Rafizi slams PAS' flip-flops on judiciary RCI, calls it absurd
In a Facebook post today, Rafizi accused the party of flip-flopping three times within a week, depending on political expediency...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Russia cracks down on Internet searches and VPNs with new fines
Individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles, according to amendments published on the State Duma's website. — Pixabay Russia's State Duma approved new fines for searching for content considered "extremist' and virtual private network providers that enable access to that material as authorities deepen a long-running crackdown on the Internet. Individuals found to be deliberately searching for prohibited content online, including through the use of a VPN, will face fines of as much as 5,000 rubles (US$64), according to amendments published on the State Duma's website. VPN providers that enable access to such resources, fail to cooperate with Russian regulators, or advertise the use of VPNs could be fined as much as 500,000 rubles, with even higher penalties for repeat violations. The changes will take effect in September if President Vladimir Putin signs them into law, marking a shift under which Russians could face penalties for merely accessing content rather than creating or promoting it. The Russian government defines what counts as "extremist' under law by adding entities to a list. A Moscow court in 2022 banned Meta Platforms Inc and its Facebook and Instagram services, and placed the parent company on the list of extremist organisations. That list has more than 100 organisations on it now. Authorities have also outlawed multiple human rights organisations, and several songs with lyrics that criticise the government or war on Ukraine. Russia has already banned or throttled access to many popular social media platforms, including YouTube and Discord, as well as independent news outlets. Russia blocked nearly 800,000 web pages in 2024 alone, 19% more than in the previous year, Interfax reported citing the country's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor. The use of VPNs currently isn't prohibited in Russia, though it's illegal to use such software to access outlawed or blocked content, and many popular services have been blacklisted. In an unusual step, prominent Kremlin allies criticized aspects of the legal changes. The editor-in-chief of the state-funded broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, questioned how she could conduct investigations if accessing materials was prohibited. "I hope there will be amendments,' she said in a statement on Telegram late Wednesday. Others questioned the ease with which someone could unknowingly fall afoul of the new regulations. President Vladimir Putin also signed a law in June to create a state-run messaging application, designed to integrate government services, similar to Chinese WeChat. That's expected to compete with Telegram and WhatsApp, which are currently Russia's most popular messengers. – Bloomberg
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Judicial reforms must not end just because new Chief Justice named, PKR MPs led by Rafizi tells govt
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Several PKR MPs have reminded the government today that the need to strengthen the judicial appointment process continues, despite the finalised top judicial appointments yesterday. In a statement, they said the recent leadership crisis in the judiciary must not recur, and called for the immediate appointment of judges to fill 31 vacancies to avoid disruptions in judicial administration. 'The recent leadership crisis in the judiciary highlights the need for reforms to strengthen the judicial appointment process, to prevent similar issues from recurring. 'We urge the administration of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim not to consider this matter fully resolved until improvements to the judicial appointment process are presented to the public and implemented.' said the nine MPs led by former PKR deputy president Datuk Rafizi Ramli. They noted that reactions to Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh's appointment as the Chief Justice has been mixed, pointing to his background as a former Umno leader and the perception that he is a more junior judge. However, they hoped that Wan Ahmad Farid will accept criticisms to guide and motivate him to defend the independence of the judiciary, to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. They stressed that appointments must be based on merit and seniority, in line with the Federal Constitution and the Judicial Appointments Committee (JAC) Act — warning against any interference aimed at orchestrating or influencing judicial appointments. The group also urged follow-up action on unresolved issues raised in Judicial Appointments Commission meetings, including allegations of attempts to influence court decisions. Proposals raised included limiting the Prime Minister's rejection powers, automatic JAC appointments from legal fraternities, and involving Parliament in confirming nominations. Besides Pandan MP Rafizi, the statement was jointly signed by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa), Wong Chen (Subang), Rodziah Ismail (Ampang), Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju), Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang), S. Kesavan (Sungai Siput), and Onn Abu Bakar (Batu Pahat). Court of Appeal Judge Wan Ahmad Farid will be sworn in as the country's 17th Chief Justice on July 28, succeeding Tengku Maimun, who retired on July 2. Datuk Abu Bakar Jais has been appointed as the new president of the Court of Appeal, while Datuk Azizah Nawawi has been appointed Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Rafizi, Nik Nazmi moved to backbench after cabinet exit
KUALA LUMPUR: The seating positions of Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in the Dewan Rakyat have been changed ahead of the Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament, which begins onMonday, following their resignations from cabinet. According to the updated seating chart released by the Dewan Rakyat on July 15, Rafizi — the former Economy Minister — has been relocated to Block D, where government backbenchers are seated. He was previously positioned in the front row of Block B, alongside Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who sits in Block A. Blocks A and B are reserved for ministers and deputy ministers in the unity government. Rafizi lost his bid to retain the PKR deputy presidency during the party's central leadership election on May 23, losing in a one-on-one contest to former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar. He subsequently resigned as Economy Minister, with his resignation taking effect on June 17. Nik Nazmi, who similarly stepped down as Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, effective July 4, has also been moved from Block B to Block D, next to Rafizi. Their departure from cabinet has prompted adjustments to the seating arrangements for several other ministers and deputy ministers within Blocks A and B. The Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament will run for 24 days, from July 21 to Aug 28.
