Have a safe journey home, PM wishes 'Turun' rally attendees
He also extended his appreciation to the police, Fire and Rescue Department, medical services and volunteers for their dedication in ensuring the rally went on smoothly.
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New Straits Times
33 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
13MP: Melaka focuses on becoming a regional, international tourism and halal hub
MELAKA: The 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) 2026–2030, tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, has been described as a key catalyst in strengthening Melaka's position regionally and internationally. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the implementation of 13MP would drive Melaka's efforts to advance as a world-class tourism state, a regional halal industry hub, and a state resilient to future challenges. He said 13MP would boost Melaka's position as a premier tourism destination, a regional halal industry centre, and a state better prepared to face climate change challenges and future infrastructure needs. "The establishment of the Malaysian Halal Commission is also expected to strengthen Melaka's position as a more strategic halal hub, and certainly, this initiative will be fully utilised for the well-being of the people of Melaka as a whole. "The Melaka government is also committed to supporting the national aspiration to increase the country's halal export value to RM80 billion and contribute 11 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the development of the Halal Industrial Park in Melaka," he said in a statement today. During the tabling yesterday, Anwar reportedly said the move to boost the country's halal export value would be supported by the establishment of the halal commission and the development of Halal Industrial Parks, including in Melaka, Perak, and Kelantan. Meanwhile, Ab Rauf also welcomed the federal government's announcement on the development of Special Tourism Investment Zones (STIZ), which would also focus on Melaka. He said STIZ would act as a catalyst for the creation of new tourism products based on art, culture, heritage, and nature, indirectly making Melaka a more competitive destination on the international stage. "In terms of disaster management, Melaka will benefit from the implementation of the Sungai Baru Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB), which is expected to reduce flood risks and impacts, thereby improving public safety," he said. At the same time, Ab Rauf said the Melaka government had planned development proposals under Rolling Plan 1 (RP1) of 13MP for 2026, amounting to 258 high-impact projects with a total value of RM7.15 billion. He said the proposed projects would focus on developing modern infrastructure, strengthening the digital economy, and empowering strategic industries to ensure the state's sustainable growth. Ab Rauf also fully supported the Water Sector Transformation Plan 2040 (AIR2040), spearheaded by the federal government. He said the state government would work closely with the federal government to ensure water supply capacity and efficiency are in line with the development of new residential areas and growing industrial demand in Melaka.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Leave pro-Anwar rally to regular citizens, unity govt parties told
Gabungan Teksi SeMalaysia will stage a rally at Dataran Merdeka on Sept 27 to express support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. PETALING JAYA : Analysts have urged parties in the unity government not to mobilise their members for an upcoming rally in support of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, saying ordinary Malaysians should be allowed to show their backing for him in an authentic way. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Mazlan Ali said this would allow the rally to proceed organically without any political agenda, especially since it was being organised by an NGO. Mazlan Ali. Mazlan said ordinary Malaysians were deterred from taking part in gatherings such as the recent Turun Anwar rally due to a perception that they were politically motivated. 'If politicians organise or get involved, there will be some scepticism and apprehension, and apathy even, to these gatherings among the rakyat. 'But it's different if it's organised by certain independent NGOs and they're stating support for the prime minister based on the principle that he's a leader who has benefited the people,' he told FMT. Awang Azman said political gatherings have lost their traction among Malaysians as they do not revolve around their needs or issues close to their hearts. Unlike in the Reformasi era, when street demonstrations were common, social media has given Malaysians an alternative platform to air their grouses and views, he said. 'Malaysians now prefer digital activism, online petitions and dialogues on social media rather than taking to the streets. Political awareness more often takes place in the form of such 'daily politics'. 'In the case of the Turun Anwar rally, the lack of a clear objective and concrete alternative made it hard to attract people. The same goes for the rally to support the prime minister; if it's purely symbolic without any meaningful content, it won't excite the people,' he said. Gabungan Teksi SeMalaysia is set to stage a rally at Dataran Merdeka on Sept 27 to express support for Anwar, following last Saturday's Turun Anwar gathering at the same venue. Its president, Kamarudin Hussain, said the group believes Anwar has the vision and ability to steer the country towards a more just and prosperous future. Kamarudin, the former Selayang PKR chief, also invited Anwar to attend the rally in person. Mazlan said keeping the pro-Anwar rally free of political involvement would lend the perception that the support for the prime minister was coming from actual Malaysians. 'That means it's not politically-organised but by Malaysians who are politically aware. And groups like this one representing taxi drivers are close to the rakyat. 'When you have such organisations stating support for the prime minister through such a gathering, it's perceived as real support for the prime minister, compared with the Turun Anwar rally, which was mobilised by the opposition.' Police estimated that around 18,000 people attended the Turun Anwar rally, though PAS claimed that more than 200,000 rally-goers were present. Awang Azman Pawi. Awang Azman said the non-involvement of political figures would signal that support for Anwar stems not from party machinery, but from ordinary Malaysians who genuinely back the unity government's policies. He also said the political value of such rallies far outweigh slogans, adding that what the rakyat wants to see was effective policies. Awang Azman said Anwar should not attend the rally in person to avoid politicising the gathering. However, it would be good for him to deliver a message to attendees through a video to express his appreciation. 'He can then stress that he's more focused on his job and resolving the people's issues – from the economy to prices of goods and institutional reforms – instead of basking in the support at a gathering.'
Focus Malaysia
2 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
TunM challenges PMX to hold GE to prove his mandate but instead told to spend his twilight years in peace
THE nation's chief gauntlet thrower is at it again – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has openly challenged his once protégé and current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to dissolve parliament and to hold snap elections. Posting on his Facebook page, the centurion sarcastically applauded PMX for his bravery in challenging the opposition to table a motion of 'no confidence' in the Dewan Rakyat. The twice former premier stated the reason for PMX's boldness was that the latter knew the motion would not succeed. This is simply because many parliamentarians feared reprisals if they did not back Anwar and the Madani government. The longest serving PM in the world also claimed that there were those who would end up behind bars if they withheld support for PMX, clearly referring to UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who was controversially granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) for his 47 graft-linked charges. The removal of budgetary provisions was also used as a weapon to intimidate MPs, hence the support within the Dewan Rakyat was based on fear. 'Retire for good, TunM' To further illustrate this climate of intimidation, Dr Mahathir also claimed that UMNO members were warned against joining the Turun Anwar rally on July 26. The elderly statesman who lost his deposit in the 2022 national polls went on to argue that PMX needs to seek legitimacy by dissolving parliament and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate. After all, his once-disciple-turned-nemesis is only in Putrajaya because he interfered with the trial of certain political figures to garner their party's support in Parliament. Moreover, it was argued that PMX has nothing to fear as his sycophants had reported a low turnout for the Turun Anwar protest. As expected, there were plenty of reactions to the post with it having already generated 14K likes, 1K shares and 7.3K comments at the time of writing. One commenter pleaded with Dr Mahathir who had administered Malaysia for '22 years and 22 months' to use his influence in nation-building instead by focusing on 'economy, peace and growth'. Others were less diplomatic, pointing out that Tun M would never be happy even if PMX won the 16th General Election (GE16) for a second term. It would then be an endless cycle of demands for national polls followed by calls for a no confidence ad nauseum, claimed one commenter. Another called for patience as polls were just two years away. Dr Mahathir could then set a new record in Langkawi by being the oldest electoral candidate ever. He also chided the former Bersatu and Pejuang founder that he could be the first ex-premier to lose a deposit twice! It was also pointed out that the electorate had already rejected both Dr Mahathir and his progeny in the last election when they both lost their deposits. But the centenarian's ultra-thick hide prevents him from acknowledging this. One commenter advised Dr Mahathir to let PMX carry forward the nation in a fast-changing digital world, believing the country is on good hands. He also contended that the wealth of the latter's offspring will be untouched so long as investigations show they are not ill-gotten. One netizen perhaps offered the best advice to the elder statesman – 'Tun's era has past, be aware that the country needs change'. – Aug 1, 2025
