KUALA LUMPUR: The welfare of police personnel should continue to be prioritised, in line with the concerns of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Also present were Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and Yayasan Seri Negara patron Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Lazim. Dr Wan Azizah said the assistance channelled through the zakat wakalah mechanism to police personnel helped ease the financial burden of recipients, including daily expenses, children's education and basic family needs, especially in the face of rising living costs. He said each recipient received cash assistance and a food basket, while three recipients also received wheelchairs. Mohd Khalid also expressed his appreciation to Yayasan Seri Negara and PBLT Sdn Bhd for their continued commitment to caring for the welfare of police personnel, especially through zakat and social development programmes over the past three years.

ALOR SETAR: A Chinese national is feared drowned after swimming at Pantai Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, on Friday (Feb 20). Langkawi Zone 4 chief of the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department, Mohd Zamri Abd Ghani, said they received an emergency call at 8.43 pm. "The victim’s son informed the hotel, which contacted the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The agency then alerted the fire department to carry out the search and rescue operation,” he said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 21). He said Langkawi Fire and Rescue personnel, arriving 15 minutes later, assessed the scene and began searching the waters where the victim was last seen.

PETALING JAYA: Another three members of Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) have been suspended by the corporation as part of its move to strengthen its institutional integrity. "This is also part of an intensified governance reset aimed at strengthening our institutional discipline and safeguarding industry confidence," he said in a statement on Saturday (Feb 21). He said that HRD Corp's ongoing review has already identified areas requiring tighter internal controls, clearer reporting structures and enhanced compliance oversight. To this, Mohamed Shamir said corrective enhancements were being implemented to modernise HRD Corp's governance frameworks, reinforce accountability mechanisms and streamline administrative processes to better serve employers and training providers. "This reset is about strengthening our systems to ensure that we can consistently deliver on those expectations while also aligning with national growth priorities," he said.

My late grandfather, Pak Chow Seng, was a descendant of the Pak clan of Tangtou Village in Nan Hai county, Guangdong Province, China. When my cousins in Hong Kong toyed with idea of making the trip recently, my wife and I joined them. The writer (centre) with his two cousins, Tony and Patrick from Hong Kong, in front of their grandfather's house. The writer (centre) with his two cousins, Tony and Patrick from Hong Kong, in front of their grandfather's house. In the evening, our bus returned to Hong Kong through the China-Hong Kong border town of Loh Wu.

JOHOR BARU: Police are looking for the individual involved in ­selling illegal fireworks that led to a man losing a leg during Chinese New Year, says Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad. He said police have identified the type of fireworks the 32-year-old victim used in the incident. “Early investigations found that the fireworks used by the victim was not allowed to be sold in the country. Comm Ab Rahaman also warned those selling fireworks that stern action will be taken if they are found to have violated the regulations. If any of the licensed sellers are found to be selling illegal fireworks, we will revoke their licences.”Between Feb 1 and 20, the police arrested 18 people for selling illegal fireworks in Johor.

KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic on several major expressways across the country began slowing by midday on Saturday (Feb 21) amid rising vehicle numbers, with delays expected at several stretches. A spokeswoman for the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) said northbound traffic on the PLUS highway was moving slowly from Perai to Juru, from Sungai Perak (km 258.5) to the Meru Tunnel, and from Gopeng to Tapah. "Traffic is also slowing northbound from Senawang to Port Dickson,” she said when contacted on Saturday. A total of 32 smart lanes were activated along the PLUS highway today to help ease congestion. Motorists can obtain the latest traffic updates via the 24-hour hotline 1-800-88-7752, or through X accounts @plustrafik and @llmtrafik.

KUALA LUMPUR: Twelve police personnel have been temporarily suspended from active duties in connection with the theft of cryptocurrency from Chinese nationals. Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with statements being taken from those involved. The event was also attended by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Bandar Tun Razak. Mohd Khalid stressed that the police (PDRM) will take strict action against any officers involved in illegal activities. On Friday, Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar confirmed the officers' detention in connection with a cryptocurrency theft that occurred in Kajang earlier this month.

The Prime Minister said a decade is sufficient for any prime minister to implement reform agendas and key national policies before making way for new leadership. The proposal to cap the prime minister’s tenure at two terms is widely seen as part of broader institutional reform efforts to strengthen democratic practice and governance. Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman said the Bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure will be tabled for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday. Azalina said the second reading of the Prime Minister’s Office Term Limit Bill is scheduled for March 3, with the Prime Minister expected to table it. The move to limit the prime minister’s tenure was among the election pledges of the coalition government in 2022.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 21): Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki has filed a lawsuit against Bloomberg LP over an article published on Feb 10 concerning alleged share ownership, which he claims is defamatory. The suit was filed through Messrs Zain Megat & Murad at the High Court here on Friday (Feb 20), naming Bloomberg LP, headquartered at Lexington Avenue, New York, and its Malaysian subsidiary, Bloomberg (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, as the first and second defendants respectively. According to the writ of summons and statement of claim, obtained by the media on Saturday, Azam is seeking RM100 million in general damages, as well as aggravated and exemplary damages, in addition to interest and costs. He is also seeking an injunction to restrain the defendants, including their agents and employees, from publishing or republishing the words cited in the claim or any similar defamatory statements. The plaintiff further requests that the alleged defamatory content be removed within three days from the date of judgement.

If you can remember to implement them, here’s how to stop losing things. Daniel L. Schacter, a Harvard University psychology professor and author of "The Seven Sins of Memory,” said losing things is something everyone is prone to, to varying degrees. Schacter likened losing your keys to drivers who arrive at their destination safely without remembering how they got there. McDaniel said that the brain does a better job at remembering things when it receives several bits of information that can later be connected. "Saying it out loud creates a better encoding because it makes you pay attention, and the verbalization creates a richer memory,” McDaniel said.

PETALING JAYA: A road dispute allegedly escalated into a criminal intimidation case after a man was said to have acted aggressively and threatened another motorist in Cheras last year. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Rosdi Daud said police received a report from a local man on Sept 11, 2025, over the incident. ACP Mohd Rosdi said a man in his late 30s was arrested on Feb 10 to assist in investigations. He added that the incident is believed to have stemmed from a misunderstanding over traffic movement between the complainant and the suspect. The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Student Yini Azizi, 20, waited until the second day of Ramadan before using her RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid to purchase essentials. Cook Nasrul Faris, 28, said he did not need to stock up on groceries for the fasting month as he is single. He said he will use the RM100 aid to buy staples such as mine­ral water, instant noodles and bread. Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said a total of 8.1 million Malaysians have redeemed the RM100 Sara aid so far, with total expenditure reaching almost RM780mil as of Feb 13. After taking into account people’s feedback, the Finance Minis­try expanded the Sara product category to include frozen food for Sara 2.0.

BRICS — which had five founding member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has now expanded to 10 member countries and 13 partner nations. Where a euro, yen or yuan could not take on the US dollar, a BRICS currency would certainly have the potential to. The advantages and challenges of a BRICS currencyA new currency indexed on a basket of BRICS national currencies should offer numerous advantages. Accordingly, the New Development Bank, an infrastructure development bank established by BRICS, has announced the creation of a BRICS currency known as the UNIT. The yuan may have been denied its due, but the real loss is to the new BRICS currency.

PETALING JAYA: While DAP’s partners in Pakatan Harapan want the party to remain with them, pundits view the July 12 congress as a strong political message by the party. “As DAP’s strategic partner since our days in opposition, we do not seek sympathy. He said GE16 will be different as the coalition will be entering it as the side that had just served as the government. Amanah communications director Khalid Samad has reservations about DAP giving up government positions as there was no purpose in doing so. “Whatever influence we have on government policy will be further reduced and not increased by such a move.

KUALA LUMPUR: Feb 20, 1956, according to National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (pic), is more than just a date in the nation’s history. He said the moment demonstrated that independence was achieved through wise negotiations, tolerance, sacrifice and multiethnic unity, Bernama reported. Aaron said the government’s move to strengthen history education through the National Education Blueprint was timely. “With a strong grasp of history, today’s generation will be more focused, principled and grounded in national identity as they tackle current challenges and shape the nation’s future.”Aaron said the National Unity Ministry established the National Historians Council last year to pool expertise, preserve accurate historical narratives, and keep the nation’s history alive. “History is the foundation of unity, and unity is the safeguard of the nation’s future.