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Double trouble over PM’s picks
Emergency over 999 ‘upgrade’
MPs push for DBKL reform
Double trouble over PM’s picks
A storm is brewing over two appointees by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The most alarming one concerns Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh, whom Anwar appointed to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).
Lawyer Latheefa Koya says allegations against Terrirudin, stemming from purportedly leaked JAC meeting minutes that reportedly accused the judge of judicial interference, remain unresolved.
The Malaysian Bar also questions why Terrirudin was picked over more senior candidates in the apex court.
Meanwhile, Anwar’s revelation that he had told off a political secretary for sending a support letter for a hospital project last year is also causing a stir.
Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli - who identified the aide as Shamsul Iskandar Akin - urged the prime minister to sack the political secretary, as a reprimand was insufficient.
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Emergency over 999 ‘upgrade’
The emergency service hotline 999 has received an upgrade, featuring an app.
Initial rollout of the Next Generation Malaysian Emergency Response Services (NG MERS 999) led to mass confusion over whether those in need of urgent help needed to download an app first and fill up a whole bunch of details.
There were also reports on social media claiming that calls to 999 allegedly told callers to download the app instead.
Telekom Malaysia, however, blamed the phone lines being clogged up by a huge spike in calls, of which 95 percent were either silent or prank calls.
They also added that the app is just a complementary service, and not needed during emergencies.
However, the Health Ministry isn’t taking any chances and is reverting to the old system for now.
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MPs push for DBKL reform
A group of MPs from the Federal Territories has submitted a private bill seeking to amend how Kuala Lumpur is run.
The Kuala Lumpur mayor is appointed by the federal government, and there are limited checks and balances by various boards.
The bill seeks to appoint councillors to DBKL, to act as an additional layer of checks and balances - similar to how other cities are run.
This comes a week after the government abruptly changed the capital’s mayor.
It’s not a local council election that many are hoping for, but it’s a start.
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