Securities Commission crisis
Good morning and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Here’s a quick rundown of what happened over the long weekend.
Key Highlights
Securities Commission crisis
Passport rush
Covid-19 surge
Securities Commission crisis
The Securities Commission faced a series of resignations, prompting the government to appoint former finance minister Awang Adek as the new executive chairperson.
A new general counsel and director were also appointed.
The opposition demanded Putrajaya explain the shock resignations at the SC.
Putrajaya has yet to clarify the matter but the resignations coincided with the Attorney-General's Chambers dropping prosecution against Serba Dinamik for allegedly falsifying the oil and gas firm's financial statement.
The decision to instead slap an RM3 million fine against the company has raised questions if the falsification of financial statements will no longer be punished with a jail term.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | They can't be with their families. |
 | 'Malaysians are an unstoppable force.' |
 | This was amid criticism of the ‘big tent’ approach. |
Passport rush
With the full reopening of the country's borders, the rush to renew passports has overwhelmed the Immigration Department.
The high volume broke the Immigration Department's online appointment system, which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to control the number of people at its premises.
Following the surge, the Immigration Department announced it will abolish the online appointment system, allowing everyone to walk in.
The counter operation hours at Urban Transformation Centres in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Johor Bahru will also be extended to 10pm.
Meanwhile, vaccinated visitors to Malaysia will no longer face any Covid-19 restrictions.
New Zealand also reopened its borders, including visitors from Malaysia.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | She remains committed to reforms. |
 | The seat is a former MIC stronghold. |
 | His father was jailed for nine years. |
Covid-19 surge
Covid-19 cases may have declined to the lowest level since late 2020 but the Health Ministry is gearing up for a renewed surge.
Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry is expecting a spike in asymptomatic and mild cases following the Hari Raya Aidilfitri season.
The Health Ministry has set up quarantine centres to deal with the possible surge.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | A video posted by an employee went viral. |
 | He says they would help the unbanked. |
 | About 200 people attended. |
What else is happening?
Myanmar's junta government lashed out at Malaysia after the latter suggested informal engagements with the national unity government which was democratically elected but ousted by the military.
The suspect responsible for deviating from the flight plan by landing a helicopter at Padang Ipoh to fetch Nasi Ganja for a customer in Kuala Lumpur is set to be charged.
Home Ministry Hamzah Zainuddin personally handed over the citizenship certificate to a woman who was abandoned by her Indonesian mother and raised by a former kindergarten teacher. Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching lauded the move but urged the government to solve the issue of stateless children without waiting until it gets media attention.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | She is a Pew Marine Fellowship winning scientist. |
 | Firm denies it’s due to the military coup. |
 | Minister hopes other telcos will expedite moves. |
What are people saying?
 | By P Gunasegaram |
 | By Kow Kwan Yee |
| By Malaysiakini readers |
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