SNAPSHOT | Review travel advisories on ESSZone, foreign govts urged; air quality worsens in S'wak

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

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Hadi courts flak over dangerous politicking; Bersama to unveil Malacca polls candidates

11am

Border security

• Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has urged foreign governments to review travel advisories on the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), citing improved security and the absence of kidnap-for-ransom cases since January 2020.

  Speaking at a dinner with foreign representatives in Sandakan yesterday, Saifuddin (above) said delegates had been taken around eastern Sabah to experience conditions firsthand.

  “Therefore, I respectfully invite all of you to share these observations with your respective governments and to support a review of the existing travel advisories concerning the ESSZone,” he said.

  Saifuddin said Malaysia respected the right of other countries to issue travel advisories, but argued that these should reflect current conditions, given that the government had invested RM723 million in security over the past 13 years.

  He further thanked Australia and South Korea for reassessing their advisories, Japan for reviewing and updating its advisory twice, and welcomed a similar review by the United States.

• A suspicious piece of luggage prompted a two-hour closure of the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex last night after scans indicated it could contain drugs and explosives.

  

  Bernama reported Kubang Pasu police chief Radzi Abdul Rahim said the unattended pink luggage was found at about 5.55pm at Block B of the Immigration and Customs inspection area.

  “The Bomb Disposal Unit from the Kedah police headquarters arrived at the scene at 8.45pm to neutralise the luggage after assessing the risks surrounding the building, with priority given to the safety of lives,” he said.

  The complex was closed from 9.30pm to 11.30pm to facilitate the operation, but no explosives were found when the luggage was opened at 11pm.

  Instead, Radzi reportedly said police found only clothes, oil in a container, a black hairdryer, shampoo and lotion.

Air quality

• Air quality has worsened in Sarawak, with five areas recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as haze drifts in from Kalimantan.

  As of 8am today, Serian recorded the highest API reading at 171, followed by Kuching and Samarahan at 154, Sri Aman at 139 and Bintulu at 124.

  

  The Environment Department (DOE) said satellite images yesterday detected 643 hotspots in Kalimantan, 17 in Sumatra and 25 in Malaysia, including 22 in Sarawak.

  The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre also observed moderate to dense smoke plumes over West Kalimantan moving northwards into western Sarawak.

  The DOE said enforcement and patrols against open burning have been stepped up, while the National Open Burning Action Plan and National Haze Action Plan have been activated.

PKR affairs

• PKR has not received any resignation letter from its MPs amid speculation surrounding three lawmakers who have increasingly differed with the party leadership.

  Sinar Harian quoted PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh as saying, “So far, none.”

  The speculation centres on Subang MP Wong Chen, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, who have taken positions at odds with the party leadership on several issues.

  

  Wong is expected to issue a formal statement on Monday following his recent meeting with Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul.

  The trio were among PKR lawmakers who attended the May 17 launch of Parti Bersama Malaysia, led by former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli and former vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

• PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim said Nurul Izzah Anwar’s move to step down as deputy president would not derail the party’s preparations for the Melacca election.

  He said statements from the party leadership and Nurul Izzah had sufficiently explained the situation.

  "The youth wing will, however, continue going to the grassroots to provide further clarification to members," he said in Kuala Kangsar yesterday, the New Straits Times reported.

  Kamil further said the party should instead focus on public concerns such as the cost of living, rising prices and infrastructure.

• PKR vice-president Saifuddin said he was not present at the party’s central leadership council meeting on Thursday that discussed Nurul Izzah’s intention to resign as deputy president, adding that he was in Sabah on official duties, reports Harian Metro.

  

  “I was not at the meeting because I was in Sabah at the time,” he reportedly said during a press conference after an Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) visit programme with 14 diplomatic representatives and foreign delegates yesterday.

  PKR on Thursday granted Nurul Izzah temporary leave after she sought to step down, with Saifuddin taking over her duties on a temporary basis.

COMMENT | Should Nurul Izzah have entered politics in the first place?

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