AG says lack of scrutiny led to errors in Najib’s court documents

 Dusuki Mokhtar says those responsible should have exercised greater care to prevent such errors.

Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar said there were ‘obvious’ defects in the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s Order of Discharge relating to Najib Razak’s sentence. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar has questioned the care taken in preparing court documents relating to the implementation of Najib Razak’s house arrest order.

In a Berita Harian report, Dusuki said there were “obvious” defects in the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s Order of Discharge relating to the former prime minister’s sentence in the SRC International corruption case.

Dusuki said such issues should not have arisen if those involved had carefully scrutinised every detail.

“This should not have happened if the parties concerned had been thorough,” he said.

“The errors are obvious and have caused unnecessary problems.”

The alleged defects, which have raised questions among legal practitioners, reportedly involve the accuracy of the terminology and legal provisions used in the document.

The document was issued by the Kuala Lumpur High Court after the RM50 million fine imposed on the former Umno president was paid through a solidarity fund launched by the party, paving the way for him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers subsequently moved to defer the implementation of Najib’s house arrest until a review of the conditional pardon and Order of Discharge was conducted.

It said these two issues involved “complex legal questions” that had implications for the execution of the royal pardon and a court order.

The AGC said its request was not an attempt to dispute the conditional pardon, but to clarify the legal effect of the discharge order.

Its decision drew criticism from Istana Negara, which said any arguments challenging the conditional pardon order for Najib amounted to defying the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree.

Istana Negara maintained that the pardon order was clear, explicit and unambiguous, and had no bearing on any other cases faced by Najib.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said Dusuki had requested an audience with the king to clarify the legal questions which led him to propose a deferment of Najib’s house arrest pending clarification by the court.

Dusuki declined to comment when asked by Berita Harian about the audience. - FMT

Trump says offer of press secretary role to UFC chief was a joke

 The press secretary role, one of the administration's most visible positions, has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left less than a week after taking the job.

Dana White (left), president and CEO of UFC, is a longtime friend of US president Donald Trump. (EPA Images pic)

WEST PALM BEACH:

US president Donald Trump said Sunday that he was only joking when he offered the role of White House press secretary to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief Dana White earlier in the weekend.

“I was only kidding, but Dana loves the idea,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac of his namesake airport in Florida.

The press secretary role – traditionally one of the administration’s most visible positions – has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on Oct 16 after less than a week on the job.

White, the 57-year-old president and CEO of UFC, and is a long-time friend of the president.

Speaking in London late Saturday, White was reticent, saying that he would “have more to talk about” after meeting with Trump on Monday.

White’s UFC staged a bloody cage fight on the White House South Lawn on Trump’s 80th birthday in June, and he appeared on stage with Trump during his reelection victory speech in 2024.

In a social media post Saturday, Trump implored White to accept his offer, writing, “Dana, please take the job!” and calling him a “violent fighter and warrior.”

He also suggested White bring along several fighters as assistants, three of whom were not American.

In his comments Sunday, Trump suggested the inclusion of the fighters “from parts unknown” was how the public should have known it was a joke.

“Of course I was kidding, and you could see that because I put all of the great fighters as his assistants,” Trump said.

Trump also confirmed that a meeting with White was still planned for Monday. - FMT

Malaysia to speed up quantum migration process to safeguard national data

 Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil says he has asked MCMC, MKN, Nacsa and telco companies to explore potential collaboration in the area.

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the proposed collaboration will involve establishing an R&D space to facilitate faster and more secure quantum migration in Malaysia. (Facebook pic)

DOHA:

Malaysia is considering accelerating its quantum migration process to strengthen national data security amid advances in quantum computing technology that are expected to pose new challenges to cybersecurity systems.

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said he had asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to hold discussions with the National Security Council (MKN), the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) and telecommunications companies to explore potential collaboration in this area.

Fahmi said the collaboration would involve establishing a research and development space to facilitate faster and more secure quantum migration in Malaysia.

“Malaysia is considering accelerating its quantum migration process. I have asked MCMC to engage with the NSC and Nacsa and discuss with telecommunications companies on how we can work together to establish an R&D space for faster and more secure quantum migration,” he said.

Quantum migration refers to the process of upgrading existing digital security systems to adopt quantum-resistant encryption technologies designed to protect data against potential threats from future quantum computers.

Fahmi was commenting on technological innovations that could benefit Malaysia after visiting several exhibition booths at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Doha 2026 yesterday.

He said one of the technological innovations that caught his attention was quantum-safe communication, which is becoming increasingly important for future data protection.

He said the emergence of quantum computers on the market was expected to pose significant challenges to existing cryptography and encryption methods used to safeguard data.

“I foresee that quantum migration and quantum-safe communication will be among the key issues facing many countries in the years ahead.

“Quantum computers are expected to enter the market in the near future, posing major challenges to existing cryptography and encryption methods used to ensure our data remains secure,” he said.

Apart from quantum technology, he said his visit to the exhibition booths also provided an opportunity to explore various innovations, including the integration of artificial intelligence into smart city services and security systems. - FMT

A Deepavali without Indiran

 As her family observes a year of mourning, Usha Suppiah remembers her son, whose warmth, laughter and presence made the festive season special.

For Usha Suppiah, Deepavali now brings memories of her eldest son Indiran, who always made time to help at home and celebrate with the family. (Usha Suppiah pic)

PETALING JAYA:

For Usha Suppiah, Deepavali has always been about family. It meant a house filled with relatives, festive cooking and children gathered around to make murukku.

This year, however, the festival will be marked by the absence of her eldest son, K Indiran.

On Feb 18, the 22-year-old armed forces trooper was found unconscious at the 10th Mile Army Camp in Kuantan. He died two days later while receiving treatment.

“The last time Indiran was here, we were all happy. But this year, he’s not around, and when we feel one of the family members is not around, we feel ‘one kind’,” Usha, 52, told FMT Lifestyle.

“I really miss him. All of the family members miss him. But still life must go on.”

Following Hindu tradition, they will not be celebrating Deepavali for a year after the death of a family member. Still, Usha and her three other children will observe prayers and have a modest gathering with relatives travelling from different parts of the country.

Her youngest daughter, 12, has been trying to understand why the celebrations will be different this year. “She asked, ‘Amma, why is Anna (big brother) not around? We cannot celebrate Deepavali, right?’

“I said to her, ‘Yes, Anna is not around, but we are still doing prayers. We are not celebrating in a grand way, but still we are doing makan-makan’,” Usha, a nurse, said.

Despite his mother’s initial fears about his chosen path, Indiran followed in his late father’s footsteps by joining the armed forces. (Usha Suppiah pic)

In previous years, Indiran would return home about a week before Deepavali to help clean and decorate the house, accompany his mother on shopping trips, and prepare traditional treats such as murukku.

He was also the life of family gatherings, often entertaining his relatives and friends.

“Indiran’s uncles and friends would gather, have drinks, and then Indiran would dance and sing. We would all fully enjoy ourselves because he would dance with us. That, I cannot forget,” Usha said.

Indiran had also taken on greater responsibilities at home after his father, a Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, died in an aircraft crash in 2016. As the oldest of four children, he stepped up to help his mother and look after his siblings.

“He took care of his sisters and brother. He would cook rice, clean the house … just like my husband, he would help out with all the housework.”

Temple visits, prayers and time with loved ones were part of the family’s Deepavali traditions when Indiran was still with them. (Usha Suppiah pic)

Given that her husband had died in an aircraft crash, Usha was initially reluctant to let Indiran join the armed forces. Eventually, however, she accepted that it was the path he was determined to follow.

Indiran had been in service for less than two years when he passed away. During that time, he had developed a reputation for his good attitude and humility.

He was also skilled in photography, often taking pictures at army camp events attended by senior officers, and had been trained to operate drones.

It is the everyday moments Usha misses most, particularly the calls Indiran would make to check on her.

“He would call several times a day and say, ‘Amma, how are you? Have you eaten? How’s your work today? Eat well, sleep well, take care’,” she said.

“I really miss his calls, his voice. Nobody can replace him.”

Usha remembers Indiran for the laughter, affection and sense of togetherness he brought to family gatherings. (Usha Suppiah pic)

About a week before his death, Usha had met Indiran in Taiping and cooked some of his favourite dishes, including fish sodhi, bayam and lala.

“We then went to a Chinese restaurant and I fed him, and he fed me,” Usha recalled. “He said, ‘Amma, luckily you came.’ It was the last dish I cooked for him, the food that he liked.”

For Usha, the meaning of Deepavali has not changed; what is different is that her son is no longer there to share it with the family.

“Even though he’s not around, we feel that he’s here. We cannot see him, but all the family members can feel him,” she added.

“We are going to miss his funny attitude, silly jokes, and the love and laughter he brought into our lives.” - FMT