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LANGKAWI -- Berbelanja RM3 juta sebulan bagi kerja-kerja penyelenggaraan sebuah kapal layar mega adalah seumpama mengadakan pesta mewah setiap hari di atas kapal sedangkan utiliti kapal layar digerakkan setiap waktu, kata seorang pakar kapal layar mewah. Pengarah operasi Mega Yacht Club of Vanuatu Ltd, Nicholas de Souza, berkata jumlah itu juga adalah lebih daripada mencukupi untuk pengambilan anak kapal dengan gaji yang tinggi dan kapten kapal kanan secara tetap. “Dan (jumlah itu cukup untuk) mengambil kakitangan perkhidmatan tambahan sehingga 25 orang tetapi untuk berbelanja RM3 juta… ia tentunya pesta setiap hari atau pesta amat besar setiap minggu,” katanya, lapor Bernama. Beliau menyatakan demikian ketika diminta mengulas satu laporan berita bahawa ia menelan kos kira-kira RM3 juta sebulan untuk menyelenggara sebuah kapal layar yang amat besar. Equanimity, yang dikaitkan dengan kontroversi susulan dakwaan bahawa ia dibeli dengan menggunakan dana daripada 1Mala

KULAI -- Seorang arkitek mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Majistret, di sini hari ini atas tiga pertuduhan melakukan kelucahan melampau terhadap tiga wanita, antara Julai 2016 dan Januari tahun lepas. Bagi pertuduhan pertama, Mohamad Nizam Abdul Razak, 44, yang berkhidmat di Majlis Perbandaran Kulai (MPKu) didakwa dengan sengaja melakukan perbuatan kelucahan melampau dengan menunjukkan kemaluannya terhadap seorang wanita berumur 21 tahun di dalam Bilik Ketua Jabatan Bangunan MPKu, Kulai, pada 4.30 petang, 2 Januari tahun lepas. Bagi pertuduhan kedua, dia didakwa melakukan perbuatan sama terhadap seorang wanita berumur 37 tahun di Bilik Juruaudit MPKu, Kulai, kira-kira 9.30 pagi antara 1 dan 15 Julai 2016 manakala pertuduhan ketiga terhadap seorang wanita berumur 30 tahun di Bilik Ketua Jabatan Bangunan MPKu, Kulai, antara 8 pagi dan 6 petang, antara 15 dan 31 Dis 2016. Mohamad Nizam yang merupakan seorang duda didakwa mengikut Seksyen 337D Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa huku

KUALA LUMPUR -- A Bill to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong tabled the Bill which contains two clauses for the first reading. The bill seeks to repeal the Act due to the change in government policy that fake news can be dealt with under other existing laws such as Penal Code, Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The bill also states that any investigation, prosecution or proceedings with respect to any pending offences under the repealed Act, may still be continued as the Act is still in force. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry also tabled the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2018 for the first reading. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng tabled the Bill requesting for the allocation of RM3,065,113,896 from the Consolidated Fund for the year 2018. This is to accommodate the restructuring of several mini

KUALA LUMPUR -- Pertuduhan pengubahan wang haram terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak di mahkamah hari ini langsung tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan skandal 1Malaysia Berhad Development (1MDB). Peguam Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah yang mewakili Najib, 65, berkata kesemua pertuduhan itu juga tiada kena-mengena dengan kapal mewah 'Equanimity’ yang dipercayai sebahagian daripada aset yang dibeli menggunakan dana 1MDB. “Kes ini bukan 1MDB, kes ini kes SRC (SRC International Sdn Bhd), ini (juga) tidak ada kena-mengena dengan bot yang besar yang tiba di PelabuhanKlang. “Secara kebetulan pertuduhan dibuat di mahkamah hari ini, orang ramai beranggapan mungkin ada kaitan dengan bot Equanimity dan 1MDB. Ia tidak ada kena-mengena langsung,” katanya kepada pemberita di lobi mahkamah selepas prosiding pendakwaan terhadap Najib selesai. Sehubungan itu Muhammad Shafee berharap orang ramai tidak mengaitkan pertuduhan tambahan itu dengan kedua-dua perkara tersebut.

KUALA LUMPUR -- Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) hari ini berada pada kedudukan yang sangat kukuh, selain terkenal atas tadbir urus, integriti dan mutu perkhidmatannya, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan. Shahril yang dilantik sebagai Pengarah Urusan baharu Khazanah Nasional Bhd, akan terus mengetuai dana persaraan itu sehingga melapor diri dengan dana kekayaan negara itu pada 20 Ogos, 2018. “Saya gembira meninggalkan KWSP dalam kedudukannya yang sangat baik. Ia merupakan organisasi yang  hebat. Pengerusi, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, serta pasukan pengurusan akan meneruskan tugas ini. “Lima tahun dari sekarang, KWSP akan menjadi lebih baik daripada keadaan yang saya tinggalkan,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas pelancaran Persidangan Keselamatan Sosial Antarabangsa (ISSC) 2018: Esok Yang Lebih Baik. ISSC 2018 yang berlangsung selama dua hari mulai hari ini, dirasmikan oleh Timbalan Perdana Menteri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Bakal CEO KWSP Tu

PUTRAJAYA -- As many as 17 security personnel of the Prime Minister’s Department have been remanded for five days from today to assist in the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of RM3.5 million in funds meant for the 14th general election. Magistrate Siti Nabilah Abd Rashid issued the remand order upon an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court. Earlier, all the men, aged between 31 and 51, arrived handcuffed at the court at 9.15 am in a bus and wearing the MACC orange lock-up attire. Among those remanded was a Grade 52 security officer aged 51. The rest were Grade 11 to Grade 38 security guards. According to an MACC source, all the suspects were detained after they arrived at the MACC office here yesterday between 2.45 pm and 3.15 pm to give their statements. The source said the MACC also seized cash amounting to RM840,700 and nine motorcycles of various makes worth a total of RM90,000. All the

KUALA LUMPUR -- The airline companies are free to choose the Syariah-compliant uniforms for their flight attendants provided that they meet the safety standard set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar. He said this because one of the requirements to secure safety certificate was for the airline companies to ensure that the uniforms worn by the flight crew would enable them to carry out safety procedures in a set period. “The airlines are free to choose uniforms as long as they can carry out their duties during emergency evacuation within the period set by CAAM and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). “The airline’s commercial decisions are based on their respective suitability and corporate image,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting. He was answering to a question from Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (PAS-Pengkalan Chepa) who wanted to know if MAS flight stewardess’ uniforms were in accordance wi

PUTRAJAYA -- The by-election for the Seri Setia state seat is to be held simultaneously with that for Balakong, with the nomination on Aug 18, early voting on Sept 4 and polling on Sept 8. Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Tan Sri Othman Mahmood, who made the announcement today, said the EC had taken into account various aspects such as location, logistics and security before arriving at the decision. “The campaign period is 21 days, from the date of nomination up to 11.59 pm on Sept 7,” he said at a press conference after the EC special meeting on the by-election, Bernama reported. The last time two by-elections were held simultaneously were for the Sungai Besar (Selangor) and Kuala Kangsar (Perak) parliamentary seats, on June 18, 2016. Othman said Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain has been appointed as the returning officer for the Seri Setia by-election and that the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre would be used as the nomination centre and vote-tallying ce

KUALA LUMPUR -- Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of having received RM42 million in proceeds from unlawful activities into two of his accounts four years ago, with the money belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd. However, no plea was recorded from Najib, 65, after the three charges were read out to him before Judge Azura Alwi. The court allowed an application by the prosecution to have the case transferred to the High Court, Bernama report. On the three charges, Najib was alleged to have received RM27 million, RM5 million and RM10 million, respectively, which were proceeds from unlawful activities, via Real Time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities (Rentas) into two AmIslamic Bank Berhad accounts of his bearing the numbers 2112022011880 and 2112022011906. He is alleged to have committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank Berhad, AmBank Group Building, No. 55, Jalan Raja Chulan, here, between

KUALA LUMPUR --   Saya tidak tahu mengenainya. Saya tidak pernah menaiki kapal itu. Saya tidak tahu mengenainya sehinggalah ia disiarkan dalam media,” kata bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Ahli Parlimen Pekan itu mendakwa beliau tidak tahu mengenai dakwaan bahawa kapal layar mewah  Equanimity dikatakan dibeli menggunakan dana dari 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Beliau berkata kerajaan terdahulu lebih berminat terhadap penyelesaian penuh dengan International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). "Apa yang penting adalah penyelesaian dengan IPIC. Itu adalah jumlah terbesar, itulah sebabnya kita tidak tumpu kepada isu kapal, kita mahu penyelesaian membabitkan jumlah yang besar diselesaikan dahulu,” kata beliau, lapor Bernama. Kapal layar mewah itu belayar dari Indonesia dan tiba di Pelabuhan Klang pada 12.35 tengah Selasa.  Kapal layar itu, dianggarkan bernilai  RM1 bilion, dipercayai sebahagian daripada aset yang dibeli menggunakan dana

KUALA LUMPUR — Reserving the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee for the opposition marks a new milestone for Malaysia, said newly-appointed chairman of the PAC, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee. The Beluran MP from the Barisan Nasional, who was also formerly Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker, hailed the progressive move taken by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in view of its responsibility to act as watchdog of financial management and procedures of the current government,  but also of the previous government, if needed. “I also wish to stress that the PAC is a guardian of the public’s money and thus it is very important that  Parliament’s integrity is always preserved based on the concept of the separation of powers,” he said in a statement, Bernama report. He added that he would also be discussing with the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to look into the possibility of opening PAC hearings to the public. The Dewan Rakyat today agreed to the selection of Kiandee and Ip

KUALA LUMPUR -- Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is to be charged today in the Sessions Court on three counts of money laundering in relation to funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, it was reliably learned. It was also learned that the charges against Najib, 65, are likely to be framed under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001  (AMLATFPUAA). If so, they carry a maximum jail term of 15 years and fine of not less than five times the proceeds of the unlawful activities, if convicted. It is understood that the case will be heard before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi. The court has placed barricades and set up a registration counter for the media to facilitate coverage of the proceedings. Reporters from the local and international media have been camping outside the court complex from as early as 6.30 am. A total of  21 pink passes were provided for the reporters allo

KUALA LUMPUR -- Anggota Parlimen Batu P. Prabakaran menyangkal dakwaan beliau ditawarkan RM25 juta bagi mengosongkan kerusinya untuk memberi laluan kepada Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bertanding. “Saya fikir ini kenyataan palsu, saya tidak mahu komen apa-apa tentang khabar angin,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di lobi Parlimen. Prabakaran diminta mengulas catatan twitter penulis blog Raja Petra Kamaruddin bahawa  beliau ditawar wang berkenaan untuk mengosongkan kerusi Parlimen Batu. Raja Petra bagaimanapun mengakui dakwaan tersebut merupakan khabar angin semata-mata. Sebelum ini, Anggota Parlimen Selayang William Leong Jee Keen menyatakan kesudian menyerahkan kerusinya kepada Anwar sekiranya diminta berbuat demikian. Namun, isteri dan anak Anwar iaitu Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan Nurul Izzah menegaskan tidak akan melepaskan kerusi masing-masing di Parlimen Pandan dan Parlimen Permatang Pauh. Pada Pilihan Raya Um

KUALA LUMPUR -- The tax refund for the input tax of  outstanding Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not likely to be carried out as the money paid in advance was not included in the government's trust account under the previous administration, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. He said the money paid in advance was instead put into the consolidated fund account and made to look like as if they were from the Barisan Nasional government. "The money was used by the previous government, and that is the reason (why the GST input tax claims cannot be refunded)," he said when winding up debate on the Sales Tax Bill (Bill) 2018, in the Dewan Rakyat. Lim said the payment was to have been paid within two weeks, but was delayed by two years. "This is serious thievery, when the money which is supposed to be in a trust account does not exist in the account, how is the current government going to pay (to input taxpayers)?", he said. Responding to Khairy Jamaluddi