logo
Anwar slams ‘evil, extremist' culture after attack on Rafizi's son

Anwar slams ‘evil, extremist' culture after attack on Rafizi's son

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he has ordered the home minister and inspector-general of police to ensure that immediate action is taken. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said that an 'evil' and 'extremist' culture had taken root in the country, following an attack on the 12-year-old son of Rafizi Ramli (PH-Pandan) yesterday.
Anwar said he had ordered home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail to ensure that immediate action is taken to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
The prime minister said both of them had vowed to act swiftly and transparently.
'We must not only take action (over this case), we must put an end to this evil culture,' he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
Police said Rafizi's son was dragged and stabbed with a syringe by an assailant at a shopping mall in Putrajaya at around 2pm yesterday.
The incident is believed to have occurred at the mall's drop-off area, while the boy was with his mother and their driver. The assault involved two men on a motorcycle, dressed in black and wearing helmets, whom Rafizi claimed had been following his wife's car.
The former PKR deputy president also voiced suspicion that the assault was a warning to him for being outspoken on certain matters.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Australians more anxious about Trump tariffs than China, poll shows
Australians more anxious about Trump tariffs than China, poll shows

The Star

time14 minutes ago

  • The Star

Australians more anxious about Trump tariffs than China, poll shows

FILE PHOTO: A Chemist Warehouse store in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. While Australia received the minimum 10 per cent levy on its exports to the US, it could still be in the firing line for sectoral tariffs on industries such as pharmaceuticals. - Bloomberg CANBERRA: Australians are more worried about the Trump administration's protectionist trade policies than China's military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region, a new opinion poll showed. Some 42 per cent of respondents named US tariffs as their top concern compared with 37 per cent who cited the strategic threat from China, according to a Newspoll published Monday (Aug 18) in The Australian. A further 21 per cent said neither bothered them, the survey conducted Aug. 11-14 for the newspaper showed. It had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. While Australia received the minimum 10 per cent levy on its exports to the US, it could still be in the firing line for sectoral tariffs on industries such as pharmaceuticals. More generally, it is heavily exposed to global trade as an export-reliant nation and could also see blowback on import duties from its largest trading partner, China. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese undertook a six-day visit to China last month that included meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. While there, he focussed heavily on boosting business and trade ties, sidestepping thornier issues around US-China competition, Taiwan and Beijing's military assertiveness. University-educated voters were more worried about US tariffs than China's military expansion, according to the survey. The results were more evenly split for those without university education, it said On local politics, Newspoll showed Albanese's Labour Party leading the centre-right coalition 56 to 44 per cent, slightly up on the May 3 election result that delivered Labour 94 seats in the 150-member parliament. The prime minister's net satisfaction rating also turned positive for the first time since September 2023, it showed. - Bloomberg

PM Anwar warns of AI productivity paradox in Malaysia's digital push
PM Anwar warns of AI productivity paradox in Malaysia's digital push

The Sun

time14 minutes ago

  • The Sun

PM Anwar warns of AI productivity paradox in Malaysia's digital push

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today called on government machinery to remain vigilant against the 'AI Productivity Paradox' in the implementation of the country's digital transformation agenda. He said the paradox refers to situations where large investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation may not necessarily translate into higher productivity. 'I hope this matter is given special attention by the Digital Ministry, the Communications Ministry and department heads. 'We don't want to fall into what is called 'trough of disillusionment' due to assumptions made on massive allocations for digital transformation and AI programmes, which will reach tens of billions of ringgit over the next five years,' he said. The 'trough of disillusionment' refers to a stage in the adoption cycle of new technology when early high expectations are not met, leading to disappointment, doubts and declining confidence before the technology matures. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, urged the Digital Ministry and Communications Ministry to look into data governance as well as integration, IT and AI challenges with a focus on outcomes. He said this when delivering his address at the Prime Minister's Monthly Assembly with staff of the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) here today. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz. The Prime Minister said studies by the United Nations University in Tokyo, McKinsey and JP Morgan found that only three to seven per cent of AI adoption led to real gains in productivity or workers' income. He said this was worrying as the government's digital transformation and AI programmes were meant to boost output and productivity, but the 'AI Productivity Paradox' shows that higher productivity and returns are not always guaranteed. 'I ask the Chief Secretary to the Government and department heads to review this matter and provide an initial response within two weeks to a month. We must avoid the issues faced by major global corporations. 'The productivity paradox is spending billions on AI to boost productivity, transparency, reduce bureaucracy and curb corruption, but the results still fall short,' he added. Meanwhile, Anwar stressed that AI technologies such as ChatGPT cannot be regarded as an absolute source, especially in religious matters, as they could mislead the public. He mentioned a prominent Islamic organisation in London that used ChatGPT to generate text resembling Quranic verses, but these were not genuine verses. 'Whatever it is, there must be verification. Quranic verses must be identified with their surah, while hadith must be traced to the narrator. That is our training in ensuring authenticity. Many consider ChatGPT a reliable source alongside Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. This is dangerous,' he said. Anwar said that while digital transformation is a pillar of change and the government is introducing AI for the people, building its own AI institutions and mobilising agencies to master the technology, the risks of the 'AI Productivity Paradox' must still be considered. Citing management expert Peter Drucker, Anwar said efficient government management is often better than privatisation in several aspects. 'There have been many privatisation cases which proved more burdensome, meaning profits multiplied for the privatised companies, especially when the process was done transparently, as happened in our country before. Companies made billions and were later handed back to the government, such as PLUS Highways and Indah Water Konsortium. 'That is why governance and tender transparency are crucial. Privatisation does not always improve productivity or efficiency. The golden rule is still good governance,' he said. - Bernama

STAR meet today to discuss use of AI, worker productivity, says Chief Secretary
STAR meet today to discuss use of AI, worker productivity, says Chief Secretary

The Star

time44 minutes ago

  • The Star

STAR meet today to discuss use of AI, worker productivity, says Chief Secretary

PUTRAJAYA: The Special Task Force on Agency Reform (STAR) meeting on Monday (Aug 18) evening will, among other matters, discuss studies by the United Nations University (Tokyo), McKinsey, and JP Morgan's experience on increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and enhancing worker productivity, says Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar. The Chief Secretary to the Government said National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) director Datuk Dr Mohd Zabri Yusoff has been tasked with presenting an initial report on the university's study. "This evening, the STAR meeting will convene in Putrajaya, and I have asked the Intan director to present the report submitted by the university. We will deliberate on the matter, and within two weeks, provide feedback to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," he told Bernama and RTM after attending the Fly the Jalur Gemilang programme organised by the Malaysian Information Department on Monday. Earlier, Anwar reminded the government machinery to be cautious of the "AI Productivity Paradox" in implementing the country's digital transformation. The phenomenon, he said, refers to the situation where significant investments in AI and digitalisation do not necessarily translate into higher productivity. Citing studies by the United Nations University (Tokyo), McKinsey, and JP Morgan's experience, Anwar said only 3%-7% of AI adoption has a measurable impact on workers' productivity or income. He said this is a cause for concern as the government's digital transformation and AI agenda is intended to boost output and productivity. However, the "AI Productivity Paradox" indicates that productivity gains are not guaranteed despite technological investments, he added. The Prime Minister has instructed Shamsul Azri and all department heads to study the issue and provide preliminary recommendations to address the challenge. On the Merdeka Month celebration, Shamsul Azri said it was an initiative of the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) to foster patriotism among civil servants. "This programme is ongoing, and we encourage all units and departments to organise activities to celebrate Merdeka Month on their own initiative," he added. - Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store