Latest from Free Malaysia Today
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Look to Sarawak for lessons on unity, says state minister
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Sarawak has long practised harmony and respect among its diverse communities. (Bernama pic) KUCHING : Political leaders must stop fuelling racial and religious extremism and instead emulate Sarawak's model of unity, says Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, a state minister and information chief of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu. He said Malaysia must do more to bridge the gap between ethnic and religious communities, with past, present and future leaders bearing the responsibility to ensure that no form of racial and religious extremism exists. 'They must show a good example. If leaders start using race and religion, that is (how the) rot (starts),' he said in an interview with FMT. Citing Sarawak as an example of moderation, Karim said the state has long practised harmony and respect among its diverse communities. 'You don't have this problem here. You can go to a kopitiam selling mee jawa, curry or even pork. It's not a problem,' said Karim, who is state minister for tourism, creative industry and performing arts. 'That doesn't make us less Muslim. Our mosques are full. During Hari Raya, we still wear our baju raya,' he said. Karim said Sarawak also promotes unity from an early age, through youth and school-based programmes that bring together pupils from different education streams. 'During school programmes, I insist participants come from all schools – Islamic schools, missionary schools, government schools and Chinese schools – to mix together,' he said. Christians and Muslims in same family Karim said the state's unique demographic pattern helps foster deeper interfaith ties, with some longhouses having the kalimah (name of Allah) on one side and a cross on the other. 'In the longhouses, you will find Muslims and Christians living together in the same family,' he said. Karim said the Sarawak government also ensures inclusivity is reflected in its institutions, and that he personally ensures appointments at his ministry are racially balanced. He added that unlike Peninsula Malaysia, where there is a federal Islamic department, Sarawak has also established a Unit for Other Religions to provide fair support to non-Muslim communities. 'Through this, more than RM100 million has been channelled to assist chapels, churches and temples,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Palmer stars as Chelsea stun PSG to win Club World Cup final
Chelsea players celebrate after Cole Palmer (centre) fires in his second goal against PSG in the Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. (AP pic) EAST RUTHERFORD : Cole Palmer scored two goals and made another as Chelsea stunned Paris St-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday, beating the European champions 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium to win the first edition of Fifa's new competition. PSG had come to the US fresh from winning the Uefa Champions League and were the favourites here after having destroyed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals. But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semis, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found themselves 3-0 down by the break. Chelsea players celebrate lifting the Club World Cup trophy alongside US President Donald Trump. (EPA Images pic) Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half and struck again to make it two on the half-hour mark, before taking advantage of passive defending to set up Joao Pedro for the third on 43 minutes. A bad day for PSG was summed up when Joao Neves was shown red following a VAR review four minutes from the end for pulling Marc Cucurella by the hair off the ball. It was a scoreline that few could have predicted as Chelsea capped what has been a long but memorable season – they are the first ever winners of the 32-team Club World Cup having also won the Uefa Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League. They will also take away around US$125 million in prize money, meaning the prospect of a drastically curtailed summer break before returning for next season will surely feel worth it. For PSG, meanwhile, the financial rewards are similar but there will be genuine disappointment at falling short of adding this title to their Champions League triumph and French league and cup double. Nevertheless, conquering Europe was always the main aim this season for Luis Enrique's team, who now have exactly a month to digest this and take a holiday before returning to action in the Uefa Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur. Trump in attendance There was a real sense of occasion at the MetLife Stadium, with the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline and with US president Donald Trump in attendance along with First Lady Melania Trump in a crowd of 81,118. There was even the first-ever half-time show at a Fifa tournament, adding a Super Bowl feel to a final played at the home of NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets. As for the football, for the second time in six weeks PSG found themselves involved in a final that quickly turned into a one-sided affair. The club claimed a historic 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but here they were ripped apart by Chelsea on another hot afternoon. Palmer almost put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, before PSG should have scored at the other end only for Desire Doue to try to pass to Achraf Hakimi rather than shoot inside the box, allowing Cucurella to block. It was Chelsea who struck in the 22nd minute as Malo Gusto got the better of Nuno Mendes down the right before seeing his shot blocked by Lucas Beraldo. The ball came back to Gusto and he teed up Palmer to finish into the bottom-left corner. Palmer has been the face of Chelsea on billboards in the US during the tournament and he lived up to his star billing by scoring again on the half-hour. Released on the right with PSG left-back Mendes out of position, Palmer advanced towards the box before stroking a low shot into the same corner. Joao Pedro played a part in the build-up to that goal and the Brazilian, signed during the tournament from Brighton, then got his name on the scoresheet to make it 3-0. Scorer of both goals against Fluminense in the semi-finals, he clipped a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma after being supplied by Palmer. PSG had conceded a single goal in their previous eight matches and they never really looked like producing a comeback, even if Neves headed just wide in first-half stoppage time. Substitute Liam Delap almost got a fourth for Chelsea midway through the second half, before Neves was shown red to complete a bad day for PSG.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Boos and applause for Trump at Fifa Club World Cup final
President Donald Trump attends the Fifa Club World Cup final between Paris St-Germain and Chelsea at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. (AP pic) EAST RUTHERFORD : Donald Trump experienced the rough side of football on Sunday as he was briefly booed at the final of the Fifa Club World Cup. The US president was applauded as he arrived for the match between Paris St-Germain and Chelsea at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City. But when a jumbotron screen briefly showed Trump saluting to the US national anthem, there was some booing in the giant stadium, before the camera quickly cut away. Trump, 79, had earlier taken his seat in a suite alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino. The Republican's appearance at the game also came on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt that he survived at an election rally in Pennsylvania. Trump has made no secret of his desire to use this year's club championship and next year's 2026 World Cup as symbols of the 'Golden Age of America' during his second term in the White House. Next year's World Cup, the final of which will be held at the same stadium, will coincide with the 250th anniversary of America's independence. Trump has even set up a White House task force to ensure next year's championship – hosted jointly with Canada and Mexico – goes smoothly. 'He loves it' Another factor in his appearance at the match is that Trump has fostered a close relationship with Infantino, who has been a frequent visitor to the White House. Trump has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since the Fifa president dropped by in March. Infantino, who is no stranger to dealing with hard-nosed world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2018 World Cup, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday. He said Trump had 'embraced immediately the importance of the Fifa Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year.' Infantino also joked that Trump 'certainly loves as well the trophy' – whose gold-plated curves match the gilded makeover that the president has given the Oval Office. But Trump's fondness of football, or soccer as he would say, is also personal. The president's 19-year-old son Barron is a fan, as Infantino pointed out in a press conference at Fifa's new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday. Asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino replied: 'Well I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States, there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House. 'He then explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.' As a boarding school student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself also reportedly played the game for a season. 'Go home' But in typical form, Trump has also mixed political controversy with his football fandom. Hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: 'Could a woman make your team, fellas?' Most of the players looked bemused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: 'We have a very good women's team.' 'He's being very diplomatic,' said Trump. Trump's hardline immigration crackdown – part of his 'America First' policy – has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. In May, vice president JD Vance said that fans would be 'welcome to come… but when the time is up, they will have to go home.'
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Oil & gas not in MA63, say analysts
Despite a broad agreement reached by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, Petronas is still negotiating the commercial terms of Petros's appointment as gas aggregator in Sarawak. PETALING JAYA : The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) does not explicitly grant Sarawak autonomy over oil and gas (O&G) resources, but the state has valid grievances over the inequitable distribution of their benefits, according to analysts. Political analyst James Chin, of University of Tasmania, said Sabahans and Sarawakians feel they may have got the 'raw end of the deal', because it was widely understood that both states would experience rapid economic growth upon joining the Federation of Malaysia. 'While O&G aren't explicitly mentioned in MA63, the frustration arises because these states have not truly benefited from their resources,' Chin told FMT, pointing to the wealth of O&G resources available off the Bornean coast. 'Sabahans and Sarawakians believe their state authorities were bypassed. Their chief ministers signed away resource control without consulting their cabinets or legislatures, exceeding their constitutional powers,' he claimed. James Chin. This, said Chin, has fuelled resentment, with many East Malaysians saying their respective states have lost significant economic opportunities while their counterparts in the peninsula have benefitted at their expense. 'Dispute extends beyond O&G' Sunway University's Shakila Yacob offered a different perspective on the Petroleum Development Act (PDA), which has been a source of tension between the federal government and Sarawak. She said parliamentary records suggest that Sarawak's then-chief minister Abdul Rahman Ya'kub likely had the backing of the state's legislative assembly when consenting to the legislation. 'I found no recorded objections from Sarawak MPs regarding the Act,' she told FMT. Shakila Yacob. 'I understand that all states provided their consent except for Perak and Sabah, which initially declined to sign the PDA,' she said, referencing interviews with Petronas's founding chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and research verified by US archival documents. 'Eventually, a change of government in Sabah, and the Perak chief minister relenting, led to their agreement,' she added. Equitable federalism? Shakila noted, however, that East Malaysia's discontent goes beyond O&G-related concerns. She highlighted ongoing grievances over the federal government's alleged failure to fulfil its obligations under the MA63, particularly the payment of special grants intended to support economic development in Sarawak and Sabah. East Malaysian grievances must be addressed to foster a more sustainable federal system, said Shakila. She also pointed to Sarawak's recent calls for autonomy in sectors such as health, education and environmental policy as a reflection of broader dissatisfaction with federal arrangements. 'This highlights deeper tensions within Malaysia's federal system. 'If not managed carefully, Sarawak's push could set a precedent, prompting other states to question power distribution, potentially straining national unity in today's volatile world,' said Shakila. She said it was necessary to balance state aspirations with national cohesion to address the matter holistically. Shakila had previously told FMT there were broader economic and security concerns that also need to be considered. Petronas and Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) are still hammering out the legal and commercial terms pertaining to a new aggregator arrangement for Sarawak. Although Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that he had reached a broad agreement with Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg on the matter, negotiations have been complicated by Kuching's insistence on terms which may impact Petronas adversely. Industry expert Jamil Ghani previously told FMT that Petronas may be concerned about the impact Sarawak's demands may have on its multi-year international and domestic contractual commitments. He also said there may be potential repercussions on the corporation's bottom line, its ability to pay the federal government dividends, the nation's energy security and on the O&G industry as a whole. According to Jamil, more than 90% of the nation's 3,000 O&G services and equipment companies depend on Petronas to survive.
Free Malaysia Today
11 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Beloved tapir killed while crossing road near park
The Mardi agrotechnology park said the tapir was a beloved attraction and had brought joy to many. (Facebook pic) KUANTAN : A 120kg male tapir, beloved by campers and visitors to the Mardi agrotechnology park in Cherating, was killed when it was struck by a car while crossing the Kuantan-Kemaman road past midnight last night. The park described the tapir's death as a major blow to wildlife lovers. 'One of the park's most beloved attractions is now gone. This protected tapir, a regular sight among campers and nature enthusiasts, had brought joy to many,' read a post on the park's Facebook page. Acting Kuantan police chief Adli Mat Daud said the animal was crossing the road at about 12.10am and was struck by a Perodua Alza. 'The driver, a 41-year-old man, was unhurt,' he said in a statement. A local resident, Badrol Hisham Mohamad, 44, who was among the first to the scene, said he immediately alerted the police and Perhilitan, the wildlife department. 'The tapir is believed to have been hit by a vehicle carrying a family from Kemaman to Kuantan near the Cherating park. Several motorists stopped to help direct traffic, as the carcass was lying in the middle of the road and posed a danger to others,' said the Kampung Sungai Ular resident. Police were dispatched to the scene to control traffic on the poorly-lit stretch of road. The tapir's carcass was handed over to the Pahang wildlife and parks department.
