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2pm

Politics

  • A number of nobles in Rembau have distanced themselves from their undang (chieftain) Abdul Rahim Yasin, after he and three other undangs moved to sack Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as Negeri Sembilan’s ruler.

    In a statement today, the buapak (subclan leader), ibu soko (matriarchs), and heirs of Rembau villages said that the undangs’ actions were not valid by law, claiming there was no legal basis for the removal of the ruler.

    This is despite Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan constitution explicitly stating that the undangs can force a Yang di-Pertuan Besar to abdicate.

    In the statement, the group (above) said Negeri Sembilan’s royal institution must be protected, and cannot be toyed with by anyone.

READ MORE: Ex-MB: N Sembilan chieftains’ sacking of ruler valid, but amicable solution needed

Public health

  • Ex-health minister Khairy Jamaluddin congratulated the UK for implementing a lifetime ban on cigarette purchases for those born after 2008, lamenting that Malaysia, by comparison, had missed the boat.

    In an Instagram story post, Khairy said he had prepared the legislation for a generational end game (GEG) policy before leaving the ministry, but that the following administration dropped the plan following lobbying from tobacco and vape industry players.

    He also claimed the attorney-general at that time had allegedly advised the cabinet wrongly on the matter.

READ MORE: UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008

  • Malaysian condom manufacturer Karex told Reuters on Tuesday that it may raise prices by 20 to 30 percent if global supply chain issues persist while demand is high.

    Health advocacy group Public Health Malaysia said this was a concerning development, saying that if condoms get expensive, it may discourage sexually active individuals from having safe sex.

    “Even though the world is at war, human nature and intimate relationships continue. Safe sex remains important,” they said, stressing that condoms were a key tool against the spread of sexually transmitted infections as well as for family planning.

Energy crisis

  • The crude oil tanker Serifos reached an anchorage in Malacca last night, according to online ship-tracking services.

    This makes it the second Malaysia-bound vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz and reach its destination since conflict erupted in West Asia on Feb 28.

    It is the second of seven ships for which Malaysia has negotiated with Iran for safe passage.

    Previously, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged tanker was chartered by Thai state-owned energy firm PTT to carry crude oil loaded in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and is capable of carrying up to two million barrels.

    The first vessel, Ocean Thunder, had arrived in Pengerang, Johor, on April 18 carrying about one million barrels of crude oil for Petronas - enough to fuel Malaysia’s domestic needs for one or two days.

Water security

  • The Selangor government is studying the feasibility of turning seawater into drinking water, with two sites being proposed for a desalination plant.

    Selangor state executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Izham Hashim told the state assembly that the plant would increase the state’s clean water supply by 300 million litres per day (MLD), Bernama reported.

    Current production capacity is at 6,500 MLD, and average demand is 5,370 MLD, giving Selangor a water reserve margin of 17.4 percent or 1,130 MLD. A margin above 15 percent is considered high by the National Water Services Commission, he said.

    Seawater desalination plants produce clean water through reverse osmosis or thermal distillation. It is generally more expensive than other water sources because the process is energy-intensive.

    Previously at 9am | Anwar to visit Sandakan fire victims; NGO leader nabbed over RM230m zakat funds case

Ex-MB: N Sembilan chieftains sacking of ruler valid, but amicable solution needed

Ex-MB: N Sembilan chieftains sacking of ruler valid, but amicable solution needed

UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008

UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008

Health Ministry targets vape ban this year

Health Ministry targets vape ban this year

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

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