Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by HikayatSalju

Bahrain to receive all proceeds from F1 race

HikayatSalju — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:27:21 +0800

Bahrain will receive all proceeds from October’s Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), with Malaysia footing only the bill for local preparations, says SIC CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif.

Bernama quoted Azhan as saying that Bahrain is covering the race’s hosting fee, estimated at between US$70 million (RM298 million) and US$80 million.

He said Malaysia’s share is limited to around RM40 million in local costs to bring the Sepang circuit up to Formula One specifications.

Azhan said that under the current arrangement, Bahrain would also receive all ticket sales revenue and decide ticket prices.

“I know many netizens want cheap tickets, and I will try my best to get a special price for Malaysians, but the final decision is in Bahrain’s hands,” he said.

Azhan said that talks with the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) are currently focused on the race’s operational aspects and have yet to move into the commercial phase covering ticketing, hospitality and merchandising.

A Bahraini team is expected in Malaysia next week for face-to-face negotiations, which should provide greater clarity on those matters, he added.

Azhan also said that if Malaysia hosted the race on its own, covering both the rights fees and local operating costs, the total bill would be at least RM300 million.

“Based on the data I have seen, most host countries receive returns of at least three times the value of their expenditure. This means that if RM300 million is spent, the potential returns to the country could reach RM1 billion,” he said.

Formula 1 confirmed that SIC would host the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from Oct 2 to 4 under an agreement involving Formula 1, the FIA, and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.

The deal keeps the Bahrain Grand Prix on the 2026 calendar after it was cancelled due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

SIC hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 before it was removed from the calendar because of rising hosting costs and licensing fees.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...-race-in-sepang

Tourists kidnapped and held for ransom in Pattaya

HikayatSalju — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:56:34 +0800

Thai police with the assistance of the Indian Community of Pattaya, a nonprofit organization helping Indian tourists and residents in need in Pattaya, stormed a townhouse in Nong Prue on the afternoon of July 27th, 2026, freeing three Indian tourists who had been kidnapped, held captive, and tortured for more than five days by a gang demanding nearly 10 million rupees in ransom.

At around 4 p.m., a joint team led by Pol. Col. Anek Srathongyu, Chief of Pattaya City Police Station; Pol. Col. Naphatphong Khositsuriyamanee, superintendent of Chonburi Immigration; and Pol. Col. Natthaphon Phongsuuksakul, superintendent of Nong Prue Police Station, along with investigators and members of the Indian Association of Pattaya, surrounded a two-storey townhouse at 36/4 Moo 13, near the Phuyai Kui market intersection. The operation followed a tip from relatives of the victims that Indian tourists were being held and tortured for ransom.

The suspects, believed to be four Pakistani men and one Indian man, fled on motorcycles in different directions as officers approached. Police then entered the property and found the three victims upstairs.

In one bedroom, two Indian men were discovered with their hands bound behind their backs, feet tied, and mouths sealed with tape. A third man was found in a similar condition in another room. All three showed clear signs of severe abuse: their ankles were bruised and marked from repeated beatings with hard objects. One had been sprayed with paint to simulate blood.

The victims, identified as Haimanshu, 23; Ehis, 24; and Meghid, 26, expressed overwhelming relief after their rescue, saying they felt they had been given a new life. They immediately contacted relatives in India to report they were safe.

According to statements given through an interpreter, the three men had purchased a seven-day tour package to Thailand for approximately 70,000 baht each. They arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 5 a.m. and took a taxi to a McDonald’s restaurant on Sukhumvit Road in central Pattaya, arriving around 7 a.m. There, an Indian man on a motorcycle picked them up one by one and took them to the townhouse.

Upon arrival, a group of men, four believed to be Pakistani and one Indian, bound their hands and feet with tape over their mouths to prevent them from calling for help. The captors repeatedly forced the victims to lie down and hang their heads over the edge of a mattress, then beat their ankles with sticks. Using a satellite phone routed through the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), the gang forced the hostages to call relatives in India and demand a total of 7 million rupees, about 2.5 million Thai baht, for their release.

The men had been held since the morning of July 21st. They were denied food, water, and access to a toilet for more than five days and subjected to the same abuse daily. They told police they had believed they would be killed and never return home.

Pol. Col. Naphatphong said the rescue began after relatives in India contacted Thai authorities for help, fearing the men had been kidnapped for ransom. Investigators faced difficulties tracing the calls because the gang used numbers registered in the UAE. Officers eventually tracked the group to the townhouse complex along Soi Mab Ta Toi, but the suspects escaped just before the raid.

Police believe the operation is part of a new scam tactic in which victims are lured with cheap tour packages to Thailand, then abducted upon arrival so the gang can extort money from their families back home. Authorities are continuing the investigation to track down and prosecute the five suspects. All three rescued tourists are now safe.

https://thepattayanews.com/2026/07/28/thai-...m-near-pattaya/

Rohingyas detained outside UNHCR office

HikayatSalju — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:47:49 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/NewsBFM/status/2081911283499347994[/twt]

Will snitch system for schools work?

HikayatSalju — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 17:23:04 +0800

Parents are divided over a proposal to introduce a merit system for students who report bullying, extortion or drug involvement in schools, raising concerns that their children could later be targeted.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (Page) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said while there were concerns about violence in schools, parents were also worried about how their children would be protected when they report crimes.

"With concerns about severe school violence, gang infiltration and drug use, many parents welcome any measure that encourages breaking the silence.

"But among those who oppose, the primary worry is whistleblower protection.

"In serious cases involving drugs or extortion rings, a merit point is not worth the physical safety risk to their child," she told the New Straits Times.

Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin had said the proposal was among several measures put forward to strengthen crime prevention in schools.

He said it would help school authorities detect misconduct early while cultivating a strong culture of reporting among students.

But Azimah said reporting criminal activities should stem from civic duty, moral obligation and maintaining a safe learning environment, rather than a transactional point-scoring mechanism.

However, National Parent-Teacher Association president Associate Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Ali Hasan said the police proposal should be welcomed, provided clear operational guidelines are established.

"It is an idea that should be encouraged and the practicalities should be finalised," he told the New Straits Times, adding that strict safeguards must be implemented to ensure the system is not abused by any party.

Ali added that a merit system would instil greater student confidence in school disciplinary processes and policing mechanisms, reassuring them that reported incidents will be acted upon promptly.

"Students will become more cautious of their actions, knowing that misbehaviour could be reported and ultimately jeopardise their academic performance. It will deter students from bullying and gangsterism."

Ali added that the initiative would also encourage parents and guardians to play a more active role in moulding their children's character.

He suggested introducing a complementary demerit system with penalties to deter repeated disciplinary breaches.

However, he said, mechanisms must be developed to prevent students from submitting false or malicious reports.

The police proposal comes in the wake of violent incidents in schools.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/07/...oBakjbFcAWRGcxg

Is it legal to bet on Malaysia election results?

HikayatSalju — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:38:41 +0800

https://polymarket.com/event/2026-negeri-se...260720213330399

US summon Malaysia envoy over Israel policy

HikayatSalju — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:10:36 +0800

Malaysia’s ambassador to the US was contacted by the US state department to explain Putrajaya’s longstanding policy of not recognising Israel.

Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said Shahrul Ikram Yaakob conveyed to US officials that the stance was a well-established national policy, reported Bernama.

“It has always been Malaysia’s policy. We do not recognise the state of Israel or the Zionist regime. This has long been our position.

“There was an individual with dual citizenship, US and Israeli, who entered Malaysia using his US passport. However, subsequent checks revealed that he also held Israeli citizenship, and we asked him to leave,” he told reporters in Rembau after a meet-and-greet session with Zaifulbahri Idris, Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the Chembong seat in the Negeri Sembilan state election.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that Malaysia would continue to bar Israeli citizens from entering the country despite objections raised by eight US congressmen.

Anwar said the policy was based on Malaysia’s commitment to defending Palestinian rights and opposing the continued killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

Eight Democratic congressmen have urged secretary of state Marco Rubio to review Washington’s security and economic ties with Malaysia and consider suspending US military training funding following Anwar’s remarks that Israeli citizens found in the country would be deported.

Anwar yesterday described the congressmen’s call as “misguided”, adding that it was clear the eight US lawmakers who mooted the idea were out of touch with global developments.

Israeli passport holders cannot enter Malaysia as Putrajaya does not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, three NGOs will hold a peaceful assembly and submit a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to oppose the attempt by US members of Congress to pressurise Malaysia over its sovereign policies.

The three organisations are the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim), the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) and Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rakyat Sejagat Malaysia (Sejagat).

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...r-israel-policy

SK Group chairman divorce settlement

HikayatSalju — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:47:24 +0800

A Korean tech billionaire who publicly confessed to loving a woman other than his wife and fathering a child with her could be ordered to pay his ex-spouse nearly $1 billion as South Korea’s “divorce of the century” nears a decisive ruling.

Chey Tae-won, the 65-year-old chairman of South Korea’s SK Group and a major beneficiary of the AI-chip boom, stunned the country in 2015 with a three-page newspaper letter saying his marriage was beyond repair and that he wanted a “clean end.”

Now, as shares of SK Hynix — the memory-chip supplier whose chips help power Nvidia’s AI systems — have skyrocketed roughly tenfold since the start of 2025, the fortune at the center of the country’s so-called “divorce of the century” has ballooned, too.

His ex-wife, Roh Soh-yeong, the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, is demanding half of Chey’s assets. She’s asked an appeals court to value them at today’s sky-high prices — a move that legal experts say could boost her payout to nearly $1 billion and potentially loosen Chey’s grip on one of South Korea’s biggest business empires.

A ruling is expected Friday.

The case has gripped South Korea for years — blending a love triangle, a former presidential family, alleged slush-fund money and a battle over control of a major technology conglomerate.

In publicly announcing his desire for a “clean end” to the marriage, Chey quoted the celebrated opening line of Leo Tolstoy’s epic about adultery, “Anna Karenina:” “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

The stunning admission by Chey, who’s also 65, ended a marriage that had once been hailed as South Korea’s “wedding of the century.”

Chey and Roh married in 1988 at the presidential Blue House, months after her father took office.

Roh initially refused to grant him a divorce, saying she intended to protect the family. She later changed course, writing that it might be right to let her husband pursue the “happiness” he wanted.

The other woman in the love triangle, Kim Hee-young, is now Chey’s longtime partner. Kim, who goes by the English name Chloe, leads a charitable foundation the couple established and has appeared in public alongside the billionaire. She’s 50 years old, according to corporate filings cited by the Wall Street Journal.

Roh later sued Kim over the affair and won damages worth roughly $1.5 million after a court found the relationship and the child born outside the marriage had inflicted emotional harm and helped destroy the couple’s trust.

The feud soon widened into a high-stakes battle over the origins of the SK fortune.

Roh’s lawyers produced a handwritten note apparently kept by her mother that listed “Sunkyong” — SK’s former name — beside “30 billion won,” or about $23 million.

They argued the note supported claims that Roh’s father secretly provided money to Chey’s father that helped the family expand its business empire. Chey’s attorneys have denied that SK received the alleged funds.

An appeals court previously ordered Chey to give Roh 35% of his assets, worth close to $1 billion at the time.

South Korea’s Supreme Court later upheld the divorce, but sent the property settlement back to a lower court after rejecting the use of allegedly illegal presidential money as the basis for Roh’s claim.

At the heart of the retrial is one deceptively simple question: How should Chey’s fortune be valued?

Chey argues that judges should use an earlier valuation, before the AI boom sent the value of his holdings soaring. Roh wants the court to use the much higher present-day figure.

That dispute has become especially costly as SK Hynix has emerged as a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory used in Nvidia’s artificial-intelligence systems.

The chipmaker’s shares have risen roughly tenfold since the beginning of 2025, helping more than double Chey’s fortune to about $5 billion.

https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/business/sout...-younger-woman/

SARA aid to be increased soon

HikayatSalju — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:07:36 +0800

The government will increase the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance in the near future to help ease the rising cost of living, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said the decision was made after taking into account public feedback and concerns, despite the various forms of assistance already provided by the government.

“Although we have provided the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and SARA, and in Negeri Sembilan Datuk Seri Aminuddin (Harun) has given a substantial bonus to civil servants, have all the problems been resolved? Not yet.

“That is why we have listened to the people’s concerns and, Insya-Allah, we will further increase SARA for everyone in the near future,” he said during a Pakatan Harapan campaign rally here yesterday in conjunction with the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election.

Anwar had recently said the Madani government would continue to assess the possibility of increasing assistance for the people, including STR and SARA, if the country’s economic conditions permit.

He said the matter had been discussed with Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican and would be considered in the upcoming Budget.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...f-living/228618

US greenlights Saudi nuclear enrichment

HikayatSalju — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:01:08 +0800

The Trump administration has greenlit Saudi Arabia's nuclear enrichment project, but with no safeguards in place to prevent the development of a bomb, CNN reported on Friday.

The draft deal, viewed by the news outlet, showed Washington's support for Riyadh’s civilian nuclear programme is still awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature, despite US-Saudi negotiations concluding in October.

Unnamed officials cited in the story indicated that the documents, which include the mandatory "123 agreement" and safeguards protocols, have not yet been sent to Congress, potentially for fear of bipartisan pushback.

It is unclear how long the president will wait, given Congress is likely to switch hands to a Democratic majority after the November elections, stymying his policy agenda.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his advisors have long pushed for a deal that would allow them to enrich uranium, which they say the kingdom holds vast reserves of.

“We will enrich it and we will sell it and we will do a ‘yellowcake'," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said last year, referring to a step in the process that comes after mining but before enrichment.

The Saudi push to be included under the US’s nuclear umbrella was a key issue during the Saudi crown prince's visit to the White House in November last year.

Days after Israel attacked Hamas negotiators in Qatar earlier in the year, Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact with Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed state in the Muslim world.

Pakistan is estimated to possess around 170 nuclear warheads. Saudi and Pakistani descriptions of the deal said it encompassed all military options.

The Americans’ nuclear talks with Saudi Arabia have been kept under tight wraps, but one former US intelligence official previously told Middle East Eye that the idea of extending protection to the kingdom could serve a purpose.

“It would pull them out of the Pakistanis’ nuclear umbrella and make the Saudis feel better than the Qataris," he said at the time.

In February, the Trump administration notified Congress it is pursuing a civil nuclear pact with Riyadh that does not include non-proliferation safeguards it has traditionally imposed on countries to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons.

The language in the document also leaves room for Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, as it stipulates “additional safeguards and verification measures to the most sensitive areas of potential nuclear cooperation" between the two countries, including enrichment and reprocessing, the report said.

A nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that does not explicitly prohibit the kingdom’s potential to enrich uranium in the future would be much more transformative for the region than a separate deal for F-35 warplanes that the Trump administration is pursuing.

In nuclear agreements with foreign governments, for example, the UAE, the US made cooperation conditional on commitments that they will not enrich uranium or reprocess spent nuclear fuel.

The UAE, Morocco and dozens of European and Asian countries have signed the so-called "123 Agreements" with the US.

US law generally requires a 123 Agreement to be in force before licensing significant exports of US-origin nuclear material or equipment to a foreign country.

In addition to a 123 Agreement, US lawmakers have insisted that the US require Saudi Arabia to submit to what is called the "Additional Protocol", which allows the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) additional access to nuclear facilities, data, and undeclared sites.

The UAE, the only other Gulf state to have officially partnered with the US in nuclear energy, signed the Additional Protocol to its IAEA agreement in 2009.

Reuters reported, however, that the Trump administration sent a preliminary report to some heads of congressional committees in November, which it is required to send if it is not pursuing the Additional Protocol.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-green...feguards-report

Tokyo urges men to wear shorts to work

HikayatSalju — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:48:05 +0800

As temperatures rise this summer, Japanese men are baring more leg at work than ever before.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is pushing company employees to ditch their usual suit and tie for more casual attire, featuring t-shirts, trainers - and shorts.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike introduced "Tokyo Cool Biz" in April, hoping to expand on her signature cool down initiative which has now become a widely recognised annual summer tradition.

Almost four months in, the newly allowed shorts in the office policy is getting mixed reviews.

Some commentators enjoy the relaxed rules, helping them work more comfortably. Others say the policy is unfair to women since they are still expected to wear tights when showing a part of their legs. And a few women describe the experience of "leg hair harassment" or a term coined online as "sunehara", referring to the discomfort of being forced to see their colleague's leg hair.

"We want to give people more options in the severe heat, not tell them what to wear. There should be no issue as long as the work attire is not offensive to anyone," Tokyo Metropolitan Government environmental official Noboru Watanabe told the BBC.

A June survey by Gorilla Clinic found 53.5% opposed wearing shorts to work in the summer while 46.5% were in favour of the new recommendation.

For those against shorts in the office the main reason, for both genders, was the concern over body shape and body hair. The clinic says women significantly outnumbered men in their response, indicating that women may be more resistant to seeing a male colleague's bare legs.

In recent years more Japanese workers, notably those working at startups and tech companies, have started wearing casual clothes. But this year, the Tokyo government recommendation has made it more socially acceptable. Still, some men have been feeling self-conscious about their leg hair.

Akifumi Funatsu, the director of Gorilla Clinic, says he has noticed more clients coming to the clinic not just for cosmetic reasons, but as a matter of "social etiquette when wearing shorts". He thinks women believe that "men should have less leg hair", which has prompted them to seek laser hair removal so as not to offend those around them.

Koike first introduced the summer wardrobe shift as Japan's environment minister in 2005. She launched a national energy-saving campaign called "Cool Biz" to encourage company workers to opt for short-sleeve shirts.

Government leaders participated in the initiative, with then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi often seen in public without wearing a tie or jacket, helping get the word out.

A few years later following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the government launched "Super Cool Biz" which expanded the guidelines to help reduce energy use both at work and at home.

As with other parts of the world, Japan has been experiencing record heat in recent months while grappling with soaring energy prices driven by instability in the Middle East.

Forecasters have warned of extreme heat this summer, with the Japan Meteorological Agency trying to raise public awareness by announcing the word "kokusho-bi", which means "brutally hot day" when the mercury exceeds 40C.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgwp513jpvo

US introduce robot assistant teacher

HikayatSalju — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:47:13 +0800

[reddit]/r/PopCultureV2/comments/1v1jolz/humanoid_robot_teacher_introduced_in_new_york/[/reddit]

South Korean investors ask for their money back

HikayatSalju — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:22:30 +0800

South Korean retail investors who piled into leveraged bets on the country’s AI champions are nursing steep losses after a sharp reversal, exposing the risks of the speculative trading boom that helped fuel one of the world’s hottest equity markets.

The pain has been especially acute for holders of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds tied to chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which had surged alongside the AI-driven semiconductor rally, and have now tumbled.

Since the launch of single-stock leveraged ETFs on May 27, Korean retail investors have purchased a net 14 trillion won ($9.4 billion) of them, compared with roughly 2 trillion won by foreign investors, according to KB Financial Group.

As of now, that isn’t working out so well for them. The KODEX SK Hynix Single Stock Leverage ETF — a product designed to deliver twice the daily move in SK Hynix shares — has fallen about 70% from its record high reached in June and is down roughly 50% from its debut, according to LSEG data.

South Korean online trading forums were full of lament, especially after SK Hynix’s record one-day plunge last week.

“I want to go back to before I started investing in stocks. Give me my money back,” one investor wrote.

“You’re determined to kill me,” another said.

The losses underscore how South Korea’s retail investing culture has amplified swings in the country’s technology heavyweights, even as analysts argue the long-term outlook for memory-chip makers remains intact.

“The investors bearing the losses are overwhelmingly domestic retail investors,” said Jung In Yun, founder of Fibonacci Asset Management.

Leveraged ETFs have also grown rapidly as a share of Korea-focused funds, with assets in the 25 largest leveraged Korea ETFs rising to a roughly 30% share by June, up from about 15% at the start of 2026, according to Oxford Economics data.

The economics advisory firm downgraded South Korea equities to neutral at the end of June, warning that leveraged positioning had grown significantly and that securities firms may become increasingly reluctant to extend credit to retail investors.

The buyers, Jung said, are not simply novice traders chasing online hype. Many are investors in their 40s and 50s who have grown increasingly comfortable with leverage and concentrated technology bets.

South Korea’s central bank warned in a report released last month that leveraged stock investment by retail investors had climbed to a record high, driven primarily by margin borrowing and increasingly concentrated semiconductor positions.

While the BoK said the build-up was unlikely to pose a systemic threat to the financial system, it cautioned that leverage could magnify volatility during market corrections, particularly if fear of missing out encourages investors to chase rallies with borrowed money.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/20/give-me-my-...ts-unravel.html

NGO sterilize hundreds of cats in Penang

HikayatSalju — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:56:59 +0800

What began as a grassroots effort to curb Penang’s growing stray cat population has evolved into a volunteer-driven movement that has already prevented thousands of kittens from being born on the streets.

Rather than operating as a shelter or cat rescue group, the initiative focuses on tackling the root cause of the problem, uncontrolled breeding, through a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programme.

It started out as Cats of Penang in April last year and was formally established as Catsoterra Berhad in November.

To date, it has facilitated the sterilisation of almost 800 cats across Penang and subsidised more than RM50,000 worth of TNR services (as of July 8).

The programme is estimated to have prevented 7,116 kittens from being born on the streets.

The organisation’s founder, Daniel Lok Chin Leung, originally from Hong Kong and now based in the United States, said he has seen animal welfare systems that weren’t working despite being built with good intentions.

“After being involved in animal welfare for a long time, I’ve learned that the mission has to remain the driving force behind every decision,” he said in an email interview with Malay Mail recently.

He said an organisation should not be relying only on donors as this creates a structural weakness.

“I believe running a nonprofit should be approached with the same discipline, strategy, and accountability as running a business,” he explained.

“I wanted to be part of building something more sustainable — something that could actually help solve the problem instead of just reacting to it.”

Lok, a respiratory therapist, manages Catsoterra together with chief marketing officer, Johnny “Ricky” Trogdon while Jonas Breuer, a digital nomad and the organisation’s IT lead, develops and maintains the technology that powers the platform.

Explaining the Catsoterra system, he said volunteers who join the platform pay an annual RM60 membership fee.

“This gives them access to our dashboard, where they can schedule sterilisation appointments with our partner clinics, manage their TNR activity, and track both their personal impact and the organisation’s overall progress,” he said.

Once registered, volunteers can sterilise as many cats as they are able to trap and transport while Catsoterra covers the base cost of sterilisation.

When asked about the funding model for Catsoterra, Lok said the initial startup costs were covered through personal funds and with support from family and friends.

“Since then, much of the funding has continued to come from my own personal funds while we work toward building a more sustainable model,” he said.

The organisation recently started marketing its first product, their online dashboard, as a way to generate revenue and support the long-term sustainability of the organisation.

“The goal is to reduce reliance on personal funding and create a structure that can continue supporting TNR work in Penang over time,” he said.

The organisation initially has a set target of sterilising 1,000 cats in Penang and is now close to reaching it.

“After 1,000 cats, our focus will be on improving the system, expanding our capacity, and increasing our impact year after year,” Lok said.

“We want to keep building on what works, learn from what doesn’t, and continue pushing ourselves to surpass our previous results,” he added.

He said their long-term goal is to create a sustainable model for stray cat population management in Penang.

When asked why he chose to start this TNR programme for stray cats in Penang, Malaysia despite being based in Maryland, in the United States, he said Penang is unlike anywhere else in the world.

“No place is perfect, but Penang has a certain charm — and, from an animal welfare perspective, it is also a meaningful place to begin,” he said.

The 30-year-old said Penang, being an island state, has clear boundaries with a fixed number of regions with a community structure that makes targeted work possible.

“Just as importantly, we were not starting from zero. TNR was not a new concept in Penang; other NGOs and volunteers had already helped establish the foundation,” he said.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...n-penang/226845

Seek clarity over Lynas-Pentagon rare earths deal

HikayatSalju — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:11:20 +0800

Malaysian lawmakers have called on Putrajaya to declare its stance on concerns over the country’s rare earth operations being linked to the United States defence industry’s supply chain.

This came after Australian miner Lynas, which operates a rare earth processing plant in Pahang, signed a binding letter of intent with the Pentagon in March for a proposed four-year supply deal worth US$96 million (S$124 million).

Under the proposed agreement, the Pentagon will purchase light and heavy rare earth oxide products from Lynas to support US national security and supply-chain resilience. Such materials are essential for modern manufacturing and used in military systems.

The issue has thrust Malaysia into the geopolitical spotlight, with its lawmakers questioning whether rare earths processed in the country could become part of the US military supply chain, potentially complicating Putrajaya’s carefully balanced foreign policy and longstanding support for the Palestinian cause.

On July 17, a Malaysian parliamentary committee pressed the government to publicly clarify its position by the end of July.

The committee, which held a hearing on the matter on July 16, also recommended that Putrajaya develop a clearer foreign investment policy for strategic minerals to safeguard Malaysia’s interests, sovereignty and international reputation.

“The meeting was held to examine and assess the impact of the supply agreement, which is seen as potentially damaging Malaysia’s reputation as a staunch supporter of Palestine, founded on the principles of humanity and universal justice,” said the Select Committee on International Relations and International Trade.

Subang Member of Parliament Wong Chen, who chairs the select committee, declined to comment when contacted by The Straits Times. Lynas did not immediately respond to a call and e-mail seeking comment.

Besides lawmakers and Lynas interim chief executive Pol Le Roux, the committee heard from environmental and civil society groups including the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Greenpeace Malaysia. Representatives of the Malaysian chapter of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement also attended.

Greenpeace Malaysia representative Adam Azlan said it is opposed to the Lynas-Pentagon deal as rare earths minerals processed in Malaysia should not contribute to any form of conflict, alleged atrocities as well as violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

“We need Malaysia to ensure due diligence under international law and standards for companies operating within our jurisdiction – that they do not contribute to rights violations,” Adam told ST.

“We need the government to have stronger oversight, transparency and accountability in our supply chains. All this to safeguard Malaysia’s sovereignty.”

Washington has provided continuous military assistance and weapons shipments to Israel since the outbreak of the war with Hamas on Oct 7, 2023. The death toll in Gaza officially surpassed 70,000 in mid-2026, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are widely cited by the United Nations but disputed by Israel.

The debate also underscores Malaysia’s growing strategic importance in the global race for rare earths. With an estimated 16.1 million tonnes of non-radioactive rare earth resources, the country is becoming an increasingly important player in competition between major powers for these critical minerals.

These minerals are used in technologies ranging from smartphones to radar systems and precision-guided weapons. Their specialised magnetic, optical and heat-resistant properties are also essential to advanced manufacturing, energy infrastructure and weapons systems.

The 100ha Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Malaysia’s Gebeng industrial hub, near the coastal city of Kuantan, is the world’s largest rare earth processing plant outside China.

It mainly processes rare earth minerals imported from Lynas’ Mount Weld mine in Western Australia, including neodymium-praseodymium, which is used in high-strength magnets. In 2026, the plant also began producing separated dysprosium, a heavy rare earth critical for electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence applications.

Washington treats rare earths as a national security issue, considering them essential to advanced manufacturing while viewing its dependence on foreign processing, particularly in China, as a strategic vulnerability.

In October 2025, it signed an agreement with Putrajaya to promote US investment and cooperation in rare earth exploration, extraction, refining, manufacturing and recycling. Malaysia also committed to facilitating the development of its rare earth sector with US companies and not restricting exports of critical minerals or rare earth magnets to the US.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/m...are-earths-deal

Cleanliness is India culture

HikayatSalju — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:55:16 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/2078073477425455251[/twt]

Kota Damansara residents object to data center

HikayatSalju — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:50:31 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/NewsBFM/status/2078087013149094106[/twt]

Penang signs 40-year water deal with Perak

HikayatSalju — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:22:57 +0800

Penang will pay an annual capacity charge of RM210 million under a landmark agreement to purchase treated water from Perak after signing a Bulk Water Supply Agreement (BWSA) today with Perak.

Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) signed the agreement with Prasarana Air dan Irigasi Perak Sdn Bhd (PAIP Perak) today.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the agreement is expected to guarantee water supply sufficiency for Penang from 2032 to 2072.

“The execution of this Perak-Penang Water Project (P-PWP) BWSA agreement with PAIP Perak is subject to several conditions,” he said in a statement issued today.

Among the conditions included regulatory approvals and endorsement from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and approval from PBA Holdings Bhd shareholders.

“Perak is willing to sell 300 to 500 MLD of treated water to PBAPP,” he said.

So, he said Perak has to build, operate and manage a new 500 MLD water treatment plant to supply the water.

“The projected total capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the dedicated P-PWP infrastructure in Perak is RM8.4 billion,” he said.

Chow, who is also PBAPP and PBA Holdings chairman, said PBAPP will not have to invest in CAPEX for the development of the P-PWP water supply infrastructure in Perak.l as it will be borne by PAIP Perak.

“PBAPP will not incur any raw water fees or land acquisition costs or incur any operational expenditure (OPEX) to employ personnel, operate, maintain or manage the P-PWP infrastructure in Perak,” he said.

As for the annual capacity charge of RM210 million a year, he said it will gradually amortise and justify the RM8.4 billion investment to build, operate and maintain the P-PWP infrastructure in Perak.

Penang will also pay a treated water charge of RM1.70 per m3 (1,000 litres) subject to review every three years and for 300 MLD in 2032 subject to upscaling of the Minimum Quantity Commitment (300MLD) with six months’ notice period.

Chow said Penang needed the P-PWP as Penang is a small state with no major in-state raw water resources left to tap for the 2030s.

“In 2025, Penang’s water consumption was 865 million litres per day (MLD),” he said.

He said Penang’s water consumption is projected to be 1,162 MLD or more by 2032, due to various factory expansion and property development projects that are already in the pipeline.

He said the P-PWP agreement allows Penang to tap a second major water resource for the future.

“It is the most significant water agreement in Penang’s water supply history since the commissioning of the Muda River Water Scheme in 1973, about 53 years ago,” he said.

While the P-PWP does not replace Sungai Muda in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) as

Penang’s primary raw water resource, he said it will deliver more water to Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) and Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) to support population and socioeconomic growth on the mainland.

“Buying treated water from Perak may not be as cheap as producing treated water in Penang but there is no cheaper option,” Chow said.

He said Perak can tap Sungai Perak for the P-PWP and Penang does not have another in-state conventional raw water resource that can support the production of 300-500 MLD of treated water.

He said PBAPP is also exploring the possibility of seawater desalination to complement the P-PWP as a long-term water solution for Penang.

“However, the costs of desalination are higher than the costs of conventional water treatment,” he said.

He said no Malaysian water operator is able to operates a large-scale desalination plant that can deliver 100 MLD or more of tap water per day.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...e-supply/227743

EU issue new filming guidelines for athletics

HikayatSalju — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:23:42 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/HowLao/status/2077102684302348738[/twt]

Chat with AI PMX

HikayatSalju — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:17:32 +0800

It looks like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It speaks like him, responds like him and even mirrors the way he explains government policies.

No, the Prime Minister hasn’t cloned himself — it’s PMX AI, an artificial intelligence-powered digital avatar designed to emulate Anwar’s communication style.

Developed by local tech company Zetrix AI Bhd in collaboration with PKR, the digital prime minister has reportedly been completed and is awaiting its official launch in the coming days.

According to reports, PMX AI was trained using Anwar’s speeches, written statements and policy explanations, enabling it to closely replicate the Prime Minister’s tone, language and style of communication.

Zetrix group managing director TS Wong said the platform is powered by a personalised knowledge model that is continuously updated with Anwar’s latest speeches and public remarks to ensure its responses remain relevant and consistent.

He added that the system also incorporates an “agentic AI” framework, allowing it to carry out multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention while maintaining context throughout user interactions.

And you might be surprised that PMX AI is expected to serve as a digital assistant for government services.

Among its planned functions are helping users navigate government procedures, renew driving licences, facilitate digital payments and provide transaction confirmations upon completion.

To make the platform more user-friendly, PMX AI will communicate fluently in both Bahasa Malaysia and English while recognising regional dialects, local slang and everyday Malaysian expressions.

https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2026/07/...ahim/#gsc.tab=0

Zahid wants FGV to return land to Felda

HikayatSalju — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:39:24 +0800

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed that a portion of the land currently managed by FGV Holdings Berhad (FGV) be returned to the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the proposal is among measures aimed at strengthening Felda’s financial position.

“I am of the view that if the management of Felda plantations is restructured and handled by Felda itself, the process of settling debts can be accelerated.

“This step is also expected to provide better returns to the settlers,” he said at a press conference after the Felda Settlers’ Day and 70th Anniversary Celebration at the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium, Bandar Pusat Jengka, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here yesterday.

Meanwhile, he said the Prime Minister had informed that the Federal Government spends nearly RM1 billion annually to assist Felda, including for the welfare of settlers, and through these efforts, the agency is expected to take at least nine years to restore its financial position.

“I agree with the Prime Minister’s emphasis that priority must be given to the welfare of Felda settlers, covering the first, second and third generations,” he said.

Last Sunday, Anwar was reported as saying that the Federal Government has been forced to bear the burden of Felda's debt, which amounts to nearly RM1 billion annually, due to weaknesses in previous administrative management.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid also said the government is assisting Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF) in restructuring several assets to enable the cooperative to repay its members’ share redemptions.

He said there are KPF members who wish to redeem their shares due to low dividend rates resulting from a downturn in the stock and property markets, and approximately RM350 million is required for this purpose.

“This restructuring is currently being carried out, particularly to help those who purchased KPF shares and had to take loans or sell their properties. As such, the restructuring that has been submitted to me will be implemented by no later than the end of this year,” he said.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...finances/226761