Kelantan govt admits state water provider owes TNB RM61m, promises staged repayment
State Infrastructure, Water and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Dr Izani Husin said the arrears were partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Movement Control Order, which hindered bill collection, coupled with some residents withholding payment during frequent water supply disruptions.
'TNB has met with us to discuss possible solutions, but no agreement has been finalised. We will discuss further to determine a repayment schedule. With AKSB's improved management, we are confident the debt will be cleared according to the agreed timeline,' he told reporters after the weekly state executive council meeting at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim today.
He added that AKSB had previously settled older electricity arrears according to schedule, but several districts were found to still have outstanding amounts.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof revealed that AKSB's arrears with TNB had reached about RM61 million as of June 30. — Bernama
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Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Penang DAP to file police report over ‘illegal' Umno Youth-led rally on upside-down flag controversy
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 14 — Penang DAP will lodge a police report against an allegedly illegal gathering organised by Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh in Kepala Batas this evening. Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim Chee Keong called on the police to take stern action against Dr Akmal for his clear defiance of police directive not to organise a rally over the upside-down flag issue. 'The rally by Akmal Saleh and his group is a violation of the law and a provocation that threatens public order,' he said in a statement issued today. He said the police should take action to send a signal that such acts of provocation will not be tolerated in this country, especially during Merdeka month which should promote unity, not division. Sim said Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail had urged all parties not to gather at Kepala Batas today, but they ignored it. 'As part of the state government, Penang DAP fully respected the police's directives and did not mobilise our members or supporters to take part in the gathering,' he said. He said only local representatives were present to distribute the Jalur Gemilang in conjunction with Merdeka celebrations to foster patriotism and strengthen unity. Earlier this evening, Dr Akmal led approximately 200 people in a 1.4km march to the hardware shop in Kepala Batas over the upside-down flag issue. Dr Akmal had reportedly claimed that they only wanted to send a clear message about respecting the Jalur Gemilang and that it cannot be hung upside down. Earlier today, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail had advised for the gathering to be called off as it could threaten public safety and well-being. 'To safeguard the safety of the local community and to prevent any form of unhealthy confrontation between opposing groups, PDRM advises all parties involved to cancel the planned gathering,' he said. Some of the shops in the area shuttered early to avoid being caught in the gathering. There was also heavy police presence in the area to control the crowd. The controversy arose after the hardware store in Jalan Bertam Perdana recently went viral for flying the national flag upside down. The 59-year-old shop owner, who was arrested and investigated over the incident, reportedly said it was an unintentional mistake while measuring the flagpole and that he had corrected the mistake later. Following the controversy, DAP announced that it would sponsor a giant Jalur Gemilang for the shop and mobilised Penang party members to distribute 831 flags.
Focus Malaysia
an hour ago
- Focus Malaysia
Where were you when…?
THERE'S a question that often arises when something big happens — a historic moment, a national milestone, a collective high. It usually begins like this: 'Where were you when…?' Most of the time, it's not about geography. It's about memory. About anchoring ourselves to something larger. About remembering not just what happened, but how it made us feel. For me, one such moment was the night of the 1992 Thomas Cup finals. Malaysia versus Indonesia. Badminton, of course. It was a Saturday, and I was a 17-year-old schoolboy at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. I watched it from the common room of our hostel, surrounded by boys in kain pelikat, clutching pillows, Milo mugs and SPM notes, all eyes fixed on a grainy television screen that struggled to keep up with the speed of the shuttle. We won. We brought the cup home after 25 years. And for a few beautiful hours, everything else faded—prep class, homesickness, SPM trial stress—replaced by a kind of joy that felt bigger than sport. Bigger than school. Something national, something shared. That moment, and others like it, become personal chapters in a larger story: the story of how we remember Malaysia. Another such chapter came in May 2018, when Malaysians went to the polls in what would become one of the most significant general elections in our history. For the first time, the ruling coalition was changed. Not through force, not through upheaval, but through the quiet, determined power of the vote. People queued in the heat, some for hours. Some travelled across borders, taking buses and flights home just to mark an X on a ballot. There was tension, yes. But there was also something else: hope. Hope that this country belonged to its people. That we were no longer just passengers, but co-pilots. That power could change hands peacefully. That we, the rakyat, are the ones responsible in deciding the direction of this country moving forward. You didn't need to be in Putrajaya or Dataran Merdeka to feel it. You could have been watching from a living room in Penang, or a mamak in Johor Bahru, or a hostel room in Sarawak. It didn't matter where you were; because the moment definitely reached you. That's what makes these memories powerful. They become shared reference points in the timeline of our lives. Of course, not every Merdeka memory is tied to politics or spectacle. Sometimes, it's quieter. A flag being raised in your neighbourhood. A conversation over teh tarik about what independence really means. A late-night drive on empty roads, with patriotic songs playing softly on the radio. These small moments matter too. Because nationhood is built not just on events, but on experience. It's not just the milestones we remember; it's the way they made us feel connected. Even when we were far apart. And that's the thread I keep coming back to: our shared experiences. You and I may have grown up in different towns, spoken different dialects, attended different schools. But the moment the Sidek brothers stepped onto the court, or when the results rolled in after GE14; we were there, in spirit, together. And yet, these memories, whether personal or collective, are slowly fading. We live in a time of fast timelines and short attention spans. Moments come and go, swallowed by algorithm and speed. The things that once glued us together are being replaced by smaller, more personalised stories. Of course they are important, yes, but they are also often disconnected from the whole. That's why I believe now, more than ever, we need to start recording our stories. Not for history books, but for each other. For the generations who didn't grow up with the Thomas Cup, or the Reformasi years, or who never saw a transfer of power that felt truly earned. It doesn't have to be big. Just honest. Write about where you were when something mattered. Tell your children what Merdeka meant to your parents. Share with a friend that memory you've always carried but never voiced. Because if we don't pass these stories on, who will? So this Merdeka, ask someone: 'Where were you when…?' and listen carefully. Then share your own. Memory, like nationhood, lives best when it is passed from hand to hand. ‒ Aug 14, 2025 Ir Dr Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, and the Principal of Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: NST
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
TYT receives invitation to Sarawak-level 2025 National Day celebration
Wan Junaidi (centre) receives the invitation from Fatimah (fifth left) during the courtesy call. – Photo from Astana Negeri KUCHING (Aug 14): Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today received a courtesy call from the main organising committee of the 2025 Sarawak-level National Day celebration at the Astana Negeri in Petra Jaya. According to a posting on his official Facebook page, the delegation was led by Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, who is also the minister-in-charge of the celebration. Also present were state deputy ministers Datuk Len Talif Salleh and Datuk Abdullah Saidol, who serve as deputy ministers-in-charge. The visit was to hand over an official invitation to Wan Junaidi and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi to attend various events in conjunction with the celebration, which will be hosted by Sarikei Division this year. The Head of State and his wife have been invited as guests of honour for the Unity Walk and the 2025 Sarawak-level National Day Assembly. During the session, Wan Junaidi expressed his appreciation to the organising committee for their hard work in ensuring the celebration's success. 'This celebration will strengthen the spirit of togetherness and foster unity and love for the state and nation among Sarawakians of all races,' he was quoted as saying in the post. The Facebook post added that the courtesy call reflected the close cooperation between the state leadership and the organisers in making the 2025 Sarawak-level National Day celebration a success. Also in attendance were Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development permanent secretary Datu Felicia Tan Ya Hua, Sarikei Division resident Datu Michael Ronnie Langgong, Sarawak Protocol, Ceremony and Event Management Unit director Datu Hamdan Sharbini, Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) deputy director Mohamed Faizal Shah Ali, and Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) acting chief executive officer, Awang Ikman Awang Sepian. National Day celebration Wan Junaidi
