KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm and 9pm.


9pm

Public healthcare crisis

  • Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry is in the final stages of resolving several issues, including bureaucratic constraints affecting medical specialist training and development.

    Bernama reported him as saying that bottlenecks had been identified and efforts were underway to address them to speed up the production of more specialists.

    Dzulkefly's remarks came amid concerns that Malaysia faces a shortage of around 11,000 medical specialists across both the public and private healthcare sectors.

    As an interim measure, the ministry is reportedly using a cluster crisis management system involving collaboration between hospitals and health clinics within the same cluster, including the redeployment of healthcare personnel according to operational needs.

Share market

  • Trading in Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Bhd (AMB) shares will be halted on Monday between 9am and 5pm, ahead of an upcoming announcement.

    Bernama reported Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd as saying that it has approved the temporary suspension, which will take effect on June 22, pending the release of a material announcement.

    The company reportedly said in a Bursa filing that the request for suspension was made under subparagraph 3.1(b)(i) of Practice Note 2 under Bursa Securities’ Main Market Listing Requirements governing requests for trading suspensions.

    At the close of trading, AMB’s shares slipped 16 sen, or 1.04 per cent, to RM15.20, with 37,000 shares changing hands.

Politics

  • Pakatan Harapan fully respects the Johor state constitution and the powers of the Johor sultan in appointing the menteri besar, and is not engaging in perception politics or using leadership positions as campaign material, said Johor PKR chief Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

    Taking to Facebook, she said Harapan has many capable, credible and principled leaders who could be entrusted with the role if the coalition receives a mandate from voters.

    Dr Zaliha Mustafa

    Zaliha was responding to remarks by caretaker Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who had questioned Harapan over its decision not to name a potential menteri besar candidate ahead of the state polls.

    She also pointed out what she described as a contradiction in Onn’s position, noting that while he had urged Harapan to declare its candidate in the interest of public transparency, he had also yesterday acknowledged that being a “poster boy” does not guarantee appointment to the post.

Previously at 6pm | Azmin rubbishes Bersatu-led rival PN meeting; UNHCR cardholders still subject to M'sian laws

2pm | Shahril: Voters prefer grounded leaders; Bersatu holding PN meeting tonight?

9am | DAP fields new face in Mengkibol; Putrajaya greenlights National Tahfiz Council