SNAPSHOT | KTV rioters plead guilty, fined by court; former EC chairperson dies

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

9pm

Crime

• Thirty-four people - aged 21 to 57 - have been fined RM3,000 each after pleading guilty to charges of participating in a riot with the possession of weapons. They would have to serve four months in jail if they failed to pay the fine.

  In addition, two 19-year-olds were ordered by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court to pay a RM2,000 fine, or serve three months’ imprisonment in default.

  

  They were accused of committing the crime at a karaoke centre in Cheras on April 5 at 7.30pm and were charged under Section 148 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with up to five years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

  Previously, the police drew criticism after ordering journalists who covered the aftermath of the riot to delete their photos and videos, which Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus described as the result of a misunderstanding.

Obituary

• Former Election Commission chairperson Hashim Abdullah has passed away today, due to complications following a heart attack yesterday.

  Bernama quoted his third daughter, Aleena Fatin, confirming that he died at 2pm at the National Heart Institute, at the age of 71.

  

  Hashim served as EC chairperson from 2016 to 2018, and was also the former secretary-general of the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, in addition to his last position as a board member of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.

• Blogger and social activist Din Merican, 87, has passed away today, Free Malaysia Today reported, citing a Facebook post by his former wife, Dr Kamsiah Haider.

  The cause of death is not stated.

  Din is known for his advocacy for the rule of law, democracy, and accountability.

6pm

Religion 

• Police have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with a case of graffiti involving the words “Allah” and “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim” at a Chinese shrine in Jasin, Malacca.

  Police reportedly apprehended the suspect, who is believed to have mental health issues, about 2pm yesterday, and he has since been released on police bail.

  “The man has since been released on police bail, and the investigation paper will be referred to the deputy public prosecutor for further action,” said Jasin district police chief Lee Robert, as quoted by Bernama.

  

  The graffiti was discovered by a group of anglers who went fishing at the Pantai Siring area late Wednesday evening, before they reported the matter to the police.

  The shrine was demolished this morning after religious rites were carried out for the removal of sacred items.

READ MORE: Malacca shrine with 'Allah' inscription demolished

Legal reforms 

• A key step in removing the government’s control over public appointments - including the inspector-general of police and the MACC chief commissioner - would be to elevate Parliament’s role in the appointment process, said a policy advocacy expert.

  Speaking during an online media briefing on the government’s proposed bill to separate the functions of the attorney-general (AG) and the public prosecutor (PP), parliamentary affairs specialist Maha Balakrishnan highlighted that many other nations have already moved towards including Parliament in the public appointment process.

  

  “In Malaysia, unfortunately, despite the fact that we keep speaking of reforms and it (the issue of elevating Parliament’s role) is already in many Pakatan Harapan’s parties’ and BN’s (election) manifesto, we’ve never seen control of these public appointments actually move away clearly from the government,” she said.

  Various civil society organisations had previously backed higher parliamentary oversight as part of the constitutional amendments to separate the AG and the PP.

READ MORE: COMMENT | Four key concerns on AG-PP separation bill

Court

• The Federal Court has fixed July 16 to hear PKR’s appeal against a Court of Appeal decision that reduced former Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin’s bond payment from RM10 million to RM100,000.

  The date was set during case management yesterday, Bernama reported PKR’s lawyer Navpreet Singh as saying.

  

  On June 23, 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court held that Zuraida had breached the terms of a bond by resigning and joining another party after getting elected on the PKR ticket, and ordered her to pay RM10 million as per the terms of the bond.

  On Dec 11, however, the Court of Appeal reduced the amount to RM100,000.

READ MORE: PKR appeals to Federal Court to get full RM10m from Zuraida for defecting

Transport

• The Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project has shown positive progress, with land acquisition for Segments One and Two underway, Bernama quoted Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

  He said 61 privately owned land lots for Segment One have completed the land hearing process, while 38 lots have been identified for acquisition for Segment Two.

  

  MRT Corp expects the gazettement under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 to be implemented in July, before site entry works begin in 2027, he said.

  “For areas that have been acquired, the initial works of the project have already started, while the design process is also running simultaneously,” he added.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | The bridge Penang's LRT still needs to cross

• Langkawi Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd, which operates a ferry line between Langkawi and the mainland, has announced a fare increase of RM10 for non-citizens.

  Bernama quoted its general manager, Baharin Baharom, saying that the changes, which come into effect on April 15, are necessary due to the increasing costs of industrial fuel, maintenance, manpower, and regulatory compliance costs.

  “Continuing operations under these conditions is no longer viable. Without this adjustment, the industry risks service reductions, operational disruptions, and long-term sustainability challenges that would ultimately affect users,” he said in a statement today.

  

  The new price for trips between Kuala Perlis and Langkawi is RM45 for adults and RM35 for children, each way. For trips to and from Kuala Kedah, the fare is RM55 for adults and RM42 for children.

  The fares for Malaysian citizens - which are roughly half of what is charged to foreigners - are unchanged.

Environment

• Police raided 110 locations nationwide as part of Operation Hazard 3.0 on Monday, of which 42 were found to be illegally processing e-waste.

  Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said the police seized 6,378 tonnes of e-waste valued at RM455 million, 377 tonnes of finished products valued at RM7.4 million, 1,925 tonnes of scrap metal valued at RM11.6 million, and various other assets valued at RM107 million.

  

  In addition, RM670,000 in bank accounts had been frozen, while 515 people - aged 16 to 70 - had been arrested.

  The operation - coordinated through the Multi-Agency Task Force led by the MACC - also involved the Environment Department, Inland Revenue Board, and other agencies.

2pm

Religion

• The Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman temple, which was locked in a battle over land ownership with textile giant Jakel Trading, has finished its moolasthanam pooja, or brick-laying ceremony, on the temple’s new site at Jalan Munshi Abdullah.

  The dispute over the temple land gained national attention last year following a March 20 press conference by Lawyers for Liberty, together with former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan and members of the temple management committee.

  The press conference was held in response to Jakel’s plans to develop a mosque on the land, requiring the relocation of the temple opposite Jakel Mall.

  Advocates for the temple's preservation highlighted its colonial-era roots and its significance as a place of worship for generations. Critics, however, maintained that the temple had no legal claim to the land, which Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had sold to Jakel, and should therefore make way for development.

  Following the public outcry, talks between Jakel, the temple committee, and DBKL resulted in an agreement to relocate the temple to a site roughly 50m away, within the same Jalan Masjid India area.

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  READ MORE: Temple management denies stalling relocation process

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Crime

• A manhunt is on for a Pakistani national who escaped from the Sungai Buloh Prison yesterday, while in custody for child sexual offences.

  Bernama reported Sungai Buloh police chief Hafiz Nor naming the prisoner as one Muhammad Hassan, 24. He was last seen wearing an orange T-shirt and black long pants.

  Hassan said that the man was reportedly being held on remand for investigation under multiple laws, including Sections 377C and 392 of the Penal Code, Section 14(d) and (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

  

  Those with information on the man’s whereabouts are urged to call investigating officer C Muhendran at 010-4304383, the Sungai Buloh district police headquarters at 03-61561222, or the nearest police station.

  Hafiz also cautioned the public against spreading unverified information or speculation that could affect police operations or cause unnecessary alarm.

Energy crisis

• PAS’ Jabi assemblyperson Azman Ibrahim said fuel prices should not rise on the basis of global supply routes, arguing that Malaysia’s domestic oil production supports the view that such increases are unwarranted.

  “Why should we wait for tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz before lowering fuel prices?” he said.

  “I repeat! Our oil does not pass through the Strait of Hormuz!” said Azman, who defended a statement by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang that fuel prices should not increase because the country has its own resources.

  According to Azman, there are about 120 oil platforms operating in the waters off Terengganu, although the number fluctuates as some are decommissioned while new ones come online.

  

  Previously, Petronas said 38 percent of crude oil refined in Malaysia had passed through the Straits of Hormuz, while local production accounted for another 48 percent. The remaining 14 percent are imported from other places.

• The government is encouraging Malaysians to switch to the Time of Use (TOU) scheme, first introduced by Tenaga Nasional Berhad in July last year, as a practical step to manage the cost of living by reducing electricity bills while supporting the national energy-efficiency agenda.

  The Energy Transition and Water Transformation ministry, in a statement, reminded that the TOU scheme offers lower electricity rates during off-peak hours (10pm-2pm daily) to reward users who shift heavy usage away from the 2pm-10pm weekday peak period.

  It is ideal for electric vehicle charging, air conditioning, and laundry during off-peak times, reducing bills for compatible households.

  As of February 2026, 128,868 users have switched to the TOU scheme, reflecting growing public awareness of the importance of efficient energy management.

9am

Migrant workers

• ​​Malaysia has asked the government of Bangladesh to consider measures to reduce the cost of hiring Bangladeshi workers in the country, with past reported estimates of up to RM20,000 in various fees deducted from their salaries.

  

  Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in a Facebook post yesterday, said the move is aimed at improving workers’ welfare.

  “I emphasise the need to reduce the cost of hiring migrant workers and have requested the government of Bangladesh to consider such measures for the well-being of the workers,” he said.

  He made the remarks while receiving a courtesy call from Bangladesh’s Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, along with the adviser to the prime minister of Bangladesh, Mahdi Amin, in Putrajaya, to discuss bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest.

  At the same time, Anwar said Malaysia remains committed to protecting the welfare of hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi workers in the country, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Crime

• A suspended senior police officer who masterminded a series of armed robberies around Kepong was attached to Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department, according to Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus.

  

  New Straits Times reported that Fadil revealed how the suspect, a deputy superintendent of police, is believed to have played a central role in orchestrating the group's operations, including planning and coordinating their movements.

  On Wednesday, Fadil said that the suspect, who has been suspended since Jan 23, and two bodyguards were among six arrested over a series of armed robberies targeting expatriate homes in Kepong.

  The group is believed to be behind the theft of luxury vehicles - a Toyota Alphard, Rolls-Royce and Bentley - along with a safe, RM24,200 in cash, US$1,200, jewellery, and two gold bars worth over RM4.4million.

  The suspects, aged 31 to 51, impersonated police officers before entering the victims' homes. One of them brandished an object resembling a pistol to threaten the victims.

West Asia conflict

• Economy Minister Akmal Nasir said the government will prioritise ensuring sufficient supplies of fuel and basic goods so that economic activities can continue amid the global energy crisis.

  He described fuel supply as the biggest challenge during the crisis, noting that the issue is primarily one of supply. Citing views such as those from the World Bank, he said all available resources should be directed towards guaranteeing adequate supplies.

  

  Akmal made the remarks to Bernama before appearing on the Ruang Bicara programme titled “Addressing the Global Energy Crisis: Efforts to Strengthen Economic Resilience”, which was broadcast on Bernama TV.

  Referring to Anwar’s assurance that Malaysia’s fuel supply can last until June, he expressed confidence that Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) will work to maintain supply beyond that period.

  Akmal also noted a growing trend among countries to prioritise domestic needs, and suggested that future diplomatic relations may take on a more transactional, barter-like approach to safeguard national interests.

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  READ MORE: 'We are already in a crisis,' PM warns of looming price increases

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