SNAPSHOT | Lawyer pans MalaysiaNow editor probe; minister cautions on income tier use for fuel subsidy

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

6pm

Press freedom

• Lawyers representing MalaysiaNow chief editor Abd Rahman Koya slammed the government after police launched a defamation investigation against the journalist, over an article that touched Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his former political aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

  In a statement, Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh said Rahman has been summoned by the police to the Bukit Aman's Classified Investigation Unit on May 20 to provide his statement over an article published by MalaysiaNow on April 22, titled "Clip surfaces of prosecution witness in Shamsul graft trial making explosive claims against Anwar, Farhash".

  They demanded that the authorities discontinue the investigation, and urged the inspector-general of police to clarify the legal basis and proportionality of invoking Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act against a news editor.

  "The right to a free press is not negotiable. It does not yield to political inconvenience. It is not suspended when reporting is uncomfortable to those in power.

  "We stand unconditionally with Abd Rahman Koya and with MNow Media, and we will deploy every lawful means at our disposal to defend their constitutional rights," the counsels said.

Politics

• Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg today called on Sarawak-based parties under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak to remain united in safeguarding the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and ensuring the state’s continued political stability and economic progress.

  

  In officiating the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) triennial general assembly 2026, he said Sarawak’s political unity had enabled the state to play a decisive role in determining the country’s leadership during periods of political uncertainty at the federal level.

  “When politics is volatile, the component that is united will determine the future of Malaysia. If Sarawak’s voice is to be heard, Sarawak must remain united,” Bernama reported him as saying.

  The GPS chairperson added that the coalition’s component parties had consistently prioritised Sarawak’s interests and continued to pursue matters agreed upon under MA63.

  “We do not want more, we do not want less, but we want them to comply with what has been agreed by our forefathers,” he stressed.

READ MORE: Minister warns of divisive MA63 comments undermining federal ties

• PDP president Tiong King Sing announced that his party will defend all eight seats it holds in the next Sarawak polls, stating that the party’s incumbents deserve the opportunity to continue serving their respective constituents.

  Tiong, who is also the tourism, arts and culture minister, noted that the merger between PDP and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) in April 2024 has significantly strengthened the party, now boasting 205,000 members nationwide.

  

  “This reflects the people’s confidence in our familyhood and our struggle,” Bernama reported him as saying during the party’s triennial general assembly.

  Of the eight seats, PDP won five in the 12th Sarawak state election, namely Tasik Biru, Meluan, Krian, Marudi and Dudong.

  The remaining three - Bawang Assan, Engkilili and Ba'kelalan - were added following the dissolution of PSB and the absorption of its members as a bloc.

Fuel subsidies

• The government's targeted fuel subsidy mechanism should not be based solely on income classification, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir.

  According to Bernama, the minister said targeted subsidies implementation must take into account reasonable household living expenses to ensure it truly benefits the intended groups.

  

  "The challenge is determining the most suitable threshold or level to apply. From the ministry’s perspective, the matter needs to be assessed more comprehensively.

  "We do not want to create classifications that can be debated from different perspectives because economic conditions are not measured solely by income, but also by reasonable basic expenses and other related factors," he told reporters after an event in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.

  Akmal said the ministry is also refining the subsidy targeting mechanism to strengthen fiscal management, particularly for diesel subsidies.

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