Kota Tinggi TB cluster: 6 students quarantined, no school closures

 

Locals in Felda Sungai Mas seen leaving the Bandar Mas health clinic. - BERNAMA PIC

KOTA TINGGI: No school closure orders have been issued following the tuberculosis (TB) outbreak detected in this district.

State Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin said the outbreak did involve school students, but it is under control and being closely monitored by the Health Ministry.

He said based on confirmation from the Health Ministry, six students were confirmed to have TB following close-contact screening, comprising four male students and two female students.

"The state government has taken note of the tuberculosis outbreak involving school students in Kota Tinggi.

"All students involved have been ordered to undergo quarantine and receive appropriate treatment.

"They are currently under close monitoring by the Health Ministry, in accordance with established health procedures," he said in a statement today.

Aznan said the Kota Tinggi District Health Office also visited the affected schools to hold meetings and information sessions with school management.

"The sessions were aimed at providing explanations about tuberculosis as well as the preventive measures that need to be taken by schools, students and parents."

He added schools must always comply with the guidelines and instructions issued by the Health Ministry, including aspects of hygiene, monitoring of students' health and recommended follow-up actions.

Aznan, who is Tanjung Surat state assemblyman, advised the public not to spread unverified information or fake news regarding the issue, as it could cause concern and panic within the community.

"Any official information should be referred to statements from the Health Ministry or the official Johor state government channels," he said.

He said the state government is committed to ensure the safety, health and welfare of students and school staff are maintained, with the continued cooperation of the Health Ministry and all relevant parties.

Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that a tuberculosis cluster had been recorded in Kota Tinggi, with 33 positive cases detected from the screening of 804 close contacts conducted from Jan 25 until yesterday.

He was also reported to have said that one death was recorded within the cluster, but it was confirmed that the death was not due to tuberculosis infection.

Kota Tinggi District Officer Miswan Yunus reportedly said that daily routines in the localities involved in the reported tuberculosis cluster in the district were continuing as usual, with the public advised to always maintain personal hygiene and wear face masks.

He said the cluster involved the localities of Felda Sungai Mas, Bandar Mas and Felda Papan Timur, all of which remain under control as of today. - NST

Polis kekal pendekatan sekatan jalan raya fizikal

Pengarah JSPT Bukit Aman Muhammed Hasbullah Ali berkata cadangan penggunaan teknologi bagi menggantikan sekatan fizikal hanya melibatkan JPJ.

Muhammed Hasbullah Ali menjelaskan polis akan terus melaksanakan sekatan jalan raya fizikal seperti biasa untuk memastikan pematuhan undang-undang.

PETALING JAYA:

 Polis akan meneruskan pelaksanaan sekatan jalan raya fizikal seperti biasa walaupun Kementerian Pengangkutan menggesa Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) menggunakan pendekatan penguatkuasaan berasaskan teknologi.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik (JSPT) Bukit Aman Muhammed Hasbullah Ali berkata cadangan penggunaan teknologi seperti Pengecaman Nombor Pendaftaran Automatik (ANPR) adalah khusus untuk JPJ dan tidak melibatkan operasi penguatkuasaan polis.

Muhammed Hasbullah Ali.

“Ini untuk JPJ sahaja.

“Bagi pihak polis, kita masih dan akan terus melaksanakan sekatan jalan raya seperti biasa kerana hala tuju dan tugas berbeza,” katanya kepada FMT.

Menteri Pengangkutan Loke Siew Fook pada bulan lalu berkata kerajaan bercadang mengurangkan kebergantungan kepada sekatan jalan raya fizikal yang sering menyebabkan kesesakan lalu lintas, dengan beralih kepada penguatkuasaan automatik menggunakan ANPR.

Beliau berkata teknologi itu membolehkan penguatkuasaan dilakukan dengan lebih cekap melalui integrasi data, termasuk semakan cukai jalan dan perlindungan insurans, tanpa menutup lorong jalan.

Hasbullah bagaimanapun menegaskan peranan polis dalam penguatkuasaan trafik adalah berbeza, dengan sekatan jalan raya kekal sebagai antara kaedah penting bagi memastikan keselamatan jalan raya serta pematuhan undang-undang oleh pengguna. - FMT

RM3.9bil in 2023 tax refunds disbursed

The finance ministry says the sum is to settle 34,899 cases.

The finance ministry said the government would ensure that refunds for the 2024 tax filing year would be made before the end of the year. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

 A total of RM3.9 billion in tax refunds had been disbursed as of Jan 31, to settle 34,899 cases involving refunds for the 2023 tax filing year.

The finance ministry disclosed this in a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat.

The ministry was responding to Jimmy Puah (PH-Tebrau), who sought clarification on tax refund statistics.

The ministry said that in 2026, in line with the commitment announced by the prime minister on Jan 5, the government would complete refunds for the 2023 tax filing year in the first quarter of this year.

“The government will also ensure that refunds for the 2024 tax filing year are made before the end of the year,” said the ministry. - FMT

Eliminating agents won’t automatically protect workers, says Tenaganita

The group's executive director Glorene Das says direct hiring must include transparent recruitment, enforceable contracts and independent oversight.

The human resources ministry is reportedly developing a direct hiring system to eliminate third-party agents or middlemen from the recruitment process.

PETALING JAYA:

 Eliminating recruitment agencies under a proposed direct hiring system for foreign workers is a positive step, but it will not protect workers from abuse unless strong safeguards are in place, says labour rights group Tenaganita.

Its executive director Glorene Das said Tenaganita welcomed the move as the group had long advocated for direct hiring to dismantle exploitative middlemen who profited from excessive fees, debt bondage, fraud, and trafficking.

However, she said that without proper oversight, foreign workers could still face cheating, abuse, contract substitution, and illegal salary deductions, but this time at the hands of employers or informal brokers.

“Direct hiring must therefore be accompanied by transparent recruitment procedures, enforceable contracts, independent monitoring, and accessible grievance mechanisms.

Glorene Das.

“Otherwise, exploitation will simply shift from one actor to another,” she said in a statement.

Das also cautioned that Malaysian employers are not yet equipped to manage recruitment and compliance independently.

Ethical recruitment, she said, requires employers to understand labour laws, immigration procedures, accommodation standards and dispute resolution processes.

“If direct hiring is to succeed, the government must provide clear guidelines, standardised systems, and proper capacity building for employers. Without this support, workers will ultimately bear the consequences,” she added.

Das also pointed out that direct hiring is not new in Malaysia, citing earlier attempts involving domestic workers that failed due to weak or absent enforcement structures.

For the system to work this time, she said it must be supported by strong government-to-government agreements, binding provisions on wages and fees, transparent systems subject to independent monitoring, and strict enforcement against abuse.

It was reported that the human resources ministry is in the process of developing a direct hiring system as part of efforts to eliminate third-party agents or middlemen from the recruitment process.

Minister R Ramanan said the proposal, which is being fine-tuned, will be discussed with the home ministry and relevant stakeholders before it is presented to the Cabinet for approval. - FMT

Malaysia fall to Indonesia at Asia team badminton meet

The national men’s squad lost narrowly to Indonesia in the biennial Badminton Asia Team Championships but still made it to the quarter-finals.

National singles player Justin Hoh gave the Malaysian team a great start by beating Indonesia’s No 3 player Zaki Ubaidillah in straight games but it was not good enough to win the tie. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Malaysia’s men’s team lost to second seeds Indonesia in their final group tie at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) but still advanced to the quarter-finals.

The national side had already sealed their place in the last eight on Tuesday after a dominant 5-0 win over Myanmar in Qingdao, China.

The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to the knockout stage, with the quarter-final draw to be conducted later tonight.

Malaysia got off to a flying start against Indonesia through the country’s No 2 singles Justin Hoh, who defeated rising star Zaki Ubaidillah 21-16, 21-19 in 46 minutes.

Men’s doubles pair Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King then doubled Malaysia’s advantage, overcoming Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana 21-13, 12-21, 21-13 in a match lasting nearly an hour to put the team 2-0 ahead.

Indonesia fought back through their second singles Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo, who beat Eogene Ewe 21-12, 14-21, 21-15 to reduce the deficit to 1-2.

Malaysia missed the chance to seal the tie when second doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri went down 21-16, 11-21, 19-21 to Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin in an hour-long contest, allowing the Indonesians to level the score at 2-2.

In the deciding match, third singles Kong Wei Xiang was beaten by the experienced former world champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, losing 17-21, 21-13, 16-21 to hand Indonesia the tie.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s women’s team also booked a place in the quarter-finals despite a 1-4 defeat to China, with both teams advancing as the only two sides in their group. Their quarter-final opponent will be determined following the draw later tonight. - FMT

Chinese investors pour nearly RM16bil into Penang in last 10 years

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow says Penang recorded RM4.2 billion in approved manufacturing investments from China in 2025.

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow speaking at a 2026 Chinese New Year reception hosted by the consulate-general of China in Penang tonight. (Bernama pic)

GEORGE TOWN:

 Penang’s long-standing economic partnership with China continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening the state’s industrial ecosystem, with Chinese investments reaching nearly RM16 billion over the past decade.

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang recorded RM4.2 billion in approved manufacturing investments from China in 2025 and more than 80 Chinese companies are currently operating in the state, including major investors such as Guangdong Tianyu Semiconductor and TF-AMD Microelectronics.

He said Penang remains a major contributor to Malaysia-China trade, accounting for RM143 billion of Malaysia’s RM255 billion exports to China from January to November 2025.

“Most of these exports are in electrical and electronic products, highlighting Penang’s role as a key manufacturing and technology hub within global supply chains,” he said at a 2026 Chinese New Year reception hosted by the consulate-general of China in Penang tonight.

Looking ahead, Chow said Penang, together with the northern region, would continue to welcome strategic investments from China, particularly those that are high-value, future-oriented and that enhance supply chain resilience.

He also noted that improving connectivity between Penang and China would further support investment flows, citing the recent launch of the direct flight from Guangzhou to Penang and the China-Malaysia mutual visa exemption agreement, signed last year.

Meanwhile, China’s consul-general in Penang Zhou Youbin said the Chinese consulate-general in the state had continued to actively promote sub-national cooperation between China and Malaysia, particularly across the four northern states, while enhancing mutual understanding and friendship.

He noted that economic and trade cooperation between both sides have continued to strengthen, with a growing number of Chinese enterprises investing and operating in northern Malaysia.

“The enterprises of new energy vehicles and lithium batteries and the related upstream and downstream enterprises have formed a cluster, bringing a positive effect on building a complete local industrial ecosystem,” he added.

On people-to-people exchanges, Zhou said connectivity between Penang and China has improved significantly, with nearly 70 weekly flights linking Penang to multiple Chinese cities, facilitating greater movement of tourists, business travellers and students.

He added that more than 200,000 Chinese citizens visited Penang via international flights in 2025, alongside an increase in cultural and educational exchanges, which further strengthened mutual understanding and people-to-people ties between China and northern Malaysia. - FMT