Anwar chairs Chief Ministers' meeting to boost cooperation
During the meeting, he stressed the importance of close cooperation between the Federal and State Governments.
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The Star
12 minutes ago
- The Star
China steps in as US pulls back from diplomacy, report says
FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bidding farewell to President of China Xi Jinping at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in April, 2025. In South-East Asia, Xi's recent trip yielded an agreement in Vietnam for railroad connections, 37 cooperation agreements in Cambodia in sectors including energy, education and infrastructure and technical and manufacturing exchanges in Malaysia. - Photo courtesy of Anwar's Facebook page WASHINGTON: China is increasing its diplomatic reach as President Donald Trump's administration pares back America's international presence, Democrats from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a report released on Monday (July 14). The report, the result of months of staff travel and research, was released as the Trump administration makes deep cuts to the State Department, including beginning on Friday to fire more than 1,350 US-based employees, part of a total reduction of nearly 3,000 people for the US-based workforce. The administration has also cut billions of dollars in foreign aid, effectively shutting down the US Agency for International Development, which funded the majority of US humanitarian and development assistance worldwide. That led to the firing of thousands of its employees and contractors and the slashing of more than 80 per cent of its programmes. Critics said the cuts would undermine Washington's ability to defend and promote US interests abroad. Research published in The Lancet medical journal said the cuts to USAID and its dismantling could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. "Within days of the Trump administration taking office and starting to roll back our commitments around the world, China was already labeling the United States an unreliable partner," Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top committee Democrat, told reporters on a conference call about the report. "At a time when we're retreating, they are expanding their footprint," she said. The Trump administration says its changes help align foreign policy with Trump's "America First" agenda, and are part of a push to shrink the federal bureaucracy and cut what Trump officials say has been wasteful spending. Trump has said the US pays disproportionately for foreign aid and he wants other countries to shoulder more of the burden. The Democrats' 91-page report listed ways, from broadcasting to health programmes and development efforts, that committee researchers said China is expanding its influence. It lists dozens of cases in which the committee researchers found that China had stepped in as the US eliminated or cut back international programmes, from funding vaccines and providing food to infrastructure development. For example, in Africa, as the US terminated food assistance programmes, China in March donated US$2 million in rice to Uganda. In May, after the US terminated a US$37 million HIV/AIDS grant in Zambia, China said it would help the African nation fight HIV/AIDS, including by donating 500,000 rapid HIV testing kits and planning more meetings to discuss its continued partnership on the issue. In South-East Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on a tour to meet with leaders in Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia, the report said. The trip yielded an agreement in Vietnam for railroad connections, 37 cooperation agreements in Cambodia in sectors including energy, education and infrastructure and technical and manufacturing exchanges in Malaysia. And in Latin America, China in May hosted the "China-Latin American and the Caribbean Forum" and announced it would provide a US$9 billion credit line and additional infrastructure investments for the region. - Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Forming Pakatan Harapan was once ‘mission impossible', says Nik Nazmi
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's imprisonment in 2015 forced the party to take a major political gamble and help form a new coalition. PETALING JAYA : The formation of Pakatan Harapan (PH) was once seen as 'mission impossible', former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said, recalling the political uncertainty that gripped the party following the imprisonment of its president Anwar Ibrahim. Speaking about the events leading up to the 2018 general election, Nik Nazmi said many in PKR believed that the party had little chance of surviving without its long-time ally PAS. 'People said you could kiss GE14 goodbye because we couldn't win without PAS, as we didn't have the Malay votes at the time,' he said in the latest episode of the Lebih Masa podcast. Anwar was jailed in 2015 after being sentenced to five years in prison on sodomy charges. Nik Nazmi said the situation forced PKR to take a major political gamble and help form a new coalition from the ground up. From 2008 to 2015, PKR was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which included DAP and PAS. The coalition later dissolved due to internal conflicts between DAP and PAS. 'Our situation with PAS became untenable. We had to manoeuvre for the party to stand on its own, and then form PH,' Nik Nazmi said. PH eventually brought together PKR, DAP, Amanah, and later Bersatu. Despite doubts about its viability, the coalition won the 2018 general election, ending Barisan Nasional's six-decade rule. In February 2020, Bersatu left the coalition as part of what was known as the Sheraton Move. Nik Nazmi, who served as natural resources and environmental sustainability minister until his resignation in June, also reflected on his time in government. He said one of his key achievements was drafting the climate change bill, which was presented to the Cabinet. 'It's a game changer,' he said, adding that his successor should continue pushing the legislation forward. The role of the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister is currently being filled by plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani. The climate change bill, aimed at strengthening Malaysia's long-term climate response, is expected to be tabled in Parliament next month.
Focus Malaysia
an hour ago
- Focus Malaysia
Are Malaysians to brace for another ‘rude shock' after PMX unveils 'one extraordinary appreciation' underway?
MAN-ON-THE-STREET Malaysians are seemingly busy second-guessing what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has up his sleeve following his latest Facebook revelation of 'COMING: One extraordinary appreciation for Malaysians'. This prompted one commenter to state 'am impatient to know what new tax next', alluding to the latest revised and expanded Sales Tax and Service Tax (SST) which came into effect on July 1. Some wonder who is the character in PMX's meme with one commenter positing 'new Marvel hero, Cukaiman' while anther wondered whether it is 'Pokémon or Cukaimon'. Another commenter speculated that the surprise could well be in the form of: Financial assistance , perhaps in the form of additional cash assistance or public incentives; , perhaps in the form of additional cash assistance or public incentives; Economic announcements such as tax cuts, subsidies, or housing initiatives; such as tax cuts, subsidies, or housing initiatives; National recognition such as special National Day programmes or recognition for certain groups; such as special National Day programmes or recognition for certain groups; Launch of new programmes related to education, health or employment. Some cheeky commenters went to the extent of thinking the unthinkable – 'PMX is resigning'! On a serious note, the rolling out of goodies could have stemmed from the back-to-back close-door meeting that PMX had with ministers and Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs at the Seri Perdana Complex in Putrajaya yesterday (July 14). Recall that PMX had a similar meeting with Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs on Friday (July 11). On the following day, he revealed that discussion during the meeting centred on matters related to taxation, rumours about RON95 petrol subsidies and the judiciary. Anid the current state of mounting trust deficit on PMX and his Madani machinery, it is vital that efforts are doubled to win back the trust of many disgruntled PH loyalists whose number has quadrupled following the undesirable outcome from the May 23 PKR central leadership polls. – July 15, 2025
