Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Johor voters to choose leaders with integrity, wisdom and humility, stressing the need to reject arrogance in power and ensure the welfare of the grassroots is protected. – NSTP pic
MUAR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Johor voters to choose leaders with integrity, wisdom and humility, warning against those who become arrogant once in power.
He said the choice of leaders was crucial in shaping the future of the state, adding that some factions exploited racial sentiments for support but failed to deliver once elected.
"For politics to succeed, people must read and listen. Do not exploit sentiments of hatred toward others. Think about what will happen to our country, our children, our grandchildren, our schools, our hospitals," he said at the PH Grand Rally here tonight.
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Anwar, who is also prime minister, said elected leaders must remain grounded and focus on resolving the people's problems, especially those in need.
He said PH must win in Johor to ensure state policies aligned with the federal government's development agenda.
He said that alignment between state and federal governments was essential to ensure effective aid distribution and that the benefits of major projects reached the grassroots.
"That is why I say Pakatan Harapan must win in Johor so that we can bring change to the state. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) was negotiated by us at the federal level. We are also expanding the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
"I am not saying the state government did not help; they did. But who executed it? We did. So I want a representative state government and for policies to change. Do not worry about the projects, I will take care of them. I want the state government, state representatives and exco members to take care of the ordinary people," he added.
Anwar also urged Johor voters, including those living outside the state, to return home and fulfil their responsibility in the state election on July 11.
He said every vote was vital in driving policy change and ensuring the benefits of economic growth are enjoyed by all. - NST
Kajang police chief Naazron Abdul Yusof says the case is being investigated for possible child neglect.
Kajang police chief Naazron Abdul Yusof advised parents and guardians to ensure the safety of children, particularly those living in high-rise residential buildings. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: An 11-year-old boy died after falling from the seventh floor of an apartment block at Taman Sepakat Indah 2 in Kajang this morning.
Kajang police chief Naazron Abdul Yusof said an emergency call was received at about 7.10am.
“The boy is believed to have fallen from the seventh floor of the apartment block. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical officer,” Kosmo quoted him as saying.
Naazron said the case had been classified as sudden death and was also being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for possible child neglect.
He advised parents and guardians to remain vigilant and always ensure the safety of children, particularly those living in high-rise residential buildings.
The incident occurred just over a week after two children fell from the 12th floor of an apartment building in Tampoi, Johor Bahru, resulting in the death of one of them.
Police arrested their mother, a foreigner, at noon on June 8, hours after the eight-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother were found on the seventh floor of the building at about 8am.
The girl died, while the brother was severely injured.
Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said the case was being investigated under the Child Act for alleged child abuse, and that investigators had yet to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. - FMT
Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden asked who Melaka Bersatu information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim had apologised to.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (left) said a letter of demand will be sent to Melaka Bersatu information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim soon.
PETALING JAYA: PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has instructed his lawyers to proceed with legal action against a Bersatu leader for allegedly insulting his family and his father.
“We will issue a letter of demand in the near future,” Afnan said in a Facebook post tonight.
He said Melaka Bersatu information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim had removed his alleged offensive post and apologised for his actions after taking heed of the advice and views of the Bersatu leadership.
“But I am not sure who he was apologising to as he did not specify,” he said.
He said Hishamuddin’s social media post had insulted and disparaged his father and affected both his father and his own family.
“Such an extreme and insulting statement has impacted my family psychologically,” he said.
Yesterday, responding to a speech by Afnan in Kedah, Hishamuddin said that if Afnan’s father, Taib Azamudden, had taken precaution, he would not have an ill-mannered and disrespectful child.
He also uploaded a picture of a box of condoms.
Following the comments, Afnan, the Alor Setar MP, said he was mulling legal action against Hishamuddin.
Earlier this evening, Hishamuddin apologised to Afnan and his family over comments that critics slammed as rude.
“I apologise for the phrase and the tone of the message which may have led to my comments being misunderstood, caused unease, or offended any party,” he told FMT.
He said the apology stemmed from a sense of responsibility to uphold “civility, ethics, and professionalism in political discourse”.
He also said that while differing views and criticisms are the norm in a democracy, one should not go overboard with criticism and must be tactful. - FMT
The prime minister says while Putrajaya and Beijing are close, the government will not compromise on the enforcement of the law.
Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim at a rally in Muar tonight. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says maintaining good relations with major powers such as China and the US has never compromised Malaysia’s principles on international issues.
He said Malaysia practises a policy of friendship with all countries while remaining firm in safeguarding its national interests, including in matters related to trade, investment and law enforcement.
“We are friends to all, but we keep our principles. If (Israel) does something wrong against Gaza, we will say it is wrong,” Bernama reported him saying at a Pakatan Harapan rally in Muar, Johor, tonight.
Anwar said Malaysia’s close ties with China had brought benefits in trade, investment and education, but the government would not compromise on the enforcement of the law.
“We have good relations with China because China has been good to us. We can trade, do business and send our children there to study.
“However, if there are parties who violate regulations and conduct business without permits, we will still take action. We are friends, but we will always protect national interests,” he said.
Anwar said the good ties Malaysia had fostered with various countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, China and the US, allowed it to play a more effective role internationally without sacrificing national interests.
The prime minister said that despite being a small country, Malaysia was widely respected internationally, having hosted many major world leaders, including US president Donald Trump, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Chinese premier Li Qiang. - FMT
IN today’s hyperconnected world, the court of public opinion often delivers its verdict long before the actual courts have had the opportunity to examine the evidence.
Social media has democratised public discourse, allowing citizens to comment on, scrutinise and debate issues of public interest.
While this has strengthened accountability in many ways, it has also exposed a troubling reality: public reactions are increasingly shaped by emotion, identity and personal bias rather than facts and reasoned analysis.
One of the most noticeable features of online discourse is the obsession with identity. Before discussing the facts of a case, many netizens immediately ask about the alleged offender’s “type”, often a coded reference to race, ethnicity or religion.
The implication is clear. Public reactions are frequently filtered through the lens of identity. If the alleged offender belongs to a group perceived as “other”, condemnation is often swift and uncompromising.
If the person belongs to one’s own community, excuses and justifications can be quick to follow.
This reflects a deeper and increasingly worrying trend of social polarisation. Rather than evaluating actions based on universal principles, many people interpret events through tribal loyalties.
(Image: Pexels/Aqtai)
Facts become secondary to identity. Wrongdoing is condemned or defended depending on who committed it rather than what was committed.
Such selective outrage undermines the principle of equality before the law and weakens social cohesion.
Religious identity can also shape public reactions. Individuals perceived to be pious or religious are often given the benefit of the doubt, even when serious allegations arise. Their public image as a “good person” can become a shield against scrutiny.
Supporters may rush to defend them, portraying criticism as an attack on religion itself rather than an examination of individual conduct.
This is a dangerous tendency. Morality cannot be measured solely through outward displays of religiosity. History has repeatedly shown that people from every background, profession and belief system are capable of wrongdoing.
Elevating individuals beyond criticism simply because they appear religious undermines accountability and risks silencing legitimate concerns.
Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in discussions surrounding sexual violence.
Cases involving sexual offences often attract an alarming degree of victim blaming. Rather than focusing on the alleged actions of the perpetrator, attention frequently shifts to the victim’s behaviour, clothing, lifestyle or personal choices.
Questions are asked about why the victim was in a particular location, why they trusted the accused or why they did not report the incident sooner.
Such reactions reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of how trauma affects individuals. Victims do not all respond in the same way, nor do they always behave according to public expectations.
Yet myths and stereotypes continue to influence public perception, often diminishing the seriousness of these offences while exposing victims to a second round of judgment and humiliation.
The consequences extend far beyond social media.
Public attitudes shape social norms. When victim blaming becomes normalised, victims become less likely to come forward. When identity determines guilt or innocence in the public mind, trust in institutions begins to erode.
(Image: Pexels/ Nguyễn Tiến Thịnh )
When emotion consistently overshadows evidence, society becomes more vulnerable to misinformation, prejudice and manipulation.
None of this is an argument against public discussion. Healthy debate remains essential in any democratic society.
However, meaningful discussion requires a degree of civic literacy that is often lacking in online spaces.
Citizens must be able to distinguish allegations from proven facts, recognise their own biases, understand the complexities of criminal investigations and appreciate the importance of due process.
More importantly, there is an urgent need for greater public education on issues such as sexual violence, cognitive bias, media literacy and critical thinking.
The ability to evaluate information objectively is no longer merely an academic skill. It is a civic necessity.
In an era where opinions can spread faster than facts, societies cannot afford to allow prejudice and emotion to become the primary drivers of public judgment.
The court of public opinion will always exist. The question is whether it will be guided by evidence, fairness and principle, or by identity, emotion and prejudice.
The answer will shape not only the quality of our public discourse, but also the kind of society we choose to become.
The author is Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid, who is a Criminologist and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
