What Opposition meeting? PAS Youth says unaware of Muhyiddin call, but suggests talks lack weight without Islamist party
Free Malaysia Today quoted him suggesting that the party's top leadership may have known about the meeting and expressed support for such engagements to unite the opposition.
'I have no information regarding the meeting. Maybe top leadership is aware of it,' he told reporters after officiating the Kelantan PAS Youth annual general meeting here.
'However, I think it's good to have such a meeting to strengthen the opposition beyond partisan politics. I guess Muhyiddin was playing his role as PN chief.'
Despite that, Afnan said the meeting could have carried more weight if PAS leadership had been present and the Islamist party would likely have joined the meeting if they had been invited.
'I'm not sure of the technicalities behind the meeting, but I feel PAS' presence would have strengthened it,' he reportedly said.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday said he held a meeting with leaders of several opposition parties to discuss forming a coalition focused on national interests.
Muhyiddin said the proposed coalition aims to provide a united opposition front and reinforce the check and balance function in and out of Parliament.
PN component parties Gerakan and Malaysian Indian People's Party were present — but not PAS.
Other parties represented included Muda, Parti Pejuang Tanahair, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), People's Progressive Party, Berjasa, United for the Rights of Malaysians Party (Urimai), and Malaysian Advancement Party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
SMM sues MalaysiaNow for defamation, denies issuing mining licence to politically-linked firm
KOTA KINABALU, July 25 — Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM) has initiated legal proceedings against news portal MalaysiaNow over allegedly false and defamatory reports concerning the politically-linked company Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd. In a statement, SMM accused MalaysiaNow of publishing 'numerous allegations which are false, misleading, and defamatory' regarding the purported awarding of a prospecting licence (PL) to Bumi Suria, a company linked to prominent businessman and former political aide Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak. 'At no point in time did MalaysiaNow seek SMM's clarification prior to the publication. The publications were biased, one-sided, and represent a calculated attempt by MalaysiaNow to defame SMM, its directors, and officers,' SMM stated, adding that it would pursue legal action against any other media outlet that republishes the claims. The lawsuit comes after a series of articles and videos by MalaysiaNow suggesting that SMM had improperly awarded a prospecting licence to Bumi Suria for a 70,000-hectare forest reserve area in Kalabakan and Gunung Rara. SMM rebutted this, reiterating that it has no legal power to issue prospecting or mining licences. It stressed that this authority lies solely with the Sabah Department of Lands and Surveys (JTU) under the Sabah Mining Ordinance 1960. JTU director Datuk Bernard Liew noted this yesterday when saying that no mineral-related licence had ever been issued to Bumi Suria. Instead, SMM clarified that it had only issued a 'Conditional Letter of Permission to Apply for a Prospecting Licence' to Bumi Suria following internal board deliberations, stressing that this document was not an approval or the issuance of any licence. 'However, Bumi Suria did not proceed to formally submit any of the required documents for an application. Consequently, on March 24, 2025, SMM issued an official letter of cancellation of permission to apply to Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd. 'These facts were maliciously omitted by MalaysiaNow,' SMM said. SMM also took issue with the use of a photo of its chief executive officer, Natasha Sim, and her name in connection with an audio recording that they claim does not feature her voice and is not associated with her. 'This deliberate act of misrepresentation is unacceptable and unethical,' it said. The issue has drawn public scrutiny, particularly as SMM has been embroiled in controversy since a series of leaked videos and audio recordings emerged, alleging corrupt practices in the awarding of licences and implicating several Sabahan politicians. Two state assemblymen, Datuk Yusof Yaacob (Sindumin) and Datuk Andy Suryady Bandy (Tanjung Batu), are currently facing corruption charges over the scandal. Farhash, a former aide to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has denied allegations that he owned Bumi Suria and that the company had been awarded a mineral prospecting or exploration licence. While confirming he is a director and shareholder, his lawyers have demanded the articles be removed.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Perikatan deputy chief: PM talks reform, but ‘biased' A-G pick fails the test
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has raised concerns over the appointment of a serving civil servant as Auditor-General. He said the move goes against constitutional norms and undermines the principles of good governance and independence. 'According to Articles 7 and 105 (4) and (5) of the Federal Constitution, the Auditor-General should not be appointed from among those still actively serving in the civil service. While it may not be illegal, it certainly goes against the spirit of independence and accountability,' he said during a press conference in Parliament here today. Hamzah argued that the role demands independence from executive influence and questioned the credibility of the appointment, given that the appointee still reports to senior civil service officers, including the Director-General of Public Services and the Chief Secretary to the Government. He also cited the late Tan Sri Hadenan Jalil's appointment as a proper example, noting that Hadenan had resigned from his civil service post before becoming Auditor-General. 'The prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) talks about governance, but when it comes to implementation, it all falls apart. The people will see this as biased. The individual should have resigned before the appointment to maintain independence,' he said. Hamzah then went on to defend growing calls for a public protest this weekend, saying it reflects the people's frustration over unresolved issues and governance failures. He said several civil society organisations including Bersih, C4, IDEAS, Projek Sama, and others had met with the opposition to voice their dissatisfaction over current national issues. 'They are not happy, and when people are unhappy, it builds momentum. That's why many are planning to take to the streets this Saturday. 'Don't blame us. This is the people's response, they are fed up because so many issues have piled up. When I asked my team what issues we should raise today, they said there are a thousand. If each issue affects a group of a thousand people, that's already a million voices. That's how serious it is,' he said. Hamzah urged the authorities not to prevent or suppress the planned gathering and respect the public's right to express themselves.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Malaysia Seeks Less than 20% Tariff Ahead of Call With Trump
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia is seeking to lower US tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump to less than 20% and is optimistic of reaching a deal ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, according to Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Zafrul Aziz. Trump Awards $1.26 Billion Contract to Build Biggest Immigrant Detention Center in US Why the Federal Reserve's Building Renovation Costs $2.5 Billion The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Salt Lake City Turns Winter Olympic Bid Into Statewide Bond Boom Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will speak with Trump 'when we complete the negotiations,' Zafrul told Bloomberg News. The US president has threatened a 25% levy — separate from sectoral tariffs — unless the Southeast Asian nation reaches an agreement with his administration. 'The direction is to get to as low as possible,' Zafrul told reporters. 'I think we can get to a number which we feel is fair for both parties.' Malaysia isn't ready to close negotiations yet as it is still finalizing details with the US, Zafrul said. The government is seeking to lower tariffs to about 20%, but is reluctant to meet certain demands around electric vehicles and foreign ownership, Bloomberg reported this week, citing people familiar with the matter. So far, Malaysia has made progress addressing US concerns over the smuggling of high-performance semiconductors, but has resisted Washington's demands for an extension of tax breaks on American electric vehicles, a reduction of foreign shareholding limits in the politically-sensitive power and financial sectors, and a cut in subsidies for local fisherman — a major vote bank, the people said. The world's largest economy ran a goods trade deficit with Malaysia of $24.8 billion last year, according to data from the Office of the US Trade Representative. The US was also the biggest foreign investor in the country in 2024. The threat of steeper tariffs has weighed on Malaysia's trade-reliant economy. The nation's central bank cut interest rates this month by a quarter point to preemptively support the economy, warning that 'the balance of risks to the growth outlook remains tilted to the downside.' Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
