SNAPSHOT | Social media age restriction by June; MyCC probes tourism group

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

9pm

Social media

• The government could implement age restrictions barring children from opening social media accounts no later than the middle of this year, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

  "We expect it (implementing the 16-year-old age limit for social media use) at the end of June, if not earlier than that. (Its implementation) is not impossible, and if everything goes smoothly, we may even start earlier,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

  

  He said the government will give enough time for social media platforms to implement clean-up measures, including ensuring that no more children under 16 register new accounts or maintain existing accounts on their respective platforms.

Court

• The former Bakar Arang state constituency coordinator Faizal Zailan has claimed trial to charges of submitting false documents for expenditure claims totalling RM33,850.

  According to Bernama, he is accused of submitting a Government Allocation Expenditure Report for November to December 2023 knowing that it contained false particulars, as the listed recipients of the allocation did not receive the funds.

  The charge was framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the claims or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

  Alor Setar Sessions Court judge N Priscilla Hemamalini set bail at RM10,000 with one surety and fixed May 11 for mention.

Price-fixing

• The Competition Commission (MyCC) is investigating the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) for alleged price-fixing under Section 4(2)(a) of the Competition Act 2010 after the group announced fare increases yesterday.

  In a statement today, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Armizan Ali acknowledged that diesel price hikes have cost implications for the industry, but stressed that all parties must remain in compliance with existing legal frameworks.

  

  “Any form of agreement, understanding, or joint decision by associations regarding price fixing, including the setting of minimum or ceiling fares, is prohibited (as) it contains cartel elements that affect the national tourism market,” the minister said.

  Under its new ceiling fares, Mita said series tours for buses will cost as much as RM1,100, with domestic day tours set between RM1,900 and RM2,200 while van service rates for series tours were capped at RM900.

  At its press conference yesterday, which also included other tourism bodies, Mita highlighted that tour buses, vans, and ferries were not included in the national diesel subsidy mechanism following the abolishment of the blanket subsidy in 2024.

READ MORE: No laughing matter: Loke says govt in 'crisis mode' to tackle Iran war fallout

Economy

• Diesel assistance for eligible groups under the Budi Madani Diesel scheme will be maintained at RM300 per month in April, which will be disbursed from April 8.

  This includes an additional interim assistance of RM100 for recipients in the Budi Individual and Budi Agri-Commodities categories.

  

  The move is expected to benefit about 340,000 recipients with an allocation of approximately RM102 million, Bernama quoted the Finance Ministry as saying.

  The ministry said the government is also looking into medium and long term measures to ensure the subsidy system remains sustainable, transparent, and beneficial to the people.

READ MORE: Subsidised fuel quota reduction reasonable, say economists

• Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) signalled no immediate need for a broad stimulus package amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

  Instead, BNM governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour favoured a holistic and targeted approach, considering overall resilient economic conditions as Malaysia enters the year from a position of strength after recovering from multiple crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

  

  “Post-pandemic, we have put in a lot of aid in place, from the government’s fiscal support to bank assistance, all with a targeted approach,” Bernama quoted him as saying to reporters after the release of BNM's flagship reports today.

6pm

Corruption

• MCA has doubled down on calls for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, emphasising that the move is necessary to calm public anger and restore the government’s “increasingly fragile” credibility.

  Arguing that Putrajaya’s continued silence will only fuel public suspicion, MCA vice-president Wee Jeck Seng said the government’s lack of clarification raises “troubling questions” on whether enforcement agencies have been compromised or misused by certain parties.

  

  “The fight against graft must not be reduced to mere rhetoric. When the government consistently proclaims its commitment to integrity yet allows such controversies to persist, it risks turning its anti-corruption agenda into a public mockery,” Wee (above) warned.

READ MORE: 'Sue Bloomberg' - PAS dares PM over latest report that Azam probe results withheld

• MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung echoed calls for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to immediately disclose findings of a probe into Azam, questioning justifications behind the delay.

  

  “If the process and findings can withstand scrutiny, there should be no hesitation in disclosing them transparently.

  “Are the findings so shocking, or so damaging to the credibility and integrity of the prime minister and those close to him, politically or personally, that they cannot be made public?” Saw asked.

Crime

• Police arrested 25 people yesterday for suspected involvement in “unlicensed photography” and coercing tourists and visitors to pay for taking their photos around Petronas Twin Towers, said Dang Wangi district police chief Sazalee Adam.

  The suspects, aged 16 to 48, are currently being held under remand until Thursday for investigations under Section 25(1) of the National Registration Act 1990, due to doubts over their identity documents.

  

  Investigations are also being conducted under Section 148 and 324 of the Penal Code, which deal with resisting arrest and voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons or means, respectively.

  Authorities are cracking down on photo touts amid complaints of aggressive behaviour. Two photographers were charged yesterday after an incident on March 22 escalated into an alleged assault on a tourist, and injured two people who tried to break up the commotion.

Education

• All 595 schools in Kelantan have been ordered to suspend outdoor activities due to the ongoing hot and dry weather, Bernama reported.

  It quoted Kelantan Education Department director Siti Norina Muhamad as saying that a notification letter was sent to all schools yesterday.

  “If the temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius, learning sessions will be conducted via home-based teaching and learning, and if it reaches extreme levels, schools may be closed temporarily,” she added.

• Absentee rates for SPM examinations have declined to 1.79 percent (7,099 candidates) last year, compared to 2.1 percent (8,108 candidates) in the previous year.

  Education director-general Azam Ahmad said there are many reasons for the absence, with the most common being employment, relocation overseas, accidents, family issues, health problems, transportation difficulties, death, and being detained by authorities, Bernama reported.

World

• Malaysian peacekeepers under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) have suspended operational movements amid the worsening security situation in southern Lebanon.

  Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said the move is in line with directives from the Unifil headquarters in Lebanon, Bernama reported.

  

  “These measures include continued adherence to standard operating procedures, strengthening the implementation of rules of engagement, temporary cessation of patrol movements, increased force protection measures, and continuous assessment of the situation,” Khaled said.

  The move followed two incidents within a span of 24 hours that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers who were also part of the Unifil mission and wounded several others.

  The origin of the attack is still under investigation, but it came amid escalated fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in the region since early March.

2pm

Politics

• A PKR central leadership council member suggested Rafizi Ramli leave the government party if his principles no longer align with PKR’s direction.

  Sarawak PKR secretary Mahmud Epah argued that it would be more “dignified” for the party’s former deputy president to give up his membership, rather than continuing to “openly tarnish” the party’s image and leadership.

  

  “All democratic spaces within the party are available, yet choosing the path of open confrontation only provides ammunition to the enemy,” Mahmud warned in a statement today.

  “We do not need leadership that becomes a liability and a burden to the party’s survival - is it his intention to split the party?”

READ MORE: Ramanan: 'Coward' Rafizi using cybertroopers to split PKR with 'evil agenda'

Press freedom

• Former DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago has urged authorities to release Tamil-language news portal journalist Kalidas Subramaniom, who was arrested by the police yesterday over allegations of trespassing.

  

  In a statement, Charles raised his concern over the use of trespassing laws against a reporter who was reporting on undocumented migrant workers.

  “While laws exist to regulate access to certain spaces, they should not be weaponised to obstruct legitimate journalistic inquiry.

  “There is a clear difference between malicious intrusion and public-interest reporting. Blurring this line risks normalising the suppression of investigative work under the guise of legal compliance.

  “This arrest also underscores a broader pattern in which authorities respond to scrutiny with enforcement rather than accountability. When journalists are treated as offenders rather than watchdogs, it reflects an inversion of democratic values.

  “The focus should instead be on addressing the issues rather than penalising those who bring them to light,” Charles said.

  Calling the action disproportionate and misdirected, he called on authorities to do a serious reckoning with how laws are applied in cases involving journalists.

• Former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh also highlighted that Kalidas had voluntarily presented himself at the Kulim district police headquarters when asked to do so.

  

  “As such, it cannot be said that this is a case of him not cooperating in investigations,” the DAP lawmaker said in a statement today.

  “His arrest could have been easily avoided by simply taking a statement from him when he was at the police station, as it is unlikely that there was anything more for the police to do apart from take his statement in the course of investigations into the matter.”

  Asserting that Kalidas’ arrest comes across as an “intimidation” against a journalist carrying out their duties, the Bukit Gelugor MP cast doubt on whether the reporter had “malicious intent”.

  He further called on authorities to release Kalidas, arguing that the matter could be investigated without the journalist being placed under arrest.

Penang quit rent

• Nominal tax rates will be imposed on land in Penang used for non-profit purposes, including education, religious activities, and charitable work, DAP said.

  In a statement last night, the party said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow assured that the state government would take into account complaints, feedback, and public concerns when introducing regulatory measures and improvements related to quit rent.

  

  The statement followed a meeting between Chow, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, former chief minister Lim Guan Eng, national adviser Tan Kok Wai, and national chairperson Gobind Singh Deo.

  Lim and Chow were previously embroiled in a public spat over this year’s quit rent hike until Loke ordered the pair to stand down and resolve the issue through a meeting.

9am

Temple land dispute

• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in a statement, said it has taken the concerns raised by the public over an alleged illegal temple on its land in Bangi for a discussion with the Selangor government.

  Following this, the university management and Selangor government decided to refer the issue to a special committee on Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist religions in Selangor, known as Limas.

  "Accordingly, UKM must await feedback and further action from the Selangor government before any further steps can be taken.

  "Any action must go through the prescribed procedures and involve the consideration and decision of the relevant authorities, including the Selangor government, to ensure a comprehensive, prudent resolution that would not offend any party," it said.

• Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy, who used to lecture at UKM, claimed the Hindu temple had existed on the land plot long before it was gazetted for the university.

  According to the Urimai chairperson, the land plot used to be a plantation known as the “Broom Estate”, and it was wrong for UKM to claim the temple was built on its land without permission.

  

  "UKM was established in the 1970s, where a large plot of land was gazetted as its area, while the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple existed much earlier, around the 1940s.

  "It is only appropriate for UKM to discuss with the state authorities first, to allow the temple to continue or to move it to another location, on the condition that the temple committee and Hindu community in the area agree to it," he said in a statement.

  Ramasamy said he had visited the temple several times during his 25 years working at UKM.

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