
Cops to summon organisers of LGBT event in PJ
Bukit Aman CID director Shuhaily Zain said the organisers of the event are expected to be summoned for their statements in the near future. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Police will summon the organisers of a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) programme here to record their statements.
Bukit Aman criminal investigation department (CID) director Shuhaily Zain said the number of reports received over the event has risen from 21 to 188.
'We will be summoning the organisers to record their statements in the near future,' he was quoted by Berita Harian as saying.
On Saturday, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said his team had detected a post on social media, believed made by the youth wing of a political party, planning to organise the programme on June 21.
Investigations are being conducted under Section 298A of the Penal Code (causing disharmony, hatred or ill will on the grounds of religion) and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (improper use of network facilities).
Hussein reminded members of the public not to participate in the programme, which is seen as violating the country's laws that do not support any form of LGBT practices.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
A sombre Aidiladha for Putra Heights gas inferno victims
The gas pipeline fire destroyed 81 houses, with more than 40% of the structures sustaining structural damage; 81 other houses were partially destroyed and 57 houses were affected but not burned. (EPA Images pic) SUBANG JAYA : As Muslims look forward to celebrating Hari Raya Aidiladha tomorrow, residents of Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru in Puchong must summon the strength to face the day, two months after their homes were destroyed in the gas pipeline inferno on April 2. Among them was Nasir Ab Hamid, 69, who said sheer will and determination have been his family's main source of strength in forging ahead despite now living with minimal means after losing most of their belongings in the fire. 'My family and I are grateful to be alive and to have received support from the community and various parties. However, I hope the recovery process, particularly the promised rebuilding of our home, can be expedited so that life can return to normal,' he said. Nasir's house remains without a roof, except for the garage, and the interior was devoid of furniture or electrical appliances, which had been destroyed in the intense heat of the fire. Nasir lives in the house alone, sleeping in the garage on a mattress he received from the temporary relief centre. 'Although I received financial assistance to rent a house, I feel more comfortable staying in my own home as I can also keep an eye on what's left of my belongings while my wife and four of our children occupy the rented house,' he said, expressing hope that the government would expedite the repair process for all victims' homes. Another resident, Ahmad Danial, 25, said that their lives are no longer the same, especially with the lingering trauma still deeply affecting the entire family. 'There are no major preparations (for Aidiladha). The house is still in ruins, making it difficult to gather comfortably with the family. We are relying on donations from local associations and neighbours,' he said, adding that he lost his job following the incident. Ahmad Kamarul Meskam, 42, expressed despair for not being able to gather with his siblings for Aidiladha after their mother's house was destroyed in the incident. He said before the fire, they lived in the same village. 'We have no plans to celebrate Aidiladha since we are now living in separate areas.,' he said, admitting that the tragedy has left a profound emotional impact. It is understood that the Kampung Sungai Baru Residents Association will hold a sacrificial ritual in conjunction with Aidiladha on Sunday on a plot of land in the village, thanks to donations of several cows and goats from an anonymous benefactor. The gas pipeline fire, which occurred at 8.10am, resulted in flames shooting up 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. Firefighters took nearly eight hours to completely extinguish the fire. A total of 81 houses were destroyed, with more than 40% of the structures sustaining structural damage; 81 other houses were partially destroyed, 57 houses were affected but not burned, and 218 houses remained unaffected.


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Madani economic reforms earn 50% score from Khairy
The number of people who pay taxes in Malaysia is disproportionately smaller than our peers, said Khairy Jamaluddin. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin has given the Madani government a 50% score for its performance on structural economic reforms since its formation in November 2022. Khairy pointed to three key areas that he believed demanded changes – widening the tax base, rationalising subsidies and pension reforms. He said the unity government has yet to carry out meaningful tax reforms to widen its revenue base, which he added was significantly lower even compared with peers in terms of gross domestic product. 'The number of people that pay taxes in Malaysia is disproportionately smaller than our peers, and that creates a problem for the government because your revenue base is too small. That's why we introduced the GST (goods and services tax),' he said, referring to the tax scheme introduced by the Najib Razak government in 2015. He pointed out that the planned expansion of the sales and service tax has been repeatedly delayed, while maintaining that a consumption tax like the GST was the way to go. (Government figures show that GST raised RM43.8 billion in 2018, while SST for 2024 is estimated at 44.7 billion) On subsidy rationalisation, Khairy said the biggest hurdle was targeting the RON95 petrol subsidies, which cost Putrajaya RM20 billion in 2023. The former Rembau MP said the last major reform needed was pension reforms, which is expected to balloon to around RM30 billion in the next decade. 'And it's going to rise because of the number of civil servants retiring, and life expectancy has also gone up,' he said, adding that the solution was getting rid of pensions for new government hires and shifting to EPF contributions. 'So if out of three big structural reforms, it's one and a half. So it's 50%,' he said in an episode of the Game of Impossible podcast with former minister Idris Jala and his son, Leon. The government is set to implement targeted subsidies for RON95 in the second half of the year, though details have not been released yet. Putrajaya has also announced that new civil servants would no longer get pensions but would contribute to EPF and the Social Security Organisation. Khairy reiterated that these reforms were important to ensure the country had enough funds for public services like health, education, and transport. 'You don't have enough money to make all the changes you want,' he said.


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Parties don't have final say over Johor village heads, says exco
State exco Zahari Sarip said Rengit assemblyman Puad Zarkashi's claim that community leaders were appointed based on the preferences of party division heads was inaccurate. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The selection of village heads in Johor undergoes a rigorous multi-level screening process and is not based solely on recommendations from political leaders or division chiefs, said a state executive councillor. Zahari Sarip, who handles rural development matters, described as inaccurate a claim by Rengit assemblyman Puad Zarkashi that community leaders were appointed based on the preferences of party division heads. The selection of village heads is overseen by the district office and involves screening by various agencies, including the police, with input from the local community, said Zahari. 'The selection committee is chaired by the district officer, with related departments conducting interviews with the candidates,' Zahari told FMT. 'Candidates who score highly are referred to the state, but we still vet them further, including checking their community involvement. The notion that political parties make the final decision is simply not accurate.' He was responding to Puad's call for the Johor government to overhaul the village head appointment system. Puad's call followed the Johor state assembly speaker's suggestion that appointments be made based on performance, not political connections. The speaker also proposed forming a special committee to ensure only those who are truly committed are appointed to represent local communities. Zahari, who is Segamat assemblyman, said that not all appointees are from Barisan Nasional. 'I can't disclose specific areas, but it's not true that we only appoint from BN. There are village heads from other parties as well,' he said. 'That said, we take all complaints seriously and are considering expanding the selection committee to better reflect voices from various levels of society.' Committed despite low allowances Asked about the low allowances received by village heads, Zahari acknowledged that the compensation does not reflect the weight of their responsibilities. 'That's why we've consistently raised this with the federal government, urging them to increase the monthly allowance from RM1,200 to at least RM1,500,' he said. 'I've also reminded village heads not to use the low allowance as an excuse not to carry out their duties. If they're unwilling, they can resign – but thankfully, most continue to perform well.' He added that starting this year, the state government has also begun making Socso contributions for all 677 village heads to ensure they are protected while serving their communities.