BANNING the display of cigarettes and vape products will only add a huge financial burden to the sundry shops, said their association today. The Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations of Malaysia (FSGMAM) said while it understood the governments aim is to discourage smoking and vaping, such measures however will also impose a deeper hole in their pockets.

A DAP ministers aide will be named as the partys candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, report Malaysiakini. The news portal said Pang Sock Tao will be announced as the candidate later tonight.

THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be allowed to investigate his son who was arrested along with five others today, said Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli. They were arrested and remanded for two days for allegedly falsifying claims amounting to RM600,000 over government public works contracts.

FAHMI Fadzil today defended the unity governments stand on freedom of expression, saying that action was only taken against these spreading slander. The communications minister, who is also the government spokesperson, said the government does not act against those who criticized the government.

THE Malaysian Indian Peoples Partys influence in Perikatan Nasional willonly be impactful if the party has the backing of Indian community, said P Ramasamy. Ramasamy, the head of another Indian-based party, Urimai, however, said MIPPsadmission as a PN component party is big improvement over the subordinate status of Indians as associate members previously.

A COMPANY manager who was allegedly involved in the recent shooting at KLIAs Terminal 1 was charged at the Kota Baru sessions court today with seven charges, including the possession of firearms. However, the accused, Hafizul Harawi, 38, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial for all the charges read before judge Nik Habri Muhamad.

AS the repercussions of climate change intensify, so do the disparities in health outcomes. The intersection between the climate crisis and health inequity is often overlooked in climate and health policies and initiatives. However, as climate change magnies natural disasters and resource insecurity, risks to healthcare systems also arise. Climate variability can thus be identied as a key perpetuating factor for health inequality in Malaysia.

AMNESTY Internationals human rights report for 2023 depicts Malaysia in a poor light with the government allegedly failing to fulfill commitments to reform laws restricting the right to freedom of expression. Amnesty International said Malaysia continued to use repressive laws to silence critical voices and prevent peaceful protest.

AS an RA representative, we read with amusement and worrying concern with the current post PJDL mud-slinging between Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung.

PENANG is bracing fora bumper year for tourism after enduring the nightmarish Covid-19 lockdowns that almost drove the industry to the brink of bankruptcy between the years of 2020 and 2022. Now, two years later, Penang is regaining its status as a preferred tourism destination not only for the northern region but the country, state exco for tourism Wong Hon Wai noted.

WHILE the Canadian House of Commons sidesteps the recognition of Palestinian statehood, it pivots, endorsing the roles of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in the fray.

THE KL20 summit is a disappointment and does not offer any benefits to local startups, according to a tech startup innovator. Vidola Titans founder Vishnu Kanth, in a post on LinkedIn, said he did not see any benefits to local startups at the summit.

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation has supported the move by some eateries to shorten operating hours, claiming that late-night meals cause negative effects such as weight gain, sleep disorders and digestive issues. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said limited access to late-night eating will be healthier for Malaysians.

IT is disheartening as well as disturbing to read about the ongoing dispute between the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.

HUMAN rights have remained unchanged in Malaysia since the last Country Reports on Human Rights, according to the US Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau. But unlike in previous years, there were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, and no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities, the agency said.

I WAS amused by a recent report with the heading Maybe my expectations were too high: Tourist left underwhelmed after trying the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore.

WE need to take serious and drastic action against corruption and power abuse, especially amid elections of any kind. Stakeholders must not be allowed offer any form or promise of assistances or benefits to the voters. Strict measures must be taken to gain public trust. If there is a plan to for aid, it should be announced before an election is called or after polling ends.

IN the spirit of Eid Mubarak and muhibbah, many Malay-Muslim families had conducted open houses for relatives, as well as neighbours, colleagues and friends of diverse backgrounds. It was the season to be merry and inclusive, which had also often become the subject matter of corporate advertisements in celebrating the blessed festivity. A few video clips tried to pull the heartstrings of viewers.

THE Malaysian Indian Peoples Party (MIPP) has indicated that it would back any Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate for the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election and would not demand the seat for itself. Its presidentPunithan Paramsiven said that the party may opt to not make its electoral debut in this by-election.

RESIDENTS of rumah panjang PJS 1 in Petaling Jaya are growing frustrated with the lack of action by the local authorities in mitigating floods as well as keeping the area clean. They have been experiencing flooding problems for several years now, largely caused by the alleged ineffectiveness of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

PICTURE this: were nestled in our favorite niche cafes, sipping on single-origin coffee, convinced that shunning some big-name brands is a revolutionary act. Its high time we wake up from this comfortable delusion. If you think abstaining from your daily corporate coffee fix is a major geopolitical statement, youre merely scratching the surface while patting yourself on the back. The seductive mirage of boycotts

PUTRAJAYAS decision to scrap the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway project should be final with no turning back by the government, the Coalition Against PJD Link said. Coalition leader Sheikh Moqhtar Kadir said the decision to scrap the project must be announced by the works minister (Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi) and endorsed in parliament.

INVESTMENT, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has written to the high court seeking its permission to file an affidavit to correct factual errors in another affidavit linked to Najib Razaks bid for house arrest. According to reports in the New Straits Times, Tengku Zafrul sent the letter via law firm Cecil Abraham & Partners to judge Amarjeet Singhs office.

PERIKATAN Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has no moral standing to make statements regarding the countrys current affairs, PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said. Fahmi said Muhyiddin has failed to aid the authorities in urging his son-in-law, Muhammad Adlan Berhan, to return and face criminal charges.

ENVIRONMENTAL activists have warned that Petronas new oil and gas exploration project at the Langkasuka basin, near Penang, is a threat to marine biodiversity, the livelihoods of fishing communities, and tourism. Greenpeace and Rimba Watch, in a joint statement today, said the project is also inconsistent with climate science and detracts from Malaysias mitigation responsibilities.

MALAYSIA is one of the worst offenders in plastic waste mismanagement, with each person in the country guilty of mismanaging 25.49kg per year, research conducted by Utility Bidder showed. This places Malaysia at 10th spot in the Plastic Polluters report , which profiles countries with the most mismanaged waste.

IMAGINE having ubi kayu instead of rice in your nasi lemak breakfast, which seemed to be what Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul was suggesting when he said to replace the grain with tapioca until the local rice shortage problem is resolved. The suggestion immediately drew the criticism that the government was running out of ideas to overcome the problem.

DIGITAL finance refers to the use of digital technologies to deliver financial services such as mobile banking, electronic payment systems and online platforms. The three biggest areas in the finance industry that have experienced the biggest digitalisation are the payment industry system, the lending system and the e-wallet systems, which make up more than half of the fintech companies in Malaysia.

UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidis affidavit confirming the existence of a royal order forNajib Razak to serve house arrest is aimed at strengthening partysupport,analysts said. They said the move would quash talkthat the party president had forgotten his promise to freeNajib from jail. It would also allay rumours that Zahid was against Najib, who still wields considerable influence in the party.

ANY decision made in the Pardons Board on matters relating to jailed Najib Razak is final, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today. He said Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the final say as the Pardons Board chair, and that the federal government will not question the authority of the king.

PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was given an undertaking by MIC president SA Vigneswaran that the party will help campaign for Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the May 11 Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election. This despite earlier reports that MIC will not be campaigning to help anyone apart from any Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate.

PKR is bound by policy, secrecy and administrative rules of the government which curtail the party from being bold, said deputy president Rafizi Ramli. He said that the partys leaders were in the government and they could not be as vocal as they were while in the opposition.

PKR should not be boasting about implementing any reforms while in power as it had failed to do so, said former DAP leader P Ramasamy. He said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail should not lecture about the party converting its reforms to government policies.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today said the partys success should not be gauged by the number of its elected representatives but how it had translated its reformasi struggles into government policies. Speaking at the PKR convention in conjunction with the partys 25th anniversary celebration in Shah Alam, Saifuddin said success must also be reflected in programmes for the benefit of the people.

PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) is hoping that supporters of MCA and MIC will switch their support to its candidate in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election following the decision of the two parties to boycott the polls, said Selangor PN secretary Dr Afif Bahardin. We hope the traditional MCA and MIC voters will shift their support to PN, he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times today.

THE upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election will be a litmus test for the unity government on whether they have managed to retain the support of Indian voters and will enjoy a swing in support among Malay voters, said Sivarraajh Chandran. The former MIC Youth chief said it would be interesting to see how the voters would cast their ballots on May 11.

BARISAN Nasional (BN) component parties have been told to assist the candidate representing the unity government in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Bharu state by-election. In making the call, BN deputy chairman, Mohamad Hasan also fondly known as Mat Hasan, said the BN respected the system where the incumbent party would be given the priority to contest.

TRIBUTES flowed today for former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar, the countrys longest-serving top cop, who died today. Royalty, politicians and other well-wishers heaped praise on the 85-year-old for his dedicated service to the country.

LACK of information, an inconvenient system, and data fraud fear are amongthe reasonsMalaysians have declined to register on the Padu central database hub. People who spoke to The Vibes said it was difficult to register because the system was not user-friendly.

HANIF Omar had an illustrious career as Malaysias top cop, one that began with the assassination of his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim. Catapulted to the position of inspector-general police at the young age of 35 by such violent circumstances, Hanif was to lead the force through some of the countrys most trying times.