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Key Highlights
For rakyat, govt switches diet
'Kafir' latest word to cause a stir
Tycoon to be charged over govt deal
For rakyat, govt switches diet
Local rice is supposed to be an economic choice for many households.
However, it's hard to come across local rice at grocers, forcing people to buy more pricey imported rice.
In an effort to increase supply, Putrajaya has come up with a novel idea.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said government institutions, including schools and hospitals, will be switching completely to imported rice to make local rice more readily available for the masses.
However, how much more this switch in diet will cost taxpayers is unclear.
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'Kafir' latest word to cause a stir
The word "kafir" has become the latest controversy surrounding an Arabic and Islamic term.
Or rather, in this case, a conscious decision not to use the word has caused a stir.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said she was horrified to learn that one of her kids had been taught at school to refer to non-Muslims as "kafir", a term she says was forbidden in her household.
This prompted a backlash against Fadhlina, with critics accusing her of rejecting the word kafir being used in the Quran.
Fadhlina, however, clarified that she was not against the word in the Quran, but found it unsuitable to refer to others in that way in real life.
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Tycoon to be charged over govt deal
Spanco Sdn Bhd tycoon Robert Tan Hua Choon is set to be charged in court today (Wednesday, April 3).
Tan's company had held the concession to provide the government's fleet of vehicles from 1993 to 2019.
When the contract expired, it went to Berjaya Group and Naza Sdn Bhd via open tender.
However, the new deal was cancelled in 2020 under the Muhyiddin Yassin government, and the tender was reawarded to Spanco.
The deal has been the subject of a MACC probe since January.
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