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

6pm

Mitra allocation increase

  • Putrajaya has agreed to increase its allocation for the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) from RM100 million to RM150 million, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

    He said this was after the government assessed the effectiveness of Mitra programmes targeted at needy Indian groups, particularly those in education, training, and socio-economic development.

    Bernama reported him saying this at an event with Indian students at Universiti Malaya today, with Human Resources Minister R Ramanan also in attendance.

    In January, Mitra was moved from the Prime Minister’s Department to the Human Resources Ministry, with Ramanan acknowledging then that the move brings significant responsibility.

READ MORE: Ramanan denies claims of crisis in Mitra

Health

  • Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Malaysia is on full alert to face the hantavirus threat, since the global nature of public health means no country is safe without continuous precaution.

    He said while his ministry would advise against an “alarmist” mindset, it also does not want the public to be “complacent” by thinking the issue is only happening abroad.

    Bernama reported Dzulkefly assuring that the Health Ministry’s Institute for Medical Research has the capacity to diagnose hantavirus using Polymerase Chain Reaction technology, which is deemed the gold standard for disease detection.

    Additionally, border control at all international entry points has been tightened with health screenings, including airports, seaports, and major gateways, by the International Entry Point Health Office.

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11am | Civil society flags stalled reforms; Agong invites Putin for 2027 visit