BTH: Tehran vs Tel Aviv, war in the Gulf, SST hikes & gun shooting [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: As the Middle East teeters on the brink of broader conflict following direct confrontations between Iran and Israel, Beyond the Headlines unpacks the far-reaching consequences of this escalation.
Hosts Amalina Kamal and Hazween Hassan delve into how this geopolitical flashpoint could affect global oil prices, shipping routes, and Malaysia's economic and national security vulnerabilities.
Joining the conversation are NST Op-ed and Foreign News Editor Azman Abdul Hamid and Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia analyst Maryam Ismail.
The discussion explores whether Malaysia's foreign policy can maintain neutrality, how prepared we are for ripple effects across the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, and whether ASEAN can offer meaningful diplomatic intervention.
Maryam, whose research spans Jewish-Muslim relations and the influence of Islamist movements, offers a nuanced perspective on Malaysia's strategic calculus in engaging with both Iran and Israel.
Can Malaysia absorb another global supply shock? Is our national preparedness adequate in the face of a widening regional war?
Also in this episode:
• Growing concerns over gun violence in Kuala Lumpur, featuring Universiti Malaya criminologist Dr Haezreena Begum.
• A sharp look at the looming 8% SST expansion and its potential blow to SMEs, with reaction from SAMENTA chairman Datuk William Ng.
More in the latest episode of Beyond the Headlines. Watch on NST Online's YouTube.
*This episode was recorded on June 19.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysiakini
26 minutes ago
- Malaysiakini
Refined sugar stays tax-free under SST revision
Refined sugar (or commonly known as white sugar) remains tax-free under the revised sales and service tax (SST) that will take effect on July 1, 2025, said the Finance Ministry. The ministry said in a statement today that raw sugar used in the production of refined sugar would be subject to a five percent sales tax.
The Star
41 minutes ago
- The Star
N. Korea flag disrupts S. Korea church livestream in 'hacking incident'
The incident occurred early Wednesday morning, when the livestream of the service by the Onnuri Church was abruptly filled with the North Korean flag, accompanied by what appeared to be Pyongyang's propaganda music. — Photo by Micha Brändli on Unsplash SEOUL: One of South Korea's largest megachurches said on June 20 its YouTube worship service was briefly hacked during a live broadcast to display the North Korean flag, with a government agency saying it was checking the details. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning (June 18), when the livestream of the service by the Onnuri Church was abruptly filled with the North Korean flag, accompanied by what appeared to be Pyongyang's propaganda music. The flag was displayed for about 20 seconds, a church official told AFP, adding that the incident had been reported to the police. "During the early morning worship service on June 18, an unexpected video was broadcast due to a hacking incident," the church said in a separate statement. "We are currently conducting an urgent investigation into the cause of the incident and will take appropriate measures as soon as the situation is clarified." South Korea's state-run Korea Internet & Security Agency told AFP it was "looking into the case". Another Protestant church in Seoul, the Naesoo-Dong Church, told AFP it also experienced a similar hacking incident shortly before its YouTube worship service early Wednesday morning. An "inappropriate" video was displayed for about 50 seconds due to an "external hacking" attack, Pastor Oh Shin-young told AFP, adding that the footage had no apparent connection to North Korea. South Korea, widely recognised as among the most wired countries in the world, has long been a target of cyber hacking by North Korea, which has been blamed for several major attacks in the past. Police announced last year that North Korean hackers were behind the theft of sensitive data from a South Korean court computer network – including individuals' financial records – over a two-year period. The stolen data amounted to more than one gigabyte. Also last year, Seoul's spy agency said North Korean spies were using LinkedIn to pose as recruiters and entice South Koreans working at defence companies so the spies could access information on the firms' technology. – AFP
Free Malaysia Today
43 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
No reason to hike sugar price, finance ministry tells MSM Malaysia
MSM Malaysia is one of two sugar refineries in the country, the other being Central Sugars Refinery Sdn Bhd. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The finance ministry has urged sugar manufacturer and refinery MSM Malaysia to refrain from hiking the price of white sugar once the revised sales and service tax (SST) takes effect next month. The ministry said that MSM Malaysia was eligible to apply for tax exemptions for raw sugar and was benefitting from monthly incentives from the government to ensure stable supply and prices. 'Refiners and manufacturers of sugar in Malaysia can seek exemption on their upstream costs. This is provided for under Item 1, Column (2), Schedule B of the Sales Tax (Persons Exempted from Payment of Tax) Order. 'Therefore, there should not be any increase in price for refined sugar,' it said in a statement today. MSM Malaysia is one of two sugar refineries in the country, the other being Central Sugars Refinery Sdn Bhd. The ministry also reiterated that white sugar would remain untaxed in the new SST scheme as it falls under the category of essential goods, to avoid inflating the cost of living for the majority. Yesterday, MSM Malaysia's group CEO Syed Feizal Syed Mohammad said that the new 5% SST on raw sugar was expected to put pressure on input costs and push up refined sugar prices for industrial buyers. He said MSM was seeking clarification from the government regarding the new tax scheme, which kicks in on July 1, The Edge Malaysia reported.
