Paris appeals court to hear Sulu claim case on July 7
The next proceedings in the case involving the Sulu group's claim are scheduled to be heard at the Paris Court of Appeal on July 7, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.
She said the hearing would see the French judiciary examine the validity of the arbitration award imposed on Malaysia, as well as various related legal aspects.
'Malaysia will continue to exhaust all efforts...
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
[UPDATED] PM: Malaysia supports global efforts to seek justice for Palestinians
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has thrown his support behind global efforts to seek justice for Palestinians. This comes amid reports that the United States had sent a diplomatic to cable to pressure countries into skipping a United Nations conference in New York next week on a possible two-state solution to resolve the long-running Israel-Palestine conflict. ( Anwar said every nation had the right to participate in the UN conference and voice its stance. "Any country has the right to be present and to express their views, especially regarding justice for the people of Palestine and Gaza. That is our position," he told reporters today after Friday prayers at the Azzubair Ibnul Awwam Mosque in Cheras here. The prime minister also said Malaysia would participate in the UN conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, which aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. Anwar however did not state who would be sent to the conference. He also supported initiatives led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron on the matter. "I support initiatives in this regard by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and also President Macron," he said. The US diplomatic cable, sent to foreign governments on Tuesday, said countries that took "anti-Israel actions" following the conference would be viewed as opposing US foreign policy and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington. The cable, which was not previously reported, runs squarely against the diplomacy of two close allies France and Saudi Arabia. "We are urging governments not to participate in the conference, which we view as counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages," read the US cable. Macron has suggested that France could recognise a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories at the conference. French officials say they have been working to avoid a clash with the US, Israel's staunchest major ally. "The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognise a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies," the cable read. The US for decades backed a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians that would create a state for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel. US President Donald Trump, in his first term, was relatively tepid in his approach to a two-state solution, a longtime pillar of US Middle East policy. He has given little sign of where he stands on the issue in his second term. However on Tuesday, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a long-time vocal supporter of Israel, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
UN conference on Palestine unhelpful, likely to cause harm, says US envoy
KUALA LUMPUR: The United States views the upcoming United Nations conference on ending the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict as poorly timed and counterproductive, says diplomat Edgard D. Kagan. The US Ambassador to Malaysia said the event is 'more likely to cause harm' than support efforts to achieve a ceasefire and peace in Gaza. He was responding to a Reuters report on Wednesday (June 11) citing a US diplomatic cable warning countries against participating in the conference, stating that they could face diplomatic consequences. ALSO READ: UN urges 'courage' in saving Mideast two-state solution When asked about the report, Kagan declined to go into the specifics of the so-called 'consequences' stated in the cable, but made it clear that Washington does not support the conference in its current form. 'Our view is that the timing and the content of this is unhelpful and it's... more likely to cause harm to efforts to try and bring about a ceasefire and to try and bring peace to the region than it will to help. 'We don't believe that this will serve the stated goals of the conference itself. We don't believe that it will help bring peace and that it will help end suffering in the region,' he told a press conference at his official residence here on Friday (June 13). Kagan reiterated the United States' longstanding position in support of peace in the Middle East and emphasised the need for countries in the region to work together and coexist. ALSO READ: France calls on Malaysia to join UN conference on Palestine two-state solution He also underlined the importance of reaching a ceasefire and ending the violence in Gaza. According to Reuters, the United States sent a diplomatic cable earlier this week urging governments not to attend the UN meeting, warning that any country taking 'anti-Israel actions' following the conference could be seen as acting against US foreign policy interests and may face diplomatic consequences. The conference, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia and set to take place from June 17 to 20 in New York, aims to revive international momentum for a two-state solution by laying out a roadmap towards the creation of a Palestinian state while ensuring Israel's security. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend, along with other global leaders, though Israel has announced it will not participate. ALSO READ: France could recognise Palestinian state 'in June': Macron UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has backed the initiative, saying the international community must not only support a solution where independent states of Palestine and Israel coexist peacefully, but also 'materialise the conditions to make it happen.' The US cable reportedly described the event as undermining sensitive ceasefire negotiations led by Egypt and Qatar. Israel has also strongly opposed the conference, accusing it of rewarding the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and lobbying France against recognising a Palestinian state.
Focus Malaysia
20 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Raising retirement as Malaysia ages: Navigating the workforce challenge
THERE is a well-known Asian saying—'older ginger will be spicier'—highlighting the wisdom that often comes with age. Across many Asian cultures, including our own, elders are held in high esteem, seen as valuable sources of guidance and experience. This deep-rooted respect reflect a broader tradition of valuing age not just as a number, but as a reservoir of accumulated insight. However, the increase in the elderly population is putting us between a rock and a hard place. With Malaysia's fertility rate continuing to decline, we are steadily marching into the category of an aged society. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, 11.6% of our total population in 2024 was aged 60 and above. This is projected to grow to 17.3% in 2050, and by 2057 we will become a super-aged society, as 20.5% of our population will be over 60 years old. This immediately poses some important questions that need to be answered quickly, like 'Will our healthcare system be adequate enough to handle the surge of senior citizens?' and 'Will the government be able to shoulder the financial strain of taking care of our elders?' However, the most important question among these is, 'Will we be able to replace the retired workforce when we inevitably become a super-aged society?' Currently, the minimum retirement age is set at 60 years old. Amid rising workforce concerns, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said suggested we raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 65. Raising retirement age to cope with demographic change—especially one that concerns the ageing population—is common practice across the globe. The Chinese government raised the retirement age for men from 60 to 63 years old, for women in blue-collar jobs from 50 to 55, and for women in white-collar jobs from 55 to 58. The Danish government is set to increase the retirement age for people born after December 31, 1970 to 70 years old by 2040. However, common practice does not mean that it is the only one we should consider, and it certainly doesn't mean it is the best. While it is logical, raising the retirement age has its own merits and concerns that need to be addressed. For one, raising the retirement age will certainly benefit future retirees, particularly in terms of their finances, as the cost of living continues to rise. Five more years in employment will be very helpful for workers to financially prepare for their retirement, considering only 33% of active EPF members had minimum savings of RM240,000 for retirement in May 2024. Furthermore, medical insurance premiums continue to rise. In lieu of more and more Malaysians living an unhealthy lifestyle, which leads to an increase in non-communicable diseases and a higher obesity rate, which is projected to hit 41% by 2035, this could quickly deplete retirement savings for the common working class. On a bigger scale, it was estimated that a 1% increase in elderly dependency would reduce our GDP growth by 6.6%. Other than economic and financial concerns, raising the retirement age would definitely have a positive impact on our workforce not only in quantity but also in the depth of experience older workers can provide. This is particularly important given the scale of Malaysia's brain drain. Our highly skilled youth are increasingly seeking better job opportunities abroad, leaving critical gaps in sectors such as engineering, healthcare, and ICT. In such a context, retaining experienced older workers becomes not just a demographic adjustment, but a strategic imperative. Yet, concern over its impact on youth employment immediately arises. Some fear that raising the retirement age would further limit opportunities for the youth, making the job market even tougher than it already is amid economic hardship and limited vacancies, in which over 65% of degree holders earn less than RM3,000 per month, and as much as 36.8% of graduates are underemployed. This suggests that the job market is so rough that the graduates are willing to work for less and accept jobs that do not match their skills. However, in reality, some older workers have faced age discrimination in their workplace. While people from all age groups could experience ageism, it most commonly affects those in their 50s and above, with 57% of respondents reporting experiencing age discrimination in their workplace. Furthermore, one study found that many employers are reluctant to hire older workers, with some actively excluding candidates over 40 years old. Hence, it is not entirely correct to say that raising the retirement age would further restrict opportunities for youth to secure better jobs and positions. In fact, data show that there is a positive correlation between employment rates of older workers and younger workers in Malaysia. Obviously, this matter requires many more studies to determine whether raising the retirement age is indeed viable, or if there are any other methods that can be implemented to negate the impact of becoming a super-aged society. Other than raising the minimum retirement age, the government needs to consider giving workers the flexibility to choose when they wish to retire. It is important for the government to recognise that while some senior workers wish to continue working past their 60s, others might want to retire earlier due to personal issues such as medical complications that prevent them from working comfortably. Allowing workers to choose not only when but also how they want to retire would certainly be beneficial for the future retirees, and the positive impact would most likely spill over to the younger generation of employees. While some may argue that flexible retirement would be ineffective in maintaining the working population, evidence from Singapore suggests a different result, as the flexible retirement scheme there effectively increased the likelihood of senior workers continuing in their longest-held jobs by 11.4%, delaying pension claims among elders, and had a general positive effect on Singapore's labour supply. In addition, although an increase of pension-eligibility age by one year would increase the full-time working rate by 8.2%, there was also had a negative impact on well-being of less-educated elders, many of whom work in physically demanding jobs. Raising the retirement age may seem like the simplest solution to an impending crisis, but giving people a choice could lead to a better outcome rather than forcing everyone to work longer than they want. In today's highly competitive job market, offering flexibility in retirement age would be a desirable action for both retirees and the youth. ‒ June 12, 2025 Chia Chu Hang is a Research Assistant at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Independent Spore News
