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Key Highlights
Watching the watchdog: When oversight fails
A gastronomical debate in the House
Year One screening axed amid fairness concerns
Watching the watchdog: When oversight fails
The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) has released a report highlighting serious weaknesses in oversight of the MACC.
It noted that public trust in the MACC has eroded amid growing criticism over its perceived failure to effectively address grand corruption, yet no government has undertaken major reforms since the commission’s establishment in 2009.
Instead, the report pointed to deep institutional resistance to reform, citing MACC statements rejecting repeated calls for independent oversight, including strong opposition from its chief commissioner.
While defenders of the MACC often cite the existence of several oversight bodies - including the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (Acab), Special Committee on Corruption (SCC), Complaints Committee (CC), Operations Review Panel (ORP) and Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel (CCPP) - C4 Center said these do not amount to meaningful accountability.
Its review of their functions and composition, benchmarked against international best practices, found that oversight remains largely opaque and conducted behind closed doors, and that the mere presence of multiple bodies does not ensure effective scrutiny.
According to the C4 Center, describing these five organisations as “oversight bodies” is misleading since each body only holds advisory functions, with the implementation of this advice being at the sole discretion of MACC.
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A gastronomical debate in the House
The assault on the olfactory senses made a comeback in the Dewan Rakyat, as a Bersatu lawmaker chimed in on the debate over foods, reminding all to respect the gastronomical choices of others.
Kalam Salan (PN-Sabak Bernam) reminded lawmakers that while Islam forbids the consumption of pork, it does not condone mocking those who choose to eat it.
He stressed that religious dietary restrictions should never be used to insult others’ food preferences, noting that many popular foods are famously pungent.
“Budu is said to smell bad, but it’s delicious - that’s why we eat it. There are plenty of smelly foods that taste amazing,” Kalam said.
The remarks come after Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin last week criticised comments disparaging pork as “smelly” and “dirty,” comparing it to budu and belacan, which he argued “smell even worse”.
He also emphasised that despite their consumption of pork, many in his Dayak community lead upright lives and do not engage in illegal or immoral activities.
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Year One screening axed amid fairness concerns
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has agreed to scrap the proposed diagnostic screening test to assess children’s eligibility for entry into Year One as early as six years old, beginning with the 2027 school session.
However, PAS lawmaker Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who branded it as a “U-turn”, claimed it showed that the government’s new education plan is half-baked.
"It is good when the government makes a U-turn for the benefit of the rakyat. However, this also shows that the government did not really do an in-depth study before they announced a policy," he said.
Anwar had said the proposal had been carefully reviewed, including concerns that such testing could have psychological effects on children.
“The initial proposal was well-intentioned, as it aimed to introduce an assessment system before children enter school. However, it was felt that it could be discriminatory in nature,” he explained.
Last week, Anwar launched the 2026-2035 Education Plan, which saw the introduction of several new initiatives, including giving parents the option to enrol their six-year-old children in Year One if they believe their children are ready.
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Views that matter
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 | By Christine Lee & et al |
 | By Woon King Chai |
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