KUALA LUMPUR: A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea at 6.31pm today.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department, in a statement, said the earthquake occurred 43km north of Goroka, with a depth of 10km.
However, it said there is no tsunami threat to Malaysia. - NST
KUALA LUMPUR: A monsoon surge is expected to occur from Dec 25 to 29, potentially bringing continuous rain to the eastern parts of Peninsular Malaysia.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said analysis of the latest weather models also indicates strong winds and rough seas over the South China Sea.
"The public is advised to refer to MetMalaysia's website at www.met.gov.my and social media platforms, and to download the myCuaca application for the latest and verified information," he said in a statement shared on MetMalaysia's Facebook page on Monday (Dec 22). – Bernama
PETALING JAYA: MCA Youth respects the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision to dismiss Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest but has concerns over constitutional issues.
The wing's deputy information chief Neow Choo Seong (pic) said Najib's constitutional rights must continue to be upheld.
He also called on relevant authorities to urgently address what he described as "serious constitutional questions" relating to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's powers of pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
He said it was deeply concerning that the Addendum Order decreed by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong since early 2024 had been "trivialised, denied, concealed and allegedly manipulated by certain parties".
"This stands in stark contrast to the royal pardon granted to the current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on May 16, 2018, which was implemented without delay," he said in a statement on Monday (Dec 22).
Neow warned that such inconsistencies could create a troubling perception that a decree issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could be selectively delayed, ignored or denied without legal consequence.
"This undermines public confidence in the rule of law and the sanctity of constitutional processes.
"Justice must not only be upheld but must also be seen to be upheld "in substance and in practice, not merely proclaimed in words.
"Today's decision is not about guilt or innocence; it is fundamentally about the denial of an individual's constitutional rights," he said.
Neow also said MCA Youth condemned remarks made by DAP national publicity secretary Yeo Bee Yin.
"Rejoicing in the suffering of others is a despicable act that should neither be condoned nor normalised in a civilised society," he said, adding that such behaviour reflected a grave lack of compassion, dignity and basic humanity. - Star
Wong Chen's call follows claims Ko Htet Myat Aung was assaulted while being detained by the military.
The PKR MP urged Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, to enquire about the status of 24-year-old Ko Htet Myat Aung, who was reportedly arrested in Mandalay on Dec 17.
He said Mohamad should use the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting as a platform to raise the matter.
Mohamad had presided over the meeting in Kuala Lumpur earlier this evening, although Myanmar officials were said to have joined virtually.
Wong’s call follows claims that Ko, the former president of a student union at a Myanmar university, was assaulted while being arrested by the military.
The Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) had called for his immediate release, expressing fears he may face torture while being detained.
APHR urged Asean member states to exert diplomatic and political pressure on Myanmar to guarantee the activist’s safety and obtain his release, along with other political prisoners.
“The arrest and abuse of Ko reflect the Myanmar military’s systematic use of torture and arbitrary detention to silence peaceful dissent, dismantle democratic leadership, and entrench its grip on power through fear and repression,” said Indonesian MP and APHR chairman Mercy Chriesty Barends. - FMT
Performance outcomes are now the primary determinant for rewards and recognition under phase 2 of the Public Service Remuneration System.
Public services department director-general Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said performance outcomes are now the primary determinant for rewards and recognition under the new phase, which comes into effect next month, Bernama reported.
He said phase 2 also emphasises service quality, speed of delivery, and innovation as the core criteria for evaluation.
“The goal is to build an outcome-oriented public service culture that encourages civil servants to be innovative and agile in meeting public expectations,” he said.
Wan Ahmad said the initiative will also serve as a strategic tool to attract and retain high-quality talent, helping to narrow the competitiveness gap between the public and private sectors.
“A competitive pay structure, supported by continuous professional development, will align the public service more closely with external market standards,” he said.
Civil servants who have signed up for the SSPA will receive the phase 2 salary adjustment next month, with the increase based on their final salary on Dec 31.
Phase 2 involves a 15% rise for the implementation group and management and professional group (P&P) and 7% for the top management group (KPT).
Civil servants in the P&P category will receive an additional 7% increase after the first phase, while the KPT group will receive an additional 3%.
In the first phase, P&P officers received an 8% increase, while those in KPT received 4%, paid from December 2024. - FMT
Ishak takes up the Muslim Bumiputera quota for the post while former Sabah assembly deputy speaker Lawrence Gimbang was made acting STAR deputy president for the non-Muslim Bumiputera slot, Borneo Post reported.
Ishak and Gimbang replaced Robert Tawik and Ellron Alfred Angin, respectively, who had left the party after STAR withdrew from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah led by chief minister Hajiji Noor.
STAR has three deputy presidents, with the third allocated to the Chinese community currently being held by former Inanam assemblyman Kenny Chua.
Also appointed today was Nelson Martin Idang as STAR Youth chief, replacing Tulid assemblyman Jordan Jude Ellron, who is the assistant education, science, technology and innovation minister.
Jordan, Ellron’s son, had quit STAR just before the Nov 29 state election after not being named as a candidate for the Sabah polls.
Fung Len Fui was appointed acting party vice-president, replacing former Tulid assemblyman Flovia Ng, who also left STAR over its decision to quit GRS.
Ng did not defend her seat in the state election.
STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan presented the new leaders with their appointment letters today. - FMT
Johor public works, transport, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Fazli Salleh said the plan by the state government and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) includes the development of several railway stations along the route, Bernama reported.
Fazli said such a service could shorten travel time between Pasir Gudang and other areas such as Kempas and JB Sentral, while also helping to reduce road congestion in Pasir Gudang, Masai, Tampoi and around Johor Bahru city.
“A 25km stretch by train would take about 30 minutes, compared with more than an hour by car during peak hours,” he said in a Facebook post.
This would help workers, students and residents while also bringing social and economic benefits to the state.
Fazli said the Pasir Gudang cargo rail line, involving the tracks, signalling systems and safety aspects, had been upgraded. This made the infrastructure ready to support passenger services.
“This makes the cost of launching passenger services lower. There is no need to build an entirely new railway line,” he said.
He said the plan is also part of efforts to expand the passenger rail network in the state.
KTMB recently launched its KL Sentral-Johor Bahru electric train service, making travel easier and faster to the state from Kuala Lumpur and the north. - FMT
MANY Malaysians remain hesitant to discuss cyberbullying at work despite the increased coverage of this topic in Malaysian press recently.
Recent stories highlighted growing fears regarding online harassment in the workplace including hateful messages on office group chats and coworkers posting hurtful rumours or gossip through social media.
These incidents although reported rarely as a front page story are in fact occurring regularly and affecting more individuals than we would assume.
The worst part is not always the act itself, but the silence that follows. How come there appears to be an inability to speak up by those who have been bullied? Why do so many people choose to silently endure their suffering?
Employees may remain silent because of confusion about employee rights. Most employees do not pay attention to the numerous news stories about workplace bullying and harassment issues; instead, employees mostly ignore legal updates and policy notices regarding their rights as an employee.
Employees often are not provided with information to identify when harassment or cyberbullying is occurring (i.e., which actions constitute cyberbullying) nor are employees informed of the appropriate course of action or the correct individual to report the incident to.
Thus, for many employees receiving harassing texts or emails from a supervisor at night or being ridiculed by coworkers via group chat constitutes acceptable treatment; therefore, it is commonplace for employees to “just deal” with this type of behavior. The view that online harassment/abuse is acceptable behavior fosters a culture of silence among employees.
In addition, there are possibilities that employers may or may not report incidents of harassment/bullying. Employers fear that reporting harassment will negatively affect the reputation of their organisation.
As such, employers dismiss employees’ concerns/complaints or direct them through a lengthy internal process that never leads to resolution.
Furthermore, in some cases, employees must report the harassment to the very same supervisor who committed the harassment and then the employee receives no further assistance, thus creating a system that protects those who have the strongest voice while ignoring those who are the most vulnerable.
The fear of speaking up often originates from a belief in one’s own inferiority; an assumption that sharing one’s thoughts may reveal one’s vulnerabilities. For women, there are fears of being labeled “emotional”, of receiving blame, of losing potential opportunities due to perceptions they cannot handle pressure.
Many workplaces have environments where it feels safer to remain silent than to speak up about problems. As a result, we often decide to shoulder the burdens alone, rather than taking action that would allow our wounds to heal.
It is at this point that we have to discuss values. Human values, and in some cases spiritual values. From an elementary Islamic ethics standpoint, all humans have a basic obligation to treat one another with respect, compassion, and fairness.
The values that are important to me and affect how I view this issue are safety, respect, and support at work, and not monitoring, humiliation or threatening through social media, etc. Islam emphasises caring about each other as members of a community; we watch out for one another, not walk away from a person who needs us.
Therefore, companies will have to create a culture based on compassion and not fear. Leaders will have to set an example by being responsible with the use of online communication and ethical. Colleagues will have to step up against bullying behaviours rather than just standing there watching.
However, policy changes must happen with the actions of people, with genuine dialogue and greater awareness and with organisations that really listen. There has to be clear information for employees regarding what cyberbullying is and what they can do if/when they experience it.
Organisations must create secure, private ways for employees to report incidents and take action when an employee requests assistance. As individuals we must be willing to check-in on coworkers, to offer them support and to advocate for justice if we witness it.
While you hear a lot about digital transformation, innovation and future-ready workplaces, there is no future to build in the workplace when the employees inside do not have a safe place to work in.
Recent news reports clearly show, online harassment is an increasing concern for all, and has the ability to affect peoples’ lives, careers and overall emotional wellbeing.
To have healthy workplaces, we need to stop the silence and recognise that words sent via a screen can be damaging, as much as words spoken directly to someone’s face. We must also decide as a collective body, to choose kindness, fairness and courage over fear.
Even though cyberbullying occurs online, the damage done by cyberbullying is very human, and now it is time to answer with humanity as well.
Dr Madiha Baharuddin is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fiqh-Usul and Applied Sciences, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.
