Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaking at the Pesta Melaka, Rumah Kita programme at Taman Melaka Perdana here last night. BERNAMA PIC
ALOR GAJAH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said DAP was not the problem in the country's political landscape, but the lack of Malay leaders with principles and integrity.
He said leaders should be judged by their character, honesty and ability to serve the people, rather than their race.
"Our problem is not about the Chinese or Malays. It is about ensuring that we have Malay leaders with principles.
"Surely there are such leaders. There are many in Melaka, including young people. Choose those who are good, clean and have values. Don't let them grab everything for themselves once they get a little power," he said.
He was speaking at the Pesta Melaka, Rumah Kita programme at Taman Melaka Perdana here today.
Also present were Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, PKR Wanita chief Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek and Amanah vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Anwar, who is also PH chairman, said cooperation among different communities was important to ensure national stability, but this did not mean that political principles or the interests of the Malay community should be sidelined.
He said voters should assess leaders based on their track records and credibility, rather than be swayed by racial sentiments exploited in political contests.
"So, what kind of Malay leaders should we choose? Is it simply because they are Malay, or because they have good character, principles, do not steal or abuse their position, and are not arrogant?" he said.
He also urged voters to give young leaders with integrity and the ability to lead a chance to shape the state's future. - NST
Naib Presiden Amanah Dzulkefly Ahmad membidas pendekatan politik perseteruan, kebencian dan menakut-nakutkan.
Umno dan PAS tidak boleh bertanding dengan PH atas politik prestasi, kata Naib Presiden Amanah Dzulkefly Ahmad. (Gambar Bernama)
ALOR GAJAH: Naib Presiden Amanah Dzulkefly Ahmad menyifatkan Umno dan PAS sebagai parti yang tidak boleh bertanding atas politik berdasarkan prestasi dan pemikiran.
Pemimpin Pakatan Harapan mendakwa pihak lawan mengambil pendekatan politik perseteruan, kebencian dan menakut-nakutkan, untuk ‘memerangkap’ pengundi dalam naratif kononnya hanya mereka mampu membuat penyatuan Melayu-Islam.
“Kenapa mereka tidak boleh bertanding atas politik yang lebih matang — politik yang berdasarkan prestasi, politik yang memberikan kita peluang untuk rakyat berfikir? Sebabnya mudah: Mereka tidak dapat bertanding dengan kita,” katanya kepada hadirin ketika berucap pada satu ceramah di Taman Melaka Perdana, malam tadi.
Dzulkefly turut membidas Umno dan PAS kerana sering memetik nama DAP. Katanya, dakwaan mengaitkan kemenangan PH dengan dominasi DAP sebahagian daripada pendekatan politik yang beliau sebutkan.
“Sama ada di Johor, di Negeri Sembilan dan mereka akan mengulangi di sini,” katanya.
PRN Melaka ke-16 akan berlangsung pada 14 Nov dengan 28 kerusi DUN dipertandingkan. BN dan PN membentuk kerjasama termasuk melancarkan manifesto bersama.
Pada PRN 2021, BN membentuk kerajaan negeri selepas memenangi 21 daripada 28 kerusi, manakala PH memperoleh lima kerusi dan PN dua kerusi. - FMT
Animal welfare group Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia wants authorities to locate the cat and establish whether it is still alive.
A photo circulating on social media showed a cord wrapped tightly around the neck of a cat being dangled out a truck’s window. (Kluangharini Threads pic)
PETALING JAYA: An animal welfare group has called for an investigation into a photograph and video circulating on social media showing a cat being dangled with a cord by the driver of a pickup truck in Kluang, Johor.
Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) said the photograph, reportedly taken at Batu 2, Jalan Mersing, raised concerns about the animal’s safety and possible cruelty.
Its president R Kalaivanan also wants the police and Johor veterinary services department to locate the cat.
“The photograph is deeply disturbing. We want to know what happened to this cat, whether it is still alive and whether it has suffered any injuries,” he said in a statement.
The picture shows the driver of a red Hilux truck dangling the cat from the vehicle’s window with a cord wrapped tightly around its neck.
Kalaivanan said the authorities should identify the person involved, locate the cat and arrange veterinary treatment if necessary.
He also called for an investigation into possible offences under Section 29 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, which deals with cruelty to animals.
SAFM said it had received reports that Kluang police were looking into the incident, but wanted a thorough investigation and updates on its findings.
Kalaivanan urged those with information or additional photographs of the incident to come forward and help the authorities.
UNLIKE Malaysia, China has made the integration of scientific research and industrial innovation a central part of its economic strategy. Its policy direction is explicit: enterprises must lead, research must serve practical applications, and the journey from idea to market must operate as an integrated system.
Malaysia wants similar outcomes. The question is whether it is prepared to undertake the less glamorous industrial work needed to achieve them.
Malaysia’s innovation problem is not a shortage of ideas. It is the gap between research and development (R&D) outputs and the ability of local technologies to penetrate real markets.
The country’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) stood at 1.01% of GDP in 2022, according to the latest completed National Survey of R&D.
A September 2026 analysis by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute estimated that spending remained at around 1% of GDP in 2025, still well below Malaysia’s innovation ambitions.
The private sector’s contribution also warrants attention. Industry accounted for 51% of national R&D expenditure in 2022, but privately funded R&D was estimated at just 0.5% of GDP in 2025.
This suggests that businesses still have considerable room to strengthen their role in commercial innovation.
(Image: OIC Today)
Malaysia ranked 34th in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII), a respectable position among 139 economies but the breakdown reveals an interesting contrast.
Malaysia ranked first globally in high-tech exports and imports, eighth in science and engineering graduates, and 32nd in knowledge and technology outputs. It also ranked third in creative goods exports.
These figures point to a country that is highly capable of participating in sophisticated global production networks, but still needs to strengthen its ability to turn domestic research into commercially successful technologies and intellectual property.
Malaysia is exceptionally good at making things designed elsewhere. It is less successful at developing and commercialising products that the world wants to buy.
We need to treat innovation as an industry, with upstream, midstream and downstream activities, each supported by dedicated capital, specialised labour and measurable performance targets.
Malaysia has many of the necessary components. What it lacks is the connective tissue that turns them into a functioning system.
China’s approach is instructive. Its policies emphasise stronger integration between scientific and industrial innovation, with enterprises taking a leading role in collaborative research.
The focus is on connecting research with industrial needs, improving the commercialisation of scientific achievements and ensuring innovation contributes directly to productive activity.
Malaysia has made gestures in this direction, but intent alone does not create an industry. The difference is that China’s policy places greater emphasis on enterprise leadership and the translation of research into industrial outcomes.
Malaysia’s innovation ecosystem still suffers from what has been described as a “broken bridge” between knowledge producers and users, with universities, research institutions and businesses often operating in silos.
When a start-up fails to commercialise its technology, the university blames the market, the market blames the university, and the agency blames both while ticking its KPI box for workshops conducted.
The government’s rhetoric has shifted from “Made in Malaysia” to “Made by Malaysia”. The challenge, however, is not simply increasing R&D expenditure.
It is ensuring that research generates value within the country through intellectual property ownership and the ability of local companies to compete globally.
The diagnosis is right, but the institutional architecture has yet to catch up. Universities are still largely rewarded for publications and research grants, rather than licensing income, industry partnerships and successful spin-offs.
If Malaysia is serious about treating innovation as an industry, three things need to change.
First, the metrics must change. An industry measures commercial performance, not just activity.
Malaysia should track revenue generated per researcher, licensing income relative to R&D expenditure, and the five-year survival rate of university spin-offs. These figures should be published annually, with agencies held accountable for measurable outcomes.
Second, funding must follow the market. Public R&D grants should place greater emphasis on industry participation and commercial viability.
For larger grants, Malaysia could require a named industry partner to contribute at least 30% of project funding and commit to a first right of refusal on the resulting intellectual property.
This would encourage researchers to engage potential customers before submitting proposals.
Third, Malaysia needs accessible prototyping and pilot-production facilities that operate according to industrial timelines. MRANTI already provides prototyping, testing and innovation facilities.
These capabilities should be strengthened and made more responsive to industry requirements, with turnaround times and service standards that reflect commercial realities.
Malaysia does not necessarily need another innovation policy. It needs to stop treating innovation as a separate sector that can be stimulated through occasional funding injections and then left to develop on its own.
China’s approach demonstrates the importance of treating the journey from idea to market as an integrated industrial system, with enterprises at the centre, research connected to production, and policy designed to remove obstacles to commercialisation.
The question is whether Malaysia is willing to make the changes this requires: less ceremony and more enterprise leadership; fewer grants without commercial commitments and more industry partnerships; less emphasis on publications alone and more focus on products.
Until then, innovation in Malaysia risks remaining an accidental investment: generously funded, but chronically under-industrialised.
The author, Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT
KARNIVAL Ban Canal 2026 attracted more than 38,000 visitors over three days, generating nearly RM125,000 in direct revenue for 34 local vendors and micro-enterprises.
Held from Nov 6 to 8 at Ban Canal Parit 14 in Simpang Lima, the festival was organised by Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporation) (MBI Selangor), in collaboration with the Sabak Bernam District and Land Office and Sabak Bernam District Council.
The event was organised under the Sabak Bernam Development Area (SABDA) framework, with the theme “Alam, Budaya, Lestari” (Nature, Culture, Sustainability). It aimed to promote local tourism and cultural heritage while creating business opportunities for the surrounding community.
The festival also highlighted Ban Canal, a 45km waterway originally built to support Selangor’s agricultural activities. The canal is also located within the nomination zone for the proposed UNESCO Anjung Utara Selangor Biosphere Reserve.
MBI Selangor group chief executive officer Datuk Ts. Saipolyazan M Yusop said the carnival supported SABDA’s efforts to develop sustainable rural tourism and agritourism by involving local communities in economic activities.
He said this year’s edition marked a milestone with the introduction of international-level water sports through a collaboration with the Selangor Canoe Association.
The event attracted athletes from countries including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Somalia, he added.
Beyond the sporting activities, the carnival provided a platform for local businesses to reach visitors and generate income.
The Platform Selangor (PLATS) entrepreneur showcase and Jualan Eko Tani featured local products, while cottage industry operators and homestay providers also took part.
Food and cultural activities offered visitors an introduction to Sabak Bernam’s heritage. Local delicacies such as nasi ambeng and traditional kuih were among the offerings, while the Perkampungan Hos Komuniti Setempat (Local Community Host Village) featured activities such as traditional dodol-making and folk games.
The programme also included Project Strong Ban Canal, organised by Sinar Daily, which featured challenges inspired by everyday village life, alongside stand-up paddleboarding, the Larian Warisan Alam marathon featuring traditional costumes, wall climbing and flying fox activities.
Other attractions included tug-of-war competitions, the SABDA Idol final, face painting, colouring and batik painting activities, congkak and a traditional fashion competition. Visitors were also treated to a performance of the traditional play Musang Berjanggut.
Exhibitors included SABDA, the Sabak Bernam District Council, the district agriculture department, Selangor Research Institute, Agrobank and Sinar Daily. They showcased their services and engaged visitors on areas including financial and media literacy.
The entertainment programme featured performances by local artistes Hazama, Datuk Hattan, Kristal X and Umayrah.
At the carnival’s closing ceremony on Nov 8, Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the event had attracted more than 34,000 visitors as of Nov 7.
She also highlighted the participation of 34 PLATS entrepreneurs and 20 local product vendors under Persatuan Eko Tani, describing the turnout and business involvement as evidence of Sabak Bernam’s potential as an ecotourism and cultural destination.
Through Karnival Ban Canal, MBI Selangor aims to connect the district’s tourism and cultural assets with income opportunities for local businesses and communities.
The initiative also supports the aspirations of the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2), which seeks to promote more balanced development and ensure rural communities participate in and benefit from the state’s economic growth. ‒ Focus Malaysia
