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MAKKAH – Imam Besar dua masjid agung di Makkah dan Madinah, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais memaklumkan kerajaan Arab Saudi telah menyediakan terjemahan khutbah Arafah dalam lima bahasa bagi membolehkan jemaah haji serta umat Islam di seluruh dunia mendengar secara langsung terjemahan khutbah itu. Sheikh Abdul Rahman berkata kemudahan  itu akan dilancarkan menerusi frekuensi radio khas dalam lima bahasa yang diterima pakai iaitu Melayu, Urdu, Parsi, Perancis dan Inggeris. Sheikh Abdul Rahman sendiri dijangka menyampaikan khutbah Arafah pada musim Haji tahun ini dalam bahasa Arab. "Terjemahan dalam bahasa Melayu dibuat bagi manfaat orang Melayu, yang merupakan  sebahagian besar kumpulan jemaah dari Asia Tenggara, kebanyakan mereka adalah Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah, dan fahaman ini  berkembang ke negara lain termasuk Thailand, Filipina, ...

KUALA LUMPUR -- Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on Monday apologised for labelling certain youth associations as 'macai politik' or political minions. Syed Saddiq pointed out that the remark was only directed at associations that openly supported political parties, especially during the campaign period for the 14th General Election (GE14). "I'm sorry for 'stereotyping' this issue, it's not right for all youths and associations to be called 'macai'. It (the label 'macai politik') should only be directed to the leaders of youth associations who have given open 'endorsements' to Barisan Nasional (BN) and who at the same time issued statements like without BN or UMNO Youth, the associations would be non-existent. "I would like to emphasise that under the new leadership of the ministry, associations do not have to openly support the government, and I'd prefer if they genuinely criticised the gov...

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government will make a decision on abolishing toll collection when the country's economy has stabilised, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Works Minister Baru Bian said the move on toll abolition would cause the government to pay compensation estimated at RM400 billion to toll concession companies. “The government is working hard to fulfil the pledges found in PH’s GE14 book including the proposal to abolish toll.  “Nonetheless, the government acknowledged that it would not be easy to implement it due to the current financial constraint and we have to postpone the proposal (toll abolition) until the country’s economy is on stronger footing,” he said. Baru was replying a question by Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) who wanted the minister to state the latest list of tolls to be abolished to lighten the burden of the people and the projection of its implement...

PUTRAJAYA --  Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday he does not interfere in the internal affairs of other political parties.  He responded thus when asked to comment on a PKR lawmaker's claim that Dr Mahathir and Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) chief Tun Daim Zainuddin were trying to stop newly-elected PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from becoming prime minister. "That is a nice allegation. That person should prove a bit. I have never been talking to anybody else about this thing. I stay away. I have no business in the internal affairs of other parties," Dr Mahathir told reporters after chairing the third meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption here. Kapar MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid reportedly claimed that Anwar would face problems taking over the premiership from Dr Mahathir if Rafizi Ramli was unsuccessful in unseating Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali as PKR deputy president in the upcoming p...

KUALA LUMPUR – The shortfall in Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds actually totalled RM19.248 billion as at May 31 this year and not the RM17.911 billion he stated last week, says Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. Lim had earlier reported that the previous administration had failed to pay input tax refunds within two weeks after submission of proper documents. He said verified records of the Royal Malaysia Customs Department show that GST refunds stood at RM19.2 billion as at May 31 this year. “Of this RM19.2 billion, RM9.2 billion was from 2018, RM6.8 billion from 2017, RM2.8 billion from 2016 and RM0.6 billion from 2015,” he said in his speech at the Dewan Rakyat. Lim attributed the shortfall in funds approved for GST refunds to weak cash flow by the previous federal government brought about by poor fiscal discipline, widespread wastage and widening debts. “What the previous administration actually did was t...

KUALA LUMPUR -- Fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low should be held accountable if it is proven that he had obtained the superyacht Equanimity through illegal means, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. “If it was done illegally, if the yacht was paid for in an illegal manner, in a sense that money that is not due to him (Jho Low) as alleged, then he has to be accountable for it,” he said. However, whatever was done or needed to be done relating to the yacht should be done on the basis of the rule of law, he said to reporters at the Parliament lobby, Bernama reported. When asked about Jho Low’s claims that the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) had not proven its claim that the Equanimity was bought through illegal means, Najib replied that it was up to Jho Low to comment. “It’s up to him because we are not involved at all with respect to the yacht,” he said. Prime Minister Tun Dr Maha...

KUALA LUMPUR -- The High Court has postponed to Oct 29 for decision on a judicial review application by a Christian woman for rights to keep in her possession eight compact discs (CDs) containing the word “Allah”. Lawyer Lim Heng Seng, representing Jill Ireland, informed reporters on the date after management of the case which was held in chambers before judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin today, which was also attended by senior federal counsel  Shamsul Bolhassan. The court had fixed today for the decision after both parties completed their submission on the matter on Nov 15 last year. Ireland, a Melanau clerk from Sarawak, filed the judicial review application on Aug 20, 2008 for the return of the eight CDs which were seized from her on May 11, 2008, upon her arrival at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang The CDs were with the title “Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah”, “Hidup Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah” and “Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah”. On Jul...

KUALA LUMPUR -- The government has decided to abolish the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) and the National Civics Bureau (BTN) with immediate effect, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said. He said the decision was made last week at the meeting of the Cabinet which found that PLKN and BTN had been misused for the purpose of the indoctrination of certain beliefs. PLKN and BTN would be replaced with new programmes that would focus on shaping visionary youths. “For the moment, all PLKN and BTN officers and assets will be placed under the jurisdiction of the Youth and Sports Ministry before the new programmes are introduced. “An engagement with all stakeholders involved will be set. We will also meet with Khazanah (Nasional  Berhad) to forge collaboration in drawing up these programmes,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby. On another matter, Syed Saddiq said the 1Malaysia for Youth (iM4U) ...

PUTRAJAYA — Rakyat Malaysia perlu mencontohi semangat patriotisme seperti yang dimiliki rakyat Jepun dengan menyokong membeli produk tempatan sehingga dikenali dunia sebagai produk berkualiti, kata Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Berucap pada Perhimpunan Bulanan Jabatan Perdana Menteri di sini hari ini, beliau berkata rakyat Jepun bertindak membantu apa juga industri negara mereka termasuk industri automotif kerana mempunyai  semangat patriotisme secara praktikal. Pada permulaan Jepun menceburi bidang automotif, keluarannya tidak begitu tinggi mutunya namun sokongan rakyatnya yang patriotik menyebabkan industri itu dapat diperbaiki lagi. "Dalam pembuatan kereta mereka semakin lama semakin maju sehingga hari ini sampai ke tahap dikenali dunia sebagai negara yang keluarannya bermutu tinggi. Inilah hasil pengorbanan mereka (ra...

KOTA BHARU -- Banyak tuntutan yang dikemukakan oleh masyarakat Orang Asli yang mengadakan sekatan pembalakan di Gua Musang tidak munasabah, kata Timbalan Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah. Mohd Amar berkata antaranya termasuklah setiap keluarga diberikan tanah seluas 20 hektar dan kawasan tempat mereka mencari makan dijadikan sebagai kawasan rayau. "Jika setiap keluarga menuntut tanah seluas 20 hektar maka kerajaan negeri perlu sediakan 80,937 hektar. Jika begitu bagaimana kerajaan negeri nak memperoleh hasil," katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di Kompleks Kota Darul Naim di sini, lapor Bernama. Jumaat lepas, 220 masyarakat Orang Asli diketuai Pengerusi Jaringan Kampung Wilayah Tanah Adat Pos Simpor (Jaringan) Nur Mohd Shafiq Dendi Abdullah menyerahkan memorandum kepada Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berhubung masalah pencorobohan tanah di kawasan mereka. Mengulas lanjut, Mohd Amar berkata Jaringan merupakan sebuah badan yang tidak berdaftar ...

ALOR SETAR -- The police have arrested a babysitter after a woman lodged a report claiming that her 10-month-old infant daughter was abused last Saturday in Kuala Kedah. The 40-year-old babysitter was picked up at about 4 pm yesterday after the 31-year-old mother made the report at the Langgar police station in the morning, said Kota Setar District Police chief ACP Mohd Rozi Jidin. The mother told Bernama that she lodged the report after the doctor at a private clinic informed her that the bruises on her daughter’s cheeks were the result of abuse and not an allergy caused by a lotion that the babysitter had applied on the baby. She said that when she went to fetch her daughter at 9.30 pm on Saturday, the babysitter informed her that the child was bitten by mosquitoes and she had applied a lotion all over the baby’s body. As the lighting at the babysitter’s house was dim, the mother said, she did not notice anything unusual until the next morning when she spotted the bru...

KUALA LUMPUR -- Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani mengulangi jaminan bahawa kerajaan tidak akan menghentikan elaun sara hidup nelayan, kata Menterinya, Datuk Salahuddin Ayub. Beliau berkata selain elaun berkenaan, insentif seperti subsidi diesel yang diberikan kepada golongan itu sejak 2008 juga akan diteruskan. "Saya mahu YB (Tangga Batu) dengar kenyataan dari kementerian saya sahaja, jangan dengar cakap-cakap pihak lain, jaminan yang diberikan oleh kerajaan ialah tidak sekali-kali sebarang elaun dihentikan dan insentif yang termaktub sejak 2008 akan dipastikan diterima golongan nelayan," katanya pada sesi soal jawab Persidangan Dewan Rakyat. Beliau menjawab soalan tambahan Rusnah Aluai (PH-Tangga Batu) yang mahu menteri menyatakan  adakah benar ada cadangan kerajaan akan menghentikan insentif kepada nelayan termasuk elaun, subsidi diesel dan insentif 10 sen hingga 20 sen bagi setiap hasil ta...

ALOR SETAR -- Sultan Kedah Sultan Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah pada Isnin mahu agar unsur-unsur tradisi dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan 1957 tidak diusik bagi memastikan keharmonian dan keamanan dapat dikekalkan. Baginda bertitah ia termasuklah kewujudan institusi diraja, kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu dan Islam sebagai agama rasmi. "Beta perhatikan sejak akhir-akhir ini wujud kecenderungan untuk mengganggu gugat perpaduan kita. Isu nostalgia bangsa, sensitiviti kaum, agama dan kepercayaan ditimbulkan secara sengaja," titah baginda ketika merasmikan Mesyuarat Kedua Penggal Pertama Sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri Kedah hari ini. Baginda bertitah walaupun dilakukan atas dasar liberalisme, keterbukaan serta kebebasan bersuara, namun perlembagaan sedia ada perlulah dihormati dan diberi keutamaan. "Permuafakatan telah pun dimeterai kemas dan kemudian telah membe...

PUTRAJAYA -- A rich country is one where its people have high purchasing power, not just high salary rate or wage, said Malaysia's Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He said even with a salary increase of up 10 or 25 per cent, if would not bring any good if the increase brought along rising cost of living. "The salary is more, but the capability to buy is the same like before,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Department’s monthly assembly here Monday. Citing a neighbouring country as an example, Dr Mahathir said although the country had high salary or wage rate, it was not a rich country. "What’s the use of becoming a millionaire, if  we can only afford to buy along the streets,” he said. However, Dr Mahathir said the people’s purchasing power also depended on productivity which should increase in tandem with income and wage. He said if productivity was low or still at the same level, despite an increase in salary, the living co...

BUKIT MERTAJAM -- Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Sunday expressed his sadness for the people when he entered and saw and the luxury yacht, the Equanimity allegedly owned by controversial businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low. Lim said even though the ship was very luxurious and beautiful, he felt sad upon remembering the plight of the people. “Yesterday I accompanied Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir to look at the ship, it was like a dream...but we were also sad as this was all from the people's money which we could better use for the people.      “That is why we encourage organisations such as One Hope Charity to carry out more welfare programmes as the government is facing financial constraints,” he said, Bernama reported. He said the government was in the process of studying tax exemption for certain active associations and  non-governmental organisations to carrying out welfare programmes. "The study is on the possibility of givi...

KUALA LUMPUR – The National Day celebration following the 14th general election (GE14) in May which saw the establishment of the new Pakatan Harapan government, gives Malaysians new hopes and aspirations, said academicians and political analysts.    They opined the spirit of the people's victory should not stop at that and they should be the guiding force to monitor the effectiveness of policies and structure of the new government to realise the people's aspirations and to strengthen unity among the people towards a more prosperous Malaysia. Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Communication and Media Studies Faculty lecturer, Ahmad Farami  Abdul Karim said the message Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave at the launch of the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign on Sunday, among others referred to a change in liberating the people fro...