SNAPSHOT | PN to name new opposition leader by June; Fahmi reminds PKR members to uphold party ideals

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

6pm

Politics

• A new parliamentary opposition leader, speculated to be coming from PAS, is still under consideration, said Perikatan Nasional chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who indicated that a decision will be made in time for the next June Dewan Rakyat sitting.

  According to Harakahdaily, the PAS vice-president cited the need to complete several key processes before a decision can be made.

  “InsyaAllah, we will resolve them in the near future,” the Terengganu menteri besar told reporters after officiating the International Ijtimak for Ummah Unity and the Malay World Gathering in Kuala Nerus.

  “Be patient, we’ll see in the near future,” he said when asked about potential candidates to replace Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin, who has been sacked from Bersatu.

  “I can’t specify a time. If I do, people will expect it by then. So we will focus on the process - InsyaAllah, once everything is completed, we will announce it,” Samsuri said.

• All Malay political parties were invited to the International Ijtimak for Ummah Unity held in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, today, said Samsuri.

  However, he said some party leaders, including those from Umno, were unable to attend and sent representatives instead.

  

  Among senior politicians seen in attendance are Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin - while Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, leaders of two other Malay-based parties, were notably absent.

  The keynote address at the event, held for the fifth time, was delivered by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

  Also in attendance were Iran’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi, and controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

• PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil marked the party’s 27th anniversary today with a reminder of its aim to uphold justice, oppose injustice, defend the people’s voice, and build a more just, democratic, and integrity-driven Malaysia.

  “The journey has not been easy. We have faced many trials, challenges and twists along the way. Thanks to the strength of our principles and steadfast struggle, PKR continues to stand firm, move forward, and remain a beacon of hope for the people,” he said in a Facebook post.

  

  Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said the reform agenda must continue for the future of the nation.

  “The spirit remains alive, and our struggle is far from over. Happy 27th anniversary to PKR. May the banner of reform continue to fly high,” he said.

READ MORE: PKR threatens legal action over slander against party leadership

• Amanah is targeting to contest five state seats and one parliamentary seat in Penang for the next general election as it seeks to expand its presence in the state.

  FMT quoted Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil, who said that seat negotiations among Pakatan Harapan components will be held to achieve a “clean sweep” at the 16th general election.

  

  The former Permatang Pasir assemblyperson, who is also the Penang Amanah chief, said discussions on seat allocations in other states, including Malacca and Johor, are ongoing.

  Amanah contested and lost two seats in Penang - Permatang Pasir and Bayan Lepas - during the last state election held in August 2023.

  The party contested only one parliamentary seat in Penang - Kepala Batas - during the 15th general election in November 2022, but lost.

Haj pilgrimage

• Preparations for Malaysian pilgrims for the 2026 haj season are well in place, with the first flight scheduled for April 18 proceeding as planned, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan.

  Amid global uncertainties that disrupted air travel across West Asia, Zulkifli said his recent visit to Mecca and Madinah found that Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has made better preparations compared to previous years.

  

  “I have just returned from an official visit to Madinah and held a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah, which was attended by many religious affairs ministers and hajj ministers from around the world.

  “Haj operations will proceed as planned. We have carried out very detailed planning and TH has made the best possible preparations,” he said at a press conference after the University MAIWP International Proclamation and 16th Convocation Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today.

  About 31,600 Malaysians will be flying off to Saudi Arabia from April onwards to perform the annual pilgrimage, which falls between May 25 and May 29.

2pm

Global energy crisis

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has indicated readiness to engage with the opposition and other parties willing to help the government find solutions to the global energy crisis.

  However, Anwar said any criticism or comments regarding the country’s economic management, particularly on rising global oil prices, should be based on knowledge and accurate facts, rather than empty criticism.

  “The economic crisis is not in our hands, although I sometimes see the opposition’s outcry as quite ‘sophisticated’.

  “The whole world is shaken by the crisis - not just the oil and gas crisis, but the economic crisis as well. It’s not only about the Strait of Hormuz, but overall oil production is affected,” he said, according to Bernama.

  “When oil prices rise, the government and I are criticised. Yet we are doing our best. So this is the time for us to have proper discussions involving government and opposition parties,” he said during a meet-and-greet session with residents and alumni of SMK Clifford Kuala Kangsar today.

READ MORE: Set up bipartisan committee to address skyrocketing oil prices, Samsuri urges govt

• An Amanah leader has criticised the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) decision to back a motion that could involve the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a display of “hypocrisy” prioritising oil over human lives.

  In a statement, former Kuala Terengganu MP Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said the UNSC appeared to act with urgency to secure global energy flows following weeks of attacks involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, while failing to take similarly decisive action over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

  “With the US wielding its cruel veto power over the UNSC over the decades, millions of innocent human lives have been sacrificed, as other Western selfish interests were given priority, rendering the UN a helpless entity,” he stressed.

  

  The 15-member body was initially set to vote on a draft resolution brought by Bahrain yesterday, backed by the US and the Gulf countries hardest hit by the virtual blockade.

  The Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane vital to global energy flows, has been shut since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28.

Education

• Anwar today assured that education will remain among the government’s top priorities despite the current global uncertainty caused by the energy crisis.

  “Our current stance is to ensure that projects (educational facilities) are approved and implemented immediately. There is no reason to delay approved projects, except for large-scale ones that require a longer timeframe.

  “However, smaller projects, especially in education and healthcare, will be prioritised,” said the premier, according to Bernama.

  “Many countries, due to conflicts and disputes with neighbouring countries and regions, are forced to allocate significant funds for security.

  “As a result, funding for education tends to be sidelined. Future generations will certainly be affected when the quality of education and its facilities decline,” added Anwar during a meet-and-greet session with students and alumni of SMK Clifford Kuala Kangsar.

Protest

• Some 200 people gathered outside the Communications Ministry in Putrajaya today to protest restrictions on freedom of speech and actions allegedly limiting public access to social media accounts.

  According to Astro Awani, activist Rafidah Ibrahim and businessperson Albert Tei were among those seen at the protest dubbed Himpunan Rakyat Bebas Bersuara.

  

  “Do not silence our voices. Do not restrict media freedom. We are not criminals.

  “If you want to crack down on gambling syndicates or sex syndicates, that is appropriate, but we are only commenting on their failures,” said Tei, who has been twice charged for corruption in connection with the Sabah mining licence scandal that he exposed last year.

  “If we speak too much, we are charged under the Sedition Act. If we speak too much, we are charged under Section 233. Today, the people’s voices are being silenced,” claimed Rafidah, who has been outspoken on land rights issues.

11am

Diesel price hike

• The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) and the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) have raised concerns that petrol station operators are now being forced to act as “unofficial financiers” of the diesel subsidy scheme due to the cash payment mechanism they must use when purchasing diesel.

  Based on an estimated daily sales volume of 20,000 litres and a minimum three-day stock requirement, DPMM president Norsyahrin Hamidon, in a statement, said operators need to allocate about RM361,200 to maintain basic inventory.

  At the same time, the subsidy gap of RM3.87 per litre means operators must advance approximately RM77,400 of their own capital daily.

  

  “In total, operational capital exposure can reach nearly RM440,000, effectively making operators unofficial financiers of the national subsidy system,” he added.

  He said that while sales transactions are conducted digitally and considered complete at the pump, the actual payment - including the subsidy component - is received only later, which means operators must absorb the time gap between sales and cash receipt, effectively locking up their working capital within the system.

READ MORE: Diesel price rises to RM6.02 per litre, highest in Malaysia's history

Global food prices

• Global food commodity prices rose for the second consecutive month in March, driven largely by higher energy costs linked to the escalating conflict in West Asia, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

  In a statement, the agency said its benchmark FAO Food Price Index averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent higher than a year earlier.

  The FAO said cereal prices also rose, with its cereal index up 1.5 percent. This was mainly driven by a 4.3 percent jump in global wheat prices, attributed to worsening crop conditions caused by drought in the United States and expectations of reduced planting in Australia due to higher fertiliser costs.

  Meanwhile, maize prices edged up slightly as ample global supply offset concerns over fertiliser affordability and stronger demand prospects tied to rising energy prices.

  In contrast, rice prices declined by 3.0 percent in March, due to harvest timing, weaker import demand, and currency depreciations against the US dollar.

READ MORE: COMMENT | Nine-month band-aid: Will M'sia's food security drown in fuel crisis?

Corruption

• PKR issued a stern warning to the party members against abusing their position and power, saying the party would not compromise such wrongdoing.

  During a speech at a PKR event, its information chief Fahmi Fadzil reportedly extended Prime Minister and party president Anwar Ibrahim's warning that the party would not shield anyone who abuses their power, even if they are cabinet ministers.

  

  "Do not ever take advantage to abuse your position, do not take anything... do not tarnish the party's image by going here and there on the pretext of 'checking licences'... do not break the trust given to you," Free Malaysia Today quoted him as saying.

  Fahmi reminded party members that PKR had previously taken to the streets to protest against power abuse in the government, and urged party members not to commit the same now that they are in power.

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

Sumud Flotilla 2.0

• Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari has been appointed to represent Anwar in leading Malaysia’s humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, as well as the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 delegation.

  In a statement, Amirudin said he was entrusted to head the Malaysian delegation, with a mission to deliver 30 containers carrying 374 tonnes of humanitarian aid to assist Palestinians amid worsening conditions in Gaza.

  

  Organised by the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisations (Mapim), Amirudin is scheduled to depart tomorrow.

  According to Selangor Menteri Besar’s Office, Amirudin will oversee the release of aid containers in Cairo, Egypt, chair a special meeting at the Rafah border crossing to state Malaysia’s position on the Gaza blockade, and monitor the departure of the Sumud Nusantara 2.0 delegation at the Port of Barcelona, Spain.

GSF to send largest humanitarian mission to Gaza on March 29

Country's petrol supply still stable, govt has prepared contingencies: Fadillah

COMMENT | Nine-month band-aid: Will M'sia's food security drown in fuel crisis?

PKR MP calls for Padu optimisation amid fuel subsidy cuts