
Kosovo president visits Pak Lah's grave
Osmani also visited the grave of Malaysia's fifth prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who passed away on April 14.
She was accompanied by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, the minister in attendance.
Also present were the late Abdullah's son Kamaluddin and daughter Nori.
The visit symbolised Kosovo's gratitude for Malaysia's steadfast support during its state-building journey, particularly under Abdullah's leadership, and highlighted the shared values of peace, unity and mutual respect between the two nations.
On Friday, Osmani posthumously awarded Abdullah Kosovo's highest state honour, the Order of Independence, in recognition of his dedication to peace and freedom in Kosovo, as well as his unwavering support for the country's independence and state-building efforts.
The award was received by Abdullah's son-in-law and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Bernama reported.
In quiet reflection: Osmani (seated third from left) offering prayers during her visit to Abdullah's grave. Also present are (from left): Nori, Fadhlina and Kamaluddin. — Bernama
Earlier, Osmani visited the National Mosque and the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, underscoring the cultural significance of Kosovo's engagement with Malaysia.
During the museum visit, she explored the gallery titled Oceans That Speak: Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World, which highlights the spread of Islam across maritime South-East Asia, and its cultural and civilisational impact on the Malay archipelago.
The National Mosque is a key symbol of Malaysia's religious and national identity, while the museum, established in 1998, is the largest in South-East Asia.
The cultural programme formed part of her broader agenda to strengthen bilateral relations, which included the official opening of the Kosovo Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and high-level discussions with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
During a joint press conference, both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in key areas such as trade, education, tourism and culture, while also enhancing people-to-people ties through student exchanges and university partnerships.
Malaysia officially recognised Kosovo on Oct 30, 2008, becoming one of the first Asian countries to do so, with diplomatic relations formally established on March 18, 2011.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Barnama
32 minutes ago
- Barnama
New Early Childhood Education Act On The Way
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- A new act on early childhood education will be introduced to ensure comprehensive and effective regulation, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said it is among the education reform strategies outlined under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) aimed at strengthening governance in the country's education system. 'Governance at all levels of learning from preschool, primary, secondary and up to pre-university will be strengthened to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery more comprehensively,' she said during her winding-up speech on the 13MP for the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the Dewan Rakyat today. She added that MOE will also introduce the 2026 Preschool Curriculum, based on the 2027 School Curriculum Framework, emphasising character building, self-confidence, love, and resilience through age-appropriate experiential learning. 'In line with this, the national preschool curriculum will be made mandatory for all early childhood education institutions, with emphasis on human dignity values, character formation, critical thinking and life skills,' she said. 'To achieve this, enforcement of the Education Act 1996 will be strengthened,' she said. Meanwhile, Fadhlina said MOE remains committed to maintaining the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) as an internationally recognised pre-university qualification. 'With about 50,000 to 55,000 enrolments annually, various measures are being and will continue to be implemented to attract SPM graduates, particularly through the Form Six Education Roadmap 2024-2030,' she said. The roadmap focuses on five key areas - image branding, infrastructure enhancement, administrative improvements, more flexible teaching and learning, and a curriculum benchmarked against international standards such as A-Levels.

The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Water, energy supply key to attracting investors, says PM Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The ability to provide sufficient water and energy supply is among the main attractions for investors in the semiconductor, data centre, and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors in Malaysia, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said this was further strengthened by the country's capacity to provide professional manpower expertise, which was a key strategic requirement for investors. "These two aspects (water and energy) are very strategic, and I wish to emphasise that we will not be able to maintain Malaysia's credibility as a peaceful and competent nation if we cannot resolve matters related to water and energy. "It is not only about providing (water and electricity facilities to investors), but also about how we manage the (prices) of water and energy at reasonable levels without burdening the people,' he said when officiating the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (LRA2) here on Wednesday (Aug 20). Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister. Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia continued to face wastage issues, particularly involving Non-Revenue Water (NRW) due to usage practices and weaknesses in the old piping system. He said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the minister responsible, had raised the matter numerous times during Cabinet meetings, and following discussions, it would be made one of the priorities under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). The Prime Minister said in terms of water management, ensuring comfort and meeting the people's needs remained the government's main priority. "How can a country with an abundance of water, with floods two or three times a year, still face water shortages? That means something is wrong, not because of Allah's will, but due to a lack of human ingenuity. "Take Jordan, for example. They may only have heavy rain two or three times a year, but they are able to store water for times of need. That is why our technology must not only focus on advancement but also ensure water-saving measures are in place," said Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister.- Bernama


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
B40 households unaffected in PPR whitening exercise, says minister
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has assured that genuinely eligible B40 households will not be affected by the ongoing People's Housing Programme whitening exercise carried out by Kuala Lumpur City Hall. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the MADANI government inherited a big challenge in ensuring that PPR facilities truly reach those who are in need. She said that with rental rates as low as RM124 per month, PPR homes are among the government's major subsidies to help B40 families live more comfortably in the capital city. The whitening process aims to ensure fairness in the allocation process. Zaliha stated she felt compelled to respond to the issue of PPR eviction notices that have caused public concern in recent days. For those affected and wishing to appeal, they can do so within 30 days. For tenants facing rental arrears, DBKL is ready to negotiate installment rates and schedules. Tenants only need to pledge to comply with the agreed schedule so that they can continue to stay in the PPR homes under the agreed-upon terms. Zaliha shared this information in a Facebook post today. DBKL has set clear eligibility conditions for tenants, including being a married Malaysian citizen couple. Tenants must have a household income not exceeding RM3,000 for low-cost and RM4,000 for medium-cost units. Tenants must also not own any property or land within 35 kilometres of the city centre. Additional requirements include holding the status of widow, widower, or single parent. Applicants must be living or working in Kuala Lumpur and be registered with DBKL. The whitening process conducted by DBKL is to enforce these conditions. Tenants were notified six months before the end of their lease, which is a standard review procedure carried out each time a rental contract expires. Out of the 3,379 tenants reviewed, 3,031 tenants or 89.7 per cent remain eligible and can continue renting. Some 348 tenants or 10.3 per cent failed to have their leases renewed due to violations. Violations included high rental arrears and household income exceeding eligibility limits. Other violations involved owning property within 35 km of Kuala Lumpur and non-citizen status of spouses. Some tenants were found not residing in the PPR unit. Current arrears for PPR and DBKL public housing have reached up to RM70 million. This long-standing issue must be boldly addressed to ensure public housing initiatives are fair. The government wants to ensure these initiatives truly assist those in need. Vacant units resulting from the whitening exercise will be reassigned to applicants with the greatest need. - Bernama