allocation have not been held yet despite speculation that the upcoming Johor state election is drawing near.

He adjusts his working hours during the fasting month even though it could lead to a slight dip in his income. During Ramadan, orders come in quickly between 4pm and 8pm, so I make sure I am ready at that time,” he said. “During fasting, I work as usual, but I will take five to 10 minutes to break fast before continuing throughout the night. Other Muslim workers are also balan­cing professional duties with their fast. It becomes more tiring during day shifts while we fast.

PETALING JAYA: The judiciary is planning to implement the Special Corruption High Court in every state nationwide in future, says the Chief Justice. ALSO READ : CJ: Dedicated court model works“Once the High Court level proves successful in disposing cases efficiently, we will explore implementing it nationwide. On the experience of the High Court judge handling the special court set up in Kuala Lumpur starting April 1, the top judge said the placement of a High Court Judge in Peninsular Malaysia was the prerogative of the Chief Judge of Malaya. “At our level (as judges), we have to try our best, taking into account that justice delayed is justice denied.”On Jan 20, the Federal Court’s Chief Registrar’s Office announ­ced that the judiciary had set up a Special Corruption High Court to hear corruption cases and appeals from the Special Corruption Sessions Courts. His Majesty had stressed the need for experienced judges and a dedicated pathway to ensure corruption cases are resolved quickly.

PETALING JAYA: For some Malaysians, Ramadan this year is not just about fasting and preparation for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it is also about making hard financial choices. Former private sector employee Muhammad Zikry Marzuki, 27, said he never imagined having to rely on his retirement savings at such a young age. Still single and not one for extravagant spending, he decided to withdraw a small amount to cope with rising costs. “Even simple things like meat and chicken for the coming Hari Raya are expensive now. However, not everyone is willing to touch their EPF savings.

In buying HBO and Warner Bros, Netflix would acquire one of the largest studios as well as a major competitor in streaming. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the DOJ’s review includes Netflix’s business practices and whether the deal would give the streaming giant monopoly power in the future. Warner Bros declined to comment. Warner Bros has given Paramount a deadline of Feb 23 to submit its “best and final” offer. Paramount, which launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros last year, has repeatedly claimed that Netflix’s offer will never pass regulatory scrutiny in the US or Europe.

The man who intervened, Deepak Kumar, did not carry a banner or a manifesto. A video recording of the incident that had gone viral showed Deepak confronting the Bajrang Dal activists with the question: “Are Muslims not citizens of India?” before introducing himself with the combined Hindu and Muslim names. However, a few days later, they returned with more than 150 Bajrang Dal supporters, this time to protest outside Deepak’s gym. More than 150 supporters of Hindu far right group Bajrang Dal protesting outside Deepak's gym. As he had told BBC Hindi, “By identifying myself as Mohammad Deepak, I wanted to tell them that I’m an Indian.