Malaysia Morning News For December 12, 2019

Azmin: Economic Affairs Ministry allocated RM120m for upgrading of court buildings
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) has allocated RM120 million for upgrading and repair work at court buildings throughout the country.
— Malay Mail

MTUC Sarawak backs Industrial Relations Act amendments despite objections at national level
Malaysian Congress Trade Union (MTUC) Sarawak fully supports the proposed Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2019 because it contains improvements for workers, its secretary general Andrew Lo said.
— The Borneo Post

Dozens more Chinese arrested in Malaysia’s Ipoh for online scam
Nearly three weeks after the massive bust in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya of an online scam syndicate believed to be run by Chinese nationals, a similar operation has been smashed in Ipoh, resulting in the arrest of 40 Chinese nationals.
— South China Morning Post

Hydropower way forward to achieve full electrification
Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) will be focusing on hydropower development to ensure 100 per cent electricity supply throughout Sarawak by 2025-2030.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Singapore and Malaysia both fall in global ranking of English standards – as did most of Asia
Singapore and Malaysia have both fallen several places on this year’s annual Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index, which measures the English levels of countries with non-native speakers worldwide.
— Business Insider

Sabah party blames polio outbreak on illegal immigrants
The re-emergence of the polio virus in Malaysia after nearly 30 years is most likely due to the unchecked movement of illegal immigrants from the Philippines, local Sabah party Upko said today.
— Malay Mail

Role of middle parties should be looked into: Private doctors
The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) has called on the government to look into the role of middle parties including the managed care organisations (MCOs) in ensuring better medical care delivery services at an affordable cost.
— The Sun Daily

RM28.5m to repair homes of urban poor, says Deputy Minister
The government has allocated RM28.5 million to repair dilapidated homes of the urban poor next year, compared with only RM15 million provided for similar purposes this year, the Dewan Negara was told today.
— The Sun Daily

Customs, MOF to hold weekly ‘Meet-the-Clients’ programme from Jan 9, 2020
The Royal Malaysian Customs Department will hold a ‘Meet-the-Clients’ programme from Jan 9, 2020 to allow the business community to voice their dilemma or grievances on tax-related issues.
— The Sun Daily

Be vigilant during monsoon season, MMEA reminds fishermen
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has issued a reminder to the public – fishermen and seamen in particular – to be vigilant on the open sea during the current monsoon season.
— The Star Online

BNM deputy governor: Consumer Credit Act to reinforce fundamental protections
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) deputy governor Jessica Chew Cheng Lian said efforts are underway for the enactment of the new Consumer Credit Act to further strengthen the foundations for the development of consumer finance in the digital age.
— The Sun Daily

882 undocumented immigrants in Sabah to be deported on Thursday
Sabah National Security Council (NSC) is set to deport 882 people back to their own countries in an ongoing effort to curb the undocumented immigrant problem in the state.
— The Star Online

CBV to manage Sarawak Biovalley pilot plant
The RM60.6 million Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant developed by the Sarawak government is the only facility in East Malaysia which can act as a bridge between laboratory scale studies and commercial production in the bio-economy.
— New Sarawak Tribune

EC urged to make out-of-region voting possible
Overwhelming 91.7 percent of Sarawakians working and studying overseas are hoping to see the Election Commission (EC) implement a policy to allow out-of-region voting.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Decision on 1MDB-linked forfeiture suit against Pahang Umno on Jan 9
The High Court today set Jan 9 next year for decision on prosecution’s application to forfeit RM2,479,300.18 seized from the Pahang Umno Liaison Committee.
— Malay Mail

Mystery clearing of ‘protected’ land in Kinta Valley is for an orchard, says PKNP
The 20ha of protected land near Bukit Kledang that was cleared for an unknown project is actually for an orchard, says the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP).
— The Star Online

Put aside personal drama and make jobs, money for Malaysia, Muhyiddin tells Pakatan leaders
Pakatan Harapan (PH) was voted into power to resolve Malaysia’s economic decline, Tan Sri Muhyiddin reminded his political partners today amid continued mud-slinging within the coalition.
— Malay Mail

India is expected to buy more Malaysian palm oil
India is expected to buy more Malaysian palm oil in the near term after its imports contracted by 60% in October following its import tax hike on refined palm oil from Malaysia.
— The Sun Daily

Fatimah urges parents to vaccinate children to prevent spread of polio, infectious diseases
Parent are advised to have their children vaccinated to keep them safe from diseases, said Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
— The Borneo Post

BIMB to transfer listing status to Bank Islam
BIMB Holdings Bhd is proposing to a group restructuring exercise that will see the transfer of its listing status to subsidiary, Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd.
— The Sun Daily

WhatsApp will no longer work on older devices, users urged to upgrade
Popular cross-platform messaging app WhatsApp will no longer work on older phones or operating systems from Feb 1, 2020 onward.
— The Borneo Post

Almost 75% of those infected with polio don’t show any symptoms
Nearly 75% of those infected with polio do not show any symptoms, says Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division public health specialist Dr Rohani Jahis.
— The Sun Daily

Malaysian undergrads in New Zealand sad over tragedies
Malaysian undergraduates in New Zealand are heartbroken by the recent ill-fated events to hit the nation, the latest being the White Island volcanic eruption.
— New Straits times

UOB lowers Malaysia’s full-year FDI target to RM130b
Malaysia’s overall approved investment rose 4.4 per cent year-on-year to RM149 billion in the first nine months of 2019 which reached 74.5 per cent of the government’s full-year target of RM200 billion.
— New Straits times

WHO, UNICEF support Malaysia’s response to case of polio
The Ministry of Health of Malaysia yesterday announced a case of polio in Tuaran District in Sabah state, Malaysia. Testing has confirmed that the virus is genetically linked to poliovirus currently circulating in the southern Philippines.
— Reliefweb

Prosecution zooms in on SRC International’s loan application documentation
The prosecution in Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s (pix) SRC International Sdn Bhd case at the High Court today contended that the company was not forthcoming in providing the documentation pertaining to a loan application to Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP).
— The Sun Daily

Putrajaya seeking ‘backdoor’ legitimacy to Petroleum Act, says Sarawak
State tourism minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says Sarawak does not recognise Petroleum Development Act 1974.
— FMT News

Defective Jalur Gemilang case concluded, findings submitted to AGC
Police have concluded their investigation into the display of a defective Jalur Gemilang at the opening ceremony of a basketball tournament at the Malaysian Basketball Association (Maba) stadium on Jalan Hang Jebat here, about two weeks ago.
— The Sun Daily

Yusoff Rawther case: Police to call Anwar to record statement
PKR President and prime-minister-in-waiting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be called up by police to have his statement recorded over an alleged sexual assault allegation made by a former staff last week.
— The Sun Daily

LPT2 records 246 fatal accidents since 2016
A total of 246 fatal accidents involving 275 deaths were recorded on the East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) from January 2016 to October this year, the Dewan Negara was told today.
— The Sun Daily

SRC’s loan applications to KWAP were made before its directors were appointed
The High Court was told that proposals to obtain a RM3.95bil loan from the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) by SRC International Sdn Bhd were made before the company directors were formally appointed.
— The Star Online

Son-in-law: RM1.3m cheque issued to police’s football club after Zahid told of financial woes
Charitable organisation Yayasan Akalbudi issued a RM1.3 million cheque to the Royal Malaysia Police Football Association (PDRM FA) in 2015 shortly after then home minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was informed of the.
— Malay Mail

Accrual accounting will provide govt more clarity on country’s financials: MIA
The accrual accounting system implemented by Malaysia is expected to provide more clarity to the government on the country’s financials, compared to cash basis accounting.
— The Sun Daily

Latheefa: MACC doesn’t just arrest bribery, we prevent it too
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) adopts a two-pronged approach in eradicating corruption in the country, its chief Latheefa Koya said in a radio interview today.
— Malay Mail

Car owners cheated by unscrupulous brokers promising ‘sambung bayar’ deals
Selling your car through an unreliable third party can land you in trouble with the law, especially if the transaction doesn’t involve the transfer of ownership – commonly known as “sambung bayar”.
— The Sun Daily

New fuel subsidy aimed at right target, says Minister
An article penned by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pix), which appeared in a Malay daily on Oct 6, explains why the across-the-board fuel subsidy is being replaced by the Targeted Fuel Subsidy Programme.
— The Sun Daily

57 Pahang business premises appointed as mini-stockholders of essential items
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) in Pahang has appointed 57 business premises as mini-stockholders of controlled goods, in preparation for the flood season.
— The Sun Daily

Integrating gamification in classrooms
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) recently hosted the second Gamification in Learning Seminar at MyCapsule Space, the first Gamification Lab in Malaysia at its campus here.
— New Sarawak Tribune

Ministry: Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill to facilitate trade
The Dewan Rakyat’s approval of the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Amendment) Bill 2019 recently shows the government is further addressing the gaps in the existing law in order to foster greater trade facilitation.
— Malay Mail

Damansara Realty, partner launch commercial development in Tampoi
Damansara Realty Bhd’s (DBhd) subsidiary, DAC Land Sdn Bhd, and its Johor-based partner, Active Estates Sdn Bhd has launched their commercial development in Tampoi, Johor Bahru with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of more than RM150 million.
— The Sun Daily

SAP prepares measures to overcome water problems in Perlis
The Perlis government through Syarikat Air Perlis (SAP) has prepared short and long term plans to solve the water supply problems in the state.
— The Sun Daily

Police report will be main reference for stern action against PKR insubordinates, says disciplinary chief
PKR’s disciplinary board will use police reports as its main reference point to school party members who failed to toe the line during its recent annual congress in Melaka that saw stones being thrown and people hurt.
— Malay Mail

Feature photo Sumisha Naidu

This week’s Malaysia morning news feature photo focuses on Human Rights Day, December 10.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

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