Matriculation slots: MIC writes to Fadhlina, Nurul Izzah's 'first test'
MIC deputy president M Saravanan has formally written to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek seeking a detailed breakdown of the number of Indian students who applied for and were offered places in this year's matriculation programme.
According to a source, this request could serve as the first major 'litmus test' for PKR deputy president hopeful Nurul Izzah Anwar who has publicly committed to championing the rights of the Malaysian Indian community.
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The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
UK and India discuss 'counter-terrorism' cooperation after Pakistan ceasefire
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy reacts as he speaks during an interview with Reuters at the British High Commissioner Residence in New Delhi, India, June 7, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Britain and India on Saturday discussed expanding their "counter-terrorism" collaboration following recent fighting between India and Pakistan, Britain's foreign minister told Reuters after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. British foreign minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire last month after their worst fighting in nearly three decades. The latest tensions began in April after the killing of 26 men in Indian Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on "terrorists" backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied. India then attacked what it called "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan, leading to escalation from both sides until a May 10 ceasefire. "We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognise fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilise India," Lammy said in an interview at the residence of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi. "We are keen to continue to work with our Indian partners on counter-terrorism measures." He said he discussed the next steps with both Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, but gave no specifics. Last year, India and Britain discussed combating the financing of terrorism, cooperation between law enforcement and judicial bodies and information sharing. Lammy said he also discussed boosting trade between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies. The countries concluded talks for a free trade deal early last month. "I know that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is very much looking forward to coming to India very soon to sign the free trade agreement," Lammy said. "There is so much that our two nations can continue to do together." (Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi. Editing by Mark Potter)
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Carney invites Modi to G7 summit despite strained ties between Canada and India
FILE - A photograph of late temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia, on Sept. 18, 2023. Tensions remain high between Canada and India over accusations about Indian government agents being involved in his murder. - AP TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday (June 6) invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta later this month, an invitation Modi accepted despite strained ties between the countries. The countries expelled each other's top diplomats last year over the killing of a Sikh Canadian activist in Canada and allegations of other crimes. The invitation prompted anger from the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, which wrote to Carney in May asking him not to invite Modi. Tensions remain high between Canada and India over accusations about Indian government agents being involved in the murder of a Canadian activist for Sikh separatism in British Columbia in 2023. Carney extended the invitation to Modi in a phone call between the two leaders on Friday. The summit runs from June 15 to 17. Carney noted Canada is in the role of G7 chair and said there are important discussions that India should be a part of. "India is the fifth largest economy in the world, the most populous country in the world and central to supply chains," Carney told reporters, adding that there has been some progress on law enforcement dialogue between the two countries. "I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi and, in that context, he has accepted,' Carney said. Carney said there is a legal process underway in the killing of the Canadian Sikh activist and said he would not comment on the case when asked by a reporter if he thought Modi was involved. The tit-for-tat expulsions came after Canada told India that its top diplomat in the country is a person of interest in the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and that police have uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government. Modi said he was glad to receive a call from Carney and congratulated him on his recent election victory. "As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the summit,' Modi said in a social media statement. Nijjar, 45, was fatally shot in his pickup truck after he left the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia. An Indian-born citizen of Canada, he owned a plumbing business and was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland. Four Indian nationals living in Canada were charged with Niijar's murder. Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, called Carney's invitation to Modi a "betrayal of Canadian values.' "The summit to which Mr. Modi is being invited falls on the anniversary of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar two years ago,' he said. "So for us, this is unacceptable, it's shocking and it's a complete reversal of the principled stand that Prime Minister Trudeau had taken.' Canada is not the only country that has accused Indian officials of plotting an assassination on foreign soil. In 2023 US prosecutors said an Indian government official directed a failed plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist leader in New York. - AP
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Pakistan hopes to advance Asean partnership status: Envoy
A tourist vehicle drives through a deserted road in Pahalgam in Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 15, 2025. Malaysia has offered to mediate in the wake of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and sharply raised tensions between the two neighbours. - AP KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan is hoping to elevate its standing with Asean from a sectoral dialogue partner to a full dialogue partner, said its High Commissioner to Malaysia, Syed Ahsan Raza Shah. Syed Ahsan said Pakistan, Asean's sectoral dialogue partner since 1993, has long valued its engagement with the regional bloc and looks forward to deepening cooperation. "The matter has been discussed between the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Malaysia,' he said at a media briefing here, Friday (June 6). He added that Pakistan views Asean as a key platform for promoting regional peace and stability, fostering economic cooperation, and advancing shared development. In October last year, media reports quoted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as saying that Pakistan has Malaysia's full support in its bid to become a full dialogue partner of Asean. Meanwhile, Pakistan also Anwar's offer to mediate in the Kashmir conflict, citing his respected standing and close ties with both India and Pakistan as key to easing tensions in the region. Syed Ahsan said Anwar's good relations with the leadership of both countries could play a constructive role in easing tensions between the South Asian neighbours. "Anwar expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue between the two countries after being informed of the postponement of the Pakistani Prime Minister's visit on May 9,' he said. Syed Ahsan highlighted that the call between Anwar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken place in the first week of May, just days before fighting broke out in Kashmir. On May 5, Malaysia's offer to mediate comes in the wake of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and sharply raised tensions between the two neighbours. Following the incident, Anwar expressed Malaysia's willingness to assist in de-escalating the situation, citing its good relations with both parties. - Bernama
