Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by icemanfx

Operation Eternal Darkness

icemanfx — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:32:58 +0800

At the same time, Israel’s Chief of Staff stated that the operation involved 50 fighter jets, which dropped approximately 160 bombs on various targets across Lebanon. He emphasized that attacks against Hezbollah would continue with full force and without interruption.

The Israeli military also announced that Operation “Eternal Darkness” began with strikes on 100 targets across Lebanon within a short timeframe, claiming the operation is focused and aimed at key Hezbollah command-and-control infrastructure.

citing IDF sources, the opening sortie to “Eternal Darkness” was “no less successful than the Beeper Operation."

https://wanaen.com/israel-launches-large-sc...ernal-darkness/

Fifty fighter jets. One hundred and sixty precision-guided munitions. One hundred targets. Ten minutes.

Planned cybercrime law can stop LGBTQ+ dating apps

icemanfx — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:37:01 +0800

Putrajaya's Cybercrime Bill, to be tabled next month, would provide a legal foundation for stopping dating applications related to the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia.

This is according to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his Parliamentary written reply to Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), who wanted to know Putrajaya's plan to eradicate online dating applications that are used by the community.

Zahid said the advancement of digital technology has made it hard for authorities to monitor online interactions that are deemed immoral and against social and religious values.

This was due to the existence of dating applications that cater for such activities, including among the LGBTQ+ people, which he said needs to be curbed.

https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/768113

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

Who is after LGBTQ+

govt's fiscal success inflated by late tax rebate

icemanfx — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:53:12 +0800

Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli questioned whether the delay in refunding those who overpaid their taxes since 2020 has contributed to the perception of the government's success in reducing the fiscal deficit.

Due to the government's practice of cash accounting, he said the tax revenue declared in the national budget every year does not deduct the overpayment that must be refunded to taxpayers.

...
Referring to the federal government's financial statement for the year 2024, Rafizi said the tax refund amounted to RM14.6 billion in 2020, increasing to RM21.8 billion (2021), then RM25.7 billion (2022), RM25.5 billion (2023), and finally RM33.3 billion (2024).

Based on this trend, he said the refund for 2025 is likely to be greater than RM33.3 billion.
...

Last month, Bernama reported Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as saying that the government has doubled its tax refund allocation to RM4 billion.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/766590

A reason taxpayers are short of cash. At rm 4bn a year, lhdn could take up to 8 years to repay fully.

Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI)

icemanfx — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:53:15 +0800

Indonesia on Monday officially launched its Global Citizenship visa program, offering lifetime residency to foreign nationals with blood or family ties to the country, in a bid to lure back talent amid a growing brain drain.

“The hope is that the Indonesian diaspora … can contribute to [the country]'s development,” Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto told reporters.

“Indonesia only recognizes single citizenship, but some people wish to reside in Indonesia for a [long] period,” he said. “Therefore, we’re developing GCI as a solution.”

The immigration ministry first revealed the Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) scheme in November. Its website says foreign passport holders who were previously Indonesian citizens, as well as their children and grandchildren, are eligible to apply. Andrianto on Monday added that foreign spouses of Indonesian nationals can apply too.

Applicants need to show proof of at least $15,000 in annual income or $1,500 monthly, and to provide a so-called “immigration guarantee.”

For experts recruited by the Indonesian government, an invitation letter or “urgent” notice from the government is enough as a guarantee. Other applicants have to commit to investing at least $5,000 in Indonesian bonds, stocks, mutual funds and/or bank deposits; or commit to property ownership with a minimum value of $1 million, the website says.

https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/immigrati...-little-fanfare

More theme park in Saudi Arabia

icemanfx — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 21:36:08 +0800

Universal Studios is in early planning stages to build a new theme park in Saudi Arabia, setting up a potential rivalry with Disney DIS -0.56%decrease; red down pointing triangle in the booming Middle East market.

The Comcast CMCSA -2.31%decrease; red down pointing triangle unit is doing initial concept work for the park, which might be financed by a Saudi government-backed entity as part of a licensing deal with Universal, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
...
A Six Flags theme park is set to open this month in Qiddiya, and a Dragon Ball Z park and a water park are under construction in the city, located a roughly 40-minute drive southwest of Riyadh.

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/universa...ecdcf06?mod=mhp

Empire strike back

icemanfx — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:14:19 +0800

The US says its military has carried out a "massive strike" against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Hawkeye Strike was aimed at eliminating IS "fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites".

Fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery hit multiple targets in central Syria, US officials told CBS, the BBC's media partner in the US. Aircraft from Jordan were also involved.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yq7zzw618o

Sarawak Governor Graces Christmas Dinner

icemanfx — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 20:39:59 +0800

KUCHING: The Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi graced the Christmas Dinner held here, on Wednesday.

The event reflected the spirit of unity and mutual respect that is the basis of the harmony of the multi-racial and multi-religious community in Sarawak, especially in celebrating religious festivals together.

Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi and his wife also spent time socialising with the guests present, including community leaders and Christian religious leaders, expressing their support for the practice of religious tolerance and unity between communities in the state.

The dinner was also attended by Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian and his wife Datin Amar Enn Ong Seok Ean, Director of the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR), Datu Georgina Apphia Ngau, Association of Churches in Sarawak Chairman, Bishop Datuk Danald Jute and other guests of honour. -UKASnews

https://ukas.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/news_view/30547

In the meantime in the peninsular

Foreign worker syndicate

icemanfx — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 17:34:25 +0800

The entry of Bangladeshi workers into Malaysia had resumed in August 2022, after almost six years of hiatus.

However, the programme was halted after more than 476,000 workers had come into the country, leaving another 17,000 licensed workers unable to depart their home country.

Putrajaya, at the time, had only greenlit 25 Bangladeshi agencies to send workers, who were later known as a “syndicate” and were said to have links to four former Bangladeshi ministers and MPs.

Although the Bangladeshi government set the official cost at 79,000 taka (about RM3,400) per worker, workers claimed that they were forced to pay up to 544,000 taka (about RM23,000) per person.

Of that amount, about 142,000 taka was collected by agents in Bangladesh and another 150,000 taka by the syndicate in Malaysia for each visa.

https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/761455

Implied syndicate in Malaysia collected about RM 2.38 billion.

Pakistanis call for emergency as population growth

icemanfx — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 14:24:43 +0800

Pakistan's rising population is making it harder for the country to reduce poverty and improve living standards, with some lawmakers demanding that the government declare the demographic trend a national emergency.

Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday said at an event in Islamabad that Pakistan's population growth rate of 2.5% per year is incompatible with sustainable economic progress. "High population growth strains national resources, public services and future planning," he said. "Economic reforms alone cannot deliver lasting prosperity without addressing demographic pressures."
...
Population growth means an increase in consumers and labor force participants, potentially expanding the country's gross domestic product. But for this to happen, supply and demand must be balanced in the markets for goods, services and jobs. In addition, income must grow faster than inflation across all social classes, something that is not taking place in Pakistan.

Nearly 45% of Pakistan's population lives below the poverty line, set at $4.20 a day, according to World Bank data. "Combined with slower wages and employment increases, and high population growth, poverty reduction will remain challenging in the short-term," the bank warned in a report released in April.

Experts agree that population growth poses a threat to Pakistan's poverty reduction goals.

https://asia.nikkei.com/economy/demography/...h-fuels-poverty

Clashes erupt between Hamas forces and armed clan

icemanfx — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 09:27:16 +0800

At least 27 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, in one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of major Israeli operations in the enclave.

Masked Hamas gunmen exchanged fire with clan fighters near the city's Jordanian hospital, witnesses said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5e551j593o

Historically Palestine is populated by clans and tribes. Most members of hamass are migrants from another place.

Budget 2026

icemanfx — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:20:24 +0800

It seems BMX budget 2026 is unexciting or routine nature, little discussions or buzz on socmed and chat group. BMX has run out of steam to reform or drive the economy. Better to have another person to be mof or even better pm, since he already spent so much time on Gaza.

MNC exit Pakistan

icemanfx — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:50:38 +0800

P&G is the latest multinational to quit Pakistan. Shell confirmed its divestment in November 2023, while Telenor finalized the sale of its local unit the next month. In 2024, Uber ceased operations in April, Pfizer announced its exit in May, and TotalEnergies disclosed its withdrawal in August.

"Any large company in Pakistan has to pay 39% income tax, workers' welfare contribution, workers' profit participation payment; in all, 50% of profit is taxed," Haq told Nikkei Asia. "After paying such heavy taxes, the shareholders have to pay 15% to 25% tax on dividends, paid out of already taxed income."

https://asia.nikkei.com/business/consumer/p...-p-g-also-exits

Despite having over 250m population in Pakistan.

A precedent for here.

Three million Afgan children in peril

icemanfx — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:56:12 +0800

The deaths of their children are not recorded anywhere, but it's evidence of a silent wave of mortality engulfing Afghanistan's youngest, as the country is pushed into what the UN calls an unprecedented crisis of hunger.

"We started the year with the highest increase in child malnutrition ever recorded in Afghanistan. But things have got worse from there," says John Aylieff, the World Food Programme's country director.

"Food assistance kept a lid in this country on hunger and malnutrition, particularly for the bottom five million who really can't cope without international support. That lid has now been lifted. The soaring of the malnutrition is placing the lives of more than three million children in peril."

Aid has sharply declined because the single largest donor, the US, stopped nearly all aid to Afghanistan earlier this year. But WFP says eight or nine other donors who funded them in the last two years have also stopped this year, and many others are giving much less than they were last year.

One reason is donors are responding to a number of crises around the world. But the Taliban government's policies also affect how much the world is willing to help.

What are they doing to help their citizens?

"Those who are facing malnutrition, those who are facing hunger, it's because of sanctions, because of aid cuts by international organisations. It's not because of the government," the head of the Taliban's political office in Doha, Suhail Shaheen, told the BBC.

"The government has expanded its assistance to the people and is doing what is in its capacity, But our budget is based on internal revenues, and we are facing sanctions."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwydgj4pg9jo

Hamas accepted temporary cease-fire

icemanfx — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 22:08:06 +0800

Hamas accepted a proposal for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza on Monday, after rejecting a proposition that would end the war if the group returned all Israeli hostages and ceded control of the enclave to an international force, Arab mediators said.

The proposal Hamas said it accepted on Monday was nearly the same as one that had been offered by Israel in July. Israel withdrew from the talks after Hamas added new terms to that offer.

...
The acceptance of the offer came after a round of tense talks over the weekend in Cairo between Palestinian factions and Egyptian and Qatari officials. Arab mediators told the militant group it could either accept the temporary cease-fire from the last round of talks or give up power and arms as part of a single deal to end the war in exchange for all the hostages, Arab officials said. Under this option, the militant group would cede power to an interim government backed by international forces largely led by Arab forces who would take over the enclave, the Arab officials said.

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas...nd-war-bb01d2ab

Indonesia air drop in Gaza

icemanfx — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:07:50 +0800

Aircraft from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and — for the first time — Denmark and Indonesia airdropped 161 pallets of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip today, the IDF says.

Each pallet contains around one ton of food.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entr...tional-mission/

SARA RM 100

icemanfx — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:13:27 +0800

All Malaysians aged 18 and above will receive a one-off RM100 assistance through their MyKad under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the aid, which can be used from Aug 31 until December 31, is meant for the purchase of essential goods at over 4,100 outlets nationwide, including major supermarkets such as Mydin, Lotus, Econsave and 99Speedmart, as well as retail stores in all districts.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/07/...and-above-watch

Does it mean RM100 paid to MyKad will be invalid, block or pull backed after December 31st?

If sara RM 100 could be invalid, block or pull back from tng, so could other amount?

The collapse of islamic republic of iran

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Iran fordow nuclear facilities

icemanfx — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 11:32:43 +0800

Gbu-57 incoming?

SIA 7.45 months bonus

icemanfx — Fri, 16 May 2025 16:36:17 +0800

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is said to be rewarding eligible employees with a profit-sharing bonus of 7.45 months for FY2025, marginally lower than the 7.94 months for FY2024, but higher than the 6.65 months for FY2023, The Business Times has learnt.

Vs

MALAYSIA Aviation Group Bhd (MAG), the parent company of national carrier Malaysia Airlines Bhd, will distribute up to 2½ months’ salary in bonuses to employees after posting its second consecutive annual profit, says group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail.

IPO scam

icemanfx — Sun, 11 May 2025 15:33:36 +0800

Scammer is known to use genuine IPO to scam punters who use clone trading app.