Author: Atan Agus

BEIJING: Malaysia is ready to work closely with China to promote greater people-to-people exchanges as both countries mark the 50th anniversary of establishing their diplomatic ties in 2024. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said Malaysia values its relations with China, and both countries have built strong and substantial relations over the past five decades. “We wish to see the relations between Malaysia and China strengthened and consolidated further as both countries mark the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year,” he said. Johari said this during a meeting with the chairman of the National Committee of…

JOHOR BAHRU – With several locations in Johor showing unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings due to the haze, the state’s Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon has urged the public to put on face masks. The Yong Peng assemblyman, who is also chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association’s youth wing, said that five locations in the state had unhealthy API readings – Tangkak, Segamat, Batu Pahat, Larkin and Pasir Gudang. “The air quality in three other locations – Kluang, Pengerang and Kota Tinggi – is still in the moderate range, but it could reach unhealthy levels as…

The United States conducted a joint naval sail with the Philippines in the South China Sea on Monday, an obvious provocative move considering the tensions between China and the Philippines over the Ren’ai Reef dispute. A Reuters report citing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command said it was the first time Manila and Washington have carried out a joint sail in the waters west of Palawan island. Perhaps the joint sail, apart from underscoring the Philippines’ military alliance with the US, was also meant to assert its baseless claims over the disputed waters. The reckless act to hype…

PASIR GUDANG, Sept 25 — The formation of a unity government in Johor should not be a priority over addressing the state’s high cost of living and food supply issues, said Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros. He said there was no need to raise the issue at the moment as the unity government was already in existence at the federal level. “I don’t think that’s what the people want. At present, the people expect leaders and politicians to think on issues related to food and basic needs such as rice supply and how the government can effectively manage…

KUALA LUMPUR: Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld Malaysia) has proposed to acquire 403.78 acres of land located in Kulai, Johor for RM211.065mil cash. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, EcoWorld Malaysia said it entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with IOI Prima Property Sdn Bhd for the land acquisition. The group plans to develop the land into a business park to be known as Eco Business Park VI (EBP VI) with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of RM1.58bil, catering to medium and light industrial businesses. President and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah said it was a…

That Manila is under the thumb of Washington was made clear on Tuesday when the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr released its national security policy document. In identifying cross-Strait relations as a potential regional flashpoint and a major concern, Manila has simply parroted Washington’s distorted narrative on the Taiwan question. Showing the extent to which Manila is in Washington’s clutches, the 48-page document states that “sharpening strategic competition between the United States and China” and “heightened rivalries among the major powers” are creating a “more tense geopolitical landscape” and fueling concerns for the island. Given that the Philippines recognizes…

JOHOR BARU: The youth wings of Johor Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional want at least 60% of young voters to turn up in the upcoming Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections. Johor Pakatan Youth chief Muhammad Taqiuddin Cheman said young voters, who are 40 years old and below, play a pivotal role in the by-elections as they make up more than half of the population in the two areas. “We know that it is not easy to attract voters to vote in any by-election or state election. “If we can get at least 60% of the young voters to come out…

While the India-Malaysia relationship has been friendly since 1957, when the diplomatic relations between the two countries were established, the year 2019 did witness a dip in the ties, when the then Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad’s remark about Kashmir and India’s Citizenship Amendment Act caused turbulence. Malaysia’s support for the Pakistan-China agenda on Kashmir was severely criticised by the Indian strategic community. However, the two countries have again moved to restore friendly ties in the last couple of years. The year 2022, witnessed three military exercises conducted jointly by the two countries: air-force exercise Udara Shakti (August 2022), naval exercise…

ISKANDAR PUTERI: An increased in Methyl Mercaptan readings due to fumes from burnt chemical containers has been identified as the source of air pollution that affected 24 students at SK Sungai Tiram in Ulu Tiram near here, today. Methyl mercaptan known as methanethiol, is a toxic, extremely flammable, colourless gas with a smell similar to rotten cabbage. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit of methanethiol is 10 parts per million (ppm), while the reading recorded was 50ppm. The Hazardous Material Unit (Hazmat) and Johor Department of Environment (DoE) officers conducted an intensive 12-hour operation before they…

KUALA LUMPUR: Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV) may review and re-evaluate its development plans for Forest City in two years if it becomes necessary, according to its regional vice president, Ir Syarul Izam Sarifudin. Despite a weak domestic real estate market in the post-pandemic era, he asserted that the company is committed to planning its massive development project in accordance with the master plan. “The company remains optimistic about developing an artificial island with the real estate sector as its core business. “However, unforeseen factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the slow global economy had…