JOHOR BAHRU (Feb 21): The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) will implement improvements to the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) asset procurement system following a freeze on procurement funds. Exempted items include food supplies for personnel on operations, as well as essential logistics such as vehicle fuel and spare parts. On Jan 16, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed that all MAF and Royal Malaysian Police procurement decisions linked to corruption issues be temporarily frozen until procurement procedures are fully complied with. The freeze followed controversy involving alleged corruption and abuse of power by several former top leaders of the armed forces. Read also:Defence ministry engages MOF over frozen Malaysian Armed Forces procurement funds

I RECENTLY reported on Kepong and Segambut residents who are objecting to the implementation of parking fees by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in their respective areas. Frankly, I was surprised by this because I generally expect to pay to park in lots managed either by local councils or private entities.

SHAH ALAM: Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli will proceed with his lawsuit against rapper and influencer Caprice after the latter ignored several days given to him to apologise. The Pandan MP said that content uploaded by Caprice accused him of having an interest in his company, Invoke Solutions Sdn Bhd, reported Sinar Harian. "According to the law, questions posed in the form of accusations or sarcasm are not grounds that can protect you from being sued for defamation." Commenting further, Rafizi said that all the documents, including the 2019 Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) search that Caprice allegedly presented as evidence, gave him strong grounds to win the suit. "When Caprice says he has shares in Invoke, that can actually be grounds for a lawsuit because 'preference shares' are not ordinary shares, but are instead a form of loan."

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 21): Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has announced a Public Inspection exercise to gather feedback on the Revised Railway Scheme for the LRT Mutiara Line extension linking Penang Island and Seberang Perai. The Revised Railway Scheme incorporates several updates to the project scope, most notably the inclusion of a cross-sea rail connection linking Penang Island and Seberang Perai. Spanning approximately 6km, this cross-sea alignment connects Komtar and Penang Sentral, with the end-to-end journey expected to take about eight minutes. MRT Corp said Penang Sentral will serve as the main gateway on the mainland, strengthening mobility access as an established multimodal hub integrating ferry, KTMB rail, and bus services. “As part of the revised scheme, there will also be a provision of approximately 1,000 additional parking bays at Penang Sentral.

JOHOR BARU: Known as the “go-to” place for local delicacies, Sedap Corner has attracted people from all over – including VIPs seeking traditional favourites when in Johor. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was with his family for a short vacation to Johor at the beginning of the month, dropped by the shop. Patrons were pleasantly surprised to see Anwar and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail walk in, and many took the opportunity to greet and pose for snapshots with them. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail together with Sedap Corner managing director Alisa Lamlertkittikul (forth from left) and other staff members of the restaurant in Johor Baru. Sedap Corner managing director Alisa Lamlertkittikul showing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim their many verities of kuih at their restaurant in Johor Baru.

The housing and local government committee chairman said no licences were issued to foreign traders for these bazaars and warned that enforcement action would be taken against any violators. “I have instructed all local councils to take stern action if foreigners are found operating stalls at these bazaars. “We recorded more than 10 such cases last year involving three local council areas, where foreign traders operated among local traders and sold goods at much lower prices,” he told reporters after opening Kip Mall Tampoi in Johor Baru. “If we don’t control this, it will hurt local traders. “Of the total, 205 locations are for Ramadan bazaars with 12,277 lots, while 19 locations are designated for Aidilfitri bazaars involving 1,299 lots,” he added.

AUTOMOTIVE workshops in Selangor are being directed to relocate from residential areas to designated light industrial zones. “New applications will only be approved if the businesses are located in light industrial areas,” he told StarMetro. “One solution is to centralise workshops in light industrial zones, where layouts can be properly planned for tools, work areas and storage,” Ng added. Meanwhile, Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) deputy mayor Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali said the Subang Jaya Draft Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1) stipulated that vehicle workshops could only be approved in industrial areas. “MBSJ Enforcement Department has also issued 379 notices for workshops to relocate in the Subang Jaya area,” he said.

He claimed schools are now on the front lines of a growing crisis involving synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine or syabu. “Regular use can cause severe brain damage and mental health disorders in as little as a year. Raja Azizan warned that the ease of using synthetic drugs today is making the problem far more dangerous than before. 'CLICK TO ENLARGE'“We cannot afford to wait until these children, who are our future leaders, end up in rehabilitation centres or suffer permanent mental health conditions. He added that drug syndicates are aggressively pushing synthetic drugs because of the lucrative returns.

KUALA LUMPUR: Students as young as 13 have fallen into the trap of synthetic drugs, with cases of abuse among school-going youths showing a sharp increase over the past five years. National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) data revealed that 54,791 children in primary and secondary schools were detected for synthetic drug abuse and addiction in 2020. “However, for synthetic drug addiction, treatment relies heavily on intensive psychosocial therapy. Another major challenge is the intensity of psychological addiction associated with synthetic drugs, he said. In contrast, Ruslin said synthetic drug treatment centres focus more on managing behavioural and mental health complications from the outset.

ALOR SETAR: The body of a Chinese national man who was feared drowned while swimming at Tanjung Rhu Beach, Langkawi, on Friday was found on Saturday morning (Feb 21). Langkawi police chief ACP Khairul Azhar Nuruddin said the body of Mingfei Lan, 48, from Shanghai, China, was found by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force at about 9.45am. According to him, the victim, who was holidaying with his wife and son, was said to have gone alone towards Pulau Cabang to swim at about 5.30 pm. He said the search operation, which resumed this morning, found the victim lying face down in the water near Pulau Cabang, about 50m from where the victim was last seen before disappearing. "The body has been sent to the Sultanah Maliha Hospital, Langkawi, for a post-mortem, and the case has been classified as sudden death (SDR)," he said.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency has seized animal-based products worth RM1.9mil that were brought into the country without valid import permits from the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (Maqis). Its Port Klang commander, Deputy Comm Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal, said the seizure, which involved seven containers carrying 159,157.93kg of goods, was made during an operation at the CFS 4 Container Inspection Centre in Westport, Port Klang, between 11am and 2pm on Friday (Feb 20). “The total value of the confiscated goods is estimated at RM1,917,292.54.”“The containers were found to be carrying animal-based products without valid Maqis import permits. Such violations pose a risk of transmitting animal diseases and may compromise food safety as well as public health,” he said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 21). The seized items included UHT milk from New Zealand valued at RM136,820.96, frozen duck from Ireland valued at RM964,989.13, and milk powder from New Zealand valued at RM815,482.45.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is closely monitoring recent legal and policy developments in the United States following a Supreme Court decision to strike down the administration’s global tariffs, says Datuk Seri Johari Ghani. He noted that, based on earlier US statements, Washington still has other legal avenues to impose trade measures, including unilateral tariffs. “Malaysia is also studying the scope and impact of a recently announced temporary 10% tariff by US President Donald Trump,” he said. Johari stressed that the United States remains one of Malaysia’s most important trading partners. In 2025, total bilateral trade reached about RM367bil, with Malaysian exports to the United States amounting to RM233bil.

The frequency of prostate cancer is rising rapidly and is expected to double within the next 10 to 15 years. Unlike many other cancers, prostate cancer cannot be prevented by lifestyle modifications alone, nor can it be significantly reduced through conventional public health measures. Every clinically significant prostate cancer has the potential to cause harm, and every cancer begins as a small lesion before growing into a life-threatening disease. Better diagnostic toolsThe management of localised prostate cancer has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Traditional treatmentsHistorically, the two main treatments for localised prostate cancer were radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) and radiotherapy (radiation directed at the prostate).

KOTA KINABALU: The number of flood victims in Sabah rose to 3,685 people from 1,593 families as of 8am on Saturday (Feb 21), up from 406 people from 124 families from Friday afternoon. The Sabah State Disaster Management Committee said 18 temporary relief centres are now open across the affected districts, namely Pitas (30 villages affected), Kota Marudu (12 villages) and Paitan (five villages). According to the Civil Defence Department, Kota Marudu has the most evacuees at 1,978, followed by Pitas with 1,515 and Paitan with 192, as of 8am on Saturday. The numbers in Kota Marudu and Paitan continued to rise, and power disruptions were confirmed in the flood-affected areas. The Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasts morning rain in inland Sabah, with possible thunderstorms later in the day.

KUALA PILAH: An elderly woman was stabbed by her daughter in an incident in Kampung Segineh, Inas, Johol here on Friday (Feb 20). The victim, who is in her 80s, is believed to have been stabbed in the neck with a can opener, reported Sinar Harian. Kuala Pilah District Police Chief Superintendent Muhamad Mustafah Hussin said the police received information about the incident from the public at 7.08pm. "The public reported that a fight had occurred at the location. "Investigations revealed that the suspect stabbed her own mother in the neck using a sharp object believed to be a can opener," he said in a statement on Friday.