Author: Murni Yakoob

PETALING JAYA: The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) has announced that its founder, Cynthia Gabriel, will be stepping down as executive director. Pushpan Murugiah, an investigative researcher at the organisation, will replace Cynthia as the acting CEO. “We thank her for her remarkable contributions to combat corruption these past seven years,” said C4 in a statement today. “She will continue to serve as a senior adviser and help C4 set direction and policies.” Cynthia will also remain on C4’s board of directors. In December 2021, Cynthia was named by the US State Department as one of its “Anti-Corruption Champions”.…

Malaysia’s electoral system follows the Westminster parliamentary model, with the government elected through a first-past-the-post or simple majority system. From Malaya’s independence in 1957 through the formation of Malaysia in 1963 until the 2018 general election, the minimum voting age was 21. This excluded many Malaysian adults, with students in higher education institutions making up no less than a third of this number. This has changed since the election of 2018 and student issues have risen up the agenda. Student voices matter The current prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, was among the more vocal student activists when rural poverty was a…

Furniture maker Sern Kou Resources Bhd reported a fire incident at one of the manufacturing plants of its wholly-owned subsidiary Sern Kou Furniture Industries Sdn Bhd (SKFI) in Muar, Johor. The fire incident, which occurred last Friday (Dec 16), did not result in any fatalities, and none of the workers there were injured, the company told Bursa Malaysia on Sunday. The fire broke out around 4pm at the affected plant — which consists of a single-storey furniture factory building — and the cause of the fire was still under investigation. “The incident affected two spraying lines, inventory work-in-progress and finished…