SNAPSHOT | Chinese shrine demolition postponed for items removal; MCMC to act against Papagomo

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

9pm 

Religion

• The demolition of a controversial Chinese shrine in Jasin, Malacca, has been postponed pending religious rites for the removal of sacred items at the shrine, said Serkam assemblyperson Zaidi Attan.

  “We have to respect the sacred matters of their religion, and we postpone the demolition process to allow the sacred items to be moved to other places,” he said in a video recording posted on Facebook today.

  

  Zaidi added that the shrine’s owner will be given until tomorrow morning to complete the rites before demolition works commence.

  The shrine had garnered severe condemnation earlier today after Jawi inscriptions bearing the words “Allah” and “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim” were discovered on the structure.

  Police are tracking a suspect who is believed to be scribbling the words around the vicinity, including on walls and electrical poles.

READ MORE: Authorities probing shrine with 'Allah' inscription in Malacca

Misinformation

• The MCMC says it will take legal action against the blogger Wan Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, for allegedly making false claims about the commission.

  According to Bernama, the MCMC said Wan Azri had falsely claimed that the MCMC blocked access to a Malaysia Gazette report about a court case between him and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

  

  The allegation is untrue and completely baseless, it said, as it was not involved in the case and had never issued any request or directive to any media organisation or digital platform to block the content.

  “In this regard, MCMC will take appropriate legal action against Wan Azri concerning the dissemination of these false claims,” it said.

West Asia conflict

• Malaysia will ask the United Nations to review the terms of deployment of peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, amid the deteriorating security situation in the country.

  “The situation in Lebanon is no longer aligned with a peacekeeping mission. Malaysian Battalion is a peacekeeping force, but there is now a war taking place, so I have discussed this matter with the Defence Ministry.

  “In such circumstances, we want to request the UN to review the terms or the duration of the mission, as we do not want our peacekeeping personnel to be exposed to danger or be injured,” said Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.

  

  Malaysia has over 500 personnel deployed in Lebanon as part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

  Three Indonesian peacekeepers under Unifil were killed, and several others were injured last week, following attacks from an unknown origin amid fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces.

• Malaysia has condemned Israel’s continued military attacks against Lebanon, calling it a violation of Lebanon’s territorial integrity and a direct defiance of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.

  In a statement today, the Foreign Ministry added that the situation also severely jeopardises the two-week ceasefire agreement reached between the US and Iran, undermines ongoing diplomatic efforts, and risks triggering a wider and more catastrophic regional conflict.

  

  Malaysia warned that the continued aggression could lead to the total destabilisation of West Asia, with grave implications for global peace and security.

  The country also urged the international community, including the UN Security Council, to take immediate and decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its continued violations of international law.

  It said the prevailing culture of impunity must end to prevent further loss of innocent lives and to safeguard sovereign borders.

READ MORE: White House says US working on modified plan ahead of talks with Iran

6pm

Religion

• The Thean Hock Keong temple in Penang has disputed claims that it will host a jamuan perpaduan (unity banquet) in place of its cancelled Hari Raya open house, clarifying that neither it nor the temple’s Zhao Zi Long Culture and Arts Association are hosting any events on April 11.

  In a statement today, the temple said that the announcement of the replacement event by Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohamad Abdul Hamid is untrue, but asserted that its event poster did not mislead the public.

  

  It urged Mohamad and the Penang Islamic Religious Department to cease making remarks that could cause further confusion.

  The Thean Hock Keong temple added that the cancellation was made following Penang mufti Sukki Othman’s concerns that the Hari Raya event could have led to confusion and religious sensitivities.

  It reiterated that its sole intention was to promote goodwill and strengthen community ties, not to create misunderstanding.

READ MORE: Penang temple's Hari Raya do risks confusion, replaced with 'unity banquet'

• A DAP leader has defended the Penang Islamic authorities' instruction against holding a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at a temple, but urged against shutting down non-Muslims from organising such events.

  Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, in a statement, pointed out that while organising open houses and feasts are “harus” (permissible) in Islam, the religion prohibits such activity if it is mixed with elements that are against its values.

  

  These include activities that involve rituals of other beliefs or held at their houses of worship, which can lead to confusion about “aqidah” (Islamic conviction on the oneness of Allah).

  However, the DAP central executive committee member said that it should be fine for non-Muslims to organise a Hari Raya open house, as long as they are held within a certain setting.

  Umar, who studied “usuluddin” (comparative religion) at the Universiti Malaya's Academy of Islamic Studies, urged the public to look into the issue with wisdom and based on knowledge and balanced Islamic principles.

Politics

• DAP lawmaker Young Syefura Othman has attracted criticisms from Muda and PSM for her remarks about several youth activists, who gatecrashed a forum on Tuesday to protest against MACC chief Azam Baki.

  In a statement, Muda vice-president Zarul Afiq called Syefura a “hypocrite” and reminded the MP that she used to participate in street protests and was also involved in urging the rakyat to reject certain political leaders.

  

  Meanwhile, PSM’s Gombak chapter took to the social media platform X to criticise Syefura for commending Azam’s manner and “professionalism” when he was being heckled by the protesters. 

  “This is the most ridiculous statement I have ever seen. Why is Young Syefura giving praise to Azam? Is ‘professionalism’ more important than the credible accusations of corruption against him? What happened to Pakatan Harapan’s promise to remove him Day One?” it said.

  Malaysiakini has reached out to Syefura for a response.

Economy

• Malaysia does not need an economic stimulus despite disruptions from the conflict in West Asia.

  According to the World Bank’s lead economist for Malaysia, Apurva Sanghi, inflation in Malaysia remains stable and contained, and introducing a stimulus package now would only add to the inflationary impulse.

  

  “Stimulus is (only needed) if inflationary fears snowball into growth concerns like we saw happen during the Covid-19 crisis,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

  He said while inflationary pressures could emerge from the conflict, the government’s policies and measures are helping the public cope with the situation.

• Crude oil prices remain elevated despite the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, after a brief dip when the ceasefire was first announced.

  Bernama reported that Brent crude rose 2.32 percent to US$96.95 per barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 3.01 percent to US$97.42 per barrel, after falling 15 percent in the previous session, due to lingering uncertainty over the situation in the Persian Gulf.

  

  It quoted Standard Chartered saying that near-term price movements are still driven by the conflict, which has created multiple regional flashpoints, reduced transit through the strait, and led to production caps in Gulf countries.

  “We expect this theme to continue when Opec launches its maximum sustainable capacity metric,” it added.

  Bernama also quoted reports saying that Iran has outlined alternative routes for vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, citing risks from sea mines in the main shipping lane.

READ MORE: PM slams Hadi over oil price claims, says hikes driven by multiple factors

Press freedom

• The Malaysian Media Council has offered to facilitate a dialogue between enforcement agencies and the media, following an incident in Cheras where investigators forced journalists to delete their photos and videos.

  This is to clarify procedures for handling coverage at incident locations, including operational boundaries, communication protocols, and mechanisms for resolving issues on the ground, it said in a statement today.

  

  “This dialogue is important to build mutual understanding and prevent similar incidents from recurring,” it said.

  It emphasised that while the police are responsible for managing security and ensuring the integrity of investigations, the media ensures information reaches the public and should be allowed to do so without undue interference.

  “Any restrictions must have a clear basis, be limited, and proportionate. Approaches on the ground should prioritise professional communication to avoid misunderstandings and tension,” it said.

2pm

Transport

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry is stepping up talks with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) on ways to sustain the aviation industry through the global energy crisis, Bernama reported.

  

  “I have met CAAM and held discussions with MAHB over the past one to two weeks. We will continue engaging the aviation industry next week to outline measures to support its sustainability,” he said at the ministry’s monthly assembly in Putrajaya.

  He added that more people are expected to turn to public transport amid the crisis, and the Transport Ministry must ensure the system operates with high efficiency, reliability and comfort.

9am

Education

• The Education Ministry announced that all candidates who achieved 10As and above in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination will be guaranteed a place in the Matriculation Programme for the 2026/2027 academic session.

  

  In a statement last night, it said that the offer, which covers 6,717 candidates, will be made automatically to all eligible applicants, irrespective of race or background.

  The ministry also assured that the 90 percent bumiputera entry quota into the said programme remains unaffected. Matriculation is a pre-university programme offered by the government as an alternative to STPM.

  On Tuesday, DAP urged the government to keep its promise to ensure that all SPM graduates who obtained 10As or more are granted automatic placement into the matriculation programme.

  Its secretary-general Anthony Loke said that the party's central executive committee (CEC) had, after a meeting on Monday, also urged the government to ensure that other high-performing students are given due consideration for matriculation placement, based on existing capacity.

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  READ MORE: DAP urges govt to keep promise, ensure all 10A SPM students get matriculation spots

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Corruption

• A coalition of 89 civil society organisations (CSOs) condemned the arrest and remand of three activists following a protest targeting MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki at a recent forum, and called for their immediate release.

  

  In a statement, the groups alleged that the arrests by the police were intended to intimidate the public from speaking out. They maintained that peaceful protest remains a legitimate means for Malaysians to demand accountability, adding that if any arrest were warranted, it should have involved Azam instead.

  Liga Rakyat Demokratik president Hamdin Nordin, Liga Mahasiswa activist Ahsanul Akmal Sulam, and Mandiri coordinator Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal are being investigated under Sections 186, 447 and 504 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act. The trio were remanded for three days, beginning yesterday.

  The statement also levelled sharp criticism at Azam, claiming his performance as MACC chief had been “abysmal”, and alleging failures to properly address corruption allegations, including issues surrounding his ownership of company shares.

  It lamented that these shortcomings have reinforced public perceptions of the MACC as a political tool acting against national interests.

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  READ MORE: Group condemns 'unreasonable' arrests, detention of three youth activists

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DAP Youth: Expedite answers on Azam's shares, not arrest protesters

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SNAPSHOT | Group urges police to release Azam protesters, cites free speech