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KUALA LUMPUR -- Foreign investors are slowly gaining confidence in the local equity market as Pakatan Harapan government’s policies and direction become clearer as its 100 days milestone approaches, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd Head of Research Kenny Yee said. He said the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ended the week at 1,805.75, 141.89 points higher compared with 1,663.86 on July 6 -- a strong indicator of subsiding uncertainty among investors. As at Thursday, foreign funds were net buyers, bringing in RM485 million, an increase of 46 per cent compared with a net inflow of RM331.9 million last week. Even though initially the shake-ups in government-linked companies (GLCs) has caused some anxiety among investors, that has now changed as the government showed a clearer direction, he added. “The institutional reform agenda has been on the right track and foreign investors who have been on the sidelines may have started to come back, albeit at a measured pace,” he told Bernama.

SERI KEMBANGAN – Kerajaan Indonesia telah memberi jaminan keselamatan bagi kontinjen negara di Sukan Asia Jakarta-Palembang minggu depan, kata Menteri Belia dan Sukan Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. Syed Saddiq berkata selain itu juga kementeriannya telah mengadakan perbincangan dengan pihak polis negara berkenaan dan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) mengenai keselamatan atlet yang mengambil bahagian dalam temasya dari 18 Ogos-2 Sept ini. “Sebelum ini saya ke Indonesia melakukan tinjauan di Palembang dan Jakarta, saya sempat berjumpa dengan Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo dan menterinya berbincang isu keselamatan (bersempena Sukan Asia). “Mereka berjanji untuk memastikan keselamatan atlet kita terjamin. Beberapa perkara perlu diperhalusi, antaranya saya dimaklumkan pihak PDRM akan pergi lebih awal ke Indonesia bagi mendapatkan taklimat lanjutan,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita pada kayuhan Maju Expressway (MEX Ride 2018) di kawasan Rehat dan Rawat (R&R) Seri Kembangan. Jam

SERDANG -- The government is looking at tabling the supplementary budget next week, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. “We will look at that,” said Dr Mahathir when asked by reporters if the government would be tabling the supplementary budget next week after visiting an art exhibition 'Tun M: A Forever Legacy' at the Perdana University. On the dispute between the previous government and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on the alleged missing RM18 billion from fund for the goods and services tax (GST) refund, Dr Mahathir said : "So if it (the RM18 billion) is not missing show us where the money is." Asked if the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had used the money to pay any of the expenditure since it came into power on May 10, the prime minister said: "Well we are short of money. That is the fact." Dr Mahathir said PH was short of money because a lot of the money went to servicing loans and trying to retire the loans.  "That is

PUTRAJAYA -- Kira-kira 80 peratus atau 13,700 orang pengasuh bagi kanak-kanak berusia empat tahun ke bawah di taska yang berdaftar dengan Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) masih tidak memenuhi kelayakan minimum, Kursus Asuhan dan Didikan Awal Kanak-kanak PERMATA (KAP) setakat Jun 2018. Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail berkata kekurangan bilangan pengasuh yang berkelayakan memberi implikasi terhadap jumlah taska yang berdaftar. "Unjuran banci Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia pada 2010 menganggarkan jumlah kanak-kanak berusia kosong hingga empat tahun pada 2018 seramai 2.3 juta orang," katanya pada Majlis Perasmian Hari Taska 2018 di sini hari ini. Jelasnya berdasarkan statistik tersebut, jika dianggap bahawa 50 peratus daripada kanak-kanak di Malaysia yang berusia empat tahun ke bawah memerlukan taska, maka negara  memerlukan 38,333 buah taska bagi menampung jumlah kanak-kanak tersebut. Bagaimanapun, katanya statistik pendaftaran taska JKM

KUALA LUMPUR -- Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has defended the Pakatan Harapan government’s decision to remove the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as it hit the poor unfairly, instead of the rich. “(Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) forgets that GST has impacted all Malaysians, particularly unfairly on the poor for the first time, when they never had to pay any taxes previously,” he said. This had imposed a heavy financial burden on the ordinary rakyat until they had no choice but to change the government for the first time in 61 years, otherwise the GST will persist and their economic distress will continue, he said in a statement here, today. He was responding to Najib’s relentless campaign in defending the GST, claiming that tax regime was meant only for the rich and with its abolishment, the rich and business people would benefit most. Najib added that money lost to the rich could no longer be used to help the poor in the B40 group. In his attacks on Prime Minister Tun Dr M

KOTA BHARU -- PAS tidak akan berputus asa untuk mencari peluang membahaskan kembali Rang Undang-Undang Akta Mahkamah Syariah (Bidang Kuasa Jenayah) 1965 (RUU355) di Parlimen di sebalik langkah kerajaan Persekutuan yang sedang mencari formula penyelesaian lebih holistik untuk memperkasakan Mahkamah Syariah. Ketua Dewan Ulama PAS Kelantan Datuk Hassan Mohamood berkata parti itu bersetuju dengan langkah Kerajaan Persekutuan dalam mencari penyelesaian terbaik berhubung perkara tersebut namun dalam masa yang sama PAS yakin hanya RUU355 dapat menyelesaikan masalah sosial yang melanda umat Islam ketika ini. "Kita setuju memperkasa (Mahkamah Syariah secara holistik) tapi dalam memperkasa pun, RUU355 ini mesti diutamakan sebab matlamat kita nak perkasa Mahkamah Syariah ini supaya masalah-masalah yang berbangkit seperti gejala sosial dapat dikurangkan seterusnya dapat dihapuskan. "Salah satu caranya (menghapuskan gejala sosial) adalah menerusi pelaksanaan RUU355,"

source: www.straitstimes.com SERDANG -- The government is now eyeing to bring back a private jet belonging to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, currently reported to be in Singapore, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. When asked about reports that Putrajaya is bringing back the jet when met by reporters after visiting an art exhibition 'Tun M: A Forever Legacy' at the Perdana University here, Dr Mahathir said : "Yes, I think so. We have to bring it back." According to media reports, the private jet was impounded by Singaporean authorities in 2017 and grounded at the Seletar Airport. It was also reported that the impounded Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft was part of some US$1 billion in assets allegedly acquired with funds misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). Asked on the discussion to bring the private jet back to the country, Dr Mahathir said: "I don't know somebody else is doing it." Dr Mahat

sumber: mstar.com.my GEORGE TOWN -- Seorang isteri putus pergelangan tangan kiri selepas ditetak suaminya yang cemburu dengan wanita itu dalam kejadian di kawasan parkir tingkat tiga flat Bayu Nyaman, Bayan Lepas dekat sini tengah malam tadi. Ketua Polis Daerah Barat Daya Supt A.A Anbalagan berkata polis menerima laporan berhubung kejadian itu kira-kira pukul 12.55 tengah malam tadi dan bergegas ke tempat insiden sebelum mendapati wanita berusia 24 tahun berkenaan telah putus pergelangan tangan kirinya. "Pada mulanya polis menerima maklumat berlaku kejadian ragut sehingga menyebabkan mangsa cedera kerana ditetak suspek namun sebaik kami sampai di lokasi insiden, wanita itu didapati telah putus pergelangan tangan kirinya. "Berdasarkan siasatan awal,mangsa telah ditetak oleh suaminya dengan sebilah pisau sebelum suspek  melarikan diri dan tiada barang berharga yang hilang daripada wanita itu," katanya. Katanya mangsa dihantar ke Hospital Pulau Pinang unt

KELANA JAYA -- Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) needs an additional 150 pilots to stabilise its systems from the current 927 pilots operating its fleet. Chief Executive Officer Captain Izham Ismail said the national carrier is targeting to normalise its operations by early 2019 and has already recruited 62 new pilots. “But retirement, attrition, pilots finding better opportunities, all of these continue, hence, (MAB) requires replacements and recruitment of new pilots, “ he told reporters on the sidelines of the MAB cabin crew graduation ceremony here Friday. In fact, the national carrier, which is still going through an organisational turnaround, and driving very high available seat per kilometres, has already been hit by a shortage of pilots in mid-second quarter of this year, he said. Izham said for the next 10 years, the industry requires a very huge influx of pilots, estimated at 255,000 in Asia Pacific from now until 2035. He said the industry needed to be vigilant of

MAKKAH – 'Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?' The translated verse from the Ar-Rahman chapter illustrates the sincerity and determination of a visually-challenged couple who are among those invited by Allah (the most glorified the most high) (SWT) to the holy land for the pilgrimage this time. Although not perfect like other human beings, the spirit and patience of Abdul Aziz Yusof, 73, and his wife Esah Long, 72, to save money bit by bit was an example that anyone, irrespective of physical condition and financial situation, would be able to become a guest of Allah SWT in the holy land. Residing in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, this blind couple harboured an ambition to perform the haj from a young age and started saving money before registering in March 2009. After making preparations on knowledge and information related to the pilgrimage using the braille writing system, Esah said she and her husband received offer letters to the holy land in Ma

PUTRAJAYA -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said his meeting with transgender activist Nisha Ayub did not mean that he had neither agreed to the struggle and action of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) groups. He said the meeting at the Putrajaya Islamic Complex here was held at Nisha’s request and that he agreed to the meet the activist to get a better understanding on the transgender issues, particularly the role of religious institutions in addressing the matter. “The meeting was more to discuss how to address the discrimination against the community and also solve the problem which involves religious matters, especially when it comes to praying. “No issue on same-sex marriage was raised in yesterday’s meeting,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported. Mujahid said Nisha had stressed that she was no longer an icon for LGBT community but an activist fighting for the rights of the transgenders who were of

BUKIT MERTAJAM --The issue of monopoly over rice by certain private companies will be brought to the Cabinet's attention. Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said she would bring the matter up to Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahudin Ayub for consideration. "Insha-Allah, we will bring it up to the Cabinet and to the attention of the minister (Salahudin) and I know Datuk Salahuddin will certainly consider the issue of monopoly by Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) and others. "We will also give feedback, including from the rice farmers themselves, as well as a coalition representing them known as Padi Rescue, which has long been fighting over this issue," she told reporters after attending a dialogue with farmers at the Penang International Padi Festival at Kampung Terus, Penanti. Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah said it was time for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to understand the issues experienced by the farmers and try its bes

KUALA LUMPUR -- Former premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has questioned the Ministry of Finance (MoF) as to why it had taken three months to discover that there was RM18 billion Goods and Services Tax refunds that had gone “missing”. In a Facebook posting, Najib also questioned Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s claim that the government was unable to refund businesses as it had been “robbed”. “From what I see, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government did not expect the sudden increase in GST claims soon after it has been zero-rated. “The three-month GST tax exemption during which the government no longer received revenue from the tax also meant that the money from the Consolidated Trust Fund which should have been distributed may have been used to finance the government’s monthly expenses,” he said. He said the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Customs) confirmed that the GST collection had not been stolen, “robbed” or channelled to unauthorised accounts, but was deposit