Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said checks found that the original video showed New Year celebrations in Bukit Bintang in 2022 and had been edited using artificial intelligence (AI).- BERNAMA PIC
KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities have dismissed claims that Bangladeshis recently gathered in Bukit Bintang.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said checks found that the original video showed New Year celebrations in Bukit Bintang in 2022 and had been edited using artificial intelligence (AI).
"The video is old footage showing the Selangor Foundation Building, which is old and worn. The issue being chanted about in the video was the Comilla issue in Bangladesh in 2022," he said in a statement.
Fadil also said no gatherings involving Bangladeshi citizens or any other groups had been recorded in Bukit Bintang from January to October this year.
A short video circulated on social media over the past few days, claiming that a group of Bangladeshis had gathered in the capital to demand self-administrative powers for the Comilla region. — BERNAMA
Selangor Amanah communications director Abbas Azmi says politicians who fail to appreciate Malaysia’s multicultural society should not be appointed to administrative roles.
Abbas Azmi of Selangor Amanah said the controversial remarks by Umno’s Noorazli Said should not be taken lightly.
PETALING JAYA: An Amanah leader has called on menteri besar Amirudin Shari to replace Umno’s Noorazli Said as the Dengkil constituency coordinator after Noorazli was charged in court with allegedly wounding religious feelings.
Abbas Azmi of Selangor Amanah said politicians who fail to appreciate Malaysia’s multicultural society should not be appointed to administrative roles.
“Noorazli’s speech should not be taken lightly as it touches on cultural sensitivities,” Abbas told FMT, referring to a controversial “joke” involving Catholic clergy that Noorazli made at the Umno general assembly in September.
“If we do not curb such behaviour, it will cause unease among the country’s multiracial and multi-religious communities.”
Abbas, who is Selangor Amanah’s communications director, said he conveyed his views to Amirudin and was confident the menteri besar would act to preserve harmony and unity in the state.
Call to review Umno ties
Noorazli, the Sepang Umno chief, sparked controversy with a lewd remark involving a Catholic priest and a nun and a punchline that he attributed to Psalm 129 in the Bible, although no such passage exists.
Noorazli subsequently apologised after being charged earlier this month with wounding the religious feelings of Christians, and he has since claimed trial.
Abbas, who is also the Seri Serdang assemblyman, called on Pakatan Harapan to review its ties with Umno and Barisan Nasional following a string of controversies involving their leaders at the national level.
Apart from Noorazli’s remarks, he cited controversies involving Felda and Tabung Haji, as well as the constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan.
“The Malays cannot accept what has happened,” he said. - FMT
Several areas in the Klang Valley were also affected by flash floods after a thunderstorm.
Flood victims being helped by a fire and rescue team to seek shelter at a mosque in Kubang Semang, Penang, tonight. (JPBM pic)
PETALING JAYA: Floods in two separate districts in Perak and Penang have forced about 80 victims to seek shelter at relief centres.
About 56 flood victims from the Larut, Matang and Selama district in Perak were evacuated to five temporary relief centres, Bernama reported.
In Penang, eight homes in Kubang Semang, Permatang Pauh were hit by floods , with waters reaching knee-level, according to the Penang fire and rescue department.
Police evacuated 24 victims from eight families to the temporary shelter in Penanti.
However, the department said the water level in the affected area is receding.
Earlier today, several areas in the Klang Valley were also hit by flash floods after a storm. The affected areas were Shah Alam, USJ 1, USJ 7, Sunway, Ara Damansara, Summit and the vicinity of Subang airport. - FMT
The national junior women's doubles pair captured their maiden world title by defeating a Japanese pair.
Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim became the first Malaysian champions in the girls’ doubles event since its introduction in 1992. (BAM Facebook pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: National junior women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim captured their maiden girls’ doubles title at the 2026 world junior badminton championships in Cairo, Egypt, today, ending Malaysia’s 34-year wait for the title.
In the final match at the Cairo International Stadium, the second-seeded pair defeated Japan’s Nijika Kamata-Shizuku Kashio 15-7, 9-15, 15-12 to make history for Malaysia in the event.
The triumph sees Zi Yu-Genevie crowned as the first-ever Malaysian champions in the girls’ doubles event since its introduction in 1992, which has long been dominated by Chinese representatives.
Zi Yu-Genevie advanced to the final after defeating China’s Shi Si Chen-Xiang Yu Jin in straight games of 15-9, 15-11 yesterday, taking only 32 minutes to overcome the 15th-seeded pair. - FMT
Finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said former students should give generously, and also extend their contributions beyond financial assistance.
Finance minister Amir Hamzah Azizan, a former student of St John’s Institution, said ‘the Johannian spirit has never left me’. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Former students of public schools have been urged to make use of a new tax relief for contributions towards a fund for helping schools.
Finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan, speaking at a St John’s Institution alumni dinner, said the 2027 federal budget provided a tax deduction of up to 10% of aggregate income for contributions towards the Tabung Sumbangan Wang Awam Sekolah.
The fund supports school operations, facility repairs, equipment purchases and student programmes.
Amir urged former students to give generously, and also extend their contributions beyond financial assistance. Alumni associations could help the younger generation to benefit from the learning process that had shaped their values and character.
“Most of us have been blessed with the privilege of being in school. Most of us have picked up the ethos that has made us different. What we want now is to embed the same ethos, same opportunity and the same privilege to the future generations that come,” he said.
“Four decades ago, I may have left St John’s, but the reality is that the Johannian spirit has never left me. The bonds and friendship we have built over the years continue to be in our hearts and minds,” he said. - FMT
SARAWAK’S determination to transform its economy into a sustainable and circular model was evident when its city councils, a department and a secondary school were recognised for their leaderships at the recent Second Green and Geopark Excellence Awards (GAGA 2026) hosted by the state.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian singled out that sustainability was one of the three pillars in reviving the economy following the lean years due to the pandemic.
Besides sustainability, the state also places great importance on prosperity and social inclusivity policies.
Leading the way, was the state forest department who was instrumental in gaining the UNESCO global geopark status for the Sarawak Delta.
Covering both inland and coastal areas of Malaysia’s biggest state, the delta area encompasses 3,112 sq km in western Sarawak
It spans across the state capital of Kuching to Bau, Padawan and Siburan with strong ecosystems for sustainability and becoming one with mother nature instead of just logging in the forest area.
The department’s director Datuk Hamden Mohammad was honoured for his leadership in advancing Sarawak’s first UNESCO global geopark.
Forest Department Sarawak director Datuk Hamden Mohammad (right) receiving the Sustainable Forest Stewardship Award from Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian (middle)
He was bestowed the leadership award at GAGA 2026 in Kuching while the department won four awards at last year’s GAGA held in Langkawi.
The UNESCO recognition for leadership was given for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and the protection of Sarawak’s natural heritage under Hamden’s watch.
Sarawak Delta was the fourth site in Malaysia to attain the global geopark status after Langkawi (Kedah), Kinabalu (Sabah) and Lenggong (Perak).
Reflecting on his GAGA 2026 recognition, Hamden described the award as a personal achievement given Sarawak is trying to pivot from its reliance on logging activities.
Instead, the state is now entering the phase of re-growing its huge hardwood species and offering eco-tourism products within the enclave of the Sarawak Delta.
“The Sarawak Delta Geopark journey has been close to my heart and I feel privileged to have played a part in this collective effort,” enthused Hamden.
The department has strengthened sustainable forest management through certification, timber legality and traceability while adopting Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote monitoring and other digital technologies to improve forest surveillance.
This translates to prevent illegal logging and regrowing of trees.
By end-2023, 24 natural forest management units covering approximately 1.94 million hectares and seven forest plantation management units covering nearly 98,000 hectares had obtained certification under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS).
The department has also expanded its focus to forest carbon management, recognising the value of forests not only for timber production but also for carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection and climate resilience.
Cultivating environmental love from young
Meanwhile, 512km away is the SMK Lutong secondary school in Miri which won the GAGA 2026 green school award for nurturing young environmental champions
With nearly 700,000 aluminium cans collected over close to a decade, the Miri school demonstrates how recycling initiatives can inspire lasting change beyond the classroom.
Accepting the award on behalf of the school, principal Wong Kung Kui explained that at the heart of its achievements is the “1 Student, 1 Can, 1 Week” campaign which collected an impressive 690,324 aluminium cans between 2017 and December 2025 through consistent student participation.
SMK Lutong’s principal Wong Kung Kui (second from right) receives the Outstanding Green School & Circular Economy Education Excellence Award from Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian (second from left)
The initiative forms part of SMK Lutong’s “LUGOSS Go Green School” programme which was introduced in 2017 to make sustainability part of everyday school life.
The school, according to Wong, introduced a merit points system, annual cash prizes for the classes collecting the most recyclables and an Environmental Icon Award to sustain participation of its pupils.
Pupils earned merit points for bringing more than five aluminium cans or plastic bottles or more than 500 ml of used cooking oil.
These incentives helped overcome the initial challenge of maintaining enthusiasm throughout the year.
“What began as a school-based campaign has evolved into a genuine lifestyle change for many of our students,” observed Wong.
Both the Kuching North and South city councils also garnered awards for their role in promoting green.
Kuching North Lord Mayor and city council president Datuk Hilmy Othman won a leadership award while the council under his tutelage won four other awards while Kuching South gained recognition for winning the most awards at six.
Kuching South Lord Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng also received a citation for his leadership in green excellence while his council won five other awards. - Focus Malaysia
