No 3R offences reported at opposition rally, says home minister
Its minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, said the rally proceeded smoothly and was well managed by police.
It's a testament to the Madani government's commitment to upholding the freedom of assembly, he added.
"As of this morning, I have not received any feedback from police regarding any reports or complaints about breaches of existing laws, including 3R-related issues.
"But clearly, this is the clearest proof—a shining example—that the Madani government is truly upholding the freedom of assembly as guaranteed by the Constitution.
"The police, in turn, maintained order with full responsibility and professionalism," he told reporters after the People's Volunteer Corps Department (Rela) anniversary celebration at Dataran Kulim in Kedah today.
Saifuddin also criticised the organisers for failing to clearly remind participants not to bring underage children to the rally, as this is prohibited under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
"This Act outlines three main responsibilities. The police act as facilitators, organisers must not provoke issues related to race, religion, or the monarchy, and participants are not allowed to carry dangerous weapons or bring underage children.
"Yesterday, some participants were unaware or not informed. The organisers merely called on people to gather in large numbers without saying that bringing children was prohibited. That is a legal offence," he said.
Commenting further, Saifuddin challenged the opposition to not just stage weekly rallies but instead present better policies to rival those implemented by the government.
He said that when it comes to the cost of living, the Madani government had already introduced clear measures, including increasing cash aid and lowering fuel prices by six sen and it is now time for the opposition to present their alternatives.
"If you disagree with the government's policies, present your own welfare policies. If you think six sen is insufficient, state how much you would reduce it by, what mechanism you would use. Let the people compare.
"We present policies and programmes, while they respond with insults and emotional politics. This deprives the people of a fair chance to assess. We reject this kind of dirty politics," he said.
He said the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan debate in Parliament next week would be the best platform for the opposition to demonstrate their ability as an alternative bloc.
"The people want to see ideas and policy offerings, not just street shouting. The opportunity is wide open. Present your policies in Parliament and let the people judge," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
9 minutes ago
- The Star
Govt to adopt integrated approach to tackle rising child sexual crimes, says Ahmad Zahid
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will implement a whole-of-government strategy to address the alarming rise in child sexual crimes, with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealing that such cases surged by over 50% in just four years. Citing official statistics, Ahmad Zahid said reported child sexual offences rose from 2,541 cases in 2020 to 3,892 cases in 2024, an increase of 53.2%. He revealed that the number of victims also grew from 2,561 to 3,988, marking a 55.7% jump. "This upward trend is deeply concerning. The evolution of technology and the industrial revolution have introduced more sophisticated criminal methods, including deepfake technology and digital identity theft. "To tackle this issue comprehensively and effectively, the government will adopt an integrated approach involving the Home Ministry, the police, Youth and Sports Ministry, and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry," he said in a statement after chairing the second National Social Council (MSN) meeting for 2025 on Tuesday (July 29). He said among the initiatives planned is the Children's Protection Seminar: Addressing Cyber Threats and Sexual Crimes, which will be held in November. Ahmad Zahid stressed that MSN remains a critical platform for coordinating cross-ministerial social policy implementation in line with the Madani government's commitment to building an inclusive, resilient, and prosperous society. "To strengthen the impact of policy implementation, MSN membership has now been expanded to include strategic ministries such as the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories)," he said. The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the National Social Policy (DSN) 2030 and progress on its Action Plan 2026–2030, which Ahmad Zahid said is now in its final phase and will be presented to the Cabinet in October. "The DSN 2030 is the umbrella policy that harmonises 44 national social policies. Its action plan must be executed in a targeted and high-impact manner, with regular monitoring, impact measurement, and high accountability from all agencies," he said. He said the council also examined several social challenges, including the plight of mentally ill homeless individuals who have slipped through the cracks of mental health intervention due to the lack of dedicated facilities. "We support the Health Ministry's initiative to establish a taskforce to build psychiatric nursing care homes," Ahmad Zahid said. Another key proposal discussed was the formation of a Special Committee on National Preschool Islamic Education, aimed at streamlining issues related to registration, safety, health, curriculum strategy, and teaching personnel - a step Ahmad Zahid described as crucial in strengthening early childhood education systems. The meeting also addressed graduate skill mismatch, with Ahmad Zahid highlighting a Statistics Department's report that showed 2.06 million graduates currently working in jobs that do not match their qualifications. "To resolve this strategically, the Human Resources Ministry and TalentCorp have launched the MyMahir initiative," he said. So far, he said 66 industry-based training programmes have been approved under the Future Skills Talent Council, covering high-impact sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and the green economy. "These programmes offer not only high-skill training but also job guarantees, with average starting salaries ranging from RM3,000 to RM6,000 per month," Ahmad Zahid said.
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Malaysia explores silver economy potential for ageing population
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is exploring the potential of the silver economy as a new growth driver to help the nation manage the socio-economic impact of becoming an ageing society by 2043, said Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib. She said the Economy Ministry, in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, may consider setting up a national council on ageing population to spearhead the development of the silver economy, as outlined in the National Ageing Blueprint (NAB) 2025–2045. 'The NAB was presented at the National Economic Action Council meeting on Feb 12, 2025. 'The meeting agreed that 11 high-impact interventions involving various ministries and agencies should be implemented immediately to lay a strong foundation in facing population ageing,' she told the Dewan Rakyat during the oral question-and-answer session today. She was responding to a question from Tan Kok Wai (PH-Cheras), who asked about strategic policies and interventions to position the ageing population as a catalyst for economic growth. Hanifah also gave her assurance that the effort to strengthen the nation's readiness for demographic ageing will be included in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which is scheduled to be tabled this week. 'I do not have the details at this moment, but inshaaAllah, the 13MP presentation will offer more comprehensive information,' she added. - Bernama
BusinessToday
43 minutes ago
- BusinessToday
Minister Says Motorists Save 83% From Toll Hike Delay
Class 1 highway users would have had to fork over up to 83 per cent more on tolls along 10 highways if the government had not postponed rate hikes this year. Addressing the Dewan Rakyat, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the impact on motorists would have been 'significant', noting there is a huge gap between the toll rates charged and the ones stipulated in concession deals. 'The quantum of toll rate hikes for Class 1 vehicles under the concession agreements for the 10 highways involved ranges from 50 sen to RM4.56, or an increase of between 79 per cent and 83 per cent,' he said in Parliament here today. He was responding to a question about the implication on highway users if the government did not postpone the rate hike increase for 2025, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 23. The 10 highways are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway, KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway, New North Klang Straits Bypass, Senai-Desaru Expressway, East Coast Expressway Phase 2, South Klang Valley Expressway, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge, Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway, Maju Expressway (MEX), and Butterworth Outer Ring Road. Alexander said that for highways with an open toll system, users save between 50 sen and RM4.56 for Class 1 vehicles, RM1 to RM6.80 (Class 2), RM1.40 to RM15.30 (Class 3), 20 sen to RM1.90 (Class 4), and 20 sen to RM5.70 (Class 5). For closed toll system, users will save from 3.36 sen/km to 5.99 sen/km (Class 1), 2.4 sen/km to 8.98 sen/km (Class 2), 3.6 sen/km to 11.98 sen/km (Class 3), 1.68 sen/km to 3.01 sen/km (Class 4), and 3.36 sen/km to 6.86 sen/km (Class 5). Class 1 covers private vehicles with two axles, Class 2 small goods vehicles, Class 3 large trucks with three or more axles, Class 4 taxis, and Class 5 buses. Citing an example, Alexander said a Class 1 vehicle user commuting to work via the Putrajaya Toll Plaza on the MEX would enjoy savings of RM6.80 for a round trip, which amounts to RM136 for 20 working days a month, or RM1,632 a year. 'However, to ease the people's burden, the Madani government, out of concern for the rising cost of living, has agreed to postpone toll hikes,' he said, adding that the freeze will benefit over 941,000 highway users. Alexander said as a result of postponing the toll hikes for 10 highways, the government will bear an estimated RM568.92 million for concessionaires, although this is subject to actual traffic volume and operating audit. In response to a supplementary question on whether the federal government intends to abolish tolls altogether, the minister said it would be extremely difficult to implement as it would cost billions of ringgit to just maintain highways. Doing so would mean lower funds for states like Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, where drivers are not frequent toll users, he added. 'What I can say is that once concessionaires recover their returns on investment, we can lower toll rates. That is more practical and realistic,' Alexander said. Related
