Latest news with #NGO
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
PR spouses of M'sians deserve subsidised RON95 too, says NGO
Family Frontiers said spouses who reside in the country for more than 182 days are required to pay taxes on their total taxable income, on the same basis as Malaysians. PETALING JAYA : Family advocacy group Family Frontiers has urged the government to extend the subsidised price of RM1.99 per litre for RON95 petrol to permanent resident spouses of Malaysian citizens, highlighting their contributions to the nation despite their lack of full citizenship. In an open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today, the NGO argued that making non-citizen parents of Malaysian children bear higher fuel costs would 'disproportionately impact middle- and lower-income families, where every ringgit counts'. 'This also leads to higher out-of-pocket expenses for Malaysian binational families, which could be directed to the advancement of Malaysian children in these families – reduced funds for extra-curricular activities, tuition or even better quality educational resources, for example,' said the NGO. Family Frontiers also rejected the claim that non-citizens, including PR spouses, do not pay taxes. It said spouses who reside in the country for more than 182 days are required to pay taxes on their total taxable income, on the same basis as Malaysians. 'Many of them are husbands and wives of Malaysian citizens, parents of Malaysian children, and long-term residents who have endured years of bureaucratic hurdles to secure legal status in the country they already call home,' it said. In addressing criticism over the government's decision not to extend fuel subsidies to foreign nationals, Anwar had reiterated that foreigners do not pay taxes. 'I'm puzzled when the opposition says we are burdening foreigners, claiming they too contribute to the country. I don't understand. In what part of the world are foreigners treated the same as citizens?' he said. According to the Inland Revenue Board, tax residency in Malaysia applies to those who stay in the country for 182 days or more of the tax year. Family Frontiers also argued that giving separate treatment to PR spouses in Malaysia would significantly complicate both raising Malaysian children and committing to a long-term future in Malaysia. 'Constantly navigating a system where one family member is treated differently, or excluded from benefits that others enjoy, can lead to significant stress for the entire family. 'This creates a serious risk of 'brain drain', where valuable talent eventually departs for countries offering more comprehensive social security and benefits for long-term residents and possibly even their Malaysian families. 'It's time to recognise the commitment of PRs by extending essential subsidies to them. This crucial step will not only retain valuable talent, strengthen our economy and reduce brain drain, but also ease their integration into Malaysian society,' said the NGO.
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Alleged baby snatcher Sameemah Jacobs given strict bail conditions after custody release
CAPE TOWN - Alleged baby snatcher Sameemah Jacobs has been given strict bail conditions after being released from custody. Jacobs was whisked away from the Bellville Magistrates Court by her family on Monday after being granted R4,000 bail. ALSO READ: Court sending wrong message by releasing alleged kidnapper Sameemah Jacobs on bail - NGO She is charged with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice after a nine-day-old baby was abducted in a Bellville mall a month ago. The magistrate, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns, instructed Jacobs to stay out of Mitchells Plain and Strandfontein. Jacobs, who resides in Strandfontein, was arrested with nine-day-old Imaad Sharmar at her mother's house in Mitchells Plain in June. The magistrate told Jacobs, who is now under house arrest, to report to a designated police station three times a week. "The accused may not have any direct or indirect contact with the complainant or any other State witnesses in this matter." The matter was postponed to 15 October after the State asked for more time to collect evidence against Jacobs.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Mystery as Brit tourist goes missing on rowing boat after setting off to visit ancient Turkish tombs
Turkish authorities have launched a search for a missing 79-year-old British national who set off by boat to visit the ancient tombs of Kaunos in Turkey on July 26 and has not been heard from since. The elderly man was reported missing by his daughter - also a British citizen - who alerted the Köyceğiz District Gendarmerie Command of her father's disappearance, according to local media. As per the daughter's report, the two had travelled to Çandır, a village in Muğla's Köyceğiz district in southwestern Turkey, for a holiday together. At 10:30 am, her father began a trip by rowboat to the nearby rock-cut temple tombs of Kaunos, also known as the Lycian rock tombs, but she lost contact with him and has not heard from his since. Following his daughter's report, Turkish authorities have launched a search for the man with a 19-person team, consisting of the Köyceğiz Gendarmerie District Command, Muğla AFAD and an NGO. Between Dalyan and Kaunos, there are more than 150 rock-cut tombs marking the resting place of the Lycian elite. Found on the banks of the Dalyan River, the burial sites date back to the 4th century BC and can be viewed from the water via boat trips. The impressive ruins of the ancient trading city of Kaunos be found across the river from the cliffs, in modern-day Dalyan. The archeological site has many well-preserved structures, including a Hellenistic theatre, a Roman bath, and temples. The rock-cut facades of the graves resemble the fronts of Hellenistic temples, complete with a pair of Ionian pillars, a triangular pediment, and an architrave with toothed friezes, according to the World Heritage Convention.
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 days ago
- General
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Israeli army announces daily 'tactical pause' in several areas
The Israeli army announced Sunday that it would observe a "tactical pause" daily in several areas of the Gaza Strip and the implementation of secure humanitarian corridors for U.N. and NGO convoys to address a worsening hunger crisis. "The pause will be observed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. [7 a.m. to 5 p.m. GMT] starting today [Sunday,]" beginning with the areas of Deir al-Balah [center], al-Mawasi [south,] and Gaza City [north] where there are "no military operations," the army said in a statement. "Permanent corridors" will be set up "from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. [3 a.m. to 8 p.m. GMT] to allow the safe passage of U.N. convoys and humanitarian aid organizations delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population of the Gaza Strip," it added. The Israeli army indicated the decision was coordinated with these organizations following "discussions on this subject." Residents of these areas were notified via a post in Arabic by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee on X. The U.N. or NGOs operating in Gaza have not officially responded for now, while humanitarian sources, privately skeptical, said they were waiting to see the concrete effects of the Israeli announcement on the ground. Resumption of aid airdrops Israel released images overnight from Saturday to Sunday of an airdrop of "seven aid packages containing flour, sugar, and canned goods" over the Gaza Strip, following weeks of international pressure to allow food and other vital supplies to reach the starving population in the Palestinian territory ravaged by more than 21 months of war. The airdrop was "carried out in coordination with international organizations and led by Cogat [a Defense Ministry agency,]" the army said in a statement issued overnight from Saturday to Sunday on Telegram. The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Saturday that the resumption of humanitarian aid drops by air over Gaza was an "ineffective" step in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the Palestinian territory. The decision by the Israeli government comes after statements by President Donald Trump, who accused Hamas of not wanting a cease-fire agreement in Gaza. The U.S. administration and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu said they would seek "alternative solutions." The war was triggered by an unprecedented attack led by the Islamist movement Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed at least 59,733 in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, considered reliable by the U.N.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Malnutrition in Nigeria killed 652 children in past six months, MSF says
At least 652 children have died from malnutrition in the Nigerian state of Katsina in the first six months of 2025, according to Doctors Without Borders. The charity, known by its French initials MSF, said in a statement on Friday that the deaths were caused by funding cuts from international donors, as Katsina, located in the country's north, continued to suffer from violence and insecurity. 'We are currently witnessing massive budget cuts, particularly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which are having real impact on the treatment of malnourished children,' said MSF. The NGO said by the end of June this year, nearly 70,000 children with malnutrition had already received medical care from the MSF teams in Katsina State, including nearly 10,000 who were hospitalised in serious condition. It, however, stressed that the need for prevention and treatment of malnutrition is enormous in northern Nigeria, and that urgent mobilisation was required. In the north of Nigeria, other factors increasing malnutrition include disease outbreaks, which are pushed by low vaccine coverage, availability, and accessibility of basic health services, and other socioeconomic indices complicated by insecurity and violence. MSF said the number of children in Katsina with the most severe form of malnutrition has risen by about 208 percent this year compared with the same period last year, and 'unfortunately 652 children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of 2025.' Banditry is rife in Katsina, where insecurity has displaced many people, forcing them to abandon their farms. The government, alongside local civilian vigilante groups, has struggled to contain the activities of bandits. WFP freezes aid On Wednesday, the United Nations food agency said it will be forced to suspend food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in Nigeria's conflict-hit northeast by the end of July, because stocks had run out due to 'critical funding shortfalls'. The World Food Programme's (WFP) regional head, Margot van der Velden, said 'we will face the heartbreaking reality of having to suspend humanitarian aid for the populations in areas devastated by conflict.' That means more than 1.3 million people in Nigeria will lose access to food and nutritional support, 150 nutrition clinics in the conflict-ridden Borno State in the northeast may close, 300,000 children will be at risk of severe malnutrition, and 700,000 displaced people 'will be left with no means of survival', she said. For years, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had been the backbone of the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, helping nongovernmental organisations provide food, shelter and healthcare to millions of people. The Trump administration has slashed foreign assistance and dismantled USAID, accusing the agency of waste and fraud and supporting a liberal agenda. Other Western donors also have slashed international aid spending. Nigeria has budgeted 200 billion naira ($130m) this year to cushion the shortfall from the withdrawal of funding to the health sector by the US.
