Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. NSTP FILE PIC
KOTA BARU: Pas is ready to face any action by the authorities following a police investigation into an article written by its president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said it was normal for party leaders, including the president, to be called up by police following reports lodged over their statements or writings.
"Usually, whenever there are police reports involving our statements, we will be called up.
"This is normal and we have faced this many times. The relevant parties, including Tok Guru (Hadi), will attend and provide their statements to the authorities.
"We have gone to Bukit Aman before, and we will go again if required," he said.
He said certain parties, including Hadi, could be called in connection with the matter and that Pas was prepared to cooperate with the authorities.
Yesterday, Hadi's political secretary, Mohd Syahir Sulaiman, confirmed that police had recorded the Pas president's statement over one of his articles.
Syahir, who is also Pas assistant secretary-general, said police launched an investigation into Hadi following reports lodged by DAP supporters. - NST
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has denied a viral poster claiming a special public holiday will be declared following the state’s 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) victory. - Pic from Amirudin Shari’s X
SHAH ALAM: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has denied a viral poster claiming a special public holiday will be declared following the state's 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) victory.
Amirudin said any official announcement would be made during the Sukma closing ceremony on Aug 24 at Aneka Walk, Section 14.
"Any prior announcements or information circulating are fake and completely untrue. Please take note and remain patient," he said in a Threads post.
Earlier, state Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi said the state government would consider declaring a special public holiday if Selangor won the overall title.
He said the decision would only be announced after the final medal tally was confirmed, with Selangor currently in a strong position to win.
KOTA BARU: The 10 undocumented migrants who escaped from the Tanah Merah Immigration Depot can be identified by their bright green uniforms and shaved heads.
The Kelantan police headquarters said the escapees are still wearing the depot's distinctive bright green attire, complete with printed identification numbers, among them 18101 and 18802.
"Their last known location was Bukit Tebu, Tanah Merah. We urge the public to report any sightings or information on their whereabouts," read a statement posted on the Kelantan police's Facebook page on Sunday (Aug 23).
It said the fugitives comprise seven Thai nationals, one Indonesian, one Bangladeshi and one Rohingya.
Authorities advised the public to immediately alert the police if they spot the detainees and not to approach them or attempt any action.
Information can be directed to 09-955 6222/6223 or via WhatsApp at 011-2955 5518. – Bernama
The Perikatan Nasional chairman says PN election workers in Melaka should present themselves as part of a government-in-waiting.
Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said party election workers should not take the 60 days for granted as the political scene in Melaka remained fluid.
PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has hinted that the Melaka state election could be held within two months. He said there was a reason for that timeframe, but declined to elaborate.
“I believe the time left before the Melaka state assembly is dissolved and up to polling day is no more than two months,” he said at a Melaka PAS fundraising dinner tonight.
“There is a reason why I said two months, but I don’t want to explain it here,” he said and urged party election workers to make full use of the remaining time and begin preparations immediately.
Samsuri, who is a PAS vice-president, said the election machinery should proceed on the basis that they have a maximum of 60 days before the election is held. They should not take the 60 days for granted as the political scene in Melaka remained fluid, he said.
He urged PAS and PN members to present themselves to voters as part of a government-in-waiting and be ready to take over the state government.
In his speech, Samsuri did not appear to rule out forming alliances with parties other than Umno. He said Barisan Nasional is currently considering an electoral pact with either PN or Pakatan Harapan.
BN joined forces with PN for the Negeri Sembilan polls with an understanding not to contest each other.
Following their victory at the Aug 1 election, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi initially said its alliance with PN would continue in the Melaka polls.
The term of the current Melaka assembly ends on Dec 30 unless it is dissolved earlier. An election must be held within 60 days of dissolution. - FMT
The academic says she is going to the Industrial Court as she was not allowed to appeal against her 24-hour dismissal.
Solehah Yaacob, who was a professor of Arabic linguistics at the International Islamic University Malaysia, was sacked in April. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Controversial lecturer Solehah Yaacob is challenging her termination by the International Islamic University Malaysia and has accused the university of being unprofessional in its decision.
Solehah said she was taking the university to the Industrial Court. “I was dismissed within 24 hours and not allowed to appeal,” she said. “IIUM wanted to pay me the equivalent of six months, but I refused,” she told FMT.
Earlier today, the university said Solehah, who has a doctorate in Arabic linguistics, was sacked in April and was no longer a professor at the university from April 27.
It also said Solehah was not permitted to use any title or position linked to the university or claim any affiliation with the institution.
Solehah said IIUM was unprofessional in dismissing her, especially as she had been awarded the Malaysia Research Assessment award by the higher education ministry the day before.
The MyRa assessment, developed in 2006, is used to evaluate the research performance of universities in the country.
Solehah has been at the centre of public attention over several controversial views on Malay history and civilisation. Among the claims she was reported to have made included one that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays, and that iron ore deposits in Malaysia were the results of meteor strikes. - FMT
The disaster management agency says cloud-seeding has resumed, and more helicopters are being deployed for water bombing.
Indonesia said it has deployed hundreds of additional soldiers and firefighters to control raging forest fires which has brought smoke pollution to areas of Sarawak. (EPA Images pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Indonesian government said today it is intensifying efforts to control forest and land fires in Kalimantan which have brought transboundary haze to neighbouring countries, especially in Sarawak.
The Indonesian national disaster management agency said it was resuming cloud-seeding to bring rain, and deploying additional helicopters, and strengthening ground firefighting operations.
“With all these efforts, we are optimistic that together we can soon bring the forest and land fires in Kalimantan under control,” the agency’s chief, Lt Gen Suharyanto said in a statement in Jakarta, the Antara news agency reported.
The agency has 30 helicopters on standby for water-bombing operations and aerial patrols in Kalimantan, while ground operations are being reinforced with additional protective equipment, high-pressure water pumps, and up to 100 water tanker trucks for each province, depending on requirements.
Hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra have caused transboundary smoke haze, leading to ‘unhealthy’ to ‘very unhealthy’ levels of air quality in Kalimantan, Sarawak, and Sumatra. (ASMC pic)
Suharyanto said forest and land fires in Kalimantan posed particular challenges as many occurred on peatlands, where embers could remain beneath the surface even when fires appeared to have been extinguished.
Indonesia has also been in communication with neighbouring countries over the potential cross-border impact of haze from its forest and land fires, according to national secretariat minister Prasetyo Hadi.
Prasetyo said communication had taken place both informally and through formal channels led by foreign minister Sugiono. “We are trying to deal with these forest and land fires as quickly as possible,” he said on Sunday, according to Antara news agency.
The national disaster management agency said the government continued to monitor the potential impact of transboundary haze and coordinate across ministries and agencies in line with developments on the ground.
Prasetyo said on Saturday that West Kalimantan continued to record widespread hotspot activity. Authorities had detected 3,100 medium-confidence and 406 low-confidence hotspots mainly concentrated in regencies in the southern and eastern parts of the province.
He said four corporations in West Kalimantan were also under investigation over suspected violations linked to the forest and land fires.
Following instructions from president Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia announced on Saturday the deployment of about 1,500 additional military personnel and six large water-bombing helicopters to reinforce firefighting operations in West Kalimantan. - FMT
