Teresa Kok may face up to 2-year jail, RM50k fine & lose her MP seat for alleged offensive remarks on Halal certificates
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Seputeh Teresa Kok found herself in controversy recently after she expressed concern about a proposal considered by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) to make Halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that didn’t serve pork and alcohol.
In a statement, Teresa said that the proposal would increase the burden on businesses, including thousands of Malay restaurant operators, obstruct consumers’ choices and is against our country’s multicultural spirit. Furthermore, the Seputeh MP claimed that such a move would cause a negative reaction in the country and embarrass Malaysia internationally, turning the country into mockery overseas.
You can be arrested without a warrant & face up to 1-month jail if you don't stand up for 'Negaraku'
The Malaysian national anthem, ‘Negaraku’, has quite a unique history behind it, as its tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak. The rabbit hole goes even deeper as the tune had its roots in the popular Indonesian song ‘Terang Bulan’, which itself was an adaption of the song ‘La Rosalie’ by 19th-century French songwriter Pierre-Jean de Béranger.
Furthermore, a worldwide competition was held to compose the national anthem, with all 514 entries received being rejected due to the competition committee deeming all of them not suitable. It was only after the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman suggested that the committee choose the Perak state anthem to be used as the basis of the national anthem that ‘Negaraku’ was created.
KL sinkhole: The controversial law giving DBKL 'legal immunity' from being sued by the victim’s family
The colourful and bustling street of Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur turned into a place of tragedy recently after a sinkhole suddenly appeared while a woman was walking there, burying her deep underground.
After an intense 9-day search and rescue (SAR) operation, the victim, identified as 48-year-old Indian national Vijayaletchumi, was still not found and on 31 August, it was announced that the operation had been called off, with efforts now shifting into a ‘search and recovery’ phase instead.
Moreover, de facto Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa also said that the Cabinet would be discussing potentially giving compensation to the victim’s family, who have since returned to India on 1 September after performing the final rites for the victim on the incident site.
Here’s why Nasi Kandar chain Thaqwa ended up having to pay a whopping RM221k to Astro for copyright infringement
Popular Nasi Kandar restaurant chain Thaqwa (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd had to shell out a whopping RM221,773.20 to Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad subsidiary Measat Broadcast Systems Sdn Bhd recently following a consent judgment by the Kuala Lumpur High Court for breaching subscription agreements on unauthorised use of Astro’s pay-TV broadcasts at multiple locations.
In a statement by Astro, the company revealed that Thaqwa only had subscriptions for 2 specific premises but used them in 8 of its other restaurants through the use of Astro’s smart cards, decoder boxes and other equipment to access and display Astro content. Furthermore, as part of the settlement, Thaqwa also agreed to use their Astro subscription solely at the authorised locations and to respect Astro’s copyright and intellectual property rights.
M’sian homeowner who tampered with TNB wiring to charge his Tesla for ‘free’ may face up to 2-year jail & RM50,000 fine
A viral video caused a stir recently, showing a tampered electricity wiring setup at a residential home preventing the electricity consumption of a Tesla electric vehicle (EV) charger from being detected by the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) meter.
In the video, recorded at a residential home at an undisclosed location in Peninsular Malaysia, a TNB personnel can be seen examining the tampered wiring and questioning an individual, believed to be the homeowner, about the matter. The staff explained to the individual that the Tesla charger ‘bypassed’ the TNB meter, leading to losses for the electricity supplier.
However, the individual pled ignorance and claimed that the tampered wiring was made by the technician who installed the Tesla charger.
Parents of the 13y/o ‘Mat Rempits’ who died while illegal racing may face up to 20-year jail, RM20k fine or both
A fatal road accident at Jalan Elmina Business Park in Sungai Buloh, Selangor made headlines recently after 2 teenage boys, both aged around 13 years old died in a motorcycle crash while doing dangerous stunts on their motorcycles at around 11.20pm on 14 August.
In a statement by the Sungai Buloh District Police Chief Superintendent Mohd Hafiz Mohammad Nor, both underage riders died at the scene after colliding head-on with each other. Since news of the incident broke, many were outraged by the incident, especially given the young age of both deceased.
Accordingly, many have called for the parents or guardians of both victims to be held accountable as they should’ve kept an eye on the deceased minors and stopped them from underage riding of motorcycles and engaging in the so-called ‘Mat Rempit’ activities. Indeed, even Mohd Hafiz asserted that action may be taken against the parents for the incident.
Allegedly making seditious remarks against the Pahang Sultan, Muhyiddin may face up to 3-year jail & lose his Pagoh seat
Former Prime Minister and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been in hot water for his remarks during a ceramah or public rally during the campaigning period of the recently-concluded Nenggiri by-election which touched upon religion, royalty and race (3R).
This is after a viral video showed Muhyiddin claiming he had the support of 115 MPs after the 15th General Election (GE15) but was not invited to form the federal government. He then asked the crowd who the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was during that time.
The 14y/o girl who impersonated a doctor at Serdang Hospital may face 3-year jail, but can minors be charged for a crime?
A rather peculiar case caught the attention of Malaysians recently after a 14-year-old girl was apprehended by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) at the lobby of Hospital Sultan Idris Shah in Serdang, Selangor for impersonating a medical doctor.
According to a statement by the Sepang District Police Chief Wan Kamarul Azran bin Yusof, the girl had allegedly disguised herself as a medical officer and even managed to enter an operation theatre to “help perform surgery”.
“Govt buildings built on private land?” - The ‘Duta Enclave’ land dispute and its serious repercussions explained
We may have just seen the penultimate end to one of the longest-standing civil land disputes in our nation’s history and it’s not good news for the Malaysian Government.
This is after the High Court granted the application by the liquidator of Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd to have a 263.27-acre land in Mukim Batu in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor named the “Duta Enclave” to be transferred back to the company.
This decision is particularly noteworthy because it is currently occupied by several government agencies and complexes, including the Inland Revenue Board, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Academy, the National Archives, the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium and rather ironically, the Malaysian Institute of Integrity.
Here’s why the offender in the cyberbullying case of the TikToker who took her own life was ‘only’ fined RM100
Malaysia was rocked recently by the tragic case of a local TikTok influencer who took her own life after being subjected to alleged cyberbullying online. The victim, 30-year-old Ms Rajeswary Appahu, affectionately known as Esha, was found dead in her home on 5 July, a day after she had lodged a police report in Kuala Lumpur over fears of being raped and killed, as well as named 2 individuals who had allegedly tormented her by trolling her on TikTok.
In the police report, the victim also claimed that an individual had harassed her in a TikTok live session using threats and vulgarities.
Since then, 2 individuals were hauled and charged in court, 1 of whom was identified as 35-year-old nursing home owner Shalini Periasamy. However, the seemingly light action taken against Shalini caused the ire of Malaysians as she was only fined RM100 in the cyberbullying case; a punishment that many found to be not befitting of the severity of the crime.
Can UMNO sue Rembia ADUN RM100 million for ‘hopping’ to PAS? Here’s everything you need to know
Despite the Anti-Hopping law already enforced in Malaysia for almost 2 years now, it seems that political stability, the intention behind said law, is yet to be achieved in our country. Previously, we shared how the 6 Bersatu Members of Parliament (MPs) who supported Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim are ‘exempt’ from the law simply due to them not technically hopping to another political and that Bersatu’s amended party constitution which made them ‘ceased to be a Bersatu member’ was deemed by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul as denying the rights of the MPs which are enshrined under the Federal Constitution, Parliament Standing Order and the House of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952.
Suspects in the disappearance of the now rescued 6yo Johor girl may face up to 10 years in jail & fine for kidnapping
Our country was rocked recently by the distressing case of a 6-year-old girl who went missing at the Eco Galleria business centre in Iskandar Puteri, Johor on Saturday (20 July). The girl, Albertine Leo Jia Hui had disappeared around 7.15pm during the Bon Odori festival held at the business centre and prompted a nationwide search by the authorities and civilians alike.
Just over 24 hours later, Johor Police Chief CP M. Kumar in a statement announced that there has been development in the case, with 3 individuals aged between 28 and 55 being arrested to assist in the investigation. He further revealed that Albertine’s disappearance has been reclassified as kidnapping, further raising the concerns among Malaysians.
EXPLAINER: WHY THE 6 BERSATU MPS WHO SUPPORT ANWAR AS PM DON’T NEED TO VACATE THEIR SEATS DESPITE ANTI-HOPPING LAW
Almost one year after a series of controversial ‘defections’ involving Bersatu Members of Parliament (MP) took place in the Dewan Rakyat, the status of the so-called ‘Bersatu Six’ has finally been clarified by Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
This is after the 6 MPs, Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang) had announced their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim while claiming to still be loyal to Bersatu, seemingly taking advantage of a ‘loophole’ in the Anti-Hopping Law.
KEDAH GAMBLING BAN: THE STATE GOVT OVERSTEPPED ITS POWERS & WILL LIKELY FAIL ITS APPEAL AGAINST THE LOTTERY OPERATORS
A controversial directive by the Kedah State Government on 1 January last year for local governments under its jurisdiction to cease the renewal of business premises licences of gaming outlets has recently been overruled by the Alor Setar High Court.
This is after several of the affected gambling outlets were successful in their bids for judicial review, whereby on 20 June, Judge Mahazan Mat Taib ruled in favour of the companies in their motion to challenge the directive. However, the Kedah State Government has since filed an appeal against the decision on 23 June.
So, what is a judicial review and why did the Alor Setar High Court rule in favour of the gambling outlets? Well, join us as we delve into the delicate matter based on the relevant laws and conventions below.
EXPLAINER: NAJIB RAZAK’S REJECTED BID TO SERVE HIS REMAINING JAIL SENTENCE AT HOME & WHY IT’S STILL FAR FROM OVER
Despite being in jail for close to 2 years now, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is never far away from the headlines. Most recently, Najib was in the news again after his application to obtain leave from the High Court for a judicial review to challenge the existence of an addendum order, purportedly issued with the consent of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, allowing the former Prime Minister to serve his remaining 6 years of imprisonment under house arrest was rejected.
Najib claimed that beyond the partial Royal Pardon he received from the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong which halved his jail sentence from 12 to 6 years and reduced his RM210 million fine to RM50 million in the former Prime Minister’s SRC International case, there was also an addendum or additional decree for him to serve his remaining jail sentence under house arrest. The judicial review was filed last April and was soundly rejected by the High Court after the leave application was heard on 3 July.
ALLEGEDLY INSULTING ISLAM AND MALAYSIA IN VIRAL VIDEO, LOCAL E-HAILING DRIVER MAY FACE UP TO 3 YEARS IN JAIL
The tragic death of 2 brothers aged 2 and 3 after ingesting a snack laced with rat poison shocked the nation recently, causing public outcry.
The incident took place on 7 July at Kampung Padang Ubi in Kulim, Kedah, in which the 2 young victims had taken a packet of crackers containing rat poison that was hung on a garden fence to trap monkeys.
After ingesting the poisoned snack, the children started vomiting and foaming at the mouth. They were then taken to Malau Health Clinic before going to Kulim Hospital in critical condition.
Sadly, the elder brother died at about 8.30am at Penang Hospital on 10 July, while his younger brother died at 1.24pm on 12 July at the same hospital.
ALLEGEDLY INSULTING ISLAM AND MALAYSIA IN VIRAL VIDEO, LOCAL E-HAILING DRIVER MAY FACE UP TO 3 YEARS IN JAIL
A viral video has caused the ire of Malaysians recently, showing how a local e-hailing driver was essentially talking bad about our country to a foreign tourist from the UK who was visiting Penang.
Worse, the e-hailing driver even went over the line by allegedly making insulting remarks about Islam and derogatory accusations about our country, claiming that Malaysia bans the consumption of alcohol and gambling.
THE TEACHER WHO MADE A STUDENT STAND UNDER HOT SUN UNTIL CAUSING DISABILITIES CAN FACE UP TO 20-YEAR JAIL & RM50K FINE
A shocking incident caused an uproar among Malaysians recently, involving a Year 5 student who was made to stand in the middle of a field under the hot sun for over 2 hours by his teacher as punishment.
As a result of the punishment, the 11-year-old student suffered from heatstroke and was feeling unwell after returning home. As reported by Scoop, the boy was too weak to bathe himself afterwards and his mother had to assist him.
GATHERING & COOKING WITH GAS STOVES AT A GENTING PETROL STATION, VIRAL HONDA JAZZ GROUP MAY FACE UP TO 3-MONTH JAIL
The irresponsible actions of a group of Japanese car brand enthusiasts received the ire of Malaysians recently after a video of them gathering at a petrol station in Genting Highlands, Pahang went viral.
In the video, the Honda Jazz owners’ group can be seen parking their vehicles around the petrol station, causing congestion and inconveniencing other road users who visit the area.
Worse, the group gathered around a couple of gas stoves, cooking instant noodles and other snacks at a very precarious location: Right above the underground fuel tank reservoir of the petrol station.
A police siren could also be heard in the background near the middle of the video but the group seems nonchalant about the presence of the Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) Unit of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
