SNAPSHOT | Ministries to present joint border security plan to cabinet; ex-CJ returns as lawyer

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

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2pm

Border security

• Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Transport Minister Anthony Loke will jointly present a plan to enhance security at Malaysia’s entry points at tomorrow’s cabinet meeting.

  This followed a cabinet directive issued to the two ministries, after a Malaysian pilot allegedly smuggled about 25kg of illicit drugs, which were seized at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, into Indonesia.

  

  According to Bernama, Saifuddin told his ministry’s monthly assembly that the plan took into account the need to strengthen coordination among agencies so that there would no longer be a silo approach in controlling the country’s entry points.

  He said the aspects being studied included improving human resource competency, infrastructure requirements, closed-circuit television systems, scanning machines, and training for personnel operating the machines. 

Legal profession

• Former chief justice Richard Malanjum, 73, has been admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya, marking his return to legal practice after a distinguished judicial career.

  Malanjum, Malaysia’s first chief justice from Borneo, served in the post until April 2019 after previously heading the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak. He was admitted before High Court judge Aslam Zainuddin.

  

  Lawyers Nicholas Kow, Al-Saifi Hashim, Peter-Douglas Ling, and D Nimalan paid tribute to Malanjum’s contributions, highlighting his legal acumen, efforts to modernise the courts through technology, mobile courts for remote communities, environmental justice initiatives, and landmark constitutional judgments.

  Malanjum was appointed Ombudsman of the UN Security Council in 2022 and pro-chancellor of Multimedia University in December 2025.

Politics

• PSM chairperson Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj is set to retain his post uncontested when the party holds its leadership election at its 28th national congress on Aug 22.

  The former Sungai Siput MP, who has led the party since 2019, is the sole nominee for the national chairperson post.

  

  Incumbent deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan faces a five-way contest for the number two post against Choo Chon Kai, Nik Aziz Afiq, A Sivarajan, and Soh Sook Hwa.

  Arutchelvan, a PSM founding member and veteran grassroots activist, has served as deputy chairperson since 2019, after previously serving as the secretary-general from the party’s formation in 1998 until 2015.

  The secretary-general’s post will meanwhile see a contest between M Sivaranjani and Suresh Kumar, while S Mathavi has won the honorary treasurer’s post uncontested.

Crime

• The Education Ministry has left action against a 54-year-old teacher accused of assaulting a student and the student’s mother in Pasir Mas to the state education authorities.

  Bernama reported that Education director-general Azam Ahmad said he had only recently been informed of the case but was confident the Kelantan Education Department, district education office, and school would act according to regulations.

  

  Police detained the teacher last Wednesday for allegedly hitting a 14-year-old student and slapping the student’s mother in separate incidents.

  The case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon or by dangerous means.

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