Is DAP gunning for non-Muslim armed forces chief, PAS leader asks
Congratulating Johnny Lim on his new post, Zuhdi questioned if DAP is looking to have a non-Muslim lead the armed forces in the future.
'Because DAP made an issue out of the matter, I want to ask...
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New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
US' request gets Malaysian nod for zero rate on nearly 7,000 tariff lines
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia agrees to reduce tariff rates to zero for 6,911 out of 11,260 tariff lines or products requested by the US, representing 61 per cent, as part of reciprocal negotiations with the country. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the move is part of efforts to strengthen market access and promote a more open flow of bilateral trade between the two nations. "This is a systematic and orderly approach to determining Malaysia's final offer to the US. "We have submitted a comprehensive offer covering 98 per cent of all tariff lines, but only agreed to liberalise 61 per cent of them," he said in a media briefing today. Tengku Zafrul also shared several red lines that Malaysia successfully defended during the tariff negotiations with the United States, which led to the 19 per cent tariff rate being announced for Malaysia. He said these included the imposition of excise duties, the removal of import licenses for United States products, liberalisation of equity ownership in strategic sectors, and Bumiputera privileges. "They asked us to eliminate excise duties, which as you know, are imposed on three items: cars, tobacco, and alcohol. "The automotive industry is important to the US, but we also have our own automotive industry, employing 700,000 workers. "We have a national car project and a broad supply chain. In other industries, we do not impose excise duties. "They see this as unfair, but other exporting countries face similar situations. "We have our own policies to ensure we remain competitive. "For now, I think we are not ready to remove these barriers, including equity ownership in strategic sectors, and some of their requests to review laws concerning digital platforms," he added. On matters concerning economic and national security, Tengku Zafrul said several measures have been put in place. He said these include the tightening of the issuance of Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin to address transshipment and false declarations of origin. He also added that the ministry is the sole issuer of the certificate for exports to the United States effective May 6. Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia has also strengthened control on exports of artificial intelligence chips originating from the United States by invoking Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010 under catch-all control provisions. At the same time, he said the country has committed to not imposing any export restrictions on rare earth elements or other critical minerals. Overall, Tengku Zafrul said the government hopes that the announcement of the tariff rates will provide certainty to exporters and industry players. "The ministry also urges industry players to fully leverage Malaysia's 18 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to diversify and expand their export markets," he said.
Focus Malaysia
13 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Ramasamy: The 13MP's presentation is dramatic though it's just an old wine in new bottle
MINUS the showmanship and drama surrounding the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) presented in Parliament, there is nothing extraordinary about this latest development agenda for the next five years (2026-2030). Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim assured Malaysians that the plan would shift from an ethnic-based to a needs-based approach. In this way, he claimed that no Malaysian would be left out of the mainstream of development. However, in practice, the 13MP mirrors previous five-year plans. The Bumiputera community continues to be prioritised, receiving substantial financial assistance to secure their strategic economic participation. Anwar is undoubtedly aware of the political implications of deviating from this entrenched formula. In comparison, the Chinese community was promised the development of their new villages while for the Indian community, the focus was on expanding their participation in skills-based programmes. These gestures appear more tokenistic than transformative. Still drawn along racial lines That the attention paid to the Bumiputera community contrasted with these symbolic offerings to others – including the Orang Asli – belies the rhetoric of inclusivity. Despite its claimed departure from race-based development, the 13MP continues to reinforce the dominant racial hegemonic structure of previous plans. Anwar may extol the virtues of this 'wonderful' plan but beneath the cosmetic changes, it is largely a continuation of the status quo. Whether the plan can be implemented effectively – especially given the rise in foreign debt – remains to be seen. Strikingly, while Anwar was celebrated merely for presenting the plan with chants of 'Kekal Anwar' (Anwar to continue), a major rally just days earlier saw an estimated 200,000 people in Kuala Lumpur demanding his resignation under the slogan 'Turun Anwar' (Anwar to resign). In the run-up to the 13MP's announcement, pro-government social media was abuzz with claims of Anwar's pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. Anwar beamed as though he were ASEAN's chief peacemaker. Yet, this overlooks the likely influence of US pressure – particularly tariff threats – that played a significant role in forcing the two sides to the negotiating table. Even if Anwar did have a minor role in the ceasefire, it raises the question: why has the long-standing conflict in Southern Thailand where Malaysia is the official moderator has remained unresolved? Anwar frequently positions himself as a champion of oppressed Muslims globally yet remains conspicuously silent on the plight of Thai Malay Muslims. – Aug 1, 2025 Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Faceboo
New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- New Straits Times
About 30 DAP MPs visit Umno HQ for TVET briefing by Zahid
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 30 DAP members of parliament made a historic visit to the Umno headquarters at Menara Dato Onn earlier this week, signalling growing maturity and cooperation within the unity government. The MPs were attending a briefing on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also chairs the national TVET Council. Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, in his Facebook post, described the occasion as a first for both parties, marking a significant milestone in post-GE15 political collaboration. "It marked the first time that such a large group of DAP MPs visited Umno's headquarters, a sign of maturity and cooperation within the unity government," Chan said. "The Madani government is not perfect. But we are serious in discharging our responsibilities. We are working to overcome ideological and party differences for the sake of national progress. Nation-building requires unity, not uniformity, and that's the spirit we're committed to," he said. Among the DAP leaders present were party secretary-general Anthony Loke, adviser Lim Guan Eng, and vice-chairman Chong Chieng Jen. The meeting also saw the attendance of Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, reflecting the broad-based support behind the government's TVET reform agenda. Umno's alliance with DAP in the formation of the unity government following the 2022 general election marked a dramatic shift in Malaysia's political dynamics. Once fierce adversaries, the two parties have since taken steps to demonstrate a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation. In June last year, Loke made headlines as the first DAP leader to attend the Umno general assembly alongside Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Several months later, Zahid, Asyraf and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir attended DAP's national convention. The rare show of unity comes amid a series of developments that have further defined the government's agenda in recent weeks. Among them was the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) by Anwar, which sets out a strategic five-year blueprint to elevate Malaysia into a formidable middle power. The plan outlines long-term priorities in economic resilience, innovation and inclusive growth. Separately, Malaysia also secured a revision to a previously imposed 25 per cent US import tariff, bringing it down to 19 per cent. The move is expected to benefit local industries, especially rubber glove and furniture manufacturers, who can now compete on a more level playing field with Asean counterparts. Chan said these achievements demonstrated that the government's consistent, strategic approach was yielding results. "PMX has proven that his strategy works, and it's time we continue to stand behind him," he said.
