Taman Eko Rimba, Lata Mengkuang, Sik, Kedah, Malaysia
Two life-long friends were enjoying a few pints down at the local bar, when one said to the other: “If I ask you a question, will you promise to answer me honestly?” “Yeah, sure thing,” replied his friend, “fire away.” “Well,” said the first guy, “why do you think all the guys around here find my wife so attractive?” “It’s probably because of her speech impediment,” replied the second guy. “What do you mean her speech impediment?” inquired the first fellow. “My wife doesn’t have a speech impediment!” “Well,” replied his friend, “you must be the only guy who hasn’t noticed that she can’t say ‘NO’!!!”
A woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed way too qualified for the job. Look Miss,” said the foreman, “have you any actual experience in picking lemons?” “Well, as a matter of fact, yes!” she replied. “I’ve been divorced three times.”
If I had a star for every time my wife brightened my day, I would have had a galaxy in my hand by now!
After a nice dinner, the two couples got up from the table. The ladies went into the kitchen and the men went into the family room. One of the gents said to the other, “I think it is so wonderful how you call your wife, “honey pie” and “sweet pea”, and “sugar” all the time. The other gent said, “Well to tell you the truth, four years ago, I forget her name!”
An account executive drove his two young staff to work late one weekend for an important company project. A genie appeared and granted each one wish. The first asked to be on a yacht in Hawaii and – poof – he was gone. The second wished to be transported to a Florida beach and – poof – she was away. The account exec thought briefly about his wish and then said, “I want those two lazy bastards back here, right now!”
A fox shot and killed a 38-year-old hunter in central Yugoslavia, the official Yugoslav news agency Tanjug reported yesterday. Salih Hajdur, a farmer from the village of Gornje Hrasno in the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, went to a nearby forest on Sunday to shoot a fox, Tanjug said. Hajdur wounded a fox in the leg, the agency said, but to spare the skin he did not fire again. Instead, he hit the animal with his rifle butt. The struggling animal triggered a shot that hit Hajdur in the chest and killed him instantly, Tanjug reported. The fox died later, Tanjug added.
Guess what I am wearing?
The smile my wife gave me!
A man came home from an exhausting day at work, plopped down on the couch in front of the television, and told his wife: “Get me a beer before it starts!” The wife sighed and got him a beer. Ten minutes later, he said: “Get me another beer before it starts!” She looked cross, but fetched another beer and slammed it down next to him. He finished that beer and a few minutes later said: “Quick, get me another beer, it’s going to start any minute!” The wife was furious. “Is that all you’re going to do tonight! Drink beer and sit in front of that TV! You’re nothing but a lazy, drunken, fat slob and furthermore…” The man sighed and said: “It’s started!”
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The Supreme Council members reportedly took their stance before Muhyiddin Yassin finalised his decision to resign as PN chairman.
Several Bersatu leaders said that PAS should leave PN and make good on its desire to revive Muafakat Nasional with Umno.
PETALING JAYA: Several Bersatu Supreme Council members were of the view that PAS should quit Perikatan Nasional (PN) when objecting to Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to step down as coalition chairman.
According to a source in the party, the Bersatu president had told the Supreme Council that he was prepared to step down as PN chairman at any time.
This led to objections from several leaders who, according to the source, said that PAS should leave PN instead and realise its desire to revive Muafakat Nasional (MN) with Umno.
MN was an electoral pact forged between the two biggest Malay parties in 2019 with the main aim of uniting the Malay-Muslim vote.
“Maybe without PAS, the likes of MCA, MIC and other parties would be more comfortable joining PN.
“However, Muhyiddin said his decision to step down as PN chairman was final.”
Muhyiddin announced his resignation as PN chairman this morning, effective Jan 1, 2026.
The former prime minister had led the coalition since Aug 7, 2020, when it was officially registered.
His resignation came a day after PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden called for his party to take over the reins of PN, following the political crisis in Perlis.
He accused Bersatu, PAS’s partner in the coalition, of both weakness and betrayal in its lack of action against five assemblymen who withdrew support for PAS’s Sanglang assemblyman Shukri Ramli who resigned as menteri besar.
The Alor Setar MP said it was clear that Bersatu had either lost control of its people, or had given them its blessing.
Shukri was replaced as menteri besar by Bersatu’s Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah. - FMT
AS Madani backers rejoice cracks in the PAS-Bersatu tie-up as “another reason to celebrate year-end” while rightist UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh sees such development as an opportunity for UMNO “to rekindle friendship” with PAS, seasoned political commentator Prof James Chin has other thoughts.
The inaugural director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania is more concerned over the fact that Abu Bakar Hamzah, the newly minted Perlis Menteri Besar from Bersatu, is reigning secretary-general of the controversial Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia a.k.a. PEKIDA.
As if it is not bad enough that Bersatu is accused of stabbing its Perikatan Nasional (PN) ally PAS “on the back in broad daylight” by winning the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail’s consent in the power struggle, Chin red-flagged the Malay Muslim NGO for its alleged links to “political militancy”.
“PEKIDA is highly controversial and often viewed critically in public and academic discourse,” the Sarawak-born academician revealed in a Facebook post.
“It’s frequently described as a network linked to organised crime, gangsterism – as depicted by ‘Tiga Line’ due to its red-yellow-green logo colours – and political thuggery.”
Laying out academic evidence, Chin who is also the senior associate at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) pointed to researcher Sophie Lemiere portraying PEKIDA as “an intricate web of gangs and NGOs that provide political militancy as a business”.
It offers support which includes alleged intimidation or violence to politicians. It has strong ties to UMNO with past prime ministers like Datuk Seri Najib Razak attending its events.
Critics, including opposition figures, have labelled it an “ethno-fascist” or “Malay mafia” group involved in extortion, protection rackets and political violence.
Some members or affiliates have been associated with criminal activities though the organisation denies this and positions itself as a legitimate Malay/Muslim welfare body.
Headquartered in Sungai Petani (Kedah) with the motto “Amar Makruf Nahi Mungkar” (Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil), PEKIDA is currently helmed by Datuk Mohd Foad Mat Isa who is said to having been elected unopposed and has been holding the position for several years.
PEKIDA president Datuk Mohd Foad Mat Isa (Image credit: Ibupejabat Pekida Malaysia – Rasmi/Facebook)
Whether PAS is aware of Abu Bakar’s involvement in PEKIDA remains to be seen.
What is certain, however, is that the 57-year-old who is Perlis PN deputy chairman and the state Bersatu chief took the oath of office as the new Perlis MB on Sunday (Dec 28) following the resignation of his predecessor and Sanglang state assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli on Christmas Day due to health reasons.
Recall that on the same day. Perlis State Assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan announced extraordinary vacancies for the Chuping, Bintong, and Guar Sanji assembly seats in accordance with Clause (1)(a)(ii) of Article 50A of the Perlis State Constitution.
This follows the announcement by PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang on Dec 24 that the memberships of its three assemblymen, Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) had been terminated following their withdrawal of support for Mohd Shukri.
In the GE15, Perlis PN won 14 of the 15 state assembly seats with PAS securing nine and Bersatu five while Pakatan Harapan (PH) through PKR won one seat. – Focus Malaysia
As cryptocurrency trading gains traction in Malaysia, the country’s law enforcement bodies are seeing red over how the facilities are open to abuse by criminals.
They warn that the anonymity offered by digital asset platforms makes combating criminal activities more challenging, especially in investigating money laundering and tracing the movement of illicit gains.
“The use of this method is more difficult for authorities to detect, as it does not involve any financial service agencies registered in Malaysia that have reporting obligations to the Malaysian authorities,” said the MACC in an email to Malaysiakini.
“Furthermore, the use of cryptocurrency methods is evolving very rapidly over time, making it increasingly complex to detect and enforce regulatory action.
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“The transfer of cryptocurrency from one wallet to another can be carried out within just a few minutes, as easily as using a mobile phone.”
The MACC added that it has seen more money laundering cases involving bribes being conducted through digital asset platforms since 2020.
Law enforcement and regulatory bodies were contacted over Malaysia’s cryptocurrency regulations, as part of a global investigative journalism project led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The collaborative reporting project, called “The Coin Laundry”, published its reports last month, exposing how cryptocurrency companies have enabled a shadow economy that profits lavishly from crime.
In a recent high-profile case, MACC found a senior anti-vice police officer in Kuala Lumpur had failed to declare wealth, including cryptocurrency worth RM80,000 and over 700g of digital gold.
“We expect this trend to continue increasing in the future,” warned the agency.
It also suggested increasing the reporting responsibility for crypto platforms.
“We are of the view that there is a need to enact legislation to require cryptocurrency platforms and operators in our country to report to the authorities when there are grounds to suspect the existence of a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) or a Cash Transaction Report (CTR) on their platforms, in a manner similar to the practice adopted by Bank Negara Malaysia for conventional financial transactions.”
Struggling with growing crypto fraud
The Securities Commission (SC) in its 2023 Annual Report said it observed a new modus operandi: “The use of e-wallet and cryptocurrency as the mode of payment involving investment scams, as compared to mule bank accounts which were used previously.”
This may be designed to avoid easy detection and intervention by enforcement agencies, it said.
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Similarly, the federal police have also seen an uptick in criminal cases involving cryptocurrency transactions, especially related to scams.
Statistics compiled by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) revealed a significant increase in scam cases involving cryptocurrency between 2023 and October 2025, involving losses of over RM375 million.
Bukit Aman police headquarters
During the same period, the department also recorded eight other cases of face-to-face scams that involved cryptocurrency transactions where victims sustained over RM32.5 million in losses.
Its director, Rusdi Isa, said cryptocurrency is posing a huge challenge to investigators due to four factors:
Cryptocurrency transactions are pseudonymous in nature, where only wallet codes are shown, not the owner’s identity.
Transactions do not pass through local financial institutions.
Criminals commonly use overseas and unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange platforms.
Differences in data protection laws and jurisdictional issues make it difficult to identify the true owners of crypto wallets and to trace cross-border financial flows.
“These factors caused difficulties for authorities to identify users because cryptocurrency platforms that are based overseas are not subject to local laws, and some refuse to cooperate.
“The decentralised nature of cryptocurrencies is also making it difficult to trace transaction chains, while rapid cross-border fund transfers enable criminals to conceal the flow of money more easily,” Rusdi said.
While existing laws, such as the Penal Code, provide police with legal capabilities to deal with crypto-related crimes such as cheating, criminal breach of trust, money laundering, and terrorism financing, he stressed that the provisions need to be updated and strengthened.
Digital asset laws need updates
Cryptocurrency is not recognised as legal tender in Malaysia, but it is legal to own and trade through digital asset exchanges (DAX) that are approved by the SC.
An amendment to the Capital Markets and Services Act in 2019 has prescribed digital currency and digital tokens as securities, empowering the statutory body to regulate their markets. As of Dec 3, 2025, the SC has registered only six market operators for DAX in Malaysia.
Securities Commission
However, while licensed operators have to undergo stringent checks, unregistered cryptocurrency platforms are still accessible and pose risks, especially in relation to scams, according to the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC).
“Among the main issues identified is the anonymous and difficult-to-trace nature of blockchain technology, which in turn makes it easier for scammers to abscond with money without leaving a clear trail.
“In addition, the existence of unregistered crypto platforms that serve as mediums for fraud without strict supervision by the authorities further increases the risk.
“Cyber regulations and security laws related to crypto transactions also still require comprehensive updates so that they are clearer, more effective, and more relevant in efforts to trace illegal transactions and related data purchases,” said NFCC, which is the central body in charge of coordinating operations with law enforcement agencies over financial crimes.
According to the centre, the SC is in the process of introducing a slew of amendments to existing laws to ensure they stay relevant with technological advancements.
They include laws allowing the recording of statements via video calls, laws to allow the seizure and gaining of access to computers, programmes, data, records, or accounts, as well as to request passwords or decryption codes to interpret data.
“It is also proposing to amend the relevant laws to increase punishment penalties to commensurate with the seriousness of crimes involving digital assets,” NFCC added. - Mkini
