SNAPSHOT | Suspend US navy docking rights, NGOs urge; group demands probe over Beng Hock's death

KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.

9pm

Defence

• A coalition of 24 NGOs has written to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to protest the recent docking of two US navy littoral combat ships at the North Butterworth Container Terminal in Penang, calling on the government to immediately suspend port access for military vessels from countries engaged in active violations of international law.

  The group also rejected the government's assertion that the vessels had complied with established procedures, arguing that administrative compliance does not absolve Malaysia of moral or political responsibility.

  

  "Malaysia cannot credibly uphold a principled stance on justice while facilitating the operational convenience of a country engaged in ongoing violations of international law," the letter stated.

  The signatories pointed to what they described as unlawful and unprovoked US military aggression against Iran, arguing that permitting American naval vessels to dock - however routine the arrangement may be framed - amounts to enabling such actions.

  Beyond calling for an immediate suspension of docking permissions, the group also urged Putrajaya to urgently review all policies governing foreign military port access and to publicly clarify the principles guiding such decisions.

READ MORE: Minister: US Navy vessels' stop in Penang routine, approved by govt

Human rights

• The Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) has called on the government to immediately reopen an independent criminal investigation into the death of Teoh Beng Hock, 17 years after he was found dead at the MACC office premises in Selangor, with no one ever having been held criminally accountable.

  In a statement today, Umany also demanded that the government publish a full and transparent white paper on the investigation and respond positively to requests from UN Special Procedures mandate holders, concerning extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths.

  

  The call comes after Beng Hock’s sister, Teoh Lee Lan addressed the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to highlight the prolonged absence of justice in her brother's case.

  Umany said her decision to bring the matter to an international human rights platform was significant not only for her family, but for all victims of custodial deaths in Malaysia and their loved ones.

READ MORE: 'Travelled thousands of miles for justice,' Beng Hock's sister tells UNHRC

6pm

Crime

• A lawyer representing businessperson Albert Tei today sent a letter to MACC, seeking the return of a CCTV decoder that it had seized from Tei’s house in Puchong, Selangor, during a raid on Nov 28, 2025.

  According to the letter sighted by Malaysiakini, Mahajoth Singh said they have reviewed the MACC charges against Tei and found that the device has no material connection to the case.

  

  “The team was instructed by our client to state that any continued retention of the said decoder clearly amounts to a violation of our client’s rights under Article 13 of the Federal Constitution.

  “Accordingly, we hereby request that the decoder be returned to our client immediately,” the lawyer said.

Corruption

• An MCA leader has urged the federal government to probe all corruption allegations against its Sejati Madani programme, which was launched in 2024 to support activities aimed at boosting local communities’ socio-economic development.

  MCA Public Policy and People’s Livelihood Research Advisory Committee chairperson Monna Ong said allegations surrounding the programme are “deeply disturbing and strike at the very heart of public trust”.

  

  “We therefore call on the Madani government to order a full and transparent investigation into all allegations involving the Sejati Madani programme, including the role of intermediaries, politically linked individuals, contractors, and approving authorities.

  “If there are loopholes in implementation, they must be closed. If there are elements of corruption or malpractice, those responsible must be identified and brought to account without fear or favour,” she said in a statement.

READ MORE: Sejati Madani funds allegedly diverted by political leaders, victims speak out

Child welfare

• The Children's Commissioner (CC) of Malaysia under Suhakam has expressed grave concern over the rising number of firecracker-related incidents involving children, highlighting a recent case in Kedah where a four-year-old boy lost several fingers and sustained serious hand injuries following a firecracker explosion.

  In a statement today, the CC office said that statistics from 2025 indicate that more than 200 firecracker-related injuries occur in Malaysia annually, encompassing cases of lost fingers and other grievous harm, with children remaining particularly vulnerable despite not accounting for all recorded cases.

  

  It said that while the Explosives Act 1957 provides for penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine of RM10,000, or both, for the unlawful use of explosives that endanger life or property, enforcement has been visibly weak, rendering the law largely ineffective.

  The CC office also urged the police and relevant authorities to take immediate and decisive action, whilst urging a review and strengthening of the existing legal framework, including amendments to the Explosives Act to impose heavier penalties on those who smuggle, distribute, or sell illegal firecrackers.

2pm

Business

• Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is planning to develop a low-rise housing area on a 16ha land plot in Singapore, according to a report by the Straits Times.

  Citing a statement issued by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), it stated that Tunku Ismail is proposing to rezone his land from “open space” and “special use” to residential use.

  The plan includes developing bungalows in an area designated for “good class bungalow”, while another portion of the site has been assigned a gross plot ratio of 1.4, which limits the height of buildings to up to four storeys.

  

  According to the report, the development plan followed a successful land swap between the Singapore government and Tunku Ismail, where the republic would receive a 13ha land plot near the Singapore Botanic Gardens while the regent would receive 8.5ha of state land in exchange.

READ MORE: Johor regent and Singapore agree to land swap at Holland Road

Government

• The government is considering using modular construction systems to speed up the building of infrastructure projects, including schools.

  

  Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan said the system allows building components to be completed in a factory before being assembled on site, similar to connecting modules.

  “For example, classrooms can be built as modules. If there are six units, they can be connected to form six classrooms, and completed within three to four months,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

  The system is in the research and trial stage, and is being considered for use in a pilot project, he added.

Aidilfitri

• The Negeri Sembilan state government has cancelled its Hari Raya open house this year, in line with Putrajaya’s cost-saving measures, Bernama reported.

  Menteri Besar Aminudin Harun, however, said that state departments and agencies can host open houses but are advised to keep it at a “moderate-scale”.

• The Works Ministry has published an infographic detailing every traffic camera along the North-South Expressway ahead of the annual Aidilfitri balik kampung exodus.

  

  “Drive carefully, obey the speed limit, and always stay safe,” the ministry said.

9am

Crime

• Senator RA Lingeshwaran has called for self-proclaimed land activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak to immediately be brought back from abroad to face criminal charges.

  “A strong example must be set that anyone who violates the law - regardless of status or connections - must face the consequences. This is about upholding the 3 Rs: rule of law, responsibility, and respect for justice,” the DAP leader said in a statement last night.

  

  Tamim was supposed to be charged in Langkawi yesterday for desecrating a sacred Hindu symbol, but prosecutors sought a postponement to allow them to bring him to court.

  The court was informed that Tamim is in Riyadh. However, Tamim’s own social media posts indicated he was in Medina.

• Tamim mocked Lingeshwaran’s call for him to be repatriated, saying: “Pity he has to apply pressure”.

  In the post on Threads, Tamim repeated the hashtag “catch me if you can”. He also used several hashtags commonly used by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, including “the game is rigged”.

  He added that he doesn’t like to listen to instructions, and the more pressure is exerted the more he will mock.

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