SNAPSHOT | Journos resolve dispute with cops; Malacca CM confirms rejecting Akmal's resignation

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

9pm

Media freedom

• The Crime Journalists Association (CIJA) has revealed a positive outcome from a meeting between its representatives and Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus this afternoon, to resolve a “misunderstanding” involving three of its members following up on a Monday riot at a Cheras karaoke centre.

  “During the meeting, Fadil apologised for the incident and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that such an incident does not recur.

  “Despite the heavy responsibility he bears in maintaining public safety and order in Kuala Lumpur, he also emphasised the importance of the concept that ‘Police & Media Are Inseparable’,” said CIJA.

  

  CIJA said Fadil had, during the meeting, stated his readiness to instruct all Kuala Lumpur police officers and personnel to maintain good relations with the media.

  “In light of this, CIJA has, in good faith, decided that the incident has now been resolved in a more harmonious and open manner, without assigning blame to any party,” said the group.

Politics

• Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh has confirmed that he rejected the resignation of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh as the state executive councillor for rural development, agriculture and food security.

  He said the decision not to accept the resignation, tendered in January, was made to ensure the continuity of the Merlimau assemblyperson’s duties in the state administration.

  “He (Akmal) submitted his resignation letter shortly after making the announcement.

  “However, I decided to reject the resignation so that he can continue his duties as a member of the state executive council,” said Rauf, according to news reports.

  

  Akmal had announced his resignation in his winding-up speech during the last Umno annual general assembly on Jan 15, amid tension sparked by his remarks against the party’s partners in government.

• Sabah DAP Youth chief Chan Loong Wei today criticised PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for questioning the difference in approach to fuel prices between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.

  Chan said that Hadi, as a senior PN leader, should be more aware that Sabah and Sarawak are not just ordinary states but equal partners within the framework of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

  

  “The act of questioning differential treatment on the issue of fuel subsidies seems to negate the need for national policy to take into account structural, geographical, and cost-of-living differences between regions,” Chan said in a media statement.

  According to PAS’ news organ, Harakah Daily, Hadi stressed that there was no strong reason for oil prices to be increased in Peninsular Malaysia since the country had its own petroleum resources and was not involved in international sanctions against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

  According to him, the exemption of increased fuel prices in Sabah and Sarawak proves that the reason for the price increase in the peninsula is questionable.

6pm

Politics 

• Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki today said the party is open to negotiating with any party ahead of the next state election in Johor, due next year.

  “We have never closed the door on any party. Umno is always open to negotiating with all parties. There is no issue,” he told Free Malaysia Today in response to calls for Umno-BN to go solo, after the Mara International Education Conference in Klang.

  

  BN formed the Johor government led by Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi after the 2022 state election, winning 40 of the 56 state seats. Harapan won 12 seats, comprising 10 from DAP and one each from PKR and Amanah.

  Johor Umno secretary Abdul Halim Suleiman previously said Johor BN intended to defend all 40 seats it won in 2022, even if it worked with Harapan.

• Perak Mentri Besar Saarani Mohamad today said a snap state election is unlikely.

  According to The Star, Saarani said the matter has not been discussed on any platform, adding that there are procedures to follow for calling a state election.

  

  “Firstly, the mentri besar needs to have an audience with the Perak sultan to propose a dissolution of the state legislative assembly,” he said during a press conference at his office in Ipoh.

  “If His Royal Highness does not agree, then the mentri besar is considered to have resigned.

  “We still have more than a year to continue our services as entrusted to us for five years,” he added.

Sports 

• Malaysia’s chef de mission (CDM) to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Sumali Reduan, did not rule out the possibility of increasing participation costs and tightening athlete selection for the national contingent to the quadrennial games scheduled from Sept 19 to Oct 4, following the conflict in West Asia.

  However, Sumali said he would leave the matter to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and the Youth and Sports Ministry to decide.

  

  “We leave it to the OCM; they may reduce the number of athletes and only send those who can truly deliver medals or have a strong chance of winning medals.

  “But for now, I do not have further information. It depends on how far this crisis affects our economy,” Bernama reported him as saying after the first Southeast Asian Games Federation meeting (2025-2027) today.

Fuel supply

• Putrajaya is studying the use of MyKad in the distribution of targeted diesel subsidies, following the method’s success in distributing RON95 petrol subsidies.

  According to Berita Harian, Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said the use of MyKad under the Budi95 scheme had managed to reduce leakages and achieve savings while delivering subsidies to rural and urban areas.

  

  As such, he said the feasibility of the method for diesel subsidies is being assessed, including the difference in diesel usage patterns between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.

West Asia conflict 

• Iran’s embassy in Malaysia has expressed its gratitude for the unwavering support of its allies, including Putrajaya and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following a two-week ceasefire deal with the US.

  The embassy affirmed that Anwar’s “courageous stance” deserves “special attention”, describing the prime minister as having spoken truthfully while many world leaders remained silent.

  

  “Iran values (Anwar’s) steadfastness and support, believing this approach will undoubtedly strengthen the deep ties between Iran and Malaysia in the long term,” the embassy said in a statement today.

• The Royal Malaysian Navy will not be escorting Malaysian vessels cleared by Iran to exit the Strait of Hormuz, confirmed Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari.

  He said this is due to Iran’s full cooperation, which he noted reflects the strong bilateral ties between the two nations.

  

  “The matter falls under the Foreign Ministry, and we are grateful for the cooperation shown by the Iranian government. We hope Iran will continue to assist on issues related to our energy and economic needs,” Bernama quoted Adly as saying today.

2pm

MACC

• Youth group Mandiri announced that the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court has issued a three-day remand order against three youth activists who had allegedly disrupted MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s speech yesterday.

  The group also announced a solidarity vigil at 8pm tonight outside Dang Wangi district police station, where the three youths are detained.

• Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) slammed authorities for arresting youth activists who had allegedly disrupted Azam’s speech yesterday.

  Its coordinator Rania Aljunied said the actions of the three activists were a “legitimate and lawful exercise” of their right to freedom of speech, as guaranteed under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution.

  “It is deeply concerning that a government and the prime minister who claim to be progressive and reformist would take such an action.

  “This is particularly so when members of the current government themselves had previously carried out similar forms of protests.

  “This raises serious questions of consistency and accountability, and is hypocritical to say the least,” she said in a statement today.

READ MORE: Three arrested for heckling, waving anti-Azam placards during MACC chief's speech

• Bersatu Youth information chief Harris Idaham Rashid criticised the authorities, saying the trio’s calls for Azam to be arrested reflected the views of the majority of Malaysians, who had lost their confidence in the government’s institutions, particularly the MACC under Azam’s leadership.

  

  “The incident yesterday is a clear indication that the institution has become a problem and many are getting bolder in voicing their discontent.

  “Bersatu Youth lauds the courage of these youths who had put themselves at risk just to voice out the people’s grievances,” Harris said on Facebook.

• PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said while he disagreed with the activists in staging a protest against Azam during an official event, he stated that the act is a manifestation of how livid the public is over the issues plaguing the nation’s top anti-graft officer.

  “It was not a spontaneous act; it shows how frustrated the public is over issues that have been left unanswered,” he said on Facebook, referring to Azam’s shareholding issue and the “corporate mafia” allegations.

  To alleviate public concerns, the Pasir Mas MP urged the government to investigate the allegations transparently and take appropriate action without fear or favour.

  “Without transparent investigations, such an incident may repeat itself - probably, on a larger scale, which would be harder to contain,” Fadhli added.

• Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz said the real crime lay with Azam’s freedom, and not the protest by the activists.

  In a statement today, she called on Putrajaya to arrest Azam while condemning the arrests of the protesters.

  

  She also called on the police to halt their investigation against the trio, saying that there is no crime in speaking out against corruption.

Fuel crisis

• With the global fuel crisis persisting, Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan suggested that Petronas increase its dividend payment to the government, where the additional funds would be channelled back to the people in subsidies.

  “In 2025, Petronas gave RM32 billion (in dividends), but only RM20 billion this year. The additional funds can be redirected to provide subsidies to the people,” the Umno MP said on Facebook.

  Among others, the Pontian lawmaker also suggested that public transport operators such as MRT and LRT provide discounts to passengers to get more people to use public transportation.

READ MORE: Volatile oil supply: M'sia needs to quickly wean off fossil fuels

• MCMC has opened 36 investigation papers into the spread of fake news on social and digital media related to the global energy crisis.

  Bernama reported MCMC as saying that 22 individuals from various locations nationwide have been called to record their statements to assist in the investigations.

  

  “Six investigation papers have been referred to the deputy public prosecutor for review and further action,” the agency added.

  The investigations are conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), which carries a maximum fine of RM500,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

Malaysian Media Council

• ​​The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has implemented Phase 2 of its Complaints Mechanism, running from today through Sept 30, with all complaints required to be submitted via the official MMC form.

  MMC said that under Phase 2, it will no longer accept complaints via email. The change aims to ensure that each complaint is recorded, assessed, and processed in a more systematic, transparent, and accountable manner.

  “MMC will also maintain the interim approach introduced in Phase 1. If a complainant has not yet submitted a complaint directly to the relevant media organisation, the secretariat will act as a facilitator by forwarding the complaint to the party concerned for appropriate action.

  “This approach is in line with the principle that resolution should begin at the level of the media organisation itself before further intervention,” MMC said in a statement.

  The council said it had received five complaints during Phase 1 from Jan 22 to March 31, and all complaints have been resolved at the preliminary screening stage.

9am

1MDB

• The MACC said the investigation into White & Case is now focused on obtaining key evidence from the United Kingdom over the international law firm’s role in the 1MDB-PetroSaudi deal.

  

  MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki told the New Straits Times that the commission is working through formal channels, including mutual legal assistance requests and cooperation with UK authorities, such as the Attorney-General's Chambers.

  "The investigation has uncovered elements of wrongdoing, but further evidence from overseas is required to strengthen the case," he said.

  Previously, White & Case denied any wrongdoing amid a report that its UK offices are under investigation by the MACC.

Cost of living

• The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has summoned a company in Negeri Sembilan for an explanation over a viral message regarding adjustments to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices.

  Bernama reported that the price adjustment involved commercial gas cylinders and not subsidised domestic gas cylinders.

  

  “Nevertheless, immediate action has been taken to summon the company concerned to obtain an explanation in accordance with the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122) and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723),” the ministry said.

  It added that any increase in the prices of controlled goods, such as LPG, must be referred to the ministry.

MACC expects to recover RM5b out of remaining RM12b lost in 1MDB

Key takeaways from 1MDB grounds of verdict

Court extends PetroSaudi International's RM340m ban for 3 months

M'sia secures return of over RM122m in 1MDB-linked art - MACC

MACC freezes RM2b Palantir shares linked to 1MDB figure Tarek Obaid

1MDB: JP Morgan convicted in Switzerland, settles RM1.4b in M'sia