The government has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the people and ensuring the stability of commodity prices despite rising global oil prices following the conflict in the Middle East. FACEBOOK/KEMENTERIAN KEWANGAN
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the people and ensuring the stability of commodity prices despite rising global oil prices following the conflict in the Middle East.
In a Facebook post today, the Finance Ministry (MoF) said the government is continuing its efforts through the Subsidised Petrol Control System (SKPS) and the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS), which provide targeted fuel subsidies for the land and water public transport sectors, as well as for the transportation of selected goods.
"These measures help keep transportation costs under control and ensure that commodity prices remain stable," the ministry said.
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According to the infographic shared, the retail price of subsidised petrol under SKPS for public transport and goods transportation has been maintained at RM2.05 per litre.
Meanwhile, under SKDS, the subsidised diesel price for the land transport sector remains at RM1.88 per litre, while diesel for goods transportation continues to be capped at RM2.15 per litre.
The ministry added that the government will continue to closely monitor global developments and adopt a prudent approach to protect the well-being of the rakyat. - Star
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Salleh, Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and corporate icon Datuk Abdul Farish Abd Rashid are among the notable recipients of state awards in conjunction with the 75th birthday of Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman on Monday (March 30).
They will receive the Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK) award, Sabah's highest honour, which carries the title "Datuk Seri Panglima".
There are 1,026 names comprising politicians, armed and security forces personnel, academicians, business and corporate figures as well as reporters in a list made available to the media on Sunday (March 29) night.
A total of 79 people – including Musa's son and Sungai Manila assemblyman Hazem Mubarak Musa as well as the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin's son and Kinabatangan MP Kurniawan Naim Moktar – were awarded the state's second-highest award, the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK), which carries the title "Datuk".
Hazem (left) and Naim will be awarded the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK).
Others to get receive the title "Datuk" include Malaysia police secretary Deputy Comm Abdul Rahman Kassim, Kota Kinabalu Journalists Association chairman Jimmy Goh, Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer and political analyst Prof Lee Kuok Tiung, veteran footballer Henry Saimpon, Sabah Health Director Dr William Gotulis, Sabah Chief Conservator of Forests Zulkifli Suara and Karate exponent Michelle Koh.
Among the 117 recipients of the Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu include Armed Forces Brigade 5 Chief of Staff Leftenan Kolonel Azmeer Rezza Azali, Sabah journalist and Info X managing director Willie Jude Junaidi, Sabah Journalist Association president Mariah Doksil, Keningau OCPD Supt Yampil Garai and RTM Sabah's Azlinah Nineng.
For Ahli Darjah Kinabalu, the 192 recipients include Parti Bersatu Sabah youth leader Steve Johnny Mositun, Sabah RTM's Emran Azmi Rosle as well as artiste and filmmaker Ebi Kornelis.
Meanwhile, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun was among 13 named for the Justice of Peace.
The others include former senator Datuk John Ambrose, lawyers Datuk Ram Singh and Shahlan Jufri, as well as Sabah deputy secretary (development) Datuk Dr Ahemad Sade. - Star
That was how Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman opened his heartfelt speech as he confirmed his engagement to singer and actress Bella Astillah yesterday (March 28), marking a deeply personal milestone that has Malaysians celebrating.
Speaking candidly, Syed Saddiq, 33, described Bella, 32, as an “exceptional” and “extraordinarily talented” woman, highlighting not just her public persona but the qualities he said truly define her character.
He praised her strength and kindness, noting that her compassion extends even to people she has never met — a trait he said made her stand out and ultimately drew him closer to her.
“I think that’s what makes Bella truly special,” he said, adding that his admiration has grown into love for who she is as a person.
In a particularly emotional moment, Syed Saddiq addressed public curiosity surrounding Bella’s two children, Ayden and Ara, making it clear that his commitment is rooted in love and acceptance.
“I don’t love Bella in spite of her children, but because of them,” he said.
Photos: mStarHe emphasised that his feelings for Bella are genuine and unconditional, expressing readiness to embrace her life fully, including her role as a mother.
He also reflected on family values, sharing that seeing Bella with her children reminded him of his own parents and the upbringing that shaped him into who he is today.
The speech concluded with words of gratitude as he thanked Bella for giving him a chance.
The engagement event was broadcast on several television channels.
The speech has since sparked widespread reactions online, with many expressing support and admiration for the couple, describing the moment as both heartfelt and inspiring.
Photo: HandoutEarlier, in a Facebook post, Syed Saddiq shared the special moment of the proposal, which took place on Mount Kinabalu during heavy rain, describing it as the beginning of their happy story.
"I asked, she said yes. This is not the end of the story, it is our beginning. And today is our engagement ceremony, please pray for us.
“It began with a simple collaboration that eventually raised more than RM6 million for the people and without realising it, brought two hearts together. Allah SWT is the best of planners,” he wrote in the caption.
The engagement marks a new chapter for Bella following a highly publicised divorce from Singaporean singer Aliff Aziz in June 2024.
Her previous marriage, which lasted nearly eight years, was frequently overshadowed by allegations of infidelity, leading to widespread public sympathy for the mother of two. - Sinar Daily
ALOR SETAR: Rain in several areas in Kedah, including Kota Setar, Kubang Pasu and Kuala Muda, has brought welcome relief after months of hot and dry weather.
Kedah Meteorological Office director Muhammad Khalil Abdul Aziz said almost all districts in the state, except Langkawi and Bandar Baharu, were expected to experience rain or thunderstorms on Sunday (March 29)evening, in line with the inter-monsoon phase, which typically brings rain or thunderstorms in the evening.
"Several areas and districts saw rain on Sunday as forecast by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia)," he said.
He advised the public to remain alert to weather changes and refer to MetMalaysia's website or social media platforms for the latest weather updates.
Meanwhile, a resident in Titi Gajah here expressed his relief when it rained in his neighbourhood.
"Although it only lasted a few minutes, it felt truly refreshing as it helped reduce the heat," he said. – Bernama
WHEN a person feels parched during the Raya celebration, their thoughts would likely angle towards the diabetes-inducing sirap water or the fragrant Bandung.
Americano is probably the last thing on their mind unless an extra boost is needed to start the morning, thanks to a long journey during the night.
But it appears the people of Kelantan are having a change in beverage this Raya, as pointed out by netizen @MadaniNomics in a recent video post on X.
According to him, the residents of Machang are receiving coffee black water from their water pipes for the entire length of Hari Raya.
Looking at the video, we could only shudder in revolt as a person demonstrates the dark, dirty liquid flowing into a transparent glass cup.
Although this appears to be a novel occurrence since Malaysians generally receive clean water, it appears that this is no longer news, especially for the people of machang.
Netizen @ksampoh in a lengthy comment highlighted that this issue has been occurring for many years.
“Allocations are already there. Projects are already there. The problems are still the same,” he said, adding that this is no longer just a technical issue, but the problem of efficiency of the people’s representatives.
Another netizen pointed out that the Kelantanese will all go home to vote in Kelantan and then return to live in KL, Selangor, Johor Bahru, Seremban or even Singapore.
He did not mention which party the Kelantanese are all voting for, but the answer is clear.
Netizen @ustazzorro sarcastically pointed out that the issue was many hundred years ago and that the water changes from coffee to teh tarik.
The best comment was probably contributed by netizen @Its16about:
Also, @erinya79 echoed his statement, stating that when people vote for a person who is good at religion, he gets a person who is good at religion.
“Here we pick the people who are good at managing the area,” he said.
On another note, Utusan Malaysia in a recent article last month reported that Kelantan is expected to achieve a stable and high-quality water supply by 2030 through the implementation of 34 water infrastructure projects.
“Of the total projects, 13 have been fully completed, nine are under construction, 16 are in the design phase and nine remain in the planning stage,” state officials said.
Most projects are scheduled for completion by 2028, while two large-scale projects are targeted for completion in 2030.
Hopefully, the near future will see our Kelantanese friends enjoying spritzer mineral waters coming from their water pipes, as claimed by these state officials.
Coffee water should be derived from roasted coffee beans, and nothing else. — Focus Malaysia
THE Malaysian Chinese Association is calling for temporary relief measures to cushion small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food manufacturing sector following the recent spike in diesel prices.
Its Economic and SMEs Affairs Committee chairman, Lawrence Low, said many producers are under mounting financial pressure, with some reporting an additional RM100,000 in monthly operating costs.
For businesses already running on thin margins, he warned, the situation could push them towards closure.
Low urged Bank Negara Malaysia and other relevant agencies to consider short-term loan repayment assistance, alongside easier access to low-interest working capital.
His statement was echoed by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) who proposed broader support for its members, including a six-month loan moratorium for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
FMM president emeritus Soh Thian Lai noted that MSMEs make up about 97% of all businesses in Malaysia, many of which have yet to fully recover from the financial strain of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Low, the loan moratorium would help ease immediate cash flow constraints and give affected companies time to stabilise.
He also cautioned that the impact of rising diesel costs extends beyond individual businesses. If left unchecked, it could disrupt food supply chains, affect employment, and ultimately drive up prices for consumers.
However, note that over the years, the central bank has channelled significant funding to support MSMEs through the banking system.
In January alone, Bank Negara announced an additional RM2.5 bil allocation, bringing the total pool of funds available for MSME financing to RM34.9 bil. — Focus Malaysia
THERE is a popular perception that the older generation had sharper financial acumen and could better manage money matters. By extension, the younger generation are said not to be very good at this.
This line of thinking was highlighted in a post on X by self-described satirist and social critic tokcin (@tokcin70) who sought to challenge this popular misconception.
Refuting the myth that Gen Z (persons born between 1997 and 2012) are not financially savvy, he uses how own two kids as examples.
Both are Gen Z fresh grads earning salaries between RM2,500 and RM3,000 per month but despite living under their parents’ roof, they hardly muster any savings after toll, fuel, parking and other daily expenses are deducted.
This is without factoring in the Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) study loans.
He argued that his kids aren’t isolated cases but share a reality faced by many fresh grads trying to survive in the big, bad city.
People aren’t thinking of year-end bonuses when they are busy trying to make it through the month as rising cost of living bites ever deeper.
Underlining the hard, bitter truth, the poster argued that the issue isn’t that Gen Z aren’t good at saving but that salaries are no longer aligned with actual living costs.
The post was in response to another thread lamenting that the child’s monthly wage of RM1,900 was not enough for life in the big city.
The post has generated 339.8K views at time of writing with many fin-experts keen to share their two sen on the topic.
The poster also further observed that the number of differing opinions alone indicated that the system was not working.
There were, of course, those who harked back to bygone eras when they could survive on much lower wages.
It was noted that much depended on the person’s spending habits. It was also pointed out that having one’s own wheels was a luxury that sucked up a lot of expenses.
This notion of cars being an unnecessary expense was seconded by this commenter who claimed his son was able to put aside some cash every month when he was using the MRT.
Having a car in the city was indeed very costly and he advised his son to use two-wheel transport in a bid to cut expenses. “Live according to your means,” was the sound advice here.
A Gen Z commenter earning in the same bracket claimed it was possible to have some savings every month. But she also jokingly mentioned that this was perhaps due to her “being a pauper who was afraid of spending money”!
One disgruntled commenters pointed out that those who compare with yesteryears fail to account for inflation.
Regardless whether one thinks that a certain wage is enough to survive in the city, one thing everyone seems to be in agreement is that the cost of living is rising, silently. Cue key phrases such as “I don’t need that” or “maybe next month”.
