Plantation workers to share housing law draft with PM
The group called Plantation Community Support Committee said they have drafted a 'Plantation Workers' Housing Scheme Bill' and want to submit it to Anwar at Parliament this Aug 13.
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The Star
13 minutes ago
- The Star
13MP reflects government's commitment to fiscal discipline
A new course: Civil servants watching the live broadcast of the 13MP presentation by Anwar in Putrajaya. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: The recent tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) reflects the government's commitment to charting a sustainable development path while exercising fiscal prudence to help reduce the national deficit, said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia economic analyst, Associate Professor Dr Mustazar Mansur. He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is taking the country's debt situation seriously, with a clear focus on curbing new borrowings and narrowing the fiscal deficit. "When the deficit declines, debt levels also fall. We've heard the Prime Minister previously speak about limiting new borrowings, and he is clearly committed to avoiding excessive debt,' he said. Mustazar was speaking as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme yesterday, in an episode titled '13MP: The People's Socioeconomic Agenda and Hopes'. According to the 13MP blueprint, ongoing fiscal consolidation efforts are expected to narrow the fiscal deficit to below three per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and keep the federal debt level under 60 per cent of GDP. Commenting on the development allocation for Kota MADANI, Mustazar said the initiative reflects a public-private partnership model. "The government will not spend directly but instead grant concessions to qualified private firms. Hence, not everything announced by the government will involve direct fiscal commitments. "The government will leverage private sector expertise-firms that are more experienced, willing to take risks, and capable of assessing the viability of projects,' he added. 13MP, tabled by the Prime Minister in the Dewan Rakyat, outlines the country's development agenda for 2026-2030, with a total allocation of RM611 billion. - Bernama
Malay Mail
13 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Anwar earns respect from China and US by mediating Cambodia-Thailand peace talks — Phar Kim Beng
AUG 5 — Amid a shifting and uncertain global order, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has achieved what few regional leaders have managed: gaining the respect of both China and the United States while elevating Asean diplomacy from ceremonial declarations to substantive peacebuilding. In hosting the historic Cambodian-Thai military talks in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar has not only asserted Malaysia's credibility as Asean Chair, but also demonstrated that principled neutrality, when anchored in regional responsibility, can earn international trust. The ongoing negotiations at the Malaysian Ministry of Defence between the military leaderships of Cambodia and Thailand mark the first time that defence officials from both sides have come together under third-party auspices to address their tense border dispute. These talks are no mere photo opportunity. Overseen by Malaysian Army Chief General Mohammad Nizam Jaafar, they are deeply technical and intentionally discreet, focusing on contentious flashpoints and the mechanics of sustaining the ceasefire agreed just days earlier. With military attachés on standby to monitor implementation and a parallel Asean-led mechanism under development, Malaysia is doing more than hosting; it is actively shaping the architecture of regional security. By convening these talks ahead of Thursday's General Border Committee (GBC) meeting — comprised of 54 senior representatives including Defence Ministers and Army Chiefs — Malaysia has created the preconditions for concrete deliverables. That this process is happening without fanfare, and yet with full awareness and tacit support from Beijing and Washington, is no accident. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands as they pose for photos following a press conference, on the day of mediation talks on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, in Putrajaya July 28, 2025. — Reuters pic Both great powers — China and the United States — have vested interests in a stable Asean . For China, the Thai-Cambodian border serves as a critical corridor into mainland Southeast Asia and Indochina. For the U.S., stability in this region reduces the risk of further militarization and offsets the spread of spoilers aligned with anti-democratic impulses. By playing the honest broker and avoiding overt alignment with either camp, Malaysia under Anwar has demonstrated that Asean need not be a pawn in great power politics — it can be a partner. Malaysia's role here is fundamentally Asean in spirit but global in consequence. This is the type of conflict resolution that aligns with the original intent of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC): non-violence, peaceful dialogue, and regional solutions to regional problems. Yet too often, TAC principles have remained aspirational. Anwar's facilitation of these military-to-military talks has moved them squarely into the realm of action. What sets this initiative apart is its firm foundation in confidence-building measures, not coercive diplomacy. No guns are drawn, no ultimatums issued — just serious, high-level engagements that involve both civilian and military chains of command. That this is happening in Kuala Lumpur — not Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Beijing, or Washington — speaks volumes about Malaysia's growing strategic capital. The regional silence that greeted the initial outbreak of violence between Thailand and Cambodia only underscored the urgency for credible intervention. With over 300,000 displaced and military tensions simmering since late July, there was a real risk that Asean 's credibility could collapse under the weight of its own indecision. That collapse has now been averted, thanks to Malaysia's resolve and the maturity of the Anwar administration's foreign policy apparatus. This moment is not just a win for Malaysia — it is a defining test for Asean 's evolution. If the current talks result in verified ceasefire compliance and long-term deconfliction measures, it would mark a milestone in Asean 's ability to contain bilateral disputes before they metastasize into regional crises. The long-criticized 'Asean Way' is being refined in real time: quiet, deliberate, but no longer impotent. For Malaysia, this is also a return to its long-standing tradition of behind-the-scenes diplomacy — from the days of Tun Hussein Onn's neutrality to Tun Razak's outreach to China. But under Anwar, there is a sharpened edge: the willingness to assume responsibility, invite the aggrieved parties to the table, and assume verification roles typically eschewed by Asean states. This is not just diplomacy — it is leadership. And the world is watching. From Beijing's calibrated approval to Washington's quiet endorsement, Malaysia's credibility is being affirmed. In an era where most peace efforts collapse under the weight of mistrust or great power rivalry, Malaysia's achievement offers a rare and valuable alternative: that a mid-sized Muslim-majority state in Southeast Asia, led by a Prime Minister with intellectual depth and moral clarity, can broker peace without playing patron or pawn. Anwar Ibrahim has elevated not only Malaysia's stature but also the potential of Asean as a regional peacemaker. In so doing, he has redefined the standards of statecraft in Southeast Asia — with the endorsement, if not the applause, of the world's most powerful capitals. * Phar Kim Beng PhD is Professor of Asean Studies, International Islamic University of Malaysia and Director of Institute of Internationalisation and Asean Studies (IINTAS). ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
The Star
33 minutes ago
- The Star
Travel and funding ban for overseas activists
Authorities strengthened a crackdown on 16 overseas-based activists who were previously targeted by bounties on suspicion of endangering national security, implementing measures that include banning financial support to them and cancelling passports for most of them. The activists were among 19 people who were targeted with arrest warrants in July for alleged roles in Hong Kong Parliament, a group the police called a subversive organisation abroad. The organisation is not the city's official legislature and its influence is limited. Secretary for Security Chris Tang banned providing funds or economic resources to the 16 activists, including Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai, Australian academic Chongyi Feng and US citizen Gong Sasha, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. The government also prohibited properties from being leased to the people on the list. Anyone violating the orders risks a penalty of up to seven years in prison. The measures announced yesterday were issued under the powers granted by Hong Kong's homegrown national security law enacted last year. — AP
