PM: Thailand, Cambodia chose M'sia as mediator due to political stability, economy
He also said that as a friendly country, Malaysia was proud to be able to help resolve the conflict between the two Asian countries, thus ensuring the region remains peaceful and stable...
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The Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Sun
KLIA Aerotrain breaks down again after RM456mil upgrade
THE country's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) faces fresh embarrassment as its newly upgraded aerotrain experienced its second malfunction since resuming operations on July 1, leaving travelers stranded and questioning the effectiveness of the RM456 million renovation project. Social media user @afiqmukhtar highlighted the incident on X (formerly Twitter), sharing images of frustrated passengers walking toward airport exits after the aerotrain failed to transport them between Terminal 1's Main Terminal and Satellite Building. The disgruntled passenger tagged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in his post, expressing anger over the system's repeated failures despite the massive financial investment. According to China Press, a passenger said that shuttle bus services were deployed to transport passengers during the disruption. The passenger identified only as Zhang mentioned being en route to Hong Kong when the unexpected breakdown occurred. At the of writing MAHB has yet to issue any response to the latest incident. This marks the second major disruption since the aerotrain's highly anticipated return to service, with the first breakdown occurring just one day after the July 1 relaunch. The initial malfunction was initially attributed to a passenger allegedly holding doors open, causing the system to jam. However, MAHB later clarified that water accumulation in the tunnel due to heavy rainfall was the actual cause, necessitating manual clearing operations and safety inspections before services could resume. The aerotrain system, which had been KLIA's primary internal transport link since 1998, was out of service from early 2023, forcing passengers to rely on shuttle buses for connectivity between the main terminal and satellite building used primarily for international flights. The recurring technical issues have raised serious questions about the upgrade project's execution and the system's long-term reliability, particularly given the substantial public investment involved.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Opposition praises Anwar's role in Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire efforts
KUALA LUMPUR: The opposition has praised Malaysia and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for brokering a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said Perikatan Nasional welcomed Malaysia's efforts to promote regional stability, particularly in resolving the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict. He described Anwar's role as host in the mediation efforts as historically significant. "I extend my congratulations. What is important is that Malaysia remains a respected sovereign nation and continues to be highly regarded as a competitive balancing power in the Southeast Asian region," he said. Hamzah also urged Malaysia to remain steadfast in advocating for global peace and to take a firm stand against all forms of cruelty and oppression. He added that geopolitical instability has both direct and indirect implications for the country, and reminded cabinet members to ensure their public statements are composed, structured and measured. Tensions between the two Asean member states escalated on May 28, following a clash between troops in the Preah Vihear area, reigniting a long-standing dispute over their 817km shared border. The fighting led to 15 deaths and displaced more than 100,000 people. On July 28, Malaysia, as the Asean chair, hosted a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur involving Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The meeting produced an encouraging outcome, as Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Asian markets fluctuate as traders weigh tariffs, US jobs
HONG KONG: Asian markets flitted between gains and losses Monday (Aug 4) as investors continued to digest last week's tariff blitz by Donald Trump and a US jobs report that fanned fears about the world's top economy. News on Friday that dozens of countries would be hit with levies ranging from 10 to 41 per cent sent shivers through exchanges amid concern about the impact on global trade. With the date of implementation pushed back to Thursday, focus will be on talks between Washington and other capitals on paring some of the tolls back. The pain was compounded later by figures showing the US economy created just 73,000 jobs in July - against 104,000 forecast - while unemployment rose to 4.2 per cent from 4.1 per cent. Job gains from June and May were also revised down by nearly 260,000. The figures stoked concerns that Trump's tariffs are beginning to bite, with inflation also seen pushing back towards three per cent. The reading also saw the president fire the commissioner of labour statistics, accusing her of manipulating employment data for political reasons. Bets on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates at its September meeting shot up following the jobs numbers, with some analysts predicting it will go for a 50-basis-point reduction, rather than the regular 25 points. Yields on US Treasury bonds fell sharply as investors priced in the cuts. Investors will now be keenly awaiting every utterance from Fed boss Jerome Powell leading up to the next policy meeting, not least because of the pressure Trump has put on him to lower rates. Observers said news that governor Adriani Kugler will step down from the bank six months early will give the president a chance to increase his influence on decision-making. "Fed credibility, and the veracity of the statistics on which they base their policy decisions, are both now under the spotlight," said National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill. "Fed officials, such as New York President John Williams speaking after the data, profess to be open minded about the September Fed meeting, but Mr Market has already decided they are cutting -- ending Friday 88 per cent priced for a 25-basis-points rate reduction." Still, Asian investors tried to get back on the horse after Friday's selloff, with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Seoul up, while Tokyo, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were all down. The performance was better than New York, where the S&P 500 and Dow each lost more than one percent and the Nasdaq more than two per cent -- with some also questioning whether a recent rally to multiple records has gone too far. The dollar edged up but held most of its losses against its peers after tanking on the jobs report. And oil extended Friday's losses of almost three per cent, which came after OPEC and other key producers agreed another output hike, fanning oversupply fears owing to the effects of Trump's tariffs and signs of a weakening economy. - AFP
