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IPOH — Yesterday’s open water swimming competition at Teluk Senangin in Lumut, which saw some 40 participants being stung by jellyfish, was organised without referring to the local authorities.

Perak Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the organiser should have at least consulted the Malaysian Maritime Department for information regarding the jellyfish threat in the area.

“The organiser is a private company from outside Perak. We did not know about the event… even the sports and health executive committees did not know about it.

“This is a lesson to outsiders who want to organise any activities… that they must refer to the authorities. Luckily, there were no untoward incidents this time,” he told a media conference after the presentation of Fundus Camera (a specialised instrument used in ophthalmology) for eye checks at Royal Club Ipoh here today.

Yesterday, it was reported that at least 40 participants of the Teluk Senangin Open Water Swim 2025 competition were injured after being stung by jellyfish and needed hospital treatment.

The organiser also confirmed that the Raja Kecil Besar, Raja Azlan Muzzaffar Shah, who is the son of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, was one of the participants who competed in the 3-kilometre men’s junior 12-19 age group.

Meanwhile, Sivanesan said two of the injured participants have been discharged from Manjung Hospital, while those treated as outpatients are in stable conditions. — BERNAMA

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SYDNEY – Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday, closing the world famous landmark.

Assange, who returned to Australia last year after his release from a high-security British prison, was pictured surrounded by family and marching alongside former Australian foreign minister and New South Wales premier Bob Carr.

France, Britain and Canada have in recent weeks voiced, in some cases qualified, intentions to diplomatically recognise a Palestinian state as international concern and criticism have grown over malnutrition in Gaza.

Australia has called for an end to the war in Gaza but has so far stopped short of a decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

But in a joint statement with more than a dozen other nations on Tuesday it expressed the “willingness or the positive consideration… to recognise the state of Palestine as an essential step towards the two-State solution”.

The pro-Palestinian crowd braved heavy winds and rain to march across the bridge, chanting “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine”.

New South Wales police said it had deployed hundreds of extra staff across Sydney for the march.

Mehreen Faruqi, the New South Wales senator for the left-wing Greens party, told the crowd gathered at central Sydney’s Lang Park that the march would “make history”.

She called for the “harshest sanctions on Israel”, accusing its forces of “massacring” Gazans, and criticised New South Wales premier Chris Minns for saying the protest should not go ahead.

Dozens of marchers held up banners listing the names of thousands of Palestinian children killed since the Gaza war broke out after an October 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Labor backbench MP Ed Husic attended the march and called for his ruling party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to recognise a Palestinian state.

Assange did not address the crowd or talk to the media.

Israel is under mounting international pressure to end the bloodshed that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

The Harbour Bridge is over a kilometre long and was opened in 1932.

Since then its twin parabolic arcs have become world famous, a symbol of both Sydney and of Australia. –AFP

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KOTA KINABALU — Thailand and Cambodia chose Malaysia as the location for peace talks because the country has stable politics and a developing economy, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said that as a friendly country, Malaysia was proud to be able to help resolve the conflict between the two Asian countries, thus ensuring that the region remains peaceful and stable.

Anwar said Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha and Thai Acting Defence Minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit were expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to hold detailed discussions in an effort to find a solution to the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.

“We are proud as a friendly country and of Malaysia’s success in resolving the discord between two Asian countries. Imagine, they agreed in Kuala Lumpur. For the first time, we have been able to reconcile the war between two countries in Kuala Lumpur. Alhamdulillah,” he said.

He said this when officiating the closing ceremony of the 2025 National Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen’s Day here, today.

Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and his deputy Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup.

On July 28, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire following a special meeting in Putrajaya chaired by Anwar as the current ASEAN Chairman.

In the meeting, Thailand, represented by Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, while Cambodia by its Prime Minister Hun Manet, also reached an agreement to hold a General Border Committee meeting as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Anwar said this success had made Malaysia known on the world stage to the point of attracting the attention of global leaders including US President Donald J. Trump who contacted him to express his appreciation for Kuala Lumpur’s efforts to resolve the conflict.

In addition, the Prime Minister said Malaysia had also received attention and appreciation from leaders of other countries including Germany, France and other Asian countries.

“Various efforts were made, I contacted President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and finally we asked (negotiated) both (Thailand and Cambodia) to agree. Imagine them giving us their trust,” he said. — BERNAMA

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