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Key Highlights
Politics at play in Tabung Haji RCI report delay
End 'anti-Semitic' policy or else...
Deputy exco posts - what’s the point?
Politics at play in TH RCI report delay
Ex-economy minister Rafizi Ramli has accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of sitting on the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry report to avoid upsetting Umno, claiming the findings would expose the party's handling of the pilgrimage fund.
He alleged the report was completed in 2023 but shelved to preserve Pakatan Harapan's uneasy alliance with BN.
Anwar, however, said the government delayed its release to allow Tabung Haji’s recovery and reforms to progress without undermining public confidence, adding that the report could be made public by next week.
Rafizi said he would be "the happiest person" if the report is finally made public, saying it would vindicate his past warnings about the fund's financial position.
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End 'anti-Semitic' policy or else…
Eight US House Democrats are demanding Malaysia reverse what they call an "anti-Semitic" policy after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Israelis found in the country would be deported.
The lawmakers proposed that Washington suspend military training funding if Putrajaya does not comply within 15 days.
However, Anwar was unperturbed by the threat and vowed to continue with the decades-old policy.
“That will not deter us. They may issue threats, but I will firmly defend the rights of the Malaysian people and uphold the government’s decision to continue prohibiting the entry of any Israeli national into Malaysia,” he said.
The US demand comes amid the Network School controversy in Johor, where allegations that Israelis were staying at the tech commune triggered investigations, licence revocation and renewed scrutiny of foreign investors.
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Deputy exco posts - what’s the point?
Johor’s move to create deputy exco positions has drawn fire from the opposition, which questioned the need for the new posts and raised concerns they would bolster the ruling party’s political influence while wasting public funds.
The appointment of 10 deputy exco members is said to be aimed at enhancing Johor’s administrative capacity and policy delivery, but critics asked how the new roles differ from those of the existing 10 excos.
Muda president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz claimed the move was "only a policy to strengthen BN using money from the people of Johor", while Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim said neither the Johor state constitution nor the Federal Constitution provides for such appointments.
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Views that matter
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