SNAPSHOT | UMPSA expels alleged Quran-stepping student; Muda again calls for 'corporate mafia' RCI

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

9pm

Race & religion

• A student at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) accused of stepping on the Quran and posting offensive material on social media about it has been expelled from the university, according to Bernama.

  The report quoted its vice-chancellor, Yatimah Alias, saying that a Student Disciplinary Committee meeting on March 9 found the student, S Vikneswaran, guilty and expelled him under Rule 58 of the Universiti and University College (UMPSA) (Student Discipline) Rules 2024.

  

  Vikneswaran’s case in court is still pending. On March 3, he claimed trial to charges framed under Section 295 of the Penal Code and Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

  The Kuantan Sessions Court had set bail at RM10,000 for both charges, ordered him to report to the police monthly, and set April 8 for the hearing.

Corruption

• Muda has reiterated its call for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate allegations of a “corporate mafia” colluding with the MACC, following businessperson Victor Chin’s revelation that he had supposedly paid RM9.5 million to a PKR parliamentarian to “resolve” the issue.

  It said Chin’s allegations raise important issues, such as the identity of the MP, whether the alleged transaction had taken place, whether the supposed mafia exists, and whether the MACC is involved.

  “The question is, how can a fair and transparent investigation be conducted by the MACC when the original allegation implicates the MACC commissioner (Azam Baki) himself?”, Muda said in a statement.

  

  It added that the fact that the government is still waiting for the outcome of a special committee’s investigations into Azam’s previous shareholdings cannot be used as an excuse, because it is a separate matter that warrants its own investigation.

  Previously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government had ordered the police, Inland Revenue Board, the MACC, and Securities Commission to investigate allegations of “corporate manipulation”.

READ MORE: Businessperson accuses PKR MP of taking RM9.5m to 'resolve' corporate mafia scandal

• United for the Rights of Malaysians Party (Urimai) chairperson P Ramasamy opined that while MACC’s proposal of new laws aimed at addressing loopholes in public funding is justified, chief commissioner Azam Baki is the “wrong person” to advocate such rules.

  Referencing Azam’s alleged role in the “corporate mafia” scandal and his shareholding issues, Ramasamy said the chief graft buster’s tenure in office has become “untenable” - even if he is given a “clean sheet” by a task force.

  ---

  READ MORE: 'RCI on MACC must be established whether Azam retires or not'

  ---

  “Azam’s one-sided approach to corruption hardly gives him the legitimacy to propose new laws to combat corruption.

  “These proposals might have merit, but unfortunately, Azam is the wrong person to propose them,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.

  

  Azam had denied wrongdoing.

• Four of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin’s children are expected to provide their statements at the MACC headquarters on April 6, according to the commission’s Special Operations Division director Zamri Zainul Abidin.

  Noting that the family’s lawyers had provided an assurance on the matter, Zamri told Harian Metro that further action will be considered if any of the individuals fail to show up as promised.

  ---

  READ MORE: Three of Daim's children overseas - Immigration DG

  ---

  The graft busters had previously appealed for the public’s assistance to locate Daim’s four children - Asnida, Wira Dani, Amir Zainuddin, and Amin Zainuddin - to aid a case’s investigation.

  

  While the MACC’s statement on Daim’s children did not specify the case for which the commission required their cooperation, the notice coincided with police announcing a probe under Section 124B of the Penal Code on activities deemed detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

• The conglomerate IJM Corporation Berhad says it has received written confirmation from the MACC today that the company is not under investigation.

  “It has also clarified that the investigation is confined to several individuals associated with IJM, and not the company itself,” IJM said in a filing in Bursa Malaysia.

  

  In January, the MACC was reported to be investigating a top IJM official and an adviser over an alleged RM2.5 billion money laundering scheme, in conjunction with an investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office against the duo.

  It is also investigating allegations of share price manipulation that supposedly took place when Sunway Group acquired IJM through a transaction valued at RM11 billion.

6pm 

LGBTQ+ 

• The Malacca state government is investigating a social media post which allegedly promoted the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in connection with Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

  State Education, Higher Education and Religious Affairs executive councillor Rahmad Mariman said this includes efforts to verify the location of the incident.

  “We do not want to make any early conclusions; instead, we are providing space for a careful and thorough investigation process,” Bernama quoted him as saying today.

  

  Earlier, an image supposedly depicting a man dressed in women’s clothing while posing with another man in matching pink outfits made the rounds on social media.

  The post, uploaded on Threads, was captioned “Jodoh Lebaran Dah Tiba (my Raya soulmate has arrived). Alhamdulillah” with a geolocation in Kampung Batu Gajah, Merlimau.

Weather 

• The Fire and Rescue Department had warned against open burning amidst the hot spell, with 6,575 cases logged as of February this year.

  Department director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad said between 40 and 60 percent of emergency calls during the dry season relate to open fires, including incidents in agricultural areas, forests, and grasslands.

  He noted that over the past three years, the highest number of open burning cases was recorded in 2024 at 16,294 cases, followed by 9,941 last year.

  

  With scrub and grass fires accounting for the majority of cases at 26,800, followed by forest fires (3,860) and plantation fires (2,150), Nor Hisham warned of the difficulties in detecting fires beneath peat soil, which he said can smoulder for weeks if not contained early.

  He further told the New Straits Times that the department is now extensively using drones for aerial monitoring to identify hotspots. 

  Cautioning that hot weather also increases the risk of fires in homes and commercial buildings, he advised the public to avoid overloading electrical wiring and to maintain fire safety systems.

2pm

‘Corporate mafia’

• Businessperson Victor Chin has reiterated his plea for Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail to “uncover the truth” behind the alleged dealings of a “corporate mafia”.

  Chin, who is part of an ongoing money laundering probe, stressed that he has been victimised and “cornered by the mafia,” which he claimed has leveraged on enforcement and regulatory agencies.

  “The entire nation's public places their trust in you (Khalid) to lead your team and ensure they do not succumb to temptations and easy ways out and to discharge their duties without fear, favour or influence, which otherwise creates a perpetual unhealthy subservience to masters,” Chin said in a statement today.

  He also shared a 40-page document detailing a chronology of events, which he said showed how the “corporate mafia gang” had targeted him and his partners to “hijack control” of NexG Berhad.

READ MORE: Alleged 'corporate mafia' member wants RCI to probe MACC after premises raided

E-waste management probe

• Civil society organisations (CSOs) have pressed authorities for details after a perceived lack of updates on probes into the Environment Department’s top officials, who were previously linked to an MACC case involving e-waste management.

  Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) said they were informed that the MACC had submitted its investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) earlier this month with a recommendation to charge the officials.

  

  “However, since then, no further details have been made transparent and it is not clear whether the department’s top officials have been suspended pending the formal charging of the officials concerned.

  “Allowing them to continue to be in office raises serious issues over evidence tampering and compromise prosecution efforts,” the groups said in a joint statement today.

  Noting that e-waste management is a sector critical to Malaysia’s environmental integrity and public health, they argued that regular updates should be provided to the public to ensure transparency and reinforce confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

Budi95 subsidy

• The Finance Ministry has identified the individuals in a recent viral video clip, showing them pumping RON95 petrol into a large container in the boot of their car at a petrol station, to be Malaysians and MyKad holders.

  The ministry, in a statement responding to the video, said it will be blocking the identity cards used in the transaction, as well as the vehicle owner, from accessing the Budi95 subsidy.

  It stressed that it will not tolerate any form of subsidy leakage or misuse, particularly in the current climate, which requires close control over fuel supply and prices.

  

  The ministry further said that enforcement actions would be stepped up to curb such irresponsible activity.

  Members of the public who wish to share information or lodge a formal complaint regarding subsidy misuse may contact the Budi Madani Service Centre at 1300-88-9595 or via WhatsApp at 03-26314595.

• The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry also launched a probe into the incident, with the ministry’s Johor director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo informing that a warning was issued to the petrol station’s management for it to increase monitoring efforts.

  The warning came after enforcement officers had inspected CCTV recordings as well as examined transaction records and receipts for verification purposes.

  She said that the ministry will be tracking down and summoning the vehicle owner involved for further investigations under Subregulation 12A, Supply Control Regulations 1974, Control of Supplies Act 1961, for failure to comply with regulations set by the controller of supplies.

  Purchasing subsidised petrol (RON95/diesel) using a container without a permit is illegal under the said law.

  Those found guilty may face a fine of up to RM1 million or a prison term not exceeding three years, or both. Repeat offenders face steeper penalties, with fines of up to RM3 million or imprisonment of up to five years, or both. Companies found guilty of the same offence may be fined up to RM2 million, rising to RM5 million for subsequent offences.

9am

Public health policy

• The Health Ministry has slapped one of its employees with a compound after a viral post on X yesterday, showing the man smoking at a restaurant.

  

  In a statement, the ministry said that its swift investigations confirmed that the individual involved is an officer attached to the Gombak District Health Office.

  “Following the offence, a compound notice has been issued to the individual under Section 16(2) (No 4: smoking in a place of eating) of Act 852.

  “In addition, internal disciplinary action will also be taken in line with the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations to ensure that the integrity of the public service is continuously upheld,” the ministry said.

  Under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act (Act 852), which came into force in October last year, smoking at dining establishments constitutes an offence and is punishable under Section 16 of the legislation.

Health Ministry targets vape ban this year

Minister: Smoking, air pollution among main causes of lung damage

Govt mulls raising vape tax from 40 sen to RM4 per ml

Govt mulls raising tobacco tax - Anwar

MP urges govt to raise vape taxes to match cigarette rates

Ministry committed to 'smoke-free M'sia' by 2040 - Dzulkefly

Calls on govt to ban vape products, bring back GEG plan