M'sia will not interfere in Indonesia's 'oil tycoon' case
'But let the legal process in Indonesia take its course,' Anwar was quoted as saying during a media engagement with chief editors in Jakarta today, according to Indonesian news outlet Tempo.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Sarawak National Month launch & Jalur Gemilang campaign on Aug 2
KUCHING: The Sarawak-level launch of National Month and the Fly the Jalur Gemilang Campaign 2025 will be held on August 2 at the Satok Sports Complex. The event, themed 'Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni,' will feature various activities celebrating patriotism and national unity. Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS), Datuk Abdullah Saidol, will officiate the ceremony. This follows the national-level launch by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 27 in Muar, Johor. The event includes the flag-off of the Merdeka Jalur Gemilang Convoy (KMJG) and the Kita MADANI Carnival Sarawak 2025. Attendees can enjoy PENTARAMA performances, Jualan Rahmah, government exhibitions, and local MADANI Community sales booths. The KMJG Convoy for Sarawak will begin its journey at Dewan Kampung Tematu, Batu Kitang, before touring multiple locations statewide. Divided into five phases, the convoy will conclude on Malaysia Day, September 16, 2025. Updates will be shared via Sarawak Information Department's official social media. The public is encouraged to participate in the 1 House 1 Jalur Gemilang (1R1JG) initiative by displaying the national flag at their homes. - Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysia's subsidy blind spot: Why permanent resident spouses pay taxes but continue to miss out — Family Frontiers
JULY 30 — YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian Cabinet, and Members of Parliament, This letter is in response to the announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister, YAB Dauk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on July 23, 2025 regarding his initiatives to lower the cost of living in Malaysia, outlining a series of measures aimed at alleviating the rising cost of living. We commend the government's commitment to supporting the rakyat and easing their burden, particularly through initiatives such as the one-off RM100 payment under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme, the expansion of Jualan Rahmah Madani, the decision to maintain existing toll rates, and the reduction in RON95 petrol prices. These efforts will certainly bring relief to many Malaysian families. However, we respectfully wish to highlight the exclusion of an often overlooked group: permanent residents (PRs) who are spouses of Malaysians. These individuals have quietly and consistently contributed to the nation's growth — economically, socially, and culturally — while raising their families and building their lives here. While Malaysians will only pay RM1.99 per litre for RON95 petrol, non-citizens, including PR spouses, have to pay RM2.50 per litre or more. This scenario is likely to unfold very soon: non-citizen parents of Malaysian children will bear higher fuel costs as they travel to drop off and pick up their Malaysian children from school, tuition classes, or hospital appointments, disproportionately impacting middle- and lower-income families where every RM counts. This also leads to higher out-of-pocket expenses for Malaysian binational families, which could be directed to the advancement of Malaysian children in these families. For example, reduced funds for extra-curricular activities, tuition, or even better-quality educational resources. The financial pressures faced by PRs are also set to increase with the recent 6 per cent Sales and Services Tax (SST) charged on non-citizens, effective 1 July, amplifying an already unequal system. While the SST revision impacts all consumers, there are a few exceptions where non-citizens are subjected to 6 per cent tax: Private higher education Private healthcare The misconception that non-citizens, including PR spouses, do not pay taxes is a myth. Spouses who reside in the country for more than 182 days are required to pay taxes on their total taxable income on the same basis as Malaysians. Many of them are husbands and wives of Malaysian citizens, parents of Malaysian children, and are long-term residents who have endured years of bureaucratic hurdles to secure legal status in the country they already call home. 'Non-citizen spouses of Malaysians are not 'foreigners' — they work and contribute to the country and the economy, they pay taxes, and they raise Malaysian children. This 'othering' of our spouses and designating them with the blanket term of 'foreigners' hurts us and our families,' says Low, a Malaysian spouse of a non-citizen. Another PR spouse said, 'I often find myself in a grey zone — being a foreigner, yet not fully acknowledged as Malaysian. Although I contribute the same amount in taxes as others in similar income brackets, the treatment I receive often feels disproportionate.' PR spouses in Malaysia often bear higher costs for essential services such as: Public transportation: Excluded from RapidKL's MY50 pass, senior citizen, and OKU discounts Driving licences: Costs are double those for Malaysian citizens Education: Incur non-citizen rates for both public and private educational institutions, regardless of education level 'Policies like these affect Malaysian binational families who have made this country their home, but are again and again marginalised and left out simply because their spouse is regarded as a 'foreigner' and not fully recognised as part of the social fabric of this nation that they are. What impacts my non-citizen husband impacts me, a Malaysian, and our Malaysian children,' says Low. This disparity is particularly stark when compared with our neighbour, Singapore, a country where many Malaysians hold permanent resident status. In Singapore, PRs benefit from substantial subsidies for essential services, including: Healthcare: Reduced rates for treatment in public hospitals and access to schemes like MediShield Life for financial assistance with medical expenses Education: Significantly reduced tuition fees at public educational institutions for PRs and their children Such comprehensive benefits for PRs in Singapore stand in sharp contrast to Malaysia's approach. For PR spouses, these disadvantages significantly complicate the already challenging task of raising Malaysian children and committing to a long-term future in Malaysia. Constantly navigating a system where one family member is treated differently, or excluded from benefits that others enjoy, can lead to significant stress for the entire family. This creates a serious risk of 'brain drain,' where valuable talent eventually departs for countries offering more comprehensive social security and benefits for long-term residents and possibly even their Malaysian families. It's time to recognise the commitment of permanent residents by extending essential subsidies to them. This crucial step will not only retain valuable talent, strengthen our economy and reduce brain drain, but also ease their integration into Malaysian society. The government must not overlook the significant contributions of PRs, especially non-citizen spouses who are raising Malaysian children. These individuals are integral to the Malaysian family, contributing not just socioeconomically, but also by nurturing the next generation of Malaysians who will ultimately give back to the nation.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
When Protest Reinforces Power: Reading Between The Chants Of July 26
The afternoon of 26 July 2025 will be remembered as a day when democracy spoke, not only through chants and placards, but also through restraint and paradox. In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians from various walks of life gathered to demand Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's resignation. But what many believed would be a blow to his leadership may, in time, be remembered as something else entirely: a moment that showcased Malaysia's democratic maturity and, ironically, solidified the very leadership it sought to challenge. Before dissecting the rally, let us not forget the track record of the man at the centre of it, and let us mark it with a tick, a positive one, like the kind we place on a chore list for a job well done. Except in this case, the checklist is not personal; it is a ledger of national responsibilities. In the span of less than two years, Anwar Ibrahim has navigated Malaysia through regional turbulence, asserting not only leadership but also statesmanship. On 28 July, just two days after the rally, he hosted the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia in Putrajaya, an unprecedented ASEAN-led peace dialogue to end decades of border tension. It was Malaysia's first diplomatic intervention of this scale in recent memory. Such a role signals more than competence; it reflects trust in Malaysia's leadership and neutrality in the region. As an editor with no political posturing but a desk close enough to see trends in public writing, I find myself reflecting deeply. Not as a partisan, but as a citizen and, more importantly, as a witness to the evolving political temperament of this country. Domestically, the introduction of SARA Aid, a direct assistance to every adult citizen and price control for essential goods like RON95 (now among the world's cheapest petrol prices) reflect an attempt to cushion the rakyat against global inflation. He is no magician. Anwar has so far weathered discontent without resorting to police batons, tear gas, or water cannons. That is something. Still, on July 26, the cries were real. Protesters cited rising costs, slow economic delivery, and unmet expectations. These are valid frustrations. After all, any government, no matter how noble its ideals, must still answer the daily question: 'Can I afford to live today better than I did yesterday?' But here's what complicates the picture: the protest struggled with a lack of shared goals. When asked who should replace Anwar, most protesters gave vague or mistaken names, some even misnaming PAS leaders not currently holding parliamentary seats. The desire for change was strong. But the direction of change? Unclear. This vacuum weakens the protest's legitimacy. Political dissatisfaction should be accompanied by a coherent plan, not just emotional withdrawal of consent. Protest is powerful when it proposes, not just when it opposes. Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, in his editorial titled The Unintended Victory, notes this irony well. He writes that 'the very fact that the protest was allowed to proceed without police violence marks a democratic milestone.' Unlike previous decades, where such gatherings would have ended in tear gas, this was a peaceful assertion of dissent. And it happened under Anwar's government. The Prime Minister did not once silence his critics. He let them walk. This, to me, is the ultimate paradox of the rally. The attempt to expose his weakness ended up revealing his strength, a tolerance for opposition, and the confidence to stand unthreatened in the face of it. This is not common in Southeast Asian democracies. Many still police dissent aggressively. Malaysia, at least that day, did not. Of course, not all observers believe the rally was as organic as it seemed. The Biro Pemahaman dan Pemantapan Agama of PKR released a strongly worded media statement, suggesting that Anwar's global stances, especially his criticism of Israel and alignment with Russia and China, have made him a target for reputational sabotage. The idea is not without merit. When a Muslim leader speaks boldly on Palestine, strengthens ties with the East, and repositions Malaysia as a neutral yet principled player, it shakes global expectations. If the international press coverage of the rally focused more on dissatisfaction than on its peaceful conduct, that in itself is telling. As the statement suggests, 'Donald Trump tersenyum bersama Netanyahu melihat seorang lagi pemimpin Islam berjaya dilemahkan.' (Donald Trump smiles alongside Netanyahu as another Muslim leader is brought down) Perhaps that is dramatic, but it should not be dismissed outright. We live in an age where perception is foreign policy. Let us not ignore the emotional truth embedded in the slogans. A young protester quoted by Reuters said she feared corporate taxes would eventually push up food prices. Another, interviewed by AFP, said he saw no results from Anwar's foreign trips. The opposition's media machinery amplified these views, and understandably so, but the feelings were sincere. This is the reality of leadership in 2025: the public is not asking for a five-year plan; they are demanding five-day relief. In a global economy that offers little mercy, even well-intentioned governments face backlash if they fail to deliver immediate reassurance. Anwar has held office long enough that the 'we inherited this mess' narrative no longer holds. The time has come for him to take full ownership of the present, not just the promise of what's to come. What struck me, however, was the hollowness at the heart of the rally's demands. There was no manifesto, no substitute plan, no speaker capable of rallying intellectual or ideological coherence. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir made an appearance, arguing that Anwar was not chosen by the people. But neither was Mahathir in 2020, when he exited the government mid-crisis. Selective memory is a poor strategy. Without an alternative roadmap, protest becomes noise. And noise fades. We are at a crossroads, not of collapse but of confidence. July 26 was a mirror. It showed us the rakyat's impatience. It revealed the opposition's fragmentation. It tested the government's tolerance. And it reminded the Prime Minister that goodwill, even earned through democratic restraint, has an expiry date. This is not coming from blind support, but from a woman who edits for a living and has studied the promises of many leaders. Anwar Ibrahim may not be without flaws, but he is leading with vision, restraint, and a sense of duty honed by long years of struggle. He deserves the time to see his term through. Let us be clear, criticism is healthy. It should not be dismissed. But replacing a leader mid-stream, especially without a ready successor or consensus, is no solution. We have seen what happens when ambition overrules process. Egypt. Pakistan. Even our own recent past. Anwar is not immune to error. But he is owed the dignity of time; to rise, or to fall, through delivery, not pressure. On 26 July, the rakyat stood up. And so did democracy. That both happened on the same day, and without violence, is something to be proud of. Now, Anwar must listen not just to the slogans, but to the silences between them. The next protest may not be as kind. But for now, the nation remains intact. And that, in these times, is already a quiet kind of victory. In the days following the rally, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed gratitude to law enforcement agencies for their professionalism in managing the crowd without provocation. He commended their restraint and dedication to democratic values, affirming that peaceful assembly is a constitutional right and one that should be protected, not punished. In thanking the enforcers and the public alike, Anwar did more than respond diplomatically; he reinforced a Malaysia that listens, even when disagreed with. That too is leadership, not in silence or retreat, but in calm and civility. -- BERNAMA (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of BERNAMA) BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. 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