Latest news with #PrintingPressesandPublicationsAct
Malaysiakini
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Home Ministry open to rethinking book ban laws
A group advocating for writers' rights hinted at positive developments towards proposed reviews of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, which has been used to ban and seize books. PEN Malaysia president Mahi Ramakrishnan said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail made commitments during a meeting at the ministry in Putrajaya yesterday, alongside representatives of supporting groups and other government officials. 'I must say, they were very...
Malaysiakini
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Home Ministry open to rethinking book ban laws
A group advocating for writers' rights hinted at positive developments towards proposed reviews of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, which has been used to ban and seize books. PEN Malaysia president Mahi Ramakrishnan said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail made commitments during a meeting at the ministry in Putrajaya yesterday, alongside representatives of supporting groups and other government officials. 'I must say, they were very...
Malaysiakini
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Muda moots independent group to regulate publications
Muda vice president Dobby Chew has mooted that an independent body should regulate print publications, instead of having the matter left to the Home Ministry. He denounced the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 as a 'cancer to democracy' that should be abolished, after the Home Ministry seized two books from the publisher Fixi yesterday for 'review'. 'While there is a need for licensing and some degree of control mechanisms, they should...
The Star
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Digital reform roadmap a good move but gaps remain
PETALING JAYA: Other ministries must emulate the Legal Affairs Division's (BHEUU) initiative to publish a digital roadmap on the government's reforms and new laws, say experts and civil society groups. 'Consistently publishing detailed updates will allow the public to have a better understanding of the status of ongoing reform initiatives,' says the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4). The digital roadmap, Petari, which was published on May 23, would address the disconnect people feel with the lawmaking process, said C4's chief executive officer, Pushpan Murugiah. 'Over the past few years, BHEUU has shown its dedication to inclusive and participatory policymaking – which is a practice that should be followed by other ministries,' said Pushpan. 'For instance, the public would benefit from having similar transparency on the status of development of amendments to the Official Secrets Act, and Printing Presses and Publications Act, which are under the Home Ministry,' he said. While other organisations have commended BHEUU's initiative, they also argued that the roadmap is missing key reforms that had been promised by Pakatan Harapan in its election manifesto. Projek Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) says the 'missing' initiatives include reforms to the appointment process for top figures in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Election Commission and the Inspector-General of Police. 'Reforms that are left out, such as those mentioned, should be considered for further studies and implementation before the term for the Madani government ends in 2027,' Projek Sama said. Petari, a Malay acronym for Peta Reformasi Institusi (Institutional Reform Roadmap) was launched by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. The digital roadmap lists 14 new Bills and amendments to existing laws that BHEUU is working on, as well as six legal studies and six strategic initiatives. The new laws include one to establish the Ombudsmans office, to regulate funding and financing for political parties and to make Parliament more independent, all of which have been targeted for tabling this year. Petari also includes amendments to the Election Offences Act, The Whistleblowers Act, the Legal Professions Act, as well as ongoing studies such as the separation of the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutors offices and the possibility of a Human Rights Tribunal for Malaysia. Projek Sama added that to improve Petari, the government should publish clear deadlines for when the new laws and amendments will be brought to Parliament and explain any delays. Petari should also include white papers on reforms to enable better public consultations so that the best solutions can be reached, Projek Sama said. Aliran, a human rights organisation, also welcomed Petari as a positive first step towards transparent governance that allows civil society to monitor the progress of reforms. 'We welcome the inclusion in the roadmap of key legislation governing freedom of information, an ombudsman's office and the creation of a parliamentary services commission. But critical gaps persist,' Aliran said. These gaps include initiatives to remove political appointments to government-linked companies, and limits to the prime minister's power to influence the appointment of judges, Aliran said. 'All these Bills will probably be only as effective as the people appointed to lead the offices and entities established under the respective legislation. 'It is time to establish a bipartisan select committee on vetting crucial appointments. Without addressing the appointments processes, even well-designed legislation risks becoming hollow rather than providing meaningful reform,' added Aliran.
Rakyat Post
09-05-2025
- Business
- Rakyat Post
Izzy Or Fizi? Nurul Izzah & Rafizi Ramli Are Likely Battling Over PKR Deputy President Role
Subscribe to our FREE Some changes might be happening behind the scenes in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), especially regarding who's taking the second highest spot in the party. Word has it that economic minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli returned from a short leave to defend his role as the party's deputy president, a role he won in the 2022 party polls. The other favoured contender is none other than Nurul Izzah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's daughter, who is currently one of PKR's four vice-presidents. Initially, a rematch between Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was expected, but a recent Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rafizi Ramli. Image: Malay Mail Nurul Izzah seems to have a There were whispers that some factions within the party were unhappy with Rafizi's leadership after recent mishaps during the division-level elections such as technical glitches to alleged mismanagement of votes. The unhappy parties are allegedly urging Nurul Izzah to throw her name into the ring of contenders for the role of vice president. Due to potential cries of nepotism, many believe she should be judged based on her So, who do you think would suit the role as PKR vice president? Here's the comparison between Rafizi and Nurul Izzah's qualifications and achievements. The battle of brains Both Rafizi and Nurul Izzah have storied histories and have achieved many greats in their lives. We'll start with the easier to see at a glance; their academic qualifications. Before entering politics, Meanwhile, He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Leeds in 1999 and undertook a chartered accountant accreditation with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). When did they enter politics? Nurul Izzah's political career began in 1999 with the creation of PKR where she also played a vital role in its establishment. In 2008, she won her first parliamentary election in Lembah Pantai after giving birth to her first child. During her first term, she launched a constituency service centre which offered free tuition to low-income students and organised medical camps for lower-income residents through the People's Housing Programme (PPR) flats. She went on to launch several other initiatives including MyKasih Foundation, the first cashless food stamp system in her constituency. She won the re-election in 2013 which allowed her to introduce seven private member bills. She also advocated to abolish the Printing Presses and Publications Act to promote greater media freedom. In 2018, she became the MP of Permatang Pauh, her family's historical constituency. During this time, she introduced Malaysia's inaugural covid-adjusted Multidimensional Poverty Index report in 2021. She held the position until she lost her parliamentary seat in 2022. However, in early 2023, she served as a Senior Advisor to the prime minister before stepping down not long after. READ MORE: Overall, Nurul Izzah is known for advocating political and civil rights, and gained the nickname ''Puteri Reformasi'' (Reformation Princess). Her activism championed overlooked issues such as educational equity, women's empowerment, technical and vocational education and training, and institutional reform. Nurul Izzah meeting her constituents. Image: Malay Mail As for Rafizi, he's said to have taken an active role in politics and activism during his studies in the late 90s following Anwar's exit from the government at the start of the Reformasi movement and protests against the then Barisan Nasional-led government. However, he started his career as an accountant in London before returning to Malaysia. Once home, he held several positions working with the national oil and gas company, Petronas, from 2003 to 2009. He claimed that he became a millionaire by the age of 30 while working in Petronas. READ MORE: He later worked with the local healthcare company Pharmaniaga in 2009. In the same year, he took on the position as the CEO of Selangor Economic Advisor's Office before leaving in 2012. His first foray of politics was in 2003 when he became PKR Youth's treasurer and was appointed as a member of PKR's high council in the same year. This made him the youngest person to be given the position at the time. From 2010 to 2014, he was PKR's strategic director and was chosen as the central party's vice-president the same year, a position he held until 2018. In 2013, he was elected as the Pandan MP but did not contest in the 2018 general election (GE14) due to a string of convictions where he was sentenced to 30-months in prison. He was found guilty of leaking confidential banking documents relating to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) in 2012 aka the ''cow conspiracy.'' Rafizi during his Invoke Malaysia days. Image: Malay Mail Despite being mired in controversy, he established the National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre (NOW) in 2012 which fought to protect and encourage transparency and accountability within all government levels. He contested to become the party's deputy president in 2018 but lost to former Pakatan Harapan minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. In 2019, he left the political scene to pursue other goals such as focusing on his political campaign management firm Invoke Malaysia. He returned to politics in 2022 to much of people's excitement. This is largely due to his role of being a strong proponent against corruption and a well-known whistleblower in a number of high profile cases involving mismanagement in the government and its subsidiaries. He won the PKR deputy president post in 2022, defeating Saifuddin Nasution. READ MORE: READ MORE: Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as being the ''formula king'' for his detailed breakdowns against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), increased petrol prices and subsidies, including exposing corruption and the mishandling of public funds. He leaked a 98-page classified auditor general's report in 2016, exposing the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. For this, he was accused of sedition and was sentenced to about 18-months jail under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA). Now that you sort of know Rafizi and Nurul Izzah's career histories, who do you think has more mettle in politics? Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
