News

by ANN ZAINUDDIN

THE Children’s Commissioners (CC) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) have welcomed the official establishment of the Anti-Bullying Tribunal, describing it as a significant step towards strengthening child protection and creating safer learning environments.

In a statement today, the CC said the tribunal which was launched on June 16 by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, reflects the government’s commitment to addressing bullying through an accessible and child-sensitive redress mechanism.

They also welcomed the enforcement of the Anti-Bullying Act 2026, which came into effect on June 16 and requires educational institutions to implement a range of measures to prevent and manage bullying incidents.

Under the law, schools and other educational institutions must establish anti-bullying committees, implement policies and procedures, provide confidential reporting channels, offer counselling and psychosocial support, conduct training programmes and comply with standards set by the minister.

The commissioners also said the tribunal would provide victims and their parents or guardians with a free and accessible avenue to seek redress through an independent mechanism.

The CC stated children and young people were meaningfully engaged throughout the consultation process and that their views were considered in the development of the legislation.

They added that they had participated in various engagement and consultation sessions during the policy formulation, legislative drafting and implementation stages, providing recommendations based on children’s rights principles and the best interests of the child.

Furthermore, it also welcomed the statutory responsibilities assigned to the CC under the Act, saying the roles would strengthen oversight and accountability in the implementation of anti-bullying measures nationwide.

Among the responsibilities assigned to the CC are reviewing audit reports on anti-bullying measures, monitoring tribunal complaint statistics, making recommendations on bullying prevention, conducting awareness programmes and submitting annual reports to Parliament.

“The establishment of the Tribunal sends a clear message that bullying will not be tolerated and that children have the right to seek redress when their rights are violated.”

It said the effectiveness of the tribunal would depend on the collective commitment of government agencies, educational institutions, parents, teachers, civil society organisations and children themselves.

They added that SUHAKAM would continue working with relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act 2026 and promote a culture of respect, empathy and safety for every child in Malaysia.

The post SUHAKAM welcomes Anti-Bullying Tribunal, Anti-Bullying Act 2026 appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.

CARETAKER Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has defended Johor Barisan Nasional’s refusal to work with DAP, saying the party’s ideology is incompatible with the Johor way and the state’s political realities. 

He said BN and DAP had very different political ideologies and that the situation in Johor differed from the federal level.

He attributed the formation of the Unity Government in Putrajaya to a royal decree after no single party secured a parliamentary majority, as reported by The Star.

“What happened in Putrajaya is because of a royal decree at that time as no one party had the majority of seats in Parliament. That is why the Unity Government had to happen. In Johor, this is not like that as we have 40 out of the 56 seats and we continue to get a strong mandate from the people,” he said during a media interview, yesterday.

Onn Hafiz said the state government would continue working professionally with all federal ministers, adding that his attendance at Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s recent event demonstrated that the matter was not personal despite earlier issues surrounding the invitation.

He also defended his earlier remarks that Johor BN would contest all 56 seats and would not share a table with DAP in the state government, saying the position reflected what he believed was the view of the majority of Bangsa Johor. He said the current state government, made up entirely of BN representatives, had been accepted by the majority of Johoreans.

Onn Hafiz said choosing how to respond to criticism was important and that while BN could be aggressive in return, “it’s not nice and not our way”. He also said both the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Johor Regent had reminded political leaders to campaign responsibly, respect differing views and avoid hurling insults during the election period.

The post Johor polls: Why BN refuses to work with DAP, explains Onn Hafiz appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.

JOHOR Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi is expected to finalise the coalition’s candidate list for the Johor state election by the end of this week, with an announcement anticipated on Saturday.

According to a report, the Johor menteri besar said the list of potential candidates for the state election was about 80 per cent complete, although the final lineup remained subject to changes pending approval from the coalition’s top leadership.

Onn Hafiz stressed that no candidate could be considered confirmed until official appointment letters had been issued.

“Everything can still change. Nothing is finalised until the day you receive your appointment letter. There have been cases before where someone received the letter but it was later withdrawn,” he said during an interview with several Johor media representatives, yesterday.

Onn Hafiz said candidate selection was not decided solely at the state level as all names required the approval of BN chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as well as the leadership of the coalition’s component parties, Berita Harian reported.

He said BN’s selection criteria focused on service, public acceptance and local influence, adding that candidates must be locals who are known in their constituencies and accepted by the community, with a strong service record and winning potential rather than being chosen based on age.

Onn Hafiz said the final list was expected to feature a mix of familiar and new faces from various professional backgrounds, while voters aged below 40 and first-time voters remained an important segment that could influence the election outcome and the formation of the next state government.

He also urged Johoreans living and working outside the state, particularly in Singapore, to return home to vote and called on party members who were not selected as candidates to remain loyal to BN and continue serving the people. Nomination day is set for June 27, while early voting and polling will take place on July 7 and July 11 respectively.

The post Johor polls: BN candidate list 80% complete, says Onn Hafiz appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.

KUALA LUMPUR — The overall performance of candidates in the 2025 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations has improved, with the national Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) rising to 2.88 from 2.85 the previous year.

Malaysian Examinations Council (MPM) chairman Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff said this latest 0.03-point growth marks the highest national STPM CGPA since 2013, which is a 12.06 per cent increase from the 2.57 CGPA registered in that period.

He said that 40,199 candidates registered to sit for the 2025 STPM examinations, down from 42,861 in 2024.

“Out of that total, 38,144 candidates, or 94.89 per cent, sat for the examination,” he said when announcing the 2025 STPM results today at the MPM Grand Hall. Director-General of Education Datuk Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad was also present.

He noted that the vast majority of candidates who turned up, totalling 35,774 or 93.79 per cent, belonged to the social sciences stream, compared to 2,370 candidates or 6.2 per cent from the science stream. 

He said General Studies remains a mandatory subject with the highest turnout, at 38,083 candidates.

According to him, 1,336 candidates (3.50 per cent) scored a perfect 4.00 CGPA, an increase of 70 candidates from the previous year’s cohort.

He said 60 candidates secured top marks with 5As in all five subjects this year, up from 53 in 2024, and that 1,285 candidates secured 4As, up from 1,228 in 2024.

The proportion of students securing full principal passes in four and five subjects increased to 77.64 per cent, representing 29,616 candidates, compared to 76.5 per cent the previous year, he stated.

Looking at the CGPA breakdown, there was an increase in the concentration of candidates scoring at the 3.75, 3.00, 2.75, and 2.00 thresholds compared to 2024. 

He said that of those who attended the exams, 38,128 candidates (99.96 per cent) qualified to receive their 2025 STPM certificates.

According to the MPM, the minimum requirement to receive an STPM certificate is a partial pass in at least one subject. — BERNAMA

The post STPM 2025: Highest national CGPA since 2013 — MPM appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.

JOHOR BAHRU — Pakatan Harapan (PH) is expected to announce the list of candidates contesting in the Johor state election this Monday, said Johor PKR chairman Dr Zaliha Mustafa (picture).

Zaliha, who is also PKR vice president, said the announcement was expected to be made at a ceremony involving the party’s top leadership, including PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The announcement of candidates has been agreed upon by the state and central PH. God willing, we will hold it in the north of Johor, possibly in Bukit Gambir, Tangkak,” she said in an interview with Bernama.

Dr Zaliha said the selection of the location in the northern part of Johor was to further fuel the wave of support from the people which was seen to be increasing after several series of programmes in the northern zone, including in Bukit Naning, which showed very encouraging responses.

Elaborating further, she said the selection of candidates involved views from the branch level to ensure that those chosen truly understood the needs of the local community and had a good service record.

“We also include elements of professionals, young people, women and racial diversity so that there is balance in the team of candidates that are presented,” she said.

Dr Zaliha said that apart from representing various community groups, the candidates chosen also need to have the ability to contribute to PH’s larger goals in this election.

She said PH did not enter the election arena simply to increase the number of seats it had won previously, but rather with the target of forming a state government.

PH will contest in all 56 State Legislative Assembly seats with PKR fielding candidates in 20 seats, DAP (17) and Amanah (19).

The Johor state election is set for July 11, with nominations on June 27 and early voting on July 7. — BERNAMA

The post Johor state election: PH to announce candidates on Monday — Dr Zaliha appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.

KUALA LUMPUR — The High Court today fixed August 13 to hear an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seeking to restrain Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid (picture) from managing offshore assets valued at USD157.5 million (approximately RM667 million) and GBP85 million (approximately RM4.9 billion) located in Jersey, a British Crown territory.

The application seeks to prohibit the widow of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin, or any parties linked to her, from dealing with the offshore assets.

Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin set the hearing date during case management proceedings attended by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat and lawyer Muhammad Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid, who appeared for Na’imah.

Na’imah was exempted from attending today’s proceedings.

According to court filings, the application was submitted on June 25 last year after MACC alleged that the assets were acquired by Na’imah or individuals associated with her in Malaysia and had not been declared to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

The application was made under Section 53 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001), following investigations under Section 113 of the Income Tax Act and Section 4(1) of the AMLATFPUAA.

This marks the third application filed by the prosecution involving overseas assets, following earlier proceedings concerning assets in the United Kingdom and Singapore.

On June 19, 2025, MACC sought a restraining order to prevent Na’imah, her son Muhammed Amir Zainuddin, two individuals, five companies and related parties from managing overseas assets, including investment funds worth GBP21 million (about RM121 million) and USD99 million (about RM423 million) held in Singapore.

However, the High Court dismissed that application on May 22, 2026.

Separately, in proceedings involving The Ilham Foundation, the court fixed June 30 to deliver its decision on Na’imah’s application to set aside MACC’s bid to freeze several commercial and residential properties in London valued at GBP132 million.

Previously, on May 22, 2025, then MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki disclosed that eight investigation papers had been opened following fresh information received from foreign agencies concerning assets linked to Daim, his family members and proxies.

He said the latest information indicated that the assets under scrutiny had not been declared during MACC’s investigation in 2023. — BERNAMA

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