SNAPSHOT | Maintain ban on river sand exports - Nik Nazmi; Bersatu leader pans Azam's remarks
Latest:
Budi95 quota may go lower; DBKL halts nods to development after KL flood ponds shrink
KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.
Latest:
Budi95 quota may go lower; DBKL halts nods to development after KL flood ponds shrink
9am
Environment
Former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has called for Malaysia’s ban on river sand exports to be maintained, warning that excessive extraction could cause long-term environmental damage.
Nik Nazmi said rivers should not be viewed merely as economic assets, describing them instead as vital ecosystems that regulate floods, protect water resources, support biodiversity, and sustain local communities.
He cautioned that sand extraction beyond sustainable limits could result in irreversible consequences, stressing the need for careful environmental management.
While acknowledging the need for inland works and river management projects in certain areas, Nik Nazmi noted that Pahang had received more than RM500 million for flood mitigation works since 2023.
He also stressed that environmental governance must prioritise sustainability, enforcement, and ecosystem protection over short-term economic gains, adding that Malaysia should learn from past experiences of uncontrolled resource exploitation rather than repeat them.
READ MORE: Pahang palace regrets Putrajaya's export ban on sand from the state
Corruption
Businessperson Albert Tei said he would reveal the identity of a senior officer from the MACC, whom he accused of obstructing, threatening, and persecuting him over efforts to expose the Sabah corruption scandal involving 15 high-profile politicians.
Tei said the alleged incidents took place in November 2024 and that he would lodge a police report over the matter at the Putrajaya district police headquarters at 10am tomorrow.
He also expressed confidence in the new MACC chief commissioner Abdul Halim Aman, who is scheduled to take office on the same day.
Albert Tei In a statement, Tei said he would submit a formal complaint to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya together with a list of witnesses, evidence, and the police report for further action.
He will also be holding a press conference outside the MACC headquarters at 10.30am after lodging the reports.
READ MORE: Sabah scandal: MACC warned Albert not to come forward, lawyer says
Bersatu Youth has condemned remarks by outgoing MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, who mocked critics of the agency by describing them as “problematic”, “depressed”, and suggesting they had “forgotten to take their medicine”.
In a statement, Bersatu's communications and new media department director Na’im Brundage said Azam’s remarks, which touched on mental health issues, were unprofessional and insensitive, adding that such comments were unbecoming of the head of a national enforcement agency.
READ MORE: 'Forgot to take medicine, depressed': Azam ridicules anti-MACC protesters
He also urged Azam to retract his remarks immediately and issue a public apology to Malaysians.
Na’im also expressed concern over what he described as attempts by Azam to portray critics of the MACC as individuals with vested interests, warning that such a narrative could be seen as an effort to belittle critical voices against the commission.
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