PM Anwar to make special appreciation announcement for Malaysians tomorrow
This was announced by Communication Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil on Facebook on Tuesday (July 22).
The announcement comes after Anwar said in Penang on July 19 that he would be making an 'extraordinary tribute' announcement to Malaysians in the upcoming week.
'I need a little more time to make the announcement, to allow my team under the Finance Ministry to prepare the 'surprise' in greater detail to ensure it is comprehensive.
'The country is currently facing an increase in the cost of living, but it is not only happening in Malaysia but around the world. It is a worldwide problem.
'We want to increase salaries and allowances for public servants by RM10bil this year, and next year by an additional RM18bil. We want to do the same with the STR (Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah) by RM13bil, making it RM23bil,' he said during his speech at the Madani Bumiputera Tunas Master Plan and the JKPSB Housing Project at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Campus in Permatang Pauh on Saturday (July 19).
Anwar said he is seeking ways and efforts that can be implemented.
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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ceasefire takes effect between Thailand and Cambodia after five-day border battle
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Civilians, displaced amidst clashes, gather at a makeshift camp in the Oddar Meanchey province, northwest of Cambodia, on July 26. BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH - A ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand came into effect at midnight on July 28, hours after they agreed to halt their deadliest conflict in more than a decade following five days of intense fighting that displaced over 300,000 people. After efforts by Malaysia, chair of the Asean regional bloc, the United States and China to bring both sides to the table, the two countries' leaders agreed during talks in Putrajaya to end hostilities, resume direct communications and create a mechanism to implement the ceasefire. 'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier told a press conference, flanked by the Thai and Cambodian leaders, following more than two hours of talks at his residence in Putrajaya, Malaysia. At least 38 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in clashes in multiple locations along their 800km border since fighting between the two South-east Asian neighbours erupted on July 24. There were no official reports of unrest from either side in the hours leading up to the ceasefire taking effect. The truce talks followed a sustained peace push by Mr Anwar and US President Donald Trump's phone calls to both leaders at the weekend, where he said he would not conclude trade deals with them if fighting continued. Both sides face a tariff of 36 per cent on their goods in the US, their biggest export market. Mr Trump in a post on Truth Social on July 28 congratulated all parties and said he had spoken to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and instructed his trade team to restart negotiations. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row World US, China hold new talks on tariff truce, easing path for Trump-Xi meeting Asia Giant algal bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, threatens seafood exports Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Sport Gan Ching Hwee breaks 2 national records, qualifies for World Aquatics C'ships 1,500m final Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life 'By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives ... I have now ended many Wars in just six months – I am proud to be the President of PEACE!' he said. Decades of disputes The two countries have wrangled for decades over border territory and have been on a conflict footing since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May, which led to a troop buildup on both sides and a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. They accuse each other of starting the fighting last week that within hours escalated from small arms fire to heavy artillery and rockets and Thailand's unexpected scrambling of an F-16 fighter jet to carry out airstrikes. Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayacha praised Mr Trump for pushing the peace effort and said trade negotiations would start from a good place. 'I thanked him from my heart for what we received from him and helped our country move beyond this crisis,' he told reporters on his return from Malaysia after speaking to Mr Trump. 'After today the situation should de-escalate.' Simmering tensions boiled over last week after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged Cambodian troops had laid. Cambodia has strongly denied the charge, as well as Thai accusations that it has fired at civilian targets including schools and hospitals. It had accused Thailand of 'unprovoked and premeditated military aggression'. 'Decisive mediation' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement said he and Mr Trump expected all sides to 'fully honour their commitments to end this conflict'. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said his Thai counterpart had played a positive role and he deeply appreciated Mr Trump's 'decisive mediation' and China's constructive participation. In social media posts, Mr Hun Manet said he had returned to Cambodia 'with brilliant results' and had spoken with Mr Trump, who expressed a desire for lasting peace. The fighting has scarred border communities on both sides. In Thailand's Sisaket province, a house was reduced to splintered wood and twisted beams after it was struck by artillery fire from Cambodia. The roof had caved in, windows hung by the frame and power lines drooped over the structure. Amid the din of occasional artillery fire, homes and shops remained shut and a four-lane road was deserted except for a few cars and military vehicles. Dozens of displaced residents lined up quietly for their evening meal at an evacuation centre about 40km away from the frontlines. A few children played with dogs, others swept the dusty floor. Fifty-four-year-old Nong Ngarmsri just wanted to go back to her village. 'I want to go to my children who stayed back,' she said. 'I want them to cease firing so that I can go home.' REUTERS
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Evacuees cautiously welcome Thai-Cambodia truce, brace for return to uncertainty
SURIN, THAILAND: Thai evacuees welcomed news of a ceasefire with Cambodia on Monday (Jul 28) with a mix of relief and scepticism, as the midnight truce loomed after five days of deadly cross-border fighting. 'I'd be so happy if the ceasefire really happens,' said Jeanjana Phaphan, a 48-year-old farmer who fled her home in Phanom Dong Rak district with her three-year-old son. 'If it's truly ending, I'm overjoyed, the happiest I've felt in a long time,' she said at a shelter in Surin city, about 50km from the border. Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an 'unconditional' ceasefire, following combat that killed at least 38 people and displaced nearly 300,000. The fighting erupted last Thursday along the jungle-clad frontier, a region long disputed and dotted with ancient temples. The agreement, brokered in Malaysia by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, came after mediation efforts by US President Donald Trump and Chinese negotiators. VOICES OF RELIEF AND DOUBT Jeanjana, like many others, reacted to the ceasefire news with cautious optimism. 'If our two countries keep fighting, the hardship and loss will only grow,' she said. 'People on that side are civilians too, just like us. On our side we're just farmers — and I believe they are farmers like us too. Ordinary people working to survive.' But not everyone was confident in the ceasefire's durability. 'I still have doubts that Cambodia will follow through with what they agreed to,' said Tee Samanjai, a 68-year-old farmer who had also evacuated. 'We may go home, but with unease. There's no peace of mind. I want to go back, but I don't trust Cambodia at all. No one in our village does.' For Tee, returning home means tending to life's basics. 'The first thing I'll do when I get home is check on the chickens, fertilise the rice, and take care of the fields,' he said. ACROSS THE BORDER In Cambodia, similar concerns echoed from villagers displaced by the conflict. At a temple shelter in Phumi Bak Thkav, 55-year-old farmer Say Yoeun said he longed to return home. 'I am not happy to stay somewhere like this,' he said. 'I miss my home and livestock — and I cannot take care of my paddy field.' Cambodian and Thai military commanders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning if the truce holds. Only then will villagers be allowed to return and assess the damage to their homes and farmland. 'A MINIMUM FIRST STEP' Kavindhra Tiamsai, a 33-year-old Thai who helped evacuate her mother from the conflict zone, said the fighting highlighted how people living in rural border areas are often neglected by their governments. 'A ceasefire is a good option but also the minimum,' she said. 'What we need is a comprehensive, grounded plan that speaks to the realities of rural life — one that doesn't assume evacuation is easy or even possible when most families have no transport, no money to buffer, and no safety net to lean on.'
CNA
14 hours ago
- CNA
Thailand and Cambodia agree to immediate, unconditional ceasefire
Leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, after their deadliest border clashes in more than 10 years. The ceasefire is set to take effect at 11.59pm local time. Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian leader Hun Manet gathered at Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's official residence in Putrajaya for peace talks this afternoon, with delegations from the US and China present. Melissa Goh reports from Putrajaya, Jack Board reports from Thailand's Buriram province and Leong Wai Kit reports from Oddar Meanchey province in Cambodia.
