
Politics and irony
The "Turun Anwar" rally, as it was called, gathered Malaysians unhappy with the current state of the country under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

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New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MoF: Targeted subsidies for RON95 petrol to be unveiled by end of September
KUALA LUMPUR: The Finance Ministry (MoF) said the detailed implementation plans for targeted subsidies for RON95 petrol will be announced by end of September, in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement on July 23. In a written parliamentary reply, MoF said the government is actively developing and testing the subsidy targeting mechanism to ensure smooth execution upon rollout. "This includes refining data from agencies such as the National Registration Department, Road Transport Department and the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM)," it said. "The government aims to adopt a more comprehensive approach to ensure RON95 subsidies reach the intended target groups." MoF was responding to a question from Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat), who asked for an update on the subsidy retargeting implementation, particularly the front-end and back-end phases announced by the Economy Ministry. According to MoF, once implemented, the retargeted subsidy mechanism will allow eligible Malaysians to enjoy RON95 at RM1.99 per litre through MyKad verification. Non-citizens and those ineligible for the subsidy will pay the unsubsidised market rate. Earlier, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, who has taken over the duties of the economy minister, said the first detailed application of the Central Database Hub (Padu) will be for implementing targeted subsidies for RON95 recipients, pending its full rollout.


Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Changes to 13MP weren't out of nowhere, says ministry
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) and other Cabinet members holding up the 13th Malaysia Plan document outside the Dewan Rakyat last week. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The changes made to the 13th Malaysia Plan following Rafizi Ramli's resignation as economy minister were not sudden, according to the government. The economy ministry said the amendments were instead part of its measures to ensure the 13MP was aligned with the Madani economy's aspirations. 'The changes and amendments made to the 13MP draft were not sudden in nature or outside of our planning. 'The preparation of the 13MP, meant for the next five years, was executed based on necessity following holistic negotiation processes involving all stakeholders,' it said in a written parliamentary reply. The ministry said 'overhauls and revisions' were made throughout the document's preparation to ensure every view and proposal received was taken into account while staying true to the government's main policies. It was replying to Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), who had asked what drastic policy changes necessitated the 13MP being amended at the last minute. Kiandee, a Bersatu vice-president, was referring to the announcement on June 27 that finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan was given the duties of the economy portfolio and tasked with amending and overhauling the 13MP. Amir had said he received 'a lot of feedback' from other ministers which necessitated an overhaul of the 13MP. Rafizi questioned why the 13MP needed to be revamped. However, he later said he was happy that nearly all the major policy reforms he had included were retained in the tabled version of the document.


The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Moscow ready to welcome arrival of Sultan Ibrahim for state visit
MOSCOW: Moscow is ready to welcome the arrival of His Majesty, Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia who will begin his maiden state visit to Russia starting Tuesday (Aug 5) until August 10. Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai said Sultan Ibrahim expressed hope that the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (Aug 6) could open a new chapter in Malaysia-Russia bilateral relations. "His Majesty also expressed hope that the two leaders can hold productive discussions, especially on matters of mutual interest," he told Bernama here. Cheong said Sultan Ibrahim also admired the historical and technological values in Russia, and had even established many interactions with the country in the fields of trade and investment since His Majesty's reign as the Sultan of Johor. "His Majesty also shares the same interests as President Putin, such as horse riding," he said. This visit at the invitation of President Putin is considered historic and meaningful because it is the first state visit by a Malaysian Head of State to Russia since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1967. Two locations for the visit in Moscow, namely the Russian Automotive Technology Development Center (Nami) and the Tochka Kipeniya Technology and Innovation Center, are also ready to welcome Sultan Ibrahim's arrival. "His Majesty will visit Nami to inspect and explore Russian automotive technology, particularly in the field of research and development. "This visit provides an opportunity for His Majesty to see first-hand the advancement of Russian technology given His Majesty's deep interest in the automotive industry," said Cheong. The visit to Tochka Kipeniya, he said, also provides an opportunity for Malaysia to explore innovative Russian solutions in the field of drone and robotics development through artificial intelligence (AI) applications for public use, security, defence, environment, space projects and biodrones. Earlier, Cheong attended a briefing session on the national celebration event at the Kremlin, the location of Sultan Ibrahim's official meeting with President Putin. Also present at the session were the Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Datuk Yubazlan Yusof, Chief of Government Ceremonies, Prime Minister's Department Datuk Rozainor Ramli and the Grand Chamberlain of Istana Negara Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini. Sultan Ibrahim departed from the Royal Malaysian Air Force Air Base in Subang at 8.55am (Malaysian time) and is scheduled to arrive here on Tuesday. After Moscow, His Majesty is scheduled to travel to Kazan from August 8 to 10. Sultan Ibrahim ascended the throne as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 31 2024.- Bernama