Latest news with #AOD
New Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Study finds young Malaysians most likely to support ban on racially biased landlords
KUALA LUMPUR: Young Malaysians aged 18 to 24 are more likely than any other age group to support a legal ban on racial discrimination by landlords. This stance contrasts sharply with older generations, a new YouGov survey shows. The survey, involving 1,104 respondents, found that Malaysians aged 18 to 24 were the only age group where more people supported making racial discrimination in renting illegal (39 per cent) than those who opposed it. In contrast, 58.7 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 54 believed landlords should retain the right to select tenants based on race. A report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) said overall, nearly 57 per cent supported introducing a law to regulate the rental housing market, while only 10 per cent were against the proposed Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) — legislation that has been in the pipeline for years. However, Malaysians remain divided on whether the RTA should specifically ban racial discrimination in housing. Nearly half of all respondents said landlords should be allowed to choose tenants by race, while only 31 per cent supported making such practices illegal. The findings were released during a forum hosted by Architects of Diversity (AOD), a civil society group advocating for equality in housing and education, to mark the launch of its report on discrimination in the rental market. Forum participants called on the government to expedite and strengthen the RTA to include clear protections against racial discrimination. "If the government fails to pass the Residential Tenancy Act — or worse, passes it without addressing racial discrimination — it will have missed its greatest opportunity to protect Malaysian Indians," said AOD executive director Jason Wee. The survey found that Indians were the most affected by racial bias, with nearly two in five reporting discrimination while trying to rent a home. Support for banning discrimination was highest among Indians (63.8 per cent), young adults (39 per cent), and full-time students (42 per cent). Wee noted that young Malaysians, particularly minorities, are especially vulnerable to housing discrimination as they often rely on rented accommodation while studying or beginning their careers in urban areas. The forum also highlighted common justifications landlords give for selecting tenants by race, including fear of problematic tenants, concerns about religious or cultural clashes, and entrenched personal biases masked as "racial preferences."
West Australian
26-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Broome shire to tackle crime, poverty and substance abuse in new Community Safety Plan
The Shire of Broome is tackling crime, poverty and substance abuse head-on in its new Community Safety Plan for 2025 to 2029, advocating for an extensive range of services and programs to tackle the ongoing issues. One of the shire's main objectives is to reduce use, harm and effects from alcohol and other drugs within the community and has laid out an extensive range of initiatives to do so. The shire will advocate for the reintroduction of the cashless debit card for voluntary recipients, for the Mental Health Commission to provide a new sobering up shelter in a suitable location, to restrict access to legal forms of substances such as hand sanitiser, paint and glue and to expand the safe needle exchange and disposal program. It will also collaborate with WA Country Health Service to promote safe needle disposal messages, advocate for, and conduct daily sweeps of known hotspot areas for discarded needles and advocate for funding for AOD services including rehabilitation and a new withdrawal centre. It comes on the back of the shire's 2025 Community Safety Survey which found respondents main safety concerns were break-ins, alcohol and other drugs and disorderly conduct. The survey also found 77 per cent of respondents felt substance abuse was the main contributor to their crime and safety concerns. To address the issue the shire has also made enhancing law and order, and community safety another one of their objectives. They will advocate for more police bike and foot patrols, grant funding for two Community Safety Officers to provide foot patrols over three years, partner with police to implement bike and scooter theft prevention initiatives and formalise a Memorandum of Understanding with WA Police for joint patrols targeting illegal drinking, camping, and itinerancy, with the potential to include Yawuru patrol services. The shire is also looking to reduce domestic violence by supporting and promoting the DV Safe Phone program and supporting Marnja Jarndu Women's Refuge to advocate for funding to extend or build new facilities to deliver safe accommodation and support for women escaping domestic violence. Another of the shire's main objectives through the plan is to expand youth diversion programs to reduce crime by advocating for further State Government funding to run the Nhurra buru Night Space beyond the initial trial period and the shire's A Sporting Chance and A Remote Chance programs. Further initiatives and items the shire will advocate for can be found in the full Community Safety Plan 2025-2029 on the Shire of Broome's website. The plan was put out for public comment, which has now finished and is planned to be an item at the July council meeting.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Local Addictions Clinician, Damon Fox, Selected As ACT Local Candidate For New Plymouth District Council Election
ACT Local has selected Damon Fox an Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) clinician and community advocate, as its candidate for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu Ward in the upcoming New Plymouth District Council election. Raised in Taranaki by a solo mother on a benefit, Damon understands firsthand the challenges many families face. Through hard work and determination, he overcame those early struggles and now works as an addictions practitioner, helping others turn their lives around. His lived experience gives him a deep understanding of what drives meaningful, lasting change; a perspective he's determined to bring into local politics. Damon is standing to deliver practical leadership, community-focused solutions, and real-world insight to council decision-making. 'In an environment where left-wing ideology has become the norm, it's time to take a stand. No more wasteful spending on things we don't need. No more race-based voting or obsession with identity. I'm standing to hold the line for what's right, something sorely lacking in our current council.' – Damon Fox Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
The Star
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
A necessary initiative for unity
ARCHITECTS of Diversity Malaysia (AOD) warmly welcomes and fully supports the launch of the National Community Public Complaints Network platform by the Unity Ministry on June 19. As an organisation committed to fostering social cohesion and addressing discrimination across racial and religious lines, AOD sees Rakan (from its Malay acronym, Rangkaian Aduan Komuniti Awam Nasional) as a timely and necessary initiative. It represents a strategic integration of technology, civic responsibility, and public policy to strengthen national harmony.
Phone Arena
30-05-2025
- General
- Phone Arena
This long-overdue change could make your Wear OS smartwatch way more useful
Wear OS 6 is introducing a key upgrade that many users have been waiting for. With the new version, Google is improving how the always-on display (AOD) works by allowing more parts of the interface, like media controls, to stay visible even when the screen dims. In the past, most Wear OS apps would hide their content when the screen entered ambient mode. Unless you were using apps like Google Maps, Keep, or Spotify, you would only see the time and a blurred screen when your wrist was down. This made it harder to quickly glance at useful information without waking the watch. Wear OS 5.1 always on display with media controls. | Image credit — 9to5Google Google is now changing that. With Wear OS 6, the interface will keep showing the last screen you were using in a low-power state. According to the company, the update combines different solutions into a consistent AOD experience across devices. For example, if you are playing music, you will still see the current track and playback buttons, even when the screen is in ambient mode. Wear OS 6 always on display with media controls. | Image credit — 9to5Google Media controls are also getting a visual update. The buttons are now styled using the Material 3 Expressive design. While in active use, the buttons appear bold and filled in. When the AOD is on, the same buttons become thin outlines, but they still show up clearly and remain usable. You can still see the song name and take action without tapping to wake the feature builds on what Google started with the Pixel Watch in Wear OS 5.1. That version had a hidden developer setting called Force Global AOD Experience, which kept the current screen visible in a dimmed state. Wear OS 6 is turning that idea into a standard are other improvements in Wear OS 6 as well. All tiles will now use the same font, making it easier to move through the tile carousel. Health permissions are also being updated, giving users more control over what data each app can access. Wear OS 6 is based on Android 16 and is expected to arrive later this year. While there is no confirmed rollout date yet, the changes could lead to a more consistent and helpful experience for smartwatch users.
