Nooryana Najwa Najib sent a message to her father on this festival of gratitude: Although the family and Najib are separated, they are still closely connected by love and hope and continue to be inspired by his tenacious spirit.

“We love you, we miss you, we are with you, many people feel the same way, you will never be alone, please come back to us safely, we are all waiting for your return,” was her poignant message.

In conjunction with Father’s Day on Sunday, Nooryana recently gave an exclusive interview to China Press via video in Singapore, in which she recounted how she was inspired by her beloved father as she grew up.

She shared that Najib was not always at home on Father’s Day in previous years. If he was at home, the celebration was very simple, which was to have lunch together as a family, as this was already a very precious thing.

She explained that before Najib became prime minister, he would often return to the Pekan constituency to attend events on weekends. Therefore, after becoming prime minister and having even busier official duties, it was very rare for him to be able to enjoy lunch with his family on weekends.

Nooryana’s Close Relationship With Her Dad

Nooryana said that she and Najib have a very close father-daughter relationship and when she visits him in prison, she would share many things with him, including the growth of her three children, as Najib always wanted to know about the lives of his grandchildren.

“When the Prime Minister comes home, he is the father,” Nooryana said that even though he was a national leader with heavy responsibilities, Najib was good at distinguishing his public and private roles as a father, and never brought work pressure home, so he rarely walked into the house upset.

“When he comes home, he leaves all the stress behind and when he comes home, he’s not a politician or a prime minister, he’s a dad and we laugh and joke and tease each other, even if it’s just for five or 10 minutes, that’s always the best part of our day.”

She noted that as she grew up, she saw her father play his role as a national leader and head of the family with passion, love and dedication.

“He cared for his people just as much as he cared for his children and his family, and I was lucky to have such a great role model growing up.”

Nooryana said Najib loved serving the people and often reminded his children to behave properly and take care of the family’s image during his tenure as prime minister, as the position of prime minister was a position of great responsibility.

She laughed and said that Najib has been the Umno Pekan MP since he was 23 years old. His family knew that he was very busy and they were used to him sacrificing a lot of time with his family. But even though he was busy with official duties, Najib was still very concerned about his children’s studies, careers and health.

“My father encouraged me to start from the bottom.”

Nooryana, who is also an executive committee member of the Umno Women’s Youth Wing and the head of the Lembah Pantai division, said Najib always encouraged her to spend as much time as possible to understand the grassroots, start from the bottom, do things steadily and step by step to rise up in the party.

She pointed out that looking back at Najib’s political career, even though he was elected as a Member of Parliament at the age of 23, his father also rose through the ranks in UMNO step by step, from being the Youth Chief of the Pekan division to serving as an executive committee member and Youth Chief of the UMNO Youth Wing, and finally becoming the party chairman.

“The connections you make with people (at the grassroots) will be pillars of support for you later on.”

She said that now she is studying with party comrades, improving her own weaknesses and building sisterhood in the process. She hopes that these sisters will become her pillars of support when she has the opportunity to be promoted to higher positions in the future.

She pointed out that she has always been interested in politics. She studied for a bachelor’s degree in international politics in college, and then studied for a master’s degree in business administration and public administration at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Kennedy School of Harvard University respectively.

After Najib was imprisoned, Nooryana decided to challenge herself to understand more about her father’s work. When she travelled around the country to campaign for the 15th General Election in 2022, she was inspired by hearing people share how they benefited from the policies implemented by Najib. This made her realise that her father had changed many people’s lives.

So, she finally decided to run in the UMNO party election in 2023.

“I am honored to be his daughter….”

As Najib’s daughter, Nooryana admitted that she was very lucky and honored. She witnessed the sacrifices made by her father, who was once a national leader, in his life and learned many valuable qualities from him, including how to have perseverance and patience.

She said she firmly believed that one day her father would be free and reunite with his family because Najib worked hard to stay healthy for his family.

“We look forward to the day when he can return home, healthy and well, to spend time with his family for many years to come.”

She pointed out that Najib has always been a family man, so he will suffer emotional pain from being separated from his family while serving his sentence in prison, but fortunately his father is a devout Muslim, and he can find comfort in learning more about Islam and having more time to pray.

“I think that’s where his strength comes from. Although he’s strong and optimistic, I know it’s still a challenge for him.” – NMH

The post Nooryana Najib To Her Dad: Please Come Back To Us Safely first appeared on NMH.

[More to come]

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The Salehs were so appalled by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s staunch diplomatic defence of Israel at the expense of the Palestinian people, that the Ontario couple decided to move their family 12,000km away across the world to Malaysia.

Now Muhammad William, his wife Sana, and their three children, live in Kuala Lumpur and run a YouTube channel with 1.28 million subscribers.

Their recent videos on the “Saleh Family” YouTube channel extol the allure of relocating to the Southeast Asian nation. But the push factors were just as important in making up their minds.

“We continuously watched our leaders in Canada making statements in support of Israel and we couldn’t bear the fact that our tax dollars were contributing to this,” Sana told This Week in Asia.

The Saleh family in Langkawi, Malaysia, during an island-hopping excursion in February. Photo: Handout

They chose Malaysia over other Muslim-majority countries because attitudes in the Southeast Asian nation towards Israel’s six-month assault on Gaza were “completely opposite” of those in Canada.

“We see the Palestinian flag everywhere; they boycotted companies that supported Israel,” Sana said. “It is the simple fact that Malaysia is not afraid to stand up and say: ‘Hey, we support Palestine and the Palestinian cause’.

Since the Israel-Gaza war erupted on October 7 last year, Malaysians have shunned a slew of businesses, including American chains McDonald’s and Starbucks, leading to massive losses for both companies that continue unabated today.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been strident in his criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza, calling it a “Western hypocrisy” and taking his unfiltered criticism of the siege – and Western backing for Israel – to US President Joe Biden at the White House, while also making “no apologies” for his nation’s historic links with Hamas when standing alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The Salehs, like many other Muslim expatriates, say they found inspiration for their move from the Hijrah – a crucial episode in the Prophet Muhammad’s life 1,445 years ago, when he left persecution in Makkah for the safety of Medina, an event that meant the survival of a then-fledgling religion to become a faith which now has 1.8 billion devotees.

Other Muslim content creators, such as British national Saira Hayati and Canadian couple Mahdi and Sagal, who are active on Instagram and TikTok, have also chosen Malaysia as their new home.https://03de19461db71806ebdcbff00492fd40.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

Another British national, Muhammad Deen, told the “Optimized Muslim” YouTube channel that the striking mosques of Kuala Lumpur, and not having to check whether food and groceries were halal, were “liberating” for a Muslim.

Malaysia’s large Muslim population – more than 60 per cent of the country’s 33.7 million people – and the fact that Islam is enshrined as a state religion are strong pulls for many Muslim travellers and long-stayers who also require halal food and can pray in its abundance of mosques.

The Salehs’ video published on March 20 announcing their move has garnered more than 136,000 views, with the comments section peppered with positive anecdotes about Malaysia, as well as questions on the relocation process.null

“It’s absolutely insane, it is astronomical,” Sana said. “We get dozens of emails and thousands of comments from people asking us how we did it, what the process is like and that they want to do the same.”

Another Canadian-Muslim, Shadia Yousuf, told This Week in Asia she was considering making the leap to Malaysia, like many in her circle.

“I visited [Malaysia] for an exchange programme and thought it was such a beautiful place,” Shadia said. “A place I could easily adjust to and settle in for many reasons.”

Tourists walk past a mural featuring the Malaysian flag in Kuala Lumpur. The country is bouncing back as a destination for migration, especially from China. Photo: EPA-EFE

Back in the big time?

But it is not just Muslims joining the expanding cohort of expatriates in Malaysia, drawn by good weather, beaches, food, a cheaper cost of living, government visa offers and a reputation as the most developed of Southeast Asia’s larger nations.

Malaysia was an early starter in Asia’s race to lure expatriates with the skills and experience needed to helped the country rapidly develop in the 1980s. That pulled it ahead of Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, with gleaming towers and promise of business in a booming economy.

But the 1997 Asian economic crisis burst the bubble and political infighting led to further stagnation, allowing its regional neighbours – including Vietnam – to catch up and eventually overtake it.https://03de19461db71806ebdcbff00492fd40.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

But the country, which is still trading on its long-running tourism tagline of “Malaysia, Truly Asia”, is now bouncing back as a destination for migration, especially from China.

Singapore-based YouTuber Max Chernov, who has a series of interviews with Western expatriates in Malaysia, said the most common reason cited for moving to the country was because “it has it all”.

“Great food, widespread English proficiency, a significant expat community, and friendly and respectful locals make it an appealing place,” Cherkov told This Week in Asia. “Speaking about Kuala Lumpur, it offers a nice balance of a fair cost of living and fun, without being as hectic as Bangkok or Jakarta.”

Singapore to the south is neck and neck with Zurich in Switzerland at the top of the list of the world’s most expensive cities, with rent for a three-bedroom family home costing around US$2,000 per month, while Thailand to the north has complicated visa processes, high tax rates and a highly restrictive route to permanent residency.

The recent post-pandemic economic downturn adds to the appeal, market analysts say, particularly for Western travellers, as the Malaysian ringgit is now hovering at a historic low against the US dollar, allowing them to stretch their cash further.

US consulting firm Mercer, in its Quality of Living City Ranking 2023, placed Kuala Lumpur at No 86 among 241 cities for the practicalities of daily life for expatriates in assignment locations worldwide.

While trailing Singapore, which was in 29th place, the Malaysian capital bested fellow Southeast Asian cities Bangkok and Manila, which came in at 124th and 135th, respectively.

A similar index by The Economist magazine’s Intelligence Unit cited Kuala Lumpur as the biggest mover over the previous 12 months, jumping 19 spots to 93rd in its list for 2023.

Houses against the backdrop of the Petronas Towers and other buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has been trying to lure foreigners to settle in the country for decades. Photo: Bloomberg

Since 2002, the Malaysian government has tried to entice more foreigners to settle in the country under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. The scheme permits foreign retirees and working expatriates to live in Malaysia under a multiple-entry social visit pass, subject to income and investment requirements.null

While Kuala Lumpur’s Mont Kiara neighbourhood has for decades been known for its expatriate residents, the foreign-born population is spreading out further around the country thanks to the MM2H scheme, with many opting for the rustic charms of Penang and Malacca, where the pace of life is much slower than in the capital city.

“The [MM2H] programme attracts the target demographic of big spenders who tend to buy or rent homes in touristy locations,” said Kashif Ansari, co-founder of property solutions provider Juwai IQI. “They do not compete with Malaysians for housing.”

Interested applicants are required to invest between US$105,000 and US$1.05 million into fixed deposits, show proof of sufficient financial support to sustain themselves in Malaysia, and stay in the country for a minimum of 60 cumulative days per year.

In return, they are entitled to remain in the country for five years, with the option of renewing their stay, and enjoy tax exemption on pensions or income remitted into Malaysia from overseas, as well as eligibility to buy property in the country.

Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing in March told parliament that as of January, the MM2H programme had more than 56,066 participants, an increase of some 2,170 from 2022.

According to Tiong, the programme has been dominated by East Asians from China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, with Chinese nationals making up nearly half of all participants.

From the West, Britons top the list at 2,234 participants followed by US citizens at 1,340.

The scheme generated an average of 2.6 billion ringgit (US$550 million) between 2018 and 2019, government officials say. Business newspaper The Edge reported that MM2H had generated some 58 billion ringgit since its inception in 2002.

Homes in Singapore. A person renting a three-bedroom flat in the city state would be able to rent a luxury condominium in downtown Kuala Lumpur for the same amount. Photo: Bloomberg

Lower costs to attain a comfortable life are the main draw, expat market analysts say.

For the same amount of money to rent a three-bedroom public housing flat in Singapore, it is possible to rent a comparably sized luxury condominium encircling the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, one of Malaysia’s most desirable addresses.

The number of international schools in the country has also increased from 66 in 2010 to more than 200, with more slated to open every year.

A recent revision of the MM2H programme has lowered the barriers to entry, reducing the financial requirements as well as the minimum age of applicants from 35 to 30 years old, opening it up to a new cohort of digital nomads who have been flocking to Asia since the pandemic.

That puts it in competition with Thailand, which has also been appealing to digital nomads to move but has yet to ease onerous and confusing layers of bureaucracy for them to do so, observers say.

Outside densely urbanised Peninsular Malaysia’s cities, MM2H applicants are also opting for Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island, which are rich with mountains, forests and nature destinations. Sarawak, in particular, has seen an increase in approved applications, from just 27 in 2021 to more than 700 last year.

Malaysia’s second-largest city, Johor Bahru, which sits just 1km across the narrow strait from Singapore, is also hankering after a boost from MM2H, particularly in its development corridor region of Iskandar Malaysia.

In December, the research arm of Malaysia’s RHB Bank called the revised MM2H scheme “timely” as the country seeks to develop its border region with Singapore into “Malaysia’s Shenzhen”, with the cross-border Rapid Transit System (RTS) due to be integrated directly into the city state’s metro system.

“The friendlier policy will help to encourage the potential relocation of skilled workers, which has been the government’s objective to spur growth in Johor,” RHB Research said. “This, in turn, should lift demand for properties, especially for those located near to the RTS terminal [in Johor Bahru], and the Tuas link [in Singapore].”

Vehicles on the Johor-Singapore Causeway. Johor Bahru sits just 1km across a narrow strait from Singapore. Photo: Bloomberg

Live but can’t stay

While moving to Malaysia is relatively easy, staying can be a problem.

Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Olalere, from Nigeria, is looking to leave after 11 years in Malaysia, saying the daily racism and discrimination has worn him down.

“I came for college and have been working since I graduated,” said Emmanuel, who does tech reviews on his YouTube channel Geekception. “In other countries, I would have been a citizen by now, yet here I am still on a visa.”

Canada has a lower requirement for permanent residency, and offers a path to citizenship to permanent residents who have lived in the country for three out of the last five years, whereas that same time period only makes one eligible for permanent residency in Malaysia.

His decision is made more bittersweet because Emmanuel enjoys Malaysia, saying he loves the food and was able to build a life. But that came with the “trade-off” of having to deal with systemic discrimination against non-citizens, as well as casual racism among the local population which hinders housing opportunities for Africans in the country.

He said his experiences included getting “stopped everywhere” by the police as well as enduring constant stares from locals, and he was once called “the N-word” by a woman on a bus.

“No food is great enough for me to live like that,” he said.

Despite its proud billing as a multicultural and multiracial nation, Malaysia has had an uneasy relationship with African migrants, with some 25,000 student visas issued to African nationals in 2012 to study at its many private colleges across the country.

Reports of crimes involving members of the community have been further hyped up by the local media’s casual use of derogatory terms such as awang hitam (black chaps).

The country is also struggling to manage its sizeable migrant-worker population, particularly Bangladeshis as well as Rohingyarefugees who are seen to be dominating certain economic sectors – despite being hired by Malaysians – and sidelining locals, especially low-income groups who are struggling with rising costs of living.

Anger and discrimination are routine against marginalised migrant communities.

Migrant workers at a vegetable farm in Malaysia’s Pahang state. Photo: AFP

At the same time, the creeping Islamisation of Malaysian society, which has lured many Muslim expatriates to come to Malaysia – including the Saleh family – has had the opposite effect on other Malaysians, who have sought new lives overseas.

Films have been banned for un-Islamic content, with their makers receiving death threats and legal action over their work, while shops have been attacked with petrol bombsfor selling socks with the word “Allah” printed on them – events that paint a grim picture of a Malaysia that is sliding further away from openness and towards religious fundamentalism.

“That is not the Malaysia I left behind and it does not sound like a place I want to come home to,” said accountant Shamsul Baharin who relocated his family to Britain 15 years ago.

While acknowledging that his adopted home had its own issues, Shamsul said it was not as heartbreaking as seeing his home country change.

“I always tell people there is no place like Malaysia,” he said. “It’s even more true now: that Malaysia I talk about is no more.”

Hadi Azmi

Hadi Azmi is the Post’s Malaysia Correspondent. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he covers Malaysian politics and current affairs. He has written for Bloomberg, The New York Times, and CNN.

The post Malaysia’s lower living costs, MM2H visa, anti-Israel stance are luring expats – but can they stay long term? first appeared on NMH.

The 3R Tensions and the Frayed Tapestry of Malaysia

Deep-seated issues pertaining to race, religion, and royalty (the 3Rs) have long been a part of Malaysia’s narrative. The fabric of Malaysian society, woven with diverse threads, has experienced tension throughout its history. The KK Mart incident, representative of a growing concern for disrespect towards Islamic beliefs, confronts a globalized consumer culture’s oversight of local values. Similarly, the verbal assault on Hinduism by an influential preacher has rattled the foundations of Malaysia’s secular pledge enshrined within its Constitution—threatening the delicate covenant between its various ethnic groups.

The misstep by KK Mart unearths an underlying need for a sense of corporate responsibility to a nuanced market. In Malaysia’s multiracial and multi-religious landscape, businesses must navigate cultural sensitivities with prudence and respect. The fallout serves as a stark reminder of the potential repercussions of neglecting the cultural and religious sentiments of the consumer base. It beckons the question: How can private entities be educated and encouraged to act in ways that respect the spiritual contours of the society they serve?

Freedom of expression is a foundational pillar of democracy, yet in a nation as diverse as Malaysia, the question remains—where does one draw the line? The preacher’s divisive comments on Hinduism highlight a fissure in interfaith relations, revealing a need for a robust framework that curtails hate speech while upholding individual expression. The state’s role in quelling such provocations through legislation and dialogue becomes imperative for communal harmony.

Transcending Hate: RHB’s Raya Video 2024 as a Harmonizing Agent

In times of societal unrest, the role of media in shaping public sentiment stands out distinctly. RHB’s Raya video for the year 2024 has emerged as an unexpected salve to the inflamed situation. It tells the story of a Muslim lawyer who forgoes his Hari Raya festivities to assist a destitute Indian family when the mother is caught stealing a gift for her son—echoing real-life struggles faced by many Malaysians. This narrative not only serves as an empathic reflection of society’s hardships but as a testament to the shared values of kindness, empathy, and sacrifice that cut across cultural and religious lines.

The lawyer’s act of altruism symbolizes the universality of the human experience, transcending the boundaries erected by the 3R tensions. This heartwarming message has resonated with many Malaysians, suggesting a collective yearning for unity and coexistent respect among the populace.

Steering Towards Resolution: Recommendations for Malaysia

Given the delicate societal equilibrium, it becomes imperative to devise strategies that can mend the intercultural rifts. Drawing lessons from RHB’s Raya video, several approaches can be proposed:

1. Enhancing Cultural Literacy: There’s a need for comprehensive cultural education, starting from school curriculums to corporate training programs. Such initiatives can foster a society aware of its diverse makeup, reducing unwitting offences and cultivating respect for all cultural and religious practices.
2. Stronger Legislation against Hate Speech: Malaysia can consider revisiting and tightening its legal stances on hate speech to discourage bigoted remarks while preserving the right to freedom of expression.
3. Interfaith Dialogues: Creating continuous and open dialogues between different religious groups can promote understanding and dispel misconceptions, leading to a more cohesive national fabric.
4. Corporate Accountability Frameworks: A systematic approach to ensure businesses operate with cognizance of Malaysia’s cultural pluralism could include diversity audits and the establishment of ethical consumer guidelines.
5. Media as Peacemaker: Investment in media productions that showcase the beauty of Malaysia’s diversity and the shared human values across cultures can have a profound, unifying effect on the populace.

Malaysia stands at a precarious juncture in its national journey. The 3R tensions, as they escalate, run the risk of fragmenting society if left unaddressed. The KK Mart and preacher incidents, amongst others, present distressing examples of intercultural and interreligious friction. However, the unity-laden message of RHB’s 2024 Raya Video provides a poignant counterbalance, offering a glimpse of what Malaysia can strive towards—a society where diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated, where everyone, regardless of background, can feel respected and valued. As the nation grapples with these challenges, such inspiring narratives can help guide the way towards a future where all Malaysians can live together in harmony.

The post Bridging the Divide: RHB’s Raya Video 2024 Lights the Way in Malaysia’s 3R Crisis first appeared on NMH.

On a summer’s day in 2009 on the sparkling waters of the French Riviera, the superyacht Alfa Nero was playing host to a crucial meeting that, it is alleged, was part of a plot that triggered one of the world’s biggest financial scandals.

Najib Razak, then prime minister of Malaysia, met the young financier Jho Low and the bosses of the international oil firm PetroSaudi International to discuss the potential of a partnership involving his country’s wealth fund 1MDB. The bones of a deal were quickly agreed.

PetroSaudi chief executive Tarek Obaid was cock-a-hoop, but wanted to canvas the opinion of a trusted adviser. He called Rick Haythornthwaite, a respected City figure advising the UK arm of PetroSaudi International, who was announced last week as the £775,000-a-year chairman of the NatWest Group from next April.

Haythornthwaite believed a deal made sense and could offer opportunities to reactivate offshore fields in Malaysia. “That’s just as well,” Obaid responded. “Because we’ve done it.”

Crime investigators now allege that the venture agreed was a front and conspiracy involving PetroSaudi to embezzle $1bn from the wealth fund, with Jho Low funding a jet-setting lifestyle from Malaysia to Hollywood on the criminal spoils.

Haythornthwaite was kept in the dark by other key PetroSaudi managers about the alleged fraud and was not involved in the planning or formation of the 1MDB joint venture. But he now faces questions over whether it was a misjudgment to work for the UK arm of the oil services firm and whether he adequately responded to warnings of a scandal.

Haythornthwaite, 66, held advisory roles at PetroSaudi International (UK) including president (2010 to 2013) and chairman of the operating businesses (2014-2015), according to corporate filings by the global payments giant Mastercard where he was chairman from 2006 to 2020.

A source close to Haythornthwaite said: “His role at PetroSaudi UK was a part-time advisory assignment alongside a number of other chairmanships. He was never a director or privy to the action of the owners.

“His sole focus was on the exploration and production activities of the UK subsidiary, an entity that had no board and was purely operational. At no time did he see any evidence of wrongdoing but as rumours increased he decided to step away.”

1MDB was launched in 2009 by former prime minister Razak, raising billions of dollars in bonds. It is claimed by the US Department of Justice that between 2009 and 2014 individuals and corporations, including PetroSaudi, fraudulently diverted billions of dollars from the fund.https://b85fa4f83ab8faad8be8a1d921104487.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

Embezzled money was allegedly used by Jho Low and others to purchase properties, fund gambling sprees and help to back the production of Hollywood movies, including The Wolf of Wall Street, the film about financial excess starring Leonard DiCaprio.

As one of its first investment projects and following the informal summit in August 2009 on the Riviera near Monaco, 1MDB formally agreed to put $1bn into a joint venture with PetroSaudi.

The oil firm had been founded in 2005 by Prince Turki bin Abdullah – a son of the late King Abdullah – and Obaid, an entrepreneur and former banker. It had offices in London – where Haythornthwaite worked – and Saudi Arabia.

When the joint venture was formalised in September 2009, Jho Low emailed his family members with the message: “Just closed the deal with petrosaudi. Looks like we may have hit a goldmin[e].” Under the deal, PetroSaudi would provide assets valued at $2.7bn, which, according to Swiss prosecutors it did not possess.

During the correspondence between 1MDB and PetroSaudi, Nik Faisal, one of the fund’s senior officials, wrote in December 2009 to Haythornthwaite and Patrick Mahony, one of PetroSaudi’s directors, and said: “I trust Rick is the main man where contact will be established.” Mahony quickly corrected Faisal, and made clear Haythornthwaite was to be kept out of the loop.

Haythornthwaite did visit 1MDB offices in Malaysia after the venture was agreed, but was unimpressed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a shower in my life,” he told colleagues.

Legal filings now state that from $1bn due to be paid to PetroSaudi, $700m was sent to an account at RBS Coutts bank in Zurich held in the name of Good Star, a Seychelles company. The remaining $300m was wired into accounts under the control of Obaid, the PetroSaudi boss.

According to court filings, the Good Star account was controlled by Jho Low, who orchestrated the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars to the US and Singapore. Good Star also agreed to pay $85m to Obai as a fee for “brokering services”.

Jho Low, who was nicknamed the Whale, quickly became renowned for his extravagant spending and a celebrity-studded party lifestyle. He celebrated his 28th birthday with a four-day event in Las Vegas, including a party at a pool surrounded by caged lions and tigers.

Former BBC reporter Clare Rewcastle Brown, an anti-corruption campaigner who runs the Sarawak Report website, had scrutinised the deals involving 1MDB and suspected wrongdoing. She was the first to report the scandal in February 2015 after Xavier Justo, a Swiss banker and former PetroSaudi executive, leaked more than 220,000 documents from the PetroSaudi servers to her.

In December 2015 Rewcastle Brown wrote to Haythornthwaite as one of the company’s management team to challenge him on who really owned Good Star. PetroSaudi had insisted the firm was one of its subsidiaries. She asked whether he was prepared to stand by the claim.

Seemingly irritated by her approach, Haythornthwaite stonewalled Rewcastle Brown. “It is clear that you are an active campaigning blogger rather than an objective journalist with a desire to understand the true facts behind this matter,” he wrote. “That your email to me contains fundamental factual errors – not least suggesting that I am, or have ever been chairman of PetroSaudi International – reinforces my concerns about your credibility.

“Even if I were to be in possession of information relevant to your query, I would be unwilling to assist you in your questionable activities.”

A source close to Haythornthwaite said there was conflicting information about the authenticity of some leaked emails, with claims that some had been doctored. Now, however, the City stalwart recognises he could have responded more helpfully.

PetroSaudi had said in March 2015 in response to Rewcastle Brown’s investigations that allegations about the 1MDB venture were “simply false” and based on unlawfully obtained emails that it claimed had been altered in some cases.

Investigators were already digging into the 1MDB money trail and the role of Razak, the Malaysian prime minister. The Wall Street Journal revealed in July 2015 that investigators had traced nearly $700m of deposits into Razak’s personal accounts that were linked to 1MDB, with the book by two of the paper’s journalists, Billion Dollar Whale, later detailing the global fraud.https://b85fa4f83ab8faad8be8a1d921104487.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

In July 2016, the US Department of Justice filed a civil suit to seize assets it alleged were bought with funds from 1MDB. By 2018, the wealth fund was under investigation in at least six countries, including the US, Switzerland and Singapore.

In July 2020, former prime minister Razak was sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering and breach of trust. Jho Low has been charged in the US for money laundering and is a fugitive from justice, with his whereabouts unknown.

Last April, the office of the Swiss attorney general filed an indictment against two unnamed PetroSaudi managers over the joint 1MDB venture. Haythornthwaite has provided help to the authorities as a witness or potential witness. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him.

A source close to Haythornthwaite said he had worked as a part-time adviser from about 2008 to 2016 for the UK arm of PetroSaudi, which had offices in London’s Mayfair.https://b85fa4f83ab8faad8be8a1d921104487.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0

A proposed contract involving his work seen by the Observer says he would work 2.5 days a week on a basic salary of £200,000 a year.

This contract covers his employment from August 2010, about a year after the 1MDB venture was first agreed – and while Haythornthwaite was also serving as chairman of Network Rail in the UK.

The contract says that he would be entitled to bonuses of £1m in February 2011 and £1m within two months of June 2014. A separate note that appears to have been written by Haythornthwaite proposes the bonuses were “ringfenced” offshore.

The note says: “The contract would state that the company will pay me £2m net if I remain through to 1 September 2014 … On each vesting date the gross funds would be placed in an offshore Zurich International Portfolio Bond Wrapper which in turn will be placed in a discretionary trust with me as a co-trustee with a PetroSaudi person. This is a simple structure that can be put in place rapidly by Coutts.”

There is no suggestion this proposal was unlawful and it appears to be devised to ringfence the bonus pot. A source close to Haythornthwaite said various contracts were discussed and the £2m in bonuses was not paid, but could not provide details on the bonuses received.New Natwest boss worked for oil firm under investigation in ‘world’s biggest financial scandal’

The source said the proposal of an offshore structure was never executed and Haythornthwaite could not recall ever making such a proposal.

He walked out in mid-2016, more than a year after questions were raised about the 1MDB deals, with one source saying he considered there was “too much noise around”.

He is understood to have challenged the bosses about the scandal and was told it was fuelled by a political vendetta against Razak.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “At no time has Rick Haythornthwaite been a director of PetroSaudi International (UK) Limited (now PSI Group Services Limited) as is clear from disclosures on Companies House.”

PetroSaudi International did not respond to a request for comment.

This article was originally published in The Guardian.

The post The NatWest Boss, The Missing Malaysian Billions And The Damning Email first appeared on NMH.

After a four-year hiatus, today marked a special day for Malaysia’s favourite bread company as it relaunched its factory tour programme, officiated by the Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development (KPWKM), YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri.

Factory Visit

Over 40,000 visitors have passed through the doors of the Gardenia KL factory visit facility since 1991. Purposefully built for the comfort of visitors, the facility is designed complete with an observation deck and theatre for guided tours comprising the young and young at heart including families, schools and professional groups. Visitors are greeted with the aroma of freshly baked bread and eventually leave with a sense of amazement at the bakery’s modern and state-of-the-art technology and hygienic production process.

The relaunch of visits comes after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the devastating 2021 floods in Shah Alam and is a celebration of Gardenia KL’s resilience, and commitment to its treasured consumers to showcase how Malaysia’s favourite bread products are produced transparently.

Gardenia KL CEO, Koh Chin Huat, emphasised the significance of the factory refurbishment and factory visit programme relaunch. “The Gardenia KL factory Tour Programme has been an educative and fun activity providing positive social engagement for all age groups. After almost four years, we gather to witness the relaunch of the programme. I must congratulate the team who have been working tirelessly to bring back the Gardenia Factory Tour Programme opened for the benefit of Malaysians,” said Koh.

#GardeniaCares

As a well-known household brand, Gardenia KL embraces its role in always taking the initiative to help communities. This is at the heart of its #GardeniaCares philosophy which encompasses its Wellness Begins at Home programme, community outreach, training and education, and climate impact mitigation initiatives.

YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, commended Gardenia’s dedication to quality and community welfare. “The Ministry takes pride in being at the forefront driving efforts to achieve gender equality, family and community development as a caring and prosperous basis of a fairly developed country. We are deeply moved by the concerted efforts of private industries, such as Gardenia KL, who are making strides in driving initiatives that support community development. As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village’. So it is with strengthening family institutions and national development,” said the Minister.

During the pandemic, Gardenia KL was considered one of Malaysia’s economic frontliners ensuring the steady supply of bread across Peninsular Malaysia. Above and beyond this, Gardenia KL also set up a RM1 million COVID-19 Aid Fund to deliver in-kind aid to vulnerable communities. Malaysia’s favourite bakery has also stepped up to promote mental well-being, a topic that affected almost every Malaysian during the pandemic through its ‘Wellness Begins at Home’ initiative. Witnessing its positive impact, Gardenia KL has grown the initiative into an annual engagement to continue normalising conversations around mental health.

Deeply ingrained in community enrichment, #GardeniaCares initiatives play a role in supporting the KPWKM’s mission of integrating the perspectives of society into the mainstream of national development and strengthening the family institution towards improving social welfare. A summary of #GardeniaCares initiatives was showcased in a mini exhibition during YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukr’s visit to Gardenia KL.

Continuing its tradition of getting children from B40 households excited for the new school term, Gardenia KL presented this year’s Bag-2-School kits to the Trinity Community Children Home Society at the factory relaunch event, witnessed by the KPWKM Minister. Since 2015, Gardenia has positively impacted 33,000 children to date, equipping them with the necessary school supplies.

Gardenia KL’s factory tour is officially reopened to the public. Interested individuals or groups are welcome to register for free to enjoy an educational and fun tour at www.gardenia.com.my

For media inquiries or more information about the event, please contact Encik Yazli Saleh at yazli@gardenia.com.my 

The post Gardenia Shah Alam Factory Resumes Public Tours After Almost Four-Year Hiatus first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR – Defence Counsel for former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah told the High Court here today that they will be taking action against the airing of Man On The Run currently on Netflix as it is contentious and is in contempt of the ongoing 1MDB-TANORE trial.

Shafee said that they would also be filing contempt proceedings against former Attorney-General, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and defamation action against Sarawak Report publisher, Claire Rewcastle Brown for their statements which were aired on the related documentary.

More to follow…

The post Najib Defence Team To Act Against Netflix’s Man On The Run first appeared on NMH.

Born in a plantation in Sungai Petani, Kedah, and abandoned by his biological parents since young, 50-year-old Gopal Muniandy has spent his whole life in Malaysia without being recognised as a Malaysian.

Raised without a birth certificate and deprived of an education, Gopal had to start working at age 13 and wants to officially be a Malaysian in hopes of a better future for his Malaysian family.

Gopal currently only holds a green-coloured temporary resident identity card (MyKAS) that has to be renewed every five years, but had for years asked the Malaysian government to recognise him as a Malaysian citizen (who is given blue-coloured identity cards or MyKad).

Gopal has sent letters to the government (as far back as the Najib administration) but the National Registration Department (NRD) has indicated that there are no available procedures for MyKAS holders like him to be Malaysian citizen. The tenure of four home ministers had ended before his failed court bid this year, and his plight remains unresolved.

The tenure of four home ministers ended before his failed court bid this year, and his plight is still unresolved.

After five decades, Gopal is still stateless, as he is not a citizen of Malaysia or any other country in the world.

How did Gopal become stateless?

Here is Gopal’s story, based on court documents, official documents and official letters as sighted by Malay Mail:

Born in October 1973 at the Ladang Perbidanan UP Sungai Petani in Kedah, Gopal said his biological parents left him soon after he was born with a woman living nearby named Rukumani Periasamy.

Gopal said his parents left the estate and never came back for him, and that he does not know where they are. Rukumani’s vague recollection was that his father’s name is Muniandy and his mother’s name is Manoranjitham.

Raised by Rukumani, Gopal said he had at the age of seven briefly attended primary school for a year and worked at the age of 13 by helping lorry drivers in the plantation.

After following a lorry driver to Kuala Lumpur at age 16, Gopal has been living and working here since.

Gopal said he later contacted Rukumani to seek information on his parents, and that Rukumani had on April 23, 2000 — the year when he was due to turn 27 — made a statutory declaration saying she had known him since his 1973 birth in the estate, and that she knew his biological parents (which she named as Muniandy and Manoranjitham) as they lived near her house in the estate.

Also on April 23, 2000, a woman named Alamaloo Ayakanoo in a statutory declaration said she was Gopal’s adoptive mother and guardian since he was a two-year-old baby, as the biological parents (which she named as Muniandy and Manoranjitham) had left him behind with her as they went to other rubber estates to seek employment. The parents never returned to claim Gopal and she said she had raised him as her own child.

Alamaloo said she was illiterate and did not know how to apply for Gopal’s birth certificate, and did not register him in any schools as he did not have a birth certificate. She said her statutory declaration was made to enable her adoptive son to obtain an identity card.

Gopal said Alamaloo’s statutory declaration was made on the NRD’s advice for him to apply for an identity card as he had no parents.

In July 2001, Gopal had through Alamaloo placed an advertisement in the Tamil newspaper Tamil Nesan (now defunct since 2019 after 94 years in publication) to ask his biological parents to contact him, but there was no response to the advertisement.

As part of court papers, Gopal produced the bill for the newspaper advertisement, and the advertisement in the Tamil language, along with a certified court translation of the advertisement to the Malay language.

Gopal said Alamaloo lived in the same plantation or estate near Rukumani, and that Alamaloo died in October 2001.

According to Gopal, both Rukumani and Alamaloo were the ones who raised him since young.

After filing his court challenge, Gopal did try to contact Rukumani to testify in court through an affidavit to confirm he was abandoned and left with her since birth, but found out that the latter had died.

According to the Attorney General’s Chambers, Rukumani died in May 2019 — which was before Gopal filed his court challenge.

Finally on April 6, 2003, Gopal’s birth in Kedah was registered with the National Registration Department (NRD) and with Rukumani stated to be the informant, with his birth certificate stating his status as “Bukan Warganegara” (not citizen) and stating both his father’s and mother’s details including names and citizenship status to be “maklumat tidak diperolehi” (information not obtained).

On September 16, 2003 the NRD issued Gopal his first-ever MyKAS. He was due to turn 30 that year.

Later just months before he turned 31 in 2004, Gopal married a Malaysian woman, and their child is also a Malaysian. He is the only one in the family who is not a citizen of Malaysia, and his child became an adult while he has been appealing to the government to be a citizen.

NRD said its Putrajaya headquarters’ citizenship division had as of June 7, 2022 found no records of any citizenship application filed by Gopal.

However, Gopal said he had since 2009 made efforts to obtain the status as a Malaysian citizen from the Malaysian government, claiming he was unable to locate his citizenship applications but was able to produce official letters he had sent out to then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (on June 30, 2010) and then-home minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (on January 21, 2013).

He also kept multiple official letters dating as far back as 2009, including letters from the aides of home ministers (Hishammuddin in 2013 and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in 2015 and 2017) to the NRD asking for feedback on his case, as well as replies from the NRD to those aides or to Gopal.

In those letters, NRD had in 2013 said Gopal’s status as a temporary resident as a MyKAS holder meant he was not eligible to apply for Malaysian citizenship, and that a study is being carried out on temporary residents for a guideline to be issued and that his MyKad application would be considered once the NRD receives such a guideline.

The NRD had in a 2017 letter (in reference to an earlier letter from the Home Minister’s office) told Gopal that those aged 21 and above could apply for citizenship via naturalisation under the Federal Constitution’s Article 19(1), and in a 2018 letter told him his application to be a Malaysian citizen cannot be considered as there was currently no provision or policy to enable MyKAS holders like him to apply for permanent resident status.

(In Malaysia, before one can even apply to be a Malaysian citizen via naturalisation under Article 19, one would need to first apply for permanent resident status. Gopal however believes he is entitled to Malaysian citizenship by operation of law under the Federal Constitution’s Article 14(1)(b) — which means he should automatically be a Malaysian citizen without having to apply for it and because the law says so.)

In 2019, the NRD (in making reference to an earlier 2019 letter from the home minister’s office) said in a letter to Gopal that the government had yet to determine any procedure for MyKAS holders to apply for Malaysian citizenship, and apologised for any inconvenience faced by him and said it would notify him if there are any latest developments on citizenship application procedures for MyKAS holders.

Gopal through his lawyer in December 2021 sent a letter to the Malaysian government to demand to be recognised as a Malaysian citizen under the Federal Constitution, within 14 days of the letter. But he received no reply and viewed this as the government’s refusal to recognise him as a citizen.

On March 14, 2022, Gopal then filed a court challenge through an application for judicial review, naming the five respondents as the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Registrar-General of Births and Deaths, the national registration director-general, the home minister and the government of Malaysia.

In the court case, Gopal had sought for four court orders, namely declarations that he is a Malaysian citizen under either Section 1(a) or Section 1(e) of Part II of the Second Schedule in the Federal Constitution; a mandamus order to direct the registrar or registrar-general of births and deaths to reissue his birth certificate to reflect his status as a Malaysian citizen within seven days; and a mandamus order to direct the national registration director-general to issue an identity card with the status “Warganegara” or “citizen” within seven days.

The High Court on June 21, 2022 granted him leave for judicial review, which meant it decided it will proceed to hear his court case.

Rooted in Malaysia, but still not a citizen

In court papers, Gopal said he has been greatly prejudiced by Malaysia’s refusal to recognise him as a Malaysian, including facing great difficulties in obtaining loans from banks and being unable to own properties in his name as a citizen.

He had also in June 2010 told then-PM Najib that his previous attempts to apply for the blue identity card had been rejected as he did not have his biological parents’ details, but that he wanted to obtain it for the future of his Malaysian wife and child.

In January 2013, Gopal told then-home minister Hishammuddin that he could only afford to pay for rental and food, and having a blue IC would enable to raise his family’s living standards and benefit his child’s future.

Gopal’s lawyers said he had not attempted to obtain citizenship from any other country and that it is an “indisputable fact that he is not a citizen of any other country”, and argued that meant he should be considered a Malaysian, based on Section 1(e) and Section 2(3) of Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution (anyone born in Malaysia who is not born a citizen of any country and had not acquired any citizenship within one year of his birth).

Why the High Court said no and what’s next

On June 23 this year, the High Court dismissed Gopal’s judicial review, which means his struggle to be recognised as a Malaysian continues.

In a written judgment dated November 22 and released on the judiciary’s website on December 6, High Court judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh Serjit Singh decided that Gopal had not met either the Section 1(a) or Section 1(e) requirements to be recognised as a Malaysian citizen.

In short, this was because Section 1(a) along with Section 19B of Part III of the Federal Constitution would require proof that Gopal was found abandoned as a newborn, with the judge noting that this assertion by Gopal was “implausible” due to contradictory information regarding the circumstances of whether he was abandoned since birth.

As for Section 1(e), the judge said Gopal failed to meet its requirements, citing past Court of Appeal decisions on citizenship cases where Malaysia-born individuals were ruled as not fulfilling citizenship requirements and it could not be shown if they were stateless as their biological parents’ identities are unknown.

Based on those Court of Appeal decisions, the judge said the evidence showed that Gopal has no knowledge of his biological parents and no evidence of lineage of his parents was produced, saying that this was why Gopal failed to meet the Section 1(e) requirement: “Thus, the applicant had failed to prove that at the time of his birth, based on his lineage, he does not acquire citizenship of any country.”

(Based on the Malaysian government’s position in multiple court cases, it had often argued against Malaysian citizenship for stateless persons born in Malaysia, based on the argument that those with foreign mothers — especially those born out of wedlock or where the biological parents’ details are unclear — should take on their non-Malaysian mothers’ citizenship and would therefore not fulfil the Section 1(e) requirement.)

In Gopal’s case, the Attorney General’s Chambers had argued that he had to prove that he did not acquire citizenship of any country at the time of his birth, based on his lineage. The AGC argued there was a need to show his biological parents’ citizenship status and marital status, and that it would be insufficient for him to say that he was born in and had lived only in Malaysia to establish that he was not born a citizen of any country.)

Gopal’s lawyer Surendra Ananth confirmed that his client had on June 27, 2023 filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal, with the case scheduled for case management on March 14, 2024.

Gopal’s current MyKAS was issued on February 8, 2021 and he has slightly more than two years before it expires on February 7, 2026 and he has to apply to renew it for another five years (unless Malaysia recognises him as a citizen before then).

This article was originally published in The Malay Mail on 12th December, 2023.

The post NRD Refuses Citizenship To 50-Year-Old Kedah Man Born In Estate And Abandoned By Parents first appeared on NMH.

Commentary And Analysis . . . No one in the former British Borneo territories would be comfortable if they are considered Malay citizen.

Already, the Borneons are upset that dictatorial former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad considers Malaysia as Tanah Melayu (Malay land). Mahathir was repeating the case for Malay citizenship, the thesis statement earlier made by former Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. The Tengku echoed politician Burhanuddin al-Helmy.

Sabah and Sarawak are not in the Malay Peninsula i.e. the southern portion of the Kra Peninsula.

Also Read:-
Malaysia One Country, Three Immigration Systems, 60 Years Later

Malay Citizen Origin

Again, Tanah Melayu was in fact misnomer for government reserves which were gazetted on Orang Asli (aboriginal) land in Malaya by the British. The colonial administration wanted various immigrant communities from the Archipelago, habitually speaking Malay, out of the way. The British wanted large areas free of the squatter colonies which were codified under the Malay administrative label. That paved the way for tin mining and rubber plantations.

Malaya is an English word derived from Malay which means hilly/mountainous in Tamil and Malayalam (hilly/mountainous).

The Orang Asal (Original People), in particular, see themselves as Borneons. They take great pride in having NCR (Native Customary Rights) land, i.e. ancestral and historical property, under Adat presided over by the Native Court. Adat, customary practices which have force of law, is the 1st law in international law.

The Negrito (Semang), still found in the mountains of Malaya, were the first people in the peninsula. The DNA trail shows that they came from the mountains of Kerala, in southwest India, 40K years ago.

The Negrito, still found in the High Country in Kerala, were the first people in India. It has been estimated that they came 70K years ago, from east Africa, by hugging the African, Arabian, Persian and Indian coasts, before reaching the Malabar coast in Kerala.

Others in India mostly came 15K to 8K years ago, the latter being more accurate. The Albino in the north were descended from the Dravidian (archaic Caucasoid or old Caucasian) speakers. The Dravidian speakers were descended from the proto-Dravidian who reached Afghanistan after the long trek from the Greek islands.

Borneo Not Malay

Malaysian in Malaya at least who have roots in India and China, for example, can be Malay citizen, Borneo being different kettle of fish, being work in progress Equal Partnership Of Malay Federation And Borneo Territories in Malaysia under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA’63).

Mahathir wasn’t saying anything new when he proposed that Malaysian who have roots in India and China, for example, can be viewed as Malay citizen.

The media has commented on it. See Chinese and Indian migrants should have become ‘Malay’?

It was about two years ago that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah raised the Malay citizenship concept proposed by Burhanuddin al-Helmy, based on Malay identity, for all citizens no matter their origin.

The trio, i.e. Mahathir, Razaleigh and Burhanuddin, did not come up with well thought out concepts on citizenship and identity. There was no Definition. If there was thesis statement, the problem statement may not exist, unless Malaysian in Malaya who originate from India and China are seen as political problems i.e. if they don’t assimilate, not just integrate.

Indonesia No Role Model

Mahathir cited Indonesia as example of assimilation, not just integration, for Malaysia.

There’s no basis for comparison as “outsiders” form no more than perhaps 5 per cent at the most in Indonesia. In Malaysia, “others” put together made up 49.6 per cent of the population in the 2010 National Census. The 2020 National Census, delayed by the pandemic, has no Malay, Orang Asal (Original People) and Orang Asli (aboriginal people) categories.

Referendum

If shove comes after push, there can be Referendum on Malay citizenship after the Definition of Malay in Article 160(2), as form of identity, was repealed. Other related Articles, already aberration in law, may be rendered redundant.

Integration, assimilation, DNA, geographical origin, and pluralism aren’t constitutional matters. The colour-blind Constitution enshrines freedom of conscience, other freedoms, and secularism.

Redundant

Article 3, being standalone clause as the Constitution was based on the rule of law, states that Islam was the religion of the Federation, i.e. Malaya, enshrined in Article 160(2). Article 3 echoes the Definition of Malay in Article 160(2) as form of identity based on Islam, being habitually Malay speaking, and born or domiciled in Singapore or Malaya by Merdeka on 31 August 1957.

Article 153 on “special position of Orang Asal, Orang Asli and Malay”, was rendered redundant by sunset clause 15 years after Merdeka on 31 August 1957.

The sunset clause was removed after the 13 May 1969 disturbances in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. In law, Article 8, there can be no discrimination, save as provided by law. If there’s discrimination, i.e. by law, there must be sunset clause.

Article 152 on national language (bahasa kebangsaan) — read 20K Bahasa Melayu as habitually spoken in Johor-Rhio-Lingga — may need update for Malay citizenship.

The 40K Bahasa Malaysia replaced Bahasa Melayu by 1969. Bahasa Malaysia, unlike Bahasa Melayu on paper, was used in practice as the unofficial official language. Parliament can debate Bahasa Malaysia as national language, under Article 152, as replacement for Bahasa Melayu.

Bahasa Malaysia, which includes the 20K word Bahasa Melayu based on mixture of loanwords (Cambodian, Tamil, Sanskrit and Pali), has 20K loanwords from English, local languages and dialects.

The 127K word Bahasa Indonesia, which includes the 20K Bahasa Melayu, has about 30K Dutch loanwords. It has also 77K loanwords from English and local languages and dialects.

Official Language

Official language, the medium in which the government does business, was also used in Parliament, the media and schools. The vernacular schools mostly use Tamil and Chinese.

Bahasa Malaysia was the unofficial official language of the lower court in Malaya.

English was the language of the court in the former British Borneo and in the superior court in Malaysia. — NMH

The post Malay Citizen For Malaysia Free Of Indian And Chinese first appeared on NMH.

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, was today found guilty of corruption over the misappropriation of funds belonging to Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada) — the Youth wing of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia — where he had served as its chief three years ago.

High Court Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid said the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt on the charges against Syed Saddiq, who is now president of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) party.

30 prosecution witnesses testified in the trial that started on June 21, 2022.

New Malaysia Herald will update additional information as it becomes available.

The post Syed Saddiq Gets Jail Time And Fined For Corruption first appeared on NMH.