SNAPSHOT | Zamri, Tamim enter Thailand; Indira's last stand as daughter's 18th birthday nears

KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 11am, 2pm and 6pm.

6pm

Border crossings

• Independent preacher Zamri Vinoth and self-proclaimed activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak left Malaysia and entered Thailand through an entry point in the southern region on Thursday, Bernama reported.

  Bernama quoted a Thai security source who said the two individuals entered the country by land via the Sungai Golok entry point in Narathiwat, which borders Rantau Panjang in Kelantan, using valid travel documents.

  “Preliminary reports indicate that both individuals are still in southern Thailand,” the source told Bernama when contacted.

  On Saturday, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail confirmed that Zamri and Tamim, who are being investigated in connection with several separate cases linked to their movement against “illegal” temples, had fled to Thailand.

  Zamri, however, denied fleeing from authorities and claimed he was ready to face Khalid and be investigated.

Unilateral conversion

• M Indira Gandhi will soon have no recourse under the Child Act 2001 to compel the authorities to reunite her with her abducted daughter, Prasana Diksa, who turns 18 next month, and makes her an adult in the eyes of the law.

  

  New Straits Times quoted Indira and her lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, who both confirmed that all legal avenues under the Act will be lost after Prasana’s 18th birthday on April 8.

  “I just want to meet Prasana. She should know by now that she has a biological mother and siblings. So, where actually is she now? What is she doing? That's all I want to know,” said Indira, recounting her 17-year legal battle against her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, who also unilaterally converted their three children to Islam.

  Indira’s nine-year court battle to challenge the conversion ended with a 2018 Federal Court ruling that nullified the process, but Riduan had abducted Prasarana as an 11-month-old baby in 2010 and failed to comply with a court order for her return.

  An Ipoh High Court judge had in 2014 directed the police to locate Prasarana, but so far, there have been no significant updates despite suspicions that Riduan remains in Malaysia, as his MyKad was reportedly used to access the Budi95 and Rahmah Necessities Aid schemes recently.

Extra Raya holiday

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced an additional public holiday for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, allowing Malaysians more time to travel and spend with their families.

  According to the Malay Mail, Anwar, who attended a National Consumer Day celebration in Kota Kinabalu, said the extra holiday will be observed on either March 20 or March 23, depending on the date for the first day of Hari Raya.

  To assist the public in planning their journeys, the premier outlined the two possible scenarios.

  Scenario one: If the first day of Raya falls on Friday, March 20, then Monday, March 23, will be declared the extra public holiday.

  Scenario two: If the first day of Raya falls on Saturday, March 21, then Friday, March 20, will be declared the extra public holiday.

• Kelantan, which has weekends on Friday and Saturday, announced that it would follow suit with an additional holiday on March 19 (Thursday).

  

  “This will make way for preparations for the celebration and reduce traffic congestion,” Sinar Harian quoted Nassuruddin Daud as saying.

• Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said patients with appointments at government hospital specialist clinics or day care centres during the additional holidays will be contacted by the hospital to reschedule their appointments, Harian Metro reported.

  Nevertheless, the ministry’s clinics and hospitals will continue operating 24 hours a day.

  “Healthcare workers already rostered to be ‘on call’ will also remain at the hospital to provide service for patients.

  “In addition, public health monitoring will continue to be monitored by the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre at the state and national level to ensure any incident with potential public health impacts will be tackled promptly,” he said.

2pm

Politics

• Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar today said the hardline stance shown by Abdul Hadi Awang towards Umno’s “Rumah Bangsa” concept has raised more questions than the “devil’s whisper” label put forward by the PAS president.

  He described Hadi’s position as excessive and revealed PAS’s attitude towards any effort to unite the political strength of the Malays, despite the party’s claims that Malays and Islam are under threat.

  “If it is true that Malays and Islam are under threat, then unity should be an obligation.

  “But when every effort at unity is rejected, the public has the right to ask whether this narrative of threat is merely PAS political propaganda to maintain its support,” he said in a statement today.

  On March 12, Hadi stressed PAS’ stance of refusing to cooperate with Umno through the “Rumah Bangsa” initiative, claiming that members of the party were afflicted with doubts caused by “the whisperings of the devil”.

Education

• Education director-general Azam Ahmad said further study is required to determine whether a proposed work-from-home policy, as part of energy-saving measures, would include schools and students.

  

  According to Bernama, Azam said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek will chair a meeting next week with her deputy, Wong Kah Woh, and senior officials, pending a cabinet decision on the WFH policy.

  “We will examine the recommendation from various angles to ensure an effective rollout. Immediate action without thorough consideration may not achieve the intended objectives.

  “For example, if we aim to reduce electricity use in office buildings but a few employees continue to work in each sector, the expected savings will not be achieved,” he told reporters after the MOE 2026 Perdana Ramadan Jaulah programme at Pengkalan Chepa Vocational College yesterday.

  He said the ministry is also ready to implement Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) mechanisms, based on remote learning experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Transport

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will chair a National Economic Action Council meeting tomorrow, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir.

  Bernama quoted him as saying that the meeting will discuss the impact of the prolonged conflict in West Asia on the transportation sector, particularly aviation, and mitigation measures to safeguard oil and gas supply.

  

  He noted that disruption to oil and gas supplies would affect the supply of various components - particularly those made from petroleum-based products - as well as the logistical cost of importing goods.

  “Although we were able to remain resilient last year and managed to contain inflation at around 1.4 percent for the whole of 2025, we may see inflationary pressures in the months ahead due to supply chain disruptions as oil-related input and output costs increase,” he added.

• Expansion works at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu have been completed and will be fully operational tomorrow, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced.

  This increases the airport’s capacity from 1.5 million to 4 million passengers per year, and strengthens air links to Kelantan while supporting the growth of the state’s tourism, business and economic development sectors, Bernama quoted Loke as saying.

  The expansion is the second phase of an RM440 million project to expand and upgrade the airport, with the first phase beginning operations in May 2024. A date for the launch ceremony for the second phase has yet to be announced.

11am

Environment

• State-owned waste management company KDEB Waste Management has clarified that its third environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed Batu Arang waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator has not been rejected.

  

  Contrary to recent public speculation, its managing director, Ramli Tahir, said the EIA submission for the Sultan Idris Shah (SIS) Green Energy Plant in Rawang remains active under the Environment Department’s (DOE) standard review process, with no fundamental concerns regarding the project’s proposed design or suitability of location.

  “A significant portion of this ongoing process is dedicated to addressing the extensive public consultation exercise conducted in the last two years, which generated over 12,000 feedback from various stakeholders.

  “The DOE has specifically requested improvements in the documentation and tabulation of these submissions to ensure that all public feedback is comprehensively recorded and appropriately evaluated,” he said.

  On March 12, Rawang Tolak Incinerator Network (RTI) urged the Selangor government and the DOE to scrap the project entirely after the EIA was purportedly rejected for the third time.

Food security

• MCA deputy organising secretary Kang Meng Fuat has slammed Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu for suggesting that civil servants and the public grow their own vegetables to address food security.

  

  Kang described the proposal as “extremely irresponsible”, accusing Mohamad of shifting the government's burden onto the people rather than addressing the root causes of food price instability.

  He remarked that a recent special cabinet meeting on Friday regarding the impacts of the Middle East conflict was “as good as not being held” if the only conclusion was to ask citizens to farm at home.

  The MCA leader challenged ministers to begin farming at their own spacious official residences or open the land to the poor before asking ordinary citizens to do the same.

  Kang urged the government to implement institutional reforms, such as resolving issues with landless farmers and licensing issues for fishers, to increase local production and reduce risky over-reliance on food imports.

Transport

• The Terengganu Road Transport Department is reportedly deploying undercover officers to pose as express bus passengers to ensure drivers remain alert.

  Bernama quoted Terengganu RTD director Zamri Samion as saying that five teams of 10 officers will be deployed from March 16 to 29, in conjunction with the festive travel season for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

  

  A total of 44 operations will be carried out on routes including Kuala Terengganu–Pahang, Pahang–Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu–Kelantan, Kelantan–Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu–Kuala Lumpur, and Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Terengganu.

  Inspections will be conducted at depots to ensure the buses are roadworthy.

After third EIA rejection, anti-incinerator group urges complete scrap of Rawang plant

Anti-incinerator marchers rue S'gor MB's refusal to meet them for 2 years

Amid West Asia conflict, Mat Sabu tells ministry staffers to grow veggies at home

15 lives lost: Probe exposes systemic failures - who will be held accountable?

RTD: 20k commercial vehicles now fitted with speed limitation devices