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

6pm

Politics

  • BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi welcomes any new Malay-based political party, provided it does not further divide the community.

    “Whatever platform is used, if it ultimately brings people together in support of the national agenda, the Islamic agenda, and the interests of the Malay community, then it deserves support,” Bernama reported him saying.

    Yesterday, former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin announced the formation of a new party, Parti Wawasan Negara, which will be aligned with opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.

    Speaking at the Reset convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan yesterday, Hamzah said the party will hold its first annual general meeting next week to solidify its organisational structure.

Animal welfare

  • MCA Youth information chief and animal welfare advocate, Neow Choo Seong, will participate in a six-day run to raise awareness and mobilise support for the return of three Malaysian elephants - Dara, Amoi, and Kelat.

    The elephants are housed at the Tennoji Zoo in Japan, and animal welfare advocates have expressed concern over their living conditions and urged the authorities to bring the pachyderms back.

    The Solidariti Bersama DAK Secretariat said Neow will cover about 290km from Taiping to the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

    In a statement, the secretariat said the initiative seeks to highlight growing concerns about the elephants, urging the Malaysian government and relevant authorities to take a more active role in the issue.

READ MORE: MACC urged to probe 'anomalies' in elephants' transfer to Japan

State and federal govt

  • Transport Minister Anthony Loke thanked caretaker Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi for accepting his invitation to ride the KTM Southern Komuter service and responded to the latter’s criticism over alleged exclusion from ministry programmes.

    In a Facebook post, Loke reminded Onn that the latter had personally attended several major ministry events over the years, including ceremonies related to the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link), Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3), the Kluang KTM station, and the Gemas-Johor Bahru double-track project.

    Transport Minister Anthony Loke

    Acknowledging that the election season could be hectic, Loke suggested that Onn Hafiz may have overlooked some details. He also distinguished official ceremonies and routine working visits, saying he did not wish to burden Onn Hafiz by inviting him to every working trip.

    Nevertheless, Loke said a formal invitation letter for the KTM Southern Komuter event would be issued promptly and that Onn would be invited to deliver a speech.

  • Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros has criticised comments by Loke, accusing him of politicising the relationship between the federal and state governments ahead of the Johor state polls.

    Noor Azleen also warned against any attempt to link election outcomes with the provision of development or welfare, saying Johor should not be sidelined or penalised based on political considerations.

    In a statement today, he stressed that state elections are not contests between the federal and state administrations, nor are they about one side trying to bring down the other.

    Instead, he says, they are a democratic process for voters to choose the political coalition they believe should govern the state.

J-Kom

  • Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has criticised a message by Community Communications Department (J-Kom) director-general Hisyamuddin Ghazali regarding Rohingya refugees.

    This followed Hisyamuddin’s use of the phrase “jom pantau Rohingya” (let’s monitor the Rohingya) in a Facebook status last week, which Charles said runs counter to J-Kom’s stated role of fostering unity.

    Community Communications Department director-general Hisyamuddin Ghazali

    In a series of posts on X, Charles contended that the Rohingya community should not be treated as criminals or viewed as a threat simply because of their identity. Instead, he stressed that they are a stateless people who have suffered persecution and genocide, and singling them out amounts to scapegoating.

    He also warned that remarks by public officials carry weight and can fuel existing anti-Rohingya sentiment.

Previously at 2pm | PAS Youth raps Amanah leader for referring to Loke as undang; DAP Johor candidates on June 20

11am | Zaid joins PAS; BN to contest Johor, N Sembilan polls with own logo