SNAPSHOT | Who in FAM okayed forgery, asks journo; ex-Bersatu man claims unlawful probe by MACC

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

9pm

Football

• French investigative journalist Roman Molina continued to question Malaysia’s handling of the seven foreign-born heritage players scandal, over six months since Fifa imposed sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the players accused of using fraudulent documents to play for Harimau Malaya.

  Taking to X, Molina asked who in FAM came up with the idea and who authorised it.

  “The law of silence is a constant in football - primarily in Asia, I should say, given the dangers or political ramifications. And to believe that those responsible are simply at the federation or are merely part of the wave of resignations is wishful thinking: the network is as much about football as it is about politics,” Molina posted.

  

  On March 25, Molina revealed that Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) FC issued him a cease-and-desist letter after his online post about the scandal, but he will not back down from what he described as attempts to intimidate him.

  He also published a copy of the letter from JDT chief operating officer Alistair Edwards, which accused Molina of making “false, misleading, and defamatory” claims linking the club to FAM’s ongoing investigation into the falsified citizenship documents.

READ MORE: FAM stands by 'heritage' players despite sports court ruling they were 'complicit'

Court

• Former Bersatu leader Shafiq Halim has claimed that he was unlawfully treated when he was investigated by the MACC in 2023, which led to his criminal charge under Section 48 of the MACC Act 2009 the same year.

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  READ MORE: Wan Saiful’s alleged research officer charged

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  He detailed his claims in court documents as part of his civil suit against MACC and its chief commissioner, Azam Baki, the government, and 17 others on Feb 21 this year.

  In his statement of claim, he said that he was subjected to the defendant’s conspiracy to injure him, as well as unlawful arrest and detention.

  

  He also claimed that the graftbuster had committed misfeasance in public office by abuse of power and process by acting against him without any reasonable and probable cause, as well as with malice, bad faith, personal spite, and recklessly or intentionally to injure him.

  Shafiq said that the MACC had begun approaching him on Feb 22, 2023, just a day after he appeared at the Jalan Duta courthouse in support of Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who was charged with corruption offences linked to the Jana Wibawa programme.

Reporting by Farah Solhi

READ MORE: Wan Saiful seeks RM10m from Tun Faisal over Jana Wibawa remarks

6pm

Politics

• The appointment of a new opposition leader will be finalised and announced before the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in June, said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

  “(The parliamentary session) is still a long way off, and we want to deal with party business and Perikatan Nasional business first.

  “Moreover, the issue of an opposition leader will be discussed with all parties because it involves MPs from all, since the opposition bench is not just PAS.

  

  “So, we will take the view of other opposition parties into account, including those in Sabah and Sarawak. So, it will take some time to discuss,” he told reporters after delivering a lecture at Masjid Rusila in Marang today.

Reporting by Shakira Buang.

READ MORE: PAS MP to be new opposition leader, Takiyuddin named PN sec-gen, Azmin deputy

• Johor PKR has joined growing criticism of former party deputy president Rafizi Ramli for publicly questioning the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

  In a statement, Johor PKR chairperson Dr Zaliha Mustafa and her deputy, Ysahrudin Kusni, said the Pandan MP’s public statements can affect the party's internal harmony and morale of its members.

  

  They advised Rafizi to convey his views through “appropriate channels” to prevent the issues from being manipulated by other parties to attack PKR.

  “The Johor PKR leadership also views that this situation is no longer merely about the courage to speak out, but could be misconstrued as an action that negatively affects party stability.

  “Therefore, a more prudent approach is highly necessary.”

Driving under the influence

• Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said has joined the call for stiffer penalties for drink driving, which were last amended with enhanced sentences in 2020.

  She said the current provisions are still too lenient and don’t send a sufficiently strong message.

  

  “If offenders view the fines as low, they may feel they can simply pay and move on. The relevant ministry should reassess existing laws and consider amendments for stiffer, more appropriate penalties,” Bernama quoted her as saying.

  Under Section 44(1) Road Transport Act, those found guilty of causing death while driving under the influence can be jailed for 10-15 years, fined between RM50,000 and RM100,000, and barred from holding a driving licence for 10 years.

  Repeat offenders are liable to a jail term of 15-20 years, a fine of RM100,000 to RM150,000, and a licence suspension for 20 years.

READ MORE: COMMENT | What we owe Amirul and his family

Drink-driving death: Case not over if murder charge fails, lawyer says

Press freedom

• The Malaysian Bar has called on Putrajaya to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) over media freedom concerns related to reporting on migrant issues.

  In a statement today, Bar president Anand Raj cited Article 19 of the ICCPR, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the ability to seek and disseminate information.

  

  He said the arrest of journalist Kalidas Subramaniam and investigations into Malaysiakini and its senior journalist B Nantha Kumar are incompatible with the rule of law, stressing that the media must remain free from fear or favour in reporting.

  He also highlighted Malaysia’s low ranking of 88th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, noting that the country’s media environment continues to be classified as “problematic” by Reporters Without Borders.

Health

• The Malaysian Pharmacists Society has sounded the alarm on the proliferation and wide availability of blood pressure monitors that are not licensed by the Medical Device Authority (MDA), have unclear traceability, and dubious accuracy.

  It said there have been reports of patients who were believed to be using counterfeit blood pressure monitors developing poor blood pressure, and inaccurate home readings may have delayed appropriate treatment.

  “Blood pressure monitors are medical devices, and device registration and traceability are important safeguards for public safety,” it said.

  MDA urged for stronger enforcement against non-registered medical devices, particularly on online platforms and open retail channels, and for the public to verify the registry status of medical devices on its register.

2pm

Energy crisis

• Opposition chief Hamzah Zainudin reiterates his call for Putrajaya to convene an emergency Dewan Rakyat sitting and table a National Contingency Plan to address problems caused by the fuel price hike following the conflict in the Middle East.

  In a video statement, the Larut MP suggested the government widen the coverage of its Budi Diesel aid scheme for individuals and Budi Diesel Agri-Komoditi for farmers, so that the financial assistance can reach more people who are affected by the global crisis.

  

  Citing his recent meeting with paddy farmers in Kerian, Perak, Hamzah said farmers have been badly affected by the hike in diesel prices as they depend on machinery that runs on the fuel.

• Fisheries Development Authority chairperson Faiz Fadzil said the maximum limit of 50 litres of subsidised petrol per day at RM1.65 for fisherfolk is sufficient to cover most of their daily operational needs.

  Bernama quoted him as saying that the agency is aware of complaints from fisherfolk complaining that the quota is insufficient, but the subsidy is not intended to cover their full operational costs.

  “We must understand that the subsidy provided by the government only helps to cover part of fisherfolk’s expenses, depending on the capacity of their boats and their respective fuel needs.

  “If any fisherfolk require more than 50 litres a day, they will have to bear the additional cost themselves, as this subsidy policy is meant to cover only part of the costs,” he said.

Fraud

• A 28-year-old administrative assistant at a government hospital in Kuala Lumpur has been accused of defrauding at least 187 house officers of more than RM47,000 over approximately two and a half years, CodeBlue reported.

  CodeBlue reported that the suspect allegedly exploited authority over junior doctors in the hospital’s paediatric department and purported control of bureaucratic processes within the Health Ministry to carry out the scheme.

  The alleged fraud, which ran from as early as September 2023 until its exposure on Friday last week, involved two methods. Victims were told the government had overpaid their emoluments and were each asked to return RM900 as a supposed refund.

  Separately, they were charged between RM40 and RM45 for the Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP), a mandatory course that is provided free of charge.

  The purported contract staff member has since been terminated. The hospital declined to comment.

Court

• The High Court in Kuala Lumpur will hear former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s application to put on hold the order for him to repay US$1.3 billion (RM5.24 billion) to SRC International Sdn Bhd on May 7.

  

  The court has also fixed the same date to determine costs to be paid to SRC International, Bernama reported, quoting the company’s counsel Lim Chee Wee, following an e-review proceeding today.

  The proceedings next month will also be conducted online.

Working from home

• Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu urged government department heads to ensure that staff working from home adhere to the prescribed procedures and meet their key performance indicators.

  “There should be no misunderstanding. WFH does not mean ‘resting’ or ‘shopping’. It must comply with established rules and procedures, with output and productivity maintained at the same level, if not higher, than in-office work,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

  He also urged civil servants to be more prudent, such as by switching off electrical appliances when not in use, conducting meetings online, and reducing paper usage.

READ MORE: Federal civil servants with commute exceeding 8km can WFH: Public Service Department

• Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has urged the Malaysian Media Council to hold discussions with local media companies and organisations to gather feedback on implementing work-from-home policies for the media industry.

  

  He said he will also ask the Information Department to take necessary measures, including gathering feedback from the public.

  “Any further considerations will then be forwarded to the KPPA (Public Service director-general) and communicated to the cabinet and the ministry,” he said.

Misinformation

• The MCMC is investigating 17 people for allegedly disseminating misinformation regarding rising fuel prices and electricity tariffs on social media, Bernama reported, citing a press release.

  The cases are being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for abuse of network facilities, which is punishable with up to RM500,000 fine, up to two years imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.

9am

NexG

• Two directors at the security solutions company NexG Bhd have resigned less than a month after they were appointed as independent and non-executive directors on March 13, The Edge reported yesterday, citing a Bursa Malaysia filing.

  

  The duo are Najib Ishak, who is the son of the company’s executive chairperson Ishak Ismail, and Muthanna Abdullah.

  NexG has been in the spotlight in recent weeks amid a boardroom tussle, with seven directors resigning by March 11 and eight others appointed to fill the gap by March 13.

  The government contracted the company to supply MyKad, passports, and migrant worker documents.

READ MORE: Rafizi: NexG more than just corporate drama, business dispute

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