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MIC has been allocated four seats in the upcoming Johor state election, said its vice-president Datuk T. Murugiah.

He said the matter was confirmed by MIC president Tan Sri SA. Vigneswaran, who recently attended discussions on the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections with Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

“At present, the president has said that we will contest four seats in Johor, while the number of seats MIC will contest in Negeri Sembilan has not yet been finalised.

“Preparations are currently underway,” he told a press conference after attending a meeting on MIC’s 80th anniversary celebrations at its headquarters yesterday.

To strengthen and streamline the party machinery, he said MIC will organise a two-day training session for about 150 speakers in Johor Bahru this weekend, enabling them to deliver accurate information when campaigning among the Indian community in all Johor state constituencies. 

“They will be trained on public speaking and the messages to be delivered before being deployed to speak in all 56 state seats contested by BN to attract support from the Indian community,” he said.

In the 15th Johor state election in March 2022, MIC won three of the four seats it contested, namely Kemelah, Kahang and Tenggaroh, while losing Bukit Batu.

According to a party insider, MIC is expected to field candidates in Kemelah, Kahang and Bukit Batu in this election, while the Tenggaroh seat will be swapped with UMNO for Perling.

“It is expected that 50% of the candidates will be new faces in this Johor election. For Negeri Sembilan, MIC has a chance to contest two seats,” he said.

The Election Commission fixed July 11 for polling in Johor and Aug 1 for polling in Negeri Sembilan. 

The nomination of candidates in Johor will be held on June 27, while that for Negeri Sembilan is July 18.

Meanwhile, Murugiah said the party will organise sports competitions in 152 areas nationwide this Saturday in conjunction with the anniversary celebration.

He also invited people of all races to take part in the competitions, which include football, badminton, bowling, carrom and hiking. — BERNAMA

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NEGOTIATIONS on seat allocation for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections are expected to be concluded next week, said UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

“We are currently in negotiations; insya-Allah, next week we will conclude everything,” he told reporters when met after the launch of the Anti-Bullying Tribunal headquarters at the Asian International Arbitration Centre yesterday.

The launch was officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

On BN’s campaign approach for both state polls, Asyraf Wajdi said the coalition would adopt a strategy of explaining policies and offering proposals that benefit the people.

“Within UMNO and Barisan Nasional, we have made a clear decision in the previous Supreme Council meeting. We will not focus on attacking opponents or personal matters. We will state our policies and what we want to offer to the people.

“The president (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) has already said that we should not touch on personal issues or expose anyone’s shame,” he said.

The Election Commission (EC) has set July 11 as polling day for the Johor state election, with June 27 as nomination day and July 7 for early voting.

The 2022 Johor state election saw BN win 40 of the 56 seats contested, followed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) with 12 seats, Perikatan Nasional (PN) with three and MUDA with one.

For the Negeri Sembilan state election, the EC has set Aug 1 as polling day, while July 18 is nomination day and July 28 for early voting.

In the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election, the PH-BN coalition form the state government after winning 31 of the 36 seats, with PH taking 17 seats, BN 14 and PN five. — BERNAMA

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PETALING JAYA — Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture) said yesterday that it will remain as a component party in Perikatan Nasional (PN).

As such, he said, Bersatu will also use the PN logo in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls slated for July 11 and Aug 1, respectively.

Muhyiddin stressed that the party cannot be removed from PN unilaterally or based on the decision of any single party.

“We will continue to remain as a member of PN, and no party can take action to remove Bersatu from PN unilaterally.

“If we follow the constitution, there are certain matters and clauses that must be adhered to. They must comply with the provisions and reach a consensus,” he told a media conference after chairing the Supreme Leadership Council meeting at Bersatu headquarters tonight.

Also present were Bersatu vice-presidents Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin and Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, as well as secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Previously, PAS had officially announced that it had ended all forms of political cooperation with Bersatu. — BERNAMA

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IPOH — What began as curiosity over a melody heard in a surau of a boarding school eventually became a life-changing journey for 25-year-old Orang Asli Osman Hamzah (picture), culminating in his memorisation of all 30 juzuk of the Quran and recognition with the Special Award at this year’s Perak State Maal Hijrah celebration.

Osman, from the Temiar tribe, recalled that his interest in Islam began during his time at school when he heard Quranic recitation being played through the surau’s audio system.

At the time, unfamiliar with Islam and the Quran, he initially thought the recitation was a song and became curious about its meaning and origin.

“I didn’t know it was a Quranic verse. I only heard it as a beautiful melody and wondered what song it was and who was singing it. That curiosity led me to ask my Muslim friends and ustaz about it and eventually helped me understand Islam better before embracing the religion.

“From there, I started studying the Quran more deeply and began memorising it while attending tahfiz classes until I completed memorising all 30 juzuk at the age of 23 while studying at Darul Quran,” he said when met at the Perak State-Level Maal Hijrah 1448 celebration at Casuarina Convention Hall, Meru Raya, last night. 

Osman said his interest in Islam continued to grow through daily interactions with Muslim friends at the boarding school, where he was introduced to Islamic values and practices.

“Most of my friends were Muslims. I observed their way of life and activities, and it made me want to learn more. That was the beginning of my own journey in understanding Islam,” he said.

After embracing Islam, Osman became actively involved in dakwah and community outreach programmes organised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including visits to Orang Asli villages to provide aid and share understanding of Islamic teachings.

Currently pursuing a degree in Quran and Sunnah studies at Sultan Azlan Shah University, Osman said receiving the Special Award presented by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, was more than recognition.

“It is motivation to continue contributing to society. The award encourages me to continue serving the community and helping others understand Islam in a positive and meaningful way,” he said. 

At the same ceremony, Sultan Nazrin also presented several other recognitions, including the State Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award, Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq Award, Siti Khadijah Award, Saidina Ali Award and the Asnaf Icon Award.

Meanwhile, the Asnaf Icon Award was presented to visually impaired entrepreneur Khairruddin Mazli, 35, who admitted he did not expect to be selected among six nominees.

“Alhamdulillah, I would like to thank the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) and the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) for choosing me. I feel honoured and grateful for this recognition,” he said.

Khairruddin said he hopes to further expand his massage business and create opportunities for other persons with disabilities to build careers in reflexology.

“My goal is to bring more disabled friends into this field so that we can grow together and benefit together,” said Khairruddin, who is also a former national football athlete for Malaysian Blind Football.

He added that the biggest lesson in running a business is not to depend entirely on others but to work independently and create opportunities for a better future.

“For me, whether someone is disabled or not does not matter. As long as we are willing to work hard, we can earn a living and build a better life,” he said. — BERNAMA

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by GLORIA HARRY BEATTY

THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has obtained remand orders against 13 individuals, including a director and a former director of a government agency in northern Peninsular Malaysia, over the alleged solicitation and receipt of about RM2.5 million in bribes from contractors.

The bribes were allegedly paid as an inducement to appoint contractor companies controlled by cartel agents to monopolise the agency’s direct-award and quotation-based projects.

In a statement today, MACC said that three of the suspects, comprising two civil servants and a company director, were remanded for two days from June 16 to June 17, 2026, while the remaining 10 suspects were remanded for five days from June 16 to June 20, 2026.

The remand orders were issued by Magistrate Anis Hanini Abdullah after allowing an application by the MACC at the Ipoh Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The 13 suspects, comprising 10 men and three women aged between their 30s and 60s, were arrested between 8pm and 11pm on Monday when they turned up to provide statements at the MACC Perak office.

Of the 13 suspects, eight are civil servants, while the remaining five are members of the public and company owners.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are believed to have conspired in the alleged scheme between 2024 and 2026.

Investigators also found that the contractors arrested claimed they were required to pay bribes of between 10% and 15% to intermediaries, allegedly for the benefit of the agency’s director and former director.

On Monday, the MACC’s Investigation Division conducted an operation known as Op Drain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Pahang and Perak.

During the operation, officers raided 25 locations comprising residences, office premises and government agency offices.

The MACC said it seized various items, including approximately RM1.5 million in cash, a luxury watch, two vehicles, a high-powered motorcycle and jewellery worth about RM1 million.

The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

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