Thai PM Anutin to visit Malaysia as security and economy dominate talks

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. BERNAMA FILE PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to visit Malaysia on July 9 and 10 for talks with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with border security and economic cooperation likely to dominate discussions

The visit comes after Malaysia suspended imports of Thai shrimp on June 1, a move that has affected bilateral trade and raised concerns among shrimp producers, Thai PBS World reported.

Malaysia's Agriculture and Food Security Ministry announced a temporary suspension of imports of five Thai shrimp species as part of tighter controls on fisheries products from Thailand.

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The affected species are Penaeus esculentus (brown tiger prawn), Fenneropenaeus merguiensis (banana prawn), Penaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp), Penaeus monodon (giant tiger prawn) and Penaeus stylirostris (blue shrimp), Bernama reported last month.

The high-level talks are aimed at resolving the dispute, with preliminary negotiations reported to have made positive progress.

Both sides are working towards finalising a new agreement next week that could allow the immediate resumption of Thai shrimp exports.

Thai Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said technical teams from both countries are addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) inspection requirements.

He said the goal is to implement a new import-export framework within 30 days, supported by laboratory testing to ensure food safety standards and restore consumer confidence.

The visit is also taking place amid recent security concerns in southern Thailand, where two Malaysians were injured when an improvised explosive device concealed inside a roadside culvert exploded near the Sapom intersection in Tak Bai district on Monday.

The blast occurred against the backdrop of a long-running insurgency in southern Thailand, where thousands of people have been killed in violence that has plagued the border region for more than 20 years.

Thai authorities said the Malaysians were not the intended targets of the attack, which is believed to have been carried out by suspected insurgents. - NST

Johor polls: KJ accuses PH of copying BN's manifesto

 

JOHOR BARU: Khairy Jamaluddin has accused Pakatan Harapan of “copying and pasting” Barisan Nasional’s Johor election manifesto, claiming the coalition merely repackaged Barisan’s proposals after launching its own manifesto a week later.

The former health minister said he had compared both documents and found that many of Pakatan Harapan’s pledges closely resembled those announced earlier by Barisan.

“I read their manifesto side by side with Barisan’s manifesto. It turned out to be ‘copy-paste’. On housing, economic development and small and medium enterprises, everything was copied.

“If you have to choose between the original and the copy, choose the original. Don’t choose the copy,” he said in his speech during a Barisan ceramah held at Kota Masai on Friday (June 3).

Also present at the event were Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Barisan’s Tiram assemblyman Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman.

He also urged voters to give Barisan a bigger mandate, saying a strong and stable state government under caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had enabled the state to record strong economic growth and attract billions of ringgit in investments over the past four years.

Khairy added a standalone Barisan administration would be able to make decisions more quickly without having to negotiate with coalition partners, allowing it to deliver development programmes more effectively for the people.

He defended Barisan’s decision to contest the Johor election on its own, saying Ahmad Zahid had listened to the wishes of grassroots members despite the coalition being part of the unity government at the federal level.

Khairy also revealed that he had never abandoned hope of returning to Umno after being sacked from the party in 2023, saying he rejected invitations from other political parties because he was waiting for Ahmad Zahid to welcome him back.

“I never lost hope that one day the doors of Umno and Barisan would be opened again for me. I thank Ahmad Zahid for accepting me back into the party,” he said.

Calling on party members not to be complacent, Khairy said Barisan must work hard until polling day to secure a convincing victory in Johor.

He expressed confidence that such a result could spark a “blue wave” that would strengthen the coalition ahead of future state elections and eventually the next general election. -  Star

Wee nafi BN bekerjasama dengan PN

 Presiden MCA Wee Ka Siong tepis dakwaan itu sebagai tidak logik dan cubaan merosakkan imej BN.

Presiden MCA Wee Ka Siong sangkal dakwaan kemenangan BN di Johor akan membawa kepada pembebasan Najib Razak.

KLUANG:

Presiden MCA Wee Ka Siong nafi Barisan Nasional (BN) bekerjasama dengan Perikatan Nasional (PN) pada PRN Johor, menepis dakwaan itu sebagai tidak berasas dan cubaan merosakkan imej BN.

Katanya, dakwaan itu tidak masuk akal kerana ketiadaan pertandingan di sesetengah kerusi bukan bukti wujudnya kerjasama politik antara parti.

“Kalau mereka anggap satu parti tidak bertanding sebab ada kolaborasi, bolehkah saya pula anggap bila PN tidak bertanding di sesuatu kerusi, itu bermaksud mereka juga bersubahat dengan parti lain?

“Ini semua tidak masuk akal. Mereka cuba merosakkan imej parti lain dengan mereka-reka cerita. Rakyat bukan bodoh,” katanya kepada pemberita, selepas program ramah mesra di Paloh.

Sementara itu, MCA akan tumpu kepada rekod pentadbiran Onn Hafiz Ghazi daripada melayan dakwaan bermotif politik, katanya.

Dakwaan kerjasama BN dan PN dalam PRN Johor timbul selepas beberapa pemimpin PN menggesa penyokong mengundi calon BN di kerusi yang tidak ditandingi gabungan itu.

Pengerusi DAP Johor, Teo Nie Ching, berkata perkembangan itu menimbulkan persoalan mengenai hubungan antara kedua-dua gabungan berkenaan.

Dalam pada itu, Wee menolak dakwaan kemenangan BN di Johor akan membawa kepada pembebasan bekas perdana menteri, Najib Razak.

Katanya, pengampunan tertakluk kepada lunas undang-undang dan kuasa Yang di-Pertuan Agong, bukannya bergantung kepada keputusan PRN.

“Kalau proses itu tidak dipenuhi dan pengampunan tidak diperkenankan, maka seseorang banduan tetap perlu menjalani hukuman.

“Tak boleh kita gabungkan dua perkara ini seolah-olah kalau BN menang, seseorang itu akan terus dibebaskan. Tidak ada lunas undang-undang yang menyokong dakwaan itu,” katanya.

PRN Johor menyaksikan BN dan Pakatan Harapan (PH) bertanding di semua 56 kerusi DUN, manakala PN meletakkan calon di 33 kerusi.

Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya menetapkan hari pengundian pada 11 Julai, manakala pengundian awal pada 7 Julai. - FMT

Bangkit Sabahan rally will proceed peacefully, say organisers

 Rally adviser Zulkarnain Mahdar says the two-day rally is expected to draw about 1,000 participants.

Rally adviser Zulkarnain Mahdar said the organisers welcomed the police’s approval and appreciated the authorities’ cooperation in facilitating the event.

PETALING JAYA:

Organisers of the Bangkit Sabahan 2.0 rally have assured the public that the two-day gathering at Dataran Deasoka in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, this weekend will proceed peacefully and in full compliance with police regulations.

Rally adviser Zulkarnain Mahdar said the organisers “give our assurance that all conditions set by the authorities will be fully complied with”.

He said he hoped that participants would cooperate with the police and follow all regulations and avoid any provocative actions, the Borneo Post reported him as saying today.

Zulkarnain said about 1,000 participants are expected to attend the rally to express support for chief minister Hajiji Noor and call on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to reopen investigations into corruption allegations involving Warisan president Shafie Apdal. - FMT

PH victories needed to prevent domination by one party, says Loke

 The DAP leader says domination of the state assembly by a single party would leave the state government with no checks and balances.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook at an election rally in Yong Peng tonight to support the PH candidate Yong Hui Yi. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

A victory for Pakatan Harapan in the Johor state election is crucial to strengthening checks and balances in the state, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said today.

He said victories of PH candidates were important to prevent Johor’s political landscape from being dominated by a single coalition and to promote a more stable administration, Bernama reported.

“If a single party (dominates the administration), the state government will have no alternative, no checks and balances, and no other party to challenge them,” he said at a DAP dinner event in Kluang tonight.

PH is fielding candidates in all 56 state assembly seats, of which DAP will contest 10 seats. Barisan Nasional is also contesting all seats, after winning 40 seats at the 2022 election to form the state government.

In total, 172 candidates are contesting the Johor election on July 11, with early voting set for July 7. - FMT

Factory man escapes with light injuries after 9m fall

 The fire and rescue department says the 23-year-old man was carrying out repairs at a cement factory building when he fell.

The factory worker sustained only minor injuries and a sprain after falling from a silo to a roof before landing inside the factory building. (JBPM pic)

IPOH:

A factory worker survived with only minor injuries after falling 30ft (9m) from a cement factory building in the Tasek industrial estate here today.

Perak fire and rescue department said the 23-year-old man, who was carrying out repair works, sustained only minor injuries and a sprain after falling from a silo to a roof before landing inside the factory building.

He was taken to hospital for treatment. - FMT

Khairy brands PH manifesto a ‘copy and paste’ of BN’s pledges

 The former Umno Youth chief says Johoreans should choose the original, not the copy, when casting their ballots.

Former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin said Johoreans should be discerning and choose the original manifesto with a proven record of implementation.

PETALING JAYA:

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin says Pakatan Harapan has run out of ideas, accusing the coalition of copying Barisan Nasional’s manifesto for the Johor state election.

Khairy alleged that PH had resorted to adopting policies and initiatives introduced by Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi over the past four years, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“I read PH’s newly launched manifesto. Not only was it unveiled late, but it turns out to be a copy-and-paste manifesto. On housing, youth, the economy, and small and medium enterprises, they took an extra week just to copy and paste.

“Between the original and the imitation, Johoreans should choose BN’s original manifesto instead of the copy-and-paste version,” he said at a campaign event in Kota Masai tonight.

Khairy said Johoreans should be discerning and choose the original manifesto with a proven record of implementation.

He urged Johoreans “to start a ‘blue wave’ to ensure BN continues to secure a solo victory. “That blue wave will begin in the south and move on to Negeri Sembilan,” he said.

Earlier today, PH launched its manifesto, which outlined its vision and proposed initiatives to make the southern state the “Shenzhen of Southeast Asia”.

Its pledges include bringing 20,000 professionals currently in Singapore back to Johor by 2031 through job and entrepreneurship incentives and providing 500,000 Johoreans, particularly the low income groups and the disabled, with up to RM100,000 in public health insurance coverage.

BN’s 63-point manifesto, launched a week ago, lists housing, jobs and support for businesses among its key priorities. - FMT